Here's an idea of how 2009 is going for me:
I just spent an hour writing an entry about how I haven't been able to write due to a recent apartment hunt
- and it was deleted.
Sadly, I don't have time to write the fun update I hoped for.
Here's the slapdash rundown:
-My roommate, Pink, and I are parting ways for a warmer more convenient to work locations.
Our heat hasn't worked in our rail road apartment which has made the place a wine tunnel of freezing misery the past month. The apartment is also 2 and a half avenues away from the train - which in the teen degree cold is getting unbearable to trek home to.
I've been booked on a lot of shows this month so the only blog I've updated was my show schedule -shameless link-plug-, I haven't even had a chance to update I Love TV More Than You either -link to un-updated blog-.
I've been spending my days working a ton at the office job.
My nights were spent apartment hunting in snow, sleet, and freezing temps. This was just about the most miserable time ever, but it ended with a place I think I'll be quite happy in.
There's a lot I could catch you up on:
-The crazy hunt for the apartment stories
-The new man in my life
-The fact that I haven't smoked a cigarette since March 15th
But I have to finish writing a sketch for the next Ultimate Experts show (email TheUltimateExperts@gmail.com for reservations for the February 13th 10pm show) .
It's a Valentine's Day theme, so I'm trying to write a sketch along those lines... and get to bed at decent hour lately so I don't catch the deadly cold that circulates amongst co-workers in my office.
So, I'll leave with this for now:
Showing posts with label The Ultimate Experts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Ultimate Experts. Show all posts
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Monday, December 22, 2008
Thoughts on a Fallen Friend
Four months ago to the day today my best friend Joe Powers put on one of the best performances I’d ever seen- this after a week of marathon performances.
For 8 days prior we hung out putting all time and efforts we had into being funny in terms of stand up and sketch to co-produce shows with our sketch group, The Ultimate Experts.
Joe is also my neighbor, and not unlike a sitcom stereo type there were often random drop-ins where I would find myself going about my day and then Joe would be there to eat lunch with me, or distract me with a beer.
On that night four months ago the experts didn’t have their celebration shot that we normally have together afterwards. We just went straight to partying, talking to friends and audience alike. The show we run at the Producer’s Club is a monthly (kinda bi-monthly) which takes place on Fridays at 10pm and ends around midnight. By the time we’ve cleaned up and shut down the bar it’s around 1 or 2 am and we’re all pretty high from the rush of putting on a major production.
That night Joe and I went out on the town with two other pals and had some fun moments, deep conversation, and beer – this could’ve pretty much have read like any other evening we’d shared except for two things:
1. The show was phenomenal that night.
2. Joe fell three stories onto concrete at about 5am
It’s still traumatic to write about, but it’s even worse to think about when you have the actual visual of him lying there in blood. All I could think was, “Not Joe.”
But, alas, it was Joe Powers.
He survived the fall, and after four months has been in and is now out of a coma, couldn’t move the left side of his body – and is now working with therapists to walk, couldn’t talk and is now speaking.
The mind is a really amazing thing, and how the body can heal after such trauma is truly an awesome thing to watch. It’s been a roller coaster these past four months. Joe has his good days and his bad, but he’s moving forward each day – which is something I’m very grateful for.
The thing that makes it all hard, and I’m going to sound selfish, is – I don’t have that best friend around anymore. I went from an everyday pal to a once a week mostly one-sided chat.
It’s hard to go to mics and parties sometimes because I catch myself thinking one of two things:
1. This would be a lot more fun if Joe were here.
2. I really hope no one falls off the building tonight.
Talk about awkward, like that’s not the kinda reputation any gal would want.
“What kinda gal is Sue Funke? – Well, don’t invite her to a party if you wanna walk away from it.”
Oh, that’s awful to think, but really, I just never wanna see that kinda thing twice.
I’m just glad Joe is safe now and recovering, and I hold onto great hope that there will be a day where Joe and I get to do another open mic together, take the train home, grab some tacos off a truck and watch America’s Funniest Home Videos while we discuss comedy and life.
