Archive for February, 2011

Roof or Consequences

Friday, February 18th, 2011

Or for me, roof with consequences. The other weekend I had a non-delightful reminder of some of the downsides of home ownership. I managed to survive mostly unscathed, if very wet, cold, and unhappy.

Thankfully, happiness should be on the rise soon. Tomorrow night I’m performing both stand-up and improv comedy at an event I’m led to believe has already sold out on advance tickets alone. Normally we don’t even sell out including walk-ins. So this is very exciting to me, and hopefully a harbinger* of more good things to come, as we’re hoping to make the improv/stand-up comedy night a monthly event

All of which means I should probably write some new jokes. I write some new jokes for every show, but some of my good material from previous events I’ll re-use. But I worry people won’t want to hear the same joke twice. This is why I like improv comedy so much. But the best stand-ups hone, practice, and refine their material until it’s great. I guess that touring helps you tell the same jokes without boring people**. Me, I like performing locally, which means new material.

A consequence of this is that I start feeling like anything funny that happens, I should try to make use of it. For example, yesterday I was (subcontractedly) recording a simple website review for a client. My recording is intended solely for their informational purposes, it’s not a commercial of any sort. Normally my satisfaction ratings are all very high. This company gave me only a medium rating, and a reason given was “the user sounds like a Canadian”.***

What’s that all aboot? Anyway, it’s possible I should try to carefully save all my various happenstances for columns and stand-up performances, but that way lies madness.***** In the meantime, I’m reading some of those books linked a few posts ago, eating lots of tasty food, and playing board games. Life is good.

*Can you have good harbingers? I suppose so. I just immediately think “of DOOM!” when I hear the word harbinger. Also the word cupcake. It’s possible there’s something wrong with me.

**Unlike, say, trephining.

***And walks like an Egyptian****.

****Which probably looks very different than you’d expect, given recent events.

*****Or Sparta.