Monday December 18th, 2006 - Chicago, IL

It was a good day for walking so I walked around and thought about lots of stuff. I tried to think of my life as a big map and figure out where the ‘you are here’ dot was and where I want to go. Sometimes that can be overwhelming because I think of all the possibilities I had at one time and now I don’t and all of the ones I didn’t and now I do and it’s not easy to keep it all straight in my head. Depending on the day I have different ideas about it all.

I really do have a lot of possibilities for the coming year and time is of the essence. I am not the young buck anymore and the window of opportunity is closing quickly. I have not been concerned about time in the past or money either. I just did what I enjoyed and let it take me where it might and I had a lot of fun but also didn’t really have any goals of note. On top of all that I had to fight through the bank robbery fiasco which took years to play out and also recover from a couple of bad car accidents and quite a few radio firings too.

All this has taken it’s toll on me in many ways but I also have a lot of useful experience that I can use to take me to the next chapter of my life which hopefully isn’t the last one. I walked around Chicago today and marveled at what a great city this is. I love it here and I wouldn’t mind staying but I also wouldn’t be angry if I had to leave for some opportunity. I don’t really have a concrete plan of attack and I need to come up with one toot sweet.

What is the smart thing to do? What do I want? Those answers change on a daily basis. I know the smart thing is to keep working and improving, but at what? Doing comedy is a passion I don’t see myself tiring of any time soon but in what way? Do I want to continue doing solo gigs in the hell holes I’ve been working lately for mediocre money? Not really. Do I want to do shows with Chicago Style Standups? Sure, but that’s not easy to pull off. This is a new concept and it will take time to get us known all over the country so we can be booked in good venues for top dollar. There is something really exciting about trying to start something from dirt and building it up but we all have to pay our bills until then.

I also have a shot at opening some doors with the movie script. I know it’s a killer story but now I have to sell it. No, first I have to COMPLETE it. Then I can get in line and start the process of playing the Hollywood game which I have never been good at and THEN if it sells I may have something credible in addition to a few bucks to help me stay afloat.

These are all things that will take lots of work and lots of time too. I also have classes to teach and I love that too. My act is workable but I know I can improve that quite a bit too. All those ‘toos’ are too much to squeeze into every day and I thought about it as I walked around in the nice weather today. I have work lined up for the first three months of 2007 but after that I am wide open. I haven’t been in touch with bookers like I need to be and it will take some effort to get caught up with them so I can be in line for good work and not just the scraps that fall off the table that nobody else wants. I am a strong headliner and it took a lifetime of work to achieve that and I can’t keep selling myself short. Again, it’s an ongoing process and easier said than done. There just aren’t enough hours in a day for me to pack this all in so I need to have a smart plan in place so I can make 2007 a huge year.