Are there any stand up comics in the room?

I've been at it since October. Mostly trolling the open mics in my area though my goal is to enter the Boston Comedy Festival coming up next November. After the nasty winter we had, anything that makes me look forward to another series of colder months has to be a good thing.

I find writing jokes and making people laugh to be one of the few things that remains consistently pleasant. It's a challenge and it's rewarding to know that I have made a whole crowd of people feel a little bit happier in just five short minutes.

My influences are the late Mitch Hedberg. Currently my favorites are Steve Hofstetter, Amy Tee (my teacher and mentor incidentally) and a host of others. And my comedy is largely observational with a focus on my experiences working in retail and the occasional reference to something topical in the media.

Amateur, professional, successful or even "failed" comics, please chime in and share your experiences. Or even if you don't perform, but just like to watch stand up, please chime in. Or even if you just like chiming in, please chime in.