Wednesday September 19th, 2007 - Milwaukee, WI/Lake Villa, IL
Today was a day to tie up loose ends but I didn’t get around to much of what I intended to tie up. I slept longer than I wanted to because I got in so late but I still got up relatively early and started to work. I got a phone call at 8:30 from my friend Joey Callahan which is taboo between comedians but he’s a good guy so I didn’t razz him about it. Well, not hard anyway. He knew he was breaking an unwritten rule but he wanted to thank me for a pack of Notre Dame wear I sent him for his birthday. He loves Notre Dame and I was there last week in South Bend so I got him some stuff knowing he’d love it. He did and I feel good.
If I know somebody likes a certain thing I like to surprise them when I find a trinket I’d think they would enjoy. That goes back to my older brother when I was a kid. I tell jokes about being a little brother and I am one but my brother Larry is a kind soul. I pretend on stage that he was a weenie but in reality nothing could be further from the truth. OTHERS were mean to me so I know of what I’m talking about but as for my real brother he wasn’t mean at all. I wish we could have been closer growing up but he lived with my father and I was raised mostly by my grandparents. I saw him once in a while but not every single day.
I loved Batman when I was a kid and when I got my first junker car I painted it to look like the Batmobile complete with bat signals on the doors and everything. I was thought of as a wack job even back then but I didn’t really care. It was fun and I loved it and he knew I loved it and didn’t make fun of me at all. If nothing else in my life at least I’ve tried stuff.
One day we were walking through a flea market and there was a vintage Batman t-shirt which at the time was about the coolest thing I’d ever seen. I was about 16 or 17 and he is two years older. The shirt cost $10 and that was almost a full tank of gas back then if you can believe it. I was tight on cash and didn’t really need the shirt but I sure did like it a lot.
Right before we were going to leave he said ‘Hey, I have to go to the bathroom before we get in the car. I’ll be right back.’ He was gone a lot longer than I thought he should be to use the bathroom and I was impatient and wanted to leave. Just then he sauntered back.
I was going to let him have it for making me wait so long but then he pulled the Batman shirt out from behind his back and said ‘I know what it’s like to really want something and I know you wanted this shirt so here it is. NOW we can go home.’ My brother my hero.
That was my favorite article of clothing for years and if it hadn’t worn out from so many washings I’m sure I’d still have it today. The kindness it took to buy that for me was about as pure as it gets. He didn’t have any reason to do it other than he put himself in my shoes and guessed that I would enjoy having that shirt. His guess was right on and all these years later I still think of it fondly and hold my brother in high esteem. It doesn’t take a miracle.
The funny thing is I brought it up to him a few years ago and he didn’t even remember it at all. I told him it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me and he looked at me like I was nuts and shook his head and said ‘I think the only bats are in your belfry.’
I really miss my brother. I haven’t seen him in a few years and don’t know how to get in touch with him. The last time I heard he didn’t have a phone and was going through some life problems of his own. He went through a bad divorce from what I heard and we drifted apart over the years. I tried to stay in contact with him and he was always nice to me when I would see him but he was just never one to call me and stay in touch. I’m not sure why.
I think some of it had to do with my father. My father would bad mouth me to him and I know he didn’t enjoy being in the middle of it all. He always told me ‘I don’t want to have to choose between you or him so I’m staying out of it.’ I guess I can understand his point but it seems now like it was all a big waste of years we could have spent being brothers.
We haven’t seen each other in a few years now and I have no idea how to contact him at all. He doesn’t have email and he isn’t listed in the phone book so I am hoping to have the chance to see him again. Hopefully now that the old man is gone things can start to heal. It would really mean a lot to be able to sit down as a family and clear out the old ugly past.
The holidays are not that far away and I’m afraid of how this will all turn out. It’s been a sore spot for so many years that I don’t want to blow it now by saying the wrong thing or not saying what I was supposed to say or some other thing that starts hard feelings again.
Whatever happened was a long time ago and we’ve gone separate ways and lived apart. I am the one who was the drifter and chose to leave rather than stay in that cesspool mess. Now the one who was the leader is dead so I hope the sewer pipe can finally be shut off.
My younger half brother Bruce has been great in all of this since Darth Father’s passing. He has kept me updated and been willing to forget the past and start over and he has been fantastic. He gets it. I respect that and would love to see him in person but we haven’t had a chance to do that yet. I’m hoping it can be this year at the holidays but nothing is solid.
This is not going to be an easy process but at least there is still a chance of it happening. I didn’t get any resolution from my father and now I never will. My mother abandoned us when I was a baby and I’ve only seen her three or four times in my life. I don’t feel a need to see her at all and at this point she is dead to me. Any mother/son relationship is burned. I don’t even know where she is anyway or if she’s living or dead. It’s sad but I don’t care.
The reason I write about this stuff is not to look for sympathy or be a downer. I’m being real and letting out what’s bouncing around in my head. Other entertainers have stories to make my life look like Prince Harry’s and that’s what makes for a good entertainer. Pain.
We NEED that stage because it’s the only form of acceptance we ever get. It’s not pure love but it’s a methadone equivalent and the closest many of us will come to finding love. I know how much I appreciated my brother buying me a Batman t-shirt many years ago. If I can make someone else feel anywhere close to that by buying a Notre Dame jacket or by doing a comedy show then that’s what I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing. This is all that I want to do is keep making others feel good. To me that’s what life here is about.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
More Manic Miles
Tuesday September 18th, 2007 - Milwaukee, WI/Chicago, IL/Lake Villa, IL
Another day of running around like a maniac. First it was up to Milwaukee for a lunch at Miss Katie’s Diner near Marquette University. Miss Katie’s is a local landmark and a place my friend Lynn Miner and I have met for lunch for years. Lynn is a lot of things. He took a comedy class when I first started teaching up at Cardinal Stritch College in 1993. He has a long white beard and is called Santa wherever he goes but he’s also a talented magician.
Not only that he is a master fund raiser for Marquette and was a professor there also. He is a mover and a shaker and one of my very favorite people on earth. He had a joke sheet a few years ago and sent it out to places and we teamed up on it for a while. We also taught a humor healing seminar at St. Michael Hospital in Milwaukee because both of us were an example of their lifesaving service. Lynn had a heart attack several years ago and was sent there and that’s where I went when I had my near fatal car accident in 1993. We did a full day seminar and it was received really well. Lynn is great but I hadn’t seen him in a while.
The guy who set up the lunch was Jim Peck. Jim is a major broadcasting talent who is an icon in Milwaukee. He worked for a local TV station doing news and then went to LA for a very successful network career hosting game shows and other things. I got to meet him a few years ago when I was a guest on his talk show on the PBS station in Milwaukee. He is a great host and extremely sharp and funny and was very gracious to have me on his show.
