Karn Evil 9 1050
Thursday, May 26, 2005-6:36 P.M.
Well, things are certainly getting exciting over here at the Tetta plantation. With only five days to go before the big Southern tour, there's still a lot of buttoning-up to be done. I'm beside myself, actually, because as excited as I am to see my mother and father again, and to take a month-long tour with Ray Salah, one of my best friends in the world, I'm not excited to be leaving my wife and child for five weeks. I've managed to wrangle plenty of work while I'm down in Dixie, so I feel good about making the money and sending it home, but the separation is going to be difficult, especially because I've been home or very close to it the past six weeks. You get spoiled.
Last night at the Comix Cafe (www.comixcafe.com) with Chris Coccia (www.chriscoccia.com) was cool, Tommy Mule' from 96.5 WCMF was our host, and I hadn't worked with him for a while, so it was nice to catch up. I had a group of guests, my daughter's pediatrician, Dr. Corrine Wirt, and a bunch of the nice folks from her office, came out to see the show. I hadn't seen them before the show, so I didn't do anything different on stage...I think I get self-conscious when people I know come out and see me, and I start editing my material and getting picky and choosy about what to do and what not to do. My act is my act, and I've got to start standing up for it. I do the material that I think is funny, and if people laugh, then I made the right choice. Still, if I'm doing some graphic sexual references, I can't help but feel like people are judging me...but I do say that I speak only the truth on stage, and I guess I should be comfortable with that.
I got notice online. I always do a google-search of my name to see what the folks out there in the ether are writing about me, or to see how I'm being represented. Apparently, a quote that is attributed to me made a humor page. Check it out here:
I narrowly averted disaster today. A booking agent that uses me sent out a broadcast e-mail, offering work in Mississippi. This work coincides with my trip to Florida, and falls on a day off. I almost knee-jerked and accepted, and then I decided to take a look at a map first. The gig would have just barely covered the cost of my gas to get from my father's house in Florida to the gig, and then to my next gig in North Carolina. I would have netted less than $20 on the deal, and drove 1200 miles out of my way. I respectfully declined the work. It's nice to know that I'm still getting the offers, though.
Today, we were gonna go and check out a little mini carnival happening at the Greece Ridge Center Mall, just up the road from where my wife gets her allergy shots. After her shots, Harmony and Pam and I drove up the road to find....it's not open yet. I suspect it may open this weekend, but as I'm working in my hometown, it might be a nice thing to visit this weekend. With my previous experience working at Seabreeze Amusement Park (www.seabreezepark.com) on their midway, I can win just about every carnival game out there (I know the secrets). Ever since Pam got pregnant, I've fantasized about winning my daughter a giant stuffed animal, and I think I'm in position to do that this summer. If the carnival doesn't offer any games of that ilk, there's always Seabreeze, which opens this weekend, or Six Flags Darien Lake, which is 45 minutes away, but is always a nice little getaway.
When I used to work at Seabreeze, we had a lot of school groups come in and I manned a booth where the prizes were stuffed bullfrog plushes and red dogs. Well, at the time, Budweiser beer had the frogs in their advertising, and Tommy Lee Jones was the voice of the "Red Dog" for Red Dog beer. So I would lure the kids by doing Tommy Lee Jones impressions and doing the frogs' "Bud-Wise-Er" commercial.
Needless to say, parents found out, and they complained to the park, and I didn't personally get in trouble, because by that time, everyone who worked the midway was doing the same thing I was. The sad thing is that when they set up the prizes, nobody even looked twice at the prizes to see that they could be promoted that way. It was just me and my comedian's mind, making the connection and running with it. I believe the incident also made the paper.
For the record, Seabreeze Amusement Park is a great family-owned amusement park, and they do not allow alcohol on the grounds, nor do they promote drinking, especially to children, in any way. I worked there for three years, and when we parted company, I was a Senior Training Associate. I loved working there, and I think they enjoyed having me around. If the money was better or the season was longer, I'd seriously consider reapplying. It's a wonderful park with a great management team.
If there's any game you ever wondered how it worked, and could it actually be done and won, shoot me an e-mail. I don't mind doing the insider trading, and if you're reading my journal, I feel I owe you a little "value added" information.
Ralph Tetta
Rochester, NY
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