Expenses Without Receipts

Starting from Friday, May 23:

• We need to go back to Saturday, May 17 and Art-A-Whirl.  I finally bought a piece of art -- a small wooden, heart-shaped token with lines on it.  The person who owns the studio in which I bought her token said she designed it with help from some kids in the hospital she works at.  Yes, it's a buck, but I couldn't afford nearly any of the rest of the pieces being sold over the weekend, and I want  feel as though I "participated," you know what I mean?  She also was selling drinks, so I bought this root beer called XXX.  And she was selling it for cheap as well.  The studio owner was really nice.  She even gave me her card that had her contact information.  I e-mailed her, but I don't know if she has e-mailed me back.  Shame.  The token and the root beer cost me only: $3.
• After that I went out to one of the many food trucks surrounding Art-A-Whirl.  I didn't catch this food truck, but I bought elote there.  With tip it set me back: $8.
• Back to Thursday the 1st ... my parents and I were going to have lunch with my niece/their granddaughter.  I bought gift cards for my niece's birthday -- three in total, one I, Mother and Father could each giver her.  Mother thought that wasn't enough, so she suggested we each give her $50 on top of that.  OK, I said, but I thought a clean $50 bill would be better than the $20's and $10 that I had.  She had time to go to the bank, so I gave her money which she took to the bank and converted to one $50 bill, which I then tucked into the pouch along with a gift card that I gave my niece at lunch.  Total, of course: $50.
• We now go allllllllll the way back to Wednesday, April 16 -- I don't know how my day broke down, but I think I first went to Caffetto to work on things.  I bought a Lucky cola, and then I bought a glass bottle of Martinelli's apple juice.  With tip (I think just for the Lucky) I spent: $7.09.
• I think I then went to a house party where I got double-teamed by *****y and *****y.  *****y started kicking my dick through my underwear, then shoved her left tit into my mouth so hard and so long that I was starting to choke.  I wanted to bite her boob hard -- partly to stop her from suffocating me, partly because I wanted to!  While all that was happening, *****y finally pulled down my underwear to finally start jerking me off.  I keep replaying that moment in my head.  It's that image that makes me think that at least *****y was into giving me an HJ, and I find that totally sexy.  Funny enough, by the way, I don't think *****y ever touched my cock, and in fact, in all the times I have gotten naked with her, I don't know if she ever has masturbated me.  Huh.  I could be wrong about this, but I think I paid both the amount of: $240.
• Finally, back on April Fools' Day, I went to the University of Minnesota to do an experiment for the first time in years.  It was a two-part research study.  First, there was a survey asking me the factors which would lead me to go to the post office to return a damaged product.  Then, I was given an (intentionally) broken set of headphones and an envelope with free postage.  It was up to me to go to the post office and send it back.  I guess the researchers were wondering whether I would spend the time and expend the energy to do all that.  I did, the next day.  However, I had the next day off from work.  I had one week to send it back to the researchers.  If I didn't have a day off (including Saturday) to run to the USPS, I wouldn't have sent it back at all.  For all that, I received an Infusion of (OK, I was paid): $20.

Good through May 23.

Wow, That's A Lot Of Sample!

First time this has ever happened.  OK, so I went to a taste test yesterday where I was supposed to taste ... you know, I think I'm sworn to secrecy.  Anyway, I always make it a deal whereby I eat it all.  I've always been told to at least eat three bites of something before answering the questionnaire that comprises the taste test.  But dammit, one of the reasons I do these things is to eat.  And since it was the Chinese/Lunar New Year, I was too frozen to eat anything until then because I was afraid I would eat something taboo.  Yesterday evening I no longer cared about that.  I was hungry!

So I didn't necessarily take my time, but I ate it all.  But for first time ever doing a taste test, I was given three variations of the same food.  And they were each big honking pieces.  I thought I could still eat them all -- you know, I wanted to make sure of what I was tasting -- but as I reached my final piece, I heard the person heading the taste test to finish up.  And then she came over and told me to hurry up -- "We are about to finish up," is what I think she was pretty much saying.  But I'm not done!  So I hurriedly stuffed the last pieces in my mouth.  Another person picked up my tray and said to me, "You know, I would do the same thing."  He gets it!

The taste test comprised two servings of the same three things, so there was a second and final serving of a taste test that is half an hour long, and to be fair, I don't remember the last time I've been to a taste test that short.  Still, I was determined to eat it all.  Shocked I was, then, that the next serving, also three plates, each had two ... things on them!  There are six things!  Now, normally I would just eat them all, but now I know somebody's watching me, plus we're supposed to be done in half a hour, plus (and I didn't think this would happen), I was getting full!  I took two bites, one from each end, of each of the (really) six things in order to answer the questionnaire, and just out of spite, I started to go back and take a fifth bite.  I was unable to take a fifth bite from the third plate before it was taken away, with most of the food I was given still left uneaten.

Honestly, I feel like I failed.  It's been more than a year since I've done a taste test, so maybe I'm not familiar with how it usually goes.  Maybe this experiment was different.  But a combination of the short session time, the huge heaping of food, me not being as hunger as I thought I was, and a proctor who was, shall we say, moving things along meant that for the first time ever, I have not eaten everything given to me in this type of food research study.  And I'm ashamed.

Got Fired From An Experiment

If I have been rejected for research studies before, I haven't been "fired" like this.  This particular research study comes from a group affiliated with the University of Minnesota for whom I had been a guinea pig for another of their experiments previously.  Moreover, I have struck a rapport with these guys.  They invited me to their office and brought me in for a discussion group.  I'm not saying we were going to have beers together or anything, but as far as research studies go, we had a, well, guess you would say a "relationship."  And it was neat.

But then came last/Wednesday night.  The head researcher, someone I have never met, is a gruff personality, which I chalk up to him being, I believe with evidence, to be a native of China by his accent and directness.  From my previous interactions with him, we were never buddy-buddy, but he never led me to think that I would be rejected for the experiment he is spearheading as I went through screening after screening, progressing like nothing was wrong.  But there was, apparently.  I was at home waiting for last/Wednesday night to conduct another phone screening that could last an hour.  I was kind of surprised when the head researcher called me; an obligatory screening is something one of his subordinates would usually do.  Turns out he wasn't doing a screening either; he told me that, based on the answers I gave on the online surveys I had to do before this screening, I was ineligible.  What I thought would take at least 30 minutes took only five.  He said goodbye; I think I beat him to hanging up the call.

I don't know what the fuck I did.  The research study had to do with pain, and boy, I have a lot of it right now.  Eventually, I would be enrolled -- and get paid to -- take part in classes that deal with rehabilitating the places where I hurt.  These classes would take a few months, and the surveys from those classes would last into the summer.  I have done these intermediate-term experiments before, and I enjoy them ... and the money that goes along with it.  But there would be no money beyond the $20 the head researcher paid me for the privilege of telling me over the phone, "Nope."

Have to look on the bright side.  It frees up time I would have had to devote to these classes.  And for last night, I could get to what I wanted to do after the call -- go out to my storage unit, bin my garbage at a gas station trash can, and eat at Taco Bell -- earlier than I planned.  But shit, man, I could've used the money, not gonna lie.

All Over A Plate Of Fries

I overindulged with food again last night.  Once again, my long-held belief that I'm getting fat because my parents make me eat too much food at home is upended when I eat too much on my own.

After work last night I had this screening for a research study at the University of Minnesota.  But this wasn't on campus.  Instead, it was in north Minneapolis.  And I heard of a new restaurant just north of there that is kind of recommended.  I say kind of because I checked on Yelp and the reviews, especially when it comes to the food, haven't been universally kind, shall we say.  I thought about not going.  But ... well, I don't know the next time I will be in that part of town, and everybody seemed to like the drinks, so I decided to wedge a visit there between the experiment screening and Taco Bell, where I planned to finally eat that night.

And then, once I go to this relative new place, I caved and got an order of fries.  The fries weren't generally condemned, I don't think.  Besides, it was fries.  I figure it is hard to screw up, and even if it were, it's the cheapest item on their menu.  Now, they were good, even though I wish I had gotten a much bigger cup of aioli.  But it was a lot.  It was shareable size, and I was the only one eating it.  And my stomach got so full that I wondered whether I could even eat at Taco Bell.

