Does Anything Have Meaning?

Sunday August 29th, 2010 – Tampa, FL/Kenosha, WI

Another long travel day. First it was up at 7am to sit in a room with dozens of others to wait for my Immigration papers to get stamped by the U.S. Customs agent. I don’t know why I need to be a part of that, but those are the rules. It’s not my ship so I have to obey.

Some of the people were getting off the ship, others were renewing their paperwork for another tour of duty. There are all kinds of rules aboard ship I don’t understand, and in all honesty couldn’t care less about. I will do what they tell me to, and so far that’s worked.

The detail that was a tad inconvenient is that I had to wait until 10am before they let me get off the ship. I have no idea why I couldn’t just pick up my passport and leave, but that isn’t how it works. I had to go back to my cabin for a couple of hours and hope I didn’t go back to sleep and end up back at sea again. I did nod out for a bit, but didn’t oversleep.

I was let off the ship at 10am on the button with probably 50 others and took a shuttle to the airport, where I had three hours to kill until my plane left. Jim McHugh picked me up at O’Hare and I had to rush up to Kenosha to host the Mothership Connection radio show.

I don’t hate the cruise ships, but it is a lot of effort and time away from the other things that I do love. I’ll have to work it out and see how I can get the best of all worlds, if that’s possible. If nothing else, at least I’m growing. There’s always something new going on.

The radio show was a lot of fun tonight. Some weeks are better than others, and this one made it worth the long day of travel to get there. We landed at 5:30 and by the time I took Jim McHugh back to his house I had all I could handle to make it to the station by 8:00.

Then, four hours on the air is not an easy assignment either. I am in charge, so I have to make sure the show flows and keep things moving. My head has to be in it, but after a big day of travel it can be difficult to stay focused and not think about sleep. It takes an effort.

Where all of this is leading, I really don’t know. That’s what scares me. Am I training to do something great, or am I piecing together random projects that come along, hoping it’ll lead to something eventually. If that’s the case, I think I’m going to be very disappointed.

I don’t think anything ‘just happens’. There has to be a plan there from the start, at least for the big stuff. I’m still tweaking the concept of that whole Law of Attraction thing, but I do believe it works. I put the idea in my head I needed to earn more money, and I am.

The ship gigs came out of the blue shortly after that, or did they? How much of that was me and how much was random coincidence? It might not be exactly what I want, but it is what I was looking for results wise. I’ll keep experimenting and see how far I can take it.

Everyone wants to believe there’s a giant master plan for the universe, and they’re in it. I’m not so sure. What if it’s all just random chance? I feel like such a tiny cosmic speck.

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From Ships To Schlitz

Saturday August 28th, 2010 – Heading For Tampa, FL

I’m starting to see how life on a ship can be a floating prison. It’s only been a couple of weeks, but I’m starting to feel the initial thrill disappear like that smell in a new car. I see all the things I’d heard are absolutely true, and it’s up to me to not let the pitfalls win out.

The shows are important, but the off stage life is even more crucial to keeping with this for any amount of time. I can’t see many comedians I know doing it, only because of how lonely it can get. Most of the cabins have no windows, and are in the bowels of the ship.

Other than the other comedian, there’s really nobody to hang with. We’re not supposed to hang with passengers, and the crew are all working most of the day. It’s a very solitary existence, and unless one has a rigid set schedule for the day it can be quite monotonous.

I’ve tried to get out and walk as much as I can, but it’s a major effort to get it done. The passengers are out there too, and if they’re not in the way, they’re talking to me and it’s a major task to get any real exercise done unless I do it at 6am, but who wants to get up that early to walk around a ship? I sure don’t, but I’ll probably have to start if I want exercise.

I’ve been out a couple of weeks now, and I’m really ready to get home for a while. I’ll only be there a few days, but it will feel good to see my friends and hang out a little. I’m actually looking forward to having errands to run and bills to pay. I’ll feel like a human.

I’d heard one of the down sides of the ships is that it’s easy to lose land contacts and it’s true. The clock is ticking and the more time I’m away, the more distant everything I know becomes. I intended to be working on the ‘Schlitz Happened!’ show about Milwaukee but that’s been the farthest thing from my mind lately. I’ve still got time, and I need to do it.

I have bookings in October for the show and I want to fulfill my commitments. I’m still sold on the idea of doing a local show about my home town, but I want it to live up to my standards, which I admit can be painfully high. I don’t just want to haul out some half ass bumbling production, I want it to blow people away. That’s going to take a lot of effort.

