Easter Sunday

 My family got together this afternoon at my cousins Alyssa and Kelli's to celebrate Easter. Owen my little cousin was sick so we had to relocate our get together from Rockford to Chicago which was great for me because it meant I could actually attend. We've never put much stock in the religionisty of holidays its just an excuse to get together, eat good food, and jaw. It's always such a joy to see my family and there's something really special about having four generations under one roof. We talked extensively about CPS, charter schools, private schools, and educational philosophises.

Later in the evening Joey, Scott, and I played with Craig in U Who? It was a real fun show about Wisconsin seceding from the union, importing jeans from Canada, refusing to export cheese, and forcing everyone to raise rabbits.

A warm, wonderful holiday.

Grade School Memories

I went to Carlson Elementary School in Rockford and I find a lot of things from that time still sticking with me especially the songs. Every Friday the whole school would get together for 'All School Sing' where we would sing a bunch of songs for the two hours before school got out. We sang the Halloween song, a President song which taught us all the presidents in order, we sang Everyday People by Three Dog Night to learn about tolerance, The Purple People Eater, Splish Splash, Old Time Rock and Roll, tons of songs.

I loved singing and still do, I give most of the credit to those all school sings. Every now and again one of these songs from the past will pop back into my head and won't get out. This week Wheel of the Water has been in my head constantly. So much so I'm going to write a sketch involving it in some capacity. Give it a listen and enjoy. It's about the water cycle!



I also just remembered we sang this song a lot too. Maybe it was when we were studying the Revolutionary War and reading The Fighting Ground by Avi...

'On The Road' A Review

On The Road is a film based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Jack Kerouac. It follows Sal on his travels back and fourth across the US with various traveling companions and friends. The film captures some of the spontaneous energy of the book but falls short of eliciting any empathy, concern or care for the main characters. Something surely is lost in translation from page to screen. Watching actors act out things described in Kerouac's book turn the characters from engaging rebels to petulant narcissists. Case in point, Kristen Stewart as Marylou giving simultaneous handjobs to Sal and Dean while driving down the highway.

Overall casting was serviceable but uninspired. Kristen Stewart provides the least wooden portrayal of her career. Sam Riley as Sal and Garret Hedlund both left something to be desired from their performance, although their voices captured the cadence and timber of the book or what I imagine those characters to sound like. Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams provided two bright spots however brief.

Intriguing but ultimately unfulfilling.

Rent It.

Haint

lurid darkness
coalesces
into fears
the mind possess

hidden horrors
deeply buried
spring to life
sleeping wearied

memories
invade the brain
untruths convincing
a nightmare sane

dormant dread
potential lows
ooze into shadows
of dream flow

awaken now
the shade recedes
forget about
the undone deeds.

Bubble Boys: Police Corruption

Episode 3 brings Jeff Murdoch into the Bubble Boys fold as both the police chief and his nagging wife. Jeff perfects a saying that has needed work for centuries "does a tree really be a tree if no one's there to admire it?" This episode is fast, fun, and oh so dumb.


Sven and Henry get arrested for vagrancy and glimpse the dark underbelly of small-town justice.

Featuring:
Steve Nelson as Sven Ingaborg and Cop #2
Andrew Tisher as Henry Mossmouth and Cop #1
and Jeff Murdoch as Chief Keith Cliff and Mrs. Cliff

Graffiti 94

"I am not a demon. I am a lizard, a shark, a heat-seeking panther. I want to be Bob Denver on acid playing the accordion." -Nicholas Cage

"From the world of darkness I did loose demons and devils in the power of scorpions to torment." -Charles Manson

"On the other hand, what I like my music to do is awaken the ghosts inside of me. Not the demons, you understand, but the ghosts." -David Bowie

Mind Reading

There are many things I like about improv. The immediacy and freedom of it, the real time collaboration with other humans, the potential for risk, failure, and success. But one of the things I love, one of the most satisfying things about it only happens once in a while. It happened with both shows I had last night.

Sometimes you stumble across this low level of telepathy in improv. Someone can say something and the other person knows exactly where they're going, what their intent is, or what the scene looks like. Both people can see the scene laid out in front of them with only one line. You can get into the groove of finishing each others sentences and thoughts. A whole group of people know where the scene or the piece is going. We can all see 5 steps ahead so everything in the present is easy. There is no effort because we're all in the moment together. If it was a basketball team, it'd be passing without looking simply knowing where the other people are at any given time. If it was a jazz ensemble it'd be changing from the chorus to a verse to the bridge without ever indicating when the change would happen, simply a group of people discovering it at the same time with no effort at all.

