Improvising Life

I've started taking classes at UCB, or Upright Citizens Brigade for those not in the know.
Improvisation out here isn't a suggestion, its a requirement.  It seems mildly daft that EVERYONE be required to have training in Improvisation, but I suppose when you have 5 million people claiming to be actors and you want to thin the herd, you pick up on some useful skill and toss the ones without it.  I get it, but for some people its just not their cup of tea.

Luckily, I am not some people and I think its wonderful!  I've been wanting to take classes on Improv for a while now, and even attempted (and failed) to start a small Improv group in college.  Finally, 2 books and plenty of dreams and ideas later, I bit the bullet and got myself started down the path of learning, in a controlled environment, the craft of improvisation.  Here are my thoughts of the process.

Imagine believing in yourself and knowing you are going to be good at something, then getting into the class room and picking apart every single thing you say and do.  Starting out Improvising, in the fashion taught by the UCB, is like distilling embarrassment and then pouring it on yourself in front of everyone.
I want to be good so bad, but I also know it takes time, and the classroom environment as a good place to do that because everyone else is on the same page.  Also, many of the "students" there are fun to be around, so we've been to a few shows outside our class together.  Its been a nice place to plant myself and meet some new people, and I think I'm beginning to understand the basics of what I need to do on stage.  Like I said, it takes time like anything else.

Photo by Jamie Hanson Photography

 I got new headshots done.  Not because my old ones were bad. They are great.  I got new headshots done because they were beardless, and I was lazy and didn't want to cut my beard.  Also, beards are in so I wanted to get in on that action.

Mostly I was lazy.

I had an idea of how I wanted the headshots to look, and I definitely wanted to get them as close to "Me" as possible.  I think this one screams my name, and so I chose it.  I have some others that are close, but my gut reaction had me stop on this one mutliple times. Narcissism has its moments, and looking at 200+ photos of oneself for half an hour can pay off.

Who says Facebook doesn't teach you anything?

I've been busy filming things!

Discovery ID has a show called Cry Wolfe, a recreation show about PI cases.  That is about the extent of my knowledge of that show, save that I ALSO know you can see me in an episode sometime in the future, most likely in the fall of this year.  I won't give you details or anything, but I'll be sure to keep you posted when they tell me it will air!

I ran into a friend from high school randomly at an audition, which is rather strange being so far from home.  She invited me out that night, I met her friends, turns out they are in the Graduate Directing Program at UCLA.  One of them has a film she is making next week.  I auditioned. Now I'll be filming next week.

On top of that, I've been cast, just yesterday, in another shoot happening next week, and that one is going to be paying the bills somewhat, so I am thrilled about working on that set and getting some money to help pay for that fun thing called rent.

SPEAKING OF RENT!

I'll be homeless this coming Saturday... again.  Alone and homeless on valentines day. (Don't Capitalize a capitalized holiday)  Should be fun.  Not sure if I need to be OUT by Saturday, or if Saturday is my last night...  I should find that out.

At any rate, I'm working on finding a place to stay. Again.  I'm tired of moving all my stuff around. I want to find a place, move in, and plant myself for a while.  I feel like when moving out is on my horizon I am so distracted.  I'm not nervous about moving, or worried about where I'll end up, but it occupies my mind constantly.  I toss and turn in bed while my brain says

"I have to pack my room up, shove it into my car, and find a place... I guess I'll stare at my ceiling all night and think about that."

Like I said, I'm not worried. Things work out, and its all an adventure.  I'm happy to be able to have such an adventure.  I've got nothing and no one tying me down, holding me back, and a multitude of people, many of who will read this blog, supporting me along the way.  I'll be fine because this is all part of it!  I'll be fine because I choose to be that way.

Sorry for the delay readers.  While I'm not worried about moving, it has occupied my time in the form of hunting for a place to stay.  I'm still doing that, but I needed to post something for you.  I needed to post something for me.  Its nice to have this in writing: Therapeutic, cathartic, another synonym of those previous words.

Thanks for reading, thanks for the support, and I'll be a better, more diligent writer in the future.

Promises promises

What could go wrong?

