second time with secondhand laughs

Any good fisherman would tell you that you can't keep fishing in the same pond if you're trying to feed a multitude.
If all that is needed is a few fish, then that one pond will do.
However, catching a bunch of fish requires multiple ponds, if not a sea or ocean.
I would think a Christian-based group like this one would understand how that works.
Bill Cooper understands that.
He'd been trying for a year to entice me to come for one of the monthly shows.
Until last month, I simply had not been able to, as they are on the second Thursday of the month. I generally have far too many events to choose from on those nights, ranging from American Legion meetings to special lectures at the Jepson to concerts at the Lucas.
Then, like I said, I had the night open up on January 10th. The bfe and I dined at Carrabbas, then slid on over to Blessingdales (thrift store) for the night of comedy. A nice evening out with the physicist, doing something a little different!
Yes.
A little different, for sure.
It was certainly different from all of the other improv shows we'd seen.
This one began with a husband and wife musical revival.
So, that was different.
The music was good, with the man lending backup vocals and a rhythm line for the woman's melodic singing. However, I had not expected to hear church music tonight and neither had the bfe.
That definitely started the show on a different beat.
(Get it? Ah, maybe that inside joke was just between me and him.)
Secrest was familiar with Bill and his clean-cut, "I'm and old guy" routine. He had seen him perform at Foxy Loxy a time or two.
Secrest also was familiar with Odd Lot. Support of them was most of the reason we were both in the audience on that night.
So, in support of my friendship with Bill and the Odd Lotters, Jeff stayed.
He even jokingly played along when he was called to the stage for a question-and-answer game with the host, Jerry. (I think the game was about books. "Watership Down" was one of the answers I recall.)
Yes, I know he really loves me... but he won't be going there again.
(smile)
As for me, I did venture there once more, this time solo.
The host had mentioned there would be more games for this special Valentine's Day edition of the improvisational comedy show.
He was correct, too!
There were four sessions of the "Who Thee Wed" Game (get it?), with couples ranging in age from rather young and newly wed to married for many years and considerably older. Each couple had a different set of color-coded questions to answer, but they all won free treats at the concession stand.
(smile)
Bill Cooper was quite entertaining, as he had been before. So was Rabbi Robert Haas, as he always is. And the fellow named Garret was pretty good, too.
Still, it seemed like I had crashed a party among friends.
I think I was the only person who had come there alone...
and, on this day, that seemed like a wrong thing to have done.
No one except Bill and Mary Ann had even spoken to me.
My name had even been drawn for one of the games, along with those of two others. We all played "state capitals" with Bill Cooper and I really was friendly to them all. But no one spoke to me at intermission.
I could tell they all knew each other and most likely attended the same church.
That's probably the pond where they had heard of this improv show.
Some of them were even trying to raise money for their causes... but were fishing in the same pond that the church owned.
The comedy bits were pretty good...
and the price of admission was only a donation of goods to the thrift store...
and I certainly have plenty of clothes and housegoods that need a new home.
Maybe I'll give them one more chance...
maybe.