headphones, flying home

 i began the day in St. Ann, Missouri, at my hotel, the Wingate. it was nice having another continental breakfast there. as usual, i liked how there wasn't much planned for the final day in town after i had eaten. i showered and then packed up and checked out of the hotel, then it was on to returning the rental car. i made it to the airport with plenty of time to check in for the flight home. i was smart enough to ask for headphones this time, found out i needed them to listen to the music available from the seat-back. there were plenty of genres available, i mostly listened to the two that were marked as alternative. notable to me was finding a song i wasn't familiar with, it was Paramore's 'misery business'. the title caught my eye. it was loud and fast, but sometimes i am in the mood for that. my friends were out of town, but after i landed at MSP i saw a photo from their safari in Africa, it was a cheetah. first order of business was getting lunch as it was midday, from panda express. i saw a photo booth near a snoopy statue and got a photo as there was an america-250 background for it. it was the second photo booth of the weekend, the first being at the city museum. and i bought two Charlie Brown items at another place, one was a candy bar with peppermint patty and Marcie on the wrapper. at first i didn't want to leave as i didn't want the trip to end, but i told myself i needed to get on the bus and go home as the longer i stay the more money i spend. i had chores and errand running to do at home. there were stops at three different grocery stores. first was Aldi, then after performing at a friend's open-mic i went to Hy-Vee and a Cub Foods. in the rush to get in and out of Aldi, i didn't get everything i needed. but the item count was lower at the other two, four and two items respectively. and as for cub, i wanted a state fair ticket but the customer service counter was closed for the night. i still bought two boxes of Chex cereal there as they still had a few boxes remaining with Charlie Brown and snoopy characters on them. i called my dad in the evening and i spoke of the trip, and i was asked if i had visited the brewery but i did not. i said i did recall a trip to that city when i was a teenager when Dad spoke of getting a weird call in the middle of the night. 

old capitol, st. charles

 i made it to two museums for the day. the second stop was in the afternoon, the old capitol in St. Charles. it didn't look much like a capitol building, no dome on it, but it served as a capitol for just five years. the part of town reminded me of the antique shops in Stillwater, or even historic sections of New Orleans or Charleston, SC. i did a tour after picking up some lunch at a gas station a few blocks away, including some small white castle burgers. i parked blocks away near the Lewis and Clark museum close to the river, as this was the closest available parking i was aware of. after having continental breakfast at the hotel, including a 'make your own waffle', i went to pick up the rental car. this made it much easier to see two museums, especially when neither one was served by public transport. the first stop was the red cedar inn, on the former route 66 in a town called pacific. both properties are listed on the national register of historic places, and i bought some postcards at both. i knew i needed to get back on the road after the second museum, drive back to the hotel so i could take the light rail from the airport to the stadium. the cardinals won, blanking Cincinnati, 7-0. and i noticed more music while out and about. there were two songs in the rental car, there was 'two princes' by spin doctors, and 'under pressure' by David Bowie and queen. at the stadium it was Paul Simon's 'call me al'. and it was another night of drinking a can of beer while back at my hotel, while writing about what i did for the day. both were Anheuser products, no problem finding them when it is near where they are brewed. it was a Budweiser select, then a Busch light. i liked finding both at the gas station near the hotel. but i didn't need to get peanuts the second night, after claiming a big bag at the stadium. 

city museum, st. louis

 in the morning i got on a plane and flew to st. louis for my annual visit for baseball games. i arrived before midday and wanted to fill in some time before i could check into my hotel near the airport. i went downtown, first stop was a BBQ place, i had been there before, sugar-fire. then it was on to the city museum. thankful that a ticket seller spoke of having lockers available for rent, as i used one for my travel bag. i might be cheap, but i am also practical, and i knew the fee wasn't all that much and i would feel more comfortable not having to carry the bag while touring this place. much of it was for kids, such as the slides. i went on a few but not too many. there was a carousel as well. i liked finding a section about architecture on an upper floor, including a profile about Louis Sullivan. and there was mention of a Montgomery Ward building, a former employer of mine. and there was music everywhere, at the BBQ place i liked hearing U2's 'with or without you'. it was a reminder of seeing this band in concert in this city at the hockey arena many years ago. at the museum i liked hearing Chappell Roan's 'pink pony club'. i wasn't at the hotel for long after checking in, wanted to get on the road again back to the airport for the game. cardinals were playing Cincinnati, and the cardinals lost 4-2. i liked getting a beer during happy hour at the stadium. much like when the twins have it, this is only available from gates open until first pitch and on 12-ounce cans. 

sia, nostalgic for the present

 in the evening i went to see a movie in Eagan, it was Sia's 'nostalgic for the present', also the name of one of her concert tours. haven't seen this musician in concert, and this movie will have to do. there are limited screenings, explaining why i was there on a weeknight. the dance choreography, acting out the songs, was really good. i was the only attendee for this screening, and now i have enough points for a reward with the loyalty program for this theater chain. i kept getting emails for weeks telling me how close i was. the songs captured the 'fragility of the human condition' well. i didn't know every song, but most of them in it. no surprise how many were from the 'this is acting' album, the most recent release as of the time that this was filmed. the song that made me take notice of this musician was likely 'elastic heart' which was in the movie. another notable one, 'guts over fear' with Eminem, was not. while watching the movie i was covering one ear to hear the songs better, i have done this before. it was what i really needed after a 'challenging' day at work to say the least. there was a meeting with a senior leader that i don't hear from that often. i didn't have a good feeling about it and was right. there were layoff notices, but i was in the group that is staying. probably know some of the people who are not. there was mention of it being due to outsourcing to India, i know another employer had done this years ago. while at the theater i did see a poster for 'nimrods', the green day movie, another music movie i am looking forward to. after the movie i drove to a Walgreen and dropped off a FedEx envelope, just minutes before closing time. i also picked up some things for myself, including two die-cast model cars. one was Charlie Brown and friends in space suits and the other was america-250. and i got some fruit punch, an ice cream bar, and cheese sticks. at work there was a dial-in meeting moderated by the CEO, and the backorder of check stock arrived. 

out to lunch reply

 i saw an odd 'out of office' reply in the shared box, it said 'out to lunch'. i am not used to seeing such a reply, usually it is being unavailable for the rest of the day or the full day. i went through the returned checks and notified vacation replacement about it. the case was closed on the check printer, after another tech arrived with parts. looks like the issue was some plastic from the check stock was sucked into the fan near the output tray and this is what was causing the 'hissing' sound. at least it has been handled. this was discovered after swapping maintenance kits on the two printers and there seemed to be no difference in the performance or sound of either unit. i let the manager that likes karaoke know about attending last night's Saints baseball game and the upcoming weekend in st. louis. the car went into the shop into the evening with the dealer, and i let the boss know that the recommended mechanic did not respond at all. even showed the text message to prove it. 

what envelopes do we use?

 i had a question from personnel in the Marshall office, it was 'what envelopes do we use?' for their checks. i said it was plain envelopes, no bank logo on them, just a return address. the boss asked about the court file, i said usually there aren't any special handling to pull out from it. a payroll check was picked up by the manager as the main contact was out of the office. the team lead was still trying to help me with logging in some volunteer hours, but i am just not getting to the screen i need to be on, and one big issue was a 'passkey'. a colleague in st. louis had asked if i had overnighted a check despite not being emailed to pull it, i said it was overnighted and i shared the tracking number. it was dropped in the box late in the day so it would likely be picked up soon enough. found out she is from Iowa like me, but from a different town, Ottumwa. there was mention of attending a bible camp in my hometown. except i had never heard of it and couldn't tell you where it was. a text was sent to a classmate about it and i was told it likely was a place where i had once seen a postcard for it online, and it would have been outside of the city limits, past the airport that i hardly ever went to. i should try to find it on my next visit, but lately those Iowa visits have been annual and i was already there in May. found all of it out due to mention of heading to st. louis soon for some baseball games. in the evening i went to the St. Paul Saints baseball game, saints lost to Columbus, 13-2. it was credit union night, and the CEO sang with the karaoke guy, the song was 'take the money and run'. nice that the beer at the sample table was Schell's, i am familiar with it from my visits to New Ulm for Oktoberfest. i also claimed a 'nacho bowl' as i was leaving the stadium, a plastic batting helmet, just needed to wash it out when i got home. 

delay on getting tech

 i was getting annoyed at work after creating a ticket for one of the check printers, because i had to keep justifying asking for a technician to look at it, and i was tired of all of the arguing. but then i said my boss has been notified about the delays, and not too long after that i was sent the form i needed to request one. then a tech arrived late in the workday, parts have been ordered. customer service asked for 46 check copies, this kind of volume is not typical. it was from the colleague that places supply orders for me. i liked seeing, based on check numbers, how most of them were in the same file. this made it easier to find them. 

midnight movie

 in the afternoon i went to see a movie at the Trylon, it was 'midnight'. it was a film from the 1930s with a setting in France. i am used to how movies tend to get to the choice of title, and in this case, it was a 'Cinderella' reference. this would be considered a 'screwball' comedy. i saw the cub foods dude, who likes to sit up front like i do. when this screening was over, i left and he got back in line for the next movie. i wanted to get to a performance venue, and like many times before i closed the show. i spoke of many of the typical things, including the bank stories. on Facebook i usually don't look at 'memories' that much but in the past week, i have. there have been plenty about my trip to Toronto to see the pan-am games many years ago. i haven't done an international trip since then but i am considering another one in the next year or two. i am still trying to figure out the 'logistics'- the when and where. affordability is another consideration as well, want the car loan and some furniture paid off first. 

wingman event

 i went to the st. Paul Saints baseball game, actually a double header. Saints won both games, 11-3 and 7-0, against Louisville, but i didn't see much of the 'lid lifter'. i was attending a 'wingman' event in the cub foods section of the stadium. there was a memorial service for sister Roz as well and i saw part of that before heading to the cub foods section. there were people pitching their friends, five in all as i recall. i chatted a little with a dude who said his friend was on his way, and they met at meetup events, in a group i often do events in. i said i was doing meetup again next month. there was a picnic-type meal there. i have learned to have expectations in line with reality so i don't expect to find a romantic partner due to this event. i did hear about more events this group is doing, away from the stadium. i like knowing it is free admission, makes it easier to attend. i still saw it as worth it to sign up as it meant a meal was included, and of course baseball. i did see nearly all of the nightcap. before heading to the stadium i had a sandwich at Jersey Mike's, but a different location than typical. then i did a haircut nearby at a place i hadn't been to in a while. i was the last client of the day, i noticed the shop owner changed the sign to 'closed' shortly after i left. even though i noticed the sign said he'd be open for another hour, but i didn't care since i got what i was looking for. i got a picture of a Charlie Brown calendar on the way out of the shop. 

follow-up to hi

 i decided to follow up with a colleague that places supply orders for me. on the previous day i had heard a hi when i went to find the team lead and drop off a check. it was a crazy-busy day and i felt bad that i didn't say much. the response i received was 'i can tell how busy you are by the way you walk'. after getting a flyer from the Guthrie theater about their upcoming season, i asked the manager that likes karaoke if she's seen any shows there lately. we had both seen 'little shop of horrors' but not the same performance, and that has already 'been a minute'. response was no, but she once was a frequent visitor. i said there are two shows of interest to me, and i am fine with going to that venue as i prefer a 'tried and true' show when we all have limited time and money available. the boss made a recommendation of someone in the service industry. i spoke of who sent me when i tried to contact, but i got voice mail. i also sent a text message, and both communications went unanswered. i found some 'Shrek' stickers when i made a visit to Walgreen. i stayed in and watched the St. Paul Saints baseball game, the Saints beat Louisville in a low- scoring game, 3-1. i was getting bored with hearing the announcer 'going up on a soapbox' about the double header scheduled for the next day. it includes a rainout makeup from the other city, and it means the Saints bat first in one of those games. this happens all the time when a game is moved, it is not a big deal to me. i had seen it when a game was moved from Fargo during the pandemic, knowing the crowd size would be larger in the alternate venue. there was an interview with 'fan number ten million' as the team reached that milestone in attendance in this game, in year 34 of the franchise's history. 

hissing from printer

 i was trying to find the time to call in a ticket on a check printer but was busy and i will have to try again the next day. it just doesn't sound right when printing, as i am hearing 'hissing' instead of 'whirring'. since there are two check printers, i decided to avoid using it until a tech arrives. when i spoke of it to the tax specialist, i said 'trouble with the droids', in reference to a line from a 'Star Wars' movie. i was trying to explain why i didn't have the checks ready for courier pick-up on time. i let vacation replacement know there was a refund check addressed to someone in another department, it had arrived in an inter-office envelope. i was told to send it to the team lead, so it meant going to another floor. we chatted for a few minutes and some of it was about my day off coming soon. this was another day of driving into work, parking in a ramp. i had fringe festival training after work. it is nice to be recognized by the event coordinator upon arrival. i was pleased that i was able to attend the in-person training session after one person moved to the online version. we will have to wait for the shirts we will be wearing as those aren't available yet. but the festival is still three weeks away. the stored-value cards usable to get in free to shows have the same status but an example was passed around. looks like i can pick both up on the first night at a venue i will be ushering in. 

sharing too much?

 the team lead spoke of being willing to help with the issue i was having with trying to log my volunteer hours from special Olympics. except i kept going around in circles after trying to use the link i was given. then i think she shared too much in an instant message, as my response was 'what?' something about hating to use public bathrooms and 'her foot in my stall'. i notified vacation replacement that three refund checks had arrived. sometimes i see them in the empty mail tubs in the mailroom when i drop off the regular mail for the day since the mailroom knows it's still the same department but different floor than me. i let the manager that likes karaoke know i was doing a saints baseball game this weekend, as i was sent mention of a 'wingman event'. i also had two checks to drop off for this same manager. 

quick to close cases

 no, not Sherlock Holmes or 'monk'. but there is someone at the office that is quick to close cases. or we sometimes call them 'tickets' when i need service on the machines i use for check printing and such. my boss heard about us getting three toner cartridges in a little over a week and said call in a ticket. i forwarded it and then a few hours later, the case was closed with an explanation about it. i said we had more than we needed, as now we have five. vacation replacement heard about it and said it was better than not having enough, which is true. there are times when we got one just before one ran out. i said it was all double talk. i let my boss know of there is any interest on escalating it. i let vacation replacement know about going through the returned checks, there was seven from our internal file and an eighth is Canadian. i drove into work and found a ramp to park in a few blocks away, as i had two events to attend after work. one of them was bastille day at the French alliance, my first stop. i bought two postcards there. i also got a ham and cheese 'crepe'. there was an actress dressed as Marie Antoinette and i got a photo with her. i have done this event before but it had been a few years. it has been at various venues before, this time in the parking lot of their 'home building'. the second event was a meetup at a micro-brewery in st. Paul. it was nice to see a lady there that is willing to advise me about a possible trip to Europe, except i found out more about her and said i am only interested in friendship, nothing more. three red flags, two of them were verbalized without me having to ask. the third was obvious in terms of actions observed. she spoke of getting divorced, so not divorced yet, along with being unemployed. and she's not lacking for attention at these events and i don't care to compete. 

dishes, a day late

i don't have many dishes to do at home, so i do them once a week. this time it was a day late. not too big of a deal, but i should try harder to find the energy to do them on the more customary day. but i know all too well how it can be more inviting to lay down when tired and how hard it can be to get up when comfortable. i knew i couldn't afford to delay it another day, so added motivation to get it done. at work, the day started off with the boss asking about the time sheet. i said i had already submitted it and based on the light blue color of the button on that page, i would be unable to submit it again. a colleague from the Marshall file asked about the regular mail deadline, related to pulling a check. sounded like there was some interest in having a check overnighted. then i was told that the employee was unable to provide the overnight label.  

young washington movie

 just before midday i went to see the movie 'young Washington', at the Grandview theater in St. Paul. liked seeing Kelsey Grammer- from 'Cheers' and 'Frasier'- in it, albeit in a small role. i am used to the disclaimer that was in the closing credits, which said 'some scenes and characters were invented for dramatic effect'. when the storyline got to fort Duquesne, now known as Pittsburgh, it reminded me of a fellow comic, brawler, who is from that city. i was the only one in the theater for this screening, this has happened before. i had lunch at the subway sandwich shop nearby after the movie. it was nice hearing Sia's 'cheap thrills' there. when i was getting a sandwich there i noticed one employee was holding an infant, but not the one that served me. after this was done i went to have an oil change done for my car. then later on i went to perform at an open mic. one performer said it was the best set he'd heard from me. it likely helped that it included a rant about my ex-boss, who i spotted at an event the previous day but thankfully i just kept moving before i was recognized and called out to. in the morning i did laundry, although i was tired in the evening and didn't get around to doing the dishes. i guess i will have to do them the next day. 

mary oliver movie

 in the afternoon i went to see the documentary movie about poet Mary Oliver, at st. Anthony main in Minneapolis. i still haven't found a better view in the twin cities than the one i see just outside of this theater, looking straight across the river to the skyline. i hadn't heard of this writer, but since it was about a writer it intrigued me enough to go. i found it when scanning fandango this week so it was a late add to my schedule. there were some interviews with celebrities, but some worked for me better than others. i liked the one with journalist Maria Shriver, who interviewed her and clips of the interview are shown. what makes you feel different? not belonging. that statement really resonated with me, as it would with many who are in the arts. the ones with two talk show hosts, Steve Colbert and Oprah Winfrey, didn't do much for me. besides reading her poems, they seemed to offer little beyond being 'fans' who happened to be famous. it was nice to hear Edith Piaf's 'la vie en rose' in the lobby, a good 'walking out song'. i made it to whiz-bang days in Robbinsdale before the movie and bought the festival button i was looking for. i briefly stopped in the branch, but it was basically just a hi and bye as not many were in there. i was recognized by one employee though, who said it was basically an entirely new crew since i was moved to another office. a deejay played nirvana's 'teen spirit' as part of the block party. and i had lunch at the McDonald's. i went to the car show as well, nice seeing a Shelby cobra there. and there was a pink Edsel. although it made me feel old to see an 83 cutlass there. went to the Walgreen and bought a six pack of Coca-Cola in bottles, since it had the america-250 logo on it. in the evening i went to see 'cosmic ball' at the Saints stadium. a friend in st. louis said he hadn't heard of it. shortly after the event ended, i sent a text and described it well. the showmanship reminded me of the Harlem globetrotters, pro wrestling, and a 3-ring circus. there was music throughout, which i liked. this included Elton John's 'I'm still standing' and Djo's 'end of beginning'. at one point, a player sat down next to me and i said 'there is a lot going on'. the dude was wearing a jersey with '3:16' on the back. if anything didn't land with me, it was the blow-up doll version of a cow, a recurring gag. if it was meant to be their version of a 'rubber chicken', then that wouldn't have landed with me either. 

