My Super Monday

Monday August 11th, 2008 - Chicago, IL

Today was a fantastic day on many levels. For all my quirks and peccadilloes and dents in my can and disappointments and complaints I want to acknowledge a day that couldn’t have gone much better if I’d scripted it myself. I kind of did but everything worked out as well as it could have and as I reflect I realize life as we know it does NOT get any better.

Would it be great to have millions in the bank and no problems of any kind and nothing bothering me or hanging over my head? I don’t think that exists for anyone on this planet. If that’s the case - and I think it is - then today was a day to just enjoy as much as possible and that’s what I did. Tomorrow may have sorrows and pain but today I was sitting pretty.

First of all I got to take the train into the city to be on WLS with Jerry’s Kidders. I only have to take the train one day a week while most of the people on it ride in every day. I’m able to relax and read the paper and do a crossword puzzle and gawk at all the hot chicks.

There was a bumper crop today for whatever reason and I just enjoyed the whole scene.
Second, the weather was as perfect as it can get. August can be unbearable but today the weather was sunny but cool and not humid at all. I walked the dozen or so blocks it takes to go from Union Station to the radio station is and enjoyed the scenery the whole way.

Chicago has a fantastic downtown and walking through it on a sunny perfect morning is nothing short of exhilarating. The beautiful buildings and women and hustle and bustle is enjoyable to me and for some reason I appreciated it today even more than I usually do.

Our segment on the air today was cooking. I really don’t think we could have done it a whole lot better if we tried. We all contributed funny lines and it was a total blast and as it was happening that little voice in my head told me to notice and savor how lucky I was to be hanging out on the air with people I truly like on one of the biggest radio stations ever.

That put me in an even better mood than I already was and it felt kind of like an out of body experience in a way. I was in the moment and enjoying the situation but there was a part of me that was laying back and watching it all happen. I enjoyed every minute of it.

After the show we usually go out to breakfast and hang out and talk about the show for a while. We finish at 11:00am and my train isn’t until 1:00pm so we’ve got time. Jerry is done with work and the other guys have trains at similar times so we hang out and visit.

That time is almost as much fun as being on the air. We’re a group of guys like a poker club or tree house or something and today we hung out and just relaxed and ate and had a fun conversation. We made each other laugh and we even got the cute waitress for once.

After lunch I took a brisk but relaxing walk back to Union Station and boarded my train home. I had a great book to read by a guy named Ken Kragen who is one of the top names in PR there ever was. His book is called ‘Life Is A Contact Sport’ and it’s full of wisdom.

I’ve glanced at the book before but today I got into it a little and it’s really in sync with all that I’m doing right now. My friend Jim Mickelson in Utah knows Ken personally and he said he’d try to let me meet him someday. I’d love that. He’s a total mover and shaker.

Getting off the train I again walked a few blocks home and just basked in the wonderful weather. We don’t get that all that often in this part of the world but today we did so I just enjoyed it and didn’t think about snow or sleet or anything but what was right about it all.

I drove into the city and met up with a radio buddy I worked with years ago in Michigan who was in town with his wife. I hadn’t seen him in years and we visited and he said how much he enjoyed working with me and how funny I was and who wouldn’t enjoy that?

I was supposed to have dinner with a super hot woman who wants to take my classes at some point. She may or may not but any hot woman that wants to buy me dinner can have my undivided attention for as long as she wants it. I got a call from her saying she got Sox tickets and apologized profusely but I told her I didn’t mind and I really didn’t. Whatever.

Then I got a call from Kristi McHugh who is a comic I worked with a while back out in Lake Tahoe and Oroville, CA. She is in town to do a Zanies audition tonight and I didn’t expect to see her until tomorrow when we were going to hang out and explore Chicago. I will be doing a gig with her in Minnesota on Wednesday so the week looks good already.

As it worked out we were both near the club at the same time so we hung out and ate at a sushi restaurant just a couple of blocks from Zanies. Kristi is an absolute goddess. She’s super smart and very funny in a warped and twisted way and that’s a total compliment. To top it off she’s one of the most gorgeous women I’ve ever seen and doesn’t even know it.

She’s way down to earth and easy to talk to and she was even hotter than I remembered her from California. Getting bumped by one sexpot and having another one show up in a few minutes is how I always felt life should work and for at least one day it did. I love it!

The show at Zanies went very well too. I know how to host these things and I took it by the horns and made sure everyone got a good introduction and a fair shot at having a good set to hopefully get some work. I have had more than my share of bad intros but it doesn’t mean I have to continue that tradition. I enjoy hosting the Monday shows. It’s a workout.

Kristi had a fine set as did another guy I worked with a while back named Mikey Mason from Ohio. He’s a music act but very funny and he rocked the house too. Being able to be a part of shows like this and bring people up with a major league intro is what I live for. It makes me feel like I’m totally practicing the golden rule. It’s exactly what I would want.

I realize I’ve missed out on a lot of things in life and have a lot of problems but for one day everything went RIGHT in my eyes and if I don’t acknowledge and claim it I’ll never have a chance to be truly happy. Fun on radio, lunch with friends, dinner with a goddess and comedy at night. All in my favorite town. What a super day! Fame couldn’t top this.