St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield

    I started off the day at a Waffle House for breakfast after getting my rental car. Then it was on to see a friend in the hospital who is having surgery. She is at St. Luke's in Chesterfield. I did fine for most of the drive but made a few wrong turns when I was close. In fact I went to an outpatient clinic at first. I noticed it had a sign about Albert Pujols, the baseball player. The Down syndrome center was named for him, he would be the benefactor. Once I found the parking ramp at the hospital I still needed to make my way through a rat maze to the part I needed to be in. I went to the gift shop and got a card as I didn't want to arrive without a gift. Then I asked where I could sit down and write it out, was directed to a nearby chapel. I said I didn't want to look like I was loitering. Then it was on to see my friend. When I arrived she had two friends in the room, and her parents showed up as well. Her mom spoke of me, saying you were the one that had lunch with her last year. I was, and said I was flattered and modest when informed her daughter spoke well of me. I called myself an 'Aw-shucks', shy, small-town Iowa kid. Her mom said they were from a small town as well. Her friends were a couple, the husband was interested in how I attended last night's baseball game. The wife spoke about health care, I asked about her job and she said she was a dental hygienist. She also said
something about working in hospitals for a while. My friend's cousin then showed up, and was interested in hearing how I do stand-up comedy. When I left it was shortly after her friend from a book club arrived, and said her other book club friends would be arriving soon. I had been there for just over two hours by then, and I needed to move on to go do other things. The song 'Landslide' by The Dixie Chicks was playing as I drove away from the hospital. I did go back to the gift shop as I wanted a paper, and a stamp for my postcard to send back home. I liked how my friend said I could have some of the candy brought by the first couple, I chose the Reese's peanut butter.
    Music is everywhere, to some it may be stale to hear me say this. But it's true. I liked how I got some comments to a Facebook posting this morning after eating at the Waffle House, since I got four songs played on the jukebox for a dollar. They were: Sunday Morning, Johnny Cash. Applause, Lady Gaga. Love the way you lie, Eminem and Rihanna. Wake me up when September ends, Green Day. The university accountant was surprised to hear they still had jukeboxes. The bus fare comic said he missed Waffle Houses with a passion.
   I had hoped to make it to Forest Park before the game but didn't have the time, hopefully I can tomorrow. I headed downtown on Metro-Link and got out at the Busch Stadium stop, then went to the Arch as I wanted a smashed penny souvenir. I got a few other items as well. Postcards were five for two dollars, and I got a wooden magnet, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Then it was on to Ballpark Village, I got a look at the part of the Hall of Fame before going inside the museum. It was $12 to tour the museum, also couldn't justify the time when I wanted to go inside the stadium fairly early and get the giveaway item, the Cardinal blanket. It was a night where people could bring their dogs. I liked having some ice cream in a little souvenir helmet. I also got a hot dog with fried sauerkraut if I'm not mistaken. The couple next to me liked to hear me speak of how I make annual visits for Cardinal games, I gave them my business card so they could read my blog. They did tell me of meeting online, and another couple in my section said they met online as well. So I like to know how it works for some, but it hasn't for me yet. The husband spoke to me more, and his wife was between us. She did speak of some of the demographic problems with education, and I liked hearing about this. He said he had been to a Shop and Save grocery store in the airport suburbs where I found a plaque celebrating the 1934 Cardinal team, known as the 'Gashouse Gang'.
   I should also write about the game! The Washington Nationals scored early, and were up 1-0 in the first inning. St. Louis tied it in the 3rd. Then the Cardinals got 3 more in the 7th, the first was a solo home run by Matt Adams, and went on to win 4-1. The crowd was announced at over 44,000, about 3,000 more than Friday. No surprise there, as more out-of-towners tend to make it on a Saturday. I got my name on the video board as the St. Louis tourist bureau wanted to hear where fans were from. I got a picture of it when my name appeared on the board. After the game I walked around downtown for a little while and found more of those birthday cake statues. Two of them were found near The Arch before the game, the number found is now at seven. There was one at the Old Courthouse, one in a park, and one at the Hilton. The Hilton cake was about a military battle, which happened on the site in the 1700s. I made it to two hotels where the movie 'Up In The Air' was filmed, one of these was the Hilton. I found this was the best time to go in and get photos, as there was a big crowd after the game and I blended in well. This meant fewer people would ask questions about what I was doing. I prefer to leave before I am asked to. In one I asked if I needed help, I said no. It was at an information desk and I picked up a card about the hotel. And there was the music here of course! While in one I liked hearing 'This Love' by Maroon 5, a song I have spoke of before. It reminds me of how much my life has changed in 10 years. Then there was 'Springsteen' by Eric Church that a cover band was playing. I got a photo of somebody with an event staff shirt on enjoying the music from afar. I like 'Springsteen' as the lyrics explain why I write about music constantly. 'Funny how a melody becomes a memory' as I often connect music to certain memories, in terms of where I have heard it played. The ride back to the airport was largely uneventful, since the lion's share of the baseball crowd had been on the earlier trains. It sure was uneventful compared to the ride in, where I saw some kid try to play '3-card Monty'. I said wasn't that exposed as a fraud years ago?      

