too much love

At SFO, picking up friends before the wedding. (It's a surprise - ssssshhhh!)

I just had to remark that I understand, when picking up someone at the gate, if you kiss for a while. You're in love (or lust), haven't seen your S.O. in some time - it's natural there should be a bit o lovin'.

But I just watched a couple full-on MAKE OUT for five minutes. Right at the entrance. People were having to push by them, etc. It was gross. Like watching porn, but not hot at all. Ick.

Oh well.

The wedding starts in 4 hours, and I'm very excited. I'm ringing in the New Year with a bunch of Sleepy Hamlet folks, so I know I'm going to have a great time. Even if I'm not guaranteed a smooch at midnight. I hope that you have a wonderful - and safe - time too.

Blog365 starts tomorrow...see you then...

apartment hunting

I hate it.

Desperately, desperately hate it.

I don't want to live in a crappy, far-away, unsafe neighborhood. But, because of my chosen profession, I can't afford to pay $1000/month for a place - there's just too much uncertainty, you know? So right now I'm just tearing my hair out.

(Actually, my hair is pretty short right now, so if I actually wanted to physically tear out hunks o' my locks, it would be pretty unsatisfying.)

Going to go look at three places today. I'll let you know if any of them are mildly interesting...

Blog 365 - am I crazy?

So, folks, I've noticed two things.

1. I like writing every day.

2. More people seem to visit my blog when I write every day.

Therefore, I'm going to undertake a massive...undertaking.

I'm joining Blog 365, meaning that, in 2008, I will be blogging every day.

Here are the rules (as written by the Blog365 people):

- Blog everyday for 365 days.

- Feb.29th is a Free Day and will be the Blog365 day of rest!
(Thanks Leap Year)

- You do not HAVE to post to the same blog as long as you post everyday.

- No internet? Write your post locally and post it once you are back on the grid.

- Computer Broken? Grab some paper and do some old school blogging.

- A post is a post, not everything has to be in writing. Photos, YouTube videos, and the like are all considered content.

- Have fun, because that's the whole point!


The "posting locally" thing is key. I'll probably be doing a lot more of the "jot my thoughts down immediately and post them six hours later" thing in '08. And I'll try to have a witness or two, as well. Also, some of my posts may go up on the actual Blog365 site. I'll try to eventually get them up in both places, but don't freak out if you see a day or two missing. Not that you're going to freak out over my blog, anyway.

Consider this my New Year's resolution - blog more. I'm going to do my best to earn my badge, and not let the other 380 (and counting!) participants down. And I'd love to have some company!

Planet Unicorn

Um, this is hilarious. I guarantee you will be singing the theme song for days.

a note to the ladies out there

Just some friendly advice:

If a guy has the courage to come up to you and ask you out, you should have the courage to say, "No thanks," or "I'm not interested," or, if you must, "Sorry, but I have a boyfriend." Fake numbers are not acceptable. Unless, of course, it's the rejection hotline. That's just kind of funny.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas!

From me (and Ashton Kutcher's production company).

magazine love

I'm a magazine reader. I have subscriptions to three:

Rolling Stone (which is a lifetime subscription)
Esquire (which gives me something to shoot for, and is surprisingly affordable)
Time (since my freshman year of college)

I generally save these magazines for commutes. When I work at the theater, I often come home late at night, so between riding the subway and actually waiting for the train to arrive, I can have an hour-long trip. My magazines are perfect for those.

So you know what I hate most? When someone steals my magazines.

This used to happen fairly frequently at Sleepy Hamlet. But tonight, someone lifted my Time (with POY Vlad Putin) from the box office. One minute it was there; the next (when I was grabbing my scarf and prepping to leave) it was gone. Boy, was I hot.

The only saving grace is that my brother also subscribes to Time, so I can read the rest of the issue when I go up to his house tomorrow. Still...I hate it when people take my stuff.

friends!

Trouble and The Aussie (her best friend) just called to say that they missed me. I love it when my friends do that. Even if it's three in the morning and they're hammered.

(In fairness, I was awake. I usually am this time of night. I'm a night owl.)

Anyway, it feels good to know that I have friends far away who think about me when I'm not there. Know what I mean? It's a nice feeling to go to sleep on.

Hope that you all have someone thinking about you out there, too...

overwhelmed

I need a job. And an apartment.