letters not practical

 i joined a dial-in meeting with the boss, it was about a big ask on checks. the expected volume is fifteen thousand, and legal department asked us to send out letters with it as well. but this is not practical when the volume is that high. sounds like the request might have went as high as one level below the CEO. the boss said it would make more sense to have legal send out those letters in advance, instead of with the checks. whatever happens, i won't see these refund checks right away. there will likely be more meetings about it, but i won't necessarily be on the later ones. the boss went home a little early, spoke of the gout acting up and needing to take meds for it. there was one check for the tax specialist, the first of this month. it will likely be picked up in person the next business day. i decided to respond on the email thread about the supply orders, where i said we have had cartons of check stock put on backorder before. i see it when the packing list arrives, and we are not told in advance when that happens. this seemed to be one reason why the order was held up, along with the main contact being on vacation. i said i was fine with being sent whatever they currently have in stock, and this seemed to be enough to break the logjam. in the evening i went to get groceries at Hy-Vee in Eagan and saw the employee i sometimes chat with. songs i heard there included 'closing time', although it wasn't all that close to closing time when i was there. the other was 'X's and O's' by Elle King. i bought some more america-250 items, this time it was discounted napkins. 

docking station request

 vacation replacement was working from home and i was asked to look inside a little box. i did find a docking station in it, something about his no longer works. guess it will be picked up next week. there were some cords in it as well. i checked and i have a little box just like it, from when my laptop arrived. i am thankful i haven't needed much from it yet. i think i let a tech look in the box though when the second check printer was set up and a cord was used from it. the supply order for the month has not arrived yet and i have reported it. and it sounds like i am dealing with the typical summer issue at the bank and the supplier- vacations. the help desk app closed the second ticket; the one opened for requesting a maintenance kit for a check printer. i let vacation replacement know that i did find an event for a rare weekend this summer where i hadn't booked anything yet. this was for august, and a movie i would like to see would be in theaters by then. i spoke of how i tend to go the second weekend instead of the first, and it reminded me of a former coworker. the dude seemed upset with me when i said i wouldn't watch a 'Star Wars' movie on opening weekend. why, i don't know. i didn't refuse to see it entirely. i just prefer waiting a little when the crowds tend to be smaller. the music of the day included one i heard at the convenience store on the main floor, it was 'pink pony club'. then there was 'what's up' by 4 non-blondes, when i was riding the bus home. also notable was seeing a movie outdoors, 'sing', in the evening. i had seen both it and the sequel, but it had been a minute. i saw both as Redbox rentals four years ago. 

hold for documents

 the Marshall file sometimes has checks where we are emailed and it says, 'hold for documents'. these are sent inter-office and arrive a few days later. thankful that a UPS envelope and label are included, and these usually have titles in them as well. we had two of those to pull out of the file for the day. at the start of the week, the boss spoke of being in the office for three days near the end of the week. but this was not to be, as we got an email this morning where the boss spoke of being ill, and would not be in. and as usual, call the cell if necessary. we started off the week with a big backlog of checks from the Fargo file, but it is slowly going down. it was five thousand, then four, and now two. i send out as many as i can each day, but no more than four regular mail tubs. it also makes a difference as to when we get those files, and lately they have been arriving later than typical. 

no set lunchtime

 i did hear from a former coworker and was told that this dude doesn't have a set lunchtime. it sounds a lot like me, often snacking or just having small lunches. i had asked about lunching together, guess i could still find another way for us to chat in person sometime soon. it would be nice to see some more familiar faces. there aren't many coworkers i miss from a former job, but this is one of them. a payroll check was picked up. vacation replacement was helping out with the Marshall file, and one check we were asked to set aside and match up with a form was in the second file of the day. i think it was for a traffic ticket as it was for a hundred dollars, and those are often sent to a PO box instead of being overnighted. 

envious, why?

 at work i spoke of the weekend to the manager that likes karaoke, and the response was 'envious'. but why? i am single, i said, and the choices are to go solo or not at all. something about her cleaning out a former apartment in order to turn in the keys. the advice was that when you stop looking, the perfect person is right there. i let someone know that i preferred a ticket be left open until the correct toner cartridge arrives. but i am used to this colleague wanting to close the case right away. and i still had questions about how to send back the wrong kind, but it sounded like i was on my own there. and i got an odd message about issues on a check upload, had to ask them what business line as i didn't recognize their name. then i found out it is the one based in st. louis and it meant we weren't getting a file for the day from them. not a big deal, it is usually a small file. in the evening i went to sing at a karaoke bar, as i still wanted stage time after the previous day's show didn't happen. i sang twice, it was 'alive' by Sia, and 'wake me up when September ends' by green day. i was thinking those were the best two as i am looking forward to seeing movies about both in the next month or so. after i did the first song, i went back to the bar with my drink and the lady after me did 'I'll fly away'. it was a reminder of me singing it at my aunt's funeral. 

george washington impersonator

 i was back at the church for another event, after hearing about a George Washington impersonator, an event held after the day's worship services, which i did not attend. it was mainly about Washington's farewell address, and highlights of it. the presenter said it is about 23 pages, so definitely nothing like Lincoln's Gettysburg address in terms of brevity. i had seen some presidential impersonators before, so this was right up my alley. i asked a question near the end of Q and A about movies, and the answer was there were many more about Lincoln, and i guess he hadn't seen many about Washington. i had lunch at Jersey Mike's, then went to mall of America and saw the america-250 exhibit in the rotunda. good thing i had went to the comedy show two days prior, as this is how i found out about it. there was a fashion show, and i liked reading the displays there. one of them was about the bicentennial celebration of 1976, and two artifacts were on display. one was a lunchbox, the other was a beer can from Schell's. i had seen this brewery do commemorative cans before, celebrating the St. Paul winter carnival. i had some pizza at home, then went to a performance venue but found out no show for the day. it led to me contacting the show runner, and i said it was time to give out my phone number as i am fine with text messages. i check my phone more than Facebook anyway. i said i don't give it out much, but this is somebody i trust. there was another 'a to z' series on a local radio station, 89.3 the current. i liked hearing some songs from first aid kit, the two sisters from Sweden. same series where i discovered this band two years ago, the song was 'fireworks'. this time it was 'out of my head' and 'tender offerings'. 

carillon bell concert

there were three events booked for the day. the first was a picnic through meetup, in south Minneapolis. the venue looked familiar, and i think we had a picnic at the same park a year earlier. i did see my friend there eventually, the retired postal worker. sent a text after i had eaten and i heard 'on the way'. we drank beer together, both of us had a miller genuine draft as he had some in the back of his car. i stayed longer than expected for this reason, as it was the first in-person visit with this dude this calendar year after some cancellations. there was one dude, who had a shaved head, that i enjoyed chatting with before my friend showed up. i brought a box of twinkies. i had to stop at an ATM on the way so i could pay the fee to attend. there are five picnics in the series this year, only one i have attended so far. and good chance it will stay that way. next one is in Stillwater, not going to that one. and the one on Labor Day weekend doesn't have a venue yet. next event was the carillon bell concert, at a presbyterian church on summit avenue in St. Paul. i heard about that event due to searching online. i got out my lawn chair, in the back of my car. i don't use it much. i decided to move fairly early on as a young lady was playing some Taylor Swift songs on some kind of device and it was harder to hear the carillon for that reason. i ended up moving across the street, closer to the church. two songs i recognized were 'wonderful world' by Louis Armstrong, and 'over the rainbow' from 'wizard of oz'. the church had run out of programs by the time i got there, so i did not have a song list. then it was on to the St. Paul Saints baseball game, my sixth of the season. saints beat buffalo, 6-5, and as usual there was plenty of the long ball. there was a rain delay, then the game was called about 30 minutes later. minimum is five innings to be declared an 'official game', and six innings were played, so it met that standard. there were fireworks, after the rain tapered off. two notable songs during the show were 'America the beautiful'- the patriotic song- as well as 'ragged old flag' by johnny cash. don't know what version i had heard of the former, but it is likely that a ton of performers have done it. many of the songs played were familiar from earlier fireworks shows that the team had done, but i don't think i had heard cash's song done that often before. 

groceries after show

 i had heard about a friend doing a comedy show this evening, and at first i balked at attending. my first reaction was that it was my grocery shopping night. i am thankful i changed my mind because i had a great time at the show. it was cul-de-sac and mason city performing, the latter being the headliner. i didn't know who the MC was. i got in free and when i was leaving i found out my food and drink was comped as well. i laughed a lot, some of the stories i had heard before but not all of them. i said i was inspired to go back to performing more than once a week. i hadn't seen either one in a while, added motivation to go there. then i went grocery shopping after the show, good thing some stores are open late. i picked up another magazine with the america-250 theme, this one by people. at work i had two tickets opened. one was for a maintenance kit on a printer, the other was about getting the wrong kind of toner cartridge for a printer. since it was kind of a slow day, i had more time to get it done. i also submitted the mid-year evaluation, which was due soon. the tax specialist spoke of holiday plans, a BBQ at his mom's house. there was just one Marshall file, nothing late in the day. i made it to Walgreen in the morning, that store was open. while walking through the skyway i noticed many others were not. i got some pictures of the closed signs. i did send another instant message to a former coworker, it had been a little over a month since the most recent one. this time i did ask about lunching sometime soon as it can get boring to be lunching by myself on most days. this led to me saying to vacation replacement how there aren't many people that i am comfortable with opening up to at work. some are on the same team as me, but not all of them. i can think of just five where i have shared much of anything about my personal life. 