Kraftig Beer

    Tonight I had my first Kraftig beer, after the baseball game I attended. I noticed it was available at the hotel bar. During my annual visit to St. Louis last year I saw plenty of ads for it, and it did raise eyebrows when I saw the Busch name on it. This beer tasted fine, kind of like Heineken to me, and
the bottle said it was a light. According to my online research before this visit an article said that William Busch was the only Busch family member not forced to sign a no-compete agreement after In-Bev of Belgium bought Anheuser-Busch. It is brewed under contract in La Crosse,WI.
    I am pulling out my camera now to look at all of the pictures taken today. I tend to take plenty while traveling. I know there was a decent number taken before the flight left MSP, and even more before I left Lambert Airport in St. Louis. Fifteen were taken after leaving the airport, and 38 were taken since I had arrived at MSP. It started with the ticket counter for Delta which is seen before going up to baggage claim. I got some postcards, and Godfather's Pizza. I saw art for a beer brewed in New Ulm, appears to be Hauenstein. I thought it was funny on some level to see a video game room named for Charles Lindbergh, the famous pilot. It was called 'Lucky Lindy's'. There is a replica of his Spirit of St. Louis plane hanging from the ceiling and one wall said 'Lindbergh does it!' which was about his famous flight from New York to Paris in 1927. I saw some wall postings about the history of Lambert Airport, some of it was mentioned in the movie 'Up in the air'. Finally there was the hotel. I went for a dip in the pool and there was four young men in the pool when I arrived. When I dunked myself at the start, I said 'Now that feels better' and they laughed. So I guess I can do an impromptu comedy show most anywhere. After getting two cookies and some bottled water at a Subway sandwich shop, where I heard 'Paparazzi' by Lady Gaga playing, I got onto their light rail system, known as Metro-Link, and headed downtown to the stadium. I liked seeing a banner at the stadium's stop advertising Nathan's hot dogs, just $3, across the street from the Stan Musial statue. So I had one as it is a good deal. I got a quick look at Ballpark Village, since the city was first settled by the French there is a Fleur-de-lis as part of the welcome sign. This is also part of the city's flag. I saw a birthday cake statue outside the stadium, celebrating the city's 250th anniversary. I later saw another one at the airport after the game.
   I did get the giveaway of the night, which was a retired numbers wall canvas. I saw how some posed for pictures in front of various statues outside the stadium, holding it like a bat. At the main souvenir shop I was pleased with what I found there. I passed on the socks, just one of them was red. But I liked finding a team set of cards, didn't have one yet. Yadier Molina, their All-Star catcher, is the first card. I also found a Charlie Brown and Snoopy magnet, a sheet of stickers, and a postcard. Now I have a replacement sticker for my cellphone, the one I had on it just plain finally wore off but it was really old and had been on earlier phones.
   I should also write about the game, the main reason why I am in town now. The Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 1-0. I wasn't comfortable throughout as I know it is hard to win this type of game. I saw one of these in 1999 in Detroit, the final year at Tiger Stadium. The game's only run was on a home run, the team leading pulled the starter after 8 innings, and the team trailing sent more than one pinch hitter in the 9th. And it was of comparable duration, 2 hours. Cardinal first baseman Matt Adams had the home run tonight, in the 2nd. I did recognize some former Twins players tonight, as Denard Span was leadoff hitter for the Nationals. The Cardinals had Pat Neshek, the sidearm pitcher, warming up in the bullpen but he did not pitch tonight. Cardinal starter Lance Lynn threw more pitches than Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann, but still won. And of course there was the music. During the game there was a trivia question, and one clue was the song 'Folsom Prison' by Johnny Cash. The answer was 1968, same year Bob Gibson recorded an ERA of just over 1.00. Another was 'Holiday Road', a song from the movie 'Vacation'. I also thought of another song before the game as I was about to take the escalator up to my seat. It was 'Who's that chick?' by Rihanna. It was due to the following lyrics: 'I just want to dance, I don't really care.' These are sentiments I agree with. Then it led me to think of 'Hotel California' by The Eagles, as one lyric was 'Some dance to remember, some dance to forget'. I think I do both. Really odd was how 'Hotel' was a song mentioned between innings, as fans were asked to guess what the next lyric was.
  Then there was getting back to the hotel after the game. I didn't want to wait in long lines for Metro-Link at the Busch Stadium stop, so I went up one stop before it. This meant having to transfer at Forest Park so I could still get back to the airport, since there are Blue and Red lines. The Red line goes to the airport. Upon arrival back at my hotel, the Airport Hilton, I have the beer but I am not served right away, the bartender seemed to be busy with various things for a few minutes. A hockey game was on, Stanley Cup final, and the LA Kings beat the NY Rangers in the second overtime to win the series 4-1. I heard someone in the background ask someone else 'Can I vent?' more than once. I turned around and said it didn't surprise me much. I found out it was a pretty girl in a strapless black dress, brown hair but not quite shoulder length, and had a tattoo on her left shoulder blade. For some reason it made sense to me, not sure why, when I saw who said it.