I contacted him about using a copy of that show for promotional purposes. I want to use that and a few other TV appearances I’ve made for a DVD which I can use to get work. It doesn’t hurt to have interview segments on it and his was great. Plus it’s a kick for me as I always thought he was smooth on the air and to have a TV icon interview me was a blast.
Going up to Miss Katie’s to have lunch with Jim Peck and Lynn Miner is something that I would squeeze into my schedule no matter how busy I was. They made time for me and I couldn’t and wouldn’t miss it. I got there early and they were already there. We all had the vegetarian chili which is the best I’ve ever had. Lynn turned me on to it years ago and I’m not even a vegetarian but this stuff is killer. We convinced Jim to try a bowl and he liked it too. Somebody recognized Jim and came over to talk to him and he was friendly and fun. I try to be like that too when I’m recognized but I’m sure he gets it a lot more than I do.
Both of them are involved in fundraising for Marquette and they were talking about how a guy just donated $51 million to the school. Wow. That blew my mind. How did he get a number like fifty ONE million? Wouldn’t fifty be enough? Earlier in the year someone else gave $30 million. They were thrilled with that one and then this guy ponies up $51 million. How do you pay it? Do you write a personal check? Cash? Show up with a wheel barrow?
I told them that my father died this year and didn’t leave any of his four kids one penny and now I’m hearing people are donating chunks like this to their university. I guess life is not fair and never will be and all I can do is enjoy my vegetarian chili with two people that I really like and respect. That’s what I did and it was well worth the drive to Milwaukee.
My main business of the day was in Chicago though. I headed back home for a short nap before driving downtown to Zanies to host the Lucky 21 Comedy Competition finals. I am glad I got to do it last year because there were a lot of really good comedians on the bill. I am not a big fan of competitions anyway for many reasons. This one was a packed lineup.
HBO is one of the sponsors and it’s a comedy festival in Las Vegas. 21 clubs chose their favorite comic last year and we got to showcase at Caesars Palace. I made it from Chicago because Zanies picked me and I’m glad they did. This year it’s a much more elaborate deal and it requires voting from the internet and all kinds of other things I’m not very good at.
There are a lot of ‘vote for me’ contests popping up and that can allow people who may not be the strongest comedians to get noticed if they can persuade enough other people to stuff the ballot box with votes. I always hated that kind of tactic but it does work. I do not feel comfortable with it myself though. I just want to do my show and have people like it.
That isn’t how the real world works though. The truth is there are a lot of talented folks who might never get seen and get that big break we all need. I pray I’m not one of them. I hosted the show tonight and watched all twelve comedians on the bill go up and nail a hot show one right after the next. It’s a six minute audition and they went up and killed just as they should have. They’re all touring road comics like me and if they can’t do a six minute set they should get out of the business. I did my best to give them a strong intro and make sure the audience was up and into it before I brought them up. That’s the least I could do.
Many times an emcee in that situation would try to weasel his way onto the tape and try to make an impression on the judges but since I already did the event last year I am totally on their radar and don’t have to impress them. All I had to do was keep the show moving and I know how to do that. It was actually a night off for me on stage. It was very easy.
The main thing that was good was hanging out after the show. Normally I’m just not the kind of person to hang at the bar and schmooze but in these kinds of situations it’s a smart thing to put in an appearance and shake a few hands. Deals can be made or at least have a seed planted in the hanging out time at the bar after a big showcase like this. I didn’t want to do it but I forced myself to hang out after the show. It was a good move and I had fun.
I knew many of the people on the show but not all so I got to meet them and talk about the business which is always good. Now I know some more people and those connections come back to help in the strangest places. I hung with the producer of the show and a few of the staff and it really was a lot of fun. I don’t drink but this wasn’t a drunk fest at all. It was just some good people hanging out and talking and it was a good move to show up.
The bad part was driving all the way back to Lake Villa at 2am. I was totally sober but I was tired and didn’t feel like driving at all. It was a small price to pay for being able to get to host this show though. I am glad they asked me to and on a social intercourse level this was a day that could pay off nicely in the future. This is yet another part of the business of comedy that has NOTHING to do with how funny anybody is. I’m learning to work it.
Another day of running around like a maniac. First it was up to Milwaukee for a lunch at Miss Katie’s Diner near Marquette University. Miss Katie’s is a local landmark and a place my friend Lynn Miner and I have met for lunch for years. Lynn is a lot of things. He took a comedy class when I first started teaching up at Cardinal Stritch College in 1993. He has a long white beard and is called Santa wherever he goes but he’s also a talented magician.
Not only that he is a master fund raiser for Marquette and was a professor there also. He is a mover and a shaker and one of my very favorite people on earth. He had a joke sheet a few years ago and sent it out to places and we teamed up on it for a while. We also taught a humor healing seminar at St. Michael Hospital in Milwaukee because both of us were an example of their lifesaving service. Lynn had a heart attack several years ago and was sent there and that’s where I went when I had my near fatal car accident in 1993. We did a full day seminar and it was received really well. Lynn is great but I hadn’t seen him in a while.
The guy who set up the lunch was Jim Peck. Jim is a major broadcasting talent who is an icon in Milwaukee. He worked for a local TV station doing news and then went to LA for a very successful network career hosting game shows and other things. I got to meet him a few years ago when I was a guest on his talk show on the PBS station in Milwaukee. He is a great host and extremely sharp and funny and was very gracious to have me on his show.
I contacted him about using a copy of that show for promotional purposes. I want to use that and a few other TV appearances I’ve made for a DVD which I can use to get work. It doesn’t hurt to have interview segments on it and his was great. Plus it’s a kick for me as I always thought he was smooth on the air and to have a TV icon interview me was a blast.
Going up to Miss Katie’s to have lunch with Jim Peck and Lynn Miner is something that I would squeeze into my schedule no matter how busy I was. They made time for me and I couldn’t and wouldn’t miss it. I got there early and they were already there. We all had the vegetarian chili which is the best I’ve ever had. Lynn turned me on to it years ago and I’m not even a vegetarian but this stuff is killer. We convinced Jim to try a bowl and he liked it too. Somebody recognized Jim and came over to talk to him and he was friendly and fun. I try to be like that too when I’m recognized but I’m sure he gets it a lot more than I do.
Both of them are involved in fundraising for Marquette and they were talking about how a guy just donated $51 million to the school. Wow. That blew my mind. How did he get a number like fifty ONE million? Wouldn’t fifty be enough? Earlier in the year someone else gave $30 million. They were thrilled with that one and then this guy ponies up $51 million. How do you pay it? Do you write a personal check? Cash? Show up with a wheel barrow?
