My Journal, My Journey

11/2004 - I finally did it! Today, I made my debut on stage at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak. This was my first performance in the Detroit area. I had 40 people in attendance. Thanks to all of you who came out to support me. I can’t name everybody, but thanks to my husband, Frank; my mother, Claudia Parker; my brother, Jimmy; my sister, Karyn; my best friend, Monique and her family; my longtime childhood friend Rachel; and another school home-girl, Nikhol Atkins. I'm not done yet...I also have to thank Tiger, the people from my church (Power Centre Church International), my former DCX (Chrysler) coworkers from Mack Avenue Engine II and the Detroit Police Department - Auxiliary Services (Reserves & Chaplain Corp).

12/2004 - Went to New York, New York (Downtown Manhattan) to perform in a comedy contest at the New York Comedy Club. I had family & friends accompany me on the trip, so that made it even better. I have to say that I love the New York audience. They are the bomb!! I won the contest, but most of all, I enjoyed going on stage in a place where I had never been seen or heard of before. Thanks to my brother, Jimmy, my sister, Karyn, my best friend, Monique and my other two good friends, Jill & Kelli for flying out to New York to see me perform. As usual, my sister was the loudest one in the audience. And I would like to give an extra special thanks and I love you to my dad for believing in me and funding this trip. "Catch the Spirit on Spirit Airlines!!"

1/15/05 - I was supposed to be one of the 20-minute features, but I ended up doing 45 minutes at the Hood Kings of Comedy Show. Dale "Limo" Dorsey, Erica & Mel...thanks for the love. I had a wonderful time. Again, you could hear my sister, Karyn in the audience (only when it was funny). And the food, I can’t say enough about the food. Ms. Dickerson, Erica’s mother, put her foot in it!! I would like to give an extra special thanks to my cousins, Joe, Marsha and Tanesha. Of course, my sister, Karyn was her lively self.

2/5/05 - Not a good night for comedy, but I met Phenecia Banks, an upcoming, clean comic from the area.

3/3/05 - Today was the 1^st time I’ve ever done a comedy fundraiser. I really rocked the mic tonight. Tommy Savitt, a blonde bomber from New York, was the headliner and he really did his thing for 45 strong minutes. A lot of money was raised for breast cancer, so that was the most important thing.

3/3/05 - Okay, Ms. Phenecia, you were really testing my comedy ability (ha, ha) tonight. This was my first time performing at Club Bart’s. Joel, the host/emcee, is mad cool. I did my thing, though. The crowd is like the white version of Showtime at the Apollo. If they don’t like you, they’ll surely let you know it. I’m glad they like me. It’s hard to make it out of there unscathed!!

3/13/05 - I’m in comedy heaven. Today, I met cousins that I had never met before. One of them, consequently works as a manager at one of Magic Johnson’s 24-hour fitness centers. I met Magic (this was my 3^rd time meeting him) and his son. We got autographed basketballs & t-shirts. As I was leaving, I ran into Big Lez (100.3 The Beat in LA). She found out I was a comedienne and gave me the number to the producer of the Chocolate Sundaes show at the world famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood, which is hosted by Chris Spencer, comedian extraordinaire. Pookey, the producer, added me to the show that night. Mike Epps, Foolish & Lavelle Crawford followed me. I had a wonderful time and met a lot of wonderful people. Mike, Foolish & Lavelle were all really friendly & down to earth. I also met Beth Payne (voice of Maya on Maya & Miguel). She is an accomplished actress, voiceover specialist, comedienne and just all-around good person to know. Thanks to all of the "seasoned veterans" who showed me love. I really appreciate it. I aspire to be where you are one day. I have to send a "shout-out" to my dad, Jim Parker, for funding this trip and sending me some additional money through Western Union. Well, what did you expect? It’s California!

3/19/05 - Hood Kings of Comedy brought me back to do part two. I hosted the show along with writing a sketch that was performed and brought the house down. I have to admit that I was proud of myself because this show displayed my writing ability and little of my comedy acting ability. My homies, Phenecia Banks, Tyron Foston & Mike Lundy were on the show as well. Ms. Dickerson did her thing in the kitchen yet again. The peach cobbler made you want to slap and kick somebody. Thanks to Chanel and her father and to Tiger for coming out.

3/22/05 - Another comedy fundraiser for breast cancer. Had a great time and met comedians Frank G. & Cool Aid for the first time.

4/6/05 - Debut at the open mic at the Comedy Zone located inside of Trippers in Lansing. A special "thank you" to Dwayne "DJ" Stephens and Mark Montgomery, both assistant coaches of the Michigan State University Basketball team. It was good to see both of you again. Can a sister get some tickets for the 2005-06 season? I also saw my old coworker and friend from TCI Cablevision of East Lansing, Kim Reynolds. You are still crazy as ever.

4/7/05 - Giving it up again for breast cancer at Joey’s Comedy Club. I like doing fundraisers because it’s for a good cause and I usually do really well. A lot of money was raised for the Karmanos Cancer Center.

4/8/05 - Today was my emcee debut at the Historic Holly Hotel. I had a wonderful time with the "Real" John King. He was indeed funny and he can tear a harmonica up!! Thanks to Connie Ettinger for the booking.

4/12/05 - Comedy Contest at Joey’s Comedy Club. This is one of 4 semi-final rounds. I was one of the finalists chosen. Thank you Ms. Angie Spencer for coming out to see me. I’m glad you had a good time. Thanks for the support.

4/23/05 - Surprise 30^th Birthday Party for Deanna. Thanks to Mira for hiring me to perform the ladies at this pampering session.

5/14/05 - 40^th Birthday Party for Phenecia’s sister, Karen. Thanks to Phenecia for hiring me along with Tyron and Mike Lundy to perform. I’m so glad that you finally arrived because the crowd was ready to throw tomatoes. I’m glad your sister and the rest of your family enjoyed my performance. I had a great time.

5/24/05 - Westland Chamber of Commerce recognizes their businessperson of the year. I was one of the features on the show, which featured an all-black lineup that also included Cool Aid and Phenecia Banks.

5/28/05 - This is the farthest I’ve ever gone to a show in Michigan. Phenecia and I were invited to perform at Anita’s Place in Marine City. We both had great sets and were invited to come back in August to do another show for the owner’s daughter-in-law’s birthday. This is a quaint establishment located off the water. You can see Canada on the other side of the water.

6/1/05 - Phenecia and I performed in a comedy contest at the Fireman’s Bar & Grille in Windsor, Ontario. I came in 1^st place. The other comics and even the audience were amazed at how funny Phenecia and I was considering we didn’t curse. One guy even told Phenecia that he didn’t think he would like her because he only likes comedians that curse (I take it that was a compliment!).

6/3/05 - I thought going to Marine City was far, but going to Alba, Michigan is by far the farthest I’ve traveled. I made my feature debut with Standup Comics Online at the Green Lantern Bar. And for those Michiganians, it’s not a typo, I mean Alba, not Alma. Alba is 17 miles west of Gaylord. Phenecia came along to do a guest set. We really tore it up in Alba. We did so well, they invited me back to be the headliner and Phenecia back to be the feature. This was the most fun we ever had at a gig. We did karaoke afterward. And one of the patrons even lifted her top and bared it all for the headliner; it just so happened that my camera was still on recording...YIKES!!! A special thanks to Mike Orensteen for booking me and taking a chance on my ability, sight unseen.

7/1/05 - Tonight, I worked with two black comedy geniuses, Foolish & Howie Bell. This show is happens every first Saturday in Toledo at the Blueprint Sportsbar and is hosted by Foolish. Toledo’s crowd showed mad love to the Detroit area comics. The staff was the bomb, too. Howie Bell is a must-see! Special thanks to Fred Sparks for taping my set and for the people he brought out to see the show. Much love to Howie’s girl, Tiffany. You are AL-RIGHT with me!! Big girls rule! I must give a unique shout of praise to Foolish for recognizing my talents out in LA and for inviting me out to do a show with the "big dogs!" Thank you for believing min me and ability to do this thing called comedy. GOTCHA!

