me, enjoying a meal in Baltimores' Little Italy...Little did I know that I LOVE A PARADE…
My buddy Rob…First time on Stage on the Carnival Pride…Now, Mr. Big Time Comedian! At the moment of this writing, I am in ‘comedy terms’ doing a “back to front” on the Carnival Pride…which means that I get on the back end of one cruise and stay to do the beginning of the next…With Spring Break in full bloom, everyone on the ship is working harder, and giving all ages a great vacation, even when we have overcast weather as we left Baltimore…which I almost didn’t on Sunday. Many of you know that when possible, I hold a comedy seminar on board, and usually follow it up with an ‘open mike’ night giving the guests a few minutes to spend on stage and finding out how doing stand-up comedy feels when you’re the person everyone is looking at. We have given over 100 guests a chance to get in the spotlight that is usually only five minutes, but can seem like five hours when you are trying to make 300 people laugh in the Punchliners Comedy Club…and sometimes you get a person who wants to keep going. That’s why I almost did not make it back to the ship on Sunday. Now a very good friend, Rob Schwartz, was just a guest on the Pride in October of 2009…he decided to go up and did a great job --- usually met with a handshake and maybe a solid gold plastic trophy…but Rob got interested and wanted more. So now over the past couple of years, Rob has kept in touch, found venues and open mikes, while still working his day job in Baltimore. In fact, Rob has opened for me on several land venues in the DC area, and now I can say to him that he is in fact a “real” comic! He is constantly working on material, stage presence and delivery…that’s the key to success is to keep going and not just expect the phone to ring. As Rob lives in Baltimore, and I had the day there, he came by and picked me up at the port, and what I thought would be a nice lunch turned into being a part an adventure that only my alter ego, Emmett would believe! He said “want to take you to this great place in little Italy, its close by, and we can enjoy a great lunch and catch up. I knew he was a real comic when I got in the car, instead of the usual “how’s your family?”, He immediately said “I am working on this new bit in my show”, and started on it, and spent the next half hour working through wording and delivery. Wasn’t too worried, as we got caught in some major gridlock in downtown Baltimore, and he said he knew a way around it…after an hour of just turning down roads going by the same place two of three times, wow…I was just wondering what the heck was happening. With street closures, redirection, and u-turns…we finally got to little Italy about an hour later and I could actually look down the street and see the ship parked! We found out a huge St Patrick’s day festival and parade was going on, and thought by the time we got out of lunch, it would be over, and then a quick ride back to the ship. The little unique restaurant was very old school and even at lunch we ate like Italians do…in long multiple courses. As a fat guy, I can also say that there were too many great items to pass anything up. Great “comedy conversation” great food, and a lot of fun…and Rob even picked up the check. Which means with my meal he is now going to have to find a lot of paying shows to make up for the cost… So, we still had over an hour to make it back to the ship, and I was a bit uneasy, just because I was not familiar with the area. Needless to say…the first street we turned on was completely blocked. Not to worry, Rob grew up here, and “no problem, you will get there in plenty of time”…and another 45 minutes went by… I could tell Rob was a little concerned, as we were the front car on a cross street that was blocked due to the St Patrick’s Day Parade that was on the road we needed to go down to get to the port. I had to be back on board the ship by 3:45pm and it was now 3:21. As I was grabbing the blackberry to email and call Kirk, the Cruise Director, and coming up with excuses that I was going to give to the office…my friend Rob called an audible that once again still makes my head shake. He said, “You want to be in the Parade?”…then I couldn’t believe it. He made a left turn onto the parade route during a break in floats and bands, and the next thing you know our SUV had turned into a part of the Parade! Of course, I am still a comedian, so I said to him, “Roll down your windows” and we both just started waving out the window. The thousands along the parade route just started cheering a waving back! Ha, it didn’t hurt that Rob’s SUV was green, and I happened to have my “Emmett” hunting hat on… I could hear some people along the parade route say “Hey, its ‘Larry the Cable Guy’ and started going nuts … some were rushing up looking for autographs…and as much as I hate being compared to Larry (it was my idea first) --- I was sure happy this time, although I signed the pieces of paper “Emmett Lee Tutwiler, Jr.”…and enjoyed looking in the rear view mirror at the curious looks on their faces when they looked at the signature. We were in the parade about 12 minutes, and as the clock ticked, the turn into the port came up…Rob knocked down three orange cones, and at 3:44, I punched into the ship. Yes, I was a real celebrity for a few minutes, and made the ship on time…now I have no idea if Rob made it out of there, as there was a policeman running toward the SUV as I was running (or walking fast onto the ship)…Actually, he emailed me later, and it turned out the policeman was just helping him get out of the port to avoid the parade with no idea we had just been it… Just another adventure for the life of a couple of comedians, and at least 10 parade viewers who got an autograph of “Emmett”… My best to you all, and see you soon… Larry…err…Al….err…EMMETT