Last Comic Standing Semifinals

     I stayed in tonight and got caught up on various things. This included shredding some junk mail. Later in the evening it meant watching the semifinals of Last Comic Standing on NBC. The bathtub comic did a joke about his lesbian mom kind of hoping he would be gay. It did not appear that he advanced, but he is still a talented comic. He has been in my 'Ring of Honor' for a while, as I have his comedy CD. With the other comics I liked one who had a joke about father figures. Women say they want them for their kids, so he said then find the father.
   At work there was a quick meeting in the afternoon, I was a little late as I had just returned from lunch and needed to get stamped in. I call these things 'Conventions' as they sound more classy, as conventions are held at hotels. I have an 'Inaccurate yellow sign' posted when I am at a convention. When I was doing letters I had my first to send to Canada, province of Newfoundland. I found out we do treat these differently, an envelope with a Canadian return address for our business is used.
   I watched two episodes of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight. The syndicated rerun was at a Halloween party, and Penny's ex showed up. Sheldon went as the Doppler effect. The prime time episode was when Sheldon was trying to study comedy and think up the best joke ever. Penny got a role on a TV show but it was cut out, and then she proposed to Leonard.     

Everybody Wants Justice Done

     I went to another Vietnam event at Mosaic Café in Minneapolis tonight. Some musicians started off the event, the guitar player was named Nigel. Notable in one of the songs was the line 'Everybody wants justice done'. I had chicken tenders there as I hadn't eaten dinner yet, as I decided to go over
there right after getting off the bus from work. I gave my business card when requested as I was informed they were looking for more spoken word people and they heard how I do comedy. Then it was on to the comedy club. The sub teacher was show closer. He did the one about Smitten Kitten as well as one about throwing Megan Fox in the same category with Charles Barkley. Others were about 'You mean books', women who keep playing house, and the movie 'Saving Private Ryan'. The school bouncer did ones about first dates, golf, Redbox, and taking time to order at McDonald's. The software developer did one about how he is not ready to be a grandpa. The university accountant did one about somebody saying it was 'God's will' after they had 7 drinks. Others were about old liquor stores, pedal pub, babies in the office, and the Rubik's cube. The lunch lady was in health club management. The godmother did one about her bucket list. Others were about sleep apnea, an eating disorder, acronyms, dog surgery, and candy stripers. Conga line did ones about 'Get a garage', and truck nuts. The Texas native and barber did one about Candy Crush, and midget sidekicks. The Kentucky native did one about his body image, and a crowd member who was bad at talking. The preschool teacher did ones about the song 'Down by the bay', and the caterpillar book.  
   Riding the bus to work this morning, I was thankful to get to know another rider better. This is the Science Museum employee. She spoke of growing up in Chicago housing projects, same one Kirby Puckett was in and going to school with Mr. T. This is probably the Robert Taylor homes. She is planning on going back to visit in August, to the northwest suburbs which I am familiar with. It was nice to hear town names like Hanover Park and Hoffman Estates again. She also spoke of what closed on 9/11, like the El-trains and the Sears Tower. I knew about some of it as a suburbanite.