In Buddhism they have concepts like thinking without thinking, being still to take action, and stuff like that. And written out, logically that doesn't make a lot of sense. But when you're in a place where your mind is only on that place, where you are connected to your surroundings, to yourself, and to the people around you, you have an amazing capacity for freedom in the moment. In this finite place and time all the possibilities are laid out and time slows and you can pick and choose what strings to pull.

Then of course time speeds up again. Things go back to normal. Life intrudes. But the moment is out there if you want to look for it.

Two Scotts, Two Nelsons, and a Uhlir 2

Sunday nights after Schwa Scott Nelson, Scott Morehead, and I have been playing with Craig in the U Who? slot. We're scheduled to play every week through the end of April. Tonight was our third show and it feels like we're hitting a groove. A sweet spot. High energy, big characters, ridiculous situations. I like doing patient scene work but I find the most enjoyment in improvising as fast as possible both physically and content wise. And that is what we do. We're crashing headlong, pedal-to-the-metal, trusting only in each other that it will make sense and so far it has. Tonight we spent most of the show in medieval times(my wheelhouse) with a brief hiatus into the present with Morehead and I playing clowns ordering sandwiches. I was pouring sweat by the end.

Everyone plays with abandon and unique perspective which brings about this chaotic joy that somehow fits together. I'm really proud of the shows we've done and I'm looking forward to where we go from here. Join us won't you?

Sundays at iO 1030pm.

RadioActive

This song is on the soundtrack of the upcoming movie The Host. Ever since Punam and I saw the preview we've been really into it. I love the build and the cadence. It's a get-you-pumped-up type of song. Makes me feel like I'm running down a hill.

Moon Behind Cloud Behind Tree

Solitary confinement is my worst nightmare. Prison. Being locked in a small room alone. Not the solitary part. I don't mind being alone, I quite enjoy it. But being spatially confined would drive me crazy.

Growing up I loved Gary Paulsen. A lot of his books involve a young man being isolated either by choice or circumstance. If I was alone in the woods, on a mountain, on an island: I could function. I might even thrive. Solitude could never push me over the edge. Never make me mad. Never make me lose my humanity.

A goldfish grows proportionately to the size of its tank. They react, adjust, and grow to fill the space. If I was locked in a cage I would become an animal. I'm not claustrophobic but I am deathly afraid of someone or some thing being in control of my movements. Of severely limiting the space I can inhabit. Being locked away I would lose my mind, I would revert to whatever prehistoric instincts have kept man alive for centuries, that thing inside me that makes me unique would break.

I have no doubt the moon is lonely.
Lonely and free.

'Oz The Great and Powerful' & 'Upside Down' Reviews

Oz The Great and Powerful is the long awaited prequel to the 1939 classic Wizard of Oz. We are once again in Kansas following Oscar Diggs(Oz) who is a carnival magician with a desire to be great. He flies a hot air balloon into a tornado and is transported to Oz. He becomes embroiled in a political battle between three witches and is forced to make a difference or slink off into the shadows.

The movie is entertaining but a waste of potential. The primary fault lies with the acting of three of the four leads. Rachel Weisz is the only person who puts in a convincing performance. Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and James Franco seem to be overwhelmed, vacate, and stoned respectively. Their portrayals are so hollow that a lot is lost in what could have been a magical experience. The most engaging character was the computer animated China Girl. If the best acting is done by a non-human something is lacking.

Rent It.

Upside Down is a romantic scifi film. The film has beautiful and challenging landscapes but lacks any semblance of a developed story. The premise the film is based on, two worlds so close together they have "dual gravity" is wonderful to explore but isn't enough to keep the half-conceived poorly-executed romance from being DOA.

Jim Sturgess plays the same unlikeable hapless idiot he played in Across The Universe and 21. Didn't work in those movies and doesn't work in this one. Kirsten Dunst doesn't put much effort at all into her role and phones in every frame.

A great premise and nothing more.

Don't See It.

Bubble Boys: Schoolmarm

This episode takes some inspiration from Back to the Future Part III. A new episode will come out each Wednesday. Please listen and give us some feedback either here, on Facebook, our podcast page, or on iTunes.