except i did

 i needed to do a rebuttal at work in reference to the manager in Marshall claiming i didn't notify the shared box if something went into the UPS box after pick-up time. except i did, and i shared a screen snip in my response. i also said that no shared boxes were in the original message, so why should i be the one that has to add it? i definitely didn't care for two senior leaders being copied on the response. all the more reason to send my rebuttal. i said if i need to copy five people each time, then i will. i didn't want to be convicted in a kangaroo court. i let the manager that likes karaoke know that i got the reservations done, and she spoke of needing to go on a trip soon. i spoke of how i have cut spending across the board, and i take fewer trips now. i heard from the same colleague as the previous day, but thankful it was before crunch time. it meant i had more time to do the researching. i had the name of who had sent the UPS label a week earlier and this made it easier to find in the deleted items in the shared box. it was five checks going to a judge's office in St. Paul. a payroll check was picked up, and i closed the door kind of quickly as it was late in the day, just as i was hearing 'have a good weekend'. not thrilled with how the popcorn event was canceled this month, but this happened a year ago as well, too close to the holiday. 

supply order must wait

 i found the time to place the supply order for the month, got a little too busy the previous day. then i saw an out of office reply from the colleague who handles it for me, so it must wait. hard to say how long, but with it being close to a holiday it might be a few days. there were two checks for the manager that likes karaoke, but not in the same i-pay file. i spoke of needing to make some travel reservations and this helped me get it done in the evening. i also spoke of the lady i had met at a meetup event where i sang karaoke, and so did she, but not the same song. a colleague asked me to do some researching in the afternoon during 'crunch time', from the Cincinnati file. wanted to see where some checks were sent. because i was busier compared to other times of the day, i had to admit that and the colleague spoke of needing to do some more research. i also put some test checks in the MICR ruler for the boss, four in all. they seemed to fit just fine to me. 

leading zeroes on checks

 the lady that places supply orders for me sent a message asking about a check. i said i would like to see a copy to see if it was one that i print. when i saw some leading zeroes on the check number, i am thinking it is not likely. i do print some of those, but not many. it is one file in particular, and the number of zeroes is three instead of the two given by my colleague. the boss is working remotely this week and called me. i saw a screen snip and said that it's a Fargo check. something about being unable to find the contacts for that business line, then said, 'never mind' and found them. in the morning there was a facility manager meeting, but it was a brief one, about ten minutes. there was a question about how many people would be in the office on Friday, as it is just before the holiday, i said i would be. something about the facility manager office would be closed that day. i had questions about overnighting a check to Great Britain. i said if anyone wants a check overnighted, then email me which one so i can respond with the tracking number when it is available. there was a one-check file, 'return to business line', but it was awaiting approval for a while. i said i could print it once approved, then i was asked about it. i said i don't know who the approvers are. something about their boss being out of the office for the day. it got approved though, and i was able to get it in the UPS box just before pick-up time. 

paris, texas, movie

 in the evening i went to a movie in Edina, a special screening of 'Paris, Texas'. i recognized Dean Stockwell in it. i liked what i had read about the movie in advance, how it had influenced some musicians. this included U2's album, 'Joshua Tree', as well as the name of the band 'Travis'. i have seen both in concert. since it was about two brothers traveling by car across the desert, it did leave me wondering if it inspired a later movie, 'rain man'. this was a bittersweet story, but i am thankful i saw it. i got a small popcorn there and a bottle of vitamin water, and the bottle was still half full when i took it home with me. i saw a chalkboard when i was leaving and wrote on it. i said i was thankful this venue was showing it before the Trylon, which has it this summer as part of their 'road movie' series. now i don't have to wait two months to see it. i liked the feeling i had when driving home, much like after other movies i have seen. it was a combination of factors, including how it was the evening. seeing a sign on the road saying, 'you're not a firework, don't drive while lit' along with the Leonard Cohen song, 'everybody knows', on the radio. there's another screening of a classic at this venue that interests me, in a month from now. at work, i am trying to get used to alternate plans on getting to work as the blue line is unavailable. i am taking two buses to get there. the tax specialist changed plans, wanted checks sent by courier, but the courier was even later than on Friday. there was an inquiry about a Canadian check for just over 2 million, i said i had it and it was picked up in person by a lady i hadn't seen before. i did tell the manager that likes karaoke about what i did over the weekend and it led me to researching 'animal clubs' some more. i found out there were some Eagles clubs in Iowa, my native state, just not in my hometown. i let vacation replacement know about going through returned checks, 22 of them are PDF so those were set aside. an ACH request from payroll was in the shared box, i let my colleague handle it. kind of funny what i saw in response to it, quick statements such as 'that's old' and 'screw it, i will print it'. after i got home from the movie, i did the dishes. it was time as it was a day later than typical. too tired from what i was doing on Sunday that i fell asleep and i should have known that would happen. 

blithe spirit

 there were four events slated for the day. the most notable was seeing a play, 'blithe spirit', written by noel coward, at the round theater in Minneapolis. it had been two years since i had seen a play at this venue, outside of the fringe festival anyway. good show all around, made me laugh at times. i had seen a movie written by this man at the Trylon cinema, 'brief encounter'. next season, this venue has two shows that are of interest to me. there is 'Great Gatsby', and then the Charlie Brown play, 'you're a good man'. i have seen the latter before, but being a big Charlie Brown fan i  can say it has been a while so not a big deal on seeing it again. i wasn't home for long after the play, had a meal there and then it was off to go performing. as usual, i went on near the end of the mic. there was a question from the performer after me, i didn't think it was too hard to understand what i was saying about going to a department luncheon where we celebrate birthdays. the show runner played a lady gaga song after i left the stage, and after the show i said it was the same one i had sang when doing karaoke two days prior. in the morning, i went to the pancake breakfast at Kaposia days in South St. Paul, just needed to buy the festival button. i saw a former coworker there, the same one who had once told me about this festival. then it was on to the walker art museum, where i used a free ticket i was given from a camera event in the past year. it was expiring at the end of the month. i still like seeing the ed hopper painting there, although i am aware that his most famous one, 'nighthawks', is in Chicago. there was also art about those who are deaf, and i liked the insight given about their lives. it reminded me of taking a class on the history of disability, and the instructor had studied at Gallaudet in the nation's capital. i bought some souvenirs as well, including a small Charlie Brown book and some postcards. then i went to have lunch, getting a fish sandwich and a drink at bobby and Steve's, within walking distance of the venue where i saw the play. 

holman field

 i had another volunteer shift with special Olympics. in the morning i did some errand running, including going to the post office. one order was picked up. i also did groceries at Aldi and went to the gas station. i wanted things all caught up before i headed there as i was expecting to be there until early evening. this time it was at Holman field in St. Paul, first time there. after i parked i got on a golf cart to where we would be helping out. it was more of the same, unloading bags from buses, but not as many as a week ago. there was just four this time. this didn't surprise me much as i would expect most athletes, if flying, to go to MSP. i did get a sandwich after finding out where the volunteer room was. and i kept my vest at the end of the day, probably can find some kind of use for it. we were done around three hours early. i got a good look round at the building that included a restaurant, close to where i had parked. i was pleased how it fed my need for history. it was a WPA project during the depression. it sounds like the place has the typical bar/restaurant type food on their menu, so i am considering making a return visit to have a meal there. it goes without saying how i took plenty of pictures while there. when i was leaving there was some construction and the lane i ended up in wasn't preferred, so i didn't go home right away. i went to an old neighborhood, wanted some ice cream. except the dairy queen was closed, empty building surrounded by a fence. went to the nearby McDonald's instead, which no longer has indoor seating. the Walgreen was closed, repurposed as an Asian grocery store and deli. the site of what once was an Arby's is now a housing complex. it proves the old adage how 'you can't go home again'. i had been in all four of those businesses when i was living nearby. in the evening i watched a DVD, the order that i had picked up earlier in the day. it was 'Detroit rock city'. storyline was ridiculous, but the music was good. it had echoes of 'rock and roll high school' as there was some Ramones songs in it. although the band this time was kiss. the part when the four friends arrive in Detroit was entertaining. the part before it, not so much. 

eagles club, karaoke

 this was a fun evening. i did a meetup event but it was a rare edition at an actual bar instead of a micro-brewery. we were at the Eagles club in St. Paul, on maria, near the burger king. when i found out there was karaoke i signed up and i liked how i didn't have to wait all that long. i did 'bad romance' by lady gaga, and this was a better conversation starter than what i typically have at these events. i did chat with a lady that i had seen at other events in this group in the past month and we exchanged phone numbers. i am looking for advisors on any traveling i might be doing, especially if it's a place they've been to and i haven't. the trip for groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan was delayed, but i still made it there before closing. at work, i picked up the reject fax in the morning and scanned it as usual. it led me to tell a story to the manager that likes karaoke, as the 'rat statue' reminded me of what i had seen at the car show recently. it was a plastic rat on the hood of a car. i let vacation replacement know i had booked a reservation for some traveling that will be happening soon enough. it sounds like we are keeping the Marshall file, and i am not thrilled about that. for whatever reason, the business line had a problem with me lumping together checks, even though they were going to the same place. i spoke of my policy of 'one label, one envelope'. i saw how a senior leader was copied on a thread about it. the courier for the tax checks was late, all i could do was report it. but thankful the courier arrived before i went to lunch, just barely. 

too many overflow pages

 i was going through the PDF check file and nearly half of it was overflow pages, in the end this knocked it down to about a hundred. i let the manager that likes karaoke know about it as i was trying to find a check for her. i did but it took a little longer. this was from the first i-pay file, and there was one for this same manager in the second file as well. this meant i did two visits to that floor, but in both cases i didn't stay long. i had too much to do. there was another question about an overnighted check, this one was headed to st. louis. another case of just missing pick-up time for the day and i said it will likely be picked up soon enough. i drank the can of 'jack and coke' with the evening meal and now there are three beers waiting. 