But I made the decision to eat at Taco Bell anyway.  I altered what I would get, going from three food items to two.  But eating even a Mexican Pizza and their new street chicken chalupas was difficult.  I was so full that consuming them was not enjoyable, if you know what I mean.  And now, waking up after a four-hour sleep that's really a nap, I feel -- a bit bitter, but still plenty full.  Really, I feel as fat as I have ever felt.  All because I decided to have fries with my drink, dammit.

Do you remember the "WALK" and "DONT WALK" signs on stoplights?  They've been replaced a long time ago by pictures of a walking person and ... shoot, I don't remember the last time paid attention, a hand, right?  Well, coming back from my second taste test last Sunday (and yes, I used the minivan, and yes, I got home just fine), I was waiting on the intersection of Carlson Pkwy. and Cheshire Ln. and I noticed those old "WALK and "DONT WALK" signs, and my goodness, it took me way, way back.

I was going to blog post about this earlier than now, but my fucking car blew up on me.  But I have time now to blog post, so I'm going to just slide this one in.

Beset On All Sides

It's a testament to how many problems are in my life right now that I spent the weekend replacing the car battery on the minivan and I still don't think I accomplished much.

The damn electrostatic cells are clack-clack-clacking still, but at least I know for sure that it's the cells and not the pre- or post-filters or something more major.  Huge credit to Father, though, I must say; although it seems so simple now, he suggested that I take out the pre-filters and then run the furnace to see if the ticking continued.  Make an experiment out of this by isolating each individual part to hone in on where specifically the problem is -- of course!  I think I was afraid I'd break the furnace, but at this point, who cares.  And even though I kind of knew it was the cells, running the furnace without them and hearing nothing but beautiful silence was the evidence I need and, more importantly, it gave me the feeling that I am successfully working toward a solution, even though I felt like I knew what it was.  Now I just have to get over hearing that noise whenever the heat comes on.  I get so on edge hearing it that I would rather the furnace be off, and that's not good because I can't let the house freeze either.

The next thing I need to worry about are the yards.  I plan on making one final mow of both in the morning (or early afternoon), then seed them both.  Easy job, but I might be pushing it if I procrastinate.  It's great to do this when I am working second shift, but my body clock will be out of whack for at least a day, so I'm hoping I can come through with my plans.

Oh, and then the leaves, the damn leaves.  I will mow the ones on the yards to mulch -- I think they say that's a good thing -- but we're at peak now, which means there are many more leaves that have yet to fall.  Last year I tried raking them all, but I failed.  This year I don't even want to bag them up and take them to the county composting site.  I'd rather take out the lawnmower and mulch the hell out of them again.  But that also takes time.

Eh, so beset on all sides. ...

The Research Experiment That Won't End

So as part of this experiment, which I thought I was done with yesterday/Thursday, I have to both track what I eat for 24 hours and wear this Fitbit thing which is not a Fitbit.  This was one of those things I kind of was told but didn't really "hear," you know?  I kind of knew about the food diary and the Fitbit thing when I read the experiment, but I needed to be told yesterday/Thursday that, in fact, the research study isn't over.

The food diary should be a normal day of eating.  That's difficult to do since I went to the State Fair yesterday after the research study and probably will again on Monday, and then I have to go online and write down everything as soon as the 24-hour period is over -- like, I have to do this immediately.  The first time I would have time to do that is next Thursday.

Moreover, this Fitbit thing, accompanied by a sleep diary I also have to fill out, is seven days.  I was strapped to this thing and basically told not to take it off till, well, next Thursday.  Moreover, I don't know if this darn thing is working.  It has no face, just a light sensor and a button that I am supposed to push when I go to sleep, when I wake up, and when I take it off for more than half an hour.  I kind of don't think this is working.  I don't see the light sensor on, and when I woke up in the morning, I thought I hit the button, but it's so recessed against the level of the watch that I don't know if I fully pressed it.  If I'm paranoid, I think this Fitbit thing doesn't work at all, and yet the research study is telling me it works and that I need to wear it, because they want to track my behavior through my sleep diary while thinking this thing works.  I'm thinking about how I could be wearing something that doesn't work for a whole week!

So this research study, which I initially thought lasted only two days, really is lasting ten.  I am getting a lot of money for it, but prorating it over ten days instead of two ... man, it would've been better for me to work the Gopher Game.

And Now My Long Vacation Begins ... Sorta

I am off work until Tuesday.  But that doesn't mean I'm not working.  I was able to sign up with a study with the U., one that I had participated in in the past.  I was leaving this week open in case I could latch onto a gig working the Gophers Game, but it just so happened that the research group had spots open this week; if I couldn't make it, I would have had to wait until October.  I don't think I would be paid as much as I would have if I worked the football Game, plus I only get paid on the debit card the university issues.  But it's real nice money (today and tomorrow, a total of nine hours) for lying in a tube and doing games and mental exercises.

Still, I have to get up in the morning to get there today and tomorrow/Thursday (assuming the production doesn't beg me for help Thursday; then things will get different).  I plan on going straight from the experiment on Thursday to the State Fair; hope I get Duran Duran tickets.  Friday is my off day; I will get up late, but I need to go to this bar to see if they'll let us watch our alma mater's football Game Saturday night, then I have an appointment with this allergist specialist, and I just realized that the reason I am seeing this person is because of what I think is an abscess that may or may not exist in my sinus cavity since I thought I saw it in a dental x-ray at least two decades ago.  In other words, I might not know what I'm talking about, I might not know why I am going there, and I might be wasting this person's time.  But I'm sticking with the appointment because I needed to make this at least three or four months ago.  I need to make an appointment with some allergist three-to-four months ahead of time??  It's an allergist!!

Saturday's the Game, and even though I don't think there's much to worry about, I have to worry about getting the word out about our party and then I have to file a report about it afterward.  Sunday is free until I have not one but two fantasy football drafts in the evening, and I should be taking some part of my vacation working on research.  Monday I take one final go-around at the Fair (hopefully I won't die; it'll be in the mid-to-upper-nineties on Labor Day).  And then my vacation is over!  And looking back at what I plan on doing, it's not much of a vacation!

Goddamn, More Snow

Won't affect my drive in, but it will affect my drive out.  Three-to-four inches, which sucks because 1) the way this winter is going, it'll be more than that and 2) I'm just completely broken now.  Last night I just finished clearing the entire driveway of snow (well, besides the old car, which is still under the last snowfall), so today I'll be fucking shoveling again, and changing my plans around again, and not being able to do the things I want to do again.  Plus, I have a phone interview as part of a follow-up study from the U. this afternoon.  I have to clear enough of the driveway to get my car out of the street before a person calls and talks to me for an hour.  Oh, and I have to call some real estate people in Las Vegas for my folks before the day ends.

Yeah, I'm busy, and yet my busy day is predicated on how crippling this snowstorm is going to be once I leave work.  Too many of my days have been ruined by goddamn snow this winter, and I've fuckin' had it.

I'm So Fucking Over This Snow Shit

There's supposed to be a snowstorm tomorrow -- at least two inches, maybe four.  Damn, and I wanted to go eat at St. Paul after this experiment at the U. I'm going to.

And there's the motherfucking big one -- probably half a foot, maybe more going into my workweek.  My garage door is still frozen shut, so if this storm lines up like the meteorologists are saying, I'm fucked.

And then there might be another one Thursday.  Hey, I still can't go anywhere because the roads are still too slippery.  That's because of the damn snow; we don't need more, ffs.

You Know, I Was Hoping I Could Relax For Chinese New Year

First of all, Happy Chinese New Year.

I took the day off from work because, hey, it's the New Year, and you should celebrate the first of the year by not working.  But instead of the ideal of, um, not shoveling, I shoveled because there was a snow storm.  (And by the way, the National Weather Service of the Twin Cities, through Twitter, stated that this storm was going to taper to the point that only one or two inches of snow was going to fall in the metro area.  I took out my yardstick and I measured about three, and this was while snow was still coming down.  Psh!)  I shoveled before going to the first movie I saw today, the animated Spider-Man movie, then I shoveled after coming back from the first movie I saw today.  So, I guess going to the movies was relaxing on my day off (and, BTW, I only ate fish [at Arby's] per Chinese New Year tradition), but still, I would rather have not needed to shovel, you know?