I told them that my father died this year and didn’t leave any of his four kids one penny and now I’m hearing people are donating chunks like this to their university. I guess life is not fair and never will be and all I can do is enjoy my vegetarian chili with two people that I really like and respect. That’s what I did and it was well worth the drive to Milwaukee.
My main business of the day was in Chicago though. I headed back home for a short nap before driving downtown to Zanies to host the Lucky 21 Comedy Competition finals. I am glad I got to do it last year because there were a lot of really good comedians on the bill. I am not a big fan of competitions anyway for many reasons. This one was a packed lineup.
HBO is one of the sponsors and it’s a comedy festival in Las Vegas. 21 clubs chose their favorite comic last year and we got to showcase at Caesars Palace. I made it from Chicago because Zanies picked me and I’m glad they did. This year it’s a much more elaborate deal and it requires voting from the internet and all kinds of other things I’m not very good at.
There are a lot of ‘vote for me’ contests popping up and that can allow people who may not be the strongest comedians to get noticed if they can persuade enough other people to stuff the ballot box with votes. I always hated that kind of tactic but it does work. I do not feel comfortable with it myself though. I just want to do my show and have people like it.
That isn’t how the real world works though. The truth is there are a lot of talented folks who might never get seen and get that big break we all need. I pray I’m not one of them. I hosted the show tonight and watched all twelve comedians on the bill go up and nail a hot show one right after the next. It’s a six minute audition and they went up and killed just as they should have. They’re all touring road comics like me and if they can’t do a six minute set they should get out of the business. I did my best to give them a strong intro and make sure the audience was up and into it before I brought them up. That’s the least I could do.
Many times an emcee in that situation would try to weasel his way onto the tape and try to make an impression on the judges but since I already did the event last year I am totally on their radar and don’t have to impress them. All I had to do was keep the show moving and I know how to do that. It was actually a night off for me on stage. It was very easy.
The main thing that was good was hanging out after the show. Normally I’m just not the kind of person to hang at the bar and schmooze but in these kinds of situations it’s a smart thing to put in an appearance and shake a few hands. Deals can be made or at least have a seed planted in the hanging out time at the bar after a big showcase like this. I didn’t want to do it but I forced myself to hang out after the show. It was a good move and I had fun.
I knew many of the people on the show but not all so I got to meet them and talk about the business which is always good. Now I know some more people and those connections come back to help in the strangest places. I hung with the producer of the show and a few of the staff and it really was a lot of fun. I don’t drink but this wasn’t a drunk fest at all. It was just some good people hanging out and talking and it was a good move to show up.
The bad part was driving all the way back to Lake Villa at 2am. I was totally sober but I was tired and didn’t feel like driving at all. It was a small price to pay for being able to get to host this show though. I am glad they asked me to and on a social intercourse level this was a day that could pay off nicely in the future. This is yet another part of the business of comedy that has NOTHING to do with how funny anybody is. I’m learning to work it.
Too Much Going On
Monday September 17th, 2007 - Chicago, IL/Lake Villa, IL
Another manic Monday. They’re getting busier and busier but I love it because Mondays are usually dead for most comedians. It’s the day when we’ve finished a week of work and get to hang out and relax and catch up on sleep and mail and laundry and get ready for our next week of work wherever it may be. Then we pack our bags on Tuesday or Wednesday and it’s out on the road all over again. That’s the grind of the business and it can get really difficult after several weeks of it in a row. Those weeks add up over the years and the best treat of all is just hanging out in one place for a while and not having to be anywhere else.
That wasn’t the case today. I had lots of people to see today and I was up early getting a head start on it. Living out in the hinterlands changes my whole schedule around so I want to find a new place to live. This was a noble experiment but the longer I live here the more I realize I made a mistake. It’s ok if I’m on the road and I will be this week but working in Chicago is very difficult. To make it even worse the Edens Expressway (I-94) is scheduled to be ripped up in the next little while for repaving and that will make it go from bad to the worst of the worst. Not only will I be far away I’ll be stuck in hellacious construction too.
I did have an odd option pop up today. I have a friend up in Milwaukee who is leaving a two bedroom mobile home to take a job out west. He said if I wanted to move in there we might be able to help each other out. He’s got a $1000 deposit that he would lose if he left without giving the 60 day notice required on the lease. If I moved in I would just use what he put down and when I move out I would send him his money back. It’s cheap rent and it is in a very good location in a quiet neighborhood. I’ve been there several times and I have no problem with living in a trailer. This one is very nice. It’s not a hillbilly hangout at all.
The main problem I have is moving back to Milwaukee. I said I’d never ever move back there and this is proof I should never say never. It’s a month to month deal just like where I am now. It’s a two bedroom place with a washer and dryer and my friend would leave all of his furniture so he wouldn’t have to move it or sell it. Whether I bought it eventually or just used it for a while and gave it back to him or whatever way it works out would not be bad for me at all. I’d be helping him out too and if his job didn’t work out I’d move again and let him move back in. No harm done at all. I’m not thrilled about moving but I’d do it.
Living on the cheap is my main goal right now. I don’t know how many more years I am going to be out on the road so I might as well do as much of it as I can before I have to be fed pudding in my bed at the home. Earning money on the road just to have to turn around and give it to a landlord is frustrating. If I live like a cockroach and am only home a couple of days a month what difference does it make if it’s a trailer or not or Milwaukee or not?
It really doesn’t matter at all. I would focus on being out as much as I could but I would still have a place to relax for a couple of days when I would be in the area. That’s what the deal was supposed to be here in Lake Villa but I’m so far from the freeway where I am it’s ridiculous. There are no stores or restaurants and I feel like I’m living in a rural nightmare. Milwaukee might not be the answer either but for now it would be a place to hang my hat.
I had lunch with my friend Marc Schultz today as I do frequently. He is just a fun guy to hang out with because we have so many things in common to talk about. Sports was what came up today and we both agreed that it doesn’t look good for O.J. What an idiot he is. I wonder how people like him get every break in the world and still manage to screw it up.
He’s an NFL hall of famer, gotten to make movies and can get paid for signing his name at a card show. He even beat a murder rap and yet he still manages to get into trouble. I’m 44 and thinking about living in a mobile home. But would I trade places with him? Nope.
After lunch with Marc I checked out a couple of apartments near his house in Niles. The location would be fantastic because it’s near 94, 294 and O’Hare airport. I would love that and it would save me a lot of wasted time. Even when I lived in the city before I was quite far from any freeway and most of my time was spent fighting ugly city traffic to get there.
