Pet Names?

I'm still unsure of what this is. I wanted this blog to be an intermediary between my personal journal (whose audience is presumably just me) and my joke writing (in which my audience is...well an audience). Thing is, the joke writing has been coming out a little more consistently and has been spilling into all of my notebooks, thanks to this new method I've adopted in my journal writing. The new method goes thusly: Write a few sentences on the following - what's weird, what's scary, what's stupid, what's hard. So far I've written something along those lines every day.

I can't be given credit for inventing this method - one of my comedian friends recommended it to me after reading it in a book. Since adapting it to my uses I've been able to at least come up with interesting concepts that have yielded tepid but solid responses.

For when Wordpress starts censoring your conspiracy theories....

Of course now since my journal is more joke-based than anticipated, I find myself bleeding my insecurities and troubles into this here blog a little more than I used to. Oh well, so long as I'm writing consistently that's all that matters. Plus I've been keeping things here mostly anonymous so, so long as I don't advertise the fact that I have a regular blog I should be fine. What am I talking about? This is blogspot...this forum is basically the Friendster of personal musings.

I went to two events last night - the first was a hastily put-together showcase that served more as a glorified mic. I arrived early (because of course I did) and was awarded with a "headlining spot," which in the realm of amateur comedy guarantees you're doing your bits to an audience of seven. Still I made the most of my situation joking that I'm so much of a rube that when the host told me I was headlining "I actually got excited!" It got laughs.

After a pretty good six minute set considering, I schlepted on over to one of the mics I regularly attend and focused on some of my new material. Most of it has to do with me stopping my drinking. The first time I did those jokes it was met with silence and indifference but at the mic I was at last night they did okay. Just goes to show you that when you have the wording and the confidence down, the joke tends to rise like dough yeast.

On Wednesday, one of my friends asked me why I stopped drinking. She seemed dumbstruck by the fact that a straight-laced guy like me would just end, what to her seemed like a social requirement and a way to have fun. Oh, to be young again. In the midst of conversation I let slip that I didn't even start drinking until I was 21 - she was appalled. "Of course you didn't! You are too much of an alien to not start until it was legal." Naturally, I was so offended by the comments that the next day I helped her with her resume...because that's how that works.

Naw, real reason I helped with the resume was because I feel it's one of the few things I know I have of value. I'm organized and I know how to wade through the hiring process with aplomb. I offered my services to other comedians in the past but so far this one we the first to take me up on it.

I really should start giving people pseudonyms. Okay - the resume comedian who kicks all kinds of ass I'm dubbing Shirley. My mic co-hosts I'll call Girl Casey and Guy Casey since they both share the same name anyway and I can't be alone in the confusion. Let's see...my sister from another mister I shall call Maisie because I've never met a Maisie and she's the type who needs an old-timey nickname (it was between Maisie and Esther...I think I made the right choice). As for the others, I don't know, I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

While at the second mic, Girl Casey went up and did a brand new set I've never seen before. It was based on a story she had told me and the result were brilliant. I was so happy to finally see that premise turned into a fully formed set - and it was so damn tight too! As big of a pain in the ass as she occasionally is (giggles), I'm so glad she's my co-host.

So who here is in therapy?

Oh, my friend...Hugh? Let's go with Hugh showed up to the mic last night. He had not been doing comedy for a while as he lives in the suburbs and can rarely afford to come on down much anymore. It was great seeing him if only for a few minutes. Last we spoke he was not in a good state of mind and kept talking about how there's no place for him in comedy. I told him the thing about comedy is there's a place for everyone! It's an island of misfit toys designed so people from drastically different backgrounds can meet each other. The only similarity we all have is the need to make people laugh and amazingly enough, that's enough to keep a since of camaraderie.

Finally my friend...Ethan, got picked for Second City Conservatory! Hell yeah! I actually like it when good things happen to good people - especially good people I know! Makes me think there really is justice in the world.