Moreover, more damn snow is coming tomorrow.  And that really blows because I have to go to the west metro for a taste test.  Isn't the weather such that, if a first snowstorm drops more snow than predicted, the air is so tapped of moisture that a second storm that immediately follows it will just bring flurries?  Maybe?  No?

Just A Warning: I Am Blogging This While Half-Asleep

My day at work learning something new was as bad and overwhelming as I feared.  My supervisor was alternately yelling at me ("You said you were comfortable with this!") and being nice.  Eh, maybe we should rethink this beer.  I guess I should let this slide, although if this shit was given to me by my parents, I would clap back at them.

---

Went to the U. to do a hearing experiment after work.  Almost fell asleep at the computer.  Unfortunately for me, the guy proctoring this experiment was right outside the booth, looking in through the window.  I don't remember the last time I passed out in that thing, but if I did yesterday, he would have caught me.

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Man, we had a horrible rainstorm last (Thursday) night.  I was out and about, going to a restaurant to eat when the worst of it came through.  I stayed in my car, and the rain was beating down like I was in the middle of a car wash.  Noticed too that areas were starting to pool up, which is scary for me driving a small, low-to-the-ground foreign car.

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That's all I got.

Perverted Through My Pissing Pain

OK, first things first: Went to the doctor after work yesterday.  He doesn't know what exactly is going on until the (long) weekend, and he couldn't prescribe me any pills to help my burning dick.  And it still hurts like a motherfucker.

The pills I had been prescribed didn't do jack shit for my health.  Did turn my piss orange.  Like, Tang orange, or the color of the orange-flavored artificial drink that passed for orange juice when I ate lunch at the elementary school cafeteria.  So tasty it was addicting, but none of it was nutritious ... which is probably why it was so addicting.

Anyway, I had a thought while taking these pills: If my piss turns orange, does my cum turn orange, too?  And so I had planned to masturbate while on them to see if, you know, I cum orange.  Well, it didn't turn out that way.  I was in so much pain, plus I got so busy with other things, that I didn't touch myself until just now, last (Friday) night, and I consumed the last of my pills yesterday/Friday morning.  But through this entire ordeal I still am able to get hard -- though I feel a stiffness up and down my shaft whenever I get a hard-on, which sort of doubles as pain up and down my urethra -- and, hey, YOLO, so I wanted to see what was up.

So I jerked off (to a great Penthouse pictorial, around the turn of the millennium, back when it was really good!), even though, again, my last pill was in the morning and most of the orange tinge to my urine left my body.  And when I had my orgasm ... well, first, my instinct not to even touch myself while I'm in such pain was smart because cumming hurts like a son-of-a-bitch, plus not a whole lot of semen came out.  And besides that it was its ... uh, normal color.  Maybe it would have been orange had I touched myself the night or two before.  But I'll take this as a legitimate experiment with a rigorous conclusion: If you take pills that turn your pee orange, your semen does not change color.  Everyone, know y'all know.

Now I Cannot Spend Anymore Money, FR FR

So yesterday *****e* texts me.  No, actually it was a bootycall: "Whatcha doin'?"  "What time are you free tonight?"  I knew instantly what that meant.  She has the house all to herself and she's broke and she is asking if I can cum over and fuck her brains out.  Score!

Well, wait ... I lost my last job 2 1/2 weeks ago, and even though my new job starts Monday, knowing my luck I will have missed the cutoff and need to wait three more weeks in order to get paid.  Last time I checked my bank accounts I was hovering just above two grand.  And I just got a handjob from ******e Wednesday.  There's no need for me to bust my nut a second time in three days.  But ... but ... but ... she's alone and she's waiting for you!

OK, I'll do it!  I'll come over (after a hell of a lot of wrangling about what time can you be here and my hate for being blindsided with plans the day of) and schtup her.  I've lusted to do her alone in her house for a long time, and finally this is my chance, and I won't pass it up!

So I rush out after dinner at home, get to the ATM, make sure my porno pants are unbuttoned (although I put on underwear; I had an art show to get to after that) and drove over to *****e*'s house, hoping to get my libido raring so I could get hard.  And then I drive up to see ... a bunch of guys and at least one stripper.

Oh, I'm not going to be alone.  This is a party.  A fucking party.

I kind of lay into *****e* for that.  I thought she was being misleading.  No, no, no ... she was being misleading.  I guess I could have asked, "Are you having a party?" but she should have said, "I'm having a party, wanna come?"  But she didn't, and that made me think she had the house all to herself before her kid had to come home.  For that reason I was pissed off.  I really just wanted to read her the Riot Act and leave.  But ... I wanted that pussy.  Plus, I didn't want to do anything to her that she could hold against me at a point where I did have money and really, really wanted to fuck her.

Being blindsided like this is usually a sign to me that I shouldn't go through with it.  But as long as I was there, and as long as she held to the $100 I agreed to, well, I went through with it.  I fucked *****e*.  Actually, I kind of hate-fucked the shit out of her.  But I think I gave it to her enough where she had an orgasm, or at least she made enough moaning sounds to act like she came.  And she replied to my thank-you text, even though I got that text this morning.  I think I got my money's worth, but I could just be trying to convince myself that I did.

(By the way, I noticed with *a*** last week and *****e* yesterday that for maximum, uh, fucking position while they were lying down on the bed, they splayed their legs up wide.  Is that the position in order to stick in a penis for ideal comfort and pleasure?  I tried to swing my arms behind *****e*'s knees in order to keep her legs up while I was crushing her, but dammit, that was difficult!)

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OK, so I know I am in a world of hurt financially.  I am back to avoiding looking at my checking account whenever possible.  (I haven't done that much while I've been unemployed, but after blowing $100 under deceptive circumstances, I'm downright ashamed to look now.)  And it could be until -- gulp -- August 17 before I get paid again.  Well, I get paid from my U. experiments, but since I'm starting work again, I can't do those anymore.

I got paid last on the 17th, I think.  It could be upwards of a month where no significant money comes in.  I really, really cannot afford to spend any more money, so I hope to Buddha I have the strength to lock myself down and commit to keeping my wallet closed.  Going back to work helps; I can only, you know, work, and not spend money.  And if I do have to spend money, I've got a gift card from one U. experiment, another (hopefully) coming from a taste test early next month, and, if necessary, I'll charge expenses to my credit card.  That's what credit cards are for, right?

But golly, I just need to show some self-control.  Three more weeks, three more weeks. ...

Expenses Without Receipts

Starting from Monday, July 16:

• Went to Caribou/Einstein.  You know, I don't want to get caught up on customer service, and it's not as if she was a bitch or anything, she was just ... curt.  Oh, and I know I'm due a free drink but she said I didn't have one coming.  Whatever.  I made a mocha into a coffee instead.  That'll teach her.  With bagel and tip: $6.
• Realized that if I'm going to be furloughed for the next two weeks (should blog about that), I should go to the U. and look at the experiment boards and pick up a couple studies.  I brought the lunch my folks packed for me; along the way I would eat the steamed bun after heating it up in the microwave in the student union.  Along the way I remembered that sometimes there would be a tent where the U. would be serving food.  And alas, there was this pop-up restaurant right on the Quad called, I think, U. BBQ.  It wasn't really a barbecue, it was mostly just your usual grillable meat.  But it was there, and I was there, and even though I could have saved my stomach and money, I got a hamburger.  Why not?  Live a little!  And I didn't even have to tip, even though I had a dollar out due to force of habit.  Total: $5.75.
• Then went to the Dunn Bros. at the Rosedale library because I needed to know the price of the small mocha frap I bought there on the 11th.  With a dollar tip this sweet treat was: $5.83.
• Went to exercise, felt the need to drink pop, went to Wal-Mart for a Pepsi, but that was all sold out, so I walked over to the Coke machine, which I wanted to avoid on this day because of this article.  Cost: 50 cents.
• Sunday the 15th was the World Cup Final.  France won.  My pre-tournament pick actually won!!!  And so I wasn't too cheesed off that the Nomad took cover, especially since I got a t-shirt for it.  Charged the Marla's Caribbean wrap and Bloody Karenina and got fully reimbursed for parking; the cover was: $5.
• I then had time to go the library and then celebrate National Ice Cream Day by going to a spot from Franklin Ave. to this new spot called Wonders before seeing my friend's show in St. Paul.  They do this thing called rolled-up ice cream.  I still don't really believe there's much of a difference, but golly, that ice cream was good!  Sure it was hot outside, but it was good.  Really pricey, though.  Anyway, I got to the theater just as the lights went down.  Whew!  I actually got lost finding Wonders, but I'm glad I was able to fit seeing my friend's musical into this Sunday.  And I got in via student rush, and so the ticket was only: $10.
• Saturday, July 14 ... went to the United match.  Got my usual hot dog and Redd's for: $15.25.
• After the game I went to Glam Doll.  Saturday was National Mac And Cheese Day, and once I learned what day it was, I made a day of it.  I went to the Minneapolis Revival, which many people say has the best mac 'n' cheese in town, for lunch.  (Thirty bucks total with a burger and a banana cream pie.  Glad I charged it.)  And then I made a point to eat the Bellybomb, Glam Doll's mac-and-cheese donut, tonight.  I had wanted to eat it again for a while, and this was the perfect occasion.  With two bucks in tips because the guy giving me the Bellybomb was really cool and generous with chips and the mac-n-cheese tots as a reward for waiting as he sorted out some other dishes from people lined up in front of me: $13.07.
• To Friday the 13th, where I had to go back to the library and get another thing for the HR person for the company I'll be working for full-time, namely a paystub: 10 cents.
• After the library, and then working out (well, I had to return a call and check my e-mail, so I was on the treadmill for, like, 20 minutes before the gym closed at 5), I went to Wal-Mart.  This summer's been so damn hot I've had to get a pop can, in this case a Coke, and for price, you can't beat Wal-Mart, which charges only: 50 cents.
• Thursday the 12th -- while waiting for word of when we're going back to the law firm (a call that, apparently, will never come), I went to the combo Caribou/Einstein.  Was going to get a bagel, but apparently my card said I could get two bucks off a breakfast sandwich.  Cool.  That plus a medium mocha (for which I got a buck off because I filled out a survey) and tip and it all came out to: $8.50.
• Figured that I should start printing off these pages I need for my new job in case I start on Monday.  Turns out I won't, but I still printed them out at the library: $3.80.
• Before coming home I went to Wal-Mart to get a Pepsi from the vending machine.  Is there any other place on Earth where you can get a can for: 50 cents.
• Back to Wednesday, July 11 -- Caribou in the morning.  Small mocha, cookie, tip: $6.
• Then I went to the Nomad to take in the Croatia-England semifinal.  Thank Buddha this bar reimburses at the parking lot.  I turned around and used the money I got back for parking to pay for the Tecate that was on special all tournament.  With tip it came out to: $5.
• And then I went to Dunn Bros. for a mocha frap.  With tip: $5.83.
• Went to the United match afterward.  They're in the middle of a two-match-per-week spate.  This is where they lost that Friendly/Exhibition to Costa Rican soccer club Saprissa, 2-1.  Since I expected way fewer people attending this game (and I was right; I got to the gate 20 minutes before 7 and I breezed through) I indulged by eating food at places where there would be lines for official matches.  Got a bacon-wrapped hot dog to go with my Redd's.  With tip: $16.50.
• Satur Tuesday the 10th: Parked downtown for what would be my last day at this gag.  Still find it weird that I was sent off with a "We'll call you back when we need you," and then they never called back.  Whatever: $8.
• Stopped by Caribou because I got a free size upgrade.  With tip for my medium coffee, priced as a small: $2.50.
• After work I went to the alumni chapter's Plan B place.  Our first game of the season has to be here because it's on a specific network our main bar does not have.  I went there a few times after work to make myself familiar with the people there.  Coors Light at Happy Hour plus tip equals: $4.
• Back to Monday the 9th, where I parked downtown: $8.
• Then I decided to eat at a food truck because, hey, who's going to track my lunch break?  I had heard of O'Cheeze and I waited for several minutes (actually a half-hour total) to get a mac-'n'-cheese sandwich.  It was ... good.  Maybe it would've been good for cheaper somewhere else, but it was good.  With tip the sandwich came out to: $9.88.
• Sunday, July 8 ... I finally had time to see my friend in the cemetery.  Went to the closest floral shop I could find to slap a rose and a carnation together.  The man who helped me was really nice and generous; he knocked off the tax, so I just had to pay a clean: $2.
• ETA on July 18 at 3:15 a.m. that I forgot to put this EWR in: With the Mega Millions jackpot jetting past $200 million, I'm back to getting tickets for Father, for which he pays me back, like he did on this afternoon after I came home.  An Infusion of: $20.
• On Saturday the 7th I decided to mix up my World Cup-watching routine.  There were three main places I watched the World Cup, and these three places are the ones where I usually watch soccer once the club season begins: Brit's, The Local, and the Nomad.  But on this day, the second of back-to-back Doubleheader Quarterfinals, I switched it up ... mostly because the American Swedish Institute was hosting a watch party for the first match of the day, Sweden vs. England.  England won, and easily, but I have always wanted to go to this museum, and this WC Watch Party was the perfect excuse to see the mansion and try their version of the Bloody Mary, which the lauded restaurant, Fika, calls the Bloody Swede.  (They use aquavit and beet juice instead of vodka and tomato juice.  It has a brighter color of red, but it was a bit too sweet and smooth for my taste.)  If you attended the match (which, I have to say, cut out from time to time; this was taking place in the auditorium upstairs, but they had to use an online stream of the game, and it lagged when buffering on several occasions), you got free admission into the mansion.  And I'm glad I did.  The mansion is OK, a standing relic to the Swede that built the mansion.  But there was an accompanying exhibition by a Finnish sculptor named Kim Simonsson.  He is known for pieces of stubby-looking children he calls "Moss People," for the velvety finish he sprays on this sculptures before he fires them up in the kiln.  Check out the work; his "kids" are a combination of cute and creepy.  But the ingenious thing about the exhibit is that his pieces were just dotted conspicuously over this conservative and staid mansion.  For example, there is a recreation of the mansion's dining room ... but there is Simonsson's sculpture of a girl splashing into a puddle on the dining room table, and an alien-looking being with sharp "ears" and that moss-like skin sitting next to the fireplace.  These out-of-place works were just dropped willy-nilly all over the mansion, and thus these eerie kids are even eerier.  Genius, AmSwed Institute!  Oh ... I forgot that I put the Bloody Swede on my credit card.  Anyway, for the second game, Russia versus Croatia, I went over to the Town House on University Ave. in St. Paul.  It was recently bought and will be turned into a soccer pub, but right now it's still an LGBTQ bar.  And it still isn't much of a soccer pub either; there were many screens, but all of them seemed to be smaller than 30", except for the projection screen, and it had so many reception issues that it was pixelated and frozen most of the match.  Hope the new owners get bigger TVs and a bigger antenna.  Oh, I hope they make good on taking credit cards.  I had a late lunch and ordered some bar food combo, but they didn't take credit cards, so I had to use cash even though I didn't want to on this day.  With a Michelob Golden Draft on tap and tip the whole shebang cost me: $12.50.
• I got up and left after Russia tied the game in Added Extra Time.  Didn't want to see Croatia lose.  So I went home ... well, I went to DQ first to enjoy a sundae.  They have a TV there.  It was tuned to ESPN, and I saw on its crawl that the Croatians survived the Russians on Penalty Kicks.  Phew.  The sundae cost a penny more than it used to: $3.21.
• After that I went home, then went out to "work out."  Really, I went out to Brit's for its United FC Watch Party.  Except there wasn't much of a party; there were no tables available outside and I couldn't eat on the lawn, so I went to the bar to watch the Loons get the shit kicked out of them by Houston without any sound.  Yeah, I need to re-evaluate going here for MNUFC road games.  I charged all my food to my card.  Went to Glam Doll afterward.  Charged the coffee and my first donut, I think.  Tip along with the second donut: $3.75.
• Going back to Friday, July 6 ... downtown parking for work: $8.
• Hit up another food truck because I was working downtown.  This time I went to another lauded food truck, Tacocat.  Their street tacos were ... good.  With tip: $9.
• Went to our alumni club's main place to say hi and grab a Bud Light.  With tip: $3.
• Wednesday, the 4th of July: Tooled around at home, ate a light breakfast, then lit out to Caffetto to work on my computer over a Dang! butterscotch root beer.  Nice pop.  With tip: $2.75.
• My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Version) was open for the day and was closing at 6.  I stopped by there before the Loons game.  No dances, just a Sprite and stage tips.  Saw an old stripper who hadn't danced there in months because she's transitioning into real estate.  She was scared that she was going to subconsciously walk up the stairs and start taking her clothes off, hah!  Total: $8.
• MNUFC ... dollar dog (they don't seem to be much different from the regular dog; are they not the same?) and Redd's: $10.50.
• Realized the game ended before fireworks usually lit up the sky.  But I couldn't really go home immediately after the match (where the Loons had to hold on for dear life to be Toronto, 4-3) because I told my parents I was seeing fireworks with a friend.  But I knew that Caffetto would be open and immune to any holiday shenanigans.  So I went there a second time (the first time I've ever done that at Caffetto) for a Bubble-Up (a Sprite-like drink I always had when I was a child) and a piece of chocolate cake.  With tip it set me back: $7.
• Tuesday the 3rd was the final day of the World Cup Round of 16 (which I like to call the Eighthfinals).  I was kind of perturbed I was furloughed for that day from work, but that meant I could spend the entire day at the Nomad taking in both games.  So I threw in enough dollars at the parking station so I didn't have to move my car for either game.  I thought I was going to be given full reimbursement for which I would use to buy a Bloody Karenina (their version of a Bloody Mary; tastes like a Bloody Mary but spicier), but the bartender (who, and I will expound on her, was fucking hot, yow!) gave me that drink without giving me back the dollar which would make up the difference between what I paid for parking at that Bloody Karenina with a dollar tip.  In other words, she took a dollar from me.  Oh well; I made up for that by ordering a Tecate tallboy and something from the food truck outside in time for the second game, Colombia-England.  I was going to give two bucks' tip for all of that, but I reduced that to one to make up for being ripped off for the first game, Switzerland-Sweden.  For this, things balanced out.  Total for all was a pretty good for six straight hours: $15.75.
• And after that I went to the library to print out some stuff.  Total: 30 cents.

