Valentine's Day 2011

I celebrated Singles Awareness Day as its called by lonely and bitter friends by dropping my Dads's (<--not a typo) place. I got to share the gift bag goodies I received from my Valentines Show with Chris Mata (Click Here to read about it). There were some goodies in there they could take advantage of like calendars, pencils, prayer cards... I decided to keep the chocolates and the vanity kit of hair brushes. Because unlike my father I'm not Bald or diabetic. (yet). I had dinner with them and they gave me a card with some (gas) money in it. Also got a lot more, I got the Christmas presents that my sister sent down, because I was unable to visit my family in West Virginia last December.

More on the presents later. After sorting through the gift bags I part ways from the house on Rainbow road and go to The Rivercenter Comedy Club to see Wali Collins. Wali was the first headliner I got to open for my premiere week at the Club in Sept 2009 (I still keep the check in my Wallet as a keepsake). It was cool seeing and catching up with him after all this time. I remember that in early 2010 he posted on my facebook wall "This is going to be your year" (or something to that effect). 2010 was awesome to me. He was happy to take the credit when I told him about that. Wali is hilarious and a nice dude too.You can see him on this season of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice". While we hung out we talked shop briefly about New Yorks comedy scene and he gave me some advice. He told me to stay true to myself, to keep it personal. Which makes you the person/performer a unique act.

Back to the loot I got!

I was spoiled rotten, which made me feel even worse because of poor financial planning, and mostly laziness I haven't sent their gifts out yet. It churns my stomach sometimes, that I cant spoil my nieces like I used too (When I was living rent free). It's a like a cloud of shame that hangs over me, so much so I find it difficult to talk to them on the phone. I know they really don't give a crap about presents in the long run, they just want to talk to their Uncle. Hopefully with all the sacrifices Ive made pursuing a career in stand up comedy will make it all worthwhile. Part of me feels selfish for saying "I want to do I want to do" i.e. Live my Dream of being a Stand Up comic. Then again the only mouths I have to feed are my own and my Cat Moka. I just really want this to work out, to be able to perform, cover my bills and provide for my family.

Ms. Moka aka my furkid (squint and you can see a Zune in the background)

I got 3 Comedy books, which I cant wait to plow through. Right now I'm reading "I'm Dying Up Here" its about the comedy scenes in L.A. and N.Y. during the 70's. Halfway through it already. The last book about comedy my sister got me, really stepped my game up. Doing the techniques in that book really propelled me from Open Miker to a club comic regular. (New Comics Buy this Book). I like reading books about comedic writing, but I really like to read are books about comedy. Like Steve Martins Memoirs and "I Killed" a collection of road stories. The latter my roommates who aren't comics enjoyed reading. Along with the books, I received some videogames. If you would've asked me 5 years ago I'd be more excited getting books over videogames, I'd tell you you were full of shit. Thats what comedy has done to me, hopefully for the better. It really just replaced one obsession with another.

Tonight it's Open Mic night at LOL. No rest for the determined I suppose.

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