Around noon on Friday, I made my back to the Upper Penninsula, to perform at Pasqualis Pub, in Negaunee, MI. It’s at least a good 6 1/2 -hour hike from Chicago, so about halfway up, I stopped in Sheboygan, Wisconsin for some double-brats at the Charcoal Inn.  They’re some of the best I’ve ever had. I’ve eaten up to 3 at a time, but could easily eat 4 – they’re that good. They come char-grilled, and halved on a soft bun slathered with butter, pickles, and onion/mustard if you wish. 

    The owner of Pasqualis, Clark Gravedoni, has been doing comedy 2x a month for over 20 years, Sept-May. He treats the comedians great, and more importantly, appreciates the hard work involved with doing the gig. The place looks like the setting for a 70’s porn-flick, but in actuality is very charming. It gets pretty cold in these parts, and comedy is just the thing to warm people up at his joint.  The audience tends to take a little longer to get jump-started, but once they do, they’re along for the ride.

The next morning, I made my way to the Wisconsin Dells, for a show with the Air National Guard. About three hours in, I stopped in Appleton at a place called Mary’s, home of some of the best chicken dumpling soup I’ve ever had.  It was the perfect remedy for an otherwise brutally cold day, and I went through 3 bowls, not including a bowl of chicken chili. Volk Field Air National Guard Base is the military airport, located just outside the village of Camp Douglas, and is the only one of four Combat Readiness Training Center’s across the country that does not share its airfield with a civilian airport.  I asked comedian Jim Flannigan to open the show for me, and I’m glad I did. Jim has very funny, original material, and did a great job of warming up the crowd, and setting the stage for me.  We both had a blast performing for the hard-working men/women in uniform who serve our country. One big reason for the success of the evening was Samuel P. Neve, SMSgt, USAF-ANG, and overall first-rate guy.