NEW YEAR THOUGHTS

Yes, it's Jan. 4, which means i'm four days behind, but anyone who knows me isn't surprised.

So, 2008 was pretty good for me. I met Mickey Rourke, Kevin Smith and Jay Leno - all personal favorites of mine (You can read the stories about Rourke and Smith at other places in these blogs, but Leno swore me to secrecy...Ooo!)
I had nasal surgery that enables me to breathe normally and sleep decently for the first time in at least a decade. I went through hypnotherapy and had great results. I learned to do a radio show and launched one on America's #1 talk station (off right now, back in March at the latest). I published one book (co-authored), and just finished another, a book of Sedaris-style essays about to go out to agents. I dove into the LA spoken word scene and got a better reponse than my standup ever did (though that's kicking butt too now!). I got promoted at my job and lined up some exciting opportunities for '09 that i can't mention yet. And i started my first novel ever!

But I also drove away my best friend, which i will eternally regret. I also had the lamest New Year's Eve ever, because I came back from San Francisco the day before and everyone had already either left town or settled on their own plans because I was gone and they forgot me during my trip. So despite having one of the best years of my life, I wound up at home by 10 on NYE and fighting sleep by 1130. I finally, like an 83 year old man, was about to fall asleep at 1130 and so i set my alarm clock to wake up at 1155 in order to see the ball drop and then shoot myself in a ceremonial suicide. :P

Well, i was so clouded with sleepiness that i mis-set my alarm, and wound up waking up at 1225 a.m. instead. I missed the damn balloon drop, and i'm only 37 years old!!! This, combined with a series of mishaps that resulted in me seeing "Milk" alone at 730 on Christmas Eve due to another set of bad circumstances, has made me resolve to finally kick my life further into gear and not be in thiis position next year. I want to have a real girlfriend (or by some miracle, a wife) by my side by next holiday season.

And so I'm opening up the process for that quest. My life's an open book and maybe i can draw tips from you guys and inspire some folks as well through humor...

But these past three days, i've made some big moves...

I finally signed up with a real therapist to help break through my mental walls that keep me back from submitting my movie scripts and comedy material to agents despite people who've read them thinking they're hilarious. I also am going to figure out the walls blocking me in relationships. Gotta take care of the mind if you're gonna use it right. I start next Friday, Jan. 9!

I just signed up for 15 sessions with a personal trainer for just $300! ($20/hr. vs. most people paying at least $60/hr.)

And i'm going to continue my writing class and start an improv class at Upright Citizens Brigade, so i should finally meet some more comedy folks and I'm also going up at least Mondays and Wednesdays at the Ha Ha Cafe in North Hollywood becuase my friend Lisa Mesa runs it and is willing to take me!

So body and mind are gonna get pummeled into shape this year, as well as my spirit as I'm also going to be getting some spiritual guidance monthly from a super-cool priest friend...

Time to get real about my life. A sadly former best friend often asked me, "Hows that working for ya?" about each aspect of my life that i was fine but really wasn't. Now I realize it needs to change, improve, upgrade.

And now's the time. How about yourselves?