76/05 - Tonight, I featured at the debut comedy show at Fishbone’s in Greektown, which is hosted by Joel Fragomeni who is also the host at Club Bart’s. The sound system wasn’t hooked up, so it didn’t help the other comics on the show, but I have a big mouth, so I was able to do my thing despite the microphone problems. Thanks to Nikki and Natasha from Chrysler, Uquanda, Michelle, and The Walker family for coming out. Good looking out Joel. See you next time!!

7/8/05 - This weekend is my feature debut at the Holly Hotel. I worked with Demetrius Nicodemus from Toledo, Ohio. He is a riot. We had a lot of fun. Phenecia was the emcee, so we had a complete show filled with laughter and audience fun and participation.

7/14/05 - This was my first open mic at Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. They loved me!! I look forward to going back and working for Roger Feeney in the future. I like him because he’s a straightforward guy.

7/16/05 - If you can’t perform for your family, then whom can you perform for? Today, I performed at my family reunion. This was the first time a lot of my family got to see me live or even knew that I did comedy. I look forward to seeing a lot of the out-of-town family members again when I go to their cities like Chicago, Virginia Beach, Atlanta and Columbus. Much love to the Littleton family.

7/23/05 - Oh Lord, they let me up in the church to do comedy at Delicia’s Bridal Shower. I had a great time and it was good to see some of the familiar faces from the congregation at church. Ricoya, thanks for inviting me out and I loved the Oriental set-up.

7/30/05 - Ron & Alicia, thank you for hiring me to perform at your wedding reception and having me do your wedding cake. I had so much fun. Your families are a riot. That Michael Jackson number you all did was off the hook!!

8/3/05 - Debuted at the Purple Moon in Flint, a show hosted by Foolish and headlined by Melvin Bender. The Flint folks are always mad cool and ready for anything.

8/6/05 - Today was my debut headlining spot at Carl’s Chop House. I did a 50 minute set and was called back to the stage for an encore performance, which I did another 20 minutes. I must say that I was really proud of myself this night. I always knew I could do it. Thanks to everyone who came out: my sister, Sharron, her friend, Clarinda, Angie, David, Cheri and her friend, Daneen and her husband, Tricia and her ex-husband (I know, don’t laugh).

8/9/05 - Returned to some old stomping ground in Lansing, Michigan to headline the show at the 621 Bar. Thanks to Dwayne Gill for inviting me out to headline and close the show. I had a wonderful time and it was good to see one of the Bartlett brothers. He cracks me up!!

8/11/05 - Did the open mic at Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase and I had fun as usual. I later went over to Club Bart’s to host the 10:30PM show in Joel Fragomeni’s absence. It started off pretty good, but the final comic was an absolute disgrace to all comedians. His lack of respect for the waitstaff and others that were in attendance proved that he will always remain an open mic’er!

8/12/05 - Tonight, I co-headlined with the Philly Comic, Charleston Ramey at the Ambassador Hall in Monroe, Michigan. Yes, there is a statue of George Custer in the middle of the city. We had a great time, considering we didn’t have an emcee, but we made it happen. We even had our own homemade comedy game show at the end. I was Vanna Black!!

8/13/05 - Oh what a!!! I headlined a show for Steve St. Angelo’s 50^th Birthday. He’s the one of the vice presidents at Toyota. This Italian family is an absolute riot!!

8/20/05 - Yet another wedding reception where I had to do the wedding cake, run home, get dressed and come back and perform standup comedy at the reception. David & Tonette, my bones are still aching from all of that dancing and acting crazy. When I make it big, please don’t release that video to the tabloids!

8/27/05 - Phenecia and I returned to Marine City to give them an encore performance from a few months ago. This time, we brought Marvin Anderson along with us and we brought the house down with our full-figured flavor.

8/30/05 - Today, I didn’t perform, but I did attend the live taping of Robert Townsend’s new show, Partners in Crime - The Next Generation at the Upper Room. Today’s tapings included Foolish, Shonnie D., Money Martez, Darryl Earl and Howie Bell. The show was hosted by Detroit’s own Horace "HB" Sanders. I was both proud of and happy for all of the comedians because they really did a great job on their sets. Robert Townsend was so nice and just so humble. Be sure to catch these shows on cable. You don’t want to miss it.

9/2/05 - Today, I made my feature debut at Joey’s Comedy Club in Dearborn. I was supposed to be the emcee, but was switched with Red and Ruben Ruben headlined the show. The following night, I emceed and Red featured with the same headliner. We raised a lot of money for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk. SUPPORT OUR BOOBS!

9/14/05 - FIRE at the FISHER in the Club House Tavern. This event is poetry and spoken word at its best. I closed the show with comedy, but I met and heard some really great poets and spoken words artists. Phoenix, a true spoken word artist, writer, singer and composer was absolutely AWESOME! She combines poetry with singing, scat music and rhyme. The girl is bad. If you ever see her name, make sure you go to see her. This is not to downplay the other talent that was there. Righteous Knowledge really put it down, especially when he did this piece about Bush; his wife is also a force to be reckoned with. Kahn Davis along with his sister Geri, are the producers of the show; much love to the both of you. Thanks Rocku for inviting me out and having me put on the show.

9/17/05 - Today, I was supposed to headline at Carl’s Chop House, but the show got canceled. Come to find out, my brother, who was planing to come to the show, was going to surprise me by bringing my dad to the show. My dad had never seen me perform before, so I was a little sad to find that out. My dad is a very, very busy person and is constantly out of town. This was one of the few times that he was in town. Hopefully, there will be another opportunity for him to come and see me perform live.

9/19/05 - This morning on my way to work, my friend LaKeisha called me and asked me if I was trying out for FM 98 WJLB’s comedy spot. The contest is to win a spot to open for P. Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy Show at the Fox Theater in Detroit on Friday, October 7, 2005. Well, she convinced me to turn my car around and audition. I went over to the Sam’s Club on 8 Mile Rd, between Lahser & Telegraph to audition in front of Serch, Foolish, CoCo, TJ, the troublesome juvenile and a few other staffers from FM 98. I have to thank Keisha for the encouragement to audition because I didn’t know how it would turn out. I also wanted to try out because Howie Bell is on the show and he’s one of my favorite Detroit comedians, not to mention that this is an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to perform on a Fox Theater stage for the people in the City of Detroit. However, I was chosen as today’s finalist and will be competing against the finalists from Tuesday and Wednesday. Just to be chosen is a blessing, but I would like to be winner (if God allows me).  Now, to segue to the evening's festivities.  Today, we celebrated comedienne Phenecia Banks' birthday at Joey's Comedy Club in Livonia.  When I say this show was off the chain, it was off the chain.  Everybody really did a good job.  Mike Lundy had me cracking up with his /Wizard of Oz bit.  That was the funniest thing.  Marv Anderson was in rare form as usual, especially with that Hummer/Focus joke.  Bob Phillips was funny and dapper as always.  Jeff Ford was his normal crazy self.  I love that smile.  His smile sucks you in while he's on stage.  Russ Brown was a wonderful host and emcee.  We really brought him into the "black world."  I closed the show and I must admit that this was probably my best performance ever at Joey's Comedy Club.  I made a cake for Phenecia's birthday which had an edible image of her business card on there and I made white chocolate/colored comedy/tragedy masks on the sides along with writing her famous sayings and punchlines all around the cake.  We had a wonderful time.  This was how a birthday should be.  We laughed, cried and sang the whole night.  Now, I need to find some warm salty water and lemon so I can get my voice back so I can be prepared for my upcoming shows.

9/21/05 - Just completed the debut open mic at the new comedy club, Wise Guys Comedy Club of Novi, which is owned by Joey Bielaska.  The open mic is booked by Mike Orensteen.  The debut show was absolutely wonderful.  I got a couple of future bookings and look forward to making this my home club.  The really did a good job with this club and I expect great things to happen here.  I met some really wonderful people tonight like Ricco, Walter, Al and Bob.  Some of my regular buddies were there like Phenecia, Marvin, Barry, Scott and Aaron.

