Sober October Number Four, Dean Delray at Red Rocks, Cancelling Everybody

“If everybody’s conversations were recorded, would anyone have a job on Monday?”
— Bill Burr

A hazy Saturday morning on top of the mountain, the sun has yet to rise, it’s a bit dark, I’ll watch the sunrise while making some morning word soup.  I’m drinking Death Wish Coffee, have my Nicorette gum firmly in my cheek, the fireplace is putting out some heat, and I think this will be a fantastic day.

We worked around the house until noon; Bailey came over and worked alongside us. Finally, my friends Monte and his wife stopped by for a couple of hours to catch up and watch them set our new hot tub.  After they left, we finished up our tasks and then got ready to head to Red Rocks for our final visit of the year.  

We made sandwiches; my Queen is a craft sandwich maker, I live with an executive chef.  Bailey headed over to Keith and Kathy’s to watch their dogs for the night; we headed to the show to tailgate.  For the last four years, I’ve participated in Sober October, a month where we drinkers take some time off, do not consume alcohol, get clarity and look to regain some traction without the aid of the Devil’s Nectar.

I will say I don’t need to drink, but I like to drink, and my wife and I weave it into our lives in a reasonable but mighty manner.  This past few month has been a year of drink; I’m looking forward to a bit of break.  There is never a good time to stop drinking; I have many events that usually include booze; last night was a good example, most nights I have a drink or two before the show then one during the show, I’m responsible, but enjoy the warm blanket my vodka and red wine adding to my existence.

I have a wedding today, usually a time of libations, but I’ll simply have a club soda and lime and watch the folks imbibe.  I’ve got happy hours this week where again, I’ll default to soda and lime, I’ve got men’s retreat where the liquor flows freely, I’ll sit back and watch my friends get silly.  Next Friday, we have tickets to see Dave Matthews, another time I would typically enjoy some drinks, but I’ll be the sober driver and let the rest of the crew throw down.

This time is a gift to me, a little self-control; I lose 10 to 12 pounds a year, I need to I’m about 12 pounds heavier than I like to carry, it’s a good reset allowing for a cleansing of the habits I have formed the last few months.  Others are joining me; we will keep each other accountable.

I think it is a fantastic story, so that I will share it.  About 12 years ago, I listened to the Marc Maron Podcast WTF.  I was a huge fan; Marc even read some ad copy I sent in as a goof.  But I digress; I listened one day, and he had an up-and-coming comedian on the show named Dean Delray. So I listened and laughed, and one thing Dean shared was he was living month to month. So I got on Twitter, befriended him, and his messages were open, so I sent him a note saying, “I’d like to send you some money.

I like to support the arts; I like music, art, and comedy; I thought, how is this guy so funny and living paycheck to paycheck. So Dean replied, I sent him some cash, and in return, he sent me some of his band’s CDs.  In the 90’s Dean was the lead singer of a band called Asphalt something, the music was good. So I, in return, sent him a copy of my first book, Marketing with Naked 70-Year-Olds, and now and then, he and I would message back and forth.

I kept my eye on Dean, and as he began to earn some fame, I would share my delight, happiness for you, etc. Finally, we arrived at Red Rocks, had our craft sandwich in the parking lot, headed to our seats, and sat down.  The people-watching at Red Rocks is something to behold.  All the people around us were guessing who the opener was; many of us are fans of Bill Burr, we listen to his podcast, we know he is good friends with Paul Versey.  We expected Versey, but when the opener came out, it was my Twitter friend Dean Delray.  It is no surprise he killed it; Dean shared he had been to Red Rocks to watch music but never thought he would be on stage.  One of my favorite things to see is to catch an artist the first time they get to play our neighborhood theater. 

Bill followed and, like Dean, murdered with some social commentary, using both sides of the extreme nature of humanity to point out the silly times in which we live. It was a great night; the only negative thing was that they were out of sandwiches by the time we got to the Chik Fil A sandwich tent, but that is a small price to pay to see two of the comedies best play the worlds most extraordinary theater.

Fast forward to today, Dean has a very famous podcast of his own called Let There Be Talk; he and Maron have another one together, something about Fonzies; I know we are supposed to be jealous of those that achieve success and fame, but I’m always happy to see people I know and maybe don’t know aside from a few Twitter messages become a well-known celebrity. So if you don’t know Dean, pull him up on youtube; if you don’t know Bill, find the Monday Morning Podcast and be ready to hear an hour or so of rants on today’s lunacy.

Well, sober Anson will be with you for the next 30 days; you may notice some nuance changes in my work; I’m a little bit of a different mindset when not sipping a glass of Saldo. I’ll default to my own personal Mr. Hyde and live my best life. I hope these words find you well; I hope you are enjoying this time, the most fantastic time in the history of humanity.  -cheers, I’ll be writing from our downtown condo tomorrow!

“If everybody’s conversations were recorded, would anyone have a job on Monday?”
— Bill Burr