#38 - No Interest In Doing This Today 06/30/18

The main reason I decided to try and post 100 blogs in 100 days, was to show myself that I have the discipline it takes to reach a goal. Even if that means doing things I don't want to do. Today is one of those days.

If you read yesterday's post, I got up early, and waited at Best Buy to pick up an NES Classic. I did get one, and it's awesome. I haven't had much time to play it, though. I had a busy afternoon yesterday, and then shows all night. Today is the same thing, I went to record an episode of my buddy Tom's podcast, and I have stuff to finish here at the house before I go to the club for tonight's shows, and then I have plans after the shows are over.

I have a day of podcasts and shows tomorrow, as well. So I had about a 2 hour window to sit down and play with it today. My girlfriend and I just played Super Mario Bros 3 for a hour, and had a fucking blast. Those old Mario games have aged incredibly well. She didn't have anymore time to play, and I was going to settle in and play for another hour or so, and then I remembered this damned blog. I was tempted to blow it off, but I know I won't have another chance to post today, and then the chain breaks at 37 days. That would drive me crazy.

You know when you have something you have to do/should be doing, and you're ignoring it and slacking off instead? I hate that feeling. I can't bring myself to enjoy whatever I'm doing instead, because I'm thinking about the thing I should be doing, and then I dread doing whatever it was I had to do because I've built it up in my mind as this God awful thing that takes me away from something fun. That's exactly how I felt about this blog today.

If you just force yourself to suck it up and finish whatever you have to do, not only do can you cross if off your list, it'll make it 100 times easier to just kick back and enjoy whatever you wanted to be doing originally, because you won't have that little voice nagging at you. Hence, this blog post.

Which is officially done. Chain is intact, and I can still sneak a little more Megaman 2 in before I have to go.

I'm at The Comic Strip tonight and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday). If you're in Edmonton and looking for something to do this weekend, come check out a show. It's a great lineup, and 100% guaranteed to not give you a sunburn.

Cheers.

Adam

#37 - Sitting Outside of Best Buy 06/29/18

As I type this blog, it's about 7:30 in the morning, and I'm sitting outside of Best Buy here in Edmonton waiting to buy an NES Classic. Jealous??

You're jealous.....

When these things came out a couple years ago, they sold out in seconds. Half the damned people that bought them just did it so they could re-sell them on kijiji, and loyal Nintendo nerds like me got left out in the cold. Well, luckily, Nintendo decided to release more of them this year, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna miss out again. I got here around 7:15, and there's only one other guy sitting here. You'd think he's the only one that looks like a bigger nerd than me, but he's not sitting there pounding away on his laptop out while he waits.

It's funny too, because anyone driving by has to be looking at me sitting here on my computer thinking "that nerd is probably online writing a blog about video games or something", and that's......exactly what I'm doing.....sigh.....

It's beautiful out here. I've never lined up outside of a store for anything before, and I made the decision last night that if I woke up and it was raining, I'd say "fuck it" and take my chances when the store opens. It's actually really nice out, though. Not too hot, birds are chirping, I have my coffee. Life is good. Plus, there's a Starbucks across the street and I'm mooching off their wifi right now. What more does a man want?

So my plan for the next 2.5 hours is to finish this blog, my emails, listen to my sets from last night (well, one of them. One probably isn't worth listening to), and get all my work done while I wait to buy a toy. It's the whole "Frosted side/Whole wheat side" thing. Maybe I'll try some new jokes on this guy beside me......

I'm going to start recording episodes of my new podcast this weekend, too. It's called "Remember the Game?", and it's just fellow nerds like me chatting about video games we grew up playing. I don't know how good it's going to be, but the feedback about the idea has been overwhelmingly positive. Another notch in my nerd belt.

Anyways, I'm gonna get some work done. You guys don't want to listen to me geek out anymore. And if you do, and it's not 10:00am yet, message me on Facebook. I'm sitting here with all the time in the world to kill....

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your long weekend!!

Adam

#36 - The News 06/28/18

I hardly ever watch the news, anymore. It's just too negative for my tastes. I understand that "fear sells", or whatever they say to justify it, but I just find it depressing.

"Two people were killed today..."

"More and more people are overdosing on this new drug..."

"Terrorists attacked....."

They squeeze a little positivity in where they can, but for the most part, the news isn't exactly a morning motivator. A couple years ago, I made the decision to turn it off, and now I only watch when someone else is and I happen to be in the room. You don't need to watch it anymore. Social media and the internet will make sure you know about the really important stuff, and you can trim out a bunch of the negativity that they shove down your throats everyday.

I suppose you could make a good argument that social media can be even more toxic than the mainstream media is, but at least you have some control over it. I make a point to unfollow twitter accounts that I find are full of negativity, and you can "snooze" on anyone you want on Facebook, so you don't see their posts. (I'm willing to bet that every single person reading this blog that spends time on Facebook has friends that just whine and complain on there 24/7. Snooze 'em!). When you sit down to watch the news, you're at the producer/director/whatever's mercy. They put whatever they want on the air, and that's what you see. And, it's usually negative.

Maybe you'll read this post and think to yourself that I need to grow up. Like Rocky says, "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows", and I understand that. I've just made a commitment to spending as much time as I can focusing on the good in life. I prefer going through my days with my head in the sand. If something really big or important comes up, I'll see it online. I'm not going to waste an hour of my morning being told what's wrong with the world today.

I also understand that maybe there's a little irony in posting a blog being negative about people that are negative. Snooze me.

Thanks for reading.

Adam

#35 - Being The New Kid 06/27/18

My Dad was in the military when I was growing up. As such, we moved a few times, which meant my Brother and I got to go through the joys of being the "new kid at school" more than once.

I get really uncomfortable around strangers and new people. I know that's something a lot of people can relate to, but at least in my case, I chalk a lot of that up to moving around so much as a kid. I moved after kindergarten, again after grade 1, before grade 8, and right after High School as well. Every move came with trying to make new friends and starting out not knowing anybody. And that's hard for anyone, but especially a kid.

I was very fortunate to make some really good friends at each stop along the way, but starting over sucked. As an adult, starting a new job or hobby where I have to be "the new kid" all over again is one of my biggest sources of anxiety in life. It's not even a concern that people won't like me; I don't really care about that. It's just that uncomfortable, unfamiliar feeling. I like walking into a room and knowing the people in there. We don't have to be friends, it's just 10 times easier to relax when you know the lay of the land in a social situation.

When I started going to comedy open mics, not knowing the other comics was WAY worse than the fear of bombing. Nobody was rude or anything, but everyone had their friends that they sat with and talked to. Walking into a show and seeing everyone sitting in groups, and not knowing which group to sit with flashed me back to those first days of school all over again. I almost quit very quickly, entirely because I didn't want to have to go through the experience of being the new guy again. Luckily, a few of the guys reached out pretty early, and I figured out who was who and stuck with it.

I don't really have a clever way of wrapping this blog up. I just wanted to vent about being the new kid in a group. Everyone goes through it, whether it's at school, or a job, or playing sports, or whatever. It sucks so hard. But, I think it also helps you appreciate that comfortable feeling that comes with making a few friends and working your way into a circle of people.

So if there's a new kid wherever you are, try saying "hi". It might not seem like much to you, but it might mean the world to them...

Have a good one.

Adam

#34 - Tokyo 06/26/18

Last month, my girlfriend and I visited Tokyo for about a week, and I fell in love.

Neither of us has spent a lot of time in a place where english wasn't the primary language, so we both felt a little uneasy when we got off the plane and couldn't read most of the signs or communicate with anyone. We quickly found, however, that people we dealt with either tried to attempt english, or were able to point us in the direction of someone that could. It turned out that a lot of signs had english translations on them, as well. We felt welcomed into Japan very quickly.

Also, you can rent these portable "wifi hub" things that you carry around with you, and they provide you with internet access for your phone 24/7. Having Google maps and translate available all the time was an absolute God send.