How can I put in that effort if I’m trapped in a cruise ship’s cabin on the Caribbean? I’ll have to delegate authority to others, but that will make it take longer to develop. This is a good problem to have since I’m getting paid, but a problem nonetheless. I need a team of people working in Milwaukee while I’m out at sea earning money to finance the project.

At least I’m thinking about it, and not just letting it rot on the vine. I still want to do all my projects, including comedy classes on line and Uranus Factory Outlet. If one of those should happen to hit like I envision, I’ll be a millionaire. I’d love to do them all if I could.

That’s not very likely though. There isn’t enough time. Reality is, I’ll need to find teams to run most of the day to day operations of all these projects, but I’ll call the shots. That’s a ways off yet though. First I have to get them going on their own. I’ve got a full plate.

Treading Water

Friday August 27th, 2010 – Somewhere Near Belize

The shows tonight weren’t horrible, but they sure weren’t what they were last night. It’s a little frustrating to take a step backward, but I really don’t think many people noticed or cared in the least. It was funny enough, and quite a few drinks were sold. That’s the goal.

I highly doubt if these gigs will ever be consistently great, but that’s ok. It’s a chance to catch up financially, and that’s crucial right about now. I’ll be able to put a healthy dent in my pile of bills by the end of this run and hopefully get back to and then pass break even.

That’s a point I should have been years ago, and I was. Then all hell broke loose, and it got out of control. Bad breaks combined with bad decisions put me in a hole. This will be my way out, and the smart thing to do is ride this horse until it bucks me off. As long as it keeps paying, I need to keep showing up. I can make better decisions if I have a backup.

I thought the radio gig at The Loop was going to last a lot longer than it did. It probably would have if the station hadn’t been sold, but who could predict that? I’d be set for sure by now, but it didn’t happen. I’m going to treat this completely different. It’s temporary.

From everything I’m hearing, I can count on it for at least six months to a year. I’m not sure if I want to be out every single week, but if I could do two weeks a month I could get the best of both worlds. I could have steady income and savings now, and still develop all the other fun stuff I’m working on like comedy classes, ‘Schlitz Happened!’ and Uranus.

I want to focus on long term wealth, even though nothing is guaranteed. If I bust ass for the next few years and save like I should, I should have a few years of a cushion saved so I won’t be living hand to mouth anymore. That’s not how life is supposed to be and it’s a brutal way to exist. I’ve been doing it so long I’m used to it, but it doesn’t mean I like it.

I didn’t really like the shows tonight either, but I’m not worried about it. Eddie Capone didn’t like them either, and he’s been out here a lot longer than I have. He said they were much more difficult to do in the smaller lounge we’re in rather than the big rooms he has done for years. He said there was just one comedian then, and it was a lot better situation.

Like a lot of things in life, it’s not what it was. He’s used to it being a lot better, but for me it’s a step up. He did his shows and they were fine, and then he came off stage saying how he wasn’t happy with them at all. At last, a kindred spirit. I think it’s good to not be satisfied with a show. It means a performer wants to improve, and that’s never negative.

Sometimes things are just ok. They might not be spectacular, but they’re not horrendous either. That’s how it is with most of these gigs. I know the standards for myself are higher by far than anyone else’s are for me, so to most others I’m doing ok. I need to accept that.

I don’t see this chapter of my life lasting very long, but who knows? I’ve never been on target before with predictions, so why start now? I better just keep showing up every day.

My Best Times Two

Thursday August 26th, 2010 – Somewhere Near Honduras

Finally! I knocked two killer shows out of the park tonight, and it feels like I conquered the high seas. I’ve been tentative and hesitant since I got out here, but tonight was my big breakthrough. Both shows were by far my best ever, but I’m sure not going to get cocky.

Still, it was an electric feeling to let it rip for both the all ages show and the adult. It’s a different vibe for each one, and I nailed both of them tonight. I’ve had good shows before, but not this strong back to back. This gives me confidence for the times when I struggle.

It’s probably useless to try and figure out the reasons for it, but I did anyway. This is my second time performing on Carnival Legend, and it leaves from Tampa rather than Miami like Carnival Liberty. I’ve heard people are friendlier on this one, but who can really tell?

It sure felt like it though. Both crowds were into it from start to finish, and I could sense a buzz in the room before the shows even started. They wanted to be entertained, and I’ve never seen a bad show when that happens. I followed my instincts and gave my very best.

