A salute to Sean

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let me introduce you to my friend Sean C. Sean is truly a great guy. I met him when I lived in Knoxville TN when I was a working stiff and he was a student at the University of TN studying archaeology. Sean used to come see our improv group, who's name I shall not mention because they have gone down hill a bit since losing me and some other key members (sorry boys but it's true, I've seen the clips on You Tube and things are not going well for you these days), and he came to see us not just once or twice but every freaking week almost.

Sean was a great improv audience member, he even hosted the show one night when most of us were out sick. He would come each week and give us great suggestions for locations, relationships, and famous or historical names that we could use and build scene around. If you've ever seen a short form improv group do their stuff then you know that they need a ton of good audience suggestions to do a really great show. If you've ever been a member of a short form improv group then you know how frustrating it is to hear the same 5 to 10 lame ass suggestions shouted at you by drunken rubes night after night. Sean understood that if he wanted to see us bring our "A game" then he had to give us great suggestions, which he always did. One night I asked the audience to name a historical figure and most of them shouted things like "Bush!" or "Dubya!" or "Rush Limbaugh!" But not our Sean, oh no, he shouted out "Oliver Cromwell!" Bam! I took his suggestion and we played the game and it rocked.

All good things come to an end eventually and Sean graduated and got a job with a firm in New Orleans and he moved away. Not too long after that I had my heart attack and I quit doing improv. Sean and I kept in touch via an email thing I used to do, every week I'd send out a list of things that either pissed me off or made me laugh or whatever and I'd add a trivia question that the folks on my list could answer or I'd tell them to send in a haiku based on something or another and the best responses would get a prize, which was usually something I'd buy at the dollar store or a copy of something that made no sense at all. Sean won a time or two and I sent him something stupid and he probably put it with the shitty painting I gave him years ago. (How crappy was the painting I gave him? Let's put it this way, his apartment in Knoxville got robbed one night and they took everything except the painting I did for him.)

Eventually I got sick of doing the email list/trivia/haiku thingy and I stopped. But not too long after that I started this blog and it turns out my old buddy Sean in New Orleans, and yes he lived there before, during, and after Katrina, reads it. He even started commenting lately too. But the thing I am most grateful for, besides his friendship and all those great suggestions years ago during improv nights is that he sent me an email a few days ago telling me about a blog he thought I might like.

I took his advice and checked it out and I was stunned, amused, and hooked instantly. What was the blog in question you ask? Why it's a blog by a gal in Minnesota who calls herself Whiskeymarie. Meet the fabulous Whiskymarie:

Sorry boys and girls, she's spoken for but who wouldn't love a chick who describes herself like this: Socially retarded. Easily confused. Big hands. Entirely inappropriate. Snappy dresser. Monkey lover. Often intoxicated. Occasionally angry. Snorts while laughing. Can't whistle. Hates socks.

She had me at Socially retarded, but she hooked me forever with Monkey lover. Check her out here.

I just wanted the world to know of your greatness Sean and thanks ever so much for sending me the link to my new monkey pal Whiskeymarie's blog.

Oh, I would be remiss if I did not mention that as far as I know ladies, Sean is available.