#22 - I Like Being At Home 06/14/18

I love being at home.

I like being home more than anywhere on the planet. I can do whatever I want, my dog and my girlfriend are here, it's quiet. My favourite place. As I've gotten older, I like it more and more. The days of going out drinking 2 or 3 nights a week and staying out all night are long gone. If I stay out until 2 in the morning drinking, I pay for it for a week.

Sometimes I feel like an odd man out in comedy, because some of the comics that I like hanging out with most are still at a point where they like to drink and stay out late. And that's totally cool, I used to be the same way. But I'm 34 now. I totally understand why old people go to bed right after dinner and get up before the sun everyday; I'm half way there and I'm right on track.

I've embraced it, too. I don't think everyone slows down as they get older and start to mature a little more, but a lot of people do. My ideal night out with my friends now is going to someone's house for a few beers and a board game or something. Half the time, I don't drink because I don't want to chance a hangover the next day. Fifteen years ago, I'd get paid on Friday and be broke by Monday. Now, I'd rather keep the $100 I'd blow at the bar and save it, because I'm a frugal old man....

And this isn't me shitting on my friends that still like to go out and drink and stay out all night. Not at all. Part of me feels left out when I talk to them and hear the stories from last night, because I want to be part of the group and hang out with them. But a bigger part of me just likes listening and laughing, but doing it after a good night's sleep because I went home instead of tagging along the night before. They say life is about doing what makes you happy, and what makes me happy is hanging out on the couch with my dog after a show.

It's not to say I don't still go out and do things. I just pick my spots a little more carefully now. And then when I do decide to go out, I try to make it count, because I want it to be worth it the next day. But I'm really embracing getting older. I'd rather feel a little left out, but do something I want to do than tag along with people I can't keep up with anymore and wish I'd just gone home.

I've been working on a joke about how I can't wait to be one of the old guys you see at McDonalds and A&W every morning that just sit there with their friends drinking coffee. But it's kind of true.

Thanks for reading.

Adam

#21 - Bucket Lists.... 06/13/18

I have no idea if "Bucket Lists" existed before the movie from a few years ago. I'd never heard of them.

For quite a while, I thought they were kind of dumb. I liked the concept, I just got sick of hearing the term "bucket list" all the time. Anytime someone achieved anything, "cross that off my bucket list!" But the more I've thought about it, the more I kind of like the idea of writing down a list of things you want to experience or achieve before you die. I think it motivates some people to try things they would have never done otherwise, or go after a dream with a little more gusto. I don't know how many people actually have a written out list, but I'm sure almost all of us have things we want to do before it's too late, even if you just keep them in to yourself.

That said, this blog is about writing my thoughts down. So with zero preparation, here's a few items from my "bucket list":

Attend a WrestleMania

As some of you may know, I'm a longtime pro wrestling fan. I've been to a few live events in the past, but never a big pay-per-view or anything. And the biggest PPV of them all is WrestleMania. I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember. Even when the week to week product isn't at it's best, WWE pulls out all the stops for WrestleMania. I would be a 10 year old kid all day; t-shirts, fake title belts, freaking out and screaming for 6 hours....I think it'd be incredible!

Next year's 'Mania is in New York, and my girlfriend and I have always said we'd love to go back there....

Play in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker

There was a time where my friends would play poker, and I'd only come along because I didn't want to sit at home by myself. But I caught the bug, and I've loved the game ever since. We went to Vegas last year, and I spent the majority of 3 days just playing drinking and playing poker, and it was a fucking blast. I get why non-players find it boring, but the idea of sitting at a poker table all day sounds like a pretty good time to me. The Main Event at the World Series lasts for a week, and it involves several long, LONG days of poker in a row. It's the biggest poker tournament in the world. That sounds awesome!

The buy-in to the Main Event is $10,000 U.S. As of this morning, that's $12, 977.95 CAD. It'd be easy to look at the number and think it'll never happen. But you can win your way into the tournament by winning smaller tournaments. Or, you can save your money. When you're 10, and you get $15/week for an allowance, saving up a few hundred dollars for something seems impossible, too. I'll play that tournament someday. 

