I moved during quarantine. It was so stressful. I moved from the 18th floor to the 16th floor. I was ill prepared and didn’t start packing seriously until about 3 days before the move. So stupid on my part.
I had emergency dental surgery on April 30. Somehow my tooth cracked, and OMG it was so painful. It was a relief to have the tooth extracted.
I also adopted another black cat. Her name is Koala. She is adorable and sassy. I love her so much. She terrorizes KC and Boo from time to time but overall, they are getting along. Not cuddling or anything but not fighting at least.
Most of Ontario moved into phase 3 on Friday, July 17, 2020. That was the day comedy clubs reopened in Ottawa and Kingston. Three of my friends were performing at Absolute Comedy Kingston that opening weekend, so I packed up and drove to Kingston for the weekend to support them. What a blast!
Two weeks later I went back to see another friend perform. At that show, I was asked to perform there the following week. I did 3 shows (August 6, 7, and 8). It was amazing to be back on stage.
Up until we went into phase 3, I was getting my comedy fix by performing on many virtual open mics, hosting an online interview show, and co-hosting 2 other shows with 2 good friends. I even produced 2 virtual comedy shows called “Lockdown Laughs” in June and July respectively. I wanted to be stage-ready as soon as the clubs reopened.
As soon as the clubs reopened I started contacting clubs and indie shows for spots. I also applied to participate in the Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa Mike MacDonald Summer Comedy Competition. I made it all the way to the semi finals of the competition. I was super proud of how well I had done considering I had not even hit the one-year mark of my stand-up comedy journey.
I started getting booked on shows in Ottawa, Kingston, and Montreal. I was driving all over the place! It felt great to be getting back in the circuit and seeing my comic friends who I missed so much. It’s been so much fun!
I’m trying to perform as much as possible because I am worried that the province will revert back to phase 2 due to increasing COVID-19 cases.
This is a frightening time for all of us. If you are struggling with mental health issues brought on by COVID-19, there are resources offered by the Government of Canada where you can get help:
For more information on COVID-19, please visit the following sites:
- Government of Canada: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
- Government of Ontario: The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- City of Ottawa: COVID-19 in Ottawa
Please stay safe, wear a mask, and WASH YOUR HANDS!