I have to quote the late 70's genius of Steve Martin again (and it probably won't be the last time.)
"You know, a lot of people come to me and they say Steve, how can you be so f*****' funny? There's a secret to it, it's no big deal, I'll be honest with you - before I come out, I put a slice of baloney in each one of my shoes. So, when I'm on stage, I feel funny."
This is where I've been for a few weeks now - feeling funny - but laughs are hard to come-by.