Phew!  Good through July 16.

Blockchain Blockchain Blockchain

OK, so I'm getting a little obsessed with trying to "monetize" WAF, so I'm just going to put "Blockchain" on the title line three times and once in this sentence and see what traffic I get.  Just an experiment, thank you.

Expenses Without Receipts

Starting from Tuesday, October 31:

• Went downtown to get my shoes shined.  That's when I remembered that I needed to cut down the services on my landline because, frankly, more than $70 was a goddamn waste.  Well, how should I start this trip into town ... OK, with tip the shoeshine was: $15.
• And since I found on my phone while getting my shoes polished that that store really was a store and not an office, I decided it was a no-brainer to go there and cut my services.  But that meant I had to pay a few more cents for parking in order to walk there.  (BTW, there was a service center, but for some reason they told me to call, and to further go on a tangent, I called in the afternoon but I balked at approving the changes, and then I went online at the Megamall [I know, that's dangerous] and after seeing that I did sort of want one service, I changed it online, so all of this was kind of pointless.)  But I used all my quarters to park there the first time.  So I went across the way from Lisa's to Bogart's Doughnuts to buy a donut that, although extremely tasty, wasn't keen on getting or eating, but I needed it for the change.  With tip: $3.25.  ETA at 1:48 a.m. on November 2 that I actually have a receipt for this, so I don't technically need to put this here.
• That gave me an extra three quarters, two of which I used for parking.  That, along with the three quarters I initially fed, brings me to a total parking total of: $1.25.
• I had no idea what to do for Halloween.  I don't celebrate because it brings up too many issues.  What I usually do is see hot women at Hooters, then see hot naked women at a strip club.  But that was all crimped because I really wanted to see Blade Runner 2049, and inexplicably the theater where I could see for five bucks on Tuesdays (and it just so happens that this year Halloween falls on a Tuesday) only had two screenings, both in the evening.  Isn't it making money right now, still?  See, if I could see it in the afternoon, that would free me to womanize in the evening.  But with evening shows only, I had nothing to do in the afternoon and everything I wanted to do at night.  Aargh!  So I bummed around for a few hours at MOA before Happy Hour, and then I hit Hooters to see the waitresses dressed up in costume.  Had one beer and one appetizer and I was full.  And it only cost me, with tip: $9.
• Blade Runner 2 (what I like to call it) is as immersive of a different world I have seen in any film in recent memory.  The picture is gorgeous: Shot after shot after shot of mise-en-scene is indelible, and just as important, not unlike the original Blade Runner.  I thought Ridley Scott was on a huge run after his hit The Martian, but at the credits I was reminded that Scott only executive-produced and that it was Denis Villeneuve who directed.  My heart kind of sank: I have been cool to his previous films, Sicario and Arrival, but BR2049 is the first one I mostly loved.  Now, some of the plot points are hard to follow and I still don't get some of the steps.  But damn, those images ... A-.  Ticket, popcorn and pop: $9.67.
• On Monday the 30th I finally got my hair cut at Fantastic Sam's.  I now realize why I think they cost more for haircuts: Washing hair is something they regularly do.  Now, I didn't mind it, but let's just say that I'm glad that I stumbled into the salon when it was Men's Mondays and haircuts were three bucks off.  I promptly gave those three bucks back to my hairstylist as tip, so the total came out to: $17.
• ETA at 1:47 a.m. on November 2 that Mother paid me back for a baking mold she wanted my help to buy on eBay and and a handle for a pasta maker, both of which I was willing to buy for her, but she insisted.  An Infuision of: $20.
• Let's go back to Friday, October 27, when I had a pair of back-to-back experiments at the U.  The first one got me a wage/Infusion of: $14.75.
• And the second one was a quarter better, an Infusion of: $15.
• That afternoon I went to Moler to get a shave in anticipation of going back to the health insurance place.  The guy who shaved me graduates next week, and while he is good (he actually told me to push my tongue against parts of my chin and cheek in order to give him a flat surface to shave off my facial hair), he cut me at the top of my left sideburns (sideburn?).  Still, he was thorough enough for me to give him four bucks' tip, which I have usually done, even though none of the three people who have shaved me before were there then.  Total: $9.
• I went to the Golden Gopher men's hockey game in the evening.  Satisfying, albeit turgid, victory over then-ninth-ranked Clarkson.  Hot dog, medium Coke, program: $12.
• Finally I wound up at Glam Doll.  Two donuts (one of them a high-priced weekly special), pour-over coffee and tip: $12.52.
• ETA on 4:14 p.m. on November 7 that I should have added an Infusion.  My Father rejected the letter I wrote for him at the library concerning his rapidly crumbling leather sofa.  I thought it was fine, but he said he needed the address typed at the bottom, and that pissed me off so much that I went back to a rule I made concerning letters I type for my parents: If you make me redo something that was perfectly fine, you pay for the letter.  So even though it's small change, Mother gave me money in order to re-type the letter the afternoon they left for Biloxi/Gulfport, and she gave me extra dimes just in case, dimes I have kept.  An Infusion of: 40 cents.
• ET also A on 4:14 p.m. on November 7 that I re-typed that complaint letter and typed a list of restaurants my folks should go to if they were able to head to New Orleans during their trip (and they were).  Two letters at the library cost: 20 cents.
• On Wednesday the 25th I bit the bullet and went to the Dylan concert at the X.  The night might have been more memorable because of what happened before I even got into the concert, but I will say that it was good that I saw him.  He played the songs I know, or at least the songs I know of him: "It Ain't Me, Babe," "Desolation Row," "Tangled Up In Blue," "Blowin' In The Wind," but they were all radically rearranged -- same lyrics, melodies and rhythms I have never heard of.  I was forewarned about this, and I guess it would have been to hear the songs the way I know them.  But if you're Dylan, you get bored over your old songs, so I can see his wish to do them in ways that keep them interesting for him.  (I also noticed that he seemed to be most engaged when he was singing standards, which he has done on his last three albums.)  Besides, hey, he's Bob Dylan ... he can do what he wants.  Scalped ticket, a can of Goose Island 312, and tip, and it all came to: $92.
• On Tuesday the 24th I went to see Only The Brave, the fictionalized drama about the Granite Mountain Hotshots, the Prescott, Ariz.-based and taxpayer-funded wildfirefighting crew, all but one of which perished in a fire several years back.  I wonder how much of what I saw was real life -- I doubt it was a whole lot -- but it was still impressively acted and I felt like I was watching real-life hotshots.  Grade: B+.  I got enough punches in my card to get in for free; popcorn and pop makes it: $4.30.
• And that evening I went to the library to type out a complaint letter for My Father.  It was about a leather sofa that's already started drying up and cracking.  It's going nowhere.  Cost: 10 cents.
• Monday, October 23: Fucked ***a* for: $120.
• Sunday the 22nd ... after the Vikings game I went to My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Division).  Unusual time there.  I tried this thing called Truly, which is alcoholic ("spiked") sparkling water.  I saw the bar put up posters of this and I had to try it because, frankly, it seems so effeminate that I probably would be the first person ever to ask for this Truly.  And truly it was ... bland.  I tasted the sparkling water, so, you know, it tasted stale.  But I couldn't detect the alcohol at all.  And then, before getting a lap dance from the blonde and fun Barbie, she and fellow dancer Lexi asked me if I wanted to have a shot with them.  I did ... and of course I was the guy who paid for one.  Barbie's lapdance was crazy: I bit her tits, and then she laid into me so hard that I had to throw her off of me, and that got the attention of the bounce, who told me not to touch her.  I'll go back, eventually.  With tips: $54.
• On Saturday, October 21, after the EPL and exercising, I went to the old Surly Brewery to line up to get a bottle of Darkness because it was Darkness Day.  It's not bad, this Russian Imperial Stout -- hoppy but rewarding.  Cost of the bottle: $20.
