2000 Light Years From Home

2000 Light Years From Home

Sunday, February 27, 2005-2:53 A.M.

Tomorrow is the big day, driving down to San Antonio, Texas for week one of a southwest tour.  Next week, Tulsa, Oklahoma beckons, and it will be my first appearance on stage in either state.

My internet-generated directions are calling for a 25-hour drive to Texas, which I've decided to spread out over a couple of days.  There's call for big snow here in Rochester tomorrow night, so I'll be leaving in the afternoon to try and stay ahead of it.  Texas should be in the 50's and 60's when I get down there, and I'm looking forward to a little sunshine.  This winter weather is eating away at me.

Last night was the final night at Absolute Comedy in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  I had a lot of fun at both shows, even though the second show was a little light, I think they enjoyed the show better than the early show.  I notice that it's pretty universal that the early show Saturday crowds aren't very enthusiastic as a rule; it's almost like they've gone out to the comedy club because they feel they have to.  They've worked all week, and this is their night out.

The ride home took about 4 hours, and I pulled into Rochester around 5 A.M.  On the ride home, a classic rock station was playing "The Load Out" by Jackson Browne, one of the best songs about the entertainer's road life.  It's a long song, but it's right on as far as I'm concerned, more so than the Bob Seger song "Turn The Page" which tackles the same theme.  Once I got home, after 4 hours of driving through snow and dodging snowplows who decided that it was the best time to plow and salt the New York State Thruway, I had a couple of tuna sandwiches and collapsed.  My wife let me sleep until 1:30 in the afternoon (God bless her) and took care of our baby daughter Harmony, and later, Harmony's Nanna Anna took babysitting duty and allowed Pamela and I to go out and do some stock-up shopping (we love the wholesale clubs) and have a nice little dinner together at the Olive Garden (we got a gift certificate for Christmas and hadn't had a chance to use it yet.....and we like the place, dammit!).

I'm looking forward to this trip with the same enthusiasm as an assassin getting ready to kill somebody....I'm only doing it for the money.  I'm sure once I get to San Antonio, I'll lighten up about it, but it's 25 hours down there, 8 hours between San Antonio and Tulsa, and then 18 hours home.  It's going to be two of the most grueling weeks of my career, but I have to get those states under my belt.

I'm tired, and I'm going to sleep.  I'll add to this journal if I can find internet access in Texas, so it may be a couple of days as I find my bearings.  As a closing note, thanks to Rick Jenkins of the Comedy Studio in Boston, Massachusetts, who ordered a copy of my CD, and sent along a promo photo of him and another Boston comic (who I call friend) John Curtin as Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (Rick is Stan).  I can't wait to show it around to the Rochester guys who will remember him (Rick's originally from Buffalo) as it will be quite a hoot.  Rick, why you wanted a copy of my CD, I'll never know, but I'll take your money now that you're a club owner!

And for anyone else interested, the CD is $10 postpaid.  Send your check or money order made out to "Ralph Tetta" to 134 Cameron Street, Rochester, NY   14606.  The first 10 orders get a free autographed headshot of me.  And a color copy of Rick and John as Stan and Ollie.

Hey, I'm trawling......

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY