And Saturday's show was no exception. My set went well, even though I had the ignoble task of being the first comic on the roster (after Rick opened, Jennifer was quick to point out). I took a bullet for the team, but it didn't hurt--the set worked, and that's all that matters. The best part of being first is that once my work was done, I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the show--for before I got up on stage, I was a wreck nervosa. But according to at least one comic, it didn't show (thanks, Sandy).
As for highlights, Jennifer unleashed a callback that was just perfection.
On the other side of the spectrum, there was a comic who appeared to want to make a mockery of right-wing bigoted nut jobs, but instead just said a lot of things that were too mean-spirited to be funny. People were uncomfortable, yet the comic soldiered on--or was that what he wanted? (Me, I need a little warmer response than that to keep going.) It was an attempt at parody that failed, and only made me appreciate how difficult this comedy business can be. (It also made me grateful that I don't go in for characters and the like--my innate character will have to do.)
Well, that's it for shows for the foreseeable. I'll let you know when and if something else comes up, but I have a feeling it won't be until the fall. Stay tuned....
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Girls! Girls! Girls! review
This was a very happy-making show for yours truly, in part because a great deal of people came out to see The Comedy on my behalf (21 peeps, per one friend) and in part because some new, Linda- and illness-related material worked (whew!). Was also very happy to perform with a very talented group of women--including Andrea Henry, who gave me an update on her baby Eve.
As performance nights go, they don't get much better than this. Good to know I can make the people laugh despite all the very un-funny business swirling around me.
My one remaining show for the foreseeable is on May 31 in Cambridge, and I likely won't be trying to get anything new going until the fall, when my gal is out of the woods.
As performance nights go, they don't get much better than this. Good to know I can make the people laugh despite all the very un-funny business swirling around me.
My one remaining show for the foreseeable is on May 31 in Cambridge, and I likely won't be trying to get anything new going until the fall, when my gal is out of the woods.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Friendship redefined
I'm sorry if you've already seen this, but I had to share it here (it's also on the CaringBridge site--pardon any repeats). A friend of Linda's sent her a framed version of the following:
Friendship
Friendship is like pissing in your pants,
Everyone can see it,
But only you can feel its true warmth.
Thank you for being the piss in my pants.
Of course, "You are the wind beneath my wings" comes instantly to mind....
Friendship
Friendship is like pissing in your pants,
Everyone can see it,
But only you can feel its true warmth.
Thank you for being the piss in my pants.
Of course, "You are the wind beneath my wings" comes instantly to mind....
Friday, April 25, 2008
Pardon my vanishing act
This blog has been getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop, for I have been devoting my spare time to updating another blog--a CaringBridge site I developed for my gal Linda's large and far-flung group of friends and coworkers.
As you may have guessed, Linda's surgery on April 1 didn't go quite as well as we had hoped. She's starting chemotherapy next week, and until we get through to the other side of this particular journey, I probably won't be blogging much.
Well, except to vent about things that have no business on Linda's site. (Like my wish for a particularly hot place in Hades for those who design trojan viruses--not very nice of me, but really not very nice of them, either. So there.)
As you may have guessed, Linda's surgery on April 1 didn't go quite as well as we had hoped. She's starting chemotherapy next week, and until we get through to the other side of this particular journey, I probably won't be blogging much.
Well, except to vent about things that have no business on Linda's site. (Like my wish for a particularly hot place in Hades for those who design trojan viruses--not very nice of me, but really not very nice of them, either. So there.)
Friday, March 28, 2008
The benefit of benefits....
Had a good show at the Bluebonnet Diner last night, even if I didn't manage to have any pie. (I keep forgetting that one of the Bluebonnet's major claims to fame is pie. How can one forget such an important fact? HOW?)
Anyway, the show featured students of our own professor of comedy, Jerry Caruso, including yours truly and a fellow alumna, Holly Givens (she has some wonderful new material on her wedding, which is great, since I missed it--and now feel a little caught up).
Anyway, two students of a very recent class performed and did well for their first time in front of a "real" audience--I mean they spoke, formed sentences, and had punchlines. That impresses the heck outta me. And one gal who had dropped from the scene for a while came back--and I was very glad to see and hear her material. She's got the quirky market cornered, indeed.
One newbie even interacted with the audience. I haven't had the nerve to do that yet (five years since graduation--or is it four?).
Best of all, around $750 was raised for the Cancer Connection, which is a very good cause. If one if going to have a bizarre avocation, it's great to have a bizarre avocation that can occasionally make money for good causes, no?
