First of May, but I'm No "First of May"

Today is the first of May. "First of May" has significance to me and other past & present circus performers. That is the term for "rookie" clowns, or other first-time circus performers. It was also the "official" title or degree on my rather useless diploma from the Ringling Bros. Blown College. I believe the term comes from the traditional starting date for the circus season, May 1st.

It has been many years since I was a genuine First of May. However there are many times when I can be made to feel like a rookie in the business. Take Saturday night's gig.

I was completing the second of my two stand-up bookings. This one was at the Odyssey Fun Center, a bowling alley with a lounge that doubles as a comedy club from September through April. I've worked only a few comedy club/bowling alleys in my day, but they were all memorable.

In any event, while sitting at the bar eagerly awaiting the beginning of the program, I saw a couple of patrons reading through the local free entertainment publication and talking about the show they were about to see. Below is a scan of the advertisement.



Allow me to recreate the entire conversation I overheard.

Guy W/Paper: Check it out! This guy (pointing to photo of headliner, Brian Green) is awesome! Remember when we saw him here last time?

Other Guy: Oh yeah! Didn't we see him on TV?

Guy W/Paper: Says here he was on B.E.T. and A&E, so yeah. He's that funny one.

Other Guy: Oh YEAH! I know this guy. He's hilarious! Cool. Who's this guy? (Points to my photo, long pause)

Guy W/Paper: I dunno. Never heard of him. Don't recognize him.

[SCENE]

The funny thing was that I was quite actually right next to them when they were trying to ascertain my identity. They could have just looked at the guy sitting at the bar to at least recognize that "he" was actually in the building. I came very close to chiming in with a snide remark, "Yeah, well I never heard of you either." I chose to find it amusing and to move on, knowing I would RULE later on in the evening.

Even stranger was when we were approached by a lady, Deena, who was attending her very first stand-up comedy show. This was such a big deal that she felt it necessary to ask both of us for our autographs to commemorate the occasion. Brian & I found it all amusing as in the real world we're both pretty much nobodies with serious leaning towards the cool side. Of course we signed the bar napkin for her and did our best to make her First of May venture as a comedy club audience member a memorable one.

Monday May 1, 2006 Weign-in

225 Pounds

Back to a 15 pound loss over all

Too much good food on the road. Some excelent eateries in da U.P. , eh. Back to the plan this week.