lunch at five guys

 there was a department luncheon for the birthdays for the month, but two people were absent, so we had just six team members there. we went to five guys, a burger place. i was surprised as to how much i was getting when i was ordering a smaller burger, and with the fries as well. it still was a good-sized portion in both cases. odd how vacation replacement offered me some fries when i said i wanted to finish what i had ordered for myself. then what i hear in the afternoon is the same colleague who complained of being hungry. i figured we all would have had plenty to eat at lunch. when we were leaving the place i said it looked like feed sacks near the front door, there were bags of unpeeled potatoes. i recall my old man who once spoke of feed sacks while shopping for school clothes. in the morning i got the checks to the tax specialist, then i got a message right after that from my boss and said, 'how can i help?' found out it was a question on if i was attending the luncheon. i said i was planning on it and hadn't brought a lunch with me like i typically do. i still brought snacks though, animal crackers and a box of raisins. a colleague in Marshall sent me seven overnight labels for that file, then i was later told one of them was not needed. no big deal to me. in the evening i went to an Iowa alumni event at a place in st. louis park, called punch bowl social. food was furnished, i did order a can of beer, a Pabst. it was nice seeing some familiar people there. i know my alumni chapter doesn't do all that many events, but when there is one i do my best to attend. i picked up a few small souvenirs there, including a bumper sticker. 

after pick-up time

 we still have some issues with the business line from the Marshall office. i get overnighted checks into the box as early as i can, but sometimes it is after pick-up time for the day. there was a question as to if i was 'holding' checks but i had to say that all missed the cut-off time and would likely be picked up the next day. i am not a fan of this file when both times we see checks are in the afternoon, and neither is vacation replacement. it also doesn't help that we are cleaning up their messes more often than other files, such as being asked to pull checks when the payee name is not correct. you'd think they'd be able to catch some of those before a check is approved, but i guess not. 

surplus jersey

 i have a baseball jersey that i would like to give to someone but still trying to find out who. when i was at work i did notify the manager that likes karaoke, who would be more in the know than i am. i just have too many of them. not sure if that will lead to anything though. there was a request to intercept a check but not check number was given, which makes it harder to find. another night of skipping the variety mic i once frequented. the more often i do, the less i will think about it. i know i made the right choice after seeing it in transition. 

fan zone, two photos

 just before midday i went to mall of America as i had heard there was a 'fan zone' at the rotunda related to special Olympics. i knew it was a good idea to leave my volunteer shirt at home as i was off duty. it was a small event, didn't take long to cover the stations, but it was nice to get two photos sent to me by email. one of them was AI-generated, when i said my dream job was author. i created a poster as well, then got a picture of it and donated it to the cause and it was put on display. i wrote on it about what i did for my volunteer shift, unloading bags from buses at the university. when i was done it was time for lunch and went to a pizza place nearby. i go there as i know i will likely get airline miles. then it was to the 'Japan store', Ebisu, and i found another container of chewing gum with the Charlie Brown characters on it. this one was green, the other was yellow, and was a slightly different lineup although snoopy was on both. then it was time to get to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. i left some things at home, picked up a few such as the jersey i would be wearing. i made it before the national anthem. it was a slugfest that went into extra innings. the saints lost to Omaha, 15-12, in 11 innings. a non-pitcher was pitching for the home team in what became the final inning. i saw the dude i know from the ticket office, and i heard about a non-baseball event coming up at this venue. it was being promoted on the video board in center field. it sounds like plenty of daredevil stunts, but it is called a circus. i got a ticket for it, it is over a month from now. also saw the young lady i know from the alumni chapter and spoke of how there is an event in a few days. then i went to perform nearby. it was a thin lineup but i still liked having the stage time. one performer much have had stage fright, as he basically just said hi and bye and then left. 

culligan mascot

 i went to the car show at the state fairgrounds in the afternoon, and one thing i saw early upon arrival was a dressed-up mascot for Culligan water. it reminded me of their decades-old slogan, 'hey Culligan man!' i got a picture of this mascot, which looked like a woman, and had some of their water as well. most important thing early on was lunch. i found a basket of fries and chicken strips, then eventually a beer. wanted a Modelo, apparently the vendor had run out, so i got a Michelob. i enjoyed this event despite a friend of mine being absent, this would be the retired postal worker. i took two buses to get there, and shortly after starting the second leg of my journey i checked my phone and was told he didn't make it. something about his two classic cars not being registered. i was tired and my feet hurt, so i had to sit every so often. i was pleased that i managed to last more than three hours there and walked the lion's share of the fairgrounds. by early evening i headed home, taking two buses again. i saw plenty of cars that reminded me of movies i had seen. this included 'Christine', the 'Herbie' franchise, as well as 'rain man'. often not the same model years, but close. i got pictures of those. i saw a Porsche speedster, much like what mike fox drove in 'doc Hollywood' but didn't get a pic of it. my final car pic of the day was of an Edsel, which reminded me of the Billy Joel song 'we didn't start the fire'. i had seen some before but still surprised to see as many as i have when it was a famous failure. in the morning i got groceries at Aldi, then went and got another america-250 item at Barnes and Noble. not the one i was searching for, but it was a nice pack of items, including a poster, magazine, and postcards. at Walmart i found the word find i was looking for, that had been seen at Hy-Vee a month ago. i also bought some snack cakes with the same theme there. in the evening i tried watching the baseball game on TV, Mets-Phillies, but fell asleep. 

unloading bags from buses

 this was a day off for me due to the bank holiday, but i stayed active. it was the day of my shift with special Olympics. first i had to get registered onsite, at the U of M. hard to find the correct building at first, some were closed. then i went in one where a sign was up and was shown a map, it was a white tent in a parking lot behind the hockey arena. i said i know there that is and was on my way. i got my shirt and hat, then went to another venue. hard to find anyone 'in the know' at first, then i found another volunteer. we were sent to a 'superblock', where some residence halls were. i had been to the athletic venues north of the light rail tracks, this was the first time i am aware of where i have been south of the tracks on this campus. it wasn't too big of a deal, i was unloading bags from buses when the athletes arrived. there was plenty of down time between buses. i did use this window of opportunity to go get a sandwich at jimmy john's nearby as it was time to have lunch. i wasn't away for long, and not long after i returned there were some sandwiches brought to us. oops! but i didn't know when or even what they were going to bring us when signing up, months ago. i had a half sandwich and a cookie, and i was full. i lost count of how many state delegations we helped, at least a dozen. except Iowa, my native state, wasn't one of them. the capital city was, though, and California was split into northern and southern halves. i was used to being at work during this time of day so not a big deal to have a shift of about five hours. then i took the light rail back to my car in the early evening. i picked up a few items at a Walgreen in the morning. after my shift was done i was home for a short time and then went to get a sandwich at jersey mike's. after that it was groceries at Hy-Vee in Eagan. i did see the employee i sometimes chat with, as i was leaving, and alluded to what i was wearing as i still had the volunteer outfit on. 

harmar mall article

 i spoke of an article i had found recently about Harmar mall in Roseville to vacation replacement. it said that the mall has an uncertain future. no surprise there when most of the storefronts are now empty. i have been to the cub foods grocery store there, as well as the Barnes and Noble book shop, and that is about it. not much else of note is still there. the response from my colleague was that it was old and outdated, surprised that they haven't closed down yet. like most people, i go to Rosedale more often, in the same town, way more stores there. the tax specialist was out, and i was told to hold all checks until Monday. i got a rare request on the Fargo file, it was to pull out 58 checks as those were duplicated. this made sense as i did pull one of them from the foreign pile, and another from the special handling file. i saw the list of check numbers from the printed email, and i still wanted to send checks through the machine in a timely fashion. i noticed the check numbers were not scattered throughout the file; it meant just one stack needed to be set aside for a short time to find what i needed. the boss brought cookies from another floor, made by the colleague that places supply orders for me. another payroll check was picked up, by the colleague that i more typically see from that department. late in the day i had to say that i was unable to help with a pull and shred request on a check as i had already sent the regular mail tubs to the mailroom. 

just a line item

 a colleague in another office tried to gaslight me on a form that was sent as an attachment to be included with a check from the Marshall file. i said it didn't look like a bill to me, just a line item from an excel spreadsheet. i am used to a bill having more information on it, such as where to mail payments to. then eventually i got a form where this address was added to the page with just a 'line item' on it. i showed it to vacation replacement, who said the same thing as i did about seeing it. there were questions about overnighted checks from this same file, and i was asked by instant message about it. i decided to add her to the email thread, when the check in question was mentioned there. i said someone in Marshall sends me to overnight labels that i use. i got an ice cream sandwich and a can of sparkling water from the convenience store on the main floor, in the afternoon. 

ginger beer

 in the breakroom at work, i saw four unopened bottles of ginger beer on the table. i claimed one of them, i don't think I've had it before. the label said it was from Aldi, but it was confusing that the brand name was summit as that is the name of a local beer as well. this drink was much sweeter than i care for, but i finished the bottle. the bottlecap was a plain one, black, no logo or anything like that on it. a payroll check was picked up before i went to lunch. the employee from that department asked if it was a good time, i said it was good as any as i wasn't at lunch yet. it was an elevator ride down two floors to get to me. i did follow up with the team lead from the earlier inquiry, i spoke of sector 7-g as i like to say this is what i call my work area. it is in reference to 'the Simpsons' and i usually have it written down somewhere to remind me. it feels more at home when i do this. 

cherry top donut

 there was an email early in the workday saying there was donuts in honor of 44 years of service to the bank. i didn't know the colleague but i went to that floor and chose a donut with a cherry on top. it was from the place that is in the skyway nearby and opened in the past year. there was a dial-in meeting mid-morning, a quarterly town hall if i am not mistaken. when the team lead asked how things were going by instant message, i said i was doing the best i can. i know this was due to the boss being out, but i still like the gesture. in the evening was a mic that i normally perform at, but this is the first one that i skipped. i found another one where i feel more comfortable and welcome at, which is most important. 

