Monday, March 17, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Palm Sunday
This has to be one of the most beautiful days Los Angeles has seen in a few weeks. Not too hot, not too cold. Just perfect. This kind of weather is about the only thing that got me through the "rough" patches I experienced when moving here on my own a while back, and perfect sunny days like these remind me of the power of individuality. The winds of change. It makes me think back on that time and reminds me that anything is possible. This weather invigorates me to no end.
I just read a script. An amazing script, actually. I really enjoyed it. I had to read it as homework for an acting class I'm taking right now. Acting is a perfect profession for those of us who suffer from ADD. Scripts are like magazines. Unlike a 500 page book - a script allows you to read dialogue, see a setting, and move through it as though you were speaking with someone. And even though it isn't shorter, for me, it's more fun than reading a book, and keeps my attention peaked throughout. I love reading scripts. I could do it all day. My kind of reading, for sure.
I'm getting ready for a busy week. I'm heading up to NY on Wednesday to visit my Aunt Nora, where I'll meet my dad, little brother and sister for a few days. And then we're all flying to Atlanta together to be with my family on Easter. It will be a busy, but nice weekend. I definitely visit home a lot. I feel very fortunate where that is concerned. Getting to see them so often - while being so far away - makes the distance not seem so far. Especially when my older brother and his wife are expecting their first born. I hate being so far away. I'll have to include some pictures of my trip while I'm traveling.
I hope everyone is having the kind of day I am today...
I just read a script. An amazing script, actually. I really enjoyed it. I had to read it as homework for an acting class I'm taking right now. Acting is a perfect profession for those of us who suffer from ADD. Scripts are like magazines. Unlike a 500 page book - a script allows you to read dialogue, see a setting, and move through it as though you were speaking with someone. And even though it isn't shorter, for me, it's more fun than reading a book, and keeps my attention peaked throughout. I love reading scripts. I could do it all day. My kind of reading, for sure.
I'm getting ready for a busy week. I'm heading up to NY on Wednesday to visit my Aunt Nora, where I'll meet my dad, little brother and sister for a few days. And then we're all flying to Atlanta together to be with my family on Easter. It will be a busy, but nice weekend. I definitely visit home a lot. I feel very fortunate where that is concerned. Getting to see them so often - while being so far away - makes the distance not seem so far. Especially when my older brother and his wife are expecting their first born. I hate being so far away. I'll have to include some pictures of my trip while I'm traveling.
I hope everyone is having the kind of day I am today...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Another Birthday
What can I say? The time just seems to fly by. I can't believe I've celebrated my second birthday out here in LA. Where does the time go? I'm not sad about getting older. I know I have absolutely no reason to be. And, after thinking back, most of the "life" goals I've set for myself don't have to be completed until I'm 30 :) So I still have some (some being the operative word) time. I have a friend out here who doesn't believe in setting goals. He thinks they just lead people to failure. I kind of agree. But I don't think I can help having a "vision" of what I see my life being at 30. It's nothing unrealistic, just making sure my life is still on track.
My brother Matt just turned 30 this year. He has lived a very successful life both professionally and as a person. I look up and admire him to no end. It's so surreal that we are all (my siblings) getting older. So, with him being 30, I know it's only 4 short years away for me.
I had what was definitely the best birthday ever. I had a group of my closest friends and loved ones together at a bar and we celebrated for hours. It's very rare that my friends meet one another, because I tend to run around and meet someone for coffee here or have a dinner with someone there...kind of thing. I rarely have get togethers where everyone gets to meet and mingle. This was the first time in LA that my friends have all gotten together. I have never felt more loved in all my life.
Every time a family member called me, I'd answer, and they'd just sing and sing "Happy Birthday." It was so great.
And now, I'm back to work. Catching up.
So, thank you to everyone who was a part of my special day. Your calls and emails made me feel so special and loved, and I greatly appreciate it. I always say, "Life is measured in Love." It's so true.
My brother Matt just turned 30 this year. He has lived a very successful life both professionally and as a person. I look up and admire him to no end. It's so surreal that we are all (my siblings) getting older. So, with him being 30, I know it's only 4 short years away for me.
I had what was definitely the best birthday ever. I had a group of my closest friends and loved ones together at a bar and we celebrated for hours. It's very rare that my friends meet one another, because I tend to run around and meet someone for coffee here or have a dinner with someone there...kind of thing. I rarely have get togethers where everyone gets to meet and mingle. This was the first time in LA that my friends have all gotten together. I have never felt more loved in all my life.
Every time a family member called me, I'd answer, and they'd just sing and sing "Happy Birthday." It was so great.
And now, I'm back to work. Catching up.
So, thank you to everyone who was a part of my special day. Your calls and emails made me feel so special and loved, and I greatly appreciate it. I always say, "Life is measured in Love." It's so true.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Stress, Auditions, and Church
For some reason, no matter how hard I try to slow dow, I can never seem to stop or get ahead. Since moving to LA, I've worked for some of the most ungrateful, holier-than-thou, stuck up people you could ever imagine meeting. And I'm proud to say, as of today, the stress will STOP. I just quit a job that will end the era of being someone's personal beeotch (for lack of better terms). I have no idea what I'm going to do to supplement the income, but something deep down inside tells me it will all be okay. There just comes a point in your life when you're totally fed up. To the brim. Can't take it anymore. Fin-ite-o!!
Here's some advice: when considering to become a personal assistant, EVERYTHING is your fault, nothing is ever done correctly, you can never do enough, you can never make enough phone calls, you can NEVER get enough price quotes around one single issue because of course, everyone wants the CHEAPEST price vs. the best people to do the job - you're always getting new assignments to pile onto all the other ones you have never had a chance to being fixing, and while ALL THAT IS GOING ON, you may have to drop your life, rearrange all the meetings you have scheduled at the house just to "chauffer" house guests all over town to do things like eat, see the city, pick up concert tickets, run to the mall...you get the point. And if you're good at what you do, you know, detailed oriented, then EVERYTHING becomes an issue. "Andrew, the bathroom light won't turn on. Andrew! The kitchen door handle fell off last night. And at the end of the day, The shower water doesn't get hot enough quick enough. Andrew! I can't find my car keys. Oh! And at the end of the day, no one, not a soul, says "thank you." And if by some trick of fate you happen to hear those words accidently slip away from your bosses mouth, rest assured that they didn't mean it. Not on a cold day in hell. They're just buttering you up to do MORE.
And that's honest advice, folks.
On a lighter note, I had an awesome audition today. For some ABC Family show coming out. I auditioned to play a 16 year old, so I'm sure I either look the part or I don't, but the casting director made it a point to tell me how talented he thought I was and said, "Andrew, that was great work. Great work." It was a tiny shimmer of light in a really dark day for me. Just that little phrase meant so much. I'm sure that casting director has no idea how much that meant to me. Of course, I had to act all "professional" and say, "Thank you, thanks a lot" as if to say, "What did you expect, that's my caliber of work all the time" - but deep down inside, I know like everyone else, I have good days, and bad days. I was just so grateful to hear those words formulate on his mouth. I had to read a 97 page script last night (which I love to do), and memorize 10 pages of lines for the audition today (which I also love to do), in the midst of this stress storm at work (which always distracts me).
Oh! One more thing about personal assisting: YOURE ON CALL 24/7. No one cares if it's 10pm, the weekend, your birthday, Christmas or a national holiday. You better find a way to get the dry cleaning, take calls and make crap magically happen.
So this morning, at 9am, I gave my two weeks notice. Enough distraction from my acting already!
But BEFORE I talked to my boss, and before I went to my audition, instead of frantically and furiously trying to memorize lines and give my character depth and backbone and create this three dimensional persona for the ABC casting directors, at 8 AM, I went to mass.
Going to church just clears my head. Makes me feel safe. It reminds me that in the end, all that matters is treating people the way you'd want to be treated, and being a kind, generous, loving person. I am so grateful for the peace and clarity that attending mass gives me. Nothing is too much to handle when I start my day off like that.
I love blogging because it's therapy. I get to ramble on and on to boil it down to one message:
No matter how stressed out or unappreciated you feel in life, you always have a friend in Faith.
