Hollywood Swingin'

Wednesday March 11th, 2009 - Los Angeles, CA

I’m still floating on air from the show last night. There are so many things to sort out I don’t know where to start. The main thing is that I didn’t embarrass myself and it now is a reality nobody can take away from me. Even if it never airs I’m still the better for it all. I think it will air and I’m all for it but the real benefits from this came from the process.

This whole experience changed me forever and in a very positive way. For one thing I’ll use it to make my comedy much more structured. I will change everything around and get ready for the next television experience and it won’t be nearly as hectic as all of this was.

I’ll be way more prepared and I’ll continue to polish the material I developed for the set yesterday and didn’t get to use. It’s not wasted. I’ll polish it and be ready to rock the next time so I won’t be as overwhelmed. Getting this over with was good but I want to be back again and again and again. I’ve got a start but it’s by no means done. I’ve got work to do.

Another benefit this will have is in my teaching. I can honestly say I’ve been there, done that and that goes a long way in credibility. I have the experience and it was very difficult to attain it. I know what I’m talking about and I can help others prepare for their own sets.

Still another benefit from all this is the overwhelming positive vibes I have been getting from so many fantastic people. I’m sure there are those who are jealous or think I’m a big ass knocker but I don’t really care about those people. I care about the comics who called to ask how it went and there were so many of those calls that my phone ran out of juice.

Two friends I forgot to mention yesterday were Jack Freedman and Mike Alosa. Both of those guys stood in line for three hours to see the taping and waited afterward to come up and say hello and tell me how funny I was. THAT is the kind of thing that makes all this a humbling experience and I won’t soon forget it. They came to see me and I’m so grateful.

I’m grateful for all of this but I know it’s just the beginning. I’ve got so much to do now it’s spinning my head. I don’t want to get overwhelmed so I won’t go into it but this is not the finish line. It’s the starting gun. NOW I can start to see how far I can take my career.

There are things to do on every level and it will keep me busier than I already am. I will get back to work when I get back to Chicago but today I will hang out in L.A. and visit as many people as I can. I know I won’t get to them all but I’ll try to squeeze in quite a few.

I’ll be checking out of the hotel and visiting all day and I’ll go right to the airport for an early flight out tomorrow. Then the ‘vacation’ is over. I have a week of shows at Vernon Hills Zanies and a TV appearance on NBC5 for Friday the 13th. And my car needs work.

I love it here in Los Angeles and would love to move back here or at least have a reason to visit more often. Coming back here really lit my flame again especially after such a hot experience yesterday. I’m in a great space and I feel ready to start out on a new adventure.