So, what do I want for Christmas?
A hair dryer.
Oh, and Joe Powers. I’d like a fully recovered Joe Powers. I miss him very much.
So, if any of you brain surgeons out there can figure out how to accelerate Traumatic Brain Injury healing, I would really REALLY love that Christmas miracle.
And now some of my favorite moments from the August 22nd Ultimate Experts show:
Joe as Father Barnabus Dempsey
Joe and I play a couple and other dorky things from my Dungeons and Dragons sketch.
For 8 days prior we hung out putting all time and efforts we had into being funny in terms of stand up and sketch to co-produce shows with our sketch group, The Ultimate Experts.
Joe is also my neighbor, and not unlike a sitcom stereo type there were often random drop-ins where I would find myself going about my day and then Joe would be there to eat lunch with me, or distract me with a beer.
On that night four months ago the experts didn’t have their celebration shot that we normally have together afterwards. We just went straight to partying, talking to friends and audience alike. The show we run at the Producer’s Club is a monthly (kinda bi-monthly) which takes place on Fridays at 10pm and ends around midnight. By the time we’ve cleaned up and shut down the bar it’s around 1 or 2 am and we’re all pretty high from the rush of putting on a major production.
That night Joe and I went out on the town with two other pals and had some fun moments, deep conversation, and beer – this could’ve pretty much have read like any other evening we’d shared except for two things:
1. The show was phenomenal that night.
2. Joe fell three stories onto concrete at about 5am
It’s still traumatic to write about, but it’s even worse to think about when you have the actual visual of him lying there in blood. All I could think was, “Not Joe.”
But, alas, it was Joe Powers.
He survived the fall, and after four months has been in and is now out of a coma, couldn’t move the left side of his body – and is now working with therapists to walk, couldn’t talk and is now speaking.
The mind is a really amazing thing, and how the body can heal after such trauma is truly an awesome thing to watch. It’s been a roller coaster these past four months. Joe has his good days and his bad, but he’s moving forward each day – which is something I’m very grateful for.
The thing that makes it all hard, and I’m going to sound selfish, is – I don’t have that best friend around anymore. I went from an everyday pal to a once a week mostly one-sided chat.
It’s hard to go to mics and parties sometimes because I catch myself thinking one of two things:
1. This would be a lot more fun if Joe were here.
2. I really hope no one falls off the building tonight.
Talk about awkward, like that’s not the kinda reputation any gal would want.
“What kinda gal is Sue Funke? – Well, don’t invite her to a party if you wanna walk away from it.”
Oh, that’s awful to think, but really, I just never wanna see that kinda thing twice.
I’m just glad Joe is safe now and recovering, and I hold onto great hope that there will be a day where Joe and I get to do another open mic together, take the train home, grab some tacos off a truck and watch America’s Funniest Home Videos while we discuss comedy and life.
So, what do I want for Christmas?
A hair dryer.
Oh, and Joe Powers. I’d like a fully recovered Joe Powers. I miss him very much.
So, if any of you brain surgeons out there can figure out how to accelerate Traumatic Brain Injury healing, I would really REALLY love that Christmas miracle.
And now some of my favorite moments from the August 22nd Ultimate Experts show:
Joe as Father Barnabus Dempsey
Joe and I play a couple and other dorky things from my Dungeons and Dragons sketch.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Quitting's Easy, I Do it All the Time
So, two weeks ago, as a present for Quel's bday, I quit smoking.
I know, you're thinking, "Wait a minute, didn't you quit already?"
Ummmm.
I got the bed bugs and things were wicked stressful and busy, and cigarettes always make me feel better..
even though somehow they make it really hard for me to breath.
Maybe, it's because I have asthma.
Anywho, I wanted to quit. I was supposed to May 1st, and that came and went.
-But I still really wanted to quit.
-But I still really loved smoking.
