Living balls to the wall, white-girl style

My comic friend Gaynelle Peoples hosts the monthly "G-Spot Comedy" at Choices Pub and Showroom on Cheyenne over on the west side of town.   I love performing there and not just because Gaynelle buys her comics a drink; she does an excellent job running the show.  We can totally let loose--nobody holds back a thing on her stage, no matter how politically incorrect.  After all, she's the instigator; Gaynelle's a freakin' riot.  Not to mention the biggest, blackest lesbian I know. 

GAYnelle.  Get it?

I love that picture--I stole it from her Facebook.  Doesn't she look like she could freakin' decimate my little white ass?  Like if I saw her coming toward me in junior high, I'd totally lose my bus money, right?  Forgetaboutit.  She's sweet.  Sweet, I tell you! 

Okay, she kind of scares the shit out of me.

Anyway, yesterday on Facebook Gaynelle asked, "Are you living or existing?"

My response:  "Living BALLS TO THE WALL, sister." 

Forget the fact that I'm such a freakin' dork calling a black woman "sister"; she asks a good question.  Are you living or existing?  If you're existing, holy crap, you gotta get out of your rut and shake things up.  And if you're living, good for you, but are you living balls to the wall, with all the gusto life has to offer?  (I sound like a beer commercial now.)

I love that expression "balls to the wall."  Conjures up quite the visual in your mind's eye, no? 

But why would you get out of bed and approach a new day with anything less?  Every day, every hour,  in front of you is a blank canvas for you to paint however you'd like.  Why not use your most vibrant colors?  Why not pursue joy at every turn?  Even the most mundane tasks... hold on... what did Mary Poppins say?  "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun... you find the fun and snap! the job's a game."

Okay, yeah.  I'll remember that when I'm doing my taxes this weekend.  But you know what I'm getting at, right?  Life is short.  Have as much fun as you can.  Balls to the wall.

Gaynelle's next all-female G-Spot Comedy show will be on Thursday, April 14.  I won't be performing that night--I'm going to be speaking at the Stephens Press-sponsored cocktail reception to kick off the Las Vegas Writers Conference, which, by the way, is open to the public.  But if you want to meet Gaynelle and have some serious laughs, head on over there.  Show starts at 8:00.

What?  You can't wait to see me perform?  Well, you're in luck.  Tomorrow night (Friday), I'll be doing a set at Tommy Rocker's on Dean Martin, just south of Flamingo.  The show starts at 7:30 with an audience participation joke-off and then the comics go on at 8:00.   This is another stage I enjoy performing on; Cozy Stone runs a tight ship, which I appreciate.  (You may remember Cozy from my book, if you've read it.  Like millions of people are right this moment.)

So look at me with the cool black friends, huh?

Hey, want to hear something funny?    A couple of weeks ago I did at set at Boomers, my old stomping ground and where I performed comedy for the very first time.  My comic friend Booya hosts that stage (and also does a great job).  Well, Booya's black and about half the audience was black, as was the DJ who was playing rap songs (or were they hip hop?  I have no clue) on the Victrola as each comic took the stage.  I know--isn't that just the perfect scenario for a white-as-hell, middle-aged granny?

So anyway, Booya introduces me and I strut up to the mic with the yo-yo-yo rap playing and when the music stops, I pause for a moment and then turn to the DJ and in my best "professional" voice with full enunciation, I deadpan, "I believe I distinctly asked for Jimmy Buffet."

I'm not sure the DJ knew I was kidding. 

Anyway, if you're not doing anything tomorrow night, come on out to Tommy Rocker's--it's a great time!  And no matter what you do, or when you do it, make fun a priority.  Live balls to the wall!