Write a Novel

I've been slowly plugging away at this project for a while now, but I've thought about writing a fictional novel for most of my adult life. Until recently, it was just a thought in the back of my mind, but now I've begun the process of putting ink to paper (or computer typing...to....whatever). I don't know if it'll be successful, or published, or even good, but I just want to cross the finish line. Honestly, I could be working a lot harder on this than I am, things keep distracting me (see yesterday's blog; "Nintendo"), but I'm committed to seeing it through. If anything, just so I can cross it off this list.

Own an Original Ms. Pac-Man Arcade Machine

They don't all have to be big and inspiring achievements. It's my favourite arcade game, and I want one.

Book a Comedy Tour

The newest addition to my list. Over the last 12 months or so, I've slowly started booking some of my own comedy shows. For the most part, I enjoy the process. It's more stressful, but it's also really cool being your own boss. You decide what other comics you'll be working with, how much of the money you make yourself, how much time you get to do every night. I'm not ready yet, but down the road, I want to book my own tour. I don't know how long of run it would be, how many shows, if I would headline, co-headline. I don't know anything. Yet. But I'll learn. And I'll make it happen someday.

I guess that's it for now. I'm sure there are a hundred more things I want to do, but this is long enough as it is. And the best part is that none of this is impossible at all. Some of it will just take money. Some of it will take time. Most will take both. But I have zero doubt in mind that I'll be able to cross all these off my list someday if I just keep plugging away. 

I strongly recommend that you take just 5 minutes out of your day when you can, and think about stuff you want to accomplish before it's too late. You still have lots of time. And writing it down really does make anything easier to focus on and achieve 

Plus, if you write your bucket list down, you actually get to cross stuff off of it. And that's the best part!

Thanks for reading. 

Adam

#20 - Nintendo 06/12/18

DISCLAIMER: This is one of my nerd-centric posts. If you don't like video games, you won't like this blog.

I love Nintendo.

I'm a hardcore Nintendo fanboy, and I have been for as long as I can remember. The original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) came out in 1985, and I was born in 1983. I don't remember when we got one, but I can't remember a time in my life where I didn't have a Nintendo video game system hooked up to my tv. I love most video games, but Nintendo in particular has just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Growing up, I couldn't get enough. I loved the original NES for stuff like Mario, Contra, Blades of Steel, Tetris, Excitebike....the list goes on and on. And then the Super Nintendo came out and that was it. If I was hooked on the NES, I was full fledged addicted to the SNES. It just took all the games I had spent years growing up playing on the original Nintendo, and made them all better. I've had a problem ever since. Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, and now my Switch, I love them all.

And as an adult, I sometimes think wonder if I have a video game addiction. It's pretty rare that more than a day or two goes by when I don't play something. Sometimes when I sit down to work on a project, or write some jokes, I'll glance over at my Switch laying on the table, and I just can't help myself. I can only imagine it's how you smokers feel all the time. "Why can't I quit you??"

I've tried to quit, too. I used to have a retro game collection, and I sold it. I sold my Xbox and my Playstation 4, probably 75% of all my games. I only kept my Switch because it's great for killing time on the road (it's a portable gaming system, in case you didn't know), and because it's Nintendo. The other video game consoles on the market today are great, but they just don't have their teeth in me the way Nintendo does....

So I've accepted the fact that I can't just quit playing video games. I mean, if I went to the doctor tomorrow and they said I'll die if I don't stop, I could probably kick the habit, but unless I'm forced to down the road, I just don't imagine a time where I don't play. It's my favourite hobby, and my top way to relax and get my mind off whatever is going on in my life. I'll always struggle with trying to find a balance between work and play, but whatever. The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one. I might have one, but I refuse to admit it. That way, I never have to fix it.

I have no idea how I've had a girlfriend for this long....

Adam

#19 - Is Blogging Self-Indulgent? 06/11/18

This blog is a way for me to get my thoughts down on paper(ish), and it also gives me an opportunity to write, which is one of my favourite pastimes. But that said, I realize this is a pretty self-indulgent blog.