The week I decided to quit Lindsay(one half of the brunettes) sent me an article by David Sedaris. Now, here's a man who understands why a woman such as myself would love to smoke. He's quite the fan himself, but if he could quit - so can I.
The last cigarette I had was May 15th, a day chosen for me by Dan Upham.
"Ya gotta pick a random day and just do it. May 15th. You should quit May 15th. That would be a good day," Upham said.
I told Quel this, thinking it was a crazy statement.
"That's the day before my birthday. You can do it as a birthday gift for me!" Quel said.
I was broke, because of the smoking, and couldn't really afford a better gift. So, I decided that was a very good reason to quit.
When I smoked my last cigarette (it was after an Ultimate Experts Meeting) Joe, Art, and Quel all put their hands on me. I am not really sure why, but it was like by having their hands touch me it made it tangible. They were physical witnesses of my very last cigarette.
Week one was tough.
Week two I got really depressed.
Week three I'm now feeling as though I've lost a close friend.
Some people say, it gets easier with time.
But others
those that know me well enough to tell me the truth,
tell me I'll always want one.
The trick is not having one.
"Anytime you want a cigarette, drink milk," Quel says.
Crazy as it seems it's been helping.
I love milk now, who knew?
SIDE NOTE: My sketch group, The Ultimate Experts (Dan Upham, Raquel (Quel) D'Apice, Joe Powers, Arthur Carlson, and me, Sue Funke) are performing on Friday, June 6th at The Producer's Club.
The theme for the show is Game Shows and Weddings. All of the experts will also be sharing their thoughts and theories on D-Day and the following comics are performing: Del, David Greek, Gilad Foss, and Seth Herzog.
Email: TheUltimateExperts@gmail.com for tickets and/or to get on our awesome newsletter list!
I know, you're thinking, "Wait a minute, didn't you quit already?"
Ummmm.
I got the bed bugs and things were wicked stressful and busy, and cigarettes always make me feel better..
even though somehow they make it really hard for me to breath.
Maybe, it's because I have asthma.
Anywho, I wanted to quit. I was supposed to May 1st, and that came and went.
-But I still really wanted to quit.
-But I still really loved smoking.
The week I decided to quit Lindsay(one half of the brunettes) sent me an article by David Sedaris. Now, here's a man who understands why a woman such as myself would love to smoke. He's quite the fan himself, but if he could quit - so can I.
The last cigarette I had was May 15th, a day chosen for me by Dan Upham.
"Ya gotta pick a random day and just do it. May 15th. You should quit May 15th. That would be a good day," Upham said.
I told Quel this, thinking it was a crazy statement.
"That's the day before my birthday. You can do it as a birthday gift for me!" Quel said.
I was broke, because of the smoking, and couldn't really afford a better gift. So, I decided that was a very good reason to quit.
When I smoked my last cigarette (it was after an Ultimate Experts Meeting) Joe, Art, and Quel all put their hands on me. I am not really sure why, but it was like by having their hands touch me it made it tangible. They were physical witnesses of my very last cigarette.
Week one was tough.
Week two I got really depressed.
Week three I'm now feeling as though I've lost a close friend.
Some people say, it gets easier with time.
But others
those that know me well enough to tell me the truth,
tell me I'll always want one.
The trick is not having one.
"Anytime you want a cigarette, drink milk," Quel says.
Crazy as it seems it's been helping.
I love milk now, who knew?
SIDE NOTE: My sketch group, The Ultimate Experts (Dan Upham, Raquel (Quel) D'Apice, Joe Powers, Arthur Carlson, and me, Sue Funke) are performing on Friday, June 6th at The Producer's Club.
The theme for the show is Game Shows and Weddings. All of the experts will also be sharing their thoughts and theories on D-Day and the following comics are performing: Del, David Greek, Gilad Foss, and Seth Herzog.
Email: TheUltimateExperts@gmail.com for tickets and/or to get on our awesome newsletter list!
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