The early show was actually a lot of fun. When kids laugh, it’s big and loud. They don’t hold anything back. That kind of laughter is pure and real, and there’s no feeling like it on Earth. For whatever reason, the kids and I bonded tonight and they got everything I did.

The adult show was even better. The room was jam packed and even the standing room was full. There wasn’t a place to stand for dwarf, midget or circus freak. I was barely able to make my way to the stage when I was introduced, and that’s a super problem to have.

I started strong and got stronger, so I decided to bring out my infamous closing bit that I haven’t been able to sell at sea so far. Not only did it sell, it absolutely killed. I got waves of laughter and applause, and barely had time to squeeze it all in before my time was up.

I feel a nice rapport with the staff on this ship and they all gave me thumbs up and high fives. People lined up after both shows to get pictures, autographs and shake hands. These people are almost star struck with the comedians. That rarely if ever happens in the clubs.

The other comedian this week is a veteran of the ships named Eddie Capone. He’s from New Jersey originally but lives near Miami now. He’s a total pro, and it was a pleasure to watch him work. His style is completely different than mine, but he had great shows also.

His years of stage experience are very evident, and that’s something that can’t be faked. Just like an NFL quarterback, actual game experience has got to be earned by fire the hard way and Eddie has earned his for sure. He said he’s worked every one of Carnival’s ships.

We hung out a little between shows, but I hope to get a chance to have a lunch or dinner with him and hear some of his tales of battle. I always respect a veteran of show business, and I can tell Eddie’s been around the block a few times. I’m hoping to pick up a few tips.

Commuter Games

Wednesday August 25th, 2010 – Cozumel, Mexico

If there’s a tougher commute to work for any job on Earth, I’d sure like to see it. This is relentless. I wasn’t able to sleep one wink last night as I was up late answering emails and catching up on all the work I’ve been behind on from lack of internet access. One night in a hotel was all I had, so I took advantage of it. I had no idea I’d have to pull an all nighter.

I had the option of a 7am or 8am shuttle to the airport for my 10am flight, but I knew it was smarter to take the early one. I thought about trying to take a one hour nap, but that’s asking for trouble. Oversleeping and missing my plane would be the last thing I’d need.

I’d much rather be at the gate and wait than have to cut it short so it was ok to get there as early as I did. I kept checking my phone, wallet, passport and itinerary because I know a lack of sleep can make it easier to misplace something. I have enough problems as it is.

The ship is in Cozumel, but there are no direct flights there apparently. They sent me to Cancun, and I was instructed to take a $90 cab ride to a town called Playa Del Rey, about 45 minutes away. There, I had to catch a ferry which took me to the island of Cozumel.

Planes, cabs, ferry boats, shuttle buses, deadlines – it was an adventure to say the least. I made it to the ship with three hours to spare, but had I missed any of the legs of the trip it would have been a real challenge to make it on time. I had to pay attention to everything.

One thing that’s very evident is the poverty virtually everywhere. Cancun is a place I’ve heard of, but only like Acapulco in that there are resorts there. The actual town is a hellish toilet. There’s no city skyline at all, as someone pointed out as we were landing. I’d never been here before so I really wouldn’t think to notice. But it was correct. I just saw fields.

My cab driver was a very nice guy named Raul. He spoke English very well and had an opinion on just about everything. He grew up in a small town and moved to Cancun to get a job and make something of his life. Who can’t respect a person for that? He had to be at least my age, maybe a couple of years older. It made me very grateful for all that I have.

I made it to the ship and checked in, but I’d lost a document I’d apparently had stamped at the airport by Immigration. I had no idea what it was or where I put it, and I tore apart a pile of paperwork looking for it. The person in the office was not very happy because that document needs to be collected by the Mexican government before I get to leave the ship.

The more I searched, the more panicked I became. I didn’t know if I had it or not. I had a complete idiot for my clerk at the airport, and she ripped up my paperwork and restarted it three different times. She was obviously new, and had to call her supervisor to finish it.

Maybe she didn’t give it to me. Maybe I left it there. I had NO idea, but I kept searching for it anyway. Finally, I opened a book I was reading and it fell out from one of the pages. I screamed with delight and took it to the office. I won’t have to live in Mexico after all.