I looked at one place and it was $850 for a one bedroom. There was no carpeting and it looked like a hospital room. It didn’t feel right and the price was higher than what I would like to pay so I thanked the manager and left. This might be a challenge after all. I thought I’d just find a place and be able to move in next month but it looks like I’ll have to hunt.
We had a Chicago Style Standups meeting at 4 o’clock at the Boston Market on North Avenue near Zanies. I love being part of the group but I don’t know if all the guys are on the same page about taking the concept to a higher level. I am too busy with my own stuff to make it an issue but it seems like it’s just going to be a hobby fun thing. That’s fine and I will enjoy hanging out with the guys but as far as career advancement that’s up to me.
After the meeting I taught a class with Bill Gorgo. He was there for the meeting too and it worked out perfectly. I like this group of students and we had a fun class. This particular lesson talked about joke writing and we had the group write some O.J. jokes. So at least it will do some good that he’s back in the news. Comedy writers will get a shot in the arm.
After class I went right back to the Boston Market to meet with a former student named John O’Brien. John is a very good person and a student of comedy. He’s a few years older than me and has a family but now his daughters are both out of the house so he can pursue comedy and hang out and do stage time. He loves it and age doesn’t matter so that’s ok.
The show after that was not that great. I thought the audience was a little tight and it did not have the pop that most other Mondays do. I was tired from my long day and it just felt like everything was a little bit off for whatever reason. I’ve done better and I knew it but it didn’t matter to any of the audience. They had no clue and I just smiled and did my best.
This was a packed full day and I shook a lot of hands and kissed a lot of babies. I was all over the place doing a lot of things and then I had a long drive back to Lake Villa and saw that my emails are piling up again and I have no time to answer them right now. That’s the way they piled up before and the cycle is starting all over again. What can I do? Time is an inflexible resource and I can only do my best with the amount I get. Tomorrow’s busy too.
Another manic Monday. They’re getting busier and busier but I love it because Mondays are usually dead for most comedians. It’s the day when we’ve finished a week of work and get to hang out and relax and catch up on sleep and mail and laundry and get ready for our next week of work wherever it may be. Then we pack our bags on Tuesday or Wednesday and it’s out on the road all over again. That’s the grind of the business and it can get really difficult after several weeks of it in a row. Those weeks add up over the years and the best treat of all is just hanging out in one place for a while and not having to be anywhere else.
That wasn’t the case today. I had lots of people to see today and I was up early getting a head start on it. Living out in the hinterlands changes my whole schedule around so I want to find a new place to live. This was a noble experiment but the longer I live here the more I realize I made a mistake. It’s ok if I’m on the road and I will be this week but working in Chicago is very difficult. To make it even worse the Edens Expressway (I-94) is scheduled to be ripped up in the next little while for repaving and that will make it go from bad to the worst of the worst. Not only will I be far away I’ll be stuck in hellacious construction too.
I did have an odd option pop up today. I have a friend up in Milwaukee who is leaving a two bedroom mobile home to take a job out west. He said if I wanted to move in there we might be able to help each other out. He’s got a $1000 deposit that he would lose if he left without giving the 60 day notice required on the lease. If I moved in I would just use what he put down and when I move out I would send him his money back. It’s cheap rent and it is in a very good location in a quiet neighborhood. I’ve been there several times and I have no problem with living in a trailer. This one is very nice. It’s not a hillbilly hangout at all.
The main problem I have is moving back to Milwaukee. I said I’d never ever move back there and this is proof I should never say never. It’s a month to month deal just like where I am now. It’s a two bedroom place with a washer and dryer and my friend would leave all of his furniture so he wouldn’t have to move it or sell it. Whether I bought it eventually or just used it for a while and gave it back to him or whatever way it works out would not be bad for me at all. I’d be helping him out too and if his job didn’t work out I’d move again and let him move back in. No harm done at all. I’m not thrilled about moving but I’d do it.
Living on the cheap is my main goal right now. I don’t know how many more years I am going to be out on the road so I might as well do as much of it as I can before I have to be fed pudding in my bed at the home. Earning money on the road just to have to turn around and give it to a landlord is frustrating. If I live like a cockroach and am only home a couple of days a month what difference does it make if it’s a trailer or not or Milwaukee or not?
It really doesn’t matter at all. I would focus on being out as much as I could but I would still have a place to relax for a couple of days when I would be in the area. That’s what the deal was supposed to be here in Lake Villa but I’m so far from the freeway where I am it’s ridiculous. There are no stores or restaurants and I feel like I’m living in a rural nightmare. Milwaukee might not be the answer either but for now it would be a place to hang my hat.
I had lunch with my friend Marc Schultz today as I do frequently. He is just a fun guy to hang out with because we have so many things in common to talk about. Sports was what came up today and we both agreed that it doesn’t look good for O.J. What an idiot he is. I wonder how people like him get every break in the world and still manage to screw it up.
He’s an NFL hall of famer, gotten to make movies and can get paid for signing his name at a card show. He even beat a murder rap and yet he still manages to get into trouble. I’m 44 and thinking about living in a mobile home. But would I trade places with him? Nope.
After lunch with Marc I checked out a couple of apartments near his house in Niles. The location would be fantastic because it’s near 94, 294 and O’Hare airport. I would love that and it would save me a lot of wasted time. Even when I lived in the city before I was quite far from any freeway and most of my time was spent fighting ugly city traffic to get there.
I looked at one place and it was $850 for a one bedroom. There was no carpeting and it looked like a hospital room. It didn’t feel right and the price was higher than what I would like to pay so I thanked the manager and left. This might be a challenge after all. I thought I’d just find a place and be able to move in next month but it looks like I’ll have to hunt.
We had a Chicago Style Standups meeting at 4 o’clock at the Boston Market on North Avenue near Zanies. I love being part of the group but I don’t know if all the guys are on the same page about taking the concept to a higher level. I am too busy with my own stuff to make it an issue but it seems like it’s just going to be a hobby fun thing. That’s fine and I will enjoy hanging out with the guys but as far as career advancement that’s up to me.
After the meeting I taught a class with Bill Gorgo. He was there for the meeting too and it worked out perfectly. I like this group of students and we had a fun class. This particular lesson talked about joke writing and we had the group write some O.J. jokes. So at least it will do some good that he’s back in the news. Comedy writers will get a shot in the arm.
After class I went right back to the Boston Market to meet with a former student named John O’Brien. John is a very good person and a student of comedy. He’s a few years older than me and has a family but now his daughters are both out of the house so he can pursue comedy and hang out and do stage time. He loves it and age doesn’t matter so that’s ok.
The show after that was not that great. I thought the audience was a little tight and it did not have the pop that most other Mondays do. I was tired from my long day and it just felt like everything was a little bit off for whatever reason. I’ve done better and I knew it but it didn’t matter to any of the audience. They had no clue and I just smiled and did my best.
This was a packed full day and I shook a lot of hands and kissed a lot of babies. I was all over the place doing a lot of things and then I had a long drive back to Lake Villa and saw that my emails are piling up again and I have no time to answer them right now. That’s the way they piled up before and the cycle is starting all over again. What can I do? Time is an inflexible resource and I can only do my best with the amount I get. Tomorrow’s busy too.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Power Pack
Sunday September 16th, 2007 - Lake Villa, IL
My addiction continues and today I got another fix. The Green Bay Packers won and all is right with my world. All is not right with THE world, but mine is pretty good today. It’s stupid and I know it but I really do feel good when they win. I feel especially good that the game was a blowout and now they’re 2-0. I know I am in for a slap when they lose but for now things are quite peachy. They won their final four games last year to close out a weak season. They look way better this year and they’re starting to make some positive noise.
None of this matters in the scope of things in the real world and I know it but I still have a broad inner grin knowing a bunch of millionaires I’ll never meet won a televised contest with other bunch of millionaires who happen to live in New York. My bunch just happens to work in the same state where I grew up but that’s about all we would have in common.
There’s something magic about seeing that ‘G’ on the helmets and I am right back in my childhood in the ’70s watching them get pounded every week and feeling emasculated. If I would have spent as much time studying business administration as I did rotting in front of a black and white TV in my grandparents’ basement watching Packer games every Sunday in the fall I would probably be financially secure today and not running around the country like a gypsy trying to shake a few sheckles out of the local comedy club owner. I’d be set.
I’m sure Timothy Leary’s life would have been different too if he hadn’t have licked that first hit of LSD. He’d have been boring and a non entity and I wouldn’t be thinking of him as a reference of someone who is over the edge and walking the line. Too late now. He’s a marked man. I am too. I wish I never would have licked the first hit of Packer acid but I’m hooked for life. I wish the season could end now so I could have my nerves back but I will not be that lucky. There are 14 games to go and then hopefully the playoffs. PLAYOFFS?
I was driving back from Toledo and didn’t get to watch the game but I got updates from all kinds of people both Packer fans and not. Bears fans wanted the Packers not only to be defeated in a football game, they were hoping for another 9/11 that would have wiped out the stadium during the game. Brett Favre has destroyed the Bears over his career the same way Walter Payton mopped up the floor with the Packers. These are lifetime memories for us but I know it doesn’t mean a thing in most of the rest of America and NO other places.
I highly doubt the people of Uruguay or Guatemala got to see even one play of the game today and their lives are not any worse off for it. They’re still living in mud huts eating bug stew and drinking rain water. And that’s Christmas dinner. A bratwurst would probably be disgusting to them and if they did eat one they’d probably use yellow mustard and pick off the sauerkraut before they ate it. Savages. Some people in this world are still uncivilized.
As for me, I enjoyed my ride back from a great week in Toledo. I took US 20 and had a low pressure cruise through the back roads of America in the Cougar. It still runs without a glitch and I have gotten my money’s worth and then some out of it. I love that silver tin can. Next week it could blow up and the Packers could lose but today all is on the good.
My addiction continues and today I got another fix. The Green Bay Packers won and all is right with my world. All is not right with THE world, but mine is pretty good today. It’s stupid and I know it but I really do feel good when they win. I feel especially good that the game was a blowout and now they’re 2-0. I know I am in for a slap when they lose but for now things are quite peachy. They won their final four games last year to close out a weak season. They look way better this year and they’re starting to make some positive noise.
None of this matters in the scope of things in the real world and I know it but I still have a broad inner grin knowing a bunch of millionaires I’ll never meet won a televised contest with other bunch of millionaires who happen to live in New York. My bunch just happens to work in the same state where I grew up but that’s about all we would have in common.
There’s something magic about seeing that ‘G’ on the helmets and I am right back in my childhood in the ’70s watching them get pounded every week and feeling emasculated. If I would have spent as much time studying business administration as I did rotting in front of a black and white TV in my grandparents’ basement watching Packer games every Sunday in the fall I would probably be financially secure today and not running around the country like a gypsy trying to shake a few sheckles out of the local comedy club owner. I’d be set.
I’m sure Timothy Leary’s life would have been different too if he hadn’t have licked that first hit of LSD. He’d have been boring and a non entity and I wouldn’t be thinking of him as a reference of someone who is over the edge and walking the line. Too late now. He’s a marked man. I am too. I wish I never would have licked the first hit of Packer acid but I’m hooked for life. I wish the season could end now so I could have my nerves back but I will not be that lucky. There are 14 games to go and then hopefully the playoffs. PLAYOFFS?
I was driving back from Toledo and didn’t get to watch the game but I got updates from all kinds of people both Packer fans and not. Bears fans wanted the Packers not only to be defeated in a football game, they were hoping for another 9/11 that would have wiped out the stadium during the game. Brett Favre has destroyed the Bears over his career the same way Walter Payton mopped up the floor with the Packers. These are lifetime memories for us but I know it doesn’t mean a thing in most of the rest of America and NO other places.
I highly doubt the people of Uruguay or Guatemala got to see even one play of the game today and their lives are not any worse off for it. They’re still living in mud huts eating bug stew and drinking rain water. And that’s Christmas dinner. A bratwurst would probably be disgusting to them and if they did eat one they’d probably use yellow mustard and pick off the sauerkraut before they ate it. Savages. Some people in this world are still uncivilized.
As for me, I enjoyed my ride back from a great week in Toledo. I took US 20 and had a low pressure cruise through the back roads of America in the Cougar. It still runs without a glitch and I have gotten my money’s worth and then some out of it. I love that silver tin can. Next week it could blow up and the Packers could lose but today all is on the good.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Saturday Satisfaction
Saturday September 15th, 2007 - Toledo, OH
Did Mick Jagger ever get the satisfaction he was singing about for all those years? I sure got a little piece of it in Toledo this week. Shows went very well and there weren’t any off stage issues or drama with the staff or any of that draining petty politics that can knock all the fun out of the time on stage. This week went like it’s supposed to go and I’m satisfied.
The middle act this week was a guy I’ve worked with many times before. Donnell Berry is his name and he’s from Detroit. He’s probably been doing comedy even longer than me but he had a good paying job and a family and he never took it on the road full time. He’s very professional and it’s always a pleasure to follow someone competent because I know he can handle himself in difficult situations. He did a super job this week without a glitch.
The staff at the club is very friendly and they’re not overly jaded like some staffs can get nor coke sniffing booze hags that could out party Van Halen and Led Zeppelin combined. It’s a perfect mix for me and I could tell they liked me too. I am very attuned to making an effort at acknowledging the staff both onstage and off and not every comedian does that.
It’s not all that difficult. Telling the audience to leave a tip during each show is not hard at all and off stage I tip them too whenever I get a drink, even a water. I try to stay out of everyone’s way and always make a point of asking when I need to be off stage. That’s the main thing after getting tips is to get off stage on time. I am very good at nailing it right to the minute and I did it every show this week except one. I could tell they loved me for it.
The show I went over by five minutes was the first show tonight. WOW what a fantastic energy they had. I have to admit I went long just so I could squeeze every last little bubble of laughter out of them. Last night’s early show I was off a little but not tonight. It started strong and got stronger and by the end I’d stomped them like Godzilla stomped Tokyo.
It was one of those nights when it was firing on all cylinders and I finally know what to do after all these years of experience when that happens - ENJOY IT. I didn’t try to rush anything and I let it come to me in the moment. I did some ad libs and act outs and let the vibe flow right through me. I don’t know where it comes from but it does and I let it pass through me out into the audience. It’s a higher level and when I’m in that zone I don’t try to control it like I used to. It’s almost like an out of body experience and it’s exhilarating.
The late show looked like it could have gotten out of hand with some drunken football fans but I held my ground and established dominance early and they backed down. I had a very strong set and that was probably just as satisfying as the early one because it seemed like it was going to be a lost cause when I got on. Pulling it out of the sewer and closing it as strongly as I did made me feel like I gave the audience their money’s worth and I did.
This whole week was very pleasurable. I got tons of work done off stage and kicked ass on it. I worked with nice people, the weather was perfect and my hotel was clean and dry and not full of greasy bikers or screaming babies. I wonder how Mick Jagger‘s week was?
Did Mick Jagger ever get the satisfaction he was singing about for all those years? I sure got a little piece of it in Toledo this week. Shows went very well and there weren’t any off stage issues or drama with the staff or any of that draining petty politics that can knock all the fun out of the time on stage. This week went like it’s supposed to go and I’m satisfied.
The middle act this week was a guy I’ve worked with many times before. Donnell Berry is his name and he’s from Detroit. He’s probably been doing comedy even longer than me but he had a good paying job and a family and he never took it on the road full time. He’s very professional and it’s always a pleasure to follow someone competent because I know he can handle himself in difficult situations. He did a super job this week without a glitch.
The staff at the club is very friendly and they’re not overly jaded like some staffs can get nor coke sniffing booze hags that could out party Van Halen and Led Zeppelin combined. It’s a perfect mix for me and I could tell they liked me too. I am very attuned to making an effort at acknowledging the staff both onstage and off and not every comedian does that.
It’s not all that difficult. Telling the audience to leave a tip during each show is not hard at all and off stage I tip them too whenever I get a drink, even a water. I try to stay out of everyone’s way and always make a point of asking when I need to be off stage. That’s the main thing after getting tips is to get off stage on time. I am very good at nailing it right to the minute and I did it every show this week except one. I could tell they loved me for it.
The show I went over by five minutes was the first show tonight. WOW what a fantastic energy they had. I have to admit I went long just so I could squeeze every last little bubble of laughter out of them. Last night’s early show I was off a little but not tonight. It started strong and got stronger and by the end I’d stomped them like Godzilla stomped Tokyo.
It was one of those nights when it was firing on all cylinders and I finally know what to do after all these years of experience when that happens - ENJOY IT. I didn’t try to rush anything and I let it come to me in the moment. I did some ad libs and act outs and let the vibe flow right through me. I don’t know where it comes from but it does and I let it pass through me out into the audience. It’s a higher level and when I’m in that zone I don’t try to control it like I used to. It’s almost like an out of body experience and it’s exhilarating.
The late show looked like it could have gotten out of hand with some drunken football fans but I held my ground and established dominance early and they backed down. I had a very strong set and that was probably just as satisfying as the early one because it seemed like it was going to be a lost cause when I got on. Pulling it out of the sewer and closing it as strongly as I did made me feel like I gave the audience their money’s worth and I did.
This whole week was very pleasurable. I got tons of work done off stage and kicked ass on it. I worked with nice people, the weather was perfect and my hotel was clean and dry and not full of greasy bikers or screaming babies. I wonder how Mick Jagger‘s week was?
Friday, September 14, 2007
Holy Toledo
Wednesday September 12th, 2007 - Toledo, OH
I’m feeling pretty good lately and today was a laid back easygoing day. I got up early and got started on my trip to Toledo to have lunch with Mark Knope. He’s a comedian that moved here from the Detroit area because it was cheaper to buy a house here. I can understand why he did it because as a road comic ‘home’ is just another town no matter where it may be and even if it’s a good place we never get to spend much time there.
I read where David Copperfield the magician doesn’t even have a home. He keeps his magic props at a storage warehouse in Las Vegas but he lives on the road in hotels. That probably sounds odd to most regular people but I don’t think it does at all. I like the idea and if I could arrange gigs that kept me in places for chunks of time I would be doing the same thing too. Two or three weeks in a single place and then moving on is about right.
I have never seen a comedy gig work like that though. At most it’s a week at a time and then it’s time to go somewhere else. There is a club in Boise, ID and when they started out they booked comedians for two weeks just because it was so difficult to get to for most of them. I never worked there but I always thought the two weeks was a good idea. I still do.
I would love to do it that way if I could be a draw in places. That would be really smart business in my opinion because word would get out and people would want to send others to check out the show. In theory I’d think the second week should be better than the first.
It would give a chance to be on lots of media and get some momentum going for business.
James Gregory is a comedian based out of Atlanta and is HUGE in the southeast. He’s a legend in that part of the country and doesn’t work anywhere else. He doesn’t have to. He has cultivated a rabid following where he is and he often works two weeks at a club for all the reasons I just mentioned. He does extremely well and I respect his marketing savvy.
I met James at a television taping in Nashville a couple of years ago and we talked for an hour about marketing as a comedian. Actually HE talked for an hour about it. I listened to him and took copious notes. He scolded me for not having more merchandise and I took it to heart when he said it. He started selling cassettes and t-shirts long before anyone else in comedy and he has a huge house in Atlanta to show for it. He’s got the machine working.
I’d love to be the James Gregory of the rust belt. That’s where I do the best anyway. I’ll do ok everywhere but give me towns like a Toledo or a Buffalo or a Chicago or any other Midwestern town that ends in ‘o’ and I’m a force to be reckoned with. I’m in my element and can destroy in those places. If people would come out especially to see me I could do even better. Being in a place two weeks would allow word to get out and it could happen.
