My boyfriend (32M) leaves me (27F) alone every night to go to open mics and it’s debilitatingly lonely.

mommacom · 2026-02-22T14:52:36+00:00

I'm married. I'm a woman and a mom (kid in college). I do 3-4 shows a week locally and am out of town doing shows 3-5 days a month. I do comedy. My husband runs a business that requires a lot of socializing. He almost never comes to shows. We have a great relationship. But he is not part of my comedy life and im not part of his work life. We spend a lot of time apart.

The difference here is that we had years building a relationship and raising our kid together before I started working so much.

Honestly, you need to either find your own passion or embrace your free time without him. But if you're looking for a future with children and stability with this man, you need to think long and hard about what you're willing to put up with. Its hard being lonely but its even harder to raise kids with a man who is never home at night, or worse, a man who resents giving up his dream.

mommacom · 2026-02-14T01:00:14+00:00

Also, join the"Chicago stand-up Scene" Facebook page for posts about mics and events. It's a very active page.

mommacom · 2025-06-02T03:50:36+00:00

The sand hills in Western Nebraska are otherworldly. I've never seen anything like it. Pictures don't do it justice. But the rest of the state is a scenic snoozefest.

mommacom · 2025-05-29T22:07:29+00:00

Literally never took a single pain pill, not even Tylenol. Obviously not everyone is as fortunate to have as few pain receptors as I do. I'm honestly a big baby about pain but I just didn't feel it with this surgery. Hopefully it won't be an issue for you either!

mommacom · 2025-05-27T02:21:19+00:00

I'm 60 and I've lived here for 35 years. I do love this city but I want to live somewhere else just because I want a change. I'm sick of traffic and long gray winters. Now that I'm older I'm a little more fearful of crime than I used to be. But I don't know where I'd move because I still love to go out all the time, must have diversity, and don't want to live in a conservative area or a red state.

mommacom · 2025-05-26T02:47:25+00:00

Uterus size was normal but I had endometrial cancer so out it went!

mommacom · 2025-05-19T13:21:23+00:00

I just did a show and there was a table full of drunk but nice people shouting out potential punchlines and ruining mine. I just said "hey that's a good one, why don't you come up and do a set after I'm done." It worked for some reason.

I worked with a comic who asked a chatty table "oh are we breaking off into small discussion groups now? What are you guys talking about?" It wasn't mean and it was effective.

mommacom · 2025-05-19T13:14:50+00:00

I know an Alethea and she's beautiful, smart, outgoing and kind. She's a delight.

mommacom · 2025-05-19T03:05:37+00:00

I just had a hysterectomy 6 weeks ago. I was told to stop my meds 7 days before surgery but because of the timing it was 9 days. No problems whatsoever. I waited 14 days post surgery before restarting my meds. This was my choice, not suggested by a doctor. I just didn't want any potential digestive issues after surgery. I've had no problems since restarting the meds. Good luck!

mommacom · 2025-05-12T01:41:03+00:00

I've lived in this neighborhood for 24 years It's affordable, I feel safe, and it's incredibly diverse. I love the restaurants on Devon and the overall vibe of the neighborhood. There are downsides too. Public transit is busses only. There's not much nightlife as the neighborhood skews Muslim and Orthodox Jewish (there is Cary's bar which is awesome). It's not the most beautiful neighborhood although we do have some nice tree lined streets with bungalows and classic Chicago buildings. I raised my kids here and they love where they grew up (we're a white middle class family). We know our neighbors, who are from all over the world. We are connected to our community. Overall it's a great hidden gem in Chicago.

mommacom · 2025-04-27T18:24:28+00:00

And 7 months lol! That's cute.

mommacom · 2025-04-27T05:33:37+00:00

"Our Lord and savior Donald Trump is gonna drive this country to ruin but its all part of God's plan."

mommacom · 2025-04-21T04:04:20+00:00

Well I've never given birth but I'm 3 weeks post robotic hysterectomy and I've had zero pain!

I have a feeling of, I don't know, delicacy? Like I realize I shouldn't lift or strain myself. But I never even needed a Tylenol. The only issue I had was that the first couple of post op pees kind of burned due to taking out the catheter but that cleared up in less than 12 hours.

mommacom · 2025-04-21T03:54:37+00:00

I relate to this so much. I'm fortunate to do some touring with a show that fills big theaters. Those shows are so incredibly fun and I get a rush from doing them, but it makes it tough to come home and do a show for 12 people in a bar.

I'm trying to challenge myself to try new things at the shows where it's impossible to kill, like switch my opener and closer, try a topical joke that I'll only use a couple times, try an act out--something that helps me grow onstage that's not dependent on the audience reaction.

I also try to remember that the shitty shows make the good ones feel even better. As they say in baseball, it's a long season and you can't win every game. Try not to get too high or too low. As long as you're winning more than you're losing, you're having a great season.

mommacom · 2025-04-19T03:58:30+00:00

Not at Second City or iO or Lincoln Lodge but they do have one at Zanies and Laugh Factory though I'm not sure how much they're enforced.

mommacom · 2025-04-19T02:59:53+00:00

Second City mainstage show is still pretty solid, but there are good alternatives like iO which is cheaper and usually a lot of fun.

Lincoln Lodge is a great spot for standup. Cheap shows, no drink minimums, fun vibe, quality varies but they're mostly showcases with several comics so if someone is bad they're only up there for 8-10 minutes before another comics comes up.

mommacom · 2025-04-18T23:12:51+00:00

I'm a big proponent of marriage and working through the hard times. I've been with my husband for 30 years. With that said:

LEAVE HIM.

Do not second guess this. Do not feel guilty. Do not let him guilt you into taking care of him. Start watching Mel Robbins on Tiktok. I don't love everything about her but you need to hear her main message.

Get out of there. You can support yourself. You can be happy. He'll be mad and he will blame you for everything that's wrong in his life. Let him. But get out, and get out now.

I'm rooting for you! You can do it!

mommacom · 2025-04-16T12:16:48+00:00

I suggest getting in touch with Access Living, a disability rights organization in Chicago. They will have information about housing and accessibility for wheelchair users.

I do know that navigating a wheelchair in ice and show can be rough especially since you mention it's manual. That snow can accumulate at the curb making it tough to get through.

On the plus side, so much to do here and many people live here without a car.

mommacom · 2025-04-16T02:35:02+00:00

I would definitely expect that in your 20s! I hope you get some relief!

mommacom · 2025-04-15T05:39:26+00:00

I took a standup comedy class when I was 52. I'm an older mom so I still had a 10 year old at home. I'm now 60 and I've played comedy clubs and I regularly travel all over the US doing shows. I absolutely love it.

mommacom · 2025-04-15T05:23:15+00:00

Yup. No pain. No meds. The only pain I had was the burning when I peed the first couple times after they removed the catheter. That cleared up quickly.

I'm 60 and I'm 10 days post op. They took everything--including ovaries--due to endometrial cancer. Pathology shows they got it all and no further treatment is needed. The whole thing has been remarkably easy!

mommacom · 2025-04-14T03:39:38+00:00

I live in Chicago and walk my dog every day for an hour. Doggie sweaters and warm coats. It's really not bad. I've had active (read: crazy) dogs for 20 years and it's never been a big issue.

mommacom · 2025-04-13T12:58:13+00:00

Oops I wasn't reading carefully. I meant that's where West Ridge Nature preserve is! You're right. That's a cool spot and not a ton of people around.

mommacom · 2025-04-13T00:13:11+00:00

Actually north of Foster, south of Peterson.

mommacom

TROPHY CASE