Rounding Up Envelopes

    Near the end of my workday they started rounding up envelopes, due to a name change. I informed them how I still had some letters to complete so I was allowed to keep a few to finish my work. After work I checked my phone on the bus and two text messages from a friend were there. I usually check my phone daily, but didn't on Monday so they had been waiting for a little while. This friend told me about having surgery soon, not sure what for. I said I need to know where, and will do my best to visit when I can. I did also send an apology for the delayed response.
   Tonight at the comedy club was the finals of the contest. It was a full house, and this is not really seen much aside from Dominos Pizza night. There was a long line waiting to get in, and I passed them and found out they could get me in but it was harder to find a seat. I knew I was more likely to get in, being a regular. There were six in the finals, some had not been written about yet. The first was the former ad agency employee. I like her joke about the Minneapolis tornado of a few years back. The other would be one who does a joke about the mating call of crows. He also had a good one about people tied to a railroad track. With those I am familiar with, I don't think I heard many new jokes. The other four were the Pizza Philosopher, the Belarus native, Turtle Check, and the International Falls native. The last of these four I think told the most new jokes, like one about coffee table books about toilets of the world. She was the winner, and liked being introduced to her parents after the show. I like hearing the pizza stories from Pizza Philosopher, as I once delivered pizza myself so it is relatable. The Belarus native seemed to have a hard time finding the stage when his name was called, and he was wearing the tiger shirt like last week and it meant some jokes about it. I heard somebody heckle and found out it was one of the judges, who was ripped by another judge, known as Self Checkout. Turtle Check was second, and I like the ones about a swear word and wearing turtleneck sweaters, the origin of 'Turtle check'. The show closer was the Perkins employee, and he had more jokes about working there. It included one about a woman asking if it was Red Lobster.

Office Max To Olive Garden

    Tonight at the comedy club, the opera singer did a joke about somebody hoofing it from Office Max to Olive Garden. The show closer was the Tetris comic, doing jokes about a movie shirt ('A Haunted House'), ear plugs, and attending Comic Con. The sub teacher did one about his dating relationship- 'You mean books', and Smitten Kitten. The Perkins employee did one about cowboy kids. The radio employee did one about her 6-year-old and how her sister is shooting squirrels. The Louisiana native did one about booze in Wisconsin. The Worthington native did ones about witnessing a 'Tough dad' speech, and watching a girls basketball game. The fever comic at first appeared to be a no-show, but he followed the Worthington native. The Maryland native did ones about everything is broke and he is broke, along with being at the gas station, and having a marketing degree. The university accountant did one about popular names, and liquor store signs.
   It was a long day at work as I had high volume on the payoff report and had to print out plenty of contracts. But this is typical when starting off the week. I am more of the type now that doesn't wait until it is finished in order to go to lunch, as I don't want to end up going to lunch really late like after 2pm or even 3pm.    

L.A. Confidential Movie

     I watched a movie on loan from the library this afternoon. It was L.A. Confidential. A fellow comic said it was his favorite. Mine is 'Good Will Hunting', at theaters around the same time, early 1998. This one was all right, good cast, but not a big fan of crime dramas. The story was fairly simple to follow, about corruption on the police force. And there was the millionaire who ran a call girl ring, women made up to look like actresses. Russell Crowe, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, and David Strahairn were in it, and I like those actors. I know it was an Oscar winner, much like Good Will Hunting.
   I called a college roommate this morning while doing laundry, not available. I called another one after watching the movie. He lives out east, the one I call Mr. Physics, and said he had just been to the Belmont Stakes this weekend. He had seen another Triple Crown race before, the Kentucky Derby, when he was based in Memphis and traveled a lot for work. He didn't speak well of Belmont, saying they were ill-prepared for the crowds, not having enough food and drink for all. He spoke of changing jobs soon. No surprise how the two options mentioned were Japan and Chicagoland. He has family in Chicagoland, and loves Japanese culture, explaining why he was there twice before.
   There was a problem with the Anti-Virus protection, so I called the number in the disc case, was sent to Geek Squad by Best Buy. It took a little while to take care of it entirely, but I liked how the technicians were more than competent. It meant I had plenty of time while the second one was installing to take care of things around my home. I shared a story with the first about doing call-center work. It was when a caller wanted somebody to talk to, in addition to his need for customer service. I said I was a typical citizen, but we probably don't like the same sports teams when we live in different parts of the country. This one told me one caller wanted to talk about his divorce, and no I wouldn't have wanted to hear about it either.