cisco pike movie

 i liked how i didn't have that much booked for the day. the main thing was getting to a movie at the Trylon, it was 'cisco pike', starring Kris Kristofferson and Gene Hackman, in the afternoon. the former was a musician, blackmailed by the latter, a dirty cop, into selling weed to have a charge dropped. i recognized a few other actors in it, but not too many. there was Roscoe Lee Browne, as a pawnbroker, in the early part of the movie. i did some research leading up to seeing it and i found out musicians have been in movies pretty much as long as there have been movies. i had seen the ones with Elvis Presley, and the Beatles, but it goes back even farther than that. one article spoke of Frank Sinatra, as well as Bing Crosby, doing movies in the 1940s. i had seen Sinatra in 'cannonball run', but not those earlier ones. with Crosby i had heard of the 'road movies' done with Bob Hope, guess i could likely find some of them on amazon. as usual, there were promos for upcoming film series at this venue. one of them was the 'road movie' series for the summer. there are three in that series that interest me. i bought a ticket for another movie at this venue over the weekend, but in a different series, a month from now. around midday i went to a park and had a cup of booya soup. i am used to this kind of event being just in the fall. before the booya i watched a DVD, a recent purchase, 'vacation'. since both movies seem to play just fine on this disc, i am fine with junking the other one as one of them on the earlier disc did not. after the movie i had some pizza at home and then went to perform at an open mic where the friend is the show runner. i got some more ideas for places to perform at, since another mic is in transition and i don't like the show runner that just took over. i didn't do much else in the evening, besides call my dad, who has a birthday coming up soon. 

two-dollar beers

 in the afternoon i went to the twins-cardinals baseball game in Minneapolis. i had heard there was two-dollar beers at those games, from gates open until first pitch. i made it there early enough to get one. i found out it was for just three kinds of 12-ounce beers in cans, i chose bud light. i waited in line for a beer on the main level, then went to my seat on the upper level and found out i could have bought one there. you live, you learn, i guess. i also got the giveaway item, a pack of Topps baseball cards. the company is marking 75 years in business. i got a bag of peanuts with the beer, but as expected not all of the nuts were eaten there. about half of them were taken home as that is a lot to eat all by myself. as for the game, the cardinals won, 9-6, and never trailed in this one. although a relief pitcher walked the bases loaded in the ninth but gave up just one run in that inning. i got some things done in the morning. there was going to the post office and i picked up an amazon order, a DVD. i also got some stamps, profiling historical figures from the American Revolution. after the game, i went home and rested a little, then went to a meetup event in downtown St. Paul near the Saints baseball stadium. in the morning, i went to Aldi for groceries, then got on the light rail to the baseball game. 

mailroom at lunch

 sometimes mailroom employees can be weird. i was at lunch and one of them finds me in the breakroom, and leaves before i can even get up. then the same one returns a few minutes later and i am asked to sign for something. not a big deal, I've done it before. then whatever i am given i put inside the shop and go back to lunch. vacation replacement heard about it and said this is why he'd stay in the shop for lunch. well i said it wasn't the hill i wanted to die on, as the saying goes. sometimes i get a sorry but not every time. also at work, i noticed a UPS envelope going to Wisconsin, from the Marshall file, had just one check for ten dollars instead of two checks for five each. i let the business line know that i was sending all of it in just one envelope, and the second UPS envelope i used for something else. when i was flipping through envelopes in the Fargo file before getting them in the regular mail tub, i found three that were refund checks. i set them aside, no need to send them out as they would eventually be sent to us when it is the same address. in the evening i bought a few items at a speedway gas station, as well as the Aldi. one of them from the latter was an america-250 themed product, Rice Krispies. 

became hot chicken

when i saw vacation replacement in the shop, i spoke of how some dairy queen locations have closed in the area. i had to look up one of them, haven't been there since it was 'repurposed' as it became a hot chicken place. i said i am more of the kind that gets chicken at Kentucky fried, popeye's, chick-fil-a, and cane's, pretty much in that order of appeal to me. this stems from Kentucky being the only option when i was growing up in small-town Iowa. i heard from the i.t. person and did test check printing in the morning. it was postponed from the previous day as i had more time for it in the morning. i am trying to get overnighted checks out the door late in the day. the boss was out of the office, but the boss was still copied when i sent the ten scanned copies that i had. i heard from the Marshall office, their UPS app was down and asked if i could do a label for a CarMax check. i said i had plenty of other labels to create, and hopefully i get that label the next day. looks like the light rail line that i take to work will be unavailable again later this month. last year it was for two weeks, but this time it will be longer. i will find a way to manage to get to work during that 'interim period'. i learned what works best for me when it happened last year.  

carolina caroline movie

 in the evening i went to see a movie, 'Carolina Caroline', in Inver grove heights. first time in a while at that venue. this was an independent film in limited release so i didn't want to wait too long to see it. this movie can be filed under various genres- a thriller, crime drama, romance, and road movie. i didn't recognize many of the actors in it, but i just care about if it's a good story. Kyra Sedgwick was in it, but in a small role as the mom. plenty of scenes were in bars, and in the south, so this explains why there was plenty of country music. this included a song by Loretta Lynn. i recognized a rock song in it as well, it was 'shooting star' by bad company. it was about a couple that went on a bank robbing spree. i was sold a discounted ticket, likely since it was on a weeknight. when i was already pretty much booked for the weekend, i figured it was best to 'move it up'. it wasn't the only event i did after work, though. i did one at the loft literary center, it was a member/friend event. i had hoped to be one of the readers like many times before but i guess they ran out of time. i can save what i wrote for the next one. i had enough to eat there that i didn't need anything at the movie theater. at work, an i.t. person called about the 'red line' on the dashboard left over from the Fargo file on Monday. i said all checks had been printed and positive paid. there was a PDF check for the manager that likes karaoke. i was told to expect one and when i checked the file i said 'we got one!' much like the secretary in 'ghostbusters'. sounds like i was offered a bobblehead but not sure when that might be arriving. i entered a vacation day for next month and notified vacation replacement about it. in the morning there was a team huddle. i had to say that we got just five sample envelopes from the supplier. i ran them through the machine, using copy paper to test it, but that was not enough for an accurate test. i also saw the tax specialist, twice. first time was shortly after the team huddle. then again in the afternoon as i was told those checks needed to go out same day. 

overnighting costs

 there was a question about overnighting costs from an instant message. i said it usually isn't that much unless it is going to a foreign land. sounds like doing a wire transfer is even more, but i haven't done any of those. and it sounds like we don't charge back to a business line when we overnight checks. i ended up overnighting three checks from a fraud file to a bank on Staten Island. a payroll check was picked up by the manager, usually it is picked up by their aide. but i don't care who picks it up. there was an e-invoice request from a different payroll manager, it was found by vacation replacement. it was more like an ACH statement and not a check when it was forwarded on. 

where's my phone, mitski

 when i was driving to a performance venue in the evening, i had the radio on as usual. i liked one song in particular, it was 'where's my phone' by Mitski. first song i heard by this artist was 'bug like an angel', on the same radio station, 89.3 the current. this one has a more frantic pace to it, but it still works for me. watched the video on YouTube and both have a choir in it. there was a change in the show runner and i am not pleased with who it is, but i performed tonight anyway. but i do have plans ready to use where i end up performing at alternate shows and venues. i did stories about a movie at the Trylon, an art exhibit, a play, and the bank. at work, vacation replacement said there was a server issue and i was able to print the PDF checks right away but not the ones in the older system. there was a delay on the two Fargo files, i was able to import them before leaving for the day but printing them will be done the next day. 

a chorus line

 in the afternoon i went to see a play, it was 'a chorus line'. first time at this venue in a while, park square in downtown St. Paul. thankful i saw this play, which is marking 50 years, and the venue is as well. based on what i knew about the play before seeing it, i understood why it became a hit. sometimes we want plays that make us happy, but sometimes we want what is real. and the latter is true here, as it is about trying to get hired for a play. some of the stories told during the auditions, the lion's share of the play, were priceless. there was no intermission, but i managed just fine. it helped that i had no drink order before the play. there was a post-show discussion with this performance but i didn't stay for it. i got some popcorn from the nearby Candyland and ate it while walking around downtown. in the morning i watched a movie, a recent DVD purchase from amazon, 'rock and roll high school'. the movie was mentioned in an interview with green day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, whose band is having a movie release later this year. the movie was ridiculous at times, but the music in it was pretty good. this included the Ramones song i know best, 'blitzkrieg bop'; as it was in the first 'vacation' movie. Clint Howard's role, the wheeler dealer, stood out to me. i watched part of the UFL football playoff game when i got home, Louisville went on to beat st. louis. in the evening i went to a meetup event, at dual citizen brewing in St. Paul. saw a familiar face there, the dude from Austin, Texas. still hopeful to see the credit union employee at another event, but it sounds like it might be a while. sent a text while there and this is what i was told. 

german exhibit, art institute

 in the afternoon i went to the German exhibit at the Minneapolis art institute. i knew it had been there since March and it closes next month, so it was time to go see it. as usual, some things worked better than others for me. three paintings in particular i really liked. one had plenty of color in it, and depicted cars, it was about city life. one near it was about passengers getting on a train. a third was mocking pillars of society. with the third one it was a reminder of how it was a good idea to read the descriptions next to the paintings. i ended up looking at them more closely due to what i read there. i am also thankful i reviewed pictures before leaving. it led to me re-taking some. and it led to me finding a room near the entrance that i had skipped the first time around, didn't know it was there. i bought some postcards in the souvenir shop, and a sticker that showed Woodstock from the Charlie Brown cartoons saying ''do not disturb'. for lunch i went to have a sandwich at Jersey Mike's. while there i heard 'she drives me crazy' by fine young cannibals. it made me feel old as i recall when it was a hit, the same year when my family got cable TV so i saw MTV more often. after the exhibit, driving home i heard 'sign of the times' by prince. still my favorite prince song due to the social commentary in it. this was the big prince weekend, a block party in downtown Minneapolis, no surprise to hear some of his songs on a local radio station. in the evening i went to another movie in Columbia Heights, it was 'everyone is lying to you for money'. it was a documentary about cryptocurrency. in the morning i picked up one order from the post office, a DVD i would like to watch soon. 

test check file split

 there were some big files of test checks at work. at first i printed all of them and was ready to send them to the boss and to someone in i.t. but after sending the first scan, 53 checks in all, i was told to wait until i heard more. i split the file into thirds. later on, there was another file to print but i was told to send just ten in all, five each from the two Fargo files. fine with me. i saw a senior leader in the morning when i was on another floor to pick up the reject fax. this time it was just six pages, and none were duplicated. i spoke of a dial-in meeting about the checks from the Marshall office, it was in the afternoon. a file from a week ago was finally approved so i sent it out. no surprise how it was approved only when the business line had another one to send. this was related to aviation. a check file from st. louis was late. in the evening i went to the Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries. i picked up another america-250 item, a second coloring book but this one some founding fathers were in it and national parks. the earlier one, from Crayola, was about the states. 

life of oharu movie

 in the evening i went to a movie at the Trylon, it was 'life of Oharu'. it was a subtitled Japanese film from 1952, but the setting was more than two centuries prior. it was a sad story about a lady that was a courtesan and prostitute. it fit the theme of the series, as it is part of 'bleak week'. it led me to look up what 'courtesan' means, found out it meant a whore with a richer, higher-end clientele. i sat in the front row next to a dude that i recognized from some previous screenings, who once wore a cub foods sweater. at work, sometimes i still have to take care of a few things that should have been handled on my day off. vacation replacement said a PDF file wasn't printed, not sure why. i know i start off with a note page each day so the chances of me missing one isn't likely. this was discovered when an internal customer was asking for a tracking number on a check to be overnighted. there was two in an eight-check file, and the other six were to be sent regular mail. when i am doing a count of PDF checks for the day, this is considered to be 'carryover'. i completed an online class in the morning that is due at the end of the month, it was the only one on the list for this quarter. a check for payroll was picked up. the boss had more questions about the Marshall file, i said it was hard to do anything same day on the second one as it arrives late. when i am aware of the deadline on getting the regular mail tubs to the mailroom, it just isn't possible. this is leading to a dial in meeting being set up soon. when on break in the afternoon, i went to the convenience store on the main floor of the building. i got a drink and an ice cream sandwich. while there i heard a song, 'back to friends' by Sombr. hard to put a finger on why i like it, but i do. i know many songs are inspired by love, and this one is, sort of. 

courier calls

 there was some confusion about the courier that was delivering the check stock, and it meant multiple calls about it. some were on my laptop phone, and some were on my personal cell phone. but we got it squared away, my boss claims to have found the courier in the hall. most months until recently, the courier made it to the floor without much fanfare. there was some confusion about PDF check files. one was marked as ad-hoc, but it wasn't for the tax specialist. vacation replacement said it was all about the time stamp. the times were close, but the newer file is a little bit later. the second i-pay file was late, but it was low volume so i still had enough time to send all of it out same day. the Fargo business line asked about test checks, i said i handle those when I.T. tells me there are checks to print. i spoke of the karaoke outing to the manager that likes karaoke but didn't get an answer to my question on if she has sung there. 

special olympics assignment

 i am signed up as a volunteer for special Olympics this month. for a while i had seen some reminders about an assignment to be completed before i do the volunteer shift. i figured this being a day off, for a dental appointment, was the best time to take care of it. this was a lot like the online classes i do at the bank, go through a few screens and then i am done. this was done in the morning, and the appointment was in the afternoon. i ate in downtown St. Paul, close to the dental office. it was a place found in the skyway. i had been there before and went there again as i found out i get airline miles on each visit. i ordered a Cuban sandwich and it tasted good to me. i liked how the appointment was pretty much routine. i said i was trying harder to have better dental visits and this meant way less candy especially around the four 'candy holidays' but i still have some Reese's peanut butter. i gave my car the day off and took the bus there. i noticed one storefront had a sign up about what was coming soon. it was a pharmacy until about a year ago, now it looks like it will be an Islamic deli and grocery store. i watched a DVD in the morning, it was 'European vacation', first time i had seen this movie in a while. probably noticed a few things that i hadn't before. 

back after six years

 i wanted stage time, so i went to a karaoke bar tonight. i needed to get out and celebrate my service anniversary at the bank, six years. i went back to a venue for the first time since the pandemic began. i sang two songs there, it was 'here i go again' by Whitesnake, and 'losing my religion' by REM. the jockey still recognized me, and some of the things still looked familiar. with a mic that i like going to being in transition i knew i had to look at all options to continue with stage time to stay sharp. and i recall why i first started doing karaoke on a regular basis- it was easier to find stage time there than at a comedy mic on the weekends. i was familiar with how it helped my comedy sets as the karaoke stories were priceless. at work, the Marshall office asked if i was getting the UPS labels. we just started doing their checks. a check for payroll was picked up in the morning. the tax specialist had questions about a Canadian check sent his way, and then i realized it wasn't for him and i was fine with it being sent back to me. i figured it was 'ad-hoc' and it was a file that i hadn't seen before, since there were two Canadian files just before midday. 

drag brunch, grease theme

 around midday i went to downtown Minneapolis and attended another drag brunch. theme was the movie 'grease'. thankful i saw the movie less than a week ago as it primed me well for this event. as usual, plenty of good costumes from not just the performers but also some in the crowd. not all of the songs played were from the movie, but most were. i recognized 'let's get physical', which was a number one hit by Olivia Newton John, but it wasn't in that movie. there was a minor issue with the food and drink order. i knew something was wrong when the food arrived first. i asked for my server and found out i needed to order a different beer. done! was told they had grain belt, guess they didn't, i ordered a miller lite. there was at least one apology about it. on my way into the showroom i was recognized by a staff member. this still surprises me, but it happens all the time. but i didn't think i was THAT memorable to others. i had hoped to take the light rail there but it was not to be. i get to the park and ride and found out there was buses replacing the light rail, and i knew this meant it would take longer to get there. i got back into my car and drove to a ramp near the venue. i went to a gas station after the event then i went home. in the evening i watched another baseball game on TV, also cubs-cardinals, but on NBC this time. the cardinals won. in the morning i did laundry. i was motivated to get started fairly early, after having breakfast, as i wanted to be on time for the brunch. i had some coffee at a nearby place as well. and i sent a text to a college roommate looking for some guidance about a trip i am trying to plan. 

hamilton, jefferson lecture

 in the afternoon i did another lecture at the Minnesota history center in St. Paul in the America-250 series. this one was about the clashing visions of two founding fathers, Hamilton and Jefferson. this has continued in many forms over the years. there were more laughs than what i would have expected at a history lecture. there was mention of 'the musical'- 'Hamilton'. i guess the play did get more people interested in history so its influence is hard to ignore. it is my understanding that the play is still running on Broadway. as usual, the lecture had a book signing after it. before it i had lunch inside a Filipino grocery store on university avenue. there was plenty of rice in what i had ordered and some of the rice was taken home and it served as my evening meal. before that i checked my PO box but no orders were there, then i went to drop off recycle at a bin downtown. i didn't do all that much after the lecture. i went home and laid down and fell asleep for a while. when i woke up i knew i needed to get to Aldi for groceries as the store would be closing within the hour. then i watched the baseball game on fox, cubs at cardinals, but the cardinals lost. 

courier did not return

 sometimes the checks for the tax specialist are courier pick-up, especially later in the week when the dude is working from home. i finally decided to ask the name of the courier who has been picking them up since we were moved downtown over a year ago. i spoke of the previous one, saying we did chat a little and how we'd be moved once he got back from Africa to visit family. the courier said he did not return. it did remind me of how this man spoke of being on WhatsApp with a lady, apparently divorced but interested in getting remarried. we even exchanged waves. this leads me to think the trip was to see more than just family and deciding to stay in Africa due to a better offer- for love. the boss said to hold off on searching for the reject fax on another floor until further notice. i reported how i search for it once a week, on a day when most are working from home, and hadn't found it in three weeks. fine with me. two checks for payroll were printed, in the afternoon. i pointed out to the boss about a low volume check file still had the old signature on it. this led to it being changed, but I.T. has to change it. in the evening i went to the Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries. it was a small order, seven items. but i try to buy what i need, no more no less. i watched some of the UFL football game on TV, Dallas at st. louis. Dallas won a close one, aided by penalties. i tried to watch a fellow comic, Yemen native, on 'comics unleashed' but fell asleep during the 10pm news and missed the start of the show. i was familiar with two of the three jokes i heard, those still work for me. 

former boss responded

 i had spoken of what i did over the Memorial Day weekend to vacation replacement, and it led to me sending a message to a former coworker, who was briefly my boss at a former job. i got a response in the morning, the day after sending the message. but i kind of expected a delay as there is often a red dot to indicate his status, meaning 'in a meeting'. due to the employee directory, i found out we work in the same building now. had to catch up a little on how we both are doing, but soon i hope to ask if it is possible to go lunching as it can be boring to be lunching by myself all of the time. i was invited to the facility manager meeting, a dial-in, but it was brief, just over ten minutes. vacation replacement dropped off some outgoing mail, near the end of my lunch. i was on the main floor as i wanted a snack. there was also a mention a 'kudo board' being created by a colleague in another office. 