Nobody’s Fault But Mine

Tuesday August 17th, 2010 – Lake Villa, IL

I’m on a roll. My life is changing in a very positive way, and I’m going to take credit for it. I was the one who programmed it into the master computer of life, aka the cabbage that rests on my shoulders – my brain. I’m FINALLY starting to practice what I’ve read about.

All the great self help books talk about how we are in control of our lives, and if we are not satisfied with our results we can choose again. It sounds great in theory, but from my experience very few if anyone ever actually works to make it happen. I’m doing it and it’s really starting to happen. I can feel tangible results, and I know my thoughts started it all.

It’s a lot of little things, but they’re all starting to come together. I feel it very much and I’ve always been one to go by feel. The ship gigs are coming along unexpectedly, but at a perfect time. I’m hearing about other comedians I know talking about doing them and the advantage in that situation is going to be mine. I can do clean shows, most of them can’t.

I can also do ‘prison time’ alone quite easily. I’ve had to since I was a kid. I like myself as corny as that sounds, and am not trying to constantly find ways to abuse myself during my free time. I’m going to use all that time to build something else as I build my act with this new venue that has presented itself unexpectedly. I have income, and time to work.

I also got an email from my friend Rich in Milwaukee telling me he’s helping me piece out my skyscraper stack of sports cards, and has sold some stuff already for $2100. I trust Rich, and he said it was a good and fair deal so I appreciate it. It’s some breathing room.

Whether I take a loss or not, the money is needed now, and it’s coming in. It feels right, and I can honestly say I’ve learned my lesson the total hard way. That’s the best way, and hopefully that particular lesson is done. NO more cards, at least not on a level like that.

Live and learn, and I sure did on that one. But…now it’s almost over, and that will drift away and I’ll be on to other things. That’s what I’m so excited about. It feels like my total being inside and out is finally on the same page, or heading there quickly. It’s a big deal.

I also kept on working on sorting through every shred of what I own looking for my tax records. There was a box I must have looked at 500 times, but I never thought I’d put it in there. But I did. I dumped it out and there they were, and it felt like I won the big lottery.

These are all little piss ant seemingly meaningless things that don’t have significance to anyone but me, but I can see plain as day the effect that it’s all having as it comes together in real life. I put the idea in my head to cleanse everything in my life and turn my finances around and get things going in a good direction. It’s doing exactly that, and I called for it.

We can all do this, but I see how most of us don’t. It’s easier to complain than to go out and actually DO something about it. You watch, things are happening for me in a positive way like never before. I’m back out on the ship starting tomorrow, and I‘m excited to go.

A Meaningful Nothing

Monday August 16th, 2010 – Lake Villa, IL

I didn’t do much of anything today, and I loved every minute of it. I had planned to find my tax records if nothing else, and I still haven’t. I looked in a couple of places I possibly could have placed them, but they weren’t there. It’s concerning me a little, but I’m not yet officially worried. I know I kept them and they have to be somewhere. I’ll keep looking.

I’m probably not going to owe much if anything, but this is really bothering me. There’s no excuse for it, and I’m ashamed and embarrassed. But only a little. I’ve been working at a lot of things in my life lately, and much of it is getting better. I’m starting to notice it for the first time, and I may not be the person I thought I was but I’m being the best me I can.

This whole dimensional plane is insane and imperfect and all I kept thinking of today is that none of it really matters. If I’m fat or bald or ugly or broke or unhappy, nobody really cares except me. Happiness is up to each one of us, and we do have free choice despite all the things that are imperfect about this world. We can still choose a lot of things each day.

We can choose to be satisfied or depressed or jealous or content or anything else we can imagine. It’s not like that’s anything new, but it really hit home today and I didn’t allow a thing to bother me all day long. I made up my mind before I got in the car that I was NOT going to let anyone piss me off, no matter how much they tried. Some tried, but all failed.

I wanted to count how many strangers I could make laugh out loud today and I got it up to six. Not great, but not horrible either. The hardest was the Chinese guy at the buffet but when I got him he really cracked up. Language can be a barrier, but it wasn’t a deal killer. I made up in my mind I was going to get that guy to laugh, and eventually it happened.

I was at the buffet with Lou Rugani from WLIP, film director Mark Gumbinger and his brother Mike. They’re regulars every Monday and all thought I was on the ship and out of action. When I walked in I saw genuine looks of pleasant surprise and it felt wonderful to know someone was happy to see me. We had a fantastic lunch and laughed like toddlers.

This is all hokey and cornballish in a way, but it really isn’t. What do we really have but our ability to choose? Everything else is a product of that, but choice is where it all begins and ends. I can feel I’m getting better in my choice making abilities, and it’s about time.

I had a really great day today, and didn’t do a damn thing anyone would consider to be a groundbreaking act. In fact, I did very few acts at all. I had lunch with friends, I spoke to a few more on the phone and online, and I spent most of the day being grateful for each and every little blessing I have. I’m thankful for the ship gigs, and for life itself. I feel good.

I know I have my work cut out for me, and that’s another thing that makes me feel good all over. I’m going to go out there and nail those shows on the ship. I’m going to improve by the show, and enlist the help of others to build an act that people love. Everything I am doing now is a labor of love. If nothing else, I was able to find some things in life I enjoy.

Boats, Planes and Radio

Sunday August 15th, 2010 – Tampa, FL/Kenosha, WI

One of the down sides of working on a cruise ship is having to obey all their rules when it comes to getting on and off a ship. This morning I had to report at 7am to a room where the staff people who were disembarking today had to go through immigration. There were probably 100 people present, and the line moved slowly. I had one choice – sit and wait.

My individual paperwork took about thirty seconds to stamp, and I was back waiting in my cabin until 10:15 when we were allowed to leave. I’m sure there are reasons for it that are quite legitimate, but I don’t see why I can’t just get my gear and bolt when we arrive.

Passports are another concern. The ship holds all of our passports until Immigration has to see them, then they get stamped and we get them back. I really haven’t gone very many places until now and haven’t had to worry, but now it’s going to be a major concern if the pace I’m going keeps up as I’ll have to get a new one way before I would have otherwise.

Every time I get off a ship someone has to stamp it, and before too long I’ll be out of all empty pages and have to get another one. The expense is bad enough, but the time needed for turnaround can be worse. Some of the people on board were talking back and forth of problems they’ve had, and I’m going to have to watch my own situation to avoid theirs.

Carnival has been great to work for though. They treat people well from my perspective and I have no complaints. They provided a shuttle from the ship to the airport for those of us who needed one, and many did. It cost $10, but I’m sure a cab would have been quite a bit more. It was an easy process and I wound up getting to the airport several hours early.

This is much better than having that high pressure wall of stress to deal with to catch an earlier flight so I wasn’t complaining at all. I took the opportunity to finish reading a book I brought along called ‘The Packer Way’ by a former Green Bay Packer General Manager named Ron Wolf. Packer fans remember him fondly, as he was all about winning games.

The book laid out nine steps of strategy to build a winning organization, and sprinkled a lot of stories in about the Packers of Wolf’s era in the 1990’s. I think it’s a great idea for a book, as Packer fans will enjoy the stories and those who aren’t can use the strategies in a business scenario. I don’t know if I’d call it a classic, but I’m glad I took time to finish it.

That’s another one of my goals on the cruise ships. If I’m out for a week I should have a lot of free time that can be used productively. If I can crank out at least one book a week I think I’ll be ahead of most other people on Earth. I’ve never been one for fiction, but I am a fan of self help stuff so this could be another way to improve my entire quality of life.

Jim McHugh was very kind to pick me up at the airport, and of course my plane was an hour late. That made me cut it way too short as far as getting to WLIP in Kenosha for the Mothership Connection radio show. I made it, but barely and again it was stressful all the way there. We did have fun on the air, so that made up for it. Still, there’s a lot going on.

The Ultimate Meal

Saturday August 14th, 2010 – Somewhere Near Tampa, FL

One thing I’ve made a special point to do in my travels is eat well. Not necessarily a healthy well, but I’ve treated myself to some of the best tasting food in North America. I’ve eaten some of the most delicious food imaginable from all kinds of establishments from top end restaurants to greasy diners and everything in between. I’ve sampled it all.

If someday my heart should explode in mid beat, I’ll have earned it. No complaints on my end. If my bank account was as rich as my diet, I’d be able to buy Donald Trump like Baltic Avenue on a Monopoly board. I know I need to improve the quality of healthiness of what I eat, and after tonight it’s going to be a lot easier. I’ve eaten the ultimate meal.

I’ve always been in search of it, and like a good rap CD or an Adam Sandler movie that makes me laugh, I didn’t think it existed. Until tonight. Tony Esposito and I had no shows tonight and he asked me if I wanted to go to the steak house and end the week with a nice meal. He’s a super nice guy and loves good food just like I do so of course I said I would.