We made use of the train system to get around. We found it a little intimidating at first, but people were more than happy to help us figure out how to get where we had to go. There are automated ticket booths everywhere, and actually after a day or two we had the system down (I found it was a much cleaner, nicer version of New York's subway system). Much like New York, it makes it so easy to get around such a big city. We tried to come up with a plan each day on where we wanted to go, but found it so easy to navigate the city that we just started hopping from one end of Tokyo to the other whenever we felt like it. 5 stars to the transit system over there, just perfect.

Like I mentioned, the trains were so clean and quiet, and that just echoes Tokyo as a whole. It was the cleanest city I've ever seen. We were hard pressed to find any garbage laying around anywhere. In a city with so many people, it's nice to see how much pride everyone seems to take in keeping it clean. It's also quiet. People are so respectful of each other. There are signs on the trains indicating that you shouldn't talk on your phone or be too loud. We saw a ton of people sneaking in power naps on their commutes, without a hint of hesitation that anyone would bother them, and it was quiet enough to do so. I loved it.

The city is full of history, fantastic shrines and temples, and just beautiful parks to walk through. Some of the best times we had on our trip were when we would cut through a park and just take a few minutes to enjoy the fresh air and the scenery. And again, it's so quiet and relaxing. I'm not a huge history buff, but I really enjoyed walking through shrines that were centuries old, too. Really interesting stuff.

The food is incredible. Just incredible. Everything we ate was unreal. I've never been a big sushi guy, but I couldn't get enough of it. In particular, we had sushi for lunch one day at this little restaurant where you sat around a conveyor belt, and small plates of different types of sushi would rotate around. You just grab whatever plates you want, and at the end of the meal, the servers would add up all the plates you had and give you your bill. It was some of the best food I've ever had in my life.

We went to a baseball game at the Tokyo Dome, which was awesome. The fans were so passionate, but respectful at the same time. More great food, too! We spent a couple evenings hitting up the shopping districts, as well. Particularly in the evening, it was really fun. Everything lights up, and they actually close some of the streets down. You can just cross wherever you want, and the roads are lined with stores that are 7 or 8 stories high. I had so much fun just hopping from building to building, not knowing what we'd find on the next floor. So many video games!!!!!

Without question, the highlight of the entire trip for me, was go karting. There's a company called Marikar, that gives people the opportunity to take a guided tour through the streets of Tokyo, on go karts. AND, they let you dress up like Mario characters while you do it! (You could dress as characters that aren't from Mario, too. But I don't know why anyone would....). We spent almost 3 hours cruising around the city, right next to cars and trucks. Every time we had to stop at a red light or crosswalk, people were waving and taking photos of us. It makes you feel like a rockstar. It was absolutely one of the funnest thing I've ever done.

My girlfriend and I decided to dress up like Princess Peach and Bowser. This was while we stopped in front of the famous Tokyo Tower.

Over the last 5 years, my girlfriend and I have acquired a taste for traveling. We've gone on some fantastic vacations, but Tokyo was absolutely my favourite. I would honestly entertain the idea of moving there if we could. Everyone talks about how polite Canadians are, but I think we could learn a thing or two from the Japanese. The people, the city, the culture were all incredible.

I have to find some good sushi here in Edmonton, now.....

Thanks for reading!

Adam

#33 - In A Good Mood 06/25/18

It's about 9:00 AM, I'm sitting on my couch with my dog and my coffee. I woke up feeling really good this morning. 

I'm usually a morning guy, to be honest. I like the whole idea of not knowing what a day is gonna be like. There's always the hope that something really awesome will happen and it'll be a great day. And, if something really shitty happens and it turns out to be a bad day, I try to wake up the next morning with the mentality, at least today can't be worse. Maybe it's a positive mindset, maybe I just don't like sleeping. I don't know. I genuinely believe every day has the potential to be good.

I had a fun run of shows this past weekend. I worked at Yuk Yuks here in Edmonton Friday and Saturday, and last night I had the chance to close out Empress Comedy Night. For my money, that's as good of show as there is in Edmonton. I'll spend the day today sending emails and writing jokes, and then it's off to The Comic Strip to host Battle to the Funny Bone. And then I'll be hosting at the Strip all weekend. All I want in life is to tell jokes and spend time with people I like. How can I not be in a good mood? 

Obviously, a lot of people wake up in a bad mood most mornings. Especially on Monday. If that's you, I think you owe it to yourself to look at why you're in a bad mood. I preach it here all the time, and I'm the furthest thing from a life coach or a psychiatrist, but if you change your outlook on life, you can change everything about your life. Just figure out what doesn't make you happy, and either get rid of it, or figure out a way to make it into a positive. Watch some motivational stuff on YouTube with your breakfast, that's what I do. Gary Vaynerchuk, Joe Rogan, Tony Robbins, etc. Whether you think they're full of crap or not (I don't), try to use them to shift yourself into a positive mindset to start the day. 

I really think if you can get yourself on the right path mentally first thing in the morning, it's easier to stay there for the day. If you let yourself be miserable for the first couple hours, you have to find a way to backtrack and turn it around. Why waste your time doing that?

I'm in a good mood today. 

Have a good week, and thanks for reading!

Adam

#32 - Jerry Seinfeld 06/24/18

A couple weeks ago, I posted my first blog about someone that I look up to, and that I've been inspired by when I posted about CM Punk. Today, I thought I'd go back to that well and touch on my favourite comedian of all time; Jerry Seinfeld.

I loved his tv show Seinfeld before I ever heard Jerry Seinfeld perform comedy. Keep in mind that when that show came out, we weren't "internetting", yet. So his standup wasn't readily available to watch on demand. I was enamoured with the show, although I actually liked George more than anyone else (he's possibly the greatest character in the history of comedic television. Don't argue with me). I just didn't realize the reason he got the chance to do a TV show was because he was already a  successful standup comedian. Then, a few years after I got hooked on the show, I ended up with a copy of Jerry's comedy album; "I'm Telling You For The Last Time". I didn't realize it at the time, but that CD was going to change my life.

I knew every single word of this album. "Do you feel a draft, Bill?"

I listened to that CD constantly. I had one of those yellow ShockWave discmans, and along with Limp Bizkit, Eminem, Blink-182 and N*Sync, Seinfeld was always in my rotation. I would actually walk around lip-syncing that album like I would with music, pretending I was on stage just murdering. I thought the jokes were funny, but I was just as obsessed with how he delivered them. The way he'd wait for the laughs to slow down, and then say something else to bring them right back up. That trademark "Jerry Seinfeld" voice. Everything about this CD blew my mind. For the longest time, it was the only comedy album I knew. I didn't even realize comedians released albums of their comedy, I just figured Seinfeld did one because the tv show had been so big....

I ended up with other comedy CDs down the road, like Dane Cook and Adam Sandler's old skit CDs (Toll Booth Willie will always be my favourite). I started watching standup on tv, like Just For Laughs and stuff. I can vividly remember watching Gilbert Godfrey one night and just laughing so hard. John Pinette was another one of my favourites. I've never been a hardcore comedy nerd like a lot of comedians are, but I would find the standups I liked, and watch them over and over. None of them sunk their claws into me like Jerry Seinfeld, though. I probably wouldn't even have looked into any of them without "I'm Telling You For The Last Time".

I struggle terribly with writing observational humour jokes. I don't know if it's just not my style, or if it's because I look at Seinfeld as the master of it, and I just feel like my jokes aren't up to his level. However, I still feel his comedy has had a big influence on me and the act I'm developing. I prefer clean humour, and I love jokes about everyday situations that people can relate to. I want to be a clean comic, and have set a goal of being able to work clean as well, if not better, than I can dirty, should I become a headliner someday. And it's all because of that damned CD. 

I'm sure most standup comedians have a particular performer or album that set them down the path they ended up on. Mine was Jerry Seinfeld. That CD changed my life.

Thanks for reading. Have a great Sunday!

Adam