I went to see comedian Jeff Richards perform at Flappers in Burbank last night.  You'd probably remember him as "Drunk Girl" from Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, but I liked him best as Jarrod's creepy jock roommate.  Anyway, my friend and I didn't go in with super-high expectations, but we ended up having a really good time.  All of the people we saw were funny!  It was cool that the club has an area set-up on your way out where you can meet the performers from your show.  Of course Jeff Richards was especially nice to my friend (everyone is ALWAYS especially nice to her!  Even when it's me forking over the $20 for their merch..... some things absolutely never change, LOL).

My friend and I made a pact that we were really going to try to go to more comedy shows.  We used to go fairly often and saw some cool acts (and no really horrible and awful acts that we walked out of, actually, there was only one...... I'm looking at you Joe Rogan.  I can take dirty.  I can take rude.  I can even take unfunny.  But when you hit the trifecta of all three, I'm out.).  We really did see some amazing gigs.  A Damon Wayans surprise act, a REALLY young Carlos Alazaraqui, Charles Fleischer, Kevin Meanie, Greg Proops, the list goes on and on and on. 

It's time to get back to comedy!  The shows are cheap and you can usually get away with diet cokes for your two drink minimum.

Something to think about.

I think I'm finally settling in to my job.  I'm still training and learning, but I'm starting to get comfortable.  We still have the big quarterly project coming-up, but at least I'n not as on edge as I was....

I'm going to EC tomorrow after work (after driving home in traffic and walking to catch a crowded bus, not to be confused with a Crowded House) with my cocktail partners in crime, Sam and her husband David. I can't wait to have a nice flaming margarita and relax. :-)

Maybe Sam will remember to bring my mail this time....bah, probably not, LOL!

I was saddened to receive a text yesterday from my friend letting me know that Rik Mayall passed away. This was from the same friend who called and told me Phil Hartman had been murdered.

When I was in high school, I was a nerd. Seriously nerdy. I read comic books, was obsessed with music, Monty Python, comedy shows, reading, watching old TV shows and everything British and Australian (Kiwi too). Don't get me wrong, I had friends, but I was a little different. I liked my friends, but since we lived kinda far from everything, I spent loads of time on my own.

One day I discovered the Young Ones.   Since no one else had heard of it, it didn't help my nerd status, but it was so great. I had such a huge crush on both Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson! This show had amazing guest stars that would go on to become HUGE, although we didn't know it then. My next crushes were Stephen Fry, Robbie Coltrane, Griff Rhys-Jones , Stephan Frost and Hugh Laurie. All of them were on the show at some point. I'd already had a crush on Griff from watching him and Mel Smith on their show "Alas Smith and Jines", but it was neat seeing him on this show. Then there were the bands on the show: Madness, Motörhead, Amazulu, the Damned, Jools Holland with members of Squeeze, Ultravox, , etc. this was stuff you couldn't see anywhere!  Even Emma Thomson was on the show...

I couldn't believe my luck when, a few years later, I found a vinyl copy of " British Comic Relief Presents: Utterly Utterly Live". I got it for The Young Ones with Cliff Richard, but it opened my eyes to Billy Connolly, Lenny Henry and French and Saunders.  AMAZING.  I owe so much to the Rik and the Young Ones.

Rik was in other great things: Blackadder, Comic Strip Presents (I have a cd of Bad News!), Filthy  Rich and Catflap, Dangerous Brothers, New Statesman, the movie Drop Dead Fred, Bottom, Jonathan Creek.....all sorts of stuff. It was the Young Ones that started it all. I can still recite lines from it.  Not as geeky as when I used to recite Python lines, but close. Here is a poem I know by heart, that Rik recited while looking in the mirror, pinching his face to pop a zit. If you know the show, it should bring back good memories--

"Pollution. All around. Sometimes up. Sometimes down. Pollution, are you coming to my town, or am I coming to yours? Ha, we're on different buses pollution, but we're both using petrol...ha"

If you want, I can't recite Python too....

I have had this picture for man, many years (mainly on my fridge, where it still resides), I will raise a glass to it and miss the great, crude, filthy genius of Rik Mayall. I used to have the picture saved, but when I updated my computer, it was lost. I can't find it online anymore.  Hopefully it will show up below:

Update 6/29 = I finally tracked down the image online.

For some reason this didn't publish last weekend-- trying again.

I went out to breakfast this morning with my staff from my last job. It was awesome to see everyone and spend time catching up. I can't believe it's been over two months since I left. A lot has changed at my old company... And two of my gals gave me birthday presents, I love presents!!! I miss these ladies like crazy.  We're going to do it again in a month or two.

I was lucky enough to have birthday breakfast with two friends on my bday. I'm so fortunate to have these two ladies as my friends.   My dad sent me an awesome text. My mom, of course, forgot to call. Maybe she got mixed up since I'd seen them the weekend before? I don't know. Makes me laugh though! One year she called me on the wrong day and when I pointed it out, she said "I know when it is, I was there". :-)

I can't believe I'm another year older. So much has happened in the last 12 months. I've moved, passed a major exam (it pisses me off that I'm not using the license, but hey, I passed!) and I found a new job in Brentwood.

My new bosses gave me a beautiful orchid, which was neat since my last boss never even said "happy birthday" when I worked for him.

The rest of my birthday was quiet.  I went to a special screening of the Thrilling Adventure Hour web series with a bonus performance of my favorite: Sparks Nevada, Marshall on Mars. My friend drove and I got to be the second passenger in her new SUV. It was great! They were also showing Serenity, but we bailed early. One of the actors came over to My friend to tell her he'd met her sister back east. How neat is that?