9/24 A perfect wedding

Despite the rain, it was a perfect wedding. Laura Bush is visiting that hotel in a few days so they've set up huge white tents on the front lawn--perfect for Craig and Megan's wedding.

The service itself was short, but beautiful. Craig provided comic relief by swatting a spider from his neck during the event. The programs were fun--one side contained the program, with beautiful classical music played by a string quartet. The other side sported a funny cartoon strip about how the couple met. It was drawn by my nephew, Adam, who unfortunately couldn't make it to the wedding since he just relocated to NYC. But everyone appreciated the work he did.

After the wedding we went right in to the dinner, which was tasty and filling. Then the partying started. The open bar provided fuel for the comedy that ensued. So many highlights. The beauty of all the dads dancing with their daughters, and then all the moms dancing with their sons. I really missed my own kids at this point.

Thirteen years ago when Craig was 16 he stripped to his boxer shorts and tie to dance on a table at Jim and Karen's reception. So Jim (the youngest and the biggest of us) told Craig he would get back at him. All day he hinted at what was to come. The funny part is that he had no plan but just wanted to make Craig nervous. Well, someone came up with the bright idea of Jim and several of us sitting Craig down and serenading him with Thank God I'm a Country Boy--one of our family anthems. As we did it, Jim ended up pretending to do a strip tease and lap dance for Craig. Omigod, we laughed so hard. Jim just unbuttoned his shirt, but that was enough. It was perfect. I whispered in Craig's ear, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." I don't remember who first said that, but it sure fit here.

We had a marvelous time--dancing, drinking, eating, laughing. Wish it could have gone on forever. This morning it was difficult saying goodbye to everyone. I'm still homesick.

Jan gave me a ride to the airport on her way to Craig and Megan's to watch them open presents. I was invited but had so much work to catch up on for tomorrow.

The honeymoon couple are leaving tonight to drive to Bar Harbor, Maine. Jan and Tim are taking their friends, Pam and Randy, and driving to Niagara Falls. Pam and Randy have never been there. Sounds like fun.

As for me, I'm going back to Milwaukee to find a real estate agent and sell my condo.

9/23 Wedding Day

Today at 5 Craig and Megan get married. I'm sure it will be lovely. It will be smaller than originally planned because several people had to cancel at the last minute. The hotel is picturesque and the company is good. And the party will be excellent.

We spent the whole day so far down town, just a few blocks away. Lots of quaint shops with fun restaurants. A farmers' market that is "to die for." Besides the organic produce, the bakery goods sure caught our eye and we sampled lots of goodies.

Had lunch in a micro-brewery--put three tables together for a bunch of us. Craig and his groomsmen came in and sampled the brew.

During lunch my brother Joe confronted me on my un-wise financial decision to quit work and move to the Red Cross. Really none of my sibs are supportive of the move. Jane said it's because everyone is worried about me. After my first, knee-jerk, defensive reaction, I shut up and listened and then calmly explained my reasoning. I said this was a smarter move than joining Doctors Without Borders which was my first choice, and what I still may do after retirement, if my good health holds out.

No one was mean to me, by the way, just expressing their opinion.

With our parents dying so young, I know there's no guarantee that I'll be around to enjoy retirement. Now is when I'm healthy. Now is when I have no familial obligations. Now is when I have the heart and the energy to go.

I'm one of the more adventurous ones of my sibs. But that's only part of why I'm doing this. The world is in such trouble--it makes me sad, depressed even. Instead of dwelling on thinking about it, I want to do my small part in making it better.

My kids know that I'm going to spend their inheritence, and they're okay with that. I'll always make sure I have enough to bury me and to buy a few kegs of beer for the wake.

As long as I'm able to have health insurance--everything will work out.

Here's who's here out of my sibs and their families--according sibs age:

Jer
Jan, Tim, Craig, Megan, Kris
John, Paulette, Matt, Beth, Blake, Tyler
Jane, Pete, Jordan, Sarah
Joe, Cindy, Cody
Jim, Karen

21 out of 46, pretty good considering it's an 8 hour drive for most of them. I'm happy to be surrounded by family, even though nearly everyone thinks I'm making an error in quitting my job and moving. Hope they're wrong. :)

9/22 Granville OH

Arrived in Columbus at 8 AM, after waking up at 3 in Milwaukee. Only had three hours sleep. Yawn.

Jan and Kris picked me up at the airport and I ran a thousand errands with them--including going to one of the coolest stores in the world, The Andersons. Row after row of Ohio State paraphernalia. Very creative stuff.

Met Jane, Pete, Jordan, and Sarah for lunch, then headed for the Granville Inn, about 30 minutes out of town. Granville is a lovely old town, almost like an antique itself. Most of our family is staying at the Inn. The rooms are all different and the beds are perfect. Plus free high speed internet access in each room. Quite an anachronism, but an appreciated one.

The wedding rehearsal was at 5, and it was funny--because of Craig. He's a funny guy.

Afterward we went to the rehearsal dinner--which was a huge pig roast. A lawyer Megan used to work with held it on his farm. We had a great time.

Unfortunately, because of not sleeping the night before, I was dead tired. Went back to the hotel early with Jane and gang. Everyone else stayed at the pig roast late, then went out in town. I'll find out tomorrow how much fun I missed.

9/21 Yeah!

I feel wonderful, even though I have no idea what I'm going to do next. It feels so good to have submitted my resignation. Now I have to sell my condo ASAP! I'm going to Craig and Megan's wedding in Ohio, so can't do anything about my situation this weekend. Monday I'll contact someone and get busy on selling the place.

MJ said I can stay at her place for a bit if the condo sells quickly.

My choices of where I'll live have been narrowed to Quincy IL or Sanford NC. If I can find the flexible p.t. job in Quincy immediately, I'll go there. If not, I'll go to Sanford for a while. Simple.

My daughter, Jill, made me cry again today when we talked. My kids are so loving. How did I ever get blessed with them? Both Rob and Jill (and dear daughter Beata) have caused me to cry in the last few days. Part of the tears came from still feeling the job stress, I know. But it's such a relief to know that if I fail at my new endeavor there will be loved ones who will pick me up and dust me off. I know you get tired of hearing this, but I'm one lucky bug.


jerilyndufresne.com/weblog/daily.html

9/21 BroadMinded

BroadMinded rehearsal was so much fun last night. I'm looking forward to our performance on October 13, but it's bittersweet since this will be my last performance with these wonderful, talented women.

In our next show I play an 80-year-old whore, an 18-year-old boy, a mother of a pregnant young woman, a bank supervisor, a lesbian interpreter, a 15-year-old girl at a slumber party, and more. How much fun is that!!!

I'm going to miss every single one of the troupe so much. Even if I'm able to get involved at my new location, it will not be the same.

9/20 My niece, Emma!

I'm so proud of my niece, Emma. Order her book online for free. The more that get ordered the more likely Baxter is to use her next book too. Thanks, a proud Aunt Jer

9/20 It's done

I submitted my resignation today. It will be announced Monday or Tuesday, and my last day will be 10/23. I feel good, and a lot of stress is gone. Things will work out. As St. Julian of Norwich said (one of my fav saints...she is ultimately cool), "All shall be well, all shall be well, and every manner of thing shall be well."

9/20 My kids are so cute...

Both of them said exactly the same thing, "Don't make snap decisions, Mom." They both love me and worry about me--yet they both say how proud they are that I'm going to do disaster work.

I knew they had spoken because they said the same thing--Rob on the east coast and Jill on the west. It warms my heart that they care so much.

I told Rob last night that the disaster mental health job wasn't a snap decision, but that I'd been too confident that my current job would also be available to me part-time and off-site. When the answer was no to that piece, I needed to make a very quick decision about where I'll live temporarily.

Can't stay in the condo because it's too expensive with mortgage and condo fees. Twice what I'd pay in rent in Quincy. And zillions more than I'd pay in rent with Rob and Beata (which is nada). They both got on the phone and made some very convincing arguements. So another (great) option has opened up. Perhaps I'll stay with them for a month or two while I investigate the "flexible job market" in Quincy.

Amazing how wonderful my children are! I am one lucky bug!

9/19 Happy birthday, Paulette, and more...

Happy birthday to my longest-lasting sister-in-law, Paulette. Thanks for putting up with John all these years. We all appreciate you so much.

Now to the more...

My company said no to the proposal I submitted. I wanted to make my job part-time and also to work remotely. That way I could accept the Red Cross offer of doing disaster mental health work. They pay minimally and also don't offer benefits, so it's important I have another job that offers benefits in order to do the disaster work I want to do.

I found out on Friday that the answer was no. By the way, I'm not angry at them at all. It's purely a business decision, and I didn't take it personally.

But it really put a damper on my Avon Breast Cancer Walk weekend in Long Beach.

Then--something really neat happened. I stayed with a friend on Sunday night prior to coming back to Milwaukee on Monday. She came up with a brilliant idea. I could live in their spare room (with private bath), and she had a brainstorm on a part-time job that had benefits, and also would allow me to leave whenever the Red Cross called me to disaster work. I could probably get another part-time job at CSz LA--at least it's worth a try.

No, it's not in Quincy--where I wanted to go, near my extended family. But it's in LA, and I'd only be an hour from Jill and her family. Just think, I'd be by my grandkids while they still think I'm wonderful. Even if I only stay a year before going to Quincy, it would be awesome. With my new life situation (i.e., making a small amount of money), I wouldn't be able to go out there to visit so much. This would solve that problem quite nicely.

I have to decide by Friday, because I have to give 30 days notice here.

My heart is definitely in disaster work--and with my grandkids. This seems like a great answer for a while. What do you think?

9/19 International Talk Like a Pirate Day

My pirate name is:

Iron Jenny Cash

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Avon Walk Weekend

Hi All, It's Jill posting for my mom. She wanted me to tell you all she is doing fine. The weather is perfect, the Queen Mary is beautiful and she is performing tonight. She is excited about performing. More to come later.

