Funny bicycles!?

July 25, 2012

Since you are reading this, chances are you don't wanna hear anything funny. But in a departure from the norm I will tell you something funny - it's Omaha Comedy Week!  Right here in river city! I learned about this funny event while attending the Spokes for Jokes ride last eve. Omaha Comedy Week continues through Sunday, and takes place at various venues throughout town.

It doesn't have to be Omaha Comedy Week for you to get your laughs, however. The Spokes for Jokes ride heads out from Stinson Park every Tuesday around 6 p.m. and arrives at the Pizza Shoppe for a comedy show at around 6:45 (my speed) or around 6:30 (regular bicycling speed). Shows begin around 7. This ride was apparently conceived of by the good folks at the Community Bike Project Omaha. I am pretty sure that I was the only participant in the ride last night, but this event is slated to continue until September 4th.

I parked my vehicle near the B-cycle kiosk near Stinson, so you could just grab one and go if you found yourself lacking a bicycle, but with an ample urge for some bicycling and comedy on a Tuesday night. I think you might have to sign up on their website first, though.

Then I rode happily along some multi-use trails through Elmwood Park. I was soon disgorged from the trails onto the happily shaded Happy Hollow Boulevard bicycle lane,

which ended

nearly as quickly as it began. Its brevity adds to its charm. I continued along a pleasantly pastoral 52nd Street and eventually wound up on Corby Street, which sported a barely- to very-discernable sharrow

and this welcoming sign.

I arrived safely in the dynamic Benson area where I found a bike parking spot next to this large mural.

Alright Blanco, you can sit on the Bastard, but you have to give 'im back after the show! Or not...

I arrived at the Pizza Shoppe to find that an early crowd had already taken up residence. I sniffed around for a bit, but I did not detect the pungent odor of any other bicyclers, so a kindly software developer offered to share his table and we were soon joined by two attractive young ladies(?!). "Tina" was delighted by the "community table" environment. After we were informed that the $5 cover included a 15% discount at the neighboring tattoo parlor we all made plans to get the same table tattoo next Tuesday. I didn't ask her what the "hospitality industry" consisted of exactly. The comedy was very good. First up was J.C. Morgan, recently of LA. Funny jokes about parenthood. He was followed by the sizable Skull-prov group, recently of Skulldruduggery Theater. They were funny too! Yay! Then it was Jason "Fitz" "Fish" Miller, a bearded fellow who made some entertaining parenthood-related jokes. Then it was Paul Reiser who read an excerpt from his classic Parenthood book. Just kidding! But wouldn't that have been hysterical! No? That's not even a real book?!  Well, maybe I'll leave the comedy to the pros next time. Geez. Tough crowd. Finally, the much-anticipated (by me, anyway) Weisenheimers took the stage. I hadn't seen them before, but I have noticed that they make frequent appearances at the Pizza Shoppe and a few other local venues. "Tina" noticed that they didn't have half of their members, but that didn't stop The Backstreet Boys from making it to the top did it?! What!? Okay, if your laughing at that one, then I feel sorry for you this time! The Half of the Weisenheimers that we witnessed were very good. Long-winded, but usually packing a pithy zinger or two in each and every sketch. I think they were kind of happy to be able to have the entire stage to themselves.

I slipped out a little early so that I could get back for a haircut and some beauty rest. On the way I half-assedly attempted to purchase a raffle ticket (only $1/ticket) for the New Belgium bicycle (raffle tickets to benefit the Community Bike Project Omaha). The door guy was too busy laughing intently at the W-heimers to sell me a ticket, and I didn't want to interrupt his hilarity, so I resolved to pick one up during my next visit. P.S., thanks for the good times.

On my way home, I enjoyed some additional public art enjoying, including this large O! in Memorial Park that I hadn't examined previously.

Looks kinda fishy, don't it!? What is up with this whacky punctuation?!

What else is going on? Well, as everybody knows, and I temporarily forgot, it's RAGBRAI week?! Yes, I was reminded of this annual occurrence by this news article. Although RAGBRAI is something that I feel is best understood by experiencing it firsthand, many of us non RAGBRAIns understand the event mostly through news reports relating to accidents, which are, thankfully, generally rather few.

Oh and that foul-mouthed Bradley Wiggins apparently won the Tour de France!? That is just fucking great. I can't wait to see him on tour with Russell Brand.  Now that'd be some bloody good comedy, eh?! I hope Russ's current situation won't curtail his fun-loving romps.  Hell Russ, if throwing i-phones through windows is a crime, then what about those evil bastards that flush them down toilets!?  I think BW would have to open the show, because Russell would be a hard act to follow. That's why I am hoping that he will be the final (surprise) performer at the Funny Bone during our exciting Omaha Comedy week!? Hey, if you're gonna dream, dream big!? Let's ride our bicycles to the show, Russell! Oh, what jolly good fun! He he he he! Ah, so sad to say cheerio, old chap! Ta ta?!

http://demo.fitperez.com/2011-06-30-russell-brand-goes-bike-riding-in-tribeca-new-york