Here's some advice: when considering to become a personal assistant, EVERYTHING is your fault, nothing is ever done correctly, you can never do enough, you can never make enough phone calls, you can NEVER get enough price quotes around one single issue because of course, everyone wants the CHEAPEST price vs. the best people to do the job - you're always getting new assignments to pile onto all the other ones you have never had a chance to being fixing, and while ALL THAT IS GOING ON, you may have to drop your life, rearrange all the meetings you have scheduled at the house just to "chauffer" house guests all over town to do things like eat, see the city, pick up concert tickets, run to the mall...you get the point. And if you're good at what you do, you know, detailed oriented, then EVERYTHING becomes an issue. "Andrew, the bathroom light won't turn on. Andrew! The kitchen door handle fell off last night. And at the end of the day, The shower water doesn't get hot enough quick enough. Andrew! I can't find my car keys. Oh! And at the end of the day, no one, not a soul, says "thank you." And if by some trick of fate you happen to hear those words accidently slip away from your bosses mouth, rest assured that they didn't mean it. Not on a cold day in hell. They're just buttering you up to do MORE.
And that's honest advice, folks.
On a lighter note, I had an awesome audition today. For some ABC Family show coming out. I auditioned to play a 16 year old, so I'm sure I either look the part or I don't, but the casting director made it a point to tell me how talented he thought I was and said, "Andrew, that was great work. Great work." It was a tiny shimmer of light in a really dark day for me. Just that little phrase meant so much. I'm sure that casting director has no idea how much that meant to me. Of course, I had to act all "professional" and say, "Thank you, thanks a lot" as if to say, "What did you expect, that's my caliber of work all the time" - but deep down inside, I know like everyone else, I have good days, and bad days. I was just so grateful to hear those words formulate on his mouth. I had to read a 97 page script last night (which I love to do), and memorize 10 pages of lines for the audition today (which I also love to do), in the midst of this stress storm at work (which always distracts me).
Oh! One more thing about personal assisting: YOURE ON CALL 24/7. No one cares if it's 10pm, the weekend, your birthday, Christmas or a national holiday. You better find a way to get the dry cleaning, take calls and make crap magically happen.
So this morning, at 9am, I gave my two weeks notice. Enough distraction from my acting already!
But BEFORE I talked to my boss, and before I went to my audition, instead of frantically and furiously trying to memorize lines and give my character depth and backbone and create this three dimensional persona for the ABC casting directors, at 8 AM, I went to mass.
Going to church just clears my head. Makes me feel safe. It reminds me that in the end, all that matters is treating people the way you'd want to be treated, and being a kind, generous, loving person. I am so grateful for the peace and clarity that attending mass gives me. Nothing is too much to handle when I start my day off like that.
I love blogging because it's therapy. I get to ramble on and on to boil it down to one message:
No matter how stressed out or unappreciated you feel in life, you always have a friend in Faith.
Monday, March 3, 2008
A very small world
I can't express how many times, out here in sunny Los Angeles, I run into someone I've met from living in Philadelphia or Atlanta, or in the case of about two months ago, Barcelona, Spain. It is the nicest, warmest feeling in the world when a familiar face walks right up to me and says, "hey, did you live in Philly?" It leads me to think about the grand scheme of this world we live in. How can billions of people be living on this Earth, and yet, no matter how far away we seem to move, certain people continue to cross our paths? I'm not a freak about it - I don't think that if we run into someone more than once we're supposed to take them to dinner and immediately become best of friends - but I do believe that we all have very important journeys and purposes in life, and that we are meant to learn from others. Today I feel so grateful that people continuously come in and out of my life with really great, meaningful messages. What a small world.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
The Inspiration
The whole concept of blogging has recently made sense to me. I realize that we are a society which has become intrigued by the day to day interactions of our fellow humans - famous or not famous. The whole "reality TV" should have led me to realize this sooner, but it's gotten even worse it seems. We have blogs, myspace, facebook, flikr, on and on and on. I've dived into this multimedia frenzy head first and have decided to take this opportunity to record MY day to day interactions. I'm going to hold the tiny gifts that life gives me randomly in the light of the Internet for all who care to read. Hopefully most will be inspiring and uplifting. I'll record whatever the heck I want. After all, that's what this is about, right? So it's here that I begin. God only knows what this blog will turn out to be, but I believe that over a little time it will begin to shape itself. Enjoy the ride and the updates.
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