For now that’s not how it works though. I’m only here in Toledo for a week. It’s really only four days but in comedy that’s called a week. I like the staff here and they put us up a mile away in a Red Roof Inn so it’s close and not a flea bag so everything is very laid back this week. There is no radio or TV to do and I pretty much have all four days to myself.
This is the same Red Roof Inn I was holed up in last year when I watched ‘The Secret’. It changed my life and I still think it’s great. It’s been getting a lot of harsh criticism but it really does have a lot of truths that are universal. The Bible talks about it the same things as do most motivational speakers and philosophers. The basic message is ‘What a person thinks about the most will be what becomes a reality in real life’. However it gets switched around doesn’t matter. That’s the main message and I think it is absolutely 100% true.
The problem is always thinking about good things. Human nature is delicate and it’s not always easy to keep thinking good thoughts especially when our world is crumbling before our eyes. That’s when positive thinking is needed the most but is the hardest thing to have. For whatever reason I seem to get in a good mental space when I’m in Toledo. I am again.
My friend Will C. called today and he is having a speed bump on his mental highway. He told me about a glitch he had recently and was feeling down about it. I’ve been there and I could absolutely relate to where he was and I listened and offered a few suggestions. I had a few lines that made him laugh and I could tell on the phone he was feeling better about it and I’m always thrilled to be able to do that. I know how much it helps me so if I can do it for someone else I’m thrilled. Will is a dented can and I am right there with him in spirit.
After we were done talking he told me he wished I was his real big brother so we would have had each other to lean on when we were growing up. That was very flattering to hear and I know he meant it. We’re both cut from the same cloth and it takes one to know one.
My old radio partner Max is the same way. He called not long after Will and he was in a funk too. He is still bummed about us not getting the Loop job and I can totally relate. I’m not thrilled we didn’t get it either but that’s how it goes. I could relate to every word Max said and we talked for quite a while. A couple of weeks ago I was the one on the ledge but he gave me the Lucinda Bassett tape series and helped turn me around. Today is my turn.
I’m pretty good at being the one to cheer others up when they’re scraping pavement but when I’m in the dumper myself it feels mighty low. Maybe I need to know that feeling so I can be of help to those who call me at their low points. It’s an expensive price to pay but if I can use it for good I will do exactly that. Will and Max were both flying low today and it was me they called to talk it through. That’s an honor and I know exactly how they feel.
It’s much better to be on my end of the phone today than theirs. I’ve made enough calls from the other side to know how that feels. Today I was bullet proof and that’s how I like it. When that feeling hits nothing can touch me and I want to stay in this groove forever.
The club uses an improv troupe on Wednesdays so tonight was like a night off. They do an hour show and I had to close with 30 minutes. The audience was great and I rocked the house for the short set. I got off stage exactly on time to the minute and that thrilled all of the staff which is never a bad thing. Comedians going too long is a pet peeve with the staff at most clubs and they’ll love you if you can get off stage on time even if you’re not funny. They want to go home and I get the mindset. For once I think I did please everyone today.
I’m feeling pretty good lately and today was a laid back easygoing day. I got up early and got started on my trip to Toledo to have lunch with Mark Knope. He’s a comedian that moved here from the Detroit area because it was cheaper to buy a house here. I can understand why he did it because as a road comic ‘home’ is just another town no matter where it may be and even if it’s a good place we never get to spend much time there.
I read where David Copperfield the magician doesn’t even have a home. He keeps his magic props at a storage warehouse in Las Vegas but he lives on the road in hotels. That probably sounds odd to most regular people but I don’t think it does at all. I like the idea and if I could arrange gigs that kept me in places for chunks of time I would be doing the same thing too. Two or three weeks in a single place and then moving on is about right.
I have never seen a comedy gig work like that though. At most it’s a week at a time and then it’s time to go somewhere else. There is a club in Boise, ID and when they started out they booked comedians for two weeks just because it was so difficult to get to for most of them. I never worked there but I always thought the two weeks was a good idea. I still do.
I would love to do it that way if I could be a draw in places. That would be really smart business in my opinion because word would get out and people would want to send others to check out the show. In theory I’d think the second week should be better than the first.
It would give a chance to be on lots of media and get some momentum going for business.
James Gregory is a comedian based out of Atlanta and is HUGE in the southeast. He’s a legend in that part of the country and doesn’t work anywhere else. He doesn’t have to. He has cultivated a rabid following where he is and he often works two weeks at a club for all the reasons I just mentioned. He does extremely well and I respect his marketing savvy.
I met James at a television taping in Nashville a couple of years ago and we talked for an hour about marketing as a comedian. Actually HE talked for an hour about it. I listened to him and took copious notes. He scolded me for not having more merchandise and I took it to heart when he said it. He started selling cassettes and t-shirts long before anyone else in comedy and he has a huge house in Atlanta to show for it. He’s got the machine working.
I’d love to be the James Gregory of the rust belt. That’s where I do the best anyway. I’ll do ok everywhere but give me towns like a Toledo or a Buffalo or a Chicago or any other Midwestern town that ends in ‘o’ and I’m a force to be reckoned with. I’m in my element and can destroy in those places. If people would come out especially to see me I could do even better. Being in a place two weeks would allow word to get out and it could happen.
For now that’s not how it works though. I’m only here in Toledo for a week. It’s really only four days but in comedy that’s called a week. I like the staff here and they put us up a mile away in a Red Roof Inn so it’s close and not a flea bag so everything is very laid back this week. There is no radio or TV to do and I pretty much have all four days to myself.
This is the same Red Roof Inn I was holed up in last year when I watched ‘The Secret’. It changed my life and I still think it’s great. It’s been getting a lot of harsh criticism but it really does have a lot of truths that are universal. The Bible talks about it the same things as do most motivational speakers and philosophers. The basic message is ‘What a person thinks about the most will be what becomes a reality in real life’. However it gets switched around doesn’t matter. That’s the main message and I think it is absolutely 100% true.
The problem is always thinking about good things. Human nature is delicate and it’s not always easy to keep thinking good thoughts especially when our world is crumbling before our eyes. That’s when positive thinking is needed the most but is the hardest thing to have. For whatever reason I seem to get in a good mental space when I’m in Toledo. I am again.
My friend Will C. called today and he is having a speed bump on his mental highway. He told me about a glitch he had recently and was feeling down about it. I’ve been there and I could absolutely relate to where he was and I listened and offered a few suggestions. I had a few lines that made him laugh and I could tell on the phone he was feeling better about it and I’m always thrilled to be able to do that. I know how much it helps me so if I can do it for someone else I’m thrilled. Will is a dented can and I am right there with him in spirit.