Henry's heartstrings are tugged for the first time in his life. Sven sees disaster on the horizon.

Featuring:
Steve Nelson as Sven Ingaborg and Tommy
Andrew Tisher as Henry Mossmouth and Timmy
Sarah Shockey as Ms. Prettybook and Christine
and Tim Joyce as Paul

Sick

cough cough
fizz fizz
hewk hork hawk
achey balk
ty ty tired
sore belly
empty accordian
vaccum pressure abs
sneeze snooze
akoh akoh akoh
sniff snuffle snoofle
cover up and snoogle
goodnight
snort wheeze snore.

Graffiti 93

There once was a puppy dog who was born with one eye.
What he didn't know was that his one eye was actually the third eye of his mother.
His mother was a psychic dog and when her son was born she lost her powers to see the unseen.
The puppy was made fun of at puppy school for looking so different.
He had no puppy friends so at puppy recess he was left alone.
He would wander the puppy playground and discover things no puppy had ever found.
Hidden bones and treats.
Places to hide.
The best places to dig holes.
Delightful scents to smell.
On one sunny day, shortly before puppy spring break, one of the puppy students went missing.
The whole school gathered in the puppy assembly kennel and search parties were sent out.
The one-eyed puppy was not put on a search party because no one believed he could help.
He imagined his missing puppy classmate in his one-eyed minds-eye and trotted off alone.
After following his intuition for an hour the one-eyed puppy found himself in a forest.
He sniffed the ground and was surprised to find his classmates scent.
Close by he heard a struggling sound.
He found his puppy classmate caught in a raccoon trap.
His puppy classmate was so scared he couldn't speak, he could only whimper.
The one-eyed puppy stared at the cage.
And stared at the cage.
And stared at the cage.
The forest went silent.
The cage sprung open.
The one-eyed puppy walked back to puppy school with his missing-now-found puppy classmate.
And as they puppy walked they puppy talked.
And became puppy friends.

Two Scotts, Two Nelsons, and a Uhlir

For the next couple weeks Scott Morehead, Scott Nelson, and I will be playing with Craig Sunday nights at 1030. It's a a real fun show with some different energy. This is one of my favorite moments from the show tonight. Transitions can sometimes be as engaging and more spontaneous than the scenes.

Street Talk 12

(9:50pm in Boystown)

Drunk Southern Man: Excuse me? Excuse me?
Me: Yeah. What's up?
Drunk Southern Man #2: (coy) We're looking for a bar...
Me: Um. What kind of bar?
Drunk Southern Man: You know. A bar-
Drunk Southern Man #2: A bar where men go to have a good time.
Me: Oh yeah, for sure. Up the street here you'll have a bunch of bars you guys would probably like. Or if you go down the street here for a block or two you'll get to Berlin, I think that might be the kind of place you're looking for. It's like a dance club.
Drunk Southern Man #2: Berlin! That's where were going! (puts his arm through mine, we walk together)
Drunk Southern Man: Where are you going?
Me: I have a show right here, an improv comedy show.
Drunk Southern Man #2: That sounds fun!
Me: It is fun but there's no dancing.
Drunk Southern Man: Yeah, we'd probably be disruptive(giggles).
Me: Maybe(smiles). You fella's have a good night!
Drunk Southern Man #2: You too sweetheart and thanks!

Tight Five

Punam: People are being so crazy right now. "Showcase" is the new buzz word.

It's that time again comedy fans. Showcase season. Just For Laughs and SNL producers are in town to see talent. Around this time a lot of people are getting their tight five minutes together. Five minutes of material of various characters and impressions to show producers for them to get an idea of their writing and performing abilities.

Everyone gets so wrapped up in the grind they focus on the undefined future and second guess the present. Why them? Why not me? What aren't I doing? Am I good enough? When in reality this is just another event in the normal course of the year. I've learned that there's no count down to being successful and there's no universal conception of what success is. It doesn't need to happen now, there's opportunities out there and take advantage of them if you can but there will always be more opportunities out there. Be grateful if you have them and if not be grateful for those who do. It's not the end all be all.

The other thing that strikes me is that peoples tight five aren't very interesting to watch. They are written for efficiency for producers to see the most in the shortest amount of time. It's a means to an end not necessarily engaging material in and of itself. Sure those of us that want to have a career, to move on and move up, need to get this kind of material together but lets not forget why we do this. For the simple pleasure of being on stage and effecting people.