Was quite surprised and charmed to see some friends show up--and they offered some tremendous support re my gal Linda and her upcoming surgery. Well, offered up may not be the correct term--I asked them outright to think about Linda on the 1st, and they kindly complied.
In fact, I have been asking people all over to support her in any way they can, and have been offered thoughts, prayers, meditations and well wishes.
Hey--if it's positive, we'll take it. Anything and everything, cheerfully accepted! If it all helps Linda's surgery and recovery go well, then it's all been worth overriding my natural Midwestern inclination to not ask for help. (As it's not help for me, personally, it's a little easier--a flimsy loophole, but a loophole nonetheless.)
We're even dragging a Higher Authority into the mix, when this Sunday we become members of the Haydenville Congregational Church. Considering the prevailing views toward the likes of me and Linda in places of worship, joining a church was something I never thought I'd do. I thought I'd be spending the rest of my life in church basements, thank you, only darkening the door of sanctuaries for weddings and funerals.
So much for that.
Of course, I could just be becoming my mother, as women are wont to do. (She was an industrial-strength church lady, to put it mildly.)
If I find myself wanting to play bridge or join a Great Books club or even The Women's International League of Peace and Freedom, then I'll know I'm really on the road to Becoming Elaine....
Hey, if I've learned anything so far, it's this: You never know.
Anyway, the show featured students of our own professor of comedy, Jerry Caruso, including yours truly and a fellow alumna, Holly Givens (she has some wonderful new material on her wedding, which is great, since I missed it--and now feel a little caught up).
Anyway, two students of a very recent class performed and did well for their first time in front of a "real" audience--I mean they spoke, formed sentences, and had punchlines. That impresses the heck outta me. And one gal who had dropped from the scene for a while came back--and I was very glad to see and hear her material. She's got the quirky market cornered, indeed.
One newbie even interacted with the audience. I haven't had the nerve to do that yet (five years since graduation--or is it four?).
Best of all, around $750 was raised for the Cancer Connection, which is a very good cause. If one if going to have a bizarre avocation, it's great to have a bizarre avocation that can occasionally make money for good causes, no?
Was quite surprised and charmed to see some friends show up--and they offered some tremendous support re my gal Linda and her upcoming surgery. Well, offered up may not be the correct term--I asked them outright to think about Linda on the 1st, and they kindly complied.
In fact, I have been asking people all over to support her in any way they can, and have been offered thoughts, prayers, meditations and well wishes.
Hey--if it's positive, we'll take it. Anything and everything, cheerfully accepted! If it all helps Linda's surgery and recovery go well, then it's all been worth overriding my natural Midwestern inclination to not ask for help. (As it's not help for me, personally, it's a little easier--a flimsy loophole, but a loophole nonetheless.)
We're even dragging a Higher Authority into the mix, when this Sunday we become members of the Haydenville Congregational Church. Considering the prevailing views toward the likes of me and Linda in places of worship, joining a church was something I never thought I'd do. I thought I'd be spending the rest of my life in church basements, thank you, only darkening the door of sanctuaries for weddings and funerals.
So much for that.
Of course, I could just be becoming my mother, as women are wont to do. (She was an industrial-strength church lady, to put it mildly.)
If I find myself wanting to play bridge or join a Great Books club or even The Women's International League of Peace and Freedom, then I'll know I'm really on the road to Becoming Elaine....
Hey, if I've learned anything so far, it's this: You never know.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Update
Well, the delivery guy just called. From Westfield.
At 6:05 p.m.. The delivery window was 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
Nice.
(Sole, not soul.)
At 6:05 p.m.. The delivery window was 9 a.m to 1 p.m.
Nice.
(Sole, not soul.)
Well, so much for that
Today, a brand-new elliptical machine was supposed to be delivered to my door--well, down into my basement, actually (I paid $100 for that privilege--those suckers are heavy).
I had the basement all cleared out, my rowing machine and TONY LITTLE GAZELLE (snigger) well out of the way, the mat down for the machine to rest upon and so forth, but the delivery folks never showed.
Called the number for the delivery service, and got an answering machine. So, I'm wondering, did they have Good Friday off, too, but neglected to tell me?
Since I had wasted four hours of my holiday waiting for this thing, I decided I didn't want it after all. Doesn't seem right to reward that sort of behavior, in my book. Especially for a (for me) big-ticket item. I can take--no, expect--a lot of crap service when I'm buying stuff at the 7-11 or the like, but when the price is on the other side of $1K, my expectations go up, if only a little.