9/24/05 - Continued the shooting on the "Dilemma Crunchers" film.  Worked with Ron Bowman, Jason Grasl (see him on the Sam Bernstein and Wireless Giants commercials) and Dena Jarrett.  Had a lot of fun.  Lots of spaghetti, mashed potatoes, corn and fake red wine, which I drank a lot of.

9/25/05 - Shooting on the film continued today.  In addition to the actors from yesterday, I got work with Amy, Joe, Mark, Annette, Hugh and  I got to see my good friend Steve Christopher from Peoria, IL.  I had two really short scenes to shoot and I had to envoke some emotion by crying.  I actually had tears!!

9/27/05 - I don't care where you go or what you do, there are always going to be some shady people and businesses.  Without getting too deep, I'll just say that I'll have to do something else for my listening pleasure when it comes to radio because I don't like blatant unethical practices.  To my girl Phenecia, we will be 'all right' in this business.  Shady contests and unethical people won't break us!

9/28/05 - I must start off by apologizing to God.  I always pray that He clears up any confusion or unwanted stress in my life, but then I always try to fight the battle myself without turning it over to Him....SORRY!  Anywho, today, I received a phone call from CoCo of FM98 telling me that I need to report down to the radio station tomorrow morning to compete for the finals to be the opener for P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy next Friday at the Fox Theater in Detroit.  Wouldn't that be a dream of a lifetime.  For right now, I'm getting ready to do a guest set with Foolish, Howie Bell, Bill Hill and Downtown Tony Brown at the Stardust Lounge in Inkster.

9/29/05 - I just got off of cloud 9 and now I'm on cloud 29.  Today was the finals at FM98 WJLB studios to compete for the final spot on the P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy show at the Fox Theater in Detroit.  Out of 112 votes, I received 70 votes.  I would like to thank all of the Crystal P. supporters and all of the people who called into the radio station to vote for me.  Whether you got through or not, at least you tried and I appreciate that.  Thanks to my girl, Phenecia for knowing that I could do this.  Thanks to my best friend, Monique Jones for spreading the word and supporting my comedy career and for your tears of joy.  Thanks to everyone at the State of Michigan who got the word around and for those who had to do my work while I was away this morning.  A special thank you to my DHS collegue, Marilyn for making sure she and her family & friends flooded the phones.  Thank you to everyone who called, emailed, left voice messages and text messages filled with love and well-wishes.  Finally, BIG, BIG thanks to all of you who after you heard the results, got on the phone, computer or went to the box office to purchase tickets to the show.  That's major love because it wasn't like the and tickets you normally buy.  Believe me, with Howie Bell on the show, you won't be disappointed.  He is mad funny!!  Watch out P. Diddy and the other Bad Boys...here comes Crystal P., the Bad Girl of Comedy!! ;-)

10/2/05 - Saw some of the men from the group HOTSAUCE.  They are really doing their thing.  Make sure, if you haven't already or even if you have, go and see them live.  They are really something to see.  Also, get a copy of the CD.  I aslo talked to my homegirl, Twila Marie, up and coming gospel singer, who is doing great, great things.  When her CD drops, make sure you get it...you won't be disappointed.  I sure hate that she moved to Atlanta, but she's a baby bird that needed to spread her wingsand fly and things are starting to really happen for her down there.  Rock the dirty south girl!!

10/5/05 - Tonight I emceed the Wise Guys Comedy Club open mic.  Overall, we had a great show.  I saw E-Ray this evening; I haven't seen him in months.  He really hit the stage hard tonight.  His joke about gas and prostitutes was hilarious.  I met a new comic, well he's new to me, but he's been on the scene for a few years; his name is John Bell.  He's real cool and he really did his thing.  All of the comics on the show did well.  I had a great time even though I was fighting the flu, which I have  been fighting for the past few days.  I don't care how sick I get, I am going to be on stage at the Fox Theatre doing P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy....even if they have to wheel me on stage!

10/7/05 - Well, what can I say....I finally got my 5 minutes of fame.  Doing the Fox was an amazing experience.  All of the comics on the show were hilatiously (no such word) funny and mad cool backstage and in the dressing room areas.  It was a pleasure to finally meet Ronnie Jordan.  I had heard so much about him.  You have to see hiim do his Ruben Studdard imitation.  I was crying!!  Malik, another comedian on the tour was only 130 lbs, but he had 500 lbs of laughter and jokes.  Chris Thomas aka the Mayor of BET's Rap City (back in the day) had me rollin' with his impression of Bernie Mac as a news reporter after Hurricane Katrina.  Detroit love and talent was definitely in the house tonight.  After I did my little set, CoCo of FM98 came out and ripped the stage and the show ended with a bang with another Detroit favorite, Howie Bell.  I can't forget to mention Doug E. Fresh.  He is so cool.  He's warm, friendly and has a beautiful smile.  It was nice to meet Mr. Cee, his deejay.  They kept it hyped up in there.   After the show, I didn't end up going to the after party, but I went out to dinner with my family and friends.  We had a ball in the End Zone next to the Greektown Casino.

10/8/05 - Today, I finally met some of the ladies from Comedienne Mo'Nique's website.  They came out to see me perform at the Chix Mixx Comedy Contest in Chelsea, Michigan, which I came in 1st place.  It meant so much to me to see people go out of their way to come and see me perform.  Dana, who lives in Toledo, scooped up Tisha and then drove to Detroit to pick up Ursula and then drove to Chelsea.  Dana is a live wire and crazy as a besty bug.  She knows how to have a good time.  Ms. Ursula is such a breath of fresh air.  She rode back home with me and we had some great conversation.  It's so much fun when you can just kick back and talk about the everyday life-type stuff.  Sharman, who doesn't live too far from Chelsea, came crewed up with her mom, her mom's boyfriend, her brother and a host of relatives from Tennessee.  Sharman is the type of person who doesn't have to be in the limelight, but she always makes sure that things get done.  She is always a positive influence and never has a bad thing to say about anyone.  As the night finally came to end, I really have to give thanks to God for making this weekend a weekend I'll never forget.  I've won two contests within a week of each other and four in the last 10 months along with one of the prizes being opening up for the Bad Boys of Comedy.  That's really an accomplishment for me.  I hope P. Diddy decides to expand his vision and do a P. Diddy's Bad Girls of Comedy and I really hope he includes me.

10/11/05 - Comedienne, Simply Shanell, started her room up today at Club Temptations (formerly Bobby G.'s).  The debut show went really well.  They had a "Step to the Mic" contest.  I placed 3rd.  Melvin "MelMan" Bender won 1st place.  He deserved it.  He did really well.  Red came in 2nd.  There was a nice crowd and I hope the room flourishes and does well for Shanell.  Check it out one Tuesday night if you have time.

10/15/05 - Did a Sweetest's Day show at the Ramada Inn in Taylor with comedian Red.  It was a packed house and we had a really good time.  "Black Mike," who happens to be white, brought me a rose on stage.  It was so sweet.  We had a real good time.  Black Mike's wife, Sally and son, John were real cool.  John is a motivational speaker.

10/21/05 - Well, I've been resting this week, but my busy days kick back off tomorrow with the continuing of shooting the film, "Dilemma Crunchers."  Today, I received a velvet Crown Royal bag in the mail.  It looks like the regular Crown Royal Bag except it has "Detroit's Crowned Comedian" stitched into it.  This bag was a part of my prize for opening up for the P. Diddy Bad Boys of Comedy show.  In addition to that bag and opening the show, I received a Crown Royal hooded sweatshirt, a deck of Crown Royal cards in a miniature Crown Royal velvet bag, four tickets to the show and two VIP tickets to the after party. 

10/24/05 - I was saddened to hear about the death of Rosa L. Parks.  I called my dad to find out about any arrangements.  He is the treasurer of the Rosa & Raymond Parks Institute.  He said his phone had been ringing off the hook.  The one thing that separated her from other activists, for me, was that I had met her in person several times.  So many times we read and hear about people, but to actually meet those people is so amazing.  She did great works on this earth for many decades, and now God has called her home so she rest from a job well done.