9/14 American Red Cross decisions...

The Red Cross called yesterday and made me the official offer and needed an answer and a start date. I told them yes because I really want this to work. But I still haven't heard if the job restructuring thing is going to work at my current job. Sure hope so.

Am totally enjoying my time with the grandkids and Jill. Yesterday I had Hunter all day and it was great. We played and watched movies. Picked up Kayla from school and went to Chuck E. Cheese for a late lunch and lots of playtime. It's one of my favorite things to do with them.

I got a rental car for only $96 for the whole week. How cheap is that? Pretty darn cheap, right? Well, it's a little Chevy--no problem. But the windows are manual, as are the locks. Never realized how very spoiled I am! Just hate not having electronic locks and windows. Still--$96 per week makes it palatable.

There are horrible fires several miles behind Jill and Todd's place. Fire departments are here from all over California. (Bet the Red Cross is working too.) Because of the smoke, the kids didn't have soccer practice last night, and at school Kayla takes recess in the multi-purpose room rather than outside. Hope they get the fires contained soon.

I got up early and took Kayla to school. Jill's off from her regular job today, but is at the gym coaching gymnastics. H is watching The Land Before Time, and I've been doing some work on the computer. It's a nice, relaxed day so far (not even 9 AM yet).

Tomorrow I go to Long Beach to the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. It'll be an exhausting, but rewarding weekend.

9/13 Whew! I did it!

Last night was so much fun (for me, anyway). MJ and her friend Rachel were there, and Debbie brought 15 or so people (including her son Steven and four of his friends).

Without sleep and with nerves aplenty, I sat at the bar drinking a coke, knowing I'd go first since I've only been doing this about a year and a half or so. And I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, there were 10 comics instead of the 5 I expected. That was cool, because I enjoy hearing new people and watching their styles.

Met Jen Kober in person for the first time. She's EXACTLY like I pictured her--adorable and hilarious. She is so sweet with a wonderfully bawdy sense of humor.

So comics were told they each got six minutes, I got a little panicky. I'm not good at changing my set on the fly, although I know it's a necessary skill. But I'm so proud that I was able to cut down my 10-12 minutes to 6 or so. Don't know exactly because Jen told me not to worry about it.

Now that I have my set organized into "categories" it'll be easy to make adjustments.

Anyway, insted of going first, I went fifth--a very respectable placing. Outside of Jen, my two favorites were Bob Bledsoe (watch for him, he'll go places) and omigod I forgot her name--a beautiful young woman who did some funny sports announcer bits.

I think I did okay. Went too fast when I thought about time. Some sure jokes didn't get the laughs I expected, but I'll own that--if something is funny everywhere else, it's probably my delivery. Also, I do need to adjust for different audiences--LA is different than LV is different than Milwaukee is different than Quincy.

It didn't seem that the head of development for Comedy Central was there after all, but Adam Carolla's producer was. :) Funny guy, drinking lots at the bar, but his hearty laugh could be heard through everyone else's. Every comedian needs an audience member like that. :)

Jen is awesome and we're scheduled to work together again in La Crosse, WI at the end of the month. I can't wait! Thanks so much, Jen, for your kindness and for making me laugh my ass off.

(Thanks, Debbie, for bringing your posse and making them mine.) And MJ, I can't begin to tell you how much it meant to me that you came from Milwaukee to see me. Love you both.)

9/13 Tired but excited

I slept a total of 3 hours last night, so I'm pretty beat. Picked up MJ and went to the airport. I watched Akeelah and the Bee on my computer during the flight. An adorable movie.

Took forever to get our luggage, and forever and a day to rent a car. Traffic was great on the 5, until we got within two exits of Jill's. They closed the 5 because of fires in the hills. Jill had told me they did it yesterday, but that today it was open. Apparently they changed their minds while we were on it.

Saw K long enough to kiss and hug. I'll spend more time with both kids tomorrow and Thursday. As for now, I need to rehearse.

Will let you know how it goes. I'm a lucky bug.

9/12 Excited, but can't sleep

Tonight I'm performing in Hollywood. In about 20 hours, I'll be at the M Bar doing stand-up. I'm thrilled about the opportunity, so of course I can't sleep. Have to get up in 2 1/2 hours, and now I'm afraid I won't hear the alarm. Oh, and I have an earache.

What a dolt!

Wish me luck anyway. Please.

I'll report as soon as I can.

9/11 Where were you?

When Kennedy was shot, I was in high school. I was home from school, sick. But not really. Just home from school. Lying on the couch and watching TV. In retrospect I wish I'd been at school with all the other kids. It was comforting to be able to share the experience with Mom, however; and we were glued to the set. But it would have been good to share it with my peers too. It did feel like we lost our innocence then. Our handsome president and his lovely family. We didn't know of any behind the scenes familial gossip in those days. We just knew that we loved the Kennedys. All of them. Their mystique, their good looks, their class, their money, their religion. Everything was glossy, and glossed over. Our hearts hurt, and still do, at the thought that Jack was murdered.

When the Challenger exploded I was driving from St. Louis to Quincy. Went to grad school in St. Louis, but lived and worked in Quincy. I heard about it on the radio station I listened to. I immediately changed to NPR and listened in horror. Had to pull off on the side of the road because I was crying so hard. What a waste of beautiful lives. I kept thinking about Christa McAuliffe, the teacher on board. And her family.

On 9/11 I was living in St. Louis and working at a Crisis Center. Was getting ready for work and watching the Today Show as always. And suddenly there it was. And things would never be the same again.

As part of my job, I debriefed some Ground Zero workers by phone. I'm still touched by their pain.

It's funny, that working in the crisis field, no one has talked about it at CPI today. I've looked at the news myriad times, but I do that anyway. Today I'm kind of numb. And it's almost like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I cried at home before I came in to work.

What about you? Where were you on momentous occasions (if you were alive at the time)?

9/10 I feel confident

Last night I fixed my toilet! Amazing how installing a little piece of plastic can make me feel so accomplished and self-sufficient.

I also bought a new tarp as a ground cover for my tent at the Avon Breast Cancer Walk in LA. Am packing for both the Walk and the rest of the week in LA. I'll be gone seven days.

Today, the CSz Rec League starts again. Brainstorm plays at 2 PM. I'm excited to be playing again. Mary Jo, Stacy, and Chris are so fun to be on a team with.

9/9 Last night

I had so much fun last night. Sat with Michele, Maria, and Kelly for the 7:30 CSz show. Then Melissa, Megan, Stacy (and her husband Lucas), Maria, and I watched the 10 PM Gentlemen's Hour sketch group. So five out of the eight of us in BroadMided were there, which made it so much more fun.

The Gentlemen's Hour totally rocked and we enjoyed the show a lot.

One of the neatest things was that Michele had created this great poster to advertise the Open Mic nights at CSz. It's also on their website. But seeing this big poster in the bar really made me smile. Thanks, Michele!

9/9 As promised...

Here's the news I promised!

On Thursday the Red Cross national office made me a job offer. YAY! Picture this fat old lady doing a happy dance!

Yesterday I spoke to my boss and said there are three things I want:

1. To continue working for CPI
2. To do disaster mental health work for the Red Cross
3. To move home to Quincy

And I told her how I think I can do all three. I'd written it up as well, but wanted to "talk it out" first. She was really receptive to my proposal and will talk to a decision maker on Monday. We'll see. But I'm very hopeful.

I hope to find out sometime next week. So keep your fingers crossed for me. If the answer is yes, I'll be a happy camper.

The downside? I'll be leaving my comedy family. Sure, I'll still be able to do stand-up, but in Quincy I don't think there's an avenue for improv or sketch. Of course, I could make something happen, which would be kind of fun.

Anyway, I'm very excited, and can't wait to find out if my life is going to change.

9/8 Tomorrow

I'll post some big news tomorrow. Promise.

After work I'm joining most of BroadMinded to see some friends perform sketch comedy. The group is Gentlemen's Hour and they rock.

(Tomorrow. I promise.)

9/7 Decisions, decisions

More about the decisions tomorrow.

Right now, I'm just plain excited. On my way to get my hair cut, I spoke to my friend, Debbie, in LA. She's quite the mover and shaker and has done so much promotion for her own books that she's a pro at promoting things and people. I'm so grateful to her. She and her son, Steven, are bringing about 20 people to watch me perform in Hollywood. And Steven is going to video my performance. How cool is that!

Next week is going to be a blast!

9/6 My friend

Just had lunch with my friend, Mary Jo. She's in BroadMinded with me.

She's got business in LA, so arranged to go at the absolutely perfect time so she could see my performance in Hollywood next week. In fact, we're flying out on the same plane. Nifty.

At lunch I helped her sign up for MySpace. She's an actor, and this will be good for her. Just as comedians and musicians use MySpace as a marketing tool, so do other artists and actors. So we had a fun lunch.

I'll also see her tonight at BroadMinded rehearsal.

Now, back to work!

9/5 The saga continues...

Last night's rehearsal was easy on me because we just sat and talked through some new ideas. Tonight, there's Open Improv though and I think I should skip it because right now the old back isn't feeling too well. It's just from sitting all day. My sis said I should stand and walk a lot because sitting was harder on the back. Boy, that's a true statement.

Last night I was at a Barnes and Noble with my computer (because they have wireless internet). I finished the work I was doing so I started playing online poker. One table, turbo, no-limit, Hold'em. I almost always come in first through third in this type of game. There were three of us left and I heard a voice, "The mall will be closing in ten minutes. Our store will close then also." Oh no--I ended up just having to bet on nothing, and finished third two minutes before they kicked me out. Good timing. But I would have won a lot more in first or second place. (Talked to my brother, Joe, while I was playing. That was cool.)

9/5 Pale Immortal

My friend Anne Frasier's new book is out today. Pale Immortal will prove to be her best one yet! Check out the video HERE! Then buy her book!

Welcome to Tuonela, a sleepy Wisconsin town haunted by events of 100 years ago, when a man who may have been a vampire slaughtered the
town's citizens and drank their blood. Now, another murderer is killing
the most vulnerable...and draining their bodies of blood.

Evan Stroud lives in darkness. The pale prisoner of a strange disease
that prevents him from ever seeing the light of day, he lives in tragic
solitude, taunted for being a "vampire." When troubled teenager Graham
Stroud appears on Evan's doorstep, claiming to be his long-lost son,
Evan's uneasy solitude is shattered.

Having escaped Tuonela's mysterious pull for several years, Rachel
Burton is now back in town, filling in as coroner. Even as she seeks to
identify the killer, and uncover the source of the evil that seems to
pervade the town, she is drawn to Evan by a power she's helpless to
understand or resist....

As Graham is pulled deeper and deeper into Tuonela's depraved,
vampire-obsessed underworld, Rachel and Evan team up to save him. But
the force they are fighting is both powerful and elusive...and willing
to take them to the very mouth of hell.

9/4 Writing

I'm at Barnes and Noble, after working about 2 1/2 hours in my office. Unbelieveably I still have more to do. I'll worry about that later.

Just finished casting the new sketches I wrote and co-wrote. (Wrote two, co-wrote one with Melissa.) So I'm basically finished with what I have to do for BroadMinded before rehearsal. Now I'll start writing the proposal for my job. It's hard to type with my fingers crossed.

(How odd. The Google Ads on the right side of the page are for Baby Sleep Training and Flat Skull Prevention.)

9/4 Labor Day

Lazy day this morning, spent with a heating pad.

Now am getting ready to finally go into the office and clean it up. Then to a coffee shop to write, and finally to Megan's for BroadMinded rehearsal. I'll make sure and take my meds with me, and maybe the heating pad. I don't anticipate any problems. The meds are working pretty well.

I'm looking forward to getting out of the house.

Hope everyone is having a great day.

And Joe and Cindy, you both must be feeling a bit down as your oldest son, Adam, left for his new life in New York. You're on my mind.

Adam, enjoy your new life. This is such an exciting time for you. Make sure you let us know if you need anything.

9/3 Yuck

Another bad back day. Jane (my sis who's a nurse practitioner) said I should start back exercises today, but I'll have to wait until after I take another muscle relaxer. Right now, my back hurts enough that I don't want to do any stretching. But I can't wait to do them, because I know they'll feel really good.

This sucks, but I'm very lucky that I'll be better soon. I can't afford to have anything really wrong with me, because I have to be in decent shape for disaster work.

Tomorrow I'm going into work to try to clean up the office, and then I'll go to the coffee house to write before rehearsal. There will be no activity at rehearsal though, just read throughs. So it will be fine for me to participate.

Watched New World this morning. Very odd movie, but anything with Christian Bale and Colin Farrell offers me enough eye candy that the story doesn't matter.

9/2 Continuing my fun life...

Today my plan was to go to my office and clean it up. Too much "crap" strewn about.

Made breakfast and had coffee about 7 AM. Then noticed my back was hurting. I thought I'd rest a while so watched TV until 9. Got up and my back hurt worse.

So instead of going to work, I went to the walk-in clinic. I'm grateful it's just a muscle strain. Don't know from what. I was in a lot of pain, so the doc gave me a shot as well as prescriptions for pain and muscle relaxer.

I came home and slept much of the day. I'd gone to Blockbuster and got some movies. Watched Failure to Launch (cute) and Memories of a Geisha (gripping and beautiful). Now more meds and to bed soon.

Told you yesterday my life is exciting. See what I mean?

9/1 OK Go

This music video is absolutely amazing. It's all over the Internet now, but I got this from my writing friend Andy. Please take the time to watch OK Go perform on treadmills.

I'm eating lunch of leftover mac and cheese. Am really busy today publishing a newsletter, and trying to finish up stuff from the conference. However, I don't know if the conference stuff will get done today. I'm doing the best I can.

Slurp.

Just took a huge slug of ice water. My life is so exciting right this second. I think I'll take another drink of agua.

Slurp.

My life is fun. That's all I'm saying.

9/1 Celtic Horoscope

You Are A Cypress Tree

You are strong, adaptable, and striving to be content. You're good at taking what life has to give - even if you don't like it. A passionate lover who can't be satisfied, you are quick tempered at times. You hate loneliness, want love and affection, and need to be needed. A bit of a live wire, you love to gain knowledge any cost... and you can be careless at times.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

8/31 Hurricanes and children

For the first time, I have to be concerned on a personal level. Rob and Beata live in NC, but inland. Yet, the news says Hurricane Ernesto will most likely go inland. There's a hurricane watch for the Carolinas that just got announced.

Of course I shouldn't worry. They lived in Okinawa for many years and lived through level 5 typhoons. And they lived right on the beach. So I guess they know how to take care of themselves.

And I'll probably get a call or email from Red Cross wanting me to go help. I can't do it at the moment because there's so much going on in my life. I'll be able to do it in November, however, after Words weekend in NY.

My 22-year-old nephew Adam is moving to NYC any day now. I talked to his mom, Cindy, last night. It's hard when your kids not only move out, but move away. I actually loved it when Rob moved out, because it made my life a lot simpler. His high school years were torture for both of us. Thank God he grew out of it, and so did I. :)

Although I didn't let anyone know it, I was horribly sad when Jill moved out. She's my baby.

Both of my beloved kids moved a million miles away. At least it seems so. For a long time Jill was in LA and Rob in Okinawa. Now it's better. One kid on one coast, and the other kid on the other. At least I get a lot of frequent flyer miles.

I haven't visited Rob and Beata yet in NC, but will as soon as I can. I went to Okinawa twice though. And I go to LA at least four times a year. This is why I have no money. If my children lived closer, I'd be rich.

8/30 Call from ARC

The Red Cross called and said my background check was stalled because they couldn't verify that I had an LCSW, and also because I wouldn't let them talk to any of my employers. WHAT?????

So I called the company that does their checks (backgroundcheck.com or something like that), and they were all messed up. So I cleared up the errors, called my recruiter back, and then talked to our HR person.

I told her someone would be verifying my employment today or tomorrow, and not to worry because I wasn't resigning. She smiled. I said I was going to talk to my boss and the CEO about restructuring my current job.

Here's hoping everything turns out the way I want it to. Sigh.

8/30 How are you defined?

Jerilyn -- [noun]: A brand of soylent green breakfast cereal 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

8/29 Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Just found out today that my Hollywood debut has been changed from 9/13 to 9/12 and from 9 PM to 10 PM. No big deal, because I also found out that the head of development from Comedy Central will be there, scouting for new talent. Omigod!

Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths.

Today is my brother John and s-i-l Paulette's 36th anniversary! Have a great one, you guys. You both deserve it--especially you, Paulette. You've not only put up with John for this long, but you've tolerated the rest of us too. Thanks for that, sis. I missed your wedding because I lived in Hawaii and couldn't afford the airfare to get home. That's always made me sad. But the pictures were beautiful.

Last night BroadMinded got together. We were all there for the first time. (Marcy doesn't have to come to rehearsals until close to performance time, since she's our tech director.) So seven of us sat there and figured out how we're going to work together. It's not an easy task to go from four to seven. But it will be well worth the effort. Every one of us brings a uniqueness and great humor.

Mel brings her fearlessness. She will do absolutely anything for a laugh, and is the only one who makes me laugh out loud onstage.

Oh, except for Anne. When she does her nerd girl I can't stand it, I always crack up. Anne brings great character work to the table.

Megan is a prolific and talented writer, and also has wonderful acting chops. She's a very physical actor too (witness the fight she and Mel do in The Grade).

Mary Jo is such a good actor. I love her calm demeanor and her ability to look at the bigger picture. And I love it when this mom of two gets down and dirty onstage.

Maria always says yes. That's a great improv quality. When she couldn't perform in the last show, she volunteered to do props and was invaluable. And her "Doris" kills.

Stacy has a wealth of experience, and brings a different viewpoint. After finishing the conservatory at Second City, she has knowledge that the rest of us don't have. Plus she's hilarious on stage, and does super character work.

And, Marcy, a freshman in college, knows more about technical direction than folks twice her age. She's been working in the field for several years already. Plus she's funny.

(If any of you read this, I could have said lots more about each of you. But I have to get back to work.) :)

8/28 I forgot to tell you...

Riding on the interstate between Milwaukee and Kenosha I noticed a truck next to me. Couldn't believe it. It was from McNay Trucking in Quincy, IL. Thank heaven for phones with cameras. :) Here's what I saw-->

Cool, huh?

8/27 Another volunteer day

Got up at 6 and went to Kenosha again. Worked until 5. It was an extremely busy day, and I'm so glad I was able to help. This weekend just reinforced how much I want to do disaster work.

Lots to do here at home so I better get busy. I'm so tired, but happy.

8/26 A Volunteer Day

I got up at 7 AM and drove to Kenosha to volunteer with the Red Cross. I must admit it felt good to have my red vest on again.

The set up is located in a school gym, so there's plenty of room. I was the only mental health person for most of the day, but a crisis team memer from a private agency stopped by for a while.

The nurse, Karen, told me that yesterday was a killer for her and she was alone.Today there were four nurses and me, and it wasn't busy at all. That's the way disaster work goes.

They do expect a big crowd tomorrow so I'll get up at 7 again to go in and help. I'll be the only Red Cross MH person, but there will be a crisis team there from Kenosha, so that will be great.

A bunch of nice people working today. Some are a little crabby--and I just have to realize how tired they are. They've been working for over a week between the two fires. Today was my first day so of course I wasn't overly tired yet.

I need to do my best to be understanding and not bug people too much. That's my goal.

Oh, when I walked into the gym I had a great surprise. My good friend Tony was there. He volunteers in public relations. It's so funny--we met in improv class, then were in a writing critique group together, and around Christmas discovered that we both volunteer with the Red Cross. We have so much in common.

I really enjoyed talking to the nurses today. One of them, Sandy, was at Hurrican Wilma the same time I was, and MH and Health shared an office, but we didn't remember each other. Amazing that we didn't meet while there.

On the drive home my friend Mary Jo called. She was at the kebab-a-thon and wondered when I was going to get there. So I had to break the news that she and Tom (her husband) would have to have fun without me. :) She's a sweetie.

8/25 Disaster Work

I knew when I signed up to be on call for the Red Cross that sometimes I'd have to give up fun. So instead of performing and attending picnics, I'm going to be volunteering in Kenosha this weekend. Last week an apartment fire displaced I don't know how many people, but the entire building was totaled. And yesterday morning lightning struck another apartment building and 160 new units are affected.

Definitely I'll be there at 9:30 tomorrow morning for the day. They said they'd call if they need me after work today as well. Part of me is thinking, "Oh crap, I'll have to miss performing with Open Improv tonight. And I'll have to miss Aaron's picnic."

Then I mentally slap myself. These people have lost absolutely everything, and I'm whining about a picnic?.

I feel privileged to be able to help.

8/24 Footprints

I sent an email to lots of folks, so you may already have this info. Sorry.

To read my entry in the contest go to Clarity of Night and click on my name or #18. My story is Footprints. Hope you like it.

8/24 Kayla and first grade

Kayla entered first grade on Monday. If Jill sends a picture, I'll post it.

Kayla loves it. The best thing about school is, "I get to eat in the cafeteria, and I can pick out my own food."

She also asked Jill, "When will I start really learning?"

Jill said, "Soon."

Kayla said, "Good. I want to be smart like you and daddy."

8/23 Why I went to Portland

I can't remember who I told, so will just put a few details here.

Asahi TV is one of the major networks in Japan. They're doing a documentary on behavior issues in schools. Although Japan is far behind the US in the amount of violence in schools, they're starting to catch up.

The director had interviewed the president of the Japanese branch of our company and wanted to film part of one of our workshops. We couldn't arrange one in Japan as quickly as they needed so two people from their LA office filmed part of a Portland, Oregon program. Since I do our media work (besides publishing, etc.) I went to Portland to assist while they filmed. Another colleague went with me, and he was interviewed.

It was quite interesting, and the reporter and cameraman were both nice. Even more important, they were very impressed with what we do. It's going to be a major advert for us to be in this documentary.

8/23 The Clarity of Night short fiction contest

I "stole" the information from the blogs of two friends. The first part is from Jeff. (Hi, Jeff.) And the rules are from the contest sponsor, Jason. (Hi, Jason.) Our friend, Anne, is involved in this project too.

Jason always has wonderful writing contests and the prizes are awesome. I'm going to enter, maybe some of you will as well. Check it out. Jer

short fiction contest

"Lonely Moon"


Jason Evans from The Clarity of Night is conducting another short fiction contest, this time in conjunction with U.S.A. Today Bestselling author, Anne Frasier, as part of a celebration for the upcoming release of her new book Pale Immortal on September 5th.
This is a great opportunity for all of us to share our writing in a fun and challenging atmosphere.

Check here for details.

Rules:

1. 250 words maximum.
   
2. Titles are optional, but encouraged. Titles do not count towards your word count.
   
3. One entry per person.
   
4. Any genre or style is welcome.
   
5. All rights remain with you, the author; however, you consent to the posting of your entry on this blog.
   
6. Judging will be conducted by Jason Evans on the basis of pacing, entertainment value, technical use of language, storytelling, and voice.
   
7. Please provide a name for your byline. If you have a website or a blog, I'd be happy to link your name to it. If you don't have a website or blog, feel free to include a short bio. A bio does not count towards your word count.
   
8. At the close of the contest, I will announce the date and time for the announcement of winners.
   
9. After the winners are announced, I will post what I liked most about each entry. Also, if you send a request to me by email, I would be happy to offer any constructive comments I might have. Constructive comments will be by private email.

8/22 Sleepy

The Portland trip went by quickly. But last night was so much fun. I went out to dinner with Gretchen and Alan from CSz Portland. They are delightful! Gretchen and I got acquainted online when I moved to the UK. So of course I was thrilled to meet them in person. We went to dinner at McMenamin's (sp?) and then to the CSz arena. The tour was fun, and I enjoyed seeing the pics of so many people I know from tournaments.

It was still early so they took me to the Portland Rose Garden. Absolutely beautiful. Then they dropped me at the airport.

My flight left at midnight and I arrived back in Milwaukee at 9 AM. To work by 9:30 and went home at 10:30 to sleep. Didn't sleep a wink in the plane for some reason.

It felt good to nap today. Still feel really tired so I'll skip Open Improv tonight. Have some website proofing to do for the office.

(Thanks, Gret and Alan, for dinner and the grand tour. Hope we meet again soon.)

8/20 Yawn

Went to bed about 9:30 last night and woke up at 2:30 AM Central time. Turned on CNN while I was getting ready and saw a commercial with Kosta from CSz LA. Can't wait to tell him. Fun way to start my day.

Everything worked out like I wanted. I was at the airport by 4 AM, first in line and got one of the two last aisle seats. Yay.

The 20 minute flight to Chicago caught me snoring so loudly I woke myself up. Now that's tired.

Because of that, I didn't close my eyes once on the flight from Chicago to Portland. When I got here, Julie and I met for a little while to talk about the plans for tomorrow. Then as soon as I got to my room, Gretchen called. She and her husband Alan (and maybe Betse and Bill) will pick me up for dinner tomorrow night. We're going to the Portland CSz hangout. Can't wait. Gretchen and I have been communicating for nearly three years but have never met. I've seen Bill and Betse at both World Championships I've attended, and love them both. Am really looking forward to meeting Alan and Gretchen.

Okay, I need a nap.

8/19 To bed

Had a good day. Took a cruise with co-workers then a nice dinner. Came home early though to pack. And now am going to bed soon, since I have to wake up at 2:30 AM. Yep, you heard me. Am on the early flight to Portland. Will write more when I arrive.

Nighty-night.

8/18 On again, off again, on again

I'm going to Portland, OR on Sunday and will return on the red eye on Monday, arriving back in Milwaukee at 9 AM on Tuesday. Oh my, my bod is tired already.

The reason I'm going is a good one--business-wise and fun-wise. But there's no way I can work much on Tuesday, I'll have to sleep.

It's a long flight, and I have a middle seat because we made the arrangements late. I'm confident I can get it changed at the airport. To do so I'm going to arrive at the Milwaukee airport at 4 AM, for a 6 AM departure. It'll be worth it, just to get an aisle seat.

I'll miss the CSz picnic on Sunday and BroadMinded rehearsal on Monday night, but work does come first.

Oh yeah, there are moments when I'm responsible and act my age. Just because you haven't witnessed it before doesn't mean it never happens.

8/17 The crowd should be buried

Stand-up last night did not go well. Basically my first time I walked away not feeling good about a performance. The crowd was sparse and dead. At first I owned it all until I realized it was happening to everyone. Even Tom, who always rocks, was practically having to stand on his head to get a response.

So I feel fine about it now. And I still love performing.

(But my rookie mistake was--because I wasn't getting much of a response from the audience I sped up and talked at the speed of light. Hard to do but I managed.)

8/16 Build Me Up, Buttercup

I love performing. Whether it's on stage or singing karaoke.

I really enjoyed last night's open improv. Lots of new people came. And it seemed that everyone had experience, which makes it even more fun. Then on to the New Yorker. I didn't stay late, but sang a few songs before taking off.

Working hard here. Chipping off a little at a time of the post-conference mountain of "stuff" on my desk.

Tonight is a stand-up performance. And it'll be fun too. I enjoy Tom Clark's humor, and he's a nice guy as well. (Hope I didn't curse him with that.)

8/15 I'm just thinkin...

A few months ago I was screaming at the top of my lungs, "I LOVE MY JOB!" Why this vague dissatisfaction now? I do feel overworked, but have never complained about that in the past. Much of the time I think one person can't do this job, yet I keep doing it. Sometimes not well, but I do it. I love the company, admire our mission, care about my coworkers, enjoy writing and editing, what's the matter with me?

Here I am, just turned 59, and wondering what I want to be when I grow up.

I suck.

Okay, I take that back. Perhaps this is just me having the post-birthday blues. Don't know. Except it's been this way for a few months.

Tonight will be enjoyable I think. I'll be writing at Alterra Coffee from 6-8 and have Open Improv from 8-10. My allergies are acting up, but other than that I feel good, and look forward to laughing until milk squirts out my nose.

Okay, I hate milk, but it's a metaphor.

8/14 Misc stuff

First of all, happy birthday to my sister-in-law Karen. I'm so happy to have you in the family. You make Jim so happy, and that's important. He's my little (big) brother after all. Hope your day is as special as you are.

I've got some open mic commitments for my stand-up, and we have some new possibilities for BroadMinded, so that's exciting. There's also a possibility for another guest set with Jen Kober next week when she's in Milwaukee. Things are going well with my comedy right now.

BroadMinded is soon to begin rehearsals for our October 13th performance at CSz. We'll actually make some money on this one. Of course we're thrilled about it. Even if it's just a few bucks a person, it's still money.

Everyone liked the embroidered tote bags I had made for them. (Oops, sounds like I made them. Nope, I had someone else make them for us, I just paid for it.) :) In return, everyone's buying me beer. I think I can milk this for a while.

More later.

8/13 Hooray!

Yesterday went even better than I'd hoped. BroadMinded performed well (if I must say so myself), and we received so many compliments. People couldn't believe it was our first time performing. We received compliments on our acting, writing, and humor.

The only bad thing is that we ran really long, and had to cut our last sketch--Slumber Party. But that's okay. We can do it at ComedySportz in October. It's pretty cool, I think, and it's one that Megan wrote.

Everyone was really good, and I think our writing ranked up there with the best. It was tight without a lot of extra dialogue that just weighs down the sketch. That is a great feeling because I wrote some of the sketches.

There was so much talent there--each group brought a unique quality. It's amazing that sketch groups can be so different. Some were more serious, some avant garde, others cute, but my favorite as always was Gentlemen's Hour. It's composed of friends from CSz and our improv classes at Bucketworks. They are pure genius.

Now it's time to get busy and write new sketches. I have one written already, but will work on more. This is FUN!

Congrats to Matt Kemple, the theatre director of Bucketworks for his organizing and coordinating the first Milwaukee Sketch and Improv Festival. It was a blast, and a success from start to finish.

8/11 Lots going on

Both at work and at play, I've been very busy.

Tryng to get lots of things done so I can leave at 5 and go to Bucketworks. Even though BroadMinded doesn't perform tonight, MJ and I are going to help out. Should be fun.

And I may be going to Portland in about 10 days to work with a TV documentary crew from Japan. It would only be a one day trip, but will definitely be interesting.

Well, back to work so I can leave on time (or even a little early--gasp!).

8/10 A good day

Got lots of work done and the day just flew by.

After work brought some Sketch Festival flyers down to JuJu (my friend Nichole's new boutique in the third ward). Then met MJ and Marcy at Bucketworks, and gave them a present. I got one for each member of BroadMinded, and can't wait to give one to the other members when I see them.

We don't perform until Saturday in the festival. But MJ and I are going tomorrow night as well to be at BroadMinded's table and hand out flyers. Then we'll get to watch all the other sketch groups perform. Should be tons of fun.

I'm so excited about Saturday. Need to keep going over the sketches so my lines are absolutely cemented. I think we're going to be pretty darn good. We'll see.

8/9 Worked from home

Last night went out to karaoke after Open Improv. Had a great time with Mary Jo and a bunch of others.

Today I worked from home and got so much done. Still lots more to do in order to catch up after the conference, but I'm feeling a little more confident that I can finish this week or early next week.

Met Meg tonight at Bucketworks to see the new stage setup. Can't wait to perform there this weekend. It'll be so cool to watch the other groups too.

That's it. Boring. But I'm tired. G'night.

8/8 Happy birthday, Jane!

I was 7 years and 6 days old when Jane was born. She's number four out of the nine. And although I was thrilled to have a new baby in the house, we joke about how I tried to kill her. Actually, I wasn't trying to kill her, but I did press on her stomach to see if she would cry.

She didn't cry then...but she sure did later in life. Puberty hit her hard and then hit her again and again and again. I don't think I ever have met anyone who whined as proficiently as she did (well, maybe her own kids...). She was a royal pain!

But other than the whining, which she grew out of, she's been a delightful sister. She took care of Grandpa after Grandma died, and after Mom died she moved back home to take care of Dad. Definitely a giver. Jane went to nursing school and was the nurse manager of the Emergency Department for nearly 20 years. She got her bachelor's and then her master's degree, and ultimately became a nurse practitioner. She is the "doctor" for nearly everyone in the family I think. I once gave her a picture of a doctor-looking female. And the caption I had put on it said, "I told you I AM NOT A DOCTOR." She always has to remind people of that.

One of my male friends said, "I don't care what you say. Anyone that does to me what you do had damn well better be my doctor."

Her patients absolutely love her. How do I know? Because every time I visit Quincy and am with Jane, people stop us everywhere we go to talk to her. And she is invariably kind to all of them.

She's also kind to us--in a smart-ass, Bozarth kind of way. (That's our family name.) Our funniest memory is when she and Joe were drinking in the back yard and they got in an arguement. She was so angry she threw a lawn chair at him. We always joke that it should be an Olympic event. And even though this was many years ago, we think she could still win the gold.

When my son, Rob, ran away from home senior year (17 years ago), he ran to Jane's house, six blocks away from where we lived at the time. It was comforting for me as a mother to know that Jane and Pete took him in, but made him live by my rules.

She and Pete have been married 21 years--and that's after dating for 10 years. They have two kids, Jordan (16) and Sarah (14). I'm close to both kids since I've stayed in their home so many times. Kind of a grandma substitute I think.

Anyway, I'm going on and on and need to get back to work. Happy birthday, sis. I love you.

8/7 Back to work

(August 2, 3, and 4 have been filled in. Check them out.)

Not much to report here because I've been too busy working. But I got a beautiful big package in the mail today from Beata and Rob. Some lovely birthday gifts that they'd picked up in Okinawa. I got a gorgeous purple kimono, some darling plates and bowls that I can't wait to use, some towels, and a lovely tea seat with the teapot and five cups (there always are five cups in Japan). Unfortunately one cup is broken, which breaks my heart. They are rather plain on the outside and the inside is blue enamel with two delicate butterflies painted. I can't wait to use my new tea set. This is the second one they've given me, and I love them both so much.

Rob and Beata, thanks a MILLION for your sweet and thoughtful gifts. By the way, the president of our Japanese office is here and I asked her to translate what's on the towels. Just wanted to make sure it didn't say, "World's Worst Mother-in-Law." :)

Thanks again. I love you.

8/6 trying....

I'm trying to catch up but the site is "iffy" tonight.

Check out 8/2 and 8/3 for the first two updates.

8/5 So much to say

So much to blog about, but no time to do so.

Will arrive home around 5 PM tomorrow evening, and I'll blog then, I promise. PROMISE!

Yeah, I know I promised a few days ago, but that was a lie.

8/4 To Quincy

Friday was busy at the conference, but it ended around 3:30 after all the pictures were taken of the award winners. I was able to leave St. Louis around 4:30 or so, which turned out to be okay. I hit some bad traffic trying to get out of town, but made it to Quincy in about 2 hrs 15 minutes instead of the usual 2 hours.

Jane, Sarah, and Jordan took me out for a birthday dinner. We went to the Abbey and everything tasted great, including the beer I had. Then we went to the movies. The only one we could agree on was You, Me, and Dupree, and about 20 minutes into it the movie fell off the reel and was all over the floor. At least that's what they told us. So everyone got a rain check and we went back to my niece Kris's house where I was staying. Jordan stayed with me since Kris was in St. Louis at a Cardinal's game. She didn't get back until around 2 AM.

I told Jane to go home because I was BEAT! Kris's house is really nice, but her cat makes my allergies crazy. Guess I won't be able to stay there anymore.

I normally stay with one of my sisters, but Jane's husband Pete is on crutches and I didn't want to bother them, and my sister Jan and her husband Tim were at her high school reunion all weekend and I didn't get to see too much of them. They did stop by Kris's on Friday night before going home, so that was nice.

8/3 A long long day

Up at six, walked the three blocks in St. Louis humidity, and was working by 7 AM. Interviewed people and worked with the professional photographer all day.

At 6 it was "Taste of St. Louis." The pro photographer was gone by then so it was up to me to take photos again. But I didn't let it stop my eating. Omigod, the food. I can't do it justice in description, but there were many wine stations where all the wineries from St. Louis had freebies for us. And lots of people bought bottles, so it was a good move on the vineyards' part. The food was superb. Many stations with many specialties. So good. Yum! and the dessert station was the best of the lot. I ate myself sick with tiramisu. If they'd had bread pudding I would have known I was in heaven.

In bed at 10 and the snoring began immediately.

8/2 My birthday

Last night at Open Improv Kish made a chocolate birthday cake for me. She is such a sweetie. And the cake was awesome. Afterward a bunch of us went to the New Yorker for karaoke. It was fun, but I got home late and only got four hours sleep.

It was really hard to get up at 5 AM to get ready for a six hour drive to St. Louis. The hardest part was that they just coated our driveway and I had to park a half block away. Dragging my luggage wasn't the hardest part. I also was bringing my PC to give to my sister Jan. Damn, that was not an easy start to my birthday.

The drive to St. Louis was pleasant, albeit a bit boring. But I sang all the way. I did get calls from Jill and the kids (the kids sang Happy Birthday to Grandma), and also got calls from Rob, Beata, Jan, and Jane, so that made the trip even better.

I went to BHR (my old company) to have lunch with my great friend Lesley. Turned out she thought I was arriving tomorrow and was already at lunch. Luckily it was with her daughter Sara and friend Rubym and I knew them both, so I joined them and had a lovely lunch.

BHR's new location is unbelievably beautiful. I really enjoyed the tour and seeing lots of folks I knew from when I worked there.

Arrived at the hotel about 3:30. Delivered materials from work to Adam's Mark and then went to my hotel, the Millenium, about three blocks away. Checked in, parked about a block away in a garage connected to the hotel by a tunnel.

Conducted my first interview at 5, and at 6 we had the welcoming reception. It was neat because I saw so many people I've known for years. I didn't get to visit much with anyone though because I had to take the photos during the reception. That was fun too in its own way.

We had a staff meeting at 9, then I walked to my hotel and was in bed by 9:45--dead to the world.

8/1 Tomorrow is my birthday

And it always makes me reflective.

Yesterday I couldn't post because I was too busy, but it was all good stuff. Got a lot accomplished at work, and today am finishing up everything that I need to take to conference.

Last night BroadMinded's rehearsal was great. It was our very last one as a total group before the performance August 12. I leave tomorrow until Sunday and when I return both Melissa and Anne are gone. Mel is working at family camp and Anne will be in Germany. But while they're gone Megan and I can still rehearse our stuff which is good. We got the announcements for the show, so I'll begin to give them out. I'm really looking forward to it--even the pie in my face.

Tonight is Open Improv. I hope to be able to go, but I haven't even begun to pack yet.

So on my birthday I'm getting up at 5 AM and need to leave by 6 AM to drive to StL. Will have lunch with my friend Lesley in St. Louis. She used to be my boss when I lived there, but was my friend then too. What a doll! She's the founder, president and CEO of this super organization that does crisis work, both on the phone and through Mobile Outreaches.

Then after lunch I'm going to the hotel to check in. I have to interview someone at 5 PM, and then the opening reception happens. It should be fun. Even though we've hired a professional photographer, I'm doing the pictures for some of the evening events. That will be a stitch. 500 conference attendees plus about 30 staff. I know so many of the people it will be hard to concentrate on pictures when I'll want to be hugging, talking, and drinking beer. :)

Anyway, back to being reflective...

Nope, not yet. Will have to try to post tomorrow night about that. The six hour drive will give me plenty of time to think.

7/30 Another Sunday

Worked a lot at home today. And just now realized that I forgot to add more lines to a sketch that I'd promised to work on. Damn! There will be no time tomorrow, and I'm already tired tonight. Maybe Megan and I can improvise some lines tomorrow and see how it goes.

7/29 A writers' meme

Because I'm sad that Jill, Todd, Kayla, and Hunter are now on a plane heading back toward Southern California, I decided to complete this meme, at the invitation of some writing buddies (Jeff and Jason).

The Interview Meme

Up and coming novelist, Kelly Parra, gave this meme to some friends, so I thought I'd join in too. It's called "The Blogger's Interview."

1. When did you first start blogging and why?

I started my first blog (My European Adventure) on Thursday, January 15, 2004. My company sent me to the UK on business for five months. Living as an expat was one of the most exciting things I'd done. Rather than send emails to a ton of people I decided to start a blog. January 15 was the day I left Milwaukee for Altrincham, and even the trip there was so much fun.

When I returned to the states, I changed the blog to "My life's not an adventure, but it keeps me awake. Sometimes." But that's probably not true, because I do keep having adventures.


2. What don't you talk about?

I don't say bad things about people. And not for legal reasons. First, I don't want to hurt people's feelings (well, except for my five brothers). Secondly, if I'm mad at someone I know I'll get over it in a minute and a half, but the words stay forever.

I don't talk about my sex life (or lack of it).


3. Are you and your blogging persona the same person?

Absolutely. In person, my sense of humor is more bawdy, but I don't write that way. Even as a comedian, my humor tends to be clean. I don't think people want to pay to see Grandma saying the f-word. That might be funny once. And then it's just stupid.

I'm a Pollyanna in real life. The glass is always half-full. Except for those occasions when I get homesick.


4. How do you use blogging to build friendships?

Well, back again to the UK, I met Bron through her blog (and email) and she took me under her wing when I lived there. I got to rehearse with her ComedySportz troupe, and even performed with them once at an outdoor event at a pub. We continue to monitor each other's blogs. And see each other once a year when she comes to the states.

There are several people that I "met" through blogging that I consider friends--or at least close acquaintances. And other folks whom I would never have even known about if it weren't for blogs. (Okay, I'm writing this when I'm at work on a Saturday, so can't take time to make my sentences correct, or even sensible. Live with it.)

Gretchen, I met through a comedy forum and we've been pals since I was in the UK. Anne, I met through a writers' forum and we've become friends. Jeff is a sweetie and we met via our blogs (but probably it was anne's blog where we first started talking). Sorry for all the folks I'm leaving out, but these are a few highlights.

Throughout the years, I've met TONS of people f2f that I had first met on the internet--not my blog, but through writing forums et al. So the internet, forums, and blogs have definitely increased my list of friends.

Now my son, daughter-in-law, niece, and brother have blogs. Cool.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Although I'm a licensed clinical social worker, my full-time job is as an editor and writer. My published work appears in journals, newsletters, and magazines that aren't readily available at bookstores, but are professional in nature. That writing is more clinical, but still a lot "friendlier" than normal research articles. I write very conversationally.

My comedic writing (stand-up and sketch) is silly stuff. I aim to entertain. If people walk away thinking, well that's even better. But my primary purpose is for them to enjoy.

The manuscripts (cozies, if you must know) have been untouched for several months. Since comedy took over my life I haven't made time for mysteries. But I'll get back to them.

The bit of flash fiction I write can be dark, but always has a humorous or heartfelt edge. Guess that's it.

Bron, dear, I'm tagging you. I know you're currently doing a comedy tour of the states, but when you're safely back in Manchester, give this a whirl.

7/28 Waking up with Kayla and Hunter

What a joy it was to see my beautiful family when I returned from Madison last night. Little Kayla was in my bed, opened her eyes, and said, "Grandma, I missed you." Omigod, those words were enough to bring tears. It was 11 PM, so everyone was tired. Jill was brushing her teeth, Todd was making up the sofa bed (mattress on the floor, it's more comfortable that way), and Hunter was sleeping on the love seat. Out like a light.

But it felt so good to have part of my family there.

During the night I felt little tiny arms go around me. Kayla was giving me a hug. What a sweetie.

This morning, she got up bright and early and came to my office with me. Hunter was still tired and didn't want to get up. So Kayla and I stopped at Starbucks, where she picked out hot chocolate and a huge M&M cookie for her breakfast. I got a bagel and decaf Americano. Sharon, one of the workers there asked, "What do you call Jeri?" Kayla answered, "Grandma or Grandma Jer." Sharon said, "We call her Americano Jeri." Made me laugh. Jovita and Rhonda both told K how beautiful she was, and she said, "Thank you," very sweetly.

At work we enjoyed our breakfasts and she drew while I worked. This is an unfortunate time to have visitors because conference is keeping us so busy, but Kayla behaved perfectly and I got to show her off a bit.

Then Jill, Todd, and Hunter arrived around 10:30 AM, and Hunter was acting too shy to talk to anyone, but he did manage to flash those dimples. They went off for a day of sightseeing, and trying to keep cool. We'll meet for dinner later.

I'm avoiding talking about last night. I got lots of laughs, but for some reason I didn't feel good about the experience. Probably because I went over. I was told to do four minutes, then they had to change it for all of us to do three minutes, and I ended up doing six. I don't know how it happened! They're supposed to flash a penlight at us when it's time to stop, but I didn't see it. Saw a flicker, but when I looked at it, it appeared to be one of the candles on a table, so I didn't know it was time. What a dork!

Eric, the guy who went with me, did really well and stayed on time too. :) There was a really nice-sized crowd there.

7/27 Stuff

I feel good today. Am accomplishing a lot at work, and that feels great.

Right now it's storming like crazy. I don't relish driving to Madison in rain so thick I can't see the white line, so am sure hoping the rain slows a bit. Well, I'm not actually driving...Eric Vallee is. Patrick can't perform tonight after all. He has inflamed tonsils. Poor guy.

Just talked to Jill. She, Todd, and the kids were eating somewhere on the way south from Eagle River. I think they were in Waupaca. They'll be with friends in Delafield for dinner, then they'll stay at my house tonight. I'm hoping I'll be able to bring the kids into the office for a little while tomorrow. Don't know what Jill and Todd have planned for the day. I just know they told me not to take the day off, so whatever it is, it doesn't include me.

Tomorrow night I hope the storms will have abated. Would love to take the kids swimming. They leave bright and early Saturday morning, so tomorrow night will be the only chance we have. I'm sure they swam up north with Todd's family, but they love the water so much that I'd love to take them again.

Okay, back to work. I'm looking forward to getting more tasks completed.

Oops, forgot to write this: Dick from CSz contacted me and asked if I was hosting stand-up tomorrow night. I said, "Nope, we hadn't talked about how often we'd be doing this." Well, he does want it weekly, except when we have a sketch group or something else booked at that time. So I'll talk to him more when I get back from conference. Sounds like a fun deal.

7/26 It continues...

Hard work. Not much time to post.

But I've decided that this will be my last complaint post. No more of that stuff. Am going back into Little Mary Sunshine mode. It's where I'm most comfortable.

Last night's Open Improv was fun. Didn't go out afterward, needed some sleep.

Tonight we'll have BroadMinded rehearsal, which always makes me smile.

And tomorrow night am going to Madison with two cute young men. Ah, life is good! We're doing a showcase at Comedy on State. If it goes well, any of us can be brought back as a featured act--not headliner, but the one right before that person. And the big news is that--the pay starts then. Yay.

This picture comes courtesy of Michele (thanks, Michele, for taking pictures). The pic is from the first open mic night at ComedySportz. It was such fun--and now I have a photo to prove I was on stage. :)

7/25 More of the same

Work is work.

Last night was fun. We had Mary Jo, AJ, and Clare as audience members, and Maria was there taking care of props, while Marcy was there to check out the light and sound board. The rehearsal went pretty well, and we got a lot of really good feedback, although some of it was contradictory. So we know we have to think about what was said and then make our decisions based upon what we think will be best for the scene.

Tonight is open improv. I'm going to try to go to it. It's always so much fun.

7/24 No time to breathe

...much less write. I never thought I'd say this but I'll be so damn glad when this conference is over and things settle down here.

Don't get me wrong. I love conference. What I don't like is what it does to people. We're crabs. We're tired. We're territorial. We're not nice to each other.

Upsets me. I love how we usually are here.

Rehearsal tonight from 6-8 and then at 8 we'll have a mini-audience to watch us perform. Just to see how it goes. Should be fun. And I'm in the mood for fun.

7/23 A good Sunday

Although my house is a mess, I got a lot done today. Spent several hours at a coffee house and finished typing up the light cues and the prop list. I'll probably have to edit after the rest of the gang sees it, but at least most of the work is done. I also put together the bios and will email them to Matt at Bucketworks tomorrow. They're for the program.

Went shopping and got my costumes for the sketches. A "duster" for my old lady poem, a man's hat for One Fine Day, a white shirt for The Grade, and a few other things. All I need now is a white wig, and I'll have everything.

When I got home I made dinner and finished the laundry. Also I took all the unneeded software off my old computer so I can give it to my sister. Made sure I deleted all my financial information. :)

So even though the house needs work, I still accomplished a lot today.

7/22 Last night...

Everything went perfectly. There were 80-100 people at open mic. That's unheard of! And all the comics did really well. I was especially impressed with Chris Brooker from the UK. He rocked!

And I think I did a good job as the MC/host. Got a lot of laughs, which of course pleased me.

And before our showcase, the UK team played Milwaukee. It was one of the best matches I've seen all year.

All in all, a wonderful night.

(I know there's something I forgot to write about, but hell, I'm just grateful I remembered my routine.)

7/21 Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight

To borrow from the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Comedy tonight indeed. I'm very excited about the line up we have for our open mic night.

Jer (host)
Ben (comic magician)
Jim
Russ
Maria
Jeff
Chris
Lee
Eric

We're going to have a great time. And that's good, because it was really difficult saying goodbye to Jill, Todd, Kayla, and Hunter this morning.

Luckily I'll see them next Thursday or Friday before they fly back to Los Angeles.

I met them at the airport at 5:30 yesterday and as usual, the sweetest sounds to my ears is the word "Grandma" screamed at ear-splitting levels as two beautiful children run toward me. After picking up their rental car we went out to my place and the kids and I did a quick turnaround to get down to CSz for dinner and the show. Jill and Todd took the opportunity to go out alone for dinner. They ended up at the Water Street Brewery and said they had a nice time.

The kids loved the ComedySportz show and behaved very well. Hunter was thrilled that he "made friends with people on stage." It was so cute. Kayla and Hunter both went on stage after the show was over to jump and run a little while. By the time we got home I thought they would be sleepy but they stayed awake quite a while.

I didn't sleep well on the couch with Kayla, but it was a joy nonetheless. Then at 7:30 AM she and I got up and went swimming even though it was really cold. The water was 85 degrees and felt great. Hunter changed his mind about going.

After everyone took showers we went to a late breakfast and then I went to work. It was hard leaving them, but I know they'll have fun with Todd's family in Eagle River. And I'll see them next weekend. So life is pretty darn good after all.

Tell me to break a leg tonight, okay?

Gee, thanks. I will.

7/20 In my cave but not hibernating

I not only have my door closed today, but I also have my blinds drawn, effectively turning my office into a cave. No distractions except those of my own making. People’s voices are kept “out there,” not in here where I’m re-working an entire newsletter that wasn’t satisfactorily done.

And I wonder—did I do such a poor job? Or are other people stressed too, and viewing things through different lenses than they normally do? Probably a combination of the above.

So besides preparing for the conference, with all of my interview questions, a few more interviews to schedule, and a fairly scholarly journal to publish, I now have to redo something that I thought was already completed.

Stressed? You bet.

Good news is that I’ll have my grandkids tonight and nothing else will matter. Nothing.

7/19 Lazy old cow

I wrote such a long post today. Took time that I really don’t have. And blogger failed. Damn. Every word is gone except the stupid title. Now I’m quickly writing a note in Word and will paste it into blogger.

I chilled out at home last night. Too tired to go to Open Improv. That’s cool because it’s not rehearsal or anything. I’d go to rehearsal no matter how tired I was. It felt good to stay home. EXCEPT I didn’t chill out quite as much as I thought I would.

Another computer problem. This one with installing software for my digital recorder. Computer said that the software wasn’t up to Windows’ standards or something like that. Crazy, huh? So I’ll have to bring my laptop into work because I need this software installed for the conference in St. Louis. I’ll be uploading all my interviews from the recorder to the computer. Damn, another computer problem. Instead of loving being a geek, I’m going to de-volve into an iconoclastic scaredy-cat.

Nah, not too much chance of that. But I sure am getting a bit frustrated.

Tonight is BroadMinded rehearsal, then Friday is open mic night. I’m the host, so the success/failure of the evening is squarely on my shoulders. When I volunteered to help I didn’t realize it would be like this. It has to be separate from CSz because some of the stand-up material isn’t family friendly. I do understand—it just feels odd. If all the comics show up it will be a good show. More like a performance than an open mic, because I know everyone (except one guy Dick told me about today).

Next Thursday I’ll go to Madison with two other comics for a showcase at Comedy on State. This will be a good opportunity too. Hope it’ll be fun.

Guess that's it for now. I need to get back to work.

7/18 Rehearsal rocked

I loved rehearsal last night. Hard work, but we were "off book" pretty much for the whole set, and that was very cool.

Still working hard at my regular job too. Tonight is Open Improv. For the first time I may skip it because of being tired. Wish it was 7-9 instead of 8-10. God, I'm old!

7/17 Pant, pant, pant

Nope, not the fun kind of panting, but the kind of panting that comes from being out of breath from working hard. Lots to do, lots to do. Not much time left before the conference (7/30). A big part of my stuff has to be done today. Yikes. Back to it...

7/16 Didn't get it done

I tried but couldn't get the wireless router to work. Then I swam and worked on the sketches for BroadMinded. Listened to the recording of The Grade that Bron did, and practiced the accent a lot. I think I sound a lot better--but still not where I want to be.

Talked to Lee on the phone about stand-up. He said it sounds like I'm too busy. I admitted he was right, but that I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. After our performance in August things will slow down a bit, and I can concentrate on stand-up. Then in September Rec League starts again, so I'll be working on comedy on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and every other Wednesday. With gigs on weekends--I hope.

Right now, it's working on conference stuff at work, and there's no time for anything else. My publications are going to be late which saddens me. I have a reputation for meeting all my deadlines.

Comedy-wise I have BroadMinded Monday and Wednesday, open improv on Tuesday, and am emceeing an open mic night at CSz on Friday. Luckily, this is all fun for me. So the stress is a lot less than it would be if it weren't so enjoyable.

7/15 Technological woes

I love my new laptop, but drat, I can't make the wireless network function. I followed all the directions, but nothing works. I HATE IT!

Will try again tomorrow.

I worked tonight at ComedySportz. And my friend, Bron, came in. She's the leader of the CSz troupe in the UK. It was so great to see her. And she recorded one of our sketches for me so I can hear my part in a British accent. I think it will definitely improve my accent. Cool.

7/14 Not much time

Way too much to do here at work. Job security, I guess.

Anyway, tonight's the night I begin transferring files to my new computer. I'm so psyched.

Yesterday I made flyers for the Open Mic night at CSz on the 21st. I sure hope people show up.

7/13 Busy-ness continues

We did some of our sketches on stage last night. The big musical production number went over really well, and we realize we still have some work to do on our sketch called The Grade. Those were the only two we worked on, because we had longform improv at 7.

That went well too, and as usual was so much fun. I made some stupid choices I think, but hell--it's improv. And we're not always going to do things "right." Guess I'll have to just keep trying.

Tonight I'll be home, so will work on memorizing my lines more. I had them, but when we started the sketch I lost them, so will need to really CEMENT those damn things. Also, I'll turn on my new computer for the first time and will begin the process of transferring stuff from my old computer. What a pain.

Good news. My friend from work, Bill, may be in LA on business when I perform in Hollywood. If so, he'll attend. That'll be nice.

7/12 Woweeeeee!

Can I just say I love Jen Kober. She's a nationally-known comedian and has been really kind to me. When I told her I was going to be in LA in September for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, she booked me to work with her at the M Bar in Hollywood. Yep, me. Grandma Jer. Thrilled doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.

My friend, Debbie, is bringing a crowd of about 20, so that will make it even better.

My performance schedule actually looks good. I have "gigs." Oh god the anxiety has started. I'm not nervous performing, but this is a really good chance for me. I've never bombed (yet), so I shouldn't be anxious. But it's creeping in.

There's only one thing to combat it. That's PRACTICE! Knowing the material so well that I dream about it. Yep. I'm going to have to study hard.

And everything will be great. (And I will live happily ever after.)

7/11 Fun stuff

First of all, my laptop was delivered. Wish I had time to set it up.

Secondly, I really hope I don't have to work at CSz this weekend. Want to play with the new computer, transfer files, and all that stuff.

Thirdly through Seventhly, I have so much work to do with the first open mic night at CSz on the 21st, memorizing my lines for the sketch festival, writing new sketches for October, writing new material for my stand-up routine, and working on the LA Avon Breast Cancer Walk (as a team leader I have some organizing and contacting to do).

Work is so busy (and interesting), but more stressful than it needs to be.

Last night's rehearsal with BroadMinded was so much fun. I love doing sketch comedy. Tonight is Open Improv and that will be fun too. Okay, back to work.

7/10 Back to work

It was good to see Katie yesterday. After the tracheotomy her color is so much better. When I walked in, she was surprised (no one told her I was coming). Right away she said, "That's Jer." But she was a bit confused about how I was related. She asked if I was a cousin, sister, daughter-in-law, and a few more. At least she knew I was family. I said, "I'm your son-in-law's sister." Then she said, "Yes, you're Jim's sister. Of course." A few minutes later though she introduced me to the respiratory therapist as her cousin.

When I got home I relaxed a bit and then started working on cleaning out my computer. My new one should arrive tomorrow. Tonight I have BroadMinded rehearsal, tomorrow night Open Improv, and Wednesday night longform improv. So it will be Thursday or the weekend before I can dig into the new laptop. Depends on when or if I work at ComedySportz this week.

7/9 Getting ready

I'm getting ready to take off for Chicago (Aurora). If I leave here by 11, I'll get there by 1:30. I'll probably stay just a few hours because I have so much to do at home. So if all goes well, I'll be home by 6. Perhaps I'll take my Spanish CDs and learn some more.

Last night was wonderful! As usual I laughed so hard at the other comics. I was third out of seven. And that's as it should have been since I'm so new compared to others. I knew everyone there except Tony B. Miller. I'd heard his name since he's a very well-known comic around the area. Here's the funny thing. In my act I mentioned that I was from Quincy IL, and when he got up there he said he had just played in Quincy the night before--at Backwater's, right on Front Street on the Mississippi River. How cool! So we talked afterward. He is such a nice guy. And I'm confident we'll work together again.

Patrick, the guy who teaches long form improv on Wednesday, did stand-up too, and it was the first time I saw him perform. Excellent. And funny stuff. He gave me some good feedback after the show, telling me that one of my lines was really funny and I should expand on it. (It was about my daughter Jill being a size 2, and how I hated her for it.)

My set went over really well. I was confident and relaxed, and people seemed to enjoy what I did.

Everyone else did a great job too. But the funniest part for me was when Tom Clark (the headliner and birthday boy) had Tyler and Patrick come on stage and do improv with him. They basically did Tom's life from start to present time and it was hysterical.

Two of my friends from BroadMinded came to the show--Maria and Megan. So that was cool, too. Maria had taken stand-up classes too, and we've performed together in the past. I think she'll do the stand-up open mic night at CSz on the 21st.

Gotta run. More later when I return from Aurora.

7/8 Tonight

I'm looking forward to performing tonight. Some friends will be there, and that's always good. I hope they are loud laughers.

Spent time in the pool today. Swimming laps is a good place to practice your routine. Not out loud of course. I tried that and nearly drowned.

7/7 Sad news/happy news

Isn't that just how life goes? Up and down, a roller coaster of emotions.

Sad News: My brother Jim's wife, Karen, emailed to say her mom is in intensive care and not expected to make it. Katie is a retired schoolteacher, and because of bad scoliosis she's been more and more bent. This has compromised her breathing to such an extent that she's been in the hospital six or seven times in less than a year. It's been really hard on Jim and Karen and Karen's dad Frank. K is an only child, so definitely has become another sister to us during the past 13 or so years that we've known her.

I'm going to cancel my plans Sunday and drive to Aurora and visit Katie. Karen said they're very lenient in this ICU about visitors.

Happy News: This doesn't even begin to cancel out the sad news, but it's the best I can do. BroadMinded is scheduled to perform at ComedySportz on Friday, October 13th at 10 PM. I'm thrilled by this, but it's hard to be "up" right now.

7/6 Workshop

Am attending a new workshop my company developed, about assisting individuals with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) when they are in a crisis. It's about de-escalation, and should prove quite interesting. It's two days, so I won't be in the office today or tomorrow.

Last night, longform was cancelled at the last minute. I was disappointed, but that's life. So I came home, read a little, and watched junk TV.

Found out that the Open Mic night is definitely a "go" at CSz on the 21st, so I have to get the word out about it. My preference will be to get everyone signed up ahead of time, at least this first go-around. So I'm going to be emailing and calling friends. I've got my fingers crossed.

7/5 Lots of work done

Finished a lot of editing today, so am feeling pretty good about that. Thursday and Friday I'm attending a workshop, so won't get any "real" work done the rest of the week.

Right after work I'm going to Alterra Coffee for a while to work on my stand-up material. The 8th is awfully close, and I need to nail down the routine.

Then at 7, we have longform class with Patrick. I learn a lot, but mostly I have such fun in this class. There will be four of BroadMinded's members there (me, Meg, Maria, and probably Mary Jo) so I can get pictures of Maria and Mary Jo to add to the mix. That will leave only Stacy. She's going on a mission to Africa for a few weeks, and I don't know the date she's leaving. Haven't heard from her in a while. Anne and Mel are both working at Summerfest tonight. I'll miss having them with the group.

Guess that's it. Sorry so boring.

7/4 Some pictures

For those who can't check out BroadMinded's MySpace page, here are some pictures:

BroadMinded logo, designed by my nephew Adam.

Melissa, acting out her favorite scene from Psycho.

Yeah, James Dean is still alive, and he digs me.

Megan's spidey-senses are working overtime.

Anne and her enchiladas--Yum to both!





We needed some more pictures for our webpage, so I took these at Anne's house. We'll get some "stage" pictures in a few weeks.

Also, we'll get pictures from Mary Jo, Maria, and Stacy, to round out the group.

7/4 Happy 4th of July

I'm not celebrating with anyone today. Am going out for a late breakfast, then will come home and work on my writing. It's supposed to be a nice day, so will do some of the work by the pool, I think.

Problems with my computer order. The wireless router I ordered has already been shipped and the customer name says CPI, my company. Just talked to someone in India who isn't celebrating the 4th of July and he gave me another number to call tomorrow, because I ordered under the "employee program." He's right. Everytime I signed on to the Dell website it kept directing me to the "employee and affiliate program." My company does buy TONS of Dell products, but I never said I was a representative or anything. I put CPI as my shipping address though, because I'm never home for delivery. I do that with everything. Guess I'll have to try to clear it up tomorrow.

Okay, am getting hungry, so will get some breakfast. More later.

7/3 Working...

But it's not so bad because I'll be off tomorrow. Plus the company bought us pizza for lunch. Pretty cool. Then we had ice cream sandwiches. Certainly not on my list of healthy foods, but when did that ever stop me?

Had a lot of fun rehearsing yesterday with BroadMinded. We were at Anne's house and I took some silly pictures. They're posted online at BroadMinded's MySpace page, but I'll post them here as well for those of you who don't frequent MySpace. They're on my home computer, so will post tonight or tomorrow.

Speaking of computer--I ordered a new laptop today and it will function as my home computer too. Will get rid of my 5-year-old PC, and my 3-year-old (heavy) laptop. Got a little docking station so I can connect it to all my peripherals at home. I hate making a new bill, but need a new computer desperately. And since I need a laptop for business travels, I decided to go that route, rather than use a company-supplied laptop. That would just add to my fear of "oh god where is that file."

I'm hoping for some good weather tomorrow. Would like to use the pool for the first time this year. My schedule has been so hectic that I haven't been able to swim. Got my fingers crossed. I need to work on my stand-up routine, write some more sketches, and memorize the current sketches, so I have lots to do. Luckily the cleaners came today, so I'll have a clean house and won't be moved to do any work--except laundry.

Writing sketches isn't too difficult for me. Whether they're good or not I'll leave to others to decide. But I'm having fun doing it. Finished one yesterday called "Charity at Home." It's about an "old folks home" and Charity is a retired prostitute who lives there. I think it's pretty darn funny.

Any family want to come to Milwaukee for the sketch and improv festival August 11 and 12? I'll buy you beer. Those of you old enough anyway. The show is rated PG-13.

7/2 BroadMinded pics

Go to BroadMinded's MySpace page and check out some new pictures. Under the logo, click on pics. (By the way, my nephew Adam designed our logo.) Jer

7/2 More on last night

The wedding reception was cool. After the wedding I guess everyone went home and changed into comfortable clothes. The groom was in shorts and a T-shirt for the reception. Fun.

I was the first comedian up. I learned a lesson. Don't say yes to a gig that's going to happen a few hours in the future. I wasn't well prepared and stammered a bit. Aarrgggghh. That's the first time it happened. I hate it. It wasn't horrific, but it wasn't as good as usual. But I'm very grateful to Russ for asking me.

Tyler was up right after me. And I must say I laughed my ass off. He was hilarious. What a talented guy! He's only 28 and has a real future in the field.

Tom Clark was the headliner. He lives in LA, but is originally from Wisconsin. You can sure tell why he's been on national TV a lot. He's so funny and really puts his improv experience to good use. Makes an immediate connection with the audience.

I caught most of his act, but unfortunately had to leave before he was finished. My friend, Michele, turned 40 early in the week and her sisters threw a surprise party last night. I was really late and missed the comedy portion, but still was able to enjoy the band (and dancing) for about an hour before the music stopped.

First of all the location was about 45 minutes from my house, but it was worth the drive. Situated on a small lake, the home was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Absolutely gorgeious. As soon as I arrived I needed to use the restroom, and used the one off the master bedroom. The bathroom was bigger than my kitchen.

The party was in the backyard near the lake. They'd erected a big tent and had a band. Lots of folks were dancing. So I spent a lot of time with CSz friends dancing to tunes from the 80s. Such fun. Two other members of BroadMinded were there--Maria and Megan. So that made it even better. There were maybe 80 people there at one point, but the CSz folks were definitely the life of the party. I said to Beth that when you get a bunch of actors together you know they are going to be craving the spotlight at the same time. The same thing happens when we go to karaoke. And I must say--I love the experience of lots of folks performing at the same time.

Michele had been suitably surprised it appeared, which made everything even more fun. So many details were apparent. There was a big tub of flip flops so people could take off their "good shoes" for dancing in the grass. Lots of beer, wine, and soda. And tons of food--all stuff that Michele loves. Again, the beauty was in the details.

I could go on and on, but you get the drift. It was a busy, but fun night for me. And it was great to share the fun with friends.

Congratulations to the bride and groom--Joel and Cassie. And happy birthday to Michele! What a day!

Tonight BroadMinded has rehearsal at Anne's house. I'm going to bring my camera because we need some shots for MySpace.

7/1 A nice surprise

At the last minute I got an invitation to the wedding of a friend's son. It's tonight. But the fun thing is that I'm going to perform. Tom Clark and Tyler Kroll are going to perform, and I was asked if I wanted to come to the reception and do a few minutes. Guess what my answer was?

I'm performing with Tom and Tyler next Saturday at Corner Pocket and thought this would be a fun prelude tonight.

Afterward I have a party to go to, so this looks like it's going to be a celebratory night.

Gotta run. Must rehearse a bit. And make minestrone. Minestrone is my latest food craving. I make a big pot of it on the weekend and eat it throughout the week. This is the third week in a row. Not too bad--cheap and low in calorie.

Next week I'll probably be craving french fries, onion rings, and chocolate.