Crow Boy

In 4th grade my teacher read this book to the class. It's about a young boy in a mountain village in Japan who is an outcast for being different. At the end of the book the boy performs crow calls in the talent show and comes to be accepted and liked by his classmates for his differences.

I got made fun of a lot in grade school and middle school. At the time the book really spoke to me and gave me something to latch on to in a time when I was struggling socially. The idea that being different is an asset and, given time, people are positively recognized for their differences. My teacher at the time, Mrs. Melville. told me I reminded her of the Crow Boy. That validation from her meant a lot to me too and was no small part of propelling me forward, shrugging off bullying, and being happy.

Years later in high school I dated Mrs. Melville's daughter. After a couple months of dating we had dinner with her folks. I don't know how it came up, she might have read the story to her students that day, I may have brought it up, I don't recall but I asked her about it.

Me: I remember you told me I reminded you of the Crow Boy.
Mrs: Melville: Yeah you did. You always looked like such a mess.

It was a gut punch. I didn't respond to what she said but it hit me hard. She wasn't making some comparison to my being different in a good way, she was saying I was sloppily dressed and never had my hair combed.

But thinking about it I realized it didn't matter. How I viewed what she said made me feel good, gave me confidence regardless of her actual meaning which I discovered years later. In actuality it didn't have much to do with her.

I still cherish the story and the memory.

Bubble Boys: The Grift

The time has finally come. Tisher, Tim and I are proud to present episode 1 of our comedy radio serial Bubble Boys. You can subscribe(and rate us please) on iTunes here.


Sven and Henry stop to fill their bellies and get pulled into a revenge plot.

Featuring:
Steve Nelson as Sven Ingaborg
Andrew Tisher as Henry Mossmouth
Scott Nelson as Silky Smooth "The Snake"
Mike Brunlieb as Carl Shovelback
and Thomas Kelly as Clay Cashgrabber

Street Talk 11

(on the bus during the time change 1:59am to 3:10am)

Drunk Guy: You're ok? I can take you home.
Drunk Girl: No. I'm fine. I just have a couple more stops.
Drunk Guy: OK. Get home safe. (exits bus)
Evil Drunk Guy: (loud wisper) Go talk to her(giggles).
Evil Drunk Girl: Hey. Who was that creep?
Drunk Girl: Oh Tosh! He's nice! I've known him since 5th grade.
Evil Drunk Guy: Tosh point creep!
Evil Drunk Girl: Why didn't you go home with him? He was trying to go home with you and you kept on putting your leg up.
Drunk Girl: Tosh? No! He's a friend! I'd put my leg up for anybody! Wooooooo!(puts leg up on rail behind stranger getting off the bus).
Evil Drunk Girl: I mean what are you doing, he was all over you, you should be careful.
Drunk Girl: What? Tosh? Oh thanks I'm ok, I'm getting off at this stop. (fake sweet) You are the best. See you on the next bus ride! (exits)
Evil Drunk Guy: Did you hear my Tosh.0 joke?
Evil Drunk Girl: God. That guy was such a creep, he was talking all these girls he had fucked. God, that girl was fucking idiot.
Random Drunk Girl: This is the best bus ride ever! Lets do this every week!

Graffiti 92

I've been thinking recently that there's something that ties us all together. Some commonality. Like were all pieces in a big puzzle, leaves on the same tree. The image that permeates European mythology of the three Fates makes sense to me. They spin the threads of life and weave them together. We are all part of the same thing. If I can, I'd like to understand my fellows and help them instead of wasting time on jealousy and judgement.

 "Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal." -JFK

Second City Surprise

Last night I went to watch Punam at Second City and got to play the improv set after the show. Turned out stand-up Greg Fitzsimmons was playing in the UP theater last night too and came down to do the set. He was really nice and welcoming and we all had a really fun time. I always love whenever Punam invites me to do the set because a Second City audience is so different from the type of audiences I usually perform for. It's mostly people visiting from out of town, who aren't necessarily exposed to a lot of comedy, and there's a lot more of them.

It's great to play with new and different people, to mesh with different styles, and to find out what is going to make any particular audience react. And occasionally I'll get to meet and perform with someone whose well known.

In one scene I did a Jamaican accent. Always a crowd-pleaser.

'No' & 'A Place At The Table' Reviews

No is a Chilean film about the 1988 ad campaign to vote Pinochet out of power. It either shot on a camcorder from the 80's or digitally shot and filtered in that style. It creates a documentary type feel and adds ambiance but the lack of picture definition throughout the movie was periodically distracting. It's not a film that needs to be seen in the theater. A lot of the film is understated, a lot of things are left unsaid, there is a lot of subtext that we can read any number of things into. It explores the vital role advertising plays in politics and the strength of what a group of people with good ideas can do against a system that is seemingly insurmountable.

The film is a spotlight on a particular time in a particular country which people in the US probably don't know much about. It's engaging but doesn't evoke the desire for repeated viewing.

Rent It.

A Place At The Table is a documentary about hunger and obesity in America. The subject matter of the documentary is no doubt important but the film unfolds in a very standard way. One shot expert testimony cut together with personal stories. It's almost as if the filmmakers saw a bunch of documentaries and decided to make their own without having any previous film experience. Very cookie-cutter. The film is manipulative in the extreme(albeit for a good cause) and has total tunnel vision in regards to it's subject. It feels like such a blatant tug on the old heart strings it gives the sense that something is off.

The one piece of information I found enlightening was the fact that childhood obesity and hunger go hand in hand. Food with the most calories(chips, ramen, chef boyardee etc.) can be purchased at little cost, where as fresh fruits and vegetables are comparatively expensive. But one interesting fact does not a movie make.

The statement the film makes could be covered in a 500 word article.

Don't See It.

I Love Jelly Beans

I've always enjoyed sweets but I've never been the type of person that had a sweet tooth or always ordered desserts. Over the four years of college I hardly had any sweets at all. But throughout my whole life I've always had a weak spot, an insatiable craving, for jelly beans.

One of my earliest memories is waking up in my old house on Easter morning and finding a trail of jelly beans from my room, around the house, to my Easter basket in the living room. Over the years my dad, I think in a way to express his repressed creativity, would make jelly bean designs and trails all over the house on Easter morning. From childhood till now I've been hooked. The fruitiness, the texture, the slightly processed flavor, I don't know. I've tried many many different kinds of jelly beans and loved them all.

Since getting sober I've developed a pretty prominent sweet tooth. I'm told it's a common side effect. You're body is used to a certain amount of sugar so you continue to crave it. A couple months ago I was eating ice cream every night but I've since been able to cure my sugar fever. Except now, with Easter on the horizon, all the stores have stocked a wondrous variety of jelly beans.

And I figure why not indulge, it makes me feel like a kid again.

Del Awards 2013

Last night Punam and I went to the Del Awards, iO's yearly award show to celebrate the past year-in-improv. It was a fun night. In the past the night can really drag but this year it clipped at a nice pace. Some highlights were Scott Nelsons hosting as himself in 2079, Charna(iO's owner) making a toast to the theater speaking about Del's memory, the team Villain doing a tribute to their teammate who past away this year, and Jason Shotts presenting improviser of the year to Colleen Doyle.

It's always a nice night. It's a time for everyone in the theater to get together, make some jokes, and recognize each other. I've gone every year for the past four and I never think that it can make up its mind what it is. We are comedians so I think it should be expected that there's a certain amount of edge in the night. Some jokes at others expense and, like any theater, everyone has ideas about how it could be run better. So every year I feel like I want a little more teeth to the evening.

This year the big disappointment were the acceptance speeches, for the most part no one really said much of anything at all. It's a great opportunity to make some jokes, give sincere thanks, or make a statement. No one took advantage. Comedians, for the most part, are an opinionated lot so when people don't take advantage of standing at a podium in front of all their peers I don't understand it.

All in all its always great to get in a room with a bunch of friends who are fascinated by performing in the same way I am.

I'm grateful for a stage to play on and people to be on stage with.

Bubble Boys

Tisher and I, along with our producer Tim, launched our radio show today: Bubble Boys. It's an old timey radio serial set in 1933. Tisher and I play two bumbling inventors who are on the run from the law. We are traveling cross country and each episode is a stop on our journey. We got some great people to work on it and I'm very excited to start releasing episodes. This has really been a passion project for me. Like us on Facebook and give our teaser intro a listen below.

