T- Minus 4 Months...

I had a hard time waking up this morning.  I kept trying to wake up and sleep kept dragging me back under.  I was having dreams that I was trapped on an island like the television show LOST and situations were weird as the show was.  I wish I could remember some of them to write about, but I can’t. 

I got up and checked my online messages and all that fun stuff then realized something that I have been realizing a lot lately.  I have nothing to do.  I can’t afford to go out and spend any money because I am saving for LA.  So, it has been a cause for a lot of boring days off.  It’s not easy to be this disciplined.

I also have some nasty sinus pressure going on today.  Heavy drainage and my eyes feel like they are dry and swollen.  Hopefully I don’t develop new allergies when I move to LA.  I have heard many people talk about moving to different places and allergies plague them until they get acclimated to that new place. 

Speaking of new places, it’s now only 4 months until the big move to Los Angles.  Part of me feels like its right around the corner and part of me feels like it’s forever away.  The second part must be my inner child. 

I’m still really worried, because there is still so much to be done.  We still have lots of money to make and save.  We have to find new homes for Shelby and Kristin’s cat.  Although, at this point, Shelby may be coming with us.  We’ll just have to see.  We’re going to have to find a place to live that we can afford, find jobs, etc.  It’s a lot to wrap my head around. 

This is a Google map image of where Alex and Lindsay live.  I think we are going to try to move into their building, so we can be near someone we know to ask for tips here and there.  It's a 6 unit apartment building built in the 1940's but it's affordable and in a safe area.  Kinda my only requirements right now.  I just hope they have an opening when we are ready to move.

Today is Dad’s 67^th birthday.    We are going to Joe T Garcia’s in Fort Worth.  He loves that place, although I have never seen what the big deal is about it.  They only serve 2 things, Fajitas or Enchiladas.  Oh well, it’s probably our last year to be here for his birthday, so we should go do whatever Dad would like.

Speaking of birthdays… I am now only 12 days away from my 39^th.  I wish I could say I was excited, but birthdays stopped being something I wanted to be excited about after age 25.  Oh well, at least I’m in the best physical shape of my life.  And, I’m about to start a positive midlife crisis with the move and all.

In other news…The screening of "Hold Your Peace" (The gay romantic comedy I stared in last year) will be on June 20th at The Texas Theatre in Dallas. 

 I started out pretty excited about it, but of all the invitations I sent out for it, only Mom and Josie from work said they could come. Other people I have invited are going to be out of the country or away on trips.  I guess I should get used to that sort of thing.  Not everyone will be able to come to things I act in.  I understand that.  

 I went to see the Oswald thing I shot 2 weeks ago.  It looked AMAZING.  I typically don’t like watching myself act, but this almost seemed like I was watching someone else.  I really hope we’ll be making the rest of it very soon.  Not only for making some much needed money for LA, but also because I think the credit will be a great addition to the resume AND more of walking in the footsteps of history!  

Strange Days, Indeed.

More weather weirdness headed this way.  This last week, it’s been around 70 degrees and nice out.  There’s supposed to be a really nasty storm on the way though.  If the weather predictions are true, we could see temperatures as low as 8 degrees on Wednesday (2/2/11) Oh, and 100% chance of snow tomorrow.  Awesome…  I guess it could be worse.  I could live up north.  I just hate cold weather, so very much. 

I auditioned for Breaking Bad on Saturday.  It’s a major TV credit, if I book it, but I’m not holding my breath.  I feel like the audition went pretty well, but we won’t know unless I get the call that I’ve booked the roll.  Secretly, I am jumping out of my skin for this role, but I’m trying to just put it out of my head. It’s tough though.  Especially since auditions have been so few and far between lately. 

Last weekend was decent at work.  Thank God.  I really needed a good weekend.  It may have something to do with the Superbowl coming here next weekend.  People are so caught up in sports fever that they are going out and spending money more.  The economy is still pretty bad, but it seems, for the meantime, to be getting better.  I think it’s just a matter of time though, before it gets even worse than 2009.  With the national deficit in the trillions and technology seems to be making more and more jobs obsolete, it seems it can only get worse from here.   I’m just hoping that the acting thing really takes off for me soon, so I will at least have steady work. 

There seems to be some pretty uncertain days ahead.  It’s almost like the whole Mayan calendar thing may have a bit of truth to it.  Natural disasters seem to be on the rise. (Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Sinkholes, massive hurricanes, and drought are in the news daily since last year.  Oh, and now it seems that Egypt and the Middle East is in severe civil unrest and WWIII may be starting soon. God only knows what more I’ll have to talk about as this year progresses. 

Harvest Time at Ford Manor.

Today my red potatoes were ready to harvest on the balcony.  There were about a dozen ranging from penny sized to golf ball sized.  I planted a few more in the place of the uprooted plant so I can have an ongoing steady crop.  I think I must have been a farmer in a former life. 

I really hope  that when we get to LA, we have a place to grow my herbs, veges and lime tree.

Speaking of LA... It's weird for me to think that in a year from now I might be living there, at last.  We are online searching for housing, but it's a little difficult without being able to go out and actually see the places.  I just really hope we end up in a place in a decent area with affordable rent. 


