Money

Money

Thursday, March 3, 2005-12:31 P.M.

Well, after a 2 1/2 day grueling drive across the eastern half of the United States, I'm in San Antonio, Texas!  The temperature is in the 50's, and the guilt of leaving my wife and baby in the snows of Rochester is preventing me from enjoying it.

The drive down was uneventful, even with snowy, slushy driving through to about Columbus, Ohio.  I took off Monday night, bunked down at the Super 8 hotel in Columbus, and then Tuesday, drove about 14 hours to Texarkana, Texas.  I was happy to be in the Lone Star State and so close to my destination, until I realized that I still had about another 500 miles to go.  Texas is big, baby!  Don't look at the map, it's an optical illusion.  Objects are way farther away than they appear.

Last night, the show was sparsely attended, but the folks there seemed to have had a good time until I brought out the flava, and then they got squeamish.  It's a tourist type town, so I played it like Vegas, light on the language, but not backing away from topicality.  My conspirators on the show are Rich Ramirez from Nueva York, and James Ponce from San Antonio, who I accidentally called Jeff (Sorry, Jeff).

This morning, I argued with a parking lot attendant.  Last night, I parked the car in a lot across the street from the apartments where the comedy club lodges their talent, and the attendant told me it was $7 a day.  I asked him when to come back to pay for the next day's rent, and he said noon.  I arrived at 11:30 to pay, and the attendant (a different guy) told me I was already late because I was supposed to pay at 8:00 AM.  Is it just me, or isn't that what I asked the first guy?  I was preparing to leave to go to the San Antonio Library (where I now type this entry) and he told me when I got back, I'd have to pay another $7 to park for the day.  I told him it was completely unacceptable, and after arguing fruitlessly for about 15 minutes, got in my car and left.  I'll have to find another place to park in downtown San Antonio, which I'm not looking forward to, but I'll be damned if I'll let some minimum wage cretin bend me over because I have no choice in the matter.  It's partially my fault because I started throwing legal terms like "agent" around, basically telling him that if the first guy told me something, he was an agent of the company and his word was a binding oral contract.  I overestimate people all the time, to my chagrin.

On the good side of things, the club has an in-house video system and a great looking stage, so I might get a nice tape out of this week.  Scott, one of the club employees, was glad to volunteer to tape me, and everyone has been awesome, considering I've only been here one day.  I look forward to my week of shows here.

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY