But I’d rather just get back to regular blogging, so if it’s OK with y’all, how about if we just skip past all that? Excellent!

I’ve recently been helping write sketches for a live comedy show, which has been a lot of fun. It never occurred to me that I’d have the opportunity to do this kind of thing, back when I got involved in stand-up comedy, but it’s been a really fun and rewarding experience. I’ll be talking a little bit more about it in the coming days.

For the last month there’s been a small group of bald eagles hanging around in the city where I both work (at my day job) and live. I am actually staring out the window at one, right now, as I type this. It’s perched on one of those wooden beams that sticks up out of the water, about 300 yards from the shore. It looks ridiculously noble and distinguished.

Nobody else around here seems to be very excited about this. I am very excited about this. As any fan of Stephen Colbert will tell you, bald eagles are pure, undistilled patriotic awesomeness.

I’m working on several new posts, but none of them are quite ready for prime time. Here’s a preview of what I’ll be talking about in the coming days:

• How to work a two-percenter into an act — Remember how I said that two-percenters are strictly for TV? Oops!

• What is a bit vs a joke? — Stand-up acts are comprised of both bits and standalone jokes, and the distinction is subtle.
• Untitled Facebook rant — I have something to say about Facebook, though I’m not quite sure what. But that’s never stopped me before.

I realize that my recent archives are filled with posts on the backstage politics of stand-up comedy, a not-entirely-fascinating topic that I’d like to move away from for a while. Until, of course, the next petty slight sends me crying back to the Internet. But for now: craft!

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has been bugging me with “when are you going to post to the blog again?” I am being absolutely sincere when I say this. For a long time, this place was just me holding my junk and shouting into the wilderness–so it’s tremendously gratifying, and motivating, to know that people are reading. Thank you!