My birthday was on the 22nd. I hit the big 2-5 and celebrated the end of the first sixth of my life. Do the math, kids. Do the math.

I’ve become a regular on ComedyJuice, and have now performed on all three of its venues; the Irvine and Hollywood Improv(s), and the Ice House in Pasadena. All three shows are completely different atmospheres and vibes, it’s really interesting to see just how much enviroment effects a show. Hollywood Improv is a big, flashy show; the bar area is brimming with celebrity comedians, the crowd has a lot of industry people in it, it’s snazzy. Irvine is mostly college kids, but the crowds there have very little energy or rowdiness, it’s odd. On my first show there, none of the comics really killed. We all did just fine, but no one could build up any kind of momentum. The Ice House, on the other hand, is as crazy and rowdy as it gets. Loud, energetic blue-collar young people cheering and laughing and heckling and having a great time. I LOVE the Ice House.

Assad and Scot, the managers of ComedyJuice, have been booking me a lot, and booked me on the Hollywood Improv on my birthday, opening for Doug Benson and Jamie Kennedy. Awesome! I’ll have a nice little birthday dinner with my closest friends, and then perform on a kickass show at one of the best venues in the country. And I adore Doug Benson! Such a lovable stoner, that one.

So the night comes, the show is going great, but who stops by to perform on it? Dov Davidoff and Dane Cook. Two of my favorite comics. I’m standing in the hallway next to two of my favorite comics, about to perform on the same show with them. Holy eff!

I’ve been a fan of Dane’s since I was 16. Back when he would AIM chat with me and send me signed headshots for free. Back when I made a fake ID to get into his tiny show at the Vernon Hills, IL Zanies. Back when his website was a white background with black text that he would update once a month withupcoming shows and a link to his favorite band, Disturbed. Well, I’ve kept in touch with him off and on over the years, and recently caught him on Facebook chat where we IMed briefly about comedy. I told him things had been going well and that I’d be performing with him soon enough.

Mission accomplished. I kicked ass on the show, held my own with four of the biggest names in standup, and held up my promise to Dane. Say what you will about him, that you hate his standup, his movies, whatever. I wouldn’t rank him as my #1 favorite comic, but he has been very influential in my comedy career and completely changed the standup game. It was an honor to perform with him and I know it wasn’t the last time.

That show led me to get booked on an industry showcase at the Hollywood Improv, which led me to get booked on a showcase for Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. So, I just may have some TV-related news soon. Fingers crossed.

On the flipside, my dear sweet friend Anne passed away a few weeks ago. Diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma years ago, she had made a recovery in college and recently it resurfaced. I visited her in the hospital once every few days for a solid three weeks, and was there for her the day before she died. She was on a breathing mask, so weak she couldn’t lift her arms or even speak… just scribble on a whiteboard.

Doctor Ross came into her room and told us (Anne, her mom, and me) that they were going to perform a tracheotomy (that’s the one where they put a tube down your throat) as soon as possible. It’s a pretty serious procedure, so while Anne’s mom was on the phone, crying behind me, and Anne began to tear up, I told her that they were going to put her through a very risky surgery in which they were going to transplant Doctor Ross’s super slick movie-star-perfect hair onto Anne’s head. She laughed through her oxygen mask and touched my face. It was the first time she had laughed in weeks. She died the next day. I’ll miss her always.