Today is my birthday, and I was snowed under by all of the b-day wishes on Facebook. There was 90 messages waiting for me on my email account, on an average day it is less than half that many. Other notable things was hearing an Eminem song on the bus after work, along with changing a lightbulb tonight after getting home from a comedy show. Along with a few cards in the mail.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
3.5 albums, 2.5 years
I made a big dent in my photo backlog today, filled 3 1/2 albums with 2 1/2 years of pictures from OCT 2007- MAY 2010. Sadly, it was bookended by 2 Newton closings, the Maytag plant and Emerson Hough school. It was a reminder of how time marches on, during this time there was pictures of Twins games from the Metrodome and Target Field. So now I am less than a year behind. I would have done more but it took up most of my day just doing this much, after getting back from Mc Donald's for an Egg McMuffin meal this morning. Didn't do much else today, amazing what gets done when the TV is off.
I needed to get out and around town anyway, and celebrate my birthday a day early. So in the evening it meant going to Eagan to see the movie 'Cedar Rapids', it was silly but I liked it, worth seeing. I will admit that when it's named for a town in my native state it did interest me more. I went slower since it was snowing and at night, harder to see.
I needed to get out and around town anyway, and celebrate my birthday a day early. So in the evening it meant going to Eagan to see the movie 'Cedar Rapids', it was silly but I liked it, worth seeing. I will admit that when it's named for a town in my native state it did interest me more. I went slower since it was snowing and at night, harder to see.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Snowshoes and Bowling Shoes
I stayed busy today, and the footwear proved it. I did a snowshoe hiking outing at a wildlife refuge, had a hard time finding it at first. Found out later on I didn't write down the address completely, it was missing a digit. I did think of Emerson Hough while there, had the E.H. sweatpants on under my jeans and the travel mug was there as well. Since I knew he walked on snowshoes at Yellowstone as an advocate for protecting the buffalo there. Went fine, since I was going slower than on skis. I did speak of the one outing when trying to ski in high school, didn't go well. But I prefer avoiding being scarred for life on things if I can.
Sent a donation to Goodwill after this, it had been ready for a few days. It was no problem choosing what to send when I wasn't using any of it. Some of those items weren't used at all, since I just needed one of some things and had two like binoculars. On to the library where I checked the directions for the bowling outing, and found out when checking email how there was an attempt to deliver the college basketball tournament tickets I had ordered. So it meant going over to the Fedex facility before 5pm, right after the bowling outing. Bowled 2 games, 105 and 107. Had plenty of pizza there. Made it to pick up the package just about 10 minutes before closing, but I made it.
I was left tired from the schedule I kept, went home and de-friended 5 people on Facebook as I didn't recognize the names. I may be down under 200 again but it should correctly reflect who my 'friends' are if at all possible. Then I fell asleep after laying down in my easy chair, needed to get to the comedy show in a rush. It was on a boat at Harriet Island in St. Paul on the river. I was late but the show started late. Some of my friends were performing, I heard about the show due to a Facebook invite. They kept thanking me for showng up, I hear this often and now believe it more than I did- how they truly mean it. Spoke with the headliner after the show, who did a magic act during his set. It was nice to speak at length, hadn't done it much before. I like getting to know people offstage, as the persona can be different from what people see onstage. This is likely true of me as well, and of anyone who performs. It did lead to some more joke ideas, since I was telling stories about my life experiences and it came across as funny to them.
Sent a donation to Goodwill after this, it had been ready for a few days. It was no problem choosing what to send when I wasn't using any of it. Some of those items weren't used at all, since I just needed one of some things and had two like binoculars. On to the library where I checked the directions for the bowling outing, and found out when checking email how there was an attempt to deliver the college basketball tournament tickets I had ordered. So it meant going over to the Fedex facility before 5pm, right after the bowling outing. Bowled 2 games, 105 and 107. Had plenty of pizza there. Made it to pick up the package just about 10 minutes before closing, but I made it.
I was left tired from the schedule I kept, went home and de-friended 5 people on Facebook as I didn't recognize the names. I may be down under 200 again but it should correctly reflect who my 'friends' are if at all possible. Then I fell asleep after laying down in my easy chair, needed to get to the comedy show in a rush. It was on a boat at Harriet Island in St. Paul on the river. I was late but the show started late. Some of my friends were performing, I heard about the show due to a Facebook invite. They kept thanking me for showng up, I hear this often and now believe it more than I did- how they truly mean it. Spoke with the headliner after the show, who did a magic act during his set. It was nice to speak at length, hadn't done it much before. I like getting to know people offstage, as the persona can be different from what people see onstage. This is likely true of me as well, and of anyone who performs. It did lead to some more joke ideas, since I was telling stories about my life experiences and it came across as funny to them.
Friday, March 4, 2011
REM on Nightline
I like the 'playlist' segment on 'Nightline' on ABC. Tonight it was REM frontman Michael Stipe. One of the songs he mentioned was 'Michelle' by the Beatles, another was 'Frankenstein' by NY Dolls, a band that one of my comedian friends has mentioned on Facebook. I had seen REM in concert when I lived in suburban Chicago, at an outdoor venue. Hard to say what song of theirs is my favorite, it may be 'Driver 8' as it is about railroads. My dad gave me a love of railroads, since he is knowledgeable about it. 'What's the Frequency Kenneth' would be another. The former was on a greatest hits CD I found at a secondhand store when I was back in Des Moines to visit family. The latter is on 'Monster', a CD I've had much longer.
I mostly stayed in tonight and get caught up on record keeping. I did go out to the Taco Bell and used another one of those coupons, number 14. No receipt again, had to sign the one they kept though. Then I got a candy bar at a Family Dollar store nearby. Also did a review of the Wolves basketball game I attended a week ago on a date, since it was a Ticketmaster review. I had done 10 of those previously, and apparently it doesn't take much to be a top contributor, as it puts me in the top 250. But why not? I like having writing opportunities.
Picked up another box of Girl Scout cookies at lunchtime today, tagalongs again since they were sold out of dosidos. Went to a Tea Garden location, as it was the last day to be open. The other 5 locations will stay open. Hadn't been there much aside from when I wanted to use a gift card I was given at work. The drink I had was some tea called a 'Hawaiian princess'.
I still think of Emerson Hough fairly often, for various reasons. Like how it's the name I wrote on a new backpack, or how I plan on going on a snowshoe hike this weekend through the Sierra Club much like he did in Yellowstone. His advocacy led to a law passed by Congress to protect the buffalo at Yellowstone Park. Or of course whenever there is mention of Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson, since he dedicated books to both. Wilson was mentioned in a book I am reading now called 'Idiot America'. Odd connection these 2 U.S. presidents have, since I found out both had turns as president of the American Historical Association, an organization I am a member of. Though Wilson died in office during his 1-year term, it is usually just a 1-year appointment.
There may even be a joke in all of it, since I have referred to being bookish and this may come across as boring to some but I majored in history. I once said to one comedian friend how I expect him to ask 'who is this Emerson Hough you speak of?' Come to think of it, the name was even written on a window hanging of a pheasant that I moved back into my car, after finding it this week while cleaning up. It was in a car I had bought from a high school classmate, who did like hunting and his dad is a member of the Izaak Walton League, an outdoorsman organization that Hough co-founded. The Newton chapter is named for Hough. Even when I see a pinball game at a laundromat I think of Hough, since it has a fishing theme and there is a creel as part of the display. There was a creel of Hough's at the Ike's in Newton when I toured it in June wanting to write more about him.
Had some unusual dreams recently, like scratching myself in public and may have been just covered up in a blanket like I should have been in bed. Another was talking to the father of a classmate from high school, haven't seen the classmate recently but he was a Little League teammate. The third was somebody who I caught stealing some of my collectible buttons.
I mostly stayed in tonight and get caught up on record keeping. I did go out to the Taco Bell and used another one of those coupons, number 14. No receipt again, had to sign the one they kept though. Then I got a candy bar at a Family Dollar store nearby. Also did a review of the Wolves basketball game I attended a week ago on a date, since it was a Ticketmaster review. I had done 10 of those previously, and apparently it doesn't take much to be a top contributor, as it puts me in the top 250. But why not? I like having writing opportunities.
Picked up another box of Girl Scout cookies at lunchtime today, tagalongs again since they were sold out of dosidos. Went to a Tea Garden location, as it was the last day to be open. The other 5 locations will stay open. Hadn't been there much aside from when I wanted to use a gift card I was given at work. The drink I had was some tea called a 'Hawaiian princess'.
I still think of Emerson Hough fairly often, for various reasons. Like how it's the name I wrote on a new backpack, or how I plan on going on a snowshoe hike this weekend through the Sierra Club much like he did in Yellowstone. His advocacy led to a law passed by Congress to protect the buffalo at Yellowstone Park. Or of course whenever there is mention of Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson, since he dedicated books to both. Wilson was mentioned in a book I am reading now called 'Idiot America'. Odd connection these 2 U.S. presidents have, since I found out both had turns as president of the American Historical Association, an organization I am a member of. Though Wilson died in office during his 1-year term, it is usually just a 1-year appointment.
There may even be a joke in all of it, since I have referred to being bookish and this may come across as boring to some but I majored in history. I once said to one comedian friend how I expect him to ask 'who is this Emerson Hough you speak of?' Come to think of it, the name was even written on a window hanging of a pheasant that I moved back into my car, after finding it this week while cleaning up. It was in a car I had bought from a high school classmate, who did like hunting and his dad is a member of the Izaak Walton League, an outdoorsman organization that Hough co-founded. The Newton chapter is named for Hough. Even when I see a pinball game at a laundromat I think of Hough, since it has a fishing theme and there is a creel as part of the display. There was a creel of Hough's at the Ike's in Newton when I toured it in June wanting to write more about him.
Had some unusual dreams recently, like scratching myself in public and may have been just covered up in a blanket like I should have been in bed. Another was talking to the father of a classmate from high school, haven't seen the classmate recently but he was a Little League teammate. The third was somebody who I caught stealing some of my collectible buttons.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
pizza outing
had another date tonight, it was at an old chicago pizza. liked seeing all of the artwork on the wall there about chicago, including a final edition of a newspaper from 1978, columnist mike royko was on it. and a time magazine cover which had mayor richard daley (the older). recounted my travels there before and after living in the northwest suburbs for nearly 6 years, it was nice to have these memories.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Cluster- fluff
I just finished a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream tonight, was putting it on top of some pumpkin pie, a slice a day, 4 of 6 so far. Cluster-fluff is a new flavor, and the name reminds me of a joke by one of my comedian friends. I let her know about this on Facebook, and said I liked Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey. The former is the best-selling flavor apparently.
After the comedy show tonight I sent some more items to a donation bin, 5 shirts and 2 blankets. With the shirts, 3 of them were shrink-wrapped and given to me by my employer, and were finally unwrapped and washed this weekend. I already had too many shirts so there was no need to keep them. I'm doing my best to live with less so then there's a greater chance of using most of what is left. One blanket was given by the company, I had two of them and kept the one with the smaller logo. Both were fleece. Also donated an Amtrak blanket, hadn't used it much at all. So now I am down to 7 in that area, still don't use all of them though. The other 2 shirts were short sleeve with a collar, and I like the longer sleeve ones for the office. Now I am down to 2, one of them a company shirt. I'm trying to do this even further with drinking cups and glasses, or even bobbleheads. It has been tough to part with some items, even if they weren't used much, since they were given to me. But this shouldn't be the reason why something is kept, I am telling myself this now. How much it is used should be the determinant as to if something is kept.
Work was a little easier today, had more help with completing the payoff reports and there was more time to get caught up on perfecting and filing the new titles.
After the comedy show tonight I sent some more items to a donation bin, 5 shirts and 2 blankets. With the shirts, 3 of them were shrink-wrapped and given to me by my employer, and were finally unwrapped and washed this weekend. I already had too many shirts so there was no need to keep them. I'm doing my best to live with less so then there's a greater chance of using most of what is left. One blanket was given by the company, I had two of them and kept the one with the smaller logo. Both were fleece. Also donated an Amtrak blanket, hadn't used it much at all. So now I am down to 7 in that area, still don't use all of them though. The other 2 shirts were short sleeve with a collar, and I like the longer sleeve ones for the office. Now I am down to 2, one of them a company shirt. I'm trying to do this even further with drinking cups and glasses, or even bobbleheads. It has been tough to part with some items, even if they weren't used much, since they were given to me. But this shouldn't be the reason why something is kept, I am telling myself this now. How much it is used should be the determinant as to if something is kept.
Work was a little easier today, had more help with completing the payoff reports and there was more time to get caught up on perfecting and filing the new titles.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
A New Month
I once saw a Family Circus cartoon where the joke was punning about the month of March. And it did remind me of when I was a kid and did the same, saying 'we will march in March'. Or even a weird dream where this was involved. I kept saying 'March!' and everybody did, and we ended up on a wibbly wobbly train in Saskatchewan, although I said it differently, more like 'saskwatch'. (sic) Probably good comedy material, I thought about that tonight when I was at the comedy club, since I thought of jokes inspired by actors like Richard Gere in 'Pretty Woman', and then 'Bob Newhart show' since his show became a drinking game since people said 'hi Bob' often. I still like how comedy is a welcome break from the rigors of corporate America, it was another busy day. Like saying 'whoo!' to somebody who mentioned Hyvee, a popular grocery store in Iowa, in his set since he's an Iowa native like me.
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