I don’t have a good memory for years. I remember 2010 as being a bit of a downer. Hope for any success moving Don’t Spit the Water! to television had been fizzling out fast. Then I hit my lowest point at the top of November, when Paul Luikart and I took 2nd place in the Andy Kaufman Awards. We had just given what I think was our best performance ever… and came so close to the prize… so when we walked away with 2nd, I was just about ready to throw in the towel.

I had peaked! It was over! The universe had given me a pat on the back and a 2nd place certificate, and said, “now get back to work.”

And then, as 2010 was coming to a close, Groupon ran a deal for my silly cat drawing project, and the world opened up again. Suddenly, over the course of a week, I was in the Huffington Post, Chicago Public Radio, all sorts of blogs and podcasts, and had appearances on WGN Radio and NBC News. That boost gave me the life and drive to turn 2011 into one of the best years of my life, and as it comes to a close, 2012 is looking mighty fine.

In 2011, I decided to take the fate of Don’t Spit the Water! into my own hands. Since its exciting peak in 2008, where we performed for Comedy Central and got to pitch the show out in LA, I had been leaning on other people to make something out of this show. We had an option deal with Syd Vinnedge productions for a while. Then with some guy named Jeff. Then with a guy in New Zealand. And as that dried up, I came to a realization that I come to often:

Nobody gives a shit about your shit but you.

Maybe that’s something I made up. Or maybe that’s something Don Hall told me one time. Either way, it’s a far more optimistic maxim than it sounds. And it gave me the energy and impetus to look at things differently. I schemed. I cooked up a plan. And just days before my 35th birthday, I put it into action.

I stayed late and hung around my boss’s door on a Friday, and luckily caught him as he walked from one office to another. In one of my more gutsy moments, I asked him to make me a deal. I asked him if he would guarantee me that if I raised enough money to finance my own pilot shoot, that he would give it at least one airing on one of Weigel’s stations. I caught him on a good day. He said yes – and with that guarantee, the Don’t Spit the Water! Kickstarter project was launched. 101 backers later, we raised the money we needed… and on September 3rd, at midnight, on WCIU, The U, Don’t Spit the Water! had its television debut.

It was a fine, fine moment, watching that show on television surrounded by people who’ve contributed to its success. The whole experience was great – from the months of preparation, to the day long shoot, to the actual airing… that was my 2011, right there.

It’s almost a shame that an experience that was years in the making would be so quickly overshadowed. DSTW aired on a Saturday. Two days later I was on a plane to Los Angeles for what would be one of the coolest experiences of my life…

TO BE CONTINUED!!!