10/25/05 - Today I did a cable TV interview with fellow comedienne, Sue Fracker.  The show is called "The Daily Fix with Sue Fracker" and it airs in Jackson, Michigan.  I had so much fun doing the interview.  Comedienne Jiwon Lee also was interviewed for a different segment.  Jiwon was the 2nd place winner in the Chix Mixx All-Female comedy contest, which is why we were featured on the show.  There were a few things that I said during the interview that may have to be edited out.  It wasn't any cursing, but it could be perceived as a tad risque.  I received my copy of my performance from the contest and all I could do is laugh because I can really be a mess sometimes.  If you live in the Jackson area, be sure to tune in Monday through Wednesday.

10/26/05 - This evening, I was supposed to go to comedian, Chili Challis' comedy graduation show at Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, but before I went, I had to do what most us parents do and that's go to parent-teacher conferences.  This conference was for my 11-year old, whom by the way was told by my 8-year old last year, "How do you expect to get into college and receive scholarships with grades like these?"  So, you can imagine my apprehension when  I walked through the doors of the school.  I went to the 6th grade table to pick up my daughter's report card and to get a list of her six teachers to speak with.  Either my eyes were deceiving me or there was nothing wrong with them at all; anyway you look at it, I was still in shock.  My daughter got a 4.0 on her report card.....STRAIGHT As.  Now, that's what I'm talking about.  I am so proud of my daughter, Brittany.  She's working really, really hard this year.  I'm going to do something really nice for her.  Now, I have to go to my other daughter's conference in two weeks.  Moving on, I went to the graduation show and there were some really good funny folk there.  Dwayne Gill closed the show with some of the most clever and funny material I've heard in a while.  Sue Fracker was also on the show and I always crack up when she does her alcohol and horse joke!  It was good to see Bob Stackhouse perform.  I love when he does his breastfeeding joke.  There was a guy that looked like Cliff from Matlock who was funny as well as a gentleman from Perrysburg, Ohio who was 6'8" that was quite funny.  Congratulations to all 13 graduates.

10/27/05 - Performed at the State of Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) for Kay Green's retirement.  Everything went well.  It's important to be able to do material befitting for an office/corporate setting.  Everyone was pleased with the performance.  Later that day, I had to emcee a show at Wise Guys Comedy Club in Novi.  Dean Mink was the feature and Leo DuFour was the headliner.  Both gentleman are hilarious.  Leo can really imitate a lot of things like motorcycles, guns, mopeds, you name it!  There were 60 reservations, but only 18 people showed up.  But, the show must go on.  I hope tomorrow's crowd will be a lot better.

10/28/05 - 8PM show at Wise Guys was OFF THE HOOK!!  Joey Bielaska did a guest set and the crowd really got its moneys worth.  There was a lady named Kathy Crawford of Novi  who did specialty greeting cards and they were absolutely FABULOUSLY HILARIOUS!  She and her friends were great audience members.  The 10:30PM show only had 20 poeple, but we made the best of it.

10/29/05 - Today, was my friend's Omar's 30th birthday at the Alpha Kappa Alpha house in Detroit.  I had fun, but I wish I could have stayed longer but I had to get to my 8PM show at Wise Guys which was GREAT!  It was too bad that we had to cancel the 10:30PM show because only 4 people showed up.  Oh well, I needed the rest anyway.

10/30/05 - My cousin, Marsha's bridal shower was today and I had so much fun.  Of course, I was acting my normal, nutty self.  I made my gift different...because I'm different.  I hope I didn't embarrass her too much.  After I left the shower, I went to a lingerie party at my friend Nikhol's house.  We had a good time talking about old times, high school, college and all of that stuff.  We'll have to do that again.  I thought the person selling the lingerie was discriminating against me because they didn't have any large sizes, but I ended up finding a nice tasteful number....ha, ha, ha!

11/02/05 - This evening I auditioned for Nick at Nite's Funniest Mom in America 2.  Even though I had a good set, I had a lot of regrets.  I wish I would have done some parenting/children jokes.  I just wasn't thinking.  They're having another set of auditions in Grand Rapids, but I don't know if I'm going to go up there to audition.  Well, on a brighter note, I did get a gig with Hysterical Management, a comedy agency.  I'm booked as a feature in December in Muskegon.  I'm looking forward to it.  I heard Rossi's Bar is a fun gig to do.

11/10/05 - My sister and I left for Los Angeles today and we're meeting our Mississippi friend, Bridget there.  At the rental car agency, we couldn't fit into the car because it wouldn't accommodate the three of us and our luggage.  We had to rent a bigger vehicle.  Mind you, we were already in a full-size car.  We arrived at Paramount Studios for the taping of "One on One" with Kyla Pratt, Robert Ri'chard and Ray J.  Ray J's parents were actually sitting in front of us and we talked with them for a bit.  They are some of the nicest, most down to earth people I've ever met.  The father is a good ole country boy from Mississippi.  I talked with Ray J. a bit and he gave me a kiss and a hug and the teeny-boppers just went crazy!  They love some Ray J.!  My sister got up and sang "Respect" by Aretha Franklin and received a copy of the script from the show signed by the cast and director, Alphonso Ribiero (remember Carlton from the Fresh Prince?).  Also, I met comedian Speedy and he invited me down to Mixed Nuts Comedy Club.

11/11/05 - Today, I visited with my cousin Zelma and she showed me the pictures from my cousin Mechelle's wedding.  She's married to comedian Mike Epps.  They got married in Hawaii.  Their little girl is just as adorable as she can be!  We also went shopping in the garment district and went to Mixed Nuts Comedy Club later that night.  The owner invited me back to perform as a guest on the Saturday night's show.

11/12/05 - Early in the day, we went to the taping of the Tom Joyner Show.  My sister got up and danced this time when they called for audience member participation.  I was determined myself to be seen.  So, when they called for singers, I raised my meaty little arm and got on up there, but what they didn't know was that I was about to do comedy instead.  Right there in front of comedian J. Anthony Brown, I went for mine and had him bowling over with laughter.  I did about 6-7 minutes and had the audience clapping and cheering and received many applause breaks.  Comedian Gilbert Esquival, who is the warm-up guy and was also the warm-up guy for Steve Harvey's Big Time told me, "Anyone who can make J. Anthony Brown laugh has got to be funny!"  J. Anthony Brown chimed in and said, "My momma always told me that you ain't got to get ready when you're already ready and YOU ARE READY!"  J. Anthony Brown took my card and later on during the taping, Marty, president of Reach Media came out and got my information for me to tape a show in the future.  Avant was the musical guest and James Stevenson III was the comedian.  I later received a phone call from comedienne, Beth Payne telling me that I was sharp and showing out at the Tom Joyner Show.  I asked her how did she know?  Well, to my surprise, Ms. Beth was sitting in the green room watching me on the cameras and telling the people that I was the person she had been telling them about!  This goes to show you that you must always try to take a chance and do your best because you never know who may be watching.  Later on this day, I did a guest set at Mixed Nuts.  I had fun plus I met comedian G-Thang from BET who is just hilarious.

11/13/05 - Unfortunately, I was unable to attend church because my sister, Bridget and I were all extras in the movie, Walking Shadows.  I finally made it to Beverly Hills to get me a slice of key lime cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.  I ran into my boy from Toledo Ohio and when I was leaving, guess who wanted my parking space...Al Shearer from Punk'd.  I told him I would give it to him only if he took a picture with me.  Later on that night, I went to the Laugh Factory to perform again.  I did my thing on stage and left a lot of people remembering the name, "Crystal P.!"  I was approached by Richard Pryor's former manager and a few other people.  Of course, they all tell you that you have to move out here, which hopefully, I plan on doing soon.  While at that club, I ran into a number of celebrities like Chris Rock, his brother Tony Rock, Ludacris, George Wallace and many, many more.  Also, two of my Curvy Chick friends, Chenese & Robin also came to the show.  That really made my day.

11/14/05 - We got up early this morning (4AM) so we could get in line at CBS studios before the gates opened at 6AM.  We arrived at 5:45AM and I was 151 in line.  Once the gates open, they issue you a number and you have to come back at 7:30AM, so we went back to the car to get a little shut-eye.  Once you come back, they seat you in order and you have to wait until 9AM.  Then, they issue you another number, which I got 104 and they give you a name tag, but you're still not guaranteed to be on the show.  There are only 325 seats available in the studio.  They interview everyone in line.  Finally, we get in the studio for the 1:15PM taping of The Price is Right and guess who got called to, "...come on down?"  Yes, me.  I didn't make it on stage, but I did win some cookware and a cordless phone.  Plus, I had a lot of fun and I'll be on TV January 3, 2006 when it airs. 

11/15/05 - All of the fun is coming to an end and we have to return back to reality and our homes.  We board the plane and we have a layover in Chicago for a lot longer than we had anticipated due to the weather.  It was storming, Michigan had tornadoes and planes were lined up on the runway like somebody was giving away free Prince tickets to the first 100 in line!  While in the airport, I got a call from L.A. to do a comedy show for Laila Ali.  Now, I'm really mad.  But unfortunately, I was no longer in L.A. and the show was the same day as my cousin's wedding and if I missed that wedding, I would be in a world of trouble.  At least I was considered and thought about.

11/20/05 - I received an email from Candace of Curvy Chick to do an article in Bombshell Magazine.  I was really honored to be considered.  The article actually made the cut and is featured in this month's issue.  You can see it online at http://www.bombshellmagazine.com/people_and_entertainment/crystals_journey_to_hollyweird.php

11/28/05 - Received a phone call from FabWoman.net to do an interview with them for their online magazine.  Wow, two magazines in just one week!  Blessings, favor and more favor!  I spoke with comedian Bill Bushart and I have put in motion my comedy fundraiser which will be held Monday, January 9, 2006 at Joey's Comedy Club in Livonia.  I will be headlining the event along with comedienne Phenecia Banks as the feature and Red the Comedian as the Emcee/Opener.  I'm also considering adding a guest comedian.  This show is appropriately called "Realizing Your Dream."  A fundraiser to help those in the entertainment industry "make it" one step at a time.  Hopefully, I can turn this into an annual event to help others who are serious about stepping out on faith and taking that "leap!"  For those who are interested (and I hope you are), the advance tickets are .  Tickets at the door will be .  There will also be a raffle for other great items.  Stay tuned.  If you, by chance, can't attend, BUT you want to donate, please email me at N2Comedy@yahoo.com for mailing instructions. 

12/10/05 - The more things change, the more they stay the same... A lot of women have no respect for themselves let alone other women.  But I digress.  Today, a comedic genius, Richard Pryor passed.  His stage presence, wit and persona will be missed.  I'm glad that I took a picture with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame when I was in L.A. back in March.  Also today, I drove to Muskegon for a gig at Rossi's Bar.  The snow was off the chain there.  I had so much fun at Rossi's and they want me to come back.  The crowd was great!

12/13/05 - Today, the article done on me came out in Fabulous Woman.Net came out.  I was really pleased with the outcome and thought they did a really good job.  This is the second article I've had done on me in the last three weeks.  I am so grateful just to be considered for things like this, but I'm also grateful for people taking an interest in me and appreciating my comedy.  Edna Myles, my friend from New York,  is an author and was also mentioned in the article.  You should get her book titled, "Truthful Deceptions."

12/17/05 - I, first, have to thank my friend and fellow comedian, Dwayne Gill, for being double-booked tonight which allowed me to perform at Pesto's in Grand Blanc.  What a wonderful time I had.  I did two shows with headliner, Jon Ueberroth from L.A. by way of Toledo.  I met some really cool people...one of which saw me perform at the P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy in Detroit.  I also met Janet Jones of Brighton and she was mad cool.  I also met Marie and a table full of ladies from Genesys Health System.  At the second show, there was a real cool guy named Charlie from Southfield who was there with his girlfriend, Marie from Swartz Creek.  I also met their friends.  One of whom was Jen, the quiet and unsuspecting one.  Both shows were a riot and I had so much fun.  To those of you who were chanting, "We want you to sing some more"...hopefully, you'll catch me again at another show.  The waitstaff was wonderful, the food was great and I had a wonderful time.  I hope to do that room again in the future.

12/22/05 - Tonight we had an awesome show at Wise Guys.  I was the emcee and the show was featured by Marv Anderson and headlined by Jim Hamm of Toledo/Kiss FM 92.5.  This one patron named "Pat" was enjoying herself a little too much, but it was all good.  Jason, of the Navy and stationed in Virgina, let us all "pick" on him through the course of the night.  He was such a good sport.  He was dragged there by his friend Adam and his wife with their bundle of joy-to-be.  They also brought along B.M.P. (don't ask!) and who can forget, Shawn...the man with the tattoo on his thigh of a squirrel reaching up and grabbing....well, I'll let you figure out the rest.  Can you imagine...Shawn is a teacher at a high school in Florida.  He was a riot.  He even got on the floor and did his "bad dance."  All in all, everything went GREAT!  I look forward to tomorrow's show.  The Christmas Eve show was canceled due to the liquor laws, which is fine by me because I don't drink and that means I get a rest!

12/23/05 - Well, today was as zany as yeseterday.  We did two shows tonight and they were just crazy, especially the 10:30PM show.  At the first show, I met some wonderful people that I hope to see again...It was Brie, Stephanie, Cara & Kathy.  They were really great and I'm so glad they enjoyed my performance.  I hope to see them at any of my upcoming shows.

12/31/05 - The last day of 2005 and how do I close it out...well, with what else...COMEDY!  I headlined the New Year's Eve show at Cool Jerks with Robbie Robster, Bob "The Suit" Phillips, Mike Bobbit and my girl, Phenecia Banks.  The show went really, really well.  We had a great time and was finished in time for everyone to toast and bring in the New Year.  I didn't stay for the toast and decided to make it home, get snuggled and cozy in my bed for the New Year and reflect on how truly blessed I was for 2005.  All was not easy or peaches 'n cream, but I was really fortunate and wouldn't trade my experiences for the world.  I actually did 77 performances in 2005, 6 contests (three of them I placed in 1st), 5 fundraisers from breast cancer to anti-violence to Hurricane Katrina victims.  I also had two magazine articles, was able to meet over 60 Hollywood celebrities, opened for the P. Diddy Bad Boys of Comedy at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, do an impromptu performance at the Tom Joyner Show, be a contestant on the Price is Right, travel, meet a lot of wonderful people on stage and in the audience and hey...I'm still alive!

1/1/06 - The first day of 2006 and how do I start it off...well, with what else...FAMILY!  We had dinner over my mom's house and she invited my best friend and her family, my sister's best friend and her family and we had a few other friends of the family over.  We had a wild and zany time.  My family is constantly cracking jokes on each other...and the guests!!  We ate and played Guesstures (a Parker tradition and my team won!) and cards (another tradition).  Before I went over my mother's, I spent New Year's with my husband in "lock up!"  Private joke...you had to be there.

1/4/06 - Tonight was not the best night for comedy because of the Rose Bowl.  However, the crowd that was there, which was only about 12 laughed like they were 30!  I was in Adrian, Michigan and I had a wonderful time.  The Geechy Guy was the headliner.

1/6/06 - Tonight, I was back at Cool Jerks again for the 2nd time in just 5 days.  Tonight was nothing like it was on New Year's Eve.  When I walked in there were ZERO people in the audience...that's right ZERO!!  Finally, a couple walked in and by the time the show started, there were only 15 people in the audience.  Four more walked in while I was on stage.  I must admit that the show went pretty well.  Mike Veneman, from Cleveland, was the headliner.