Found this out and about in LA

Business, Bars, and Kosher Food

I apologize for my absences.  I was stricken with a fever a week ago and have been wallowing in it ever since.  I haven't felt particularly excited to write, not sure why that is, but here I sit. Writing and eating a large bowl of off-brand Honey Bunches of Oats (like, $3 cheaper for twice as much, count me in).  I've discovered, after giving Almond milk a second chance, that almond milk is shit and I don't like it.  It tastes funny and has an awkward consistency.  Coconut milk is that way to go, if you happen to be going that way.

A had dinner with friends!  A potluck of sorts. Pasta and bread and Italian dishes, a side salad, and I made a meager sampling of some garlic chicken thighs.    I got to see the ladies who posted me up when i was homeless, so that was nice, and we all hung out and talked and there was a cake of some caliber. A birthday was celebrated, and friends were present to celebrate.  There was much rejoicing.

There is a barcade in town called 82. Old school towers and hipsters as far as the eye can see, and food truck parked inside the place, and a line that takes about half an hour to get through.  All of these things are great (except for the line).  Lauren, Josh, and Sean, the roomies I stayed with the first week I was here, were all present for this trip.  We had fun playing the Dirty Harry Pinball Machine on someone's quarters, then we moved on to Space Invaders. 
In the center of the game hall was a Street Fighter Tower which was connected to the projectors over the bar.  You got to watch the competitors beat the shit out of each other on the screen.  Needless to say, it was pretty cool.

Lastly, there was TRON.  I love TRON. I love the movies, I love the games, and I loved that they had them there for our enjoyment.
After a few hours there we decided to call it quits, and we said our farewells.  I headed back to my car which was parked a ways away as the rest of the crew decided to hit up Taco Bell.  I told them to enjoy crapping their pants.  They laughed, but deep down... they knew I was right.


I'm here to act.  I keep telling people that, then they ask what else I do, and I say... nothing.  Of course, I do other things, but If they are asking about how I'm making money, I'm not.
 What I am doing is spending money.  Spending a lot of Money.  I recently spent the hellatious amount of money required to sign onto an Upright Citizens Brigade class.  I am now $400 lighter of pocket, but if you plan on doing anything out here whether it be commercial, theatrical, or a job as a low level employee at McDonalds, you MUST HAVE IMPROV EXPERIENCE!

If you are laughing, you think I am making that up.  I am not.

Improvisation is the thing to have here.  You must be trained in it, extremely experienced in it, probably spending something like 2 years and $10k on training of improv before you can be even considered for this job you are applying for...

Oh, and it's a non-paying gig.

I have been workign out.  I have a small workout room in the complex I currently reside and its been nice having access to it.  Problem is, I got sick and decided to not move for a week.  So, I boosted my metabolism, lost 6 pounds, and now I'm just sitting here like a barnacle on the futon in my room being skinny as hell. Not my best move. I need to get back at it.

 I finished a shoot for Benny Friedman last week.  Here is one of his videos, not the one I am in. Three days of shooting with a good crew and team.  Timing may have not been their strongest strength, but they were nice and a lot of fun to hang out with on set.  They fed me as well, so that was nice.  Everything was Kosher food and it was wonderful.  I prefer bacon in my life, but kosher food cannot have meat and cheese together so I never had to worry about dairy in my food.  Well, except for the pizza they had one day, but it had no meat, so they won that round.

We filmed and ate at a place called MexiKosher and it was wonderful.  Even met the chef that started the place, something of a celebrity now thanks to Top Chef.  Its worth the drive if you are ever here in LA, and they have a Kosher Bacon Sauce for the food that is out of this world good.

Lastly, I finally played Settlers of Catan, a board game I've been wanting to play for a very long time.  If you get the opportunity, play it, its quite a bit of fun!  I also went to The Bearded Men West's Dungeons and Dragons Improv.  That is one of the greatest improv shows, and that crowed was huge!  You have to go.

All in all, I've been a mix of busy and lazy.  I'm conscious of the laziness and forget that I've also been busy.  It never feels like you've done enough.  Guess I'll keep moving... well, not moving too much.