After we were done talking he told me he wished I was his real big brother so we would have had each other to lean on when we were growing up. That was very flattering to hear and I know he meant it. We’re both cut from the same cloth and it takes one to know one.
My old radio partner Max is the same way. He called not long after Will and he was in a funk too. He is still bummed about us not getting the Loop job and I can totally relate. I’m not thrilled we didn’t get it either but that’s how it goes. I could relate to every word Max said and we talked for quite a while. A couple of weeks ago I was the one on the ledge but he gave me the Lucinda Bassett tape series and helped turn me around. Today is my turn.
I’m pretty good at being the one to cheer others up when they’re scraping pavement but when I’m in the dumper myself it feels mighty low. Maybe I need to know that feeling so I can be of help to those who call me at their low points. It’s an expensive price to pay but if I can use it for good I will do exactly that. Will and Max were both flying low today and it was me they called to talk it through. That’s an honor and I know exactly how they feel.
It’s much better to be on my end of the phone today than theirs. I’ve made enough calls from the other side to know how that feels. Today I was bullet proof and that’s how I like it. When that feeling hits nothing can touch me and I want to stay in this groove forever.
The club uses an improv troupe on Wednesdays so tonight was like a night off. They do an hour show and I had to close with 30 minutes. The audience was great and I rocked the house for the short set. I got off stage exactly on time to the minute and that thrilled all of the staff which is never a bad thing. Comedians going too long is a pet peeve with the staff at most clubs and they’ll love you if you can get off stage on time even if you’re not funny. They want to go home and I get the mindset. For once I think I did please everyone today.
Happy Half Birthday
Friday September 14th, 2007 - Toledo, OH
Today is my half birthday. I didn’t go out for cake and ice cream and I didn’t tell anyone else about it. I am halfway to being 45 and my youth is leaking away fast. The cement of it is drying and all that happened both good and bad is fading into memory and I am working at finishing life’s marathon with a strong kick at the end for however long it is to the finish line. I don’t even know who I am up against other than myself and trying to give my best.
I spent the entire day in my hotel room banging out new paperwork for comedy classes. I’ve worked and reworked it time and time again but I can start to see it come together. I have the best edition I’ve ever had by far and it’s almost ready to expand into a full book.
It was not easy to get to this point but I did and I’m very happy with it how it ended up turning out. It’s been inch by inch for many years now and I can finally start to see results. One thing I never did was give up on comedy or teaching classes. I moved all over trying to make radio work but even when I had to be up at 4am or earlier to go to work I was in the clubs the night before working on my standup skills. I hope I can now make it pay off.
I put in about twelve full hours of getting everything exactly how I wanted it so I won’t have to tweak it for a while. I can just have copies made of the sheets and be ready for any class in under an hour. I cleaned out my archives and erased all the old stuff so this edition is the only one. I’ve been meaning to do this for many months and it felt great to finish it.
I also took a nice brisk walk to get a cheap Chinese lunch at a restaurant that was not an all you can eat buffet. You don’t see just a regular Chinese restaurant so much anymore so I decided to give them some business. I was the only one in there for most of my meal and it was around lunch time so I wondered how they stayed open. Maybe it was a front for an international organized crime ring. Or maybe it was just a kind of halfway ok Chinese joint in a strip mall in Toledo that nobody has a desire to patronize on Friday at lunch time. The food was not great but not horrible and it was pretty cheap so I thanked the lady and left.
Getting exercise felt good and I didn’t drink any soda today either. I stretched before the show and was loose when I left the hotel. I had been sitting and working so long that I felt a little cramped up but the walking and stretching and hot shower recharged my batteries.
Tonight at the club was about as opposite as two shows could get. The first show was a pleasure from start to finish. They were explosive laughers and I could feel it right away. I tried some new material and was very loose and I flubbed a couple of lines but still did not lose them. They were right there the whole show and I felt bad that I was off a little. I had not prepared for the show because I was too busy working on my class stuff. Mistake. I’m not going to do that again because I felt I could have done even better if I’d have focused.
The late show was all over the place. There were drunks and cell phones and even a man who proposed to his girlfriend right before I was brought up. It was awkward and I hadn’t heard it was happening until right before it did. I am shaking this one off and moving on.
Today is my half birthday. I didn’t go out for cake and ice cream and I didn’t tell anyone else about it. I am halfway to being 45 and my youth is leaking away fast. The cement of it is drying and all that happened both good and bad is fading into memory and I am working at finishing life’s marathon with a strong kick at the end for however long it is to the finish line. I don’t even know who I am up against other than myself and trying to give my best.
I spent the entire day in my hotel room banging out new paperwork for comedy classes. I’ve worked and reworked it time and time again but I can start to see it come together. I have the best edition I’ve ever had by far and it’s almost ready to expand into a full book.
It was not easy to get to this point but I did and I’m very happy with it how it ended up turning out. It’s been inch by inch for many years now and I can finally start to see results. One thing I never did was give up on comedy or teaching classes. I moved all over trying to make radio work but even when I had to be up at 4am or earlier to go to work I was in the clubs the night before working on my standup skills. I hope I can now make it pay off.
I put in about twelve full hours of getting everything exactly how I wanted it so I won’t have to tweak it for a while. I can just have copies made of the sheets and be ready for any class in under an hour. I cleaned out my archives and erased all the old stuff so this edition is the only one. I’ve been meaning to do this for many months and it felt great to finish it.
I also took a nice brisk walk to get a cheap Chinese lunch at a restaurant that was not an all you can eat buffet. You don’t see just a regular Chinese restaurant so much anymore so I decided to give them some business. I was the only one in there for most of my meal and it was around lunch time so I wondered how they stayed open. Maybe it was a front for an international organized crime ring. Or maybe it was just a kind of halfway ok Chinese joint in a strip mall in Toledo that nobody has a desire to patronize on Friday at lunch time. The food was not great but not horrible and it was pretty cheap so I thanked the lady and left.
Getting exercise felt good and I didn’t drink any soda today either. I stretched before the show and was loose when I left the hotel. I had been sitting and working so long that I felt a little cramped up but the walking and stretching and hot shower recharged my batteries.
Tonight at the club was about as opposite as two shows could get. The first show was a pleasure from start to finish. They were explosive laughers and I could feel it right away. I tried some new material and was very loose and I flubbed a couple of lines but still did not lose them. They were right there the whole show and I felt bad that I was off a little. I had not prepared for the show because I was too busy working on my class stuff. Mistake. I’m not going to do that again because I felt I could have done even better if I’d have focused.
The late show was all over the place. There were drunks and cell phones and even a man who proposed to his girlfriend right before I was brought up. It was awkward and I hadn’t heard it was happening until right before it did. I am shaking this one off and moving on.
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