Due to a couple of clerical errors (not mine), my paychecks are being held up, and I'm a titch nervous about paying my January rent.

I can't wait to go home. I need a vacation from my life.

uh-oh

My ex-girlfriend is spending the day in town - and the night at my place.

No, not like that!

Still, I'm nervous.

I'll give you a full report tomorrow...

fallin'

I keep finding myself around people that have fallen down lately. I don't like this.

The first incident happened the day before Thanksgiving. I was waiting to board the elevator at the subway station (didn't want to haul my luggage up another flight of stairs) and I paused to let the elderly woman on my left enter ahead of me. She was pulling one of those grocery carts behind her. When she entered the elevator, the wheels of the cart got stuck in that little gap between the station and elevator floors, and she went flying - struck the side of the elevator face first, and slid down to the floor awkwardly. It was a miracle that she didn't bust open her face.

There was another woman there as well. She told the old woman to stay down, and we pressed the button in the elevator and called for help. I got stuck holding the elevator door open, which kept slamming against my arm every 30 seconds. Eventually the paramedics and police came, and told me I could go.

Episode 2 happened on Sunday. I was walking to my brother's house through the slush and snow, and I passed a woman with a small child. I got maybe fifty feet past them when I heard the child wail - not a normal cry, it sounded like he was hurt. I turned around and both the woman and boy were on the ground - she was bent awkwardly. I ran up to her and was trying to ask her if she was ok, but her English wasn't all that great. A man with a familiar voice rolled up out of the car and asked if he should call 911. I said yes. When I turned and looked at him I realized that it was my brother.

I gave my umbrella to the boy to keep the rain off the woman's face - I think the kid may have been in shock. The woman managed to pull out her cell phone and call her husband, who came sprinting up the sidewalk a minute later. He pulled her up (which I didn't think was so good of an idea) and said that they didn't need the ambulance. So I then had to call 911 and tell them NOT to send it - which requires a lot of patience, let me tell you.

Moral of the story? Be careful walking in my general vicinity.

still here

Wow, I haven't posted in what feels like forever. I was purposely holding off, though, because I thought I was going to be moving into a glorious new apartment, and I didn't want to jinx it.

Unfortunately, I didn't get it. So I can blog again.

OK, it wasn't just that. I also had a ridiculously busy few days - auditions and workshops and work and seeing friends off and parties. I am a socialite - what can I say?

Need to take my contacts out - I was stalling to see if Hot Wing and I were going to have a drink, but she's still working, so I'm going to bed. Until t'm'row...

must get out

Day 2 of my "light" week. Looks like I've started the apartment/job search full bore. What else do I have to do?

Plus, my 12 yr old roommate is driving me crazy. (He's really 22, but doesn't always act it.)

What makes it worse, I think - the noise and the instruments everywhere and sleeping on the couch every Monday 'cause his dad stays with us, which he didn't bother to tell us about when he moved in - is that he's completely oblivious to all of it.

So I think it's best that I live with a more...mature individual, and that I have a bedroom with a door on it. I mean, really... (When I move out, I'll show you the pictures of my old place - you'll understand a bit better.)

Off to look at a place now...

change gone come

I turned thirty just a couple of months ago, and I feel like I'm changing every day. Is this normal?

I mean, now I want a stable, quiet living enviroment. Now I want to own more shirts with collars on them. Now I want to drink good liquor. Now I want to be able to afford good liquor.

It's so strange. Everything seems to be turning on its head. I'm a little freaked out, but I actually think a lot of this change is for the better. Maybe I'm actually becoming a grown-up!

I still take Steelers losses hard, though. (Like this one - and it doesn't make me feel better that the Patriots haven't lost. Thanks for trying, though.) That's never going to change.

Chicago!

Good times in the Windy City, which was very windy yesterday. And, not counting the wind chill, it was around 20 degrees last night. Those are the nights I knew I should have moved to LA.

But things have been fine here so far. I've been spending a lot of quality time at Panera, because they have good food and free internet. Saw two old friends last night - I'd known one since I was six and one since I was seven - and today I'm seeing some friends from college and Sleepy Hamlet.

My audition was a bit nerve-wracking this morning because I was about 15 minutes late. Fortunately the monitor was a very nice lady who gave me a few minutes to compose myself; it also helped that I knew the woman I was auditioning for. So I think there's a decent chance that I may end up in a completely random place this summer. Even though I'd rather go back to Rockport. (But trust me, if I get this job I auditioned for today, you're gonna want to hear my stories. By all accounts, it's an interesting town.)