Graffiti 91

Bradley Manning is the US Army solider who released a number of classified documents including video of air strikes to WikiLeaks. His trial is currently underway. Until I saw this the case was only vaguely on my radar. It raises interesting questions about the cost of war, transparency, and treason. The thing that pops out most at me is that a soldier contemplating gender reassignment surgery with documented mental health issues would have access to classified documents. It appears at this time Manning is facing up to 20 years in prison. 

"The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason." -T. S. Eliot

 "A state that suppresses all freedom of speech, and which by imposing the most terrible punishments, treats each and every attempt at criticism, however morally justified, and every suggestion for improvement as plotting to high treason, is a state that breaks an unwritten law." -Kurt Huber

 "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." -Howard Zinn

 "You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it." -Malcolm X

Gratitude 7

I'm grateful for the potential
of every audience,
their restlessness,
their allusive attention,
our shared moment.

Home Again, Home Again

My extended family got together for lunch and cake today. We were celebrating a number of birthdays and making up time for not getting together over Christmas. My Aunt Julie and Uncle Mike were in from Philly too which was a nice surprise. The next generation of the family is coming up so it's fun to have my little cousins running around, playing games, and spouting off some really funny stuff. It's fun to pick up little humans and swing them around, for them it's the most thrilling thing in the world.

I got to talk to a couple of my relatives one on one which is always my preference. Having big group conversations in my family always turns relatively quickly to politics which is fun but I never get to find out what everyone is up to. My sister(above) and I got to talk briefly about books and her recent vacation. I also got to talk in depth with My Uncle Mike about his business as well as some of my forthcoming projects. I got a ride back to Chicago with my cousin Sarah, her husband Doug, and their two wonderful goofball kids Owen and Kellen, as well as my cousin Alyssa. We got to have a nice chat interspersed with messing with the kids, it was a great ride.

I love my family. I may not be the best at keeping in touch between visits. But when I see them all I want to do is hug and talk.

'Happy People' & 'Lore' Reviews

Happy People: A Year In The Taiga is a nature documentary about a community of trappers in a town in Siberia. It follows a hand full of trappers in the year long routine. Trapping from the fall into the winter, and fishing and preparation for the trapping season from spring to summer. The film is beautiful and gives a glimpse at a simpler harder life. We get a sense of this community and these people but the poignancy and depth of Herzog's usual documentary work is not present.

A pleasant interesting film that lacks a thesis. More suited for a National Geographic TV show than a feature film.

Rent It.

Lore is a Australian/German film that takes place in Germany shortly after the end of WWII. It follows Lore and her younger brothers and sisters(the children of an imprisoned SS officer) on a journey across country to their Grandmothers house. They meet Thomas, a Jew, on the road who joins them and uses his papers to provide them with safe passage.

The film is slow and vague almost to a point of making no statement at all. The characters never speak about their feelings, what they are thinking, or how they feel about each other. That wouldn't be a problem if we got to see them interact but most of the screen time is spent silently with them walking or sleeping. Lore believes what she has been taught, that Jews are bad and Hitler is a savior, but Thomas shakes her ideas of what a Jew is by helping her and siblings with seemingly no reason other than kindness.

The film goes no where, reveals nothing, and ends only because the kids finally reach their Grandmothers home. No statement is made, no ideas are truly explored, nothing goes above and beyond the film synopsis: Jew helps children of SS officer.

Don't See It.

A Fable About Apathy

There once was an eagle that lived in a nest.
His mother fed him every day.
He never learned to fly.
He never learned to hunt.
His mother kept on feeding him even though she should have stopped.
He should have been pushed out of the nest long ago.
He squatted and preened and became fat.
He had no desire to leave, no curiosity about the world.
He was content.
His most basic needs were met.
He had food to eat.
He had a place to shit.
He had a place to sleep.
He was content.
One day his mother flew off to hunt.
And did not return.
The day past and he became hungry.
Another day past and he became hungry and impatient.
"Mother! Mother! I am hungry! Where is my food!" He shouted.
But there was no one there.
The sky was empty.
Days past and his hunger became to much for him.
He looked down from his nest at the ground far bellow.
He saw a number of mice scurrying by the base of a tree.
He waddled over to the side of the nest and spread his wings as he'd seen his mother do.
"I will swoop down and feast on mouse flesh." He said to himself.

And fell to the earth.