#Irvine CA

[larryshapiro]

Orange County Fire Authority, CA

[secondbrightspot]

A story of a show. Because I need to get this written down so that I can move on.

On Friday November 18, 2022, I drove 90 minutes to Irvine to see Ashley Gavin perform stand-up comedy at the Irvine Improv. I purchased my ticket on stubhub(.com) after receiving a text that she was performing in SocCal. After a rough work week, I left my house and at least made it into the car with enough time to make it into the theater by 730.

I sat in my driveway for an untenable 10-15 minutes, frustrated that I couldn't find the download link for my ticket. I was late by this point and the evenings are dark earlier in the fall. Kinda nervous, I decided to leave anyway and hopefully pick up my tickets at the window at the Irvine Improv.

The drive was smooth with enough traffic to creepingly, increase my lateness. I always forget how chic Irvine sees itself. The parking garage was free, Thank God.

I looked fall as fuck. Hair in a loose bun, gold disk earrings, mod brown and tan and orange sweater with jeans and ballet flats. I felt soft, but proper. Perfect fall. And I had a reason to go out.

Rushing, by the time I navigated the mall and made it to the ticket counter, I was 20 minutes late.

Things got worse when I got to the ticket counter. My name was not on the purchased tickets list. The ticket man (who clearly had encountered this situation before, but was hoping it could be resolved with minimum fuss as he had zero power to resolve anything) informed me that they could not give me a ticket and most likely I had been scammed. The third party had taken my money and had not given me my ticket. I was suddenly and unexpectedly far from home and ticketless.

I tried: "Are you sure? There's nothing you can do?" I tried, "I just drove up from San Diego." Nothing could be done. Dejected, I stepped to the side of the window and tried to collect myself.

I heard a woman behind me ask what had happened and then felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned. She was tall and thin with short hair, Heels and a peasant blouse topped dress and snowy green eyes. She was there alone with an extra ticket, and asked if I would go with her. I was in. We sat down near the rear left. The theater seats 500 and is the first of 3 nights in Irvine for Ashley Gavin. The opener is almost done by the time we are shown our seats. He is a thirty something man, his act is almost over, I remember a joke about his father being a cardiologist. My heart was racing because I was so happy to be inside. That timing was perfect. I bought my rescuer a drink (Stella for her) as a thank you.

The opener said goodbye and walked off the stage.

Then Ashley Gavin came out onto that stage and she was MAD. Or frustrated. Or disappointed. She yelled at the audience for not laughing at the opener. She explain complained about the judgement and uptightness that we as a gay audience have on comedians (regardless of sexuality) that have to follow a laughless opener. It's hard. It is no longer a safe space for a performer if the audience starts the evening with judgement based on outward appearance.

We are there to laugh. So laugh goddammit it. She gleefully skipped past decorum to get to the reaction that she needed. She tried to tough-love teach us how to be a more receptive crowd (missing her Carnaval Cruise passengers was a theme she touched on repeatedly). She passing swung at Southern Californians fakeness.

What showed up on stage was a comedian who, the day after her birthday (she told us during the set), flew into a city, jetlagged, and immediately performed comedy for a group of tired SoCal corporates and queers.

In the first few minutes, she said she had planned to do her material from her upcoming special, but that she was deciding whether to do it. If we were a good enough audience, she would do some of it. (Spoiler: no matter how we tried, we weren't a good enough audience). There was some stellar crowd work involving a table of business lenders, and an orca trainer. In her act, there are beautiful jokes. Some fast. Some silly. Some that shove your face into a brutal structure of shock value for a laugh and a lesson that nothing is sacred. Well constructed, crass, and correct.

I loved every second of that uncomfortable show. I haven't stopped thinking about it. It was Entertaining. It felt like there was a happy place where Ashley wanted us to be, but she decided to turn the car around and tell us she was disappointed in us instead. For not laughing at our annoying brother. But to her point, our annoying brother can be funny, and we should have been prepared to laugh with him instead of defaulting to annoyed. I didn't see most of the act, so idk. But I guess he was responsible for the verion of Ashley Gavin's show that I did get to see that night. It became clear we were going to laughing AND learning.

With a start like that, the night turned into a puzzle of actions and reactions. Of laughter and anxiousness. The crowd didn't know what she wanted and tried to give it to her anyway. She didn't know what we wanted either. And tried to give it to us anyway. And you know, because it's comedy, sometimes we were all just laughing and getting yelled at for it.

The show ended abruptly, in overtime and on a laugh.