Back to surfing the 'net while I wait for my friend to get finished.

on the road again, again

This time to Chicago, for an audition, and to see a gaggle of friends. It's just for two days.

I'm playing an online game (long story, it makes me a nerd, don't ask), so you'll probably get the odd post from me - especially if the airports have free internet access.

Hope everyone had a good weekend...

the finish line

Obviously, I made it. Thanks to all the folks at NaBloPoMo for their support, and thanks to all of the readers, regular and visitors, who came by during the month of November.

It was tough to do it every day - I had a couple of close calls - but I did it. And it's help show me how important writing is to my life. Even if it's just some inane remarks here, or comments about my latest crush in my journal, it helps me immensely to jot stuff down every once in a while. And I'm glad that a few people like to read my stuff - makes a boy feel good, you know?

I'm going to try and continue to post daily, but I can't make any promises. Until the next NaBloPoMo, that is...

new meme

The Hot Librarian gave me this meme a while back, and when she says jump, I say, "How high?" So, enjoy. Let's hope I don't get myself into any trouble...

Four First Names of Crushes I Had
1. Tyler
2. Erin
3. Alice
4. Karen

Four Pieces of Clothing I Wish I Still Owned
1. footie pajamas - those things were the best!
2. I didn't actually own this, but there was this black jacket I saw in Philadelphia once that had a silver reflective stripe all the way around the chest. It was really cool, and it was $35, but I had no cash and my credit card was nearly maxed out (I used to be GREAT with my finances, let me tell you) so I didn't get it. And it still hurts.
3. Any number of my old Steeler jerseys
4. my two skully hats I lost in Cowtown

Four Professions I Secretly Want to Try
1. quarterback
2. play-by-play announcer
3. Rolling Stone journalist
4. Senator

Four Musicians I’d Most Want to Go On a Date With
1. Alicia Keys - I want her to be Mrs. Rover
2. Amerie
3. Mya
4. Mariah Carey - yeah, she's crazy, but I had a huge crush on her when I was 13, and I'd totally go out with her if I had the chance - I'm not even gonna lie

Four Foods I’d Rather Throw Than Eat
1. any kind of squash
2. curry powder (and anything with curry in it - yuck)
3. milk (I know, it's not really a food, but I hate it)
4. chitlins - you haven't lived...

Four Things I Like to Sniff
1. new cars
2. new shoes (before I put my feet in them)
3. clean laundry
4. apple pie - mmmm

I'm not tagging people - unless you want to be tagged.

feeling yucky

I'm not feeling too great. Something's going on with my stomach. I'm not sure if it's an acid reflux problem, or if I strained something, or what.

Think I'm going to eat fairly conservatively over the next couple of days, and I'm going to try and see a doctor tomorrow, since I'm scheduled to fly to Chicago on Monday. Don't want to rupture something on the plane...

Time to catch up on some TV before I watch the Packers-Cowboys game (thank God I have NFL Network).

a bender?

Wow, it's the 28th already? Where did the time go?

Headed out for a drink or two with the Hot Wing - these nights never end well. I mean, we have a great time, but I always end up going to bed about 5, and waking up all hung over and dehydrated. I'm going to do my best to behave myself, but I don't have to be anywhere until 2:15, so it will be tough.

The best way to combat this will probably be to remember how much money I have in my checking account! That'll quench my thirst.

Until tomorrow...

return of the mack

So I had an audition today. Doesn't matter what it's for.

I go to one of the big audition places in NY. The floor that it was on is normally quiet, but today there were at least a hundred dancers all over the place. And if you've ever seen dancers before an audition, you know they're kind of obnoxious - sprawled out all over the place, and loud, and always in the way. (And I love dancers - literally, in a few instances.) ;-)

To make things worse, at the other end of the hallway was this ridiculously loud drumming - I mean, insanely loud. Like you were at a club.

The room for my audition was between these two receptacles of sound.

So I'm sitting there, wondering exactly how screwed I am, when a hot woman comes around the corner. She's looking for the same room I am - turns out she's the audition right after mine. We chat about the noise and the craziness, etc. She seems really nice. Very pretty. Dark hair (that's for Melissa). Great teeth. Small tattoo of a rose on her ankle. Hmmm...

