If I'm not careful, this blog is going to fall into such disrepair that it will have to be nominated for the trash heap. I'm sorry that I've not written here for a while. I'm sorry about this not because of any delusions of a grand readership forlornly missing the every word of mine they used to cling to, but more because I'm failing to document the little details which are often so much fun to return to. As always, I reserve the right to retrospectively write some entries which may or may not make this apology seem out of place.
It is useful and fun to record the little things which make life more interesting. Tonight, for instance, I discovered that I had been nominated for an award. Two in fact. Owing to my performances at this year's Fringe. Now, I'm not going to say too much about the awards, or draw any more attention to them, except to say that they're from a small group who went to watch shows, enjoy themselves, and blog about their experiences. I am not a big self-publicist and perhaps I shouldn't use these awards to show off. Indeed, I'm the sort of comedian who drives about 2 hours to a London gig in order to discover that I'm closing the first third, there's no audience and the evening isn't really going to happen. This is not high-flying comedic stardom.
However, it's nice to get recognition and appreciation from any source, and I hope that the little awards ceremony that they're having in October, to which I don't feel I've been invited, will go well and amuse those present. This is what it's all about being amused. I think that nature has given the human creature the capacity to be amused at rather abstract things, and it's a big part of being human to use that particular trait to our advantage, especially once we've mechanised or delegated the important tasks like keeping fed, alive, clean and warm.
Ceremonies are fun. This weekend's trip to Newcastle gave a great opportunity to enjoy something with a bit of ceremony to it. Saturday night was a formal dinner in a hotel in Durham. I heard that the dress code was formal, though it suggested lounge suits might be as acceptable as black tie. I didn't want to stand out, but also fancied black tie as my dress code. So, I hired a suit and briefed the other member of my party that it was formal dress. I had simply to hope that I wouldn't be in the minority of well-dressed people.
In fact, I reckoned that it would be fine to be dressed up. The event was a celebration of the 100th year anniversary of the musical theatre society I did various shows with when I lived up north. If anyone's going to enjoy dressing up, it's a bunch of amdrams. Indeed, arriving at the venue, I discovered a rich seam of black-tie clad celebrants. This was a lovely evening. There was a chance to catch up with old friends and introduce them to the lady in my life as well as spend some time looking lovely together, which we did.
I don't think I've attended an event like this in quite a long time. I remember going to a couple of "hall balls" when I was at university, and I've been to a few weddings as an adult. The last time I wore black tie, though, was for a ball in My Fair Lady, and that wasn't even real. So, I think it was a very pleasant adult experience on Saturday night, one I was proud to enjoy.
Going back to my nominations feel, the mood on Saturday felt a little like it might turn into an awards ceremony. It never did, though. We all won.
Finally, I'd like to nominate myself for person whose day promised to go quite wrong all along, but somehow felt like a success by the end. Everything that could have gone right today felt like it was going off the rails. I had breadmaker timed to deliver a loaf to perfection this morning - I'd set it 50 minutes later than I could receive it. I had a morning meeting which I was slightly late for but then didn't happen, wasting my effort in rushing... I could have waited for the bread. We had a session on trying to fix a problem in Germany, for which I discovered the solution in a flash of inspiration which came coupled with the dread that this problem was waiting to happen simultaneously across all of Europe... any minute. I even had the gig that didn't happen.
Overall, the day should have been awful. As it happens, with the chance to share a laugh with people I care about, I find myself in a good mood as I pick over the remains of the day. I suppose it's a good award to receive. Consider the above my acceptance speech.
It is useful and fun to record the little things which make life more interesting. Tonight, for instance, I discovered that I had been nominated for an award. Two in fact. Owing to my performances at this year's Fringe. Now, I'm not going to say too much about the awards, or draw any more attention to them, except to say that they're from a small group who went to watch shows, enjoy themselves, and blog about their experiences. I am not a big self-publicist and perhaps I shouldn't use these awards to show off. Indeed, I'm the sort of comedian who drives about 2 hours to a London gig in order to discover that I'm closing the first third, there's no audience and the evening isn't really going to happen. This is not high-flying comedic stardom.
However, it's nice to get recognition and appreciation from any source, and I hope that the little awards ceremony that they're having in October, to which I don't feel I've been invited, will go well and amuse those present. This is what it's all about being amused. I think that nature has given the human creature the capacity to be amused at rather abstract things, and it's a big part of being human to use that particular trait to our advantage, especially once we've mechanised or delegated the important tasks like keeping fed, alive, clean and warm.
Ceremonies are fun. This weekend's trip to Newcastle gave a great opportunity to enjoy something with a bit of ceremony to it. Saturday night was a formal dinner in a hotel in Durham. I heard that the dress code was formal, though it suggested lounge suits might be as acceptable as black tie. I didn't want to stand out, but also fancied black tie as my dress code. So, I hired a suit and briefed the other member of my party that it was formal dress. I had simply to hope that I wouldn't be in the minority of well-dressed people.
In fact, I reckoned that it would be fine to be dressed up. The event was a celebration of the 100th year anniversary of the musical theatre society I did various shows with when I lived up north. If anyone's going to enjoy dressing up, it's a bunch of amdrams. Indeed, arriving at the venue, I discovered a rich seam of black-tie clad celebrants. This was a lovely evening. There was a chance to catch up with old friends and introduce them to the lady in my life as well as spend some time looking lovely together, which we did.
I don't think I've attended an event like this in quite a long time. I remember going to a couple of "hall balls" when I was at university, and I've been to a few weddings as an adult. The last time I wore black tie, though, was for a ball in My Fair Lady, and that wasn't even real. So, I think it was a very pleasant adult experience on Saturday night, one I was proud to enjoy.
Going back to my nominations feel, the mood on Saturday felt a little like it might turn into an awards ceremony. It never did, though. We all won.
Finally, I'd like to nominate myself for person whose day promised to go quite wrong all along, but somehow felt like a success by the end. Everything that could have gone right today felt like it was going off the rails. I had breadmaker timed to deliver a loaf to perfection this morning - I'd set it 50 minutes later than I could receive it. I had a morning meeting which I was slightly late for but then didn't happen, wasting my effort in rushing... I could have waited for the bread. We had a session on trying to fix a problem in Germany, for which I discovered the solution in a flash of inspiration which came coupled with the dread that this problem was waiting to happen simultaneously across all of Europe... any minute. I even had the gig that didn't happen.
Overall, the day should have been awful. As it happens, with the chance to share a laugh with people I care about, I find myself in a good mood as I pick over the remains of the day. I suppose it's a good award to receive. Consider the above my acceptance speech.
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