It pretty well just circles around me, and whatever I'm thinking about at the time. I've read articles that say if you want to build a successful blog, self-indulgence is a no-no. People don't particularly care what you think about the world. And while that's probably true, I didn't set out to build a successful blog. So yeah, this thing is self-indulgent, and I'm going to keep indulging. 

One of the hesitations I had when I decided to try and write a daily blog was that people would think it was obnoxious, and that I'm just being full of myself. And that's probably exactly what some people think. But I'm not going to do something I enjoy, simply because some people might not like it. Frankly, the blog has been getting a pretty significant number of hits each day (in my eyes), so somebody is reading it.

I truly believe that there are an endless number of great ideas out there, and people hesitate to act on them. And in some cases, it's because whatever the idea is seems impossible, or maybe it's not practical and it doesn't fit into that person's day to day life. But I really think one of the biggest reasons people don't act on their ideas is because they're afraid of what others will think. I know I personally have several ideas that I've hesitated to put into motion because of that very reason. And that's just dumb. 

If doing something is going to make your day to day life happier, do it. It's that simple. Fuck what anyone thinks of you. You owe it to yourself to be happy, and you owe it to the world to bring your ideas to life. Smartphones, Netflix, video games, etc, are all the end result of someone having an idea, and having the drive, and the balls, to bring it to life. If other people like what you're doing and they support you, that's awesome. If they don't like it, that's fine, too. They'll ignore it, and you can just keep on keeping on.

If seeing my posts every day irritates you, I hope you ignore them and move on. If you think I'm a little full of myself, maybe I am. But I enjoy writing these. And that's all that matters.

And if you do read these blogs, thanks for being interested in what I have to say. You may not get anything out of them other than killing 90 seconds of your day, but know that I appreciate you reading. 

Adam

#18 - Sunday Ramblings 06/10/18

What's on my mind this morning....?

- It's been a really fun string of shows that last 7 days. Being on the road with Brent most of the week has been fun, he's a really good dude. His work ethic, and his ability to focus on his joke writing (obsess is maybe a better word) makes me jealous and feel inspired at the same time. There's a reason he's so well respected by all the comics in Edmonton. We had a fun show in Regina last night, and in a couple hours we start an almost 8 hour drive to Red Deer for one more show before we go home.

- And on that note, I can't wait to get home. It hasn't even been that long, and I miss my girlfriend and my dog. I don't know how anyone with kids can be a comedian. But I don't have kids, maybe it's easier to leave them at home for a little while? Maybe a parent just needs a break sometimes? I like being a comedian, and I know it's what I want to do with my life, but one of the downsides is being away from home. I envy comics that take their dogs on the road with them.

- On the plus side, I love hotel rooms. Clean hotel rooms, anyways. Having your own room is the best. Laying around in your underwear, peeing with the door open, having the bed to yourself.... (Like I said, I miss my girl and my dog, but their both bed hogs). Sometimes my favourite part of shows on the road is finishing the show and coming back to my hotel room. I was tempted to stay at the bar and drank last night, but I'm pretty happy I didn't this morning...

- I can't get enough of seeing all these clips of Ovechkin with the Cup on twitter. I couldn't be happier for the guy. Outside of Teemu Selanne, I can't think of an athlete that doesn't play for my favourite teams that I've been happier to see win a Championship. If Ovie was a Canadian, he'd be the biggest star in the League.

- CM Punk got his ass kicked again at UFC 225 last night. But I don't care. The guy has balls the size of grapefruits, and I stand by everything I said about him a few days ago. He's an inspiration. I can't wait to see what's next for him. I still can't decide if I want him to come back to wrestling or not....

- Apparently, Edmonton and most of Alberta is getting pelted with some pretty rough weather. I'll pass on the tornados, but I love a good thunderstorm. If you guys could save one for when we get back tonight, I'd really appreciate it.

Have a great Sunday, guys. If you're in Red Deer, I'd love to see you at the show tonight. Heritage Lanes at 8!

Thanks for reading!

Adam

#17 - Summer 06/09/18

I wonder if people that live in places where it's beautiful outside year around appreciate the warm weather as much as people that live in places where it gets cold for half the year do?

Obviously, being a proud Canadian, I'm used to dealing with winters. I don't even hate winter. I know some people do, but I don't think it's that bad. I look at it as an excuse to hibernate inside and be lazy for a few months. And from a selfish perspective, the quality of most comedy shows improves exponentially when it's cold outside, because people are looking for stuff to do indoors. Hockey is on, Christmas is in the winter, there's lots of pros.

That said, I prefer summer so much more. We get about 3-4 months of beautiful weather in Edmonton in a good year. Like, 20 degrees + weather. I love it. When you can walk your dog wearing only shorts and a t shirt, and not have to go back early because your cold. Filling your car up with gas, and not stopping at half a tank because the wind hurts your face. And then you get a slurpee to go with your new tank of gas, and drive away with the window down? That's what I'm talking about.....Firepits, BBQing, beers on bar patios? Fuck yeah!

My only real issue with summer (other than allergies, but fuck them), is comedy takes a pounding. Some open mics and shows shut down entirely from June - August, because it's just too hard to convince people to come inside and watch a show. But even that isn't the end of the world. I'd love to hit a point in my comedy career where I'm booked solid in the winter, and if my summer is empty, I can just enjoy a summer vacation like I used to as a kid.

I'm on the road this weekend, hitting Saskatoon, Regina, and Red Deer before going back to Edmonton. Me and Brent (the comic I'm travelling with) were saying yesterday that it's a give and take with comedy and the weather. In the winter, we get great audiences, but the drives can be just awful. In the summer the crowds get small, but the drive is awesome. Obviously, I'd prefer the best of both worlds, but there's just few things in the world that make me feel as happy as driving in the summer.

I dunno, maybe this is a dumb blog. But I'm in a good mood, the sun is out, and I'm in shorts and flip flops. Life is good.

Thanks for reading. And as my buddy Ken Valgardson would say, "Go outside!". (Unless you're in Regina tonight or Red Deer tomorrow. Then please come to our shows!)

Adam

#16 - Just Get a Little Bit Better 06/08/18

(This blog pretty much consists of comedy theory and strategies I'm applying on stage. So if that stuff doesn't interest you, save yourself the 90 seconds or so)

As I type this, it's about 10:00 in the morning on Friday. I'm sitting here inhaling cups of hot water with lemon and honey, because I'm still having problems with my voice, and I have a long weekend of shows coming up. But I'm not complaining.

Well, I guess I am, but...

Last night, I hosted a show, and I had to deal with a heckler. I ended up getting in a bit of a confrontation with him, but he left, and the show improved drastically afterwards. I don't know if I handled it the right way or not, but after the show was over I looked back on it as a learning experience. That's the same mentality I'm trying to have every time I get on stage now. I always try to look back on not only how my set went, but on how I tried to improve as well.

For example, Wednesday I was on stage for 45 minutes (which is still new to me), and while I think my set went fine, I definitely saw a lot of places to improve. One of my big revelations was realizing that I try to go into crowd work in the middle of a long joke sometimes, and then after I'm done with the audience, I can't remember where I was in the bit I was telling, and I end up forgetting big parts of the joke I was in the middle of. So for the next few shows, I'm going to really focus on finishing whatever joke I'm telling before trying crowd work. That way I won't forget any of my punchlines or tags, and then I can start into my next joke cleanly after I talk to the audience. I chalk it up to a learning experience.

Even when I just hit open mics now and do 5 minute spots, I try not to go up there and just go through the motions anymore. I always try to have a plan, and something I want to work on. A new joke, or a new tag, or a new act out to go with an old joke. There's an old adage in comedy that says "You should be trying something new every time you get on stage". And it literally can be one new word or tiny tweak on a joke, at least you're trying to get better and grow as a comedian. Those small steps can really add up. And it helps keep you from getting bored of your act, because you're always tweaking and playing with it.

That's my opinion, anyway. You don't have/shouldn't listen to me. I walked a member of the audience last night. I don't know what I'm doing.

Have a great weekend!

Adam