me, enjoying a meal in Baltimores' Little Italy...Little did I know that I LOVE A PARADE… 
My buddy Rob…First time on Stage on the Carnival Pride…Now, Mr. Big Time Comedian! At the moment of this writing, I am in ‘comedy terms’ doing a “back to front” on the Carnival Pride…which means that I get on the back end of one cruise and stay to do the beginning of the next…With Spring Break in full bloom, everyone on the ship is working harder, and giving all ages a great vacation, even when we have overcast weather as we left Baltimore…which I almost didn’t on Sunday. Many of you know that when possible, I hold a comedy seminar on board, and usually follow it up with an ‘open mike’ night giving the guests a few minutes to spend on stage and finding out how doing stand-up comedy feels when you’re the person everyone is looking at. We have given over 100 guests a chance to get in the spotlight that is usually only five minutes, but can seem like five hours when you are trying to make 300 people laugh in the Punchliners Comedy Club…and sometimes you get a person who wants to keep going. That’s why I almost did not make it back to the ship on Sunday. Now a very good friend, Rob Schwartz, was just a guest on the Pride in October of 2009…he decided to go up and did a great job --- usually met with a handshake and maybe a solid gold plastic trophy…but Rob got interested and wanted more. So now over the past couple of years, Rob has kept in touch, found venues and open mikes, while still working his day job in Baltimore. In fact, Rob has opened for me on several land venues in the DC area, and now I can say to him that he is in fact a “real” comic! He is constantly working on material, stage presence and delivery…that’s the key to success is to keep going and not just expect the phone to ring. As Rob lives in Baltimore, and I had the day there, he came by and picked me up at the port, and what I thought would be a nice lunch turned into being a part an adventure that only my alter ego, Emmett would believe! He said “want to take you to this great place in little Italy, its close by, and we can enjoy a great lunch and catch up. I knew he was a real comic when I got in the car, instead of the usual “how’s your family?”, He immediately said “I am working on this new bit in my show”, and started on it, and spent the next half hour working through wording and delivery. Wasn’t too worried, as we got caught in some major gridlock in downtown Baltimore, and he said he knew a way around it…after an hour of just turning down roads going by the same place two of three times, wow…I was just wondering what the heck was happening. With street closures, redirection, and u-turns…we finally got to little Italy about an hour later and I could actually look down the street and see the ship parked! We found out a huge St Patrick’s day festival and parade was going on, and thought by the time we got out of lunch, it would be over, and then a quick ride back to the ship. The little unique restaurant was very old school and even at lunch we ate like Italians do…in long multiple courses. As a fat guy, I can also say that there were too many great items to pass anything up. Great “comedy conversation” great food, and a lot of fun…and Rob even picked up the check. Which means with my meal he is now going to have to find a lot of paying shows to make up for the cost… So, we still had over an hour to make it back to the ship, and I was a bit uneasy, just because I was not familiar with the area. Needless to say…the first street we turned on was completely blocked. Not to worry, Rob grew up here, and “no problem, you will get there in plenty of time”…and another 45 minutes went by… I could tell Rob was a little concerned, as we were the front car on a cross street that was blocked due to the St Patrick’s Day Parade that was on the road we needed to go down to get to the port. I had to be back on board the ship by 3:45pm and it was now 3:21. As I was grabbing the blackberry to email and call Kirk, the Cruise Director, and coming up with excuses that I was going to give to the office…my friend Rob called an audible that once again still makes my head shake. He said, “You want to be in the Parade?”…then I couldn’t believe it. He made a left turn onto the parade route during a break in floats and bands, and the next thing you know our SUV had turned into a part of the Parade! Of course, I am still a comedian, so I said to him, “Roll down your windows” and we both just started waving out the window. The thousands along the parade route just started cheering a waving back! Ha, it didn’t hurt that Rob’s SUV was green, and I happened to have my “Emmett” hunting hat on… I could hear some people along the parade route say “Hey, its ‘Larry the Cable Guy’ and started going nuts … some were rushing up looking for autographs…and as much as I hate being compared to Larry (it was my idea first) --- I was sure happy this time, although I signed the pieces of paper “Emmett Lee Tutwiler, Jr.”…and enjoyed looking in the rear view mirror at the curious looks on their faces when they looked at the signature. We were in the parade about 12 minutes, and as the clock ticked, the turn into the port came up…Rob knocked down three orange cones, and at 3:44, I punched into the ship. Yes, I was a real celebrity for a few minutes, and made the ship on time…now I have no idea if Rob made it out of there, as there was a policeman running toward the SUV as I was running (or walking fast onto the ship)…Actually, he emailed me later, and it turned out the policeman was just helping him get out of the port to avoid the parade with no idea we had just been it… Just another adventure for the life of a couple of comedians, and at least 10 parade viewers who got an autograph of “Emmett”… My best to you all, and see you soon… Larry…err…Al….err…EMMETT
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