Christmas, New Years, and Where I'm at Now

I left Los Angeles on Dec. 21, 2014 and headed home.  I was very excited to be home.  The hustle and bustle of Los Angeles was miles behind me and I could finally breathe and be at peace for a bit.  I found inner peace through lots of home cooked meals, mindless hours in front of the TV, and heading home to Illinois for the Holidays.

I'm lucky to have parents who have stayed together for all these years of my (an their) life.  I'm even luckier that they grew up in the same small town and that you can walk between their parent's (my Grandparent's) Homes.  That is just great!

We had Christmas Eve dinner and presents at my dad's place, late night mass, then off to bed for Christmas morning at my Mom's.

Best shirt ever

I'm 25 years old. A man in the world's eyes.  I can't for the life of me sleep on Christmas. Have never been able to.  Its like I've got all that magic stored up in my little noggin, but my worldly and calloused heart doesn't receive it like it used to, so I'm just stuck, awake, left with my own thoughts as I lay wishing for sleep on Christmas Eve.

That got dark.

On a lighter note!

I'm 25 years old. A man in the world's eyes.  Luckily, I am no such thing to my mother who bought my brother and me Pokemon for Christmas!

As they say, giving is way better than receiving so, here is my master gift. One gift to rule them all.

STORY TIME!

Back in the 90's there was board games. One such game of board was called "Forbidden Bridge", and it was good.  It was so good, in fact, that we played it til the pieces ran away. We were left with on broken game and multiple broken hearts.

Since then, each family member, at one Christmas or another, has searched far and wide for this game.  You could buy pieces of it till you had a full set again off of ebay, but that would cost you upwards of $300. (We loved that game, but come on)

Kevin, the favorite son and best sibling (that's me), during his journeys came upon the fabled "Forbidden Bridge" by a chance acquaintance back in Nashville.  Bryan, keeper of all things that are both board and game, happened to have a pristine copy of the game, "Forbidden Bridge".  Kevin purchased this game and hid it away until the time of the great unveiling known... AS CHRISTMAS!

It was good.

Moral of the story: 

Play board games cuz they dank as hell bruh!

 

Christmas always seems to come right before New Years Eve, and the same was true this year.  I had no plans. Ended up in a cabin with my brother and some friends. Drank, ziplined, burned stuff, drank.  It was a blast!  Thanks Kathleen for the cabin Trip!

I also went dancing when I was home. It was great seeing all my dancer friends again and hanging out at the 5Spot again.  I missed that crew.

Nashville Rainy streets

I also got to see Jack, Blythe, Sean, and Natalie when I was home. You have no idea who they are, but I do, and they do. Hey guys! Thanks for the great time. You made an excellent case for me to just stay in Nashville and hang out FOREVER!

But... now I'm back in LA.

Looming on the horizon is that omnipresent force known as "Responsibility", and my only tool for stopping its crushing embrace of anxiety and fear is Motivation.  Sadly, Motivation seems to be missing right now.  I miss home already. I liked being a couch barnacle and having to do very little.  I like eating good food and doing nothing with my time. I like not having rent to pay.

More importantly, I like my friends and family being so close.

Damn, being an adult is hard. Even harder when you move away from home.

I suppose I'll get my feet under me soon. Hopefully my writing will improve when I do.

Week 6: Busyness

Many of you are no doubt asking yourselves,

"What the f#!k is Kevin up to?"

Luckily for you, I've designated the day of the SUN as the day of days to report about what the f#!k I am up to.

Here's what the f#!k I am up to.

THIS PAST WEEK!  I think the most exciting bit has been, and the part that was hardest to keep from making an entire post about, was bed.  I have been without a bed since October.  It had been 57 days since I slept in a bed and I was hurting for it so bad, I didn't even know I was hurting for it so bad.  I'd love to say I slept like a baby, angel, or other thing that sleeps real well, but I didn't.  All I did was sleep like I was on an overnight drunk then woke up and felt that "sleep hangover" you get when you still haven't gotten enough sleep and you whole body hates you.  I felt that the first few nights until I got caught up on sleep... so I must have been supremely sleep deprived.

This makes sense.  I mean, I am super thankful to my roommates that posted me up these past few weeks, but when one roommate works until midnight and the other works at 5am and your air mattress is by their front door, sleep isn't something you get much of.  I've passed through that gauntlet and made it to the end.  For that, I deserve praise.

The new digs are nice, a tad girly but tidy, and my roommate, although I have seen very little of her, is nice.  She gave me Korean style pot stickers because she wasn't going to eat them so that was cool!

 Flowers on the bed. Watch out ladies. (I've since replaced the bedding with my own, manlier dressings)

The below pictured item is the elusive washer/dryer. It's cousins around the city eat quarters and bits of your soul, but this wonderful piece of machinery resides in unit, and has become as a close friend: never asking money or commitment from you, and only wishing to help you by washing your clothes...

FO' FREE!

^New best friend^

 "But what else has been happening Kevin?  Anything work related?"

I'm glad you asked. YES! Lots and lots of work related things.  I got signed on to 2 websites where I can find and submit myself for roles.  These two websites have absolutely been helpful getting me to auditions and in front of casting peoples.

WB Backlot. Pretty neat!

Granted, most of the jobs I've been called to are student films and non paying gigs, I am still happy to be working so prolifically.  This week alone I have had 13 auditions, 1 short film for a student, and later today I'll be shooting a promo video/commercial that I am pretty excited about.  Again, while these aren't paying...

(and a depressing thing that is as ALL AUDITIONS COST MONEY! Gas, parking, time(is money), I'm watching my bank account siphon through my fingers as I stupidly walk around saying "this is fine!" )

...I am happy to get in front of people and do my thing.  I've auditioned as fiances, boyfriends, teenagers, "FREELANCE SCIENTISTS", computer wizards, stoners, and many other things.  I basically wake up, shower, and I'm out until late auditioning.  I'm "working" constantly, and that is gratifying.

It is also surprisingly tiring.  I never realized how powerfully draining switching from role to role is until I have to play 4 roles in 3 hours with the same amount of enthusiasm, poise, and creativity all the while driving like a mad man across town in between just to make sure I make it to my next audition in time to find parking. It is emotionally draining and I have come home multiple times and found myself in a bad mood and skinny as a damn rail because it dawns on me that I never ate anything.

Good things do happen though, and funny weird things to. Obviously I've gotten people's attention and have been cast in things which is good, but I've also met some new people and had some adventures throughout.  For instance;

Kirstin and Thai food

In passing I mentioned, waiting for an audition, that I had an audition south in Longbeach, and Kirstin, the girl that I was waiting with, said she did to.  I mentioned it was for some "Shakespeare modern day Hamlet" and she said "... me too..."

So, disregarding all of the advice she has ever received about how to handle strangers, Kirstin accepted my invitation to ride together and hopped into my car to head to Longbeach. Lucky for her I am not a creeper and we had a nice drive together through rush hour traffic.  We even stopped off and ate Thai food after the audition.

This past Friday, to get myself out of "work" mode, Lauren and I snuck off down to the "Atomic Ballroom" to dance the night away with swing, blues, and some other dances I don't know yet.  It was quite the set up, and the crowd was diverse in age ranging from highschoolers (a lot of them actually) all the way up to some older ladies and gents, one who I can only imagine was 70 something. (that old man was easily the greatest dancer out there. Spry and able to lead the follows with a few simple gestures. I was pretty thrilled to watch him).  Lauren and I took a blues lesson which was fun, but my first priority is to learn 8 count Lindy.

The dance community is a lot different here than in Nashville.  Now, I do have a biased opinion as I love my home town and the dance community there rocks (go to the "5 Spot" on Monday nights and check out the "Jump Session" on Friday Nights at Nashville Swing Dance Foundation!).

 I know them, I know how most of the follows move, and I was doing it at least once a week.  Here everyone is so technical.  I had one girl get frustrated with me and just started muscling me around and leading herself which threw me off.  It is a different vibe here and I am still searching for my place in the swing community.  Also, I feel as though I have plateaued and need to finally take some lessons to move over this little blockade.  I need some new moves in my repertoire, and, while most of the ones I know I have stolen, the ones I want to know now I need to really focus and learn if I ever want to know how they work.

At any rate, it was a fun night all in all and I'm happy to have checked out the dance community there.

So that has been my week.  Busy like the words in this post.  I will hopefully stay busy all this week.

Christmas is fast approaching and I'll be back in Nashville soon.  I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends and family for sure.  Its hard coming home to an apartment and thinking you'll call someone up only to realize that they are literally thousands of miles away.  But that is how it goes. At least I'll get to see them over Christmas and the new year!

Til next post!

Week 5: Suppositions on Settling In

I'm not completely settled obviously. I'm staying on an air mattress next to the front door of an apartment where one of my roommates works at 5am and the other til midnight.  I've not had a decent nights sleep since I left Nashville all those many days ago. I'm mildly miserable with a peppered dose of adventurous spirit.  These will all be funny memories down the road... I hope.

My week has been much more reserved than previous weeks.  I am attempting to settle into these new environs and have successfully bought food from a super market.  That is cool.  I've made some good things, like a pasta with Italian Sausage and Pan Seared Brussels and Italian Sausage with toasted Sour Dough (Sausages were the Manager's special. Can't say no to them prices).  I've also failed miserably with this horrifying concoction of a can of condensed french onion soup, rice, and lentils. It may be possible to make that edible, but you'd need more knowledge of cooking and more tools of the trade than I have at my disposal.  We won't talk about that any more, it was a sad meal.

Also on food, I've not made one in a long time but I've reverted back to my college days and made my "famous" Heart Stoppers.
This is what it is. Feel free to make them in your own home if you are tired of your arteries not being clogged!

HEARTSTOPPER (Not fried yet)

Kevin's "Famous" Heartstopper

Ingredients:
     Bologna
     Bacon
     Egg
     2 Slice of Bread (Your choice)
     Mustard
     Mayonnaise

Fry the bacon in a pan.

Fry the bologna in a pan.

Fry the egg in a pan.

Fry the toast in a pan.

Slather on mustard an mayo.

Die a little

Feel free to use that recipe any time, any where, and always give credit where credit is due. (Unless no one will know, then take the credit yourself. You didn't earn it, but who is gunna know?!)

This week I also met up with some friends of friends from back in Nashville.  One of those relationships where "I know someone out where you are going to be so you should both meet up and be friends because we are friends then we have more friends" type things.  BUT! wtf else was I gunna do?

I met up with them in Glendale at The Hermosillo, a brewery thing there, and we had a good night drinking beers and chatting about this and that.  I've noticed a strange thing here in this city, and maybe this is just me, but there are two types of relationships that start in the city.  

Friends of Friends of Friends

1.You have the people who meet you and keep their distance. Maybe they already have too many friends, maybe they hate you, I don't know.

2.Then there are the people who welcome you into their lives with open arms.  Its kind of like meeting up with an old friend and catching up, except you need to catch up on their entire lives because you just met.  

Number 2. is the majority of people I have met here and its been overwhelmingly nice to have so many new faces in my life. In particular when new faces are basically the only thing in my life.

Of course, perhaps these people are always like this, perhaps its my perception, perhaps its just me (I'd like to think I'm personable and nice and approachable).  Whatever the case, its been fun meeting all these people who genuinely want to find new, fun people to hang out with.

I have again invaded Corey and Emily's home, my surrogate Thanksgiving family, for Emily's Birthday.  This was last night, it started at 8pm, I left at 5am. It was a romping good time.

Party Party Party

Man of house. Birthday girl.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

I had a bit of a hiccup this week.  I came out here because I am an actor (IMDB can be quoted as stating that fact) and there is work for actors out here.  Sure, there are already a lot of actors out here, but I happen to be a well above average individual when it comes to that skill, so I moved.  I suspected it would be hard, intended to not have an easy path, and set my teeth and came.

I've had an overwhelming amount of success since I moved out here.  I've been in 4 films with speaking roles, 2 of which I was the lead,1 supporting, and one featured, and I've been on 4 more sets as an extra.  I feel like I am making strides in the right direction.  Well, maybe not "strides", perhaps waddles, or like... inches, but I've felt like I have been working and doing things, and I've had more auditions in the past month than I ever had in the entire time I was in Nashville which makes me think I've made a good decision. (I still miss you Nashville)

I have had 3 major auditions/roles since I have been here that I was very excited about. One of them was the Nightwing Webseries I believe I mentioned where they left and never informed me so I didn't get to audition. A let down but a short hurdle to jump. The next was a student film that I am still waiting back to hear about and hope I got.  If I get it, I will have sweet telekentic powers (mind bullets) and that just sounds fun.

The last exciting audition/role, and most sour of defeats, came this previous Tuesday.  I placed my name in for a role in a film, a featured extra role on a SAG/AFTRA pilot.  I figured If I got it I would have only 2 extra things left before I became SAG eligible.  That would be optimal.

That night I got an email stating that they wanted me for the PRINCIPAL boyfriend role, and that they would Taft Hartley me, which means I would be SAG eligible basically as soon as the shoot day was done.  This was unbelievable.  I was thrilled, ecstatic, and ready for that to go my way.  I promptly responded with the all clear that I was available, then gave up 2 auditions for paid work that would have been on the same day as the shoot.

Wednesday rolled around.

Thursday...

Thursday night and I've got no script, no shoot schedule, no information, and a slowly, sinking suspicion that I've been duped.

Friday was a rough day.  I'm usually pretty good about picking myself out of the mud of self pity, but this time I had sunk pretty deep.  Took me pretty much all Friday to pick myself up and feel decent again.

Its not that I was depressed about not getting the role.  I was, of course, but the major defeat was suffered psychologically.  I came out here with the full knowledge that 3 years minimum was going to be my run time to get even close to where I want to be, 5 years more likely.  

But! To have the carrot of success dangled in front of your face so early, then to find out its actually a gilted turd wrapped in a bow with the words "Eat shit" all over it... thats a heavy defeat.

I wanted that so bad. I thought I had it.  That was what got. That was what was difficult to shirk.

My father poignantly stated when we were watching the World Cup:

"If you aren't willing to cry when you don't get what you wanted, you didn't want it bad enough in the first place"

I suppose to be defeated so hugely, to take that hit so hard, I wanted that role desperately enough to feel it.  I'll take it as a win.  At least I know my wants are directed that way, now its all about setting to my conviction and sticking with it.

I will get to where I want to be. I won't take anything less.

What could go wrong?

Week 4: Friends, Fridges, and a Big Dead Bird

I've been around this city a month now.  It has been a lot of fun and supremely expensive.  I'm getting closer to settling into some style of routine and I'm both thrilled and scared of that. I'm excited because I look forward to finally feeling like this is a place I'm going to be staying.

On my trip here, Tio, one of my kind hosts, told me I wouldn't feel like I had totally moved away from home until I had found a routine in my new city.  This is apparently true. I'm getting closer and closer to finding that routine.  I've just signed for an apartment and I'm so close to getting my own space. I feel like that is the first step.  Then (hopefully) some income.  I don't know how. I'd prefer to just do extra work and all that but most likely I can get a job at a brewery somewhere.  (Hire me Golden Road) I figure if I'm not working in my passion I should part time in my other one.

I'm also frightened by this prospect of sameness.  I like to feel challenged and different.  I like new things coming my way.  If I find a routine then I'll get comfortable with it, settle in, get a job and start adulting... hard.  But I will have to work doubly hard to maintain some type of interesting things to keep me sane.  Its so easy to slip into routine and realize four months later that you have done nothing interesting with you life, always waking up, going to work, and spending all your money going out with friends on a specific night.  I want to maintain that sense of adventure, and routine, while it helps alleviate stress of my daily life by giving you a map, it also can trick you into never deviating from that map.  Its a dangerous game and I know me.  Gotta stay on it and keep interesting things happening to me.











Of course, in a city this weird its hard to miss out on weird stuff.  One of my crowning moments was getting to see Harry and Libby again after a 2 year stint of "kinda keeping up" on facebook.  You know, a 20 something friendship.

Two years ago in the fall of 2012 I cast aside my American bonds and rode a plane over the ocean to spend 3 months "Studying" in the UK.  I traveled to the University of Kent, Canterbury and thought I was prepared for all the festivities that awaited me. 

Turns out, as a senior at a well to do party school in Tennessee, I WAS prepared, and had a romping good time.  

However, I wouldn't have been as successful at it had it not been for my flat mate Libby and her boyfriend Harry.  Libby me to Harry the first night we were there at Uni and Harry and I were inseparable after that!
(If you have ever heard any story from my UK trip, Harry was most likely involved)

We had discussed meeting up in California as I planned on moving here and he was going to study abroad in San Francisco, so as I left I always kept that in mind.  Now, years later, that thought has come to fruition.

I met up with Harry and Libby on Santa Monica pier. Upon their arrival, I heard them and had forgotten what a "proppah" accent was, and they reminded me that I sound VERY American.  We walked the pier, rode the Ferris Wheel, and I had the pleasure to introduce them to their first funnel cake.

After Santa Monica we scooted down, at the sun's sinking, towards Venice Beach and watched the skateboarders be generally awesome on in their cement jungle gym.  It was a great reunion and I'm happy to say I got to see them.  Harry and I have made plans to meet back up and Libby will just have to wait!  I'll be back over to the UK soon.


Thanksgiving was swiftly approaching though you'd never know it.  When people say the Holiday "Black Friday" I find it so repulsive.  Every Fiber of my being is opposed to Black Friday.  The only thing Black Friday is good for is showcasing the shit of humanity and creating a "Holiday" for other countries to use as fuel against America.  Its a disgusting display of avarice and consumerism that has taken over our other, slightly less disgusting, Holiday where we eat ALL of the food and say #blessed. 
We had a Hoiliday where we ate beyond our capacity for the sake of celebration and said....

"No, they still don't hate us enough for having all the food... we should kill each other for XBoxs.... that'll show 'em!"

While I do HATE WITH A PASSION Black Friday, Thanksgiving is still a grand Holiday.  People joke and say its about us killing the Native Americans but its actually about family.  Hokey as that sounds, Thanksgiving in my family is important. I adore the food and the company and the kitchen as people tell me to "GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!" Its such a loving, tender environment.  And ssitting around a table and talking about things is just wonderful and I missed my family this year.

Luckily, I had a surrogate. Corey, a friend here in town, invited me to spend it with him and his Framily (Friend-Family) this Thanksgiving.  People who have been here, know each other, and probably got their shit together so the food will be good?  Sign me up!

The bulk of the guests arrived at 4:30pm and the festivities began.  We drank (I was in charge of beer. I did not disappoint), we ate, there was music, we ate, no one danced, we ate, everyone else was done eating, I ate.  It was a great time and I was, in fact, #blessed, to be invited to the Thanksgiving festivities with Corey, his wife, and all their friends.

Capping off the evening we played Heads Up, which I do believe EVERYONE else played on thanks giving as well.  Its a sily game where you put a phone on the head and people try and tell you whats on the screen without SAYING whats on the screen.  There are videos taken, hilarity ensues. "You coulda beena contenda" was the line of the evening.  It was a blast.

Thanks for the invite Corey!

 

Post Thanksgiving I spent more time with my roommates.  As I am not paying rent I do my best to be useful.  My usefulness, and by my I mean my car's, can be measured.  That measurement is 64x28x29.5

It happens to be my credit score... bad joke.

It happens to be a fridge.  Guess what. It fits in the back of an Envoy.  NEWS TO ME!  But it was a lot of fun minus all the hard work.  Sarah had a friend come and help us, and she commandeered a dolly for use in the fridge's exodus from its home to its new resting place, which was very useful. 

I think, the moral of the story is that if you let me stay for free, I will be sueful to you... keep that in mind my friends... keep that in mind.

Until next week!

What could go wrong?

 

Week 3: Musings and Movings

I've been here three weeks now.  Needless to say, I no doubt have been something of a nuisance on the people's lives whose space I am encroaching upon.  I enjoyed their hospitality and the fun times we had, but I knew that I needed to let them get their lives back in order.  So I started my search for a new location.

In between when I made that decision and where I am now, I have done some shit!

I got on with an audition Monday while I was on set for a film Johnny Whitfield was doing.  Both of those things were exciting!  First, the speaking role in Johnny's film was a blast.  Mostly improv supporting with another guy.  We bumbled through trying to pick up some girl at a party and said the most outlandish BS on set.  It was a blast and Johnny is a boss for giving me the chance to be on set.

The audition I got was for a webseries about Dick Grayson as Nightwing.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to audition for a supporting role in that.  I'm a big fan of comics and in particular Batman, so I was jazzed and working up to that audition all week.

I also visited Venice Beach.  Let me tell you, that place is crazy!  

My experience was as follows:

I parked a bit off and walked a few blocks to the beach.

My first experience was the smell of some stanky skunky marijuana.

I was offered, by people in green scrubs, medical marijuana license.

They claimed that "The Dr. was in."

A homeless woman screamed profanity at a man as she searched for things in a trash can.

Skateboarders and people on bikes are mad if you are on the bike path.

They don't give a shit if they are biking on the "no bikes" path.

Lots of people selling "Art" along the walk.  Some of it was good.

I didn't stop anywhere from food, but I want to try something.

The sand on the beach is like fairy dust between your toes.

I walked through a literal shit-storm of seagulls.  

POOP EVERYWHERE. 

I walked away poop free.

I accidentally bought a Regae CD for $1.

I decided not to go back until I had someone to enjoy it with.

Venice Beach. Tis' a silly place.

   

So Friday rolled around and I told my roommates I would be gone by Friday, so I was.  I am lucky in having numerous friends here in town and so I hopped into the car and drove to my friend Sarah's apartment.  IIt was a win win as I had a full bed and she had no bed, so she gets to use my bed while I'm subletting another apartment!  WIN!

But, I haven't really seen her since I moved in.  I've mostly seen her roommate Molly and Molly's cat, Beatrice.  They are both awesome as well.  In fact, the first night, before I'd met either, I was sitting, like a peasant, in their new apartment.  I was reading a book by street lamp light through the window as they neither had lights nor internet.  It was some pilgrim shit.  Molly walks in and I introduce myself (she was expecting me).  She said "Nice to meet you... wanna go to a show?"  Naturaally I said yes.  We hopped into the car and went to a rock show in NoHo somewhere, then headed off to Paolis'.  This may seem like your classic Italian Restaurant, but no!  They were an Italian Restaraunt, bar, and Karaoke venue... it was great! 

Beatrice is a fluffy kitty.

 Here is some proof.

Molly expressing herself with some Florence + The Machine

That was a romping good time, and good thing to.  Remember that audition I had been so excited about, with Nightwing and scheduled at 7:22pm?  Well I drove an hour through rush hour traffic, arrived at 7pm, and informed the girl at the front desk of both my arrival and my impending audition.  She apologetically informed me that the people who rented that space had already left... at 6pm.

Now, I'm not saying they are required to call me and inform me of their plans, but I'm  a non-union actor auditioning for your webseries that wasn't going to pay me ANYTHING if I was cast.  It would have been beyond courteous to inform me that you were leaving.  And in this modern age with the technology we have, it would have been no harder than a few key strokes on your phone.  Maybe they forgot, maybe it slipped their minds, maybe they couldn't find my information.  I want to believe they simply forgot, or couldn't reach me... I want to believe.

With my venting done and my night set back on track with some fun karaoke, I was blessed with an email about a Lead role in a student film, and so I spent my weekend filming and doing what it is I cam here to do.

I'm flustered about the audition and the gas I used getting there, but its all going to come out the same in the end I suppose.  Keep on trucking, keep on hustling, keep on trying.  That's all I can do I guess.

Almost forgot, I ate a delicious hotdog from The Infield, a baseball park themed hotdog stand, and they rocked my socks off. Cheap and delicious, what could be better? 

Also, if you have never tried a "Fatburger"... damn son, that burger is bonkers!

I should eat more healthy stuff...

Well, what could go wrong?