The Next Adventure Begins

Tuesday August 25th, 2009 - Minneapolis, MN

My whirlwind week long action packed highly stimulating bombastic free spirited cross country swashbuckling adventure begins today. No buckles to report on any swashes as of yet but it‘s still early. My main goal is that I’ll show up on time everywhere I’m expected.

So far I’m ok. I was scheduled to attend the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau 25th anniversary luncheon at the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort at noon and I made it. There was massive road construction in every direction but I left early because I knew about it.

My friend Jayne Nordstrom asked me to help out with a trivia contest during lunch and I said I’d do it months ago and didn’t want to back out at the last minute. Jayne has really gone out of her way to make sure I get my membership dues worth and not only is she an outstanding worker, everyone else in the office is on the ball too. They really get it done.

Those are people I want to be associated with and it was nice of them to include me in a big event like this. There were mayors of Lake County towns and business owners and all kinds of various dignitaries but most of them were just nice people. I was able to squeeze a few laughs out of them while they were eating and also plug myself and Jerry’s Kidders.

These are the kind of people who would totally book the Kidders for a yearly banquet or some other kind of larger event. Many of them perked up when I was introduced as being a regular on WGN and I could tell by the looks of them most weren’t regular comedy club goers. That’s totally fine because we’d be able to bring a much different and better show.

There’s no way I’d be able to get all of these people on the phone individually so being a part of the Visitor’s Bureau was a smart investment. My name is out there now with the movers and shakers and as far as I know I’m the only comedian who lives in the county.

Whether I am or not I’m the only one who invested in the $300 membership fee but it’s already paying off. I’ve got a Thursday night gig in Waukegan in October and I even have a return booking in February because they like the idea and find me easy to work with and flexible. That’s what I’m trying to project and I really feel I can manufacture some work.

There is money in Lake County and it’s growing all the time. They just built a gigantic water park called Key Lime Cove and there will be a minor league baseball team starting next year called the Lake County Fielders. The team owner was at the luncheon today but I didn’t get a chance to meet him or anyone else because I needed to catch my 5:00 plane.

I flew out of Milwaukee because it’s closer than O’Hare and less expensive to park for a long haul. My plane turned out to be delayed so I got rerouted to a completely different airline and am now in Minneapolis rather than Phoenix like I expected. I hope I make it.

Tomorrow is the most important stop on the tour. I have to be at the studio at 8am for a 9am taping and I don’t have a place to stay or rental car yet. Karma, throw me a bone.