There is a certain satisfaction in achievement. Success is relative. Some need to always come in first. Some need to be recognized for their accomplishment. And some find joy in the journey itself.

There is a biblical verse I remember from my childhood. It says that "the race is not given to the swift, nor to the strong, but to the one that endureth to the end."

This past 8 days have been incredible and the race is far from over. Last Monday morn I was awakened by my phone. It was my temp agency asking if I was available to do an assignment that day. It was 9:15 am. I preteneded that I was up writing and told Heather, my agent, that I would be there by 10 am. At 10 am on the dot I walked into the big ad agency. I ended up working at the big ad agency all week long from 8:45 am to 5:15 pm. I know, so what? Most people work everyday. But most people don't also have to prepare to go on the mainstage at over The Second City over the weekend.

The weekend went something like this. I worked on Michigan Ave at the Big Ad Agency until 5:15 pm. I took the 151 bus to North Avenue. I walked from Inner Lake Shore Drive to The Second City (SC). I had a turkey burger with Joyce Sloane, Producer Emeritus of the SC and a surragote grandmother to me. I performed two shows, one at 8 pm and the other at 11 pm. Because I am an understudy, I received notes between shows on how I could improve my performance. After the second show, I hosted a showcase performance at 1 am. I went home and tried to get some sleep which finally came around 4:30 am. I was up again at 8:30 am because I had to teach at 10 am at The SC training center. I taught. I went home and napped. I got up and went back to the SC and did two shows on Saturday night (8 and 11 pm). These shows were followed by an improvised set.

Dan, one of the cast members, smoked me up a bit after the show. I went home and took a prescription "nerve pill" (see March 25). After a long hot bath, I watched SNL, which I taped. Then I slept until 2 pm Sunday.

Sunday was tough. I was sore. I was tired but I dragged my black ass out and to the store to get ingredients for mac and cheese. I made the mac and cheese (delicious!) and then I headed to SC in order to Sunday's 8 pm performance. After the show, there was the improv set. After all that, I hung out with the SC staff a bit (almost all of them are aspiring actors/improvisers/writers/directors/whatever). They are a cool group of individuals but I am the worse because I can never remember people's names so most times I never use anyone's name at all. I hung out for about an hour and then due to budgetary reasons, I cut out and went home.

Well, here it is, Monday morning, I am back at the Big Ad Agency but I have a different assignment this week. I am some sort of assistant. I don't know, I don't care. As long as my check doesn't bounce.

When I leave the Big Ad Agency this afternoon, I will head back to the SC to rehearse my song for my audition tomorrow during my lunch. Busy, busy, busy, busy.............