My Last Improv Show And Choosing "Joi"

I may be on the radio a few times this week. Tomorrow morning (I'm writing this at 11pm on Monday night) I'll be on Wake Up Call with Halloway and Lundun on KPNW, 1120 AM, during the seven o'clock hour. If you'd like, you can listen to the last time I was on the show by going here. I'll be doing everything I can this week to get word out about the ComedySportz Eugene reunion show this Saturday at Lane Community College in Eugene.

This show is a large piece of my bucket-list. ComedySportz is an improv comedy format with teams and a referee to deliver the laughs. For those who have no concept of improv, it's much like the show Who's Line Is It Anyway? but without the budget. There are ComedySportz theaters all over the world. The nearest is in Portland, Oregon. But, until 2006, there was one right here in Eugene. Basically, we were great at delivering the funny, but not so much at making the money. (Hey! That rhymed!)

Since it's closure most of us have continued performing in one way or another. But I've always wanted one more show. Honestly, I probably always will. But this, barring a miracle cure of my cancer, will by my last improv show. I may continue to do occasional stand-up comedy. But improv requires a lot of movement and activity. It used to be second nature to me... before the chemo, the cancer and the cane I now carry.

So it's a fulfilment of a bucket-list item. It's also a fundraiser. I make a little money every month on disability. All of that money, and more, goes to pay my insurance, office co-pays, chemotherapy co-pays, medication co-pays and hospital bills. Kristin, currently working as a receptionist, is our sole means of support and every month we get a little farther behind.

So, here's the deal... you come see the show, or just buy a ticket and flush it, either way another bill gets paid. We provide laughter, hilarity and a place where your entire family can comfortably laugh together. I know there's not much "family-friendly" entertainment out there. Each day there are fewer and fewer options for a family to go out together and not regret bringing along the kids, the parents or the grand-parents. THIS SHOW IS ABSOLUTELY FAMILY-FRIENDLY! So bring 'em all. Don't let the name fool you either! It's not about "sportz". The "sportz" is just an excuse or tool to convey the funny to your humor button.

Here's the info one more time:

Tickets are available here, right at this website (upper right-hand corner), for only $7. At the door tickets will be $10 or $5 for kids 12 and under and seniors 55 and over. (The reduced senior/kid price is available only at the door.) If you'd like to hand friends and/or family a flier you can print out a flier from here: http://freepdfhosting.com/747bfb7c3e.pdf

In more of a "life update" for y'all... It's been a weird roller-coaster the last few weeks.

You should really check out my wife, Kristin's, blog here: http://kristinjamison.blogspot.com

or my Mom's blog here: http://jan-auntiejan.blogspot.com for a more passionate look at what my life, and theirs, is like right now. Kristin doesn't write so often, but writes with passion and love. My Mom, Jan, writes frequently with a passion, and occasionally an anger, that will stir your soul. I'd consider it a favor if you'd fallow along on their journey as well. You'll probably learn more at their blogs than I can offer.

My chemo is now a combination of two of the toughest drugs I've been on. Oxaliplatin and Vectibix. The side effects vary from something that feels like narcolepsy to frequent little blisters on the tips of my fingers. There's also the normal nausea, weird sleep schedules, pains, aches and a half ton of pills.

If a monkey yawns, the monkey is either tired or angry about something.

Our car that God provided graciously to us through an old Friend, who also blessed me with a story from high-school that turned out to be the first of many to touch my heart along with the car, is quickly dying. It's value is less than we've already put into it and now it's the proverbial orphan asking, "Please sir, may I have some more." 

Seeing this coming, we started the process of obtaining a car loan from the Lending Outlet (the only place that would even look at us after our bankruptcy) weeks ago. We've been approved as long as we can come up with the $1,000 down payment. The monthly payments will be less than $150 and the interest rate is really incredible considering our current credit ratings. God put this together.

At the Relay for Life this weekend, our good friend Sonja introduced us to the general manager of a local dealership chain. (I'm not mentioning his or the chains name because I'm not sure he wants this out there. I will, however, check with him and give him much credit should he approve.) Today he purchased the absolute last of the ad space on my urn, in the dealership's name, and is providing us, for the $6,000 loan we've been approved for, a car worth thousands more. It's a 2003 VW Passat with all the bells and whistles. A perfect car for us. I've named it Joi. As in "choose joy" but with an "i" on the end. God put this together.

Unfortunately we don't have anywhere near the $1,000 yet. But I'm sure God has a plan.

Today we found out that the Social Security worker who, last year, told us I would have to wait a year from my first disability check to qualify for Medicare was incredibly mistaken. In fact, the wait is two years. (Unless you have renal failure. Then it's instant. I suppose some senators grandmother suddenly had renal failure and they didn't want her to wait.) The biggest problem with this is that my COBRA insurance ends in December. After that I'll have no insurance. So today I've been making lots of jokes about needing to die by December. *sigh* God is, in the background, putting this all together. He has a plan.

So, yeah... roller-coaster. Please keep us in your prayers. Absolutely you should go to the show. And, if you have it and can help, feel free to make a non-tax-deductible donation to help us get/stay on our feet.