grease movie

 in the evening i went to see the movie 'grease', in Eagan. it was part of the 'flashback cinema' series. it added to my point total with the loyalty account but still not there yet on the reward level. i had been getting plenty of emails about it. i had seen the movie a few times before, but it had been a while. i recall singing in the chorus and one concert was songs from this movie, especially 'summer nights'. had to get past the scenes where people are bullied or pranked, but i am aware of how art imitates life. my parents even had the movie soundtrack on an 8-track tape. this movie is still fun to watch. i figured it was a good warmup to attending a drag brunch soon where this movie is the theme. i ate at the nearby taco bell, then went in to purchase the movie ticket. i did order some food and drink inside the theater, bottled water and some fries, but i ended up taking most of the water home as i wanted to increase the odds of needing a bathroom break during the movie. the fries were brought to my seat in the auditorium i was in. i still like the opening scene a lot, as it is animated. same reason why i like the scene at the drive-in theater as one can see animation in the background, advertising the food and drink. then there's hearing the song 'la Bamba' at the diner, a reminder of a biopic i still enjoy watching. along with the line 'blanche, stop blubbering'. that scene included mention of famous people, had to ask my parents who Rosemary Clooney was as her nephew, George, wasn't famous yet. i drove straight from the park and ride to the theater complex as i wanted to be on time. at work, there was a check sent to another floor, in the afternoon. the second i-pay file was nearly 1800 checks, and those did not go out same day except for a check to be overnighted and i was emailed about that one. the toner cartridge for one of the check printers was swapped out late in the day. 

unmonitored shared box?

at work i had a question from a colleague about a check file that i print. i said it was low volume, few and far between. just seven checks for the month, just over 40 for the year. something about a caller had questions on a payment. the file has a return address in Memphis, although the only contact we have is a shared box and no one responded when i sent a message there. i got a 'thumbs up' when i spoke of it. one clue from a check that was returned said forwarding time expired and seemed to say the business line moved to the suburbs of Kansas City. but it doesn't seem like a high enough priority to pursue further. i saw a text message and i was asked to confirm a dental appointment, in a week from now. two payroll checks were picked up, in the morning. i said 'you win a cookie' to the tax specialist, in reference to the movie 'Kelly's heroes'- about being the first visitor of the day to pick up checks.  

there was a tavern

 i went to perform in the evening, it was the final edition of this variety open mic, at least with this show runner. there was a page passed around near the end, it had the lyrics of what we'd be singing, 'those were the days'. a lyric from early in the song is 'there was a tavern'. sometimes i call a bar a 'tavern' as my old man sometimes used that term. i don't know much about what the show will be like going forward, and this includes being unaware of who is taking over as show runner. some pizza was ordered and i did have some of it, besides the typical bags of candy that somebody usually brings. I've seen plenty of shows I've performed at close over the years, so this isn't new to me. although this show means more when it is the main one i perform at after cutting back due to the pandemic. the venue does have another show I've performed at, on a different night of the week. if need be, i will just go to that alternate show more often. besides my testimonial of what the show means to me, and many others gave one besides me, i did my typical set. i did stories about the hike, the movie, the baseball game, how two TV shows are essentially the same, and the bank. for lunch i had hoped to go to a bar which serves a famous sandwich, but it was closed for the holiday. i had recently picked up some art which is an image of the bar. try again when they are open, i guess. i went to an Arby's instead. i also did a chore in the morning, the dishes. it was moved back one day as i was too tired to do those on my customary day. and i could justify it when i had the day off for the bank holiday. lately i have been doing plenty of study online, with articles and YouTube videos, about converted or repurposed buildings. in the twin cities, i have seen some just before closure and expected conversion, some after it, some before and after. for the third category, what stands out the most is three grocery stores and a dollar store. the grocery stores switched to another chain, largely due to one chain's star being on the decline such as rainbow, or a Supervalu turned independent store. those three were snapped up by stronger competitors- cub foods, Hy-Vee, and Aldi. and the dollar store became a microbrewery. but i know that all kinds of buildings have been converted, including houses of worship. sometimes the houses of worship can switch to another faith like the grocery stores did. when i was doing all of this study, including why not just buildings but also people convert to another faith- it reminded me of some college classes. i really liked the western civilization class, and it was one reason why i decided to major in history. i still very much have a love of learning. 

talk of the town movie

 just before midday i went to a movie in Columbia Heights, it was 'talk of the town', part of their Cary Grant series. although the character i ended up liking the most in the movie wasn't him, it was the law school instructor that later defended him. i liked his speech near the end about the rule of law. it reminded me of the final speech in Charlie Chaplin's 'great dictator', which is from the same era. i got some popcorn and bottled water while there. i saw a promo for another movie, it is a documentary about bitcoin. while there i liked listening to public radio in my car, there was a segment about ultimate fighting and a prominent man in this sport is friends with the president. there was a mention of its history, including senator John McCain once calling it 'human cockfighting' which was a catalyst in getting more regulation of it. after the movie i found a trivia book, art and science, in a nearby little free library. then i got in my car and drove to a gas station. i was low on gas and got a sandwich as well. i spent some time at home, but not too long as i wanted to get to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. the saints lost to Omaha, 5-3. as usual, there was some of the long ball in the game. during my walks around the stadium, it was cool to be recognized by school bouncer. i was introduced to his family. not too many get this same gleeful greeting that i gave to this dude. since it was Memorial Day weekend, there was food trucks after the game and then a fireworks show. i ordered from the converted ambulance again, 'dine 1 1'. i found a Filipino food truck there as well, but only after i already had some food. it reminds me of a former coworker who is Filipino. during the game and fireworks show it was cool to hear music, as usual. standouts were a movie song, 'everybody's talking', from 'midnight cowboy', then 'party in the USA' by Miley Cyrus. i sent some text messages as well, the one i sent to Yemen native, i hit send just as the fireworks began. the other was to a classmate from high school, the first one in nearly a year. i had heard from the former much more recently, but it was still three months ago and i said it was time to send another text. 

our birth hospital

 i went on a hike through meetup in the evening. i was on the wait list at first but a spot opened up hours before the event began. i made it to Aldi for groceries and then it was to the park in Bloomington. i stopped to eat at a holiday gas station about a mile away, at the outset not where i planned to stop. but due to construction, i said i need to exit here as i didn't want to wreck my car. it worked out just fine on getting a sandwich there. i liked this hike more as it was more engaging, even though i have been to this venue before. enjoyed the chats i had with two people on the walk. i was introduced to the second by the event organizer. when it was done it was to the campfire, and some of us roasted marshmallows for smores including me. a group event we did was share what hospitals we were born in. this is where i found out there were two other Iowa natives at this event. as i recall, one from Sioux City and the other cedar rapids. i only briefly spoke with both as i was in the parking lot, when i was getting ready to drive home. i did plenty of the typical chores and errand running as well earlier in the day. there was going to the post office, one order was picked up. i framed it when i got home as i was the photo of Rick Monday saving the flag. i had lunch at jersey mikes and used some points to make it a free sandwich. other notable things were hearing an instrumental version of the song 'mad world' on a Facebook posting for grain belt beer. i liked finding versions of the song on YouTube, more familiar with the Gary Jules cover than the tears for fears original. there was also the news story about the end of the line for Schlitz beer. i haven't drank it much, can be hard to find. i have a postcard of the brewery in Milwaukee in my collection. i recall reading how it was the number one beer for a while. then Anheuser-Busch became number one, aided by the brewery buying the st. louis cardinals baseball team and becoming a big sponsor of this sport and others. 

janitor visits

 sometimes the janitor visits the check shop, but not too often. i have noticed it is most likely in the morning, and at the end of the week if at all. this was the case for the day, and when i got back from another floor i noticed the floor had been mopped. i was opposed to this, even said so to my boss, as i didn't want to fall and get hurt on a wet floor. it was yet another case of the reject fax, the reason why i leave the floor, was not found. someone must have beat me to it. i am asked to find it and forward it only once a week, a day where most are working from home. i received another pull and shred request, like most of the previous ones it was from the fraud file. and this time it was an email and an instant message. if i see both, especially in the afternoon, more likely i will find it in time as i have deadlines to meet. two checks for payroll were printed, ready for pick-up. hard to say when though, but most likely after the three-day weekend is complete as there is the upcoming Memorial Day holiday. in the evening i went to Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries. eight items, as usual a small enough order to go through the express lane. i did my customary visit to Walgreen in the morning, and i noticed the cashier didn't ring up the america-250 word find book. were they new? probably. 

use one not the other

 there was a request from the Cincinnati file that said use one check but not the other. this is the file where most checks are overnighted. once i was caught up on check printing, i reviewed what i had in front of me. then i reviewed the email. i said 'got it' on what they wanted. the checks had different amounts, this is likely why a second check was cut as there was something not correct about the first one. for this reason, i wouldn't call it 'duplicated'. another check was sent to the floor where most of my colleagues were on, but to a different employee. this time the team lead, who has fishing tattoos. it was a check from the i-pay file. the second file of this kind from the previous day was late, and i got it moved in the morning. two payroll checks were picked up, i had notified that department two days prior. 

dropoff during lunch

 at the end of my lunch i decided to walk a rare FedEx envelope over to the drop box in another building, walking through the skyway. when i got back i noticed how my vacation replacement had dropped off some returned checks. thankful i still don't get FedEx that often, but when i do i don't mind the exercise i get. during lunch sometimes i don't walk at all, aside from to and from the bathroom and breakroom, and those are on the same floor as me. sometimes i am aware of the sense of urgency from internal customers. case in point, there was a check copy request where i received an email and an instant message about it. it said it was due to needing to be reviewed prior to their response.