I do the audition. It goes well. And it's at this point that I decide I want to ask the woman out.

I come out of the room. She's standing up. There's another guy waiting there now outside the room, too. The woman and I exchange a few more pleasantries. I do my traditional post-audition stall, and I pull out a post-it notepad. I figure that I'll get all my stuff together, write the note, and by that time she'll be doing her audition. That way I can slap the note on her purse and take off.

But they're proceeding very slowly in the room (maybe they were having a debate about me!), so by the time I finish my stall - it's about 2 minutes these days - and write the note, she's still outside. So I take all of my stuff and leave the hallway. She says good-bye with about four other comments, smiles real big, showing her perfect teeth (I'm a sucker for a great smile). I'm thinking that now I have to leave this note for her.

So I fight through all of the dancers and go into the bathroom. Wash my hands. Turn my phone back on. Fight my way back through the dancers. She's gone - yes! I slap the note on her purse. The dude in the chair looks at me like I'm crazy. I nonchalantly say, "Good luck," to him and bounce out of there.

Now I'm sitting at Quizno's (who knew they have internet access?) - came here right after my audition. About 20 minutes after I left, guess who called?

That's right.

It was hard to hear the message, due to the Xmas music that's blaring in here (seriously, it's not even DECEMBER FIRST yet), but I definitely heard her say, "I thought that was really sexy."

Nice.

She wants me to call her tomorrow. Of course I'll let you know how it goes.

cough cough

There's nothing quite so humbling as having to take your shirt off in front of ten people you don't know. But that's what I found myself doing today.

I'm doing more standardized patient work, this time serving as a human model. The med students had to listen to my heart beat, find my pulse points, etc. (My heart is fine, thank you.) I was watching them in class and I found myself thinking, "Thank God I'm done with school!" I don't miss those days at all.

Headed up to my brother's to watch the Monday Night Football game. Go Steelers!

back

I'm back, and I'm exhausted. Funny how the holidays can do that to you, huh?

I'm fortunate because I don't have a crazy week next week - just some standardized patient stuff during the week, about a day's worth. Plenty of time to focus on auditions and eat the leftovers I hauled back from New England. And I can watch a lot of football, too!

Hoping that your weekend was as grand as mine...

awesome!

We had a big 80th birthday party for my grandma today, and she got the coolest gift: an album containing our family tree. It's a little confusing how it's laid out, but it's really neat to be able to trace my family back to the 1790s - most blacks in this country can't do that. I don't want to bore you with the details, but I found out some interesting stuff...

Now I've got a bunch of family downstairs, and I'm gonna go socialize. Headed back to the BK t'm'row - next post should come from there...

leftovers

Just finished a rather satisfying meal of Chinese food.

What? Why were we eating Chinese food the day after Thanksgiving instead of leftovers? I'm glad you asked. Two reasons.

1. Today is my dad's birthday, and he basically spent most of today preparing for his mother's birthday party, which is tomorrow. We spent a few hours at the church decorating and moving furniture. My brother decided that he needed something special done for him, so we let him decide on a meal. He picked Chinese with jumbo shrimp involved. It cost $120, but it was worth it.

2. You're kind of not going to believe this one, but my cousin actually took/borderline stole a lot of our leftovers. He and his wife flew back to Cali today, and apparently he brought a bunch of containers with him. He reportedly said that if he was coming all the way out here for Thanksgiving, he was going to be damned if he didn't take some food home with him. I hope security confiscated it all.

This cousin was particularly delightful this holiday. (Sarcasm intended.) Remind me to tell you in the next couple of days about Frying the Turkey.

i would love to put up a longer post...

...but I'm having such a fantastic time with my family that I don't want to leave. I brought Maxine and the Flying Squirrel up with me, and I couldn't have made a better decision. So I'm going to go downstairs and grab dessert #3 and watch some more football (and then American Gangster, which my cousin bought a bootleg of - I'm not sure how I feel about that) and spend some more quality time.

I'll try again tomorrow.

short post

...because I have to shower and finish packing and buy cheesecake and make the train to my brother's house so i can meet my parents to get a ride to Rhode Island so I can finally celebrate Thanksgiving with my family!

Safe travels to all out there on the road.

work work work work work

(Post #450, by the way - hands up!)

I'm writing this during my half-hour break at home - that's blogging dedication, no?

I'm working 12 hours today. Spent the first half of my day doing standardized patient stuff - oh-so-much fun - and tonight it's off to the theater to hear some band I've never heard of. Can you tell I'm excited?

Off to find something to eat before I go...

no soup for me

I was all excited earlier in the day because I thought I was going to be moving into a new two bedroom apartment. I had to do a lot of leg work to get everything lined up, but now I had finally gotten everything into position. Now I just had to call the landlord to officially see the apartment (which was still being prepared to be put on the market) and I was set.

Except, when I called the landlord, he said, "Oh, that apartment's gone."

Um, what?

"It was rented. Where were you last week?"

Um, I CALLED YOU. AND YOU SAID IT WAS OFF THE MARKET.

"Well, I'm sorry. I have a one bedroom in that building for $1100."

That's eleven hundred dollars per month. No thank you.

So...back to square one.

snapple is cool

If I've ever wished that I could be in love with someone, I wish that about Snapple.

Just got off the phone with her - about an hour, I think. She's really great. We talked about our love for Tila Tequila (the reality show, not the woman herself), and gossiped about the people we met this summer in Rockport. And she said something really great: "Not that our summer together wasn't great, but I really wished I had more time to myself. I really like being alone here now, so that I can explore, and just chill out and relax."

Now, if she had done that when we were dating, things may have played out very differently.

(For the record, she's doing a show out in Rockport now - flew out there the day I left Valley City - oh, the irony...)

I know that she's not the girl for me. And I know that if I end up working with her again on the road, I'll have to be careful not to fall into "old habits". But I do think she's really cool, and I'm glad that we seem to be becoming friends.

Bedtime. Sorta have to work t'm'row.

i'm crabby again...

...because the Steelers lost. To the Jets. Ugh.

However, I may have better news t'm'row...

i have a sinus headache...

...which is making me grumpy. Because I'm grumpy, you're getting a bullet-point, quick-hitting kind of blog entry. Sue me. (Wow, I am grumpy.)

- I'm finally unpacking. Even though I want to move out.

- Went back to work last night. It wasn't that bad.

- Why do Hot Wing and I always start drinking at 1 and finish at 5?

- I'm glad to have my room to myself, but I'll miss living with StefStar.

- I'm hoping that I can go to the Steelers-Jets game t'm'row.

- I'm starting to get worried about money. So maybe I won't go to the game.

- I need more Swiffer pads. I wonder if my roommate is hiding them in her room...


More room cleaning to do. A cheerier post t'm'row, hopefully.

one of those weeks

Four auditions, plus a reading gig...and nothing to show for it.

I mean, I think I did get on the radar of a couple of casting directors, which is good - maybe there will be some future employment coming from this.

But I don't have a job.

(sigh)

On top of that, tonight marks my return to my "maintenance job". It will be nice to see if some of the old faces are there, but I'm not really excited about being on my feet for five hours. It's completely not mentally taxing, and the money's good, so I shouldn't whine TOO much - just a little.

Enjoy your weekends! See you tomorrow!

why o why can't i work?

Tomorrow is a very exciting day. I'm auditioning for my favorite play on earth, and a casting director that likes my work is in charge.

So why can't I pick up the script?

It's been sitting next to me for over an hour, and I can't summon the strength to look it over.

I know that part of it is fatigue - I've been working really hard this week, and I want to have an entire day off (which hasn't happened, and won't for a little while). And I am very familiar with this play (I understudied it once), so I really wouldn't have to do TOO much work.

But I just know that, if I'm not prepared t'm'row, I'm going to be SO upset with myself.

Maxine invited me out for a drink - maybe I'll take the script with me and look at it on the train. Then I'll come back early and try to pound it out a few times before bed. That should get me where I need to be.

More later.

Frustrated

...about my living situation. I wish that I could have a situation that is constant, and works for me, and makes me happy, for more than a couple of months. It's frickin' ridiculous.

The latest obstacle is my newest roommate. I was really happy previously because I had the apartment all to myself during the day. That meant I could warm up, or practice monologues, or do whatever during the late morning/early afternoon, and then I could be out of the way when they came home from their 9-to-5s.