And boy, did they not deliver--literally or figuratively.
So, I will not be getting an elliptical any time soon. Even though that means I still have to use my GAZELLE (snort!) for the foreseeable.
So I cancelled the order. And get this--I get to pay a restocking fee, even though it was never delivered.
Isn't that something?
The company, in case you're wondering, is Sole. (Not to be confused with soul, naturally.)
On other fronts, I've had to cancel my appearances (such as they are) at the Studio next week and in April. My gal is having surgery on April 1, and so close to home I will stay.
And really--with times like these, I think The Comedy and I are barely speaking to each other.
But this will all blow over....eventually.
And until it does, I'm guessing my funniest joke is in the basement. On the mat that was to support my fancy new machine.
Oh well.....
I had the basement all cleared out, my rowing machine and TONY LITTLE GAZELLE (snigger) well out of the way, the mat down for the machine to rest upon and so forth, but the delivery folks never showed.
Called the number for the delivery service, and got an answering machine. So, I'm wondering, did they have Good Friday off, too, but neglected to tell me?
Since I had wasted four hours of my holiday waiting for this thing, I decided I didn't want it after all. Doesn't seem right to reward that sort of behavior, in my book. Especially for a (for me) big-ticket item. I can take--no, expect--a lot of crap service when I'm buying stuff at the 7-11 or the like, but when the price is on the other side of $1K, my expectations go up, if only a little.
And boy, did they not deliver--literally or figuratively.
So, I will not be getting an elliptical any time soon. Even though that means I still have to use my GAZELLE (snort!) for the foreseeable.
So I cancelled the order. And get this--I get to pay a restocking fee, even though it was never delivered.
Isn't that something?
The company, in case you're wondering, is Sole. (Not to be confused with soul, naturally.)
On other fronts, I've had to cancel my appearances (such as they are) at the Studio next week and in April. My gal is having surgery on April 1, and so close to home I will stay.
And really--with times like these, I think The Comedy and I are barely speaking to each other.
But this will all blow over....eventually.
And until it does, I'm guessing my funniest joke is in the basement. On the mat that was to support my fancy new machine.
Oh well.....
Saturday, March 15, 2008
True confessions
While I am still perplexed by the hubbub over my ownership of a Tony Little Gazelle, there has been an upside to this misadventure in home gym equipment.
True confessions of an exercise sort.
Two people who felt the need to tease me ever so gently about owning a Gazelle have also told me about every embarrassing exercise video/DVD they have in their possession (or even once owned).
It is reminiscent of my early sobriety, when hearing a particularly gruesome tale of debauchery and destruction from another recovering drunk would somehow free me to share a smaller tale of my own variety of in-the-bag misbehavior. Not as bad as what I've just heard, of course--but to me, every bit as mortifying to admit.
Which, apparently, is how a lot of women feel about owning Richard Simmons' exercise videos.
True confessions of an exercise sort.
Two people who felt the need to tease me ever so gently about owning a Gazelle have also told me about every embarrassing exercise video/DVD they have in their possession (or even once owned).
It is reminiscent of my early sobriety, when hearing a particularly gruesome tale of debauchery and destruction from another recovering drunk would somehow free me to share a smaller tale of my own variety of in-the-bag misbehavior. Not as bad as what I've just heard, of course--but to me, every bit as mortifying to admit.
Which, apparently, is how a lot of women feel about owning Richard Simmons' exercise videos.
Resignation with a dash of hope
My friend Ed and I were discussing one of the latest dust-ups in the Democratic contest (Sen. Obama's former preacher ripping Hillary for not being a black man) and we both found Obama's response to same calculating in the extreme.
Yet if that's what it comes down to, we'll both vote for the man, for he offers a least the potential for change (while we both also harbor hopes that our gal Hillary will somehow win the day). I think my dear friend sums it up best:
I really do believe that this was (is) Hillary's time. It's easy for me to imagine 8 years of Hillary and then 8 years of Obama. I can't see the reverse happening. And now we might get a President McCain instead. Goddess save us!
A girl can indeed dream and so can a big homo from Palm Springs.
Yet if that's what it comes down to, we'll both vote for the man, for he offers a least the potential for change (while we both also harbor hopes that our gal Hillary will somehow win the day). I think my dear friend sums it up best:
I really do believe that this was (is) Hillary's time. It's easy for me to imagine 8 years of Hillary and then 8 years of Obama. I can't see the reverse happening. And now we might get a President McCain instead. Goddess save us!
A girl can indeed dream and so can a big homo from Palm Springs.
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