He arranged it with the cruise director and made reservations for 6pm. I’m still not sure where we can or can’t go, so I wouldn’t have had any idea who to ask. We do get a lot of employee discounts on a lot of things apparently, and Tony says I‘ll learn it all as I go.

For tonight, it was a world class meal for $40. With tip. From the moment we walked in to the moment we left, we had impeccable service from our wait staff who could not have done a better job. They made sure we had everything we could need, want or ask for. One was from Macedonia, another from Hungary and a third was from Lithuania. They all had unbelievably sexy accents, and were very attractive. It felt like we had a harem serving us.

The meal came with two appetizers, soup, salad, main course and dessert. Tony had the filet mignon, and I opted for the surf and turf. It was orgasmic. We both had a bowl of the lobster bisque, and I had shrimp cocktail that could have made a meal by itself. The salad came with the most outstanding bleu cheese dressing I’ve ever had, and it all was perfect.

We sat and ate and joked about how we don’t get this kind of treatment doing club gigs, and we were right. I thought of those low rent ham and eggers at Giggles in Milwaukee or any one of a number of other leakers who’ve treated me and a lot of other comedians like dirt and I thought how they’ll never get to experience this. They can all rot. We earned it.

Everyone on staff was unbelievably friendly, and the chef came out after and asked how everything was. I told him it was THE best meal I’ve ever had, and meant it. I don’t know if he believed me, but I was not kidding. Everything about the whole experience was right on target and on a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 14. This is how I always pictured life to be.

I will appreciate this night and remember it always. Yes, I need to exercise and eat a lot healthier more consistently, blah blah blah. This was a special occasion, and the best part was I got to savor every bite. Gratitude makes everything taste better. This was a big treat.

Not A Matter Of Luck

Friday August 13th, 2010 – Somewhere Near Belize

Only two shows tonight, it felt like a night off. I’m starting to get an idea of what these audiences will like and laugh at. Unfortunately, it’s not necessarily what I do on a regular basis. I see it, I accept it, and I’m not upset in the least. I need to adapt to their tastes, not expect them to jump on board with what I’m ding. I’m here to please the crowd, not me.

This is not a career move. It never was. It’s a chance to earn steady money, eliminate all my credit card debt and hopefully bank a few bucks so I can finance some of my ideas for products and projects that I can’t do as of now. I’m taking a calculated risk by being here.

In a perfect world, I’d work as often or as little as I want. I’d develop a solid reputation for being a good guy to work with and a quality act that can be depended on to knock out killer shows night after night, in any situation. I’ve kind of got that in comedy clubs now, but that doesn’t translate to cruise ships. This is a different audience, and I need to adjust.

My ‘Mr. Lucky’ persona doesn’t seem to be working at all. Nobody cares. I have never really polished it to the point where I have a solid set of jokes only about being unlucky. I have a few things, but I feel it limits me sometimes in a particular audience. These people are on vacation, they don’t want to hear about a guy from Wisconsin who has bad luck.

At least I don’t think they do. I don’t feel it. They want to talk about the ship and what’s involved on a cruise. That’s our only common ground, other than the fact I’ve been to the cities and towns these people come from. There aren’t too many places I haven’t visited.

The first show tonight was the best early ‘PG’ show I’ve done yet. I had a plan going in, I wanted to keep the amount of premises down to a minimum so I wouldn’t have to waste any material or burn any topics I might want to delve into in the later show. There were a few kids in the audience, but not nearly as many as the last cruise. It wasn’t an issue at all.

This experience is no doubt going to make me a better performer, because I’ll make it a priority to improve and adapt into this situation. I had a similar situation when I moved to Utah to take a radio job. Those audiences were completely different than what I was used to, and I had some big adjustments to make in a short time. I did, and now I love it there.

I think I’ll have the same experience here. I observed both Jim Brick and Tony Esposito, and they both figured it out. They do material right down the middle, and aren’t the angry ranter types that can have success in comedy clubs. They went with the flow of the crowd and that’s what I need to do also. This is a new situation, and winners are able to adapt.

I’ll find a way to make this work for as long as they’ll keep hiring me. It’s good to have a standard to aspire to, and I’d love to be the best guy out here. That’s going to take some work, as my act doesn’t thrill the masses like a juggler or impressionist does. I’ll have my work cut out for me trying to figure it out, but I’m up for the challenge. It’s another solid source of income, and that’s never a bad thing. Friday the 13th wasn’t so unlucky after all.