• After my alma mater's game (a bad, bad loss), I went to Glam Doll to drown my sorrows in apple juice and a pair of donuts.  With tip: $10.
• Friday the 20th -- went to the Golden Gopher soccer match at Robbie.  I wanted to buy a scarf (I think I spoke about this before) but there was a scarf giveaway to the first 200 students to come to the game.  Now, I didn't know how much of a chance I had of getting one, so I got to Robbie Stadium earlier than usual, but not too early.  I did not get a scarf.  So, I decided I was going to buy a scarf at the merch stand.  But then the person manning the merchandise said that the scarf they were giving away was different than the two types of scarves she was selling.  And then I saw the people who did get the scarves, and those are different in that it says "M SOCCER."  Those are sweet scarves -- so sweet that I decided not to buy one.  Unfortunately, the U. soccer Twitter account tweeted back that I cannot buy that particular scarf.  So I went from determined to getting one to not getting one till next year.  And my dream of twirling a scarf over my head when the Golden Gophers set up for a Corner Kick will have to wait till next year.  Hot dog, medium Coke and program: $11.
• Oh, and I found a quarter in the bleachers of the game.  An Infusion of: 25 cents.
• And I went to Glam Doll afterwards.  With tip: $13.27.
• Wednesday, October 18 was the day my parents come home from out of town, and finally my ATF, ***e*, came over to clean the house.  Money well spent.  And no, once again, we didn't fool around: $120.
• On Tuesday the 17th I went to see The Foreigner, Jackie Chan's latest film.  And you know what?  It's a great film!  I have to be honest, though, in that Chan, who co-produced the film, is only one factor in making it great.  He has, like, three or four fight scenes (I hope he can still move, but there is a lot of close-ups and cuts in them), but he is asked to do some emoting, and I know Jackie Chan not by his acting.  Moreover, his character's role in the main plotline, which has to do with The Troubles, is at best a spanner in the cogs.  You can take out Chan's character and you would still have a movie.  But the thing is, that would still be a compelling movie.  Very dramatic, and Martin Campbell (who helmed the Bond films when Pierce Brosnan, who co-stars with Chan here, played 007) directs the hell out of The Foreigner -- which, by the way, is a misnomer; Chan is not a "foreigner" but an immigrant who has been living in London for many years.  The Foreigner is adapted from a 1992 book by British author Stephen Leather called The Chinaman, and even though "Chinaman" isn't a slur that pisses me off (some others do, though, so please, be careful), I'm pretty sure calling this film The Chinaman was a non-starter.  Nevertheless, this is an underrated movie that should be getting more business.  Grade: A-.  Ticket, popcorn, pop: $9.67.
• Back to Sunday, October 15 ... went to My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Version) after the Vikes game, where I had coffee, gave tips, and got a lapper from Lexi.  Total: $35.75.
• Saturday the 14th -- Went to The Local downtown for EPL.  Plus tip: $13.
• Friday the 13th: The local art gallery I patronize hosted an opening.  Haven't been there in months.  Donation: $5.
• I then went to My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Division) close by for coffee, stage tips, and my first-ever dance from the dollar coin-areolaed, droopy-boobed Ash: $29.75.
• ETA at 4:46 p.m. on November 7 that I totally forgot I went to a party on Thursday, October 12.  (I am having a horrible time remembering charges; I swear I need to do these EWRs more frequently.)  It was one for ********a's, who has promised me no cover charges for me for the parties she works at for the next year because of all the help I gave her when she moved.  This was at a place I've never been in -- fifties-ish, with a man who inherited from his parents, and it looks it.  And I think that is awesome -- quaint house still standing ... what more could you want?  The party, however, could have been better.  Even though I was more than an hour early for the party, I wish the two girls (********a and her friend, Adrian) were more, uh, playful.  I liked the fact there were, like, three guys there by the time I left, but it was so quiet that if I did have any real fun, they probably could have heard me.  Ah, well.  Two dances with ********a and one from Adrian and the total came out to: $60.
• Tuesday, October 10: The place I used to work at -- the one where I worked for a scant eight days -- did not provide plastic utensils and their coffee makers were kind of old.  However, they (sort of) made up for that by contracting with third-party food vendors.  For example, this company called Foodsby arranged restaurants to deliver meals ordered by workers online.  I used this service twice.  Also, on Tuesdays, Eddingtons, the soup-and-unlimited-breadstick restaurant, comes over.  I don't know if these guys get as much pub as they should.  They had a place out in Minnetonka, but now I think they're just a catering business.  Nevertheless, their soups have always been good.  With tip: $4.75.
• On Monday the 9th I went to this place in South Minneapolis called the Driftwood Char Bar to see a fellow temp I once worked with at the health insurance place play.  Ever since we've been Facebook friends, I've noticed that his interests turn toward the artisitc; he draws and he plays music, and at Driftwood (he invited me through Facebook) I went to see him play.  He's really good, although a bit raw.  Meanwhile, I've never heard of this place before, even though I've been down this part of Nicollet Avenue, most notably for the original Revival space.  I thought I was only getting a beer, but after meeting up with my friend's girlfriend and other friends, I thought, why not, I'll eat a burger here, too.  With tip, all told it came out to: $29.25.
• Sunday, October 8 -- eschewed the NFL to watch the Golden Gopher soccer team because I didn't make it out to their match Friday because it was raining cats and dogs.  They beat Purdue, 2-0.  This was where my internal conflict with buying a scarf began.  Program, hot dog, medium Coke: $11.
• On Saturday the 7th I went to Glam Doll.  With tip: $9.50.
• OK, Friday, October 6 ... I found a quarter somewhere, don't remember.  An Infusion of: 25 cents.
• I parked downtown because I wanted to get my shoes shined.  I actually put in too much money because I was afraid I would have to wait: $1.50.
• But Lisa was not busy and I got done real quick.  Shoeshine plus tip: $15.
• And since I still had a lot of time left on my meter, I decided to eat at one of the downtown trucks.  I decided on Pimento, a Jamaican spot I see on Eat Street.  Had their jerk chicken, and even though I know people usually have spicier, this was plenty spicy for me.  But it was good!  With tip: $11.
• It had been a long time since I went to Mensa, but since my folks were gone and I had nothing else to do and these guys were in my neighborhood for First Friday, I stuck my head in.  It was just less than half an hour, enough time to make quick conversation and re-familiarize myself with people I had last seen a couple months ago.  But someone caught my eye: A young, heavily tattooed, pale girl who seemed to be in her twenties and thus supplanted me as the youngest person who went to these Mensa things.  She's hot too.  One of the other Mensans noticed this too, as those two were chatting it up while I was eating pieces of the Heggies pizza he bought.  She had to leave soon because she was catching a ride; on my way out I offered to take her to this bar close by where she was making a rendezvous with some other friends, but she said no.  Probably the smart call.  Admission, beer and tip for said beer: $8.
• I made my stay at Mensa short because I had a party to go to.  Two parties, actually.  But the first one I went to ended early, so I went to the second one, just two miles away.  And even though I had fun -- got double-teamed by two girls, both of whom touched my pee-pee -- every single girl there hit me up for tips, money beyond what we initially agreed to.  Now I don't mind tipping a little extra for the two girls (*****a and ****y) who made me cum, even though we did agree on a price beforehand.  But I tipped one other girl for one dance, I gave an extra $20 to another girl even though she didn't ask if I wanted a second one, and the fucking girl who was taking cover charges wanted a tip for cleaning up.  WTF?  You know, as I type this, there are two parties that I've been invited to, and after recalling these ripoffs, I don't know if I want to anymore.  Total fucking damage: $256.