1/7/06 - A 2 hour and 50 minute drive to Cadillac, Michigan to McGuire's Resort.  I LOVED my room.  The bed was so comfy, I had to peel the sheets back to find out the name of the mattress so I could buy one for myself.  I've been in search for a new mattress because my back just aches constantly.  The show went well.  I met a lot of people.  I talked to a guy who was originally from Waterford, MI named Dave Stoutenburg; he was hilarious.  Cadillac introduced me to some new things like "Amish Crossing" instead of "Pedestrian Crossing."  In addition to the normal wildlife like deer and squirrels, you will find turkeys, bears, pheasants, minks and some other undesirables!

1/9/06 - Today was the day of the "Realizing Your Dream" Fundraiser and I must say that it was a success.  The crowd wasn't as big as I had expected it to be, but the crowd that was present was absolutely FABULOUS!!  There were a lot of pleasant surprises as well.  My family, which included my mother Claudia, my brother Jimmy, my sister Karyn, my husband, my cousins Lisa (Tim), Tanesha and Benita (Rex).  Extended family included my mother-in-law Frenzela Gregory, her nephew Derwin and great-nephew Ricco.  My sister-in-law's mother, aunt and friend.  My niece's Aunt Anasia, great-grandmother & -grandfather, Norma & Lewis.  Adopted family, Tiger, Chanel & Marcus.  My best friend, Monique, her sister and her good friends Flora & Sheri.  My other high school and college friends Jill, Keisha and Tyree.  My friends all the way from Toledo, Dana and LaTisha.  Childhood friend from the A.M.E. church I grew up in, LaTonya and her fiance, Kevin.  The Detroit Bridge Unit, The State of Michigan and playright, T.J. Hemphill.  Also my sister Karyn's coworker, Cynthia and Marcus' friends Sean & Parrish.  If I missed anyone, please blame it on my head and not my heart.  I would like to extend a special thank-you to my sister Karyn for working the door; Chanel for doing the 50/50 raffle, which one of my coworkers won; all of the comedians who performed, Matt Perry, Phenecia Banks and Red.  Also, a very special thanks to comedian, Bill Bushart, promotions manager at Joey's Comedy Club.

1/11/06 - Today is my husband's 35th birthday and I purchased him some new photography software. Kodak's Airbrush Pro, blah, blah, blah.  Anywho, today, I did another fundraiser to help pay some of the medical costs for a cancer patient.  The show at Wise Guys went really well.  I also told them about doing a 50/50, which Mike, the person who put on the show, had no idea of what it was.  I collected $331.  And the winner, who was comedian Scott Loftis, received $165.50.  He donated $100 of it back to Carole.  The Lord will really bless him for that.  The overall show was pretty good and I met a lot of people in the audience afterward.  I have to send out a special "shout out" to the Livonia Red Hat Ladies Society in addition to the Italian-American Woman's Society.  They were so wonderful to me and I look forward to attending their upcoming events.

1/14/06 - Where do I begin??  For starters, today is my niece Melody's birthday.  She's 15 years old.  I hope she enjoyed her day today.  I also had a visit by my other niece, "The other Crystal P."  She is an absolute riot at 2 and a half.  Next, I will start with that I was booked by Comedian Demetrius Nicodemus along with Comedian Mike Lundy to feature at a Bowling Green State University Comedy Show in Olscamp Hall.  I haven't been on a college campus in so long and I'm not part of the "in" crowd, so I don't know what makes the college kids tick, but I went with an open mind to do the best show I could possibly do.  For me, I would have to say it turned out pretty well.  The crowd seemed ot have enjoyed my comedy and seemed ot be in touch.  They actually got a lot of the jokes that it takes some older people several seconds to catch on to.  I really had a good time and it was a good experience.  The people that put on the event had a nice little spread for us in our dressing rooms.  We had Bottled Water, Pepsi, Sierra Mist, ribs, chicken, macaroni & cheese, baked beans, fish and potato salad.  Just to let you know for the future, I'm deathly allergic to fish and I can't stand macaroni & cheese!!  LOL...well, you didn't know, but I appreciate the effort.  The ribs were really tender and good.  I would like to extend a special "thank you" to Isaiah, Brianna, Asia, Nikki, Don, Rufus, Brandon and the cute little security guy  with the striped Akademiks shirt on (I'm sorry I forgot your name).  Thanks for your hospitality, hugs and encouragement.  Also, I would like to thank Randall and the Sigma in the stripe shirt for letting me pick on them.  Hope to see you all again.  I'm sure this was a learning experience for you all as well.

1/17/06 - Did a private 40th birthday party for Kevin Petrusha at Bullfrogs in Ortonville. We had a wonderful time.  In addition to his wife Trish, I met some wonderful people.  Amy is an absolute riot.  She's also an alumni of Michigan State University and used to live in Akers hall.  Amy, I am so looking forward to riding horses.  I also met Nancy, Robin, Chris, Dave & Father Petrusha (Kevin's Dad). 

1/20/06 - Back at the Holly Hotel, which is like my home away from home.  I featured for the hilarious Gary George with crazy Keenan King as the emcee.  Even though the 2nd show was canceled due to weather, we put on a great 1st show with a pretty nice-sized crowd.  There was a couple there who saw me do a 5 minute guest set the year before and they were glad they were able to see me in my "full" glory.  Paul & Sammi are such wonderful people, but I'm still trying to figure out how does one have a dog that's mixed with bouvier & rotweiller!!

1/21/06 - Back at the Holly Hotel for the 2nd night and the 8:30PM show was sold out completely!  I love a packed house because we can all have fun.  Unfortunately, the microphone went out, but thank God for a big mouth.  I was still able to reach those in the rear of the club, especially Amy & Heather who were there celebrating a baby shower.  I apologize that you all weren't able to hear everything, but I hope you will return there in the fall.  I enjoyed messing with John in the audience.  He was such a good sport.  At the 10:30PM show, they were able to bring in another mic that was connected to its own speaker, so the 2nd show went off without a problem.  Actually, the 2nd show had quite a few people there.  I had a great time with Matt, who looks like a "Dan," and his group, who were the liveliest bunch in the house.  I also met Bill & Gayle and I stayed around and spoke with Dottie & Tim.  They were such beautiful people. 

1/26/06 - Tonight, we did the return of comedy to Bullfrogs in Ortonville, MI.  Phenecia Banks, Tyron Foston and I put on a great show.  It must have been outstanding because everybody wanted to buy us drinks after the show.  I hope that Bullfrogs continues to do comedy there on a regular basis.

1/29/06 - Tonight, I performed at the Crowe's Nest Megaplex in College Park, GA and I opened for Ollie Woodson, former lead singer of the Temptations.  His promoter called me and wants me to possibly open for Ollie Woodson again for a Mother's Day show in Chattanooga, TN. 

2/1/06 - Performed at the Detorit Historical Museum for a show sanctioned by the Super Bowl XL Host Committee, which was put on by comedian, Howie Bell.  The show was GREAT!!  There were some great comedians on hand such as Howie Bell, Rayzor, Marlon Mitchell, Cory Fernandez, Vanessa Fraction and many, many more.  In addition to all of the laughs, they had plenty of food and drinks on hand.  I also met Tina Graham from NJ.  She was a wonderful person and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to meet her and be seen by her.

2/2/06 - Drove to Petoskey, MI to do a show.  What a ride...4 hours.  The show wasn't packed, but I had a good time anyway.

10/2/06 - I just realized that I must've inadvertently erased my journal when I was on here the other day.  So, I'm not too happy right now.  I was able to recapture events taking place from February 2006 through July 2006.  I'll try to go back and fill in as much as possible.  Oh well, no used crying over spilled milk.  On a good note, I finally got in with Mark Ridley and the Comedy Castle!  This is a club that I've been wanting to get in with for over a year now and I'm booked as an emcee and a feature for 2007!!  Also, I just got word that the benefit I did this past Friday raised over $10,000!!!  I can honestly say that laughter probably made the people want to give more!!!

10/3/06 - Today, we celebrated my oldest daughter's birthday at Chili's.  I'm not too fond of their food, nor their service, but we did have a great time.  My daughter's God Mother (more affectionately known at G-Mommy) took us out.  In addition, she got her some Guess jeans, a couple of Guess shirts and her God Mother's sister got her an outfit from Old Navy (one of my favorite places).  My daughter received money and some other gifts.  Today was my friend Marki's (pronounced liked the diamond) birthday in Virginia.

10/4/06 - I won $102 on the radio today (LOL)!!  Lord knows I need it, but I won't get it for about 2-3 weeks.  Today, I went to check out the competition at the Good Life Lounge.  Two of the people who got voted off last week came back this week and won.  Laverne and Darryl Earl both made it through.  There is going to be one more comic voted through next week and there will be 7 of us in the finals.

10/5/06 - I did a show with CoCo and Foolish at Zita's Lounge in Hamtramck and we had sooooo much FUN!  I had so much fun that I didn't make it home until 1AM.  The show went GREAT!!  After the show, we took pictures, shook hands and did karoke.  Doing shows with comedic veterans like CoCo and Foolish is inspiring.  It's indeed an honor and privilege just to be asked to do a show (no doubt the debut show).  Just another blessing from God.

10/7/06 - Went window shopping....that's what you do when you don't currently have any money.  LOL.  Seriously though, one of the owners at one of the stores I shop in is just as excited about me being in the finals for the Steve Harvey contest.  There's an outfit that's all picked out for me for the Fox Theatre and it is sooooo very classy.  Anyone performing with Steve Harvey definitely has to step it up to the couture level....hip-hop won't work!  The good thing is, if I get the outfit, I already have boots to go with it!  One of the owners is claiming that I'm going to be the opener, so I'm just going to receive that word!

10/8/06 - Went to church this morning and Pastor Rob's message was just confirmation of what everyone has been saying to me.  All I have to do is my best and I can win!!  Whatever God has for me is for me only and no one can take it away.  I'm just going to claim victory in Jesus' name RIGHT NOW!!

10/10/06 - I've received many well-wishes this morning regarding the Steve Harvey contest.  I'm getting more nervous as tomorrow approaches.  All I'm going to do is go in there and do the very best I can.

10/11/06 - Who said that God doesn't answer prayer???  Well, I can tell you that the favor of God was definitely upon me this evening because I WON!!!  I am Detroit's Queen of Comedy.  In addition to the title, Detroit's Queen of Comedy, I received two tickets to the show, I get to open up for Steve Harvey at the sold out Fox Theatre and I received a letter for $500, which is supposed to be presented at the show on Saturday.  What was greater than winning was all of the people who came out to support me and cheer me on.  There were over 100 people in the audience cheering for me.  It was unbelievable.  Unfortunately, whenever you have something good going, there's something bad following it.  Apparently, there were a few comedians who were upset with me and "claimed" that I referred to Detroit comedians as "heathen comics" or Detroit comedians do "heathen comedy." Either way, they were dead WRONG!!  I have a lot of love for Detroit comedians, especially for CoCo & Foolish.  Often times, I'm a heathen myself, so how could I feel like that about others?  There were also those who said that I encouraged and told my supporters to boo other comics.  Again, UNTRUE!!  If that were the case, I would've been in the finals by myself.  Funny is funny!!  People cheered for those who they thought were funny and "womped" those that weren't.  I had no control over that.  I was clapping for all contestants.  It takes a lot to get up on a stage, so I would never "boo" or "womp" anyone.  Contests tend to bring out the worst in people (comedians and audience).  Thankfully, I didn't let all of the situations bother me and I was able to compete to the best of my ability.  I appreciate EVERYONE who took the time out of their busy schedule to come out and support me.  There were people from Living Faith Church (LFC), Greater Apostolic, State of Michigan, Sinai Grace Hospital, DaimlerChrysler, Michigan State University (MSU), neighbors, cousins, and just some of everybody.  It was a great feeling to hear all of the applause.  When I got home, the phone calls were still coming in from all over including Orlando, Tampa, Seffner, Florida, Mississippi and North Carolina.

10/12/06 - Phone calls, emails, text messages are steadily coming in.  It's a great feeling to have a large amount of people that support you.

10/13/06 - Went to Seldom Blues for breakfast where Steve Harvey was airing live.  I appreciate all of the congratulations and well wishes I received from people that recognized me.  It's a great feeling when people appreciate the comedy of a woman.  Outside of this, this was one of the worst days I've ever experienced.  But, if I can't say something nice, then.....well come sit by me!! LOL!

10/14/06 - The day is here.  Steve Harvey's Show Your Love Tour has arrived.  I must admit that I was looking fierec in my outfit, courtesy of Danni Roche located at 13305 W. Seven Mile Rd. in Detroit.  Hair was courtesy of Tanya Best at Nfluence Salon and makeup was by Darnell at M.A.C. in Northland.  I only got 5 minutes to perform but it was a wonderful 5 minutes.  I had some friends and family in the audience so that felt really good as well.  Ramona Prater, Mix 92.3 personality, gave me the best introduction anyone could've ever asked for.  It was truly superb!  She is a God-send.

10/15/06 - Got to church and had a wonderful service.  They congratulated me as well as Ozie on his symphony.  We have some very talented individuals at our church.  After church, we had rehearsal for Harvest Fest and then we had rehearsal for the movie, "The Prodigal Daughter."

10/17/06 - Received a call from Mix 92.3.  Apparently, I did a lot better than I had anticipated.  Someone contacted the station to find out where I would be next.  I really appreciate that. 

10/18/06 - Reflecting on the events that have taken place over the last week, I knew I was blessed, but I didn't really realize how blessed in comedy I really was.  Opening for Steve Harvey at the sold out Fox Theatre in Detroit was exactly 53 weeks after I opened for the P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy at the sold out Fox Theatre in Detroit.  That's an amazing fete for an up and coming comedian.  I've only been doing comedy 23 months, so I have nothing to be ashamed of.  Today, I also received a message on my guestbook that said, "And they said you were CRAZY to leave Chrysler!!! Well, look at the auto industry & look at Crystal P.!!!! Who's laughing NOW?!!!!"  I remember when I said that I would never work there again and everyone looked at me sideways.  They couldn't understand how I walked away from a job that paid me about $25 an hour.  There's nothing like doing a job that you love and appreciate regardless as to how much you get paid.  I love entertaining people so much that I would do it for free.  Today, I received a phone call and it looks like the syndicated radio show that I tested for might be in my near future.  So, I will continue to pray for this opportunity.

10/20/06 - Blessings continue to come my way.  I was contacted this afternoon about auditioning for Comedy Central's "Urban Acts."  Auditions will be held Monday, November 13, 2006.  I appreciate just being invited to audition.  I've invited others out because my support is my adrenaline.

10/23/06 - I FOUND IT!!  I think I've found the dress that I want to wear to my 35th birthday party in April 2007.  I plan on having a black party affectionately titled, "The Crystal Ball."  I have so many calls to make.  Also, I got the "call" about the radio show and I'm going into the studio this Wednesday to "try it again!"  Radio is a lot harder than I thought it was.  I know I don't have that smooth, velvety type voice, but I'm going to go in the studio and try to the very best I know how.  The engineer said he would work with me to get me where I need to be.  It's a grat feeling to have people on your side who are not always looking for something in return.

10/26/06 - Emceed at Wise Guys Novi and we had "Comedy for a Cause" for Soldier's Angels.  Had a great time working with Kevin Zeoli and Mike Green.

10/27/06 - Received the most uplifiting email from my cousin.  Instead of summing up the email, I'm going to write it exactly how my cousin sent it to me.  "Hey Crystal, I wanted to send you something to brighten your day if it ain't already.....I was talking to a guy, no one I knew, and he was telling me about going to the Fox to see Steve Harvey. He went on and on about this woman who opened for the show.  He said she was hilarious and she was from Detroit.  I asked could it have been Crystal P?  He perked up and was like "YEAH!!"  I told him I heard you down at the Goodlife Lounge auditioning for it and he said, "Well, they picked the right person to open cuz she was good."  Trust me when I say this dude was an absolute stranger to me, so this is about as unbiased as a comment can get.......:)"  Reading this email really made me feel good on the inside.  It's good to know that what I do and say on stage touches the lives of others in a positive way.  

10/28/06 - We had Harvest Fest at church and it was really wonderful.  Sis. Olivia and Angie did an excellent job organizing the event.  All of the children who came out had a wonderful time.  One of the surprises of the evening was seeing my daughters' hairdresser come and bring her grandchildren.  Before I could say anything, she said that she was so proud of me.  I'm standing there puzzled as to why and she said that she saw me open for Steve Harvey and she was really proud of me and so happy for me.  That really touched me.  She and her grandchildren really enjoyed Harvest Fest as well.  My husband played photographer and took pictures of all the children with our own Superman and Superwoman and put their pictures in key chains.  After Harvest Fest, I had to do a show at Wise Guys.  This turned out to be one of the most unique experiences I've ever had in comedy.  Because the feature had been pulled over by the police and taken in, I had to fill in as the feature.  Well, at the end of the show, the manager tried to offer me some "off the wall" amount of money.  To say I wasn't pleased would be an understatement.  At this point, I realized that the reputation would never get better because they just don't operate in the spirit of excellence.

12/24/06 - One of the best Christmas presents was to see my face in the Detroit Free Press this morning regarding the Two Jokers & A Queen comedy show coming up on the 30th.  We did our usual and hung out at my best friend's sister's house.

12/25/06 - Spent Christmas Day at my mom's.

12/30/06 - Two Jokers & A Queen Comedy Show went well.  We had just over 400 people in attendance.

12/31/06 - Opened Faith Covenant's New Year's Eve services with comedy and ended the night with dancing. 

1/6/07 - Headlined my first show of the year at the Jackson Comedy Club.  The show went really well and they were so glad to see a female....especially a black one because they don't get them there.

1/17/07 - New year and new outlook on life.  My theme this year is "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!"  I plan on pressing the envelope every chance I get.  I'm going to try and expand my talents, write more jokes, do different types of roles and just make Crystal P. bigger and better.

3/7/07 - WOW, it's been a long time since I've wrote anything in my journal and I apologize.  I've been so busy.  As I began to write this, I looked over my last entry and it's ironic how "pressing the envelope" almost got the best of me just a week ago.  Prior, I had been receiving audition notices from friends to audition for an upcoming show called "She-larious."  I shrugged it off and looked at it as another 'cattle call' and this heifer just didn't want to be bothered.  I never really looked into it fully.  Well, a week ago today, I received a mesage from my friend Tonya in Jersey and it was titled, 'Hey Mamacita--you should enter this!'  I looked at it and it was for the She-larious audition.  I took the time to check it over, including the casting director.  After further investigation, I figured, this would be the PERFECT opportunity for me.  HOWEVER, the audition was in Chicago just three days later.  I called my husband, my best friend and my sister to see what they thought.  Everyone said, "GO FOR IT!"  I asked all of my online friends and not one person said not to go.  I also told my fellow comedienne and friend, Phenecia Banks about the audition too.  After my Friday night show in Grand Rapids, my sister and I went to the hotel and slept for about 4 hours and got on the snowy road to head to Chicago for my 11:35AM audition.  I made it in one piece in perfect time.  I was in the car preparing my showcase.  What will I do??  See, She-larious isn't just a stand-up competition; they want women who are EXTREMELY funny, and talented in other areas like writing, sketch, improv, producing, hosting, etc.  So needless to say, you had to "bring it" in the audition.  Phenecia drove up with her husband for her audition, scheduled at 12:20PM.  We talked about our apps and everything we had planned on doing.  But that's easier said than done.  Anywho, I got myself together and went into that audition with success on my mind.  When I left the room, I didn't have any regrets and felt pretty good.  I trekked all the way back home and checked my email, and wouldn't you know it, I had been contacted by the casting people saying that I had moved on to the next round of casting and needed to submit a video.  That's another story in itself.  I had 72 hours to create, produce and send a video to California.  With the help of family and friends, I got it done.  Sent my video EXPRESS mail.  Hopefully, I will get a call back to come to Chicago this Sunday and eventually make it on the show.  I really want this.  I can do this!  The one thing that God has blessed me with is a plethora of talents, and I'm not afraid to "take it there!"  All I can say is, I envision myself being on the Oxygen channel doing what I do best......making people laugh through acting, comedy, writing, improv and even singing.  The bible says in Philipians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  With that being said, ENOUGH SAID!

5/23/07 - I know, I know, I haven't written anything, but it's been so hectic.  I just celebrated my 35th birthday a month ago.  I had a Hollywood-themed all black birthday party, which included me arriving in a black Navigator, red carpet, paparazzi, a red carpet reporter, two videographers, a picture/video presentation, sit-down dinner, giveaways, the "Crystal" awards, two magazine cakes and one rotating tiered topsy-turvy cake and a DJ. My tables were named after places in Hollywood and abroad. The head table was the Rodeo Drive table; we had Tiffany & Co., Rolls Royce, Paramount Studios, The Cheesecake Factory, BMW, Universal Studios, House of Blues, Versace, Mercedes Benz, Gucci, Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles, Louis Vuitton and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Are you saying, "did she just say giveaways?" YES I DID!! We gave away gift cards to Wal-Mart, Papa Vinos Italian Restaurant, PF Chang's China Bistro, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel apples, Starbucks gift card, Boston Market gift cards, Kool-Aid baskets with sugar and we even gave "Welcome to Michigan" baskets to all of the out of town guests. The night was FANTASTIC! The "She's Your Queen" music, from the movie "Coming to America" was played before I entered the room as they drop rose petals down the aisle. Then I walked in on India.Arie's "I'm Not My Hair." I was dressed in a copycat Halston Bradley Bayou dress, which was the dress Queen Latifah wore on the red carpet to the 2003 Oscars. I had about 150 in attendance all dressed in black. There were so many surprises. My event planners got a commendation letter from the Mayor of the City of Detroit, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, they also brought in ballroom and hustle dancers and they actually came up with a dance and named it after me...."The Crystal P. Hustle." And when they performed the dance they actually make the letter "P" with their feet! I received lots of cards and gifts, roses, but there was one gift in particular that brought me to tears, it was the Crystal award I received with a silver star on top that was engraved:
A Star was Born
On April 24th, 1972
Crystal P.

It was indeed awesome. And even more awesome was to see several of my Curvy Chick friends in attendance looking just as good as they wanted to be. They truly helped to make my night special. I hope that I was able to touch them as much as they touched me.

The phone hasn't stopped ringing about the party. It was even talked about on a popular Adult Contemporary radio station here in Detroit, so more people started calling. People are looking forward to me throwing a 40th birthday party. I'll have to start saving now because it looks like the attendance will easily exceed 250-300!

Thank you to everyone who has posted a message on the board, my profile, sent me an email, ecard, private message and/or gift. Your thoughtfulness and kindness will never be forgotten. I LOVE YOU ALL! THANK YOU AND BLESS YOU!

The day after the party, I had to do a show.  And in between time, I've been filming an independent film called "Black Lies."  In addition, I'm working on a gospel play called "In My Father's House" which will open on Father's Day.  I did a taping for Fox via David Lehre Productions and still working on comedy shows and other private functions.  It's been a busy, busy Spring and it looks like the Summer will be busy as well.

6/20/07 - I know it's been a while, but I've been so busy with doing comedy, filming and working on the gospel play which opened three days ago at the Millennium Centre and boy was it ever great! People are still calling and emailing about how much they enjoyed it. They're ready to see it again. If you missed it, you really missed something awesome! Amid the drama and comedy, there was a great message for all. Anyone could've enjoyed this play from the most astute Christian to the hardest street thug. There were many touching moments. I can't wait to do this play again. Unfortunately, one of the cast members is going off to college. I'm happy for her getting her education, but I'm going to miss her at rehearsals.