This guy has an irregular schedule, like me, which means he tends to be underfoot when I need the space. He frequently sits on the couch in the living room, and multitasks with the TV and computer, so I can't watch my programs. And, apart from talking my ear off during the Steelers game last week (NOT COOL), he barely says two words to me. It really fucking gets on my nerves.

I've been working really hard for the past couple of days, and I have a decent amount of TV I want to catch up on. I came downstairs for two seconds to make a phone call, and during that time - of course - he turned on the TV. Grrrrr...

I know that I only have to put up with this through the end of January (when our lease expires), but this is one of those days...arrrrggggghhh...

I have a lot of other things to be thankful for. I'll try to focus on those.

auditions auditions auditions

I've had an agent for a year and a half now. I've been unsatisfied for a good portion of that time. While my guy is great for getting me regional theater auditions, I've only gone in for a couple of TV shows, no movies, and one off-Broadway play - an audition I got myself. I've also snagged most of my jobs by myself.

Nowadays, though, I'm glad I've got him.

I've been back for a week, and he's scheduled 4 auditions for me, including three this week. I'm now being seen for high-profile roles at good theaters; a couple are even in NYC. This is very exciting.

Why the change? Two reasons, I think.

1. My resume is a lot better. The three roles I played this summer and fall are all huge roles, which I did with established directors. And nothing makes you hotter than disappearing from NY to do some big-time roles.

2. The director of my last play has been friends with my agent for a long time, and during the rehearsal she wrote him several e-mails telling him how good she thought I was. The last time I saw her, she said, "Make sure to stay on your agent; he needs to be sending you out for big-time stuff. I'll send him another e-mail to back that up." Needless to say, I love this woman.

Now, if only the writers would come back, I might really be able to get somewhere...

Off to shower and prep for the next one.

wedding

...was fun. Not tons of fun, but fun. The bride looked gorgeous. Her husband is a pretty quiet guy - I've known him for three years and I've probably heard him say 100 words before Saturday. But I learned a lot about him through the ceremony and reception. So now I'm confident that the two of them fit together.

The best part about the whole thing, however, was that I got to spend the weekend with one of my best friends and his fiancee. It's always great to see people whom you care about, and who truly care about you. He's blowing up in the TV/film scene, and I couldn't be prouder of him. But he's managed to avoid the "LA mentality", which is awesome. Not that I really had any doubts, but still.

Another deadline beater. I promise I'll be more timely t'm'row...

travel & football notes

Whew! Just made it! Got home about half an hour ago, and the first item of business was to eat. I really wanted to buy something on the way home from the train, but I'm cheap.

And I'm also being distracted by this incredible, unbelievable Indianapolis-San Diego game. It's one of the best games I've ever seen in my life. Can't wait for it to show up on NFL Replay this week (boy, did I miss the NFL Network when I was gone). The Colts just missed a chip-shot field goal. I can't believe it.

No ridiculous travel adventures to report. I did sit next to an Eastern European couple on the way to San Francisco, and the man kept grabbing the woman and kissing her every fifteen minutes or so. And there was definitely a few minutes where he was feeling her up. And they also got up together and walked towards the bathroom - I think they were trying to join the Mile High Club. Fortunately for the rest of us, there were a lot of people around the bathroom they chose (which was the middle of the plane). On the whole, it was entirely gross.

There was also a really hot woman, around my age. I think she was a dancer. She was sitting in the row behind me to the left, and she was chatting with this older guy. Her bags were above me, and we talked a couple of times, but I couldn't figure out a suave way to get her digits.

(Chargers just won. Six picks for Manning. Wow.)

All right, must watch the Steelers game I recorded (thanks DVR!). Details about the wedding t'm'row...

i look classy

Just a quick post. I've got on a blue suit, grey shirt, no tie. Ladies will swoon.

More later.

weekend trip!

I feel like such an adult! I'm flying to San Francisco for a friend's wedding. My flight leaves in three hours, and I come back on Sunday night.

It sucks a little, leaving so soon after I got home, but I'm looking forward to the trip. And I do like SF - it's the most New York-like city that I know.

Gotta figure out how I can blog t'm'row to keep the streak alive - perhaps I'll have a story or two to tell...

moving again

Looks like I'm starting another apartment hunt.

There are some great things about the place I'm living now - most notably the fact that it spans two floors and I have the whole bottom floor to myself. And I have a spiral staircase.

But my roommate situation is a little unsettled