Show over, I talked to the young woman (name forgotten) I was with while we waited for the theater to empty. I hate a queue. I asked what she did for work. At first she told me that she used to work in corporate. After a few questions she blurted that she now works at an underground poker ring. From Finance to Finance. She started as a hostess and now is in a partnership with the owner. I asked how she got into the game. And she said that she met her partner at the gym, when she was using one of the machines, and he approached her and offered her a job.

We walked out of the theater, Ms. Gavin was sitting on a chair wearing (what I can only remember as) in beige with a line of women stretching around the corner for her meet and greet. My new friend said she had to go to the bathroom. I said ok and told her goodbye. She paused and asked if I was getting merch or standing in-line. I said no and left. I walked past the queue and found my way out of the mall. On the drive home, I kicked myself for not exploring that further. I mean...the stars aligned in a wierd way for us to meet. I wasn't in the mood, I guess. Pretty sure she wanted to hang out further. Underground poker? Red flag? I wish her safety on her journey.

Kicking myself a lot a bit, I drove home.

I thought about that show until I got home. Then I thought about that show for the next 2 days. I sat in those wierd feelings. Why did she make those choices?

I keep having flashbacks about how she showed up on stage and handled the crowd. And she was clearly professional enough to handle a crowd.

She accused us of having wierd energy and then had a woman in the audience back her up and agree that we were off and that we were, indeed, a bad crowd. Despite the mass gaslighting, this tactic worked. We laughed at her frustration in us. We laughed because she told us to. And felt better for having laughed. It felt like laugh yoga.

Our reactions slid into genuish not genuine, but close enough. She was so fast. Delightfully, consistently aggressive in her delivery. I couldn't tell which way we were going, as she was leading. But I smiled the whole time. Happy to see where this performance was going. It felt like a transition. But at one point I was grinning so HARD at the overriding awkwardness that we were all sitting in that I KNEW that I was getting new wrinkles on my face, and I didn't care because I was happy that they were coming from laughing. She wanted to give us a good time. But, If she wasn't yelling at us for How we were laughing, she was yelling at us for When we were laughing. Parts of the show were free form and fast. She's clever.

Still, I felt pitted against whatever part of the audience wasn't getting yelled at.

Actually, she told us, who she was comparing us to... that perfect Carnival Cruise audience. Those assholes.

But we're not them. And they aren't us.

There's something there about bridging that gap. 10/10 experience. I hope she was having a good time. Cause we did. She's funny. Fucking interesting show. I got so much to think about.

Oh and she had a joke that just laid me on my ass and made me see an unknown part of myself waving at me from still inside the fucking closet. I remember, like, barking a laugh kinda in shock at her bluntness in a joke about tits and mothers. When the audience reacted in parallel, she told us that we were fooling ourselves.

I've been thinking (uncomfortably) about her point for the last few days. I had thought myself more of a daddy-issues-kind-of-woman. I had tied a nice little therapeutic bow on that problem years ago. But of COURSE....She's sneaking self realization into a punchlines. How fucking annoying and delightful.

Those are the thoughts. You should sign up to get her texts, you only get an alert when she performs near you. Then, when you get the text, actually go see her show. She's absolutely worth the watching.

[youbodyhealth]

Orange County Pool Natural Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard stone and custom-shaped natural pool fountain remodel

[cottonmouthe]

Kitchen - Kitchen An illustration of a sizable u-shaped eat-in kitchen with a slate floor, an undermount sink, white cabinets with recessed panels, a gray backsplash, subway tile on the backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, and quartz countertops

[thegrandteapot]

The World, and a Cup of Tea by incidencematrix Via Flickr: Shot with a Pentax MX SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/4 macro lens (w/red filter) Kodak TMax P3200 film Shot at EI 3200 Developed in XTOL (1:1, 12:21 at 77F, agitated first and each minute) Scanned on a Coolscan 9000

[dkt5d]

Acorn Woodpeckers at Irvine Regional Park, it was a pretty nice day for a little hike.

[performanceendurancegear]

Two NEW happy customers at the Tour de Saddleback. Where: Irvine Valley College 5500 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618 When: Saturday March 25, 2023 #ca #cali #california #irvine #irvinevalleycollege #bike #bikelife #cycling #cyclinglife #bicycle #bicycles #bicycling #facsfitness #performanceendurancegear #apparel #clothingbrand (at Irvine Valley College) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqPCyExL_Fj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[markrigney]

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here’s some spooky sims for halloween!!