Kristin and I were discussing all the things we will need today for the move.  Apparently most places don't come equipped with a refrigerator, so we'll need to buy one of those.  We need a new couch pretty bad.  Our leather is wearing through a bit and I don't want to pay to transport couches that have less than a year across country.    Man, this is going to be an expensive move. 

2010 New Years Eve. "It was the best of times, It was the worst of times."

I am sitting here on the couch with the doors opened again.  It’s about 70 degrees and sunny the day before New Years.  We have had some colder temps. We had a few nights where we’ve used the fireplace, but have not had to use the heater at all yet.  Some would say they hate to miss out on the winter season, but not I! 

This also starts another big occasion in my life.  This will be our year countdown to LA.  If all goes according to plan, we will be moving on this day next year.  The thought both excites and terrifies me at the same time.  We don’t have jobs, agents or a place to live out there yet.  We will be spending SO MUCH just to get into SAG and the moving costs and new start up costs on a place to live and all that. 

I know the place we move to, I will not love nearly as much as the townhome we live in now.  However, if I am going to make a real run at this career possibility, I need to get out there sooner than later.  

Looking back over 2010, I can say  "It was the best of times, It was the worst of times."

For my acting career, it was pretty decent.  I got to play the lead role in my first ever feature film.  I overcame a MAJOR obstacle by playing gay and actually having to kiss a guy in a film.  It wasn’t easy for me to do mentally, but glad I got through it nonetheless.  

I was also in a Bank of America commercial and the lead in an American Heart Association Industrial.  Not too bad for a slow year.  However, it still wasn’t enough to keep me out of working at Magic Time Machine more.  I have grown so disconnected from that place, it’s sad.  I remember being so excited to go to work there once upon a time.  Now, it’s a major stress just to think about the approaching weekends. 

Another good point to 2010 is the start of my photography business.  I have done quite a few headshots and a few family portraits in the past few months and I have to say that I’m not horrible at it.  Of course, it helps to have Kristin there to pose them and help them come up with something to think about, which helps get the best pictures from the subject(s).

I guess all I can hope to ask from 2011 is to be a little better than 2010.  After all, you never want to go backwards in life.  It’s all about moving onwards and upwards. 

Let’s just hope that my determination outweighs my stress in the meantime. 

Dec 21st 2010 (Winter Solstice.)

Dec 21^st 2010  (Winter Solstice.)

It was 85 degrees today.  T-shirts and shorts.  It felt like summer or something.  This time last year it was snowing and we had to have a fire almost every night.  It feels like we’ve already moved to LA … only it’s much colder in LA right now.  (54 and raining for the past 4 days straight)

Last night was a total lunar eclipse on the winter solstice.  It happened last 456 years ago, so we had to stay up and watch.  Then, this morning I had a print go see at Ideaman Studios for an AT&T add.  Hope I book it, but not holding my breath.

Pics of the eclipse.  12:40-2AM

 

Friday... again?

For those of you who don't know, Fridays are my least favorite day of the week.  It means that I've failed to book an acting job over the weekend and I am going to have to go to my waiting tables job.  After 10 years in the service industry I'm really ready for a change, but what?  

Kristin and I have a few ideas of how to make extra money when we get to LA, maybe we should start trying to do those things here.  She does princess birthday parties as Cinderella and I take pictures. 
We broke down and bought the camera we wanted yesterday, headshots for actors and may be a realistic option.  We figured that if we do 9 headshot sessions then the camera has paid for itself.  Totally worth it. 

Kinda feeling down today that auditions have not picked up more this week.  I only had the one print go-see.  Always frustrating when you know there's probably other stuff out there, you just didn't find it this week.  uggh. 

Anyway, I'm off to work out.  Got to get my actors body set to maximum sexy.  It's what we do.  haha. 

The Waiting is the Hardest Part.

I had a print cast audition today.  For those of you not in the biz, it's an audition for advertisements or packaging that just shows your picture.  They were looking for small business owner looking people between the ages of 30-60.  It pays well, but I've never booked a print ad my entire life and not expecting to hear anything from this one.  Print casting is like winning a small lottery.

This has been a bad week for auditions.  The print casting was the only thing I've done.  Frustrating.  I know I had a car commercial last week, but my goal is to always be trying to get that next job.  So ideally, I'd like to work at some acting job every week or at the least, every other week.

California is really on my mind lately.  It's in my every thought.  I wish I could just drop everything and just go next week. However, between Kristin and I, we only have about 1/4 of the money we need saved to go out there.  It's going to be damn expensive!

I would really like to get a new camera capable of taking some professional headshots and HD video. 
  On one hand, the camera will save me a fortune in headshots and I could possibly charge others for taking their headshots once I got better at using the thing.  On the other hand, I need to save money.  I don't know...

Everyday I am doing research on California things too.  Like - what are some survival jobs I could possibly do while trying to get established out there?  How much are apartments going for in the area I want to live?  etc.  It's really kinda scary.  I'm also slowly trying to figure out what I can sell so that I don't have to take so much with me out to LA when I go.
On one hand I want to be able to have some furniture and still live somewhat comfortably.  On the other hand, I don't want to lug all this stuff halfway across country.