Good through Halloween.

Funny Seeing You Here ... Again, After, Like, Five Minutes

I had signed up for two experiments at the U. that were 15 minutes apart.  Didn't really plan it that way; I signed up for one, and then I signed up for a second, but that second was a two-parter, and the first part was done online, and after I did that online part I was told I would have to come to the U. to complete the second part.  Well, it just so happens that this second part would end 15 minutes before this first research study I signed up for.  Moreover, this morning, after I had made the mistake that this first experiment was going to be in the East Bank instead of the West Bank, I realized that both research studies were going to be in the same building.  And to top all of that off, once I got there, I realized that not only are both experiments back-to-back and not only were they in the same building, but they were in the same friggin' room.

So this is what happened.  After I got done with the first research study (with one slight hiccup that had to do with me not being a current student at the U.) I exit through the back ... then come back in through the same waiting room in which I went in the first time (I didn't wait for the first experiment; I got there and the host opened the door and invited all of us in while I was signing in).  I was there for five minutes before a different host opened the door to the same room to bring us in for Research Study #2.  I saw the host for Research Study #1 put his coat on and gather up his things while I scurried past him in some phantom sense of shame to my own workstation.  There was a helper/proctor for Research Study #1 who stayed for a couple minutes as Research Study #2 began, and we locked eyes briefly.  Again, maybe I didn't have to feel so sheepish, but I didn't want to lock eyes with him because he would think, "Hey, weren't you already here?"

But I did both experiments and got $14.75 for the first one and $15 for the second, and now I'm away from the U. and I got some income for today, so that's all that really matters.

Expenses Without Receipts

Yep, I let this get too long again.  Starting from Tuesday, August 15:

• For my day off I went to see Spider-Man: Homecoming.  It wasn't too long ago when Andrew Garfield and before that Tobey Maguire donned the suit.  Having yet a third guy in two decades don it seems like overkill.  But this take was a breezy reboot of the character.  I appreciated that Uncle ... Ben's death wasn't included in this film.  It's an acknowledgement that we have seen him die twice already; it's an understanding that we already know parts of the story.  Grade: B+?  Ticket, popcorn, pop: $9.64.
• After dinner I went to Great Clips to have my hair cut after a two-day delay.  You know, kind of how it took two days for President Trump to denounce Nazis, except less important.  The cut itself cost $7.99, but this EWR is specifically for the tip only: $3.
• I then went to the library to print out invoices for Mother.  She needed my help because, even though she is learning how to do them, she has had trouble with a few format characteristics I put in the invoices I have done for her.  Also, she types slow, and after doing two invoices today, she got tired.  So I did two and re-did two.  That's four, and that means: 40 cents.
• After the library I went to My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Edition) for the first time in a few weeks, I think.  I remember seeing two of the four chicks on shift.  Actually five -- one new girl replaced Giselle, who left after her first shift -- the very first shift -- after I got a dance from her.  I feel bad that I think I kept her at work longer than she wanted to.  Broke an extra five so I could tip two new strippers before I decided to leave.  With coffee it comes out to: $32.75.
• To Sunday, August 13 ... I went to the State Capitol for its grand opening celebrations; it's been refurbished and cleaned up for the past four years, and even though I really couldn't tell any difference, it looks new.  I wanted to get in there and then out in less than an hour, but I stayed for three.  Mostly because there were parts of the first tour I didn't get to, such as the Deliberation Room in the State Supreme Court.  I latched onto a second tour to see that, and then I stayed because the tour guide, though robotic, was real cute!  Oh, I also met up with some dude who, like me, was doing the tour by himself.  Tim's a good dude, and I'm glad I could show him where he could the State Capitol hat.  Oh, wait ... I didn't give any money there.  I went to Runyon's thereafter because I need to grease the way for our alumni club to see the first game of the season there.  They have great wings, although they're a bit hot.  With a Coors Light on special and tip, the total came out to be: $21.
• I had planned on doing the Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey at Caffetto after Runyon's, but staying at the State Capitol for so long pushed lunch really late.  And since I wanted to get my hair cut after doing the WMNSS, I decided it was simply too far to go from downtown to Lyn-Lake just to type that up.  I had brought my new laptop, my Dell, with me.  It would have been the first time I went out in public with it.  I was going to get my Dell hooked up with a public wi-fi spot for the first time, and I wanted to "christen" it at Caffetto because it's one of my favorite spots in town to work on my computer.  Alas, my actions altered that, and instead I "christened" my first wi-fi connection through my new lap at Diamonds, the coffeehouse much closer to home.  It worked out fine.  Got freshly-squeezed lemonade there.  (Oh, BTW, I did not get my hair cut [I stayed at Diamonds less than half an hour] because there was an hour wait at 4 o'clock and they closed at 5.  Got a coupon out of it for my trouble.)  With tip: $3.50.
• I needed to get lotto tickets for Father on my way back.  Funny story: I went home because I wanted to change shirts (to a dirty one) before going back out to get my hair cut.  But since there was no way I could get my hair cut I went home.  I changed and crawled into my bed when I realized that Father texted me to get lotto tickets.  So I went out a second time to buy them and came back.  Oh, and my parents' only friend was there the whole time.  I had to park inbetween his car and my parents' van not one, not two, but three times.  Anyway, Father paid me back for the tickets, an Infusion of: $15.
• On Saturday the 12th I finally went with my friend, who I made at My Favorite Late-Night Italian Place, to a sporting event together.  We've been promising each other for years we'd do it, and it was time.  We went ... dirt-track racing, at this place up in Ogilvie.  Dirt-track racing is his thing, and he wanted to show me once, and I was interested, so I finally said yes.  And it was ... interesting.  I will admit that the power when I first heard the cars running at full speed was something.  And honestly, I wouldn't mind doing this with him again.  Next year.  But the dirt getting kicked up into my face and pants and teeth got tiresome, and it was tough breathing in the gasoline and the smoke from the spectators.  And, I have to admit, I saw if there were any minorities in attendance.  There was one black lady, and I think there were two black kids working the concessions.  So I was the only male person of color there.  That isn't a reason not to go again.  But I was girding myself in case some asshole showed up to the track with a "Make America Great Again" hat.  Price for the ticket, the walking taco I got for the first time ever, the Twisted Tea I got for the first time ever, and tips for both equaled: $31.
• I kind of lied to my friend when I said I wanted to go home after track racing.  Because I'm road-tripping next week, I wanted to hit the Glam Doll closer to home afterward so I wouldn't be such a stranger there.  Made it quick -- about an hour -- because I didn't have my laptop with me.  Two donuts and milk, with tip, cost me: $9.36.
• Oh, and before I went to the track Father paid me back for the lottery tickets he asked me to get for him before I came home, an Infusion of: $20.
• I think I didn't spend anything until Tuesday, August 8.  If I did, I'll revise it here.  But Tuesday was my last day of my three-day sabbatical, and I took advantage of it by getting my shoes shined for the first time since early July and then finally depositing all the Hong Kong money I've had in my wallet since late February at the downtown Wells Fargo.  First I had to find parking downtown: $1.50.
• Then I got my shoes shined by Lisa.  This time she took the laces off first.  With tip: $15.
• But I had enough time to get to the theater to see Wonder Woman from Second One.  I think I missed all the trailers but got there before the movie started -- great timing!  The film itself was ... OK.  I'll give it a B grade.  Gal Gadot is smoking hot, and it was great to see an icon of feminist imagery depicted onscreen (even if it Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and, possibly, American plutocrats the Koch Brothers produced the film).  But the story seemed kind of pat.  I believe the DC Comics is the more of the serious, sober of the two comic-book behemoths.  It's characters dealt with somber treatments of good and evil, and didn't shy away from reflected real world events.  By contrast, Marvel was the simpler, sunnier alternative.  And yet, for the most part, Marvel's movies have been more complex, and thus more entertaining.  DC Comics is still going full-bore with its Cinematic Universe, so hopefully they'll sharpen their storytelling.  Ticket, popcorn and pop: $9.64.
• On Monday the 7th I went to the library to print out portions of our alumni club charter in order to remain a viable chapter.  It seems odd that this, well, bible of the existence of our club really consists of four pages, three of which I had to print out, write "of the Twin Cities," and scan back.  And really I only had to do the fourth page -- the last one, the one I had to sign.  I actually was afraid I would have to do print, scan and send back every page -- all 20 of them.  After I sent back the four relevant ones, I got two e-mails from the Alumni Association saying that I really only had to sign the last page.  Thanks for telling me that too late, guys, could've saved me 30 cents.  Instead I spent: 40 cents.
• The library I did this at was the one close to ***a*, my side chick I can call on whenever I feel the urge to get a blowjob.  And, with more frequencies, a rimjob.  I totally fucked her Monday.  Actually, she fucked me -- she got on top of me, opened up her twat, and swallowed my dick whole.  And then she actually swallowed my dick.  Man, I got all up in there even with my fingers.  I stuck them up her ass too, if all the brown shit on fingers after I left her place was any indication.  I just felt bad I didn't remain so hard that I came.  I had to do it myself -- into her mouth, of course.  And then we slept together.  Shit, we even ate our separate lunches at the stove together in between.  Spent a total of 3 1/2 hours there.  And even though I had to jerk off to spurt, now that I write about this, I think I should see her again, and quite soon.  Total: $120.
• Saturday, August 5 -- oh, shit, this is where I realize that I haven't been as vigilant in keeping track of my expenses as I should.  OK ... uh, I started at this mock trial where the motive for it didn't really come into focus until the end, where I think I realized that only one side commissioned this mock trial to see how the presentation of its case was going to look.  So I got (in cash, a rarity for these research studies these days) an Infusion of: $275.
• We go back to Friday, August 4 ... for a long time I didn't know if I could keep my commitment to the U. experiment I signed up for.  At first I thought that the test scoring project I was doing at the time was going to finish up early; that's why I signed up.  But then we were told that we were going to help another room with its questions, so I thought we would actually work the whole week.  But then we worked fast enough to get done the afternoon before.  So I had all day to walk from one end of the U. to get to this very interesting experiment involving "combinatorial auctioning."  I thought I did better than I actually did.  You were guaranteed ten bucks and on average would make $15.  I did better in the last two of my three auctions because I was setting up bogus bids everywhere and got plots at the end of them.  But instead of making $50, which was the maximum, I only made $4.80 above average, which kind of bummed me out.  An Infusion of: $19.80.
• Back to Wednesday the 2nd, where, after work, I took in a night of Da Beauty League, where NHL players (many of them from the area) decided to get back into game shape by playing 4x4 hockey games at Braemar Arena in Edina.  It started last year to great buzz, so I decided to take in a game this year.  I actually thought it would be more packed than it was.  But I liked that professional hockey players were playing in a local rink mere yards away from us.  Three mini-games for only: $10.
• Saturday, July 29: A busy day; got tired doing a lot of things I wanted to do.  The first EWR of the day was for Glensheen, the musical my friend is in.  I parked at a strip mall and took the light rail into downtown St. Paul, but I charged my ticket there because the train was coming.  I used cash on the way back: $1.75.
• The place was nearly packed, so I'm glad I got a rush ticket for the show: $15.
• Tried to go to Comcast to dispute my bill.  Saw there was a long line, so I did not go to Comcast.  Instead I went to park for the United game.  Hot dog and Redd's: $14.50.
• After the match (I think the Loons lost) I went to Glam Doll.  Did I have milk then?  I wrote down at the time that I had milk, so I guess I did.  With two donuts and tip: $9.36.
• On Thursday the 27th I helped *****a break in her new home with a welcome-home party.  This was the party where ****a sucked my dick for the first time in a long time.  Unfortunately I had to pay a bedroom fee in order to get it.  Man, these girls are nickel-and-diming me to the point I don't want to go anymore.  All that plus cover, tips for the girl who was minding the money (the host's sister) and dances from said host, Lana and Destiny came out to: $213.
• Sunday, July 23 ... went to the library to print stuff out: 30 cents.
• Saturday the 22nd -- went to Moler to get a shave.  I have two people who have shaved me.  The first one was the only girl there, and she was so good I wanted to patronize her, but the next time I came in, she was busy, so I had to get someone else, and he was so good that from then on I asked for both.  I got him a couple times, never her.  But this time I got neither and therefore I got a third, who also was really good.  Meticulous, clean.  I don't know how effective it is to get a card with your name if I can't get you the next time I come in for a shave.  So if I come in the next time I have to write down three names, I guess.  With tip the shave cost: $9.
• I then went to the United game.  I think they won this one.  It was dollar hot dog night, and I got there early enough to grab my one dog.  With Redd's: $10.
• I then went to Caffetto -- or was this in the morning?  Small iced mocha plus tip: $4.75.
• On Friday the 21st I went to Glam Doll, the farther, original one.  Two donuts, pourover coffee and tip: $12.27.
• On Sunday, July 16 I went to the alumni club's normal spot to make sure I wasn't a stranger.  Reminds me I'll need to go back there again, soon.  Lunch with tip: $18.
• Saturday the 15th ... I finally went to the Rustica Bakery at the Megamall because their bitter chocolate cookie is highly recommended.  I am glad I got there; recently they closed.  Too bad -- a local bakery tried to make a go of it at MOA and all the shoppers there decided to turn their backs on them.  Their loss; the cookie is distinctive.  With tip: $2.01.
• That evening I went to the United game.  Did we lose?  I think we drew.  Hot dog, Redd's: $14.50.
• And then I went to My Favorite Late-Night Italian Place, where I had a heart-to-heart with the owner about her intention to sell.  Little did I know that she would sell almost a month later.  With tip (I forget what I got) I paid: $11.75.

Phew!  Done through August 15.

Damn Right I'm Leering At You. Damn Right I'm A Pervert

OK, so on this day off, instead of doing something really productive, like getting a tube session in at the U. or seeing my shrink, I did the following:

• Finally got the party's photos up on social media at the coffeeshop close to the test scoring place -- OK, so my day was productive after all;
• Picked up my check stub at the test scoring place so it wouldn't go over the mail, where it would probably be picked up by my folks tomorrow;
• Looked at Best Buy in that area, where the only open box laptops available at a discount were Apples, which threw me for a loop because I've been dead-set on getting an XPS 13;
• Went to the mall on the other side of town to eat the lunch my parents prepared for me;
• Going to Comcast to dispute the discount on my bill because it's supposed to be larger;
• Not going to Comcast because there was a line;
• Parking at the University of Minnesota and walking from one end to the other to go and do this really interesting business school experiment regarding combinatorial auctioning;
• Going to the Best Buy close to my house to see if they still do not have any Dell XPS 13's, all of which disappeared from when I first saw it over the weekend by the time I re-checked yesterday (Thursday).  They're still none.
• Blogging this at the library the hour before they close.  Thank Buddha this county's libraries close at 6 instead of 5.

My blog post is centered on this hot chick, probably underage, while I was at the food court at the mall eating my hard-boiled eggs and cherries.  She was walking with what I believe is her sister.  She is thin and tan.  She wore a tight shirt and she pulled the front of it into a know which she laid over her sexy, fucking hot navel, showing off her belly.

I couldn't help but stare as she and her sis (who probably wasn't all that bad, but I wasn't looking at her) as they walked by.  And I tried to steal glances of her hot body as those two sat with what I think is their mom at a table close by.  I tried to steal more glances as I dumped the shells of those eggs in the trash, but I think those three were on to me.  What, you show off your hot body like that and you think I won't look?  That's what you want me to do, don't lie!

I wanted to jizz over her stomach -- OK, I admit that.