Tired, but happy

May 28, 2010

Hello Everybody,

When I was a kid I used to envy people with jet lag, just like before I was 18, I used to think it must be ‘cool’ to have a hangover. After all, jet lag had the word ‘jet’ in it and that was only ever an exciting word when I was a child. An uncle would fly in from LA and say he was feeling ‘a little jet lagged’ and I would jealously retort ‘Ohhhh! I want to feel jet lagged.’ And then he would tuck into the whiskey to help him sleep and would wake up complaining of ‘a hangover’, and I would think ‘jet lag? And a hangover? It’s just not fair!’ Well, needless to say, both those ailments have taken on a less appealing form in my adult life. I have now been back in Edinburgh for the past 48 hours and the jet lag that has kept me awake until 5am every night feels anything but ‘cool’. That said, everything else about returning home has been positively blissful. For some extraordinary reason, Scotland has experienced a freakishly good weekend of weather with temperatures hitting highs of 25 degrees (stop laughing LA!). I have spent the few hours I have woken up in time to enjoy, wandering around the old town hearing people in doorways whisper rumours of a possible ‘Scottish summer?’ in the manner of people discussing another possible Jacobite uprising. Well, we shall just have to wait and see? I have put my faith, and my tennis club membership, in a Scottish summer far too many times in the past and have been bitterly let down. I have also twice backed a Jacobite Uprising that came to little more than a reading in the town square but that’s another story.

After more postponements than a hang gliding competition in Reykjavik, my Comedy Central Special finally aired last night in the US. I wasn’t there to see it of course, but I was delighted by all the messages and postings that I received throughout the night from people all over the US who seemed to have enjoyed it and gave me something nice to read while I couldn’t sleep. I’ve just had an email in fact saying the DVD ‘Subject To Change’ is number 1 for comedy on Amazon which sounds like it must be a good thing but also a lie? Anyway, thanks to everyone for their support (maybe we haven’t heard the end of my American career, after all?…Hello? Hello?..Yes, I can hold.) Without this turning into one of those long winded acceptances speeches, there are some other people I really need to thank this month, well, an entire nation in fact. I have just come back from my first solo tour across Canada, and I was gobsmacked by the number of people who came out to the shows. From Glace Bay across to Vancouver I had some of the best shows I can remember and met some remarkable people. I said it on ‘The Hour’ with George Popanaffleopogus, and I will say it again, ‘Canadian audiences are some of my favourite in the World.’ I should also clear up another thing I said on The Hour, which was that ‘Canadian’s love to travel, mind you if you lived in Winnipeg, you would want to travel!’ This was an oversight on my behalf, I really like Winnipeg, and I now realize I should have said somewhere else instead (like, Red Deer. But not Red Deer!) So, thank you Canada for your incredible support, and I hope we can do it all over again next year sometime…

So, on to other news. I have a whole load of dates to unleash on the UK. I will get these up along with this blog, or shortly after. At the moment, it looks like I will have a few preview dates in July, then the Edinburgh Fringe throughout August, then a tour of the UK in September and the first half of October. If you live anywhere near where I am coming, then it would be lovely to see you, but don’t go out of your way. There was a very nice couple I met in Edmonton who had travelled 5 and 1/2 hours to see the show which just put far too much pressure on the ‘meet and greet’ afterwards. And if you are that couple, I am so sorry I called you ‘mental’ I meant to say ‘special’ (but in a nice way). The World Cup is less than 3 weeks away, and we can all be grateful for that. I cannot wait, and I will be supporting my adopted country of Australia all the way to the final, and my other adopted country of New Zealand all the way to.. the second round.(let’s be realistic). The Tories got back into power in the UK, which is a little troubling, but best not to think about that now. It is summer and the birds are whistling merrily in the volcanic ash covered trees. Let’s hold hands and rejoice, but can we do it later? I’m still a little jet lagged and I really do need to sleep…

Goodnight,

Danny