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Bacteria and fungus are the known culprits in the sink cleaning and rooftop ceiling disinfection process. Indeed, they don’t even think twice before eating the furniture’s dry wood. It increases the likelihood of leaving brown and rustic red stains on the upper surface. Over time, controlling greywater toxicity flowing through kitchen faucets and water supply lines is infection-free with the water damage restoration Irvine programs. 

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Unique Tension Set Diamond Rings for Unconventional Brides

If you want an engagement ring that is unique and stands out from the test, tension settings are the ideal choice for you. A tension-set Irvine custom jewelry is ideal for brides who want to put their unique spin on a traditional wedding ring.

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IM Garage Door Service | Garage Repair Service | Garage Repair Service in Irvine CA

At IM Garage Door Service, we understand the critical role your garage door plays in your daily routine. That's why our team is dedicated to providing reliable and efficient Garage Repair Service in Irvine CA. Whether you need a minor fix or a major overhaul, our expert technicians bring years of experience to ensure your garage door operates smoothly and securely, safeguarding your home and family. Moreover, if you are looking for trusted professionals to handle your garage door needs, Turn to IM Garage Door Service. Our commitment to customer satisfaction makes us the preferred choice for exceptional Garage Door Service in Irvine CA. Don't let a malfunctioning garage door disrupt your day – call us for expert assistance.

[houseofremodeling9]

Bathroom Renovation Services in Irvine, CA

Transform your home with House of Remodeling. We specialize in house, kitchen, and bathroom remodeling in Irvine, CA. Quality craftsmanship and personalized designs.

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Secure your Future with Wealth Management Strategies in Irvine, CA

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[localservices6]

Evaluating Costs and Benefits: Roof Repairs Versus Replacement

In the lifecycle of your home, few decisions are as crucial as determining whether to repair or replace your roof. Your roof is your first line of defense against the elements, safeguarding your family and possessions from rain, wind, and sun. However, over time, wear and tear are inevitable, leading to leaks, damaged shingles, or structural issues. When faced with roofing troubles, homeowners often find themselves at a crossroads: should they opt for repairs or invest in a full replacement?

This decision requires careful consideration of various factors, including the extent of damage, the age of the roof, and the cost-effectiveness of each option. In this article, we'll delve into the process of evaluating costs and benefits when it comes to roof repairs versus replacement, with a particular focus on finding the right roofing contractor in Irvine, CA, to meet your needs.

Assessing the Condition of Your Roof

The first step in determining whether your roof needs repairs or replacement is to assess its current condition. Look for signs of damage such as missing or broken shingles, water stains on the ceiling, or sagging areas. While minor issues like a few missing shingles can often be addressed through repairs, extensive damage or an aging roof may necessitate a full replacement.

Cost Considerations

When it comes to costs, roof repairs typically represent a more budget-friendly option in the short term. Repairs target specific issues, such as fixing leaks or replacing damaged shingles, without the need for a complete overhaul. On the other hand, while roof replacement may involve a higher initial investment, it offers long-term benefits by providing a new, durable roof that can last for decades.

Long-Term Benefits of Replacement

While the upfront cost of roof replacement may seem daunting, it's essential to consider the long-term benefits. A new roof not only enhances the curb appeal and value of your home but also provides peace of mind knowing that your property is adequately protected. Additionally, modern roofing materials are more energy-efficient, potentially leading to savings on your utility bills over time.

Choosing the Right Contractor

Whether you opt for roof repairs or replacement, selecting the right roofing contractor is paramount to the success of your project. In Irvine, CA, where the climate can vary from scorching summers to rainy winters, it's crucial to find a contractor with local expertise and a proven track record of quality workmanship.

When searching for a roofing contractor in Irvine, CA, consider the following factors:

Experience: Look for a contractor with years of experience in the industry and a portfolio of successful projects.

Credentials: Ensure that the contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured to perform roofing work in California.

Reputation: Check online reviews and ask for referrals from friends or family members who have recently had roofing work done.

Quality of Materials: Inquire about the types of materials the contractor uses and ensure that they meet your standards for durability and performance.

Communication: Choose a contractor who communicates openly and transparently throughout the project, providing regular updates and addressing any concerns promptly.

By carefully evaluating costs and benefits and selecting a reputable roofing contractor in Irvine, CA, you can make an informed decision that ensures the longevity and integrity of your roof for years to come. Whether you opt for repairs or replacement, investing in the health of your roof is an investment in the safety and security of your home.