Open Mike puppy

Open Mike on Puppies

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A few years ago I had dreams of doing standup comedy. After one good performance and nine so-so attempts, I gave it up.

But even though I no longer stand up in front of people in order to make them sigh and check their watches, I still enjoy writing and telling jokes.

The only difference is that now my audience mostly consists of dogs. They think I'm the best comic ever out of all the Comics Who Hand Out Treats.

I created Open Mike a few years back to indulge my hidden comic. I set it aside after fourteen strips. Not because I ran out of material, but because nobody visited my blog and it felt like a lot of work to just tell jokes to myself.

But now I think I've finally accepted the fact that here on Almost Daily I'm mostly talking to myself.

I do get visits from the excellent blogger and smart aleck, John Wilder, who for some peculiar reason, still stops by regularly. I'm grateful, though I think he's a tad too hopeful I'll one day get my blogging shit together on something approaching a regular schedule. But if that happens, there'll be no stopping me. I will be bound for blogging stardom, which everyone knows will entitle me to the best parking spots all across America as long as I'm willing to pay fines for parking in handicap zones.

So aside from John, there aren't any visitors here that aren't bots or whatever the cool kids at Google and the NSA are using these days.

The bottom line is that I'm doing this for me because I like it. I like writing silly things, venting frustrations, pointing out hypocrisy (even occasionally my own)…

…and telling jokes, even to an empty room.

About the Author

topdog

Topdog is Steve Merryman, a graphic designer (retired), and illustrator. Living in the woods, Steve can often be found working on portrait commissions. In his spare time he paints, writes, shoots guns, cuts trees, hikes with his dogs, savors a beer or two, and searches for the perfect cheeseburger. He studiously avoids social media and is occasionally without pants.

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