I Wish It Would Rain

I Wish It Would Rain                                                                            1287

Good afternoon from the public library in Watertown, NY!  I've just finished off a fine lunch at Ponderosa Steak House, and am ready to update you, my faithful reader, on the happenings of Ralph Tetta (me) as I make my way across the country.

Well, we're making with the ha ha's this week at the Lake Ontario Playhouse in Sacketts Harbor, NY with Sky Sands, also from Rochester, NY.  Sky's da guy, and a good friend, so it's nice working with him this weekend.  We started out with a one-nighter in Oswego, NY, at an outdoor venue called Coleman's Pub, and it was a little like pulling teeth with those fine folks.  I thought I had it out of my system, and then last night at the Playhouse, it was also very difficult getting off the ground.  There have been some really bad rainstorms in this region the last couple of days, with many Niagara-Mohawk customers losing power.  One radio report I heard quoted as many as 20,000 customers without power.  And coupled with the fact that it's hotter than a wolfdog out here, I guess I wouldn't be in a laughing mood either.

Yesterday, Pamela and I swore, cursed and uttered profanities at each other until our computer desk and hutch were completely moved out of what will soon become baby Harmony's room.  We struggled to make sure that everything had power and was connected, and now we have our computer, monitor, scanner, printer, TV with cable and deck-to-deck VHS setup all in one place.  I wanted to keep my big square table as part of the setup, but Pamela is against it.  It's a big table with a wrought-iron pedestal, and Pam's worried that the baby will someday pull it down on herself.  I maintain that the table is completely safe.  It's a piece that I've had for many years...when I was in third grade or so, a teacher recommended that we always have a place where we could do our homework, rather than a kitchen table or in front of the TV, and my father gave me the table to actas my desk.  I've had the thing for 30 years, and I hate to part with it.  I think it would be a great arts 'n'crafts area for Harmony someday, as it's nice and big and not too terribly tall.  I etched my name in it with a pen many years ago, and it's one of those things that I just assumed I would have forever.  I've unscrewed the base from the tabletop many times to move it, and it's still strong and sturdy.  Hopefully, I'll find the words to make Pamela reconsider.

There's still a lot to do in getting the baby's room ready.  I really want Harmony to have her own space, but with the heat the way it is, and only having air conditioning in one room in the house, I think she's going to be sleeping with us in our bedroom, at least until the heat breaks...and who knows when that's gonna be?

Changing gears...this is the second week in a row that I've worked with a very clean headliner, Sky Sands this week and Scott Novotny last week.  It's forcing me to work a little harder to be funny and not just shocking-dirty-funny.  I welcome the challenge, but at the same time, I long for those easy laughs and candy-store sets where I'm regarded as a comedy god and sell more CD's than Media Play. 

Speaking of candy stores...I guess I'm pissed off at movies in general, that they have to grave-rob old movies like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory instead of writing good new movies.  Do we collectively have no more imagination?  Are we bereft of new ideas?  Do we really need The Transporter 2?  Shit on that.

Also, curiously, a 26-year-old man just announced that he's running to be mayor of Rochester, NY, my hometown.  I think the bastard's been reading my journal, and jumped my train while I was out of town.  He gave a speech that I caught on TV a day or two ago, and his platform is as hippie left-wing as mine is.  Sad as it is to say, the kid doesn't have a chance.  He's too young to be taken seriously.  I, on the other hand, am just long enough in the tooth to get it done.  Now I have to go collect signatures.  Which is a bitter shame, because I've been trying to give my signature away for about 17 years now.

Dammit.

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY

P.S.  How old is Marianne Sierk?