So far it has been a pretty cold start to the winter here in the Glorious Midwest. Many mornings I am heading to work with the temperature below zero or in the single digits. Many days the high is staying in the low digits and there have already been a few below zero. I never thought I would become acclimated to this weather out here. When it reaches 20, I am actually saying things like, “Beautiful day, huh?” In Boston when it was 20, I would say insightful things like, “this blows.” There was even one day last month when the temperature went into the 30’s. I contemplated wearing shorts that day.
My favorite example of getting used to living out here was last year on the day of the NFL Conference Championship games. The Patriots were facing the Chargers in New England and the Packers were facing the Giants in Green Bay. The temperature in Wisconsin was about -5 with a wind chill in the -20’s. I talked to my buddy Matty in Massachusetts. He told me he was on the way to the game in New England. I told him that I was jealous but he complained that the game would suck. I asked why and he said he was going to end up freezing his ass off. I asked how cold it was and he told me 25 degrees. My first thought was, “25 degrees……above zero???? You pussy.” That was when I knew I had become a Midwesterner.
My favorite example of getting used to living out here was last year on the day of the NFL Conference Championship games. The Patriots were facing the Chargers in New England and the Packers were facing the Giants in Green Bay. The temperature in Wisconsin was about -5 with a wind chill in the -20’s. I talked to my buddy Matty in Massachusetts. He told me he was on the way to the game in New England. I told him that I was jealous but he complained that the game would suck. I asked why and he said he was going to end up freezing his ass off. I asked how cold it was and he told me 25 degrees. My first thought was, “25 degrees……above zero???? You pussy.” That was when I knew I had become a Midwesterner.
Quinlan
Quinlan is getting big and smart so fast it is blowing me away. He is just under 21 months old and I cannot believe he will be two in April. People tell you that it goes by fast, but I didn’t realize it would be THIS fast. He is still a little guy, but he seems to be getting taller. He hasn’t been officially measured yet, but I think he will be in the normal range for height and will be starting to catch-up on his weight.
He is not talking clearly yet, but he is talking a lot. We usually have no clue what he is saying except for a few one word statements like truck, tractor, football, ball, cat, Da-Da and Ma-Ma. A lot of time he will look at you and say a million words and say it very seriously, but we have no clue what he is trying to say. Whatever it is, he is very passionate about it.
He has two personalities, one at home and one in public. At home he is very silly and chatty. He will giggle, act goofy and talk a ton. Out in front of people, he is very reserved and quiet. Everyone thinks he is so serious, but at home we know he is a goofball. He isn’t scared of people, but it is like he is just soaking it all in rather than try to fit right in. He is like Dad in that way, if I am in an environment that I am not familiar with, I tend to be quiet. If I know a good amount of the people there, I am my typical idiot self.
He is totally addicted to trucks and tractors. When a truck drives by he will say, “Ohhhhh…..TRUCK!!!” Or he will make the “Vroom Vroom” sound. Same thing goes with tractors. His favorite toys at Christmas were the tractors we bought him. His favorite book to read at night is the truck and tractor book. He has somehow become a Wisconsin guy right before my eyes. I am scared that he is going to grow a mullet and chew Copenhagen without spitting. God, I hope he does not become a Packer fan too.
Football
It is so odd to be watching playoff football without the Patriots in it. This is a first in a long time. They got hosed in that they won 11 games, yet they miss the playoffs. I finally know what it is like to be a Packer fan. The Patriots needed Favre to win against the Dolphins in week 17 for the Patriots to get in, but of course he stunk it up. Nothing like having your post season depends on an over-rated aging QB. In the end, I do not think they would have gone far in the playoffs. They would have been matched up against the Ravens who have a great defense. While Cassel has done very well this year, he has struggled against the great defenses. I think the Ravens would have knocked them out anyways.
Now that we are in the 2nd week of the post season (as of this writing the Ravens have knocked off the Titans), I am not sure who I want to go all the way. My 1st choice would be the Steelers. I have always liked them and my boss is a fan, so there is some loyalty to the pick, but I don’t think they have a chance. I think their offense is too mediocre to be able to keep up. Their defense is great, but I have no faith in their offensive line or their QB. It seems like Big Ben is not as solid as in years past. I would hate for the Ravens to make it. Though their defense is outstanding, I can’t stand a majority of their players on defense (Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, etc.) who over celebrate every single tackle. I also don’t like the fact that Ray Lewis can help cover up a murder and that is OK.
I’m not much of a fan of the Chargers, though I don’t hate them. Something about them annoys me. Maybe it is their whiny star RB who has finally hit the wall most RB’s hit after many years in the NFL.
In the NFC, I don’t mind any of the teams. I think it would be fun to see the Cardinals go all the way because they have always stunk. Plus you have to love their WR’s who bust their ass on every play and they are not a duo of “look at me” guys (so few WR’s just shut up and play). It is also hard to root against Kurt Warner who just seems like a good guy.
Even though the Giants upset the Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl and they are a New York team, there is a part of me that would enjoy a repeat. It would help justify the Patriots loss to them in the Super Bowl because it will show that New York was a dominant team and people just didn’t realize how dominate they were in the Super Bowl last year. Yeah, that probably will not help.
I could care less about the Eagles. They do not do much for me. Their fans are kind of annoying with the way they love their QB and Head Coach one week and then want them tar and feathered in front of Independence Hall the next week. Such schizophrenic fans.
Carolina is a fun team to watch, even though Steve Smith is a bit of a whiny doosh. We’ll see who makes it and I hope the games are fun along the way. My current pick for the Super Bowl is Baltimore against Carolina.
Comedy
Comedy
Some good shows last month. I had a bunch of shows in Southern Wisconsin this past month. I was in Milwaukee, Madison and Fort Atkinson. I was the feature in Milwaukee and Madison, while being a “Co-Headliner” in Fort Atkinson. All the shows were a lot of fun. Milwaukee started off odd in that the crowds were a little weird on Friday. Not bad, but just odd. They laughed, but they were not rolling. Saturday Night there was GREAT as all three (yes, three) shows rocked. I had a blast those nights. The only thing that stunk about the weekend was that it snowed most of the weekend and I was not able to head home that Saturday Night. At least I was $40 at the casino playing poker one of the days.
I was in Madison for New Year’s Eve as well as the following weekend. This is now my favorite club around. The people that own it, run it and waitress there are some of the nicest people around. They really treat you very well and are quite accommodating. I had a total of six shows that week and there was not one so-so show. They all were an absolute blast. The only negative was that I only 25 minutes most of the nights (30 minutes on two shows), so I was hurrying up through my sets. I had to throw out a lot of jokes and there was virtually no interaction with the crowds. I love the people of Madison because they come out ready to laugh.
In Madison I worked with Claude Stuart who was a very funny and cool guy to work with. We had a lot of fun hanging out some of the days as well as our night off. We had the same sense of humor for most comedians we like as well as similar tastes in movies and music (we were both addicted the 100 Greatest Rock Songs special on VH1). He is a guy I could definitely handle working with again.
The highlight of the shows in Madison is that they invited me back to be the headliner next time. I was so fired up that they did that. I am starting to headline more elsewhere, but this was a place that I wanted to crack into so I can headline at the booker’s other rooms. I was absolutely floating after hearing that. I am hoping that I can head back to Madison when the weather is warm for a change. I would be nice to hang near the lakes down there.
It was also cool to hang out with two friends down there (Dave and Keith). Thanks guys for taking the time to hang out with me that week and checking out the show!
Fort Atkinson was also a blast as I worked as a co-headliner. Basically, it is still a two person show but instead of the 1st guy doing 30 minutes and the headliner doing 45 to 60 minutes, both of us were to do 50 to 60 minutes. I volunteered to go first so I could take off after my set. The place was great. When I first walked in, I thought, “uh oh, it is a bar and there will only be 20 people.” It was packed and they were all into it (even though the BCS Football game was on). I did 55 minutes and I did not want to leave. To make it even cooler, they owner of the place got on the phone and called the booker (someone I just started working for) and told her I did a great job. Not many owners will take the time to go out of their way to praise you to a booker (no matter how good you do). I was blown away at how nice that was and I was very excited to the good word make it back to the booker. He even tipped me $15 (something that RARELY happens).
All in all, great shows the past month and a great way to start the New Year. I think there are big things ready to happen for me in comedy for 2009. By big things, I doubt it will be TV, but more headlining, more money and more recognition should be in order.
Facebook
I am still digging Facebook. What a great invention for 30+ year olds like Holly and I. Holly and I are both hooked and the majority of our friends are on it. For some reason, we do better staying in touch with people through Facebook than we do through Email or phone conversations. It is also fun to catch up with people you haven’t seen in 20 years. There are a ton of people I went to High School with on there. The funny thing is that it making me realize how little of High School I remember. People will ask to be my friends and I will have absolutely no freaking clue who they are. After a while, I will realize they were someone I regularly hung out with. I look at my graduating class and can’t remember a majority of them.
I am still digging Facebook. What a great invention for 30+ year olds like Holly and I. Holly and I are both hooked and the majority of our friends are on it. For some reason, we do better staying in touch with people through Facebook than we do through Email or phone conversations. It is also fun to catch up with people you haven’t seen in 20 years. There are a ton of people I went to High School with on there. The funny thing is that it making me realize how little of High School I remember. People will ask to be my friends and I will have absolutely no freaking clue who they are. After a while, I will realize they were someone I regularly hung out with. I look at my graduating class and can’t remember a majority of them.
There are a lot of people that I never spoke with in High School and now we are best buds. We are all so much different now that we are grown up than we were in High School. It is fun to realize that some people you viewed as dinks are OK now. I think it is also fun to see people be surprised that I am a comedian now. Hopefully some of them will be able to see a show in April (Hanscomb Air Force Base and Manchester, NH).
For the most part, everyone that I have connected with on Facebook have been really cool. The odd thing now is that there are a bunch of co-workers who have no become my friend, so I really need to beware of what I say. How uncool would it be to be interviewing for a job and they asked, “what happened at your last job?” “Well, uh, I kind of got fired for my inappropriate updates on Facebook.”
Holly even created a "Todd Andrews Comedy" Fan Page on facebook. Now I am totally cool.
I hope everyone is doing well and I hope 2009 is a great year for you all. Take care!!!!
