A much needed bike ride.

I took a late night bike ride tonight, cruising around the Jordaan, Amsterdam’s working class neighborhood. I rode up Marnixstraat listening to music and enjoying the empty, quiet streets that filled the Sunday evening. The breeze on my face felt very refreshing and for once, I felt at peace here in my new home. The houses line up in impressive rows, large towering buildings, but thin and often one building sticks out from the other rooftops, revealing its slant nature. I rode by windows with people sitting inside, watching tv, or pass by beautiful sitting rooms, windows covered in white lace. Empty cafes, late night shoarma and pizza shops keep the street lit, and occasionally cars will drive by, forcing me to come out of my trance and ride closer to the sidewalk.

I stopped by a movie theater. The building was very old, all wood interior, the restaurant adjacent offered a bar and upstairs seating. Two large windows reveal the entire operation. I decide to come back the next night and treat myself to dinner and a movie.

On the way back home, I pass by canals and the homes that float atop them. The yellow lights of the street reflect off the water and help light my way. Down near my little studio, I cruise around my surrounding streets, thinking its time I look into the cafes that adorn my neighborhood and take advantage of my them before I have to move to my new apartment.

Back inside my small little room, I am breathing deep, peaceful breaths. It feels good to be here. It feels good to do what I do. The promise of sharing this ride with my girl feels amazing. I feel lucky and lonely and grateful and melancholy all at the same time.

Time to write comedy.

A man named Pep gets married.

It was Jon (a.k.a. Pep) and Tamara's wedding today. They were married in Vondelkerk, a former church near the park and an immensely beautiful little place. Matt and Suzi played a John Lennon song, the one everyone plays at their wedding, and Brendan Hunt did bits while they went through about a half hour of paperwork that is typically done at Dutch weddings. Not only do you have to sign papers as the wedding couple, but they all have to be confirmed by 4 different witnesses and so on. This country loves its paperwork.

Then we went to the Film Museum, where we had drinks and poffertjes, which are these little tiny silver dollar pancakes covered in powdered sugar and butter and a little syrup. They're pretty good. It was kind of an amazing post ceremony toast, as it was sponsored by Bailey's. Seriously. Bailey's was all over the place, and we toasted to it. The invitations, made to look like a postcard filled with photos of Amsterdam, Boom, the Vondelkerk, and with Pep and Tamara in the center, showed a quite prominent Bailey's bottle in the corner.

That's Boom Chicago. Even the weddings are corporately sponsored.

You win, Tim.

Tim put this picture and other gay themed Batman paintings on the desktops of the computers in the shiny. Normally, the desktop pictures are a battle, with pictures changing daily if not hourly, but these have stayed on a for a little while now.

Frankfurt

My second corporate show ever is a overnight in Frankfurt. Not sure how I ended up on this gig, but it's a lot of fun. The show goes great and we even give an encore. They give us a standing ovation and a gift of wine and flowers. Afterwards we go to the hotel bar and they give us drinks until we can't drink anymore. Rob tells me to stay for at least 2 years, but I wonder how that will work. Erica is still not here yet.

Back in my room, Suzi calls me and tells me to turn on the tv. It's Seinfeld dubbed in German. The voices they picked for each of the characters, especially Kramer, makes us laugh like crazy.

God Bless Boom Chicago

We did a show tonight and had a bunch of plainclothes U.S. soldiers in the house. we didn't know until after, but many were very gracious and came up and talked to us after. It was sweet. I was very happy to make them laugh and they were so appreciative.

Apparently, Tim told me that at their corporate gig Saturday night, which was at NATO, one U.S. General came up to Greg afterwards and told him that he should be proud of what he's doing for his country. Greg was a little teary-eyed after.

Anyway, the show was okay, but I was a little out of it. My rap at the end sucked, and I was not energy-ready to do a comedy show, but it turned out all right. Now I'm going home to answer a call to nature. The one in the shiny is clogged up and has a sign taped to it that says "Soury".

Not a typo.


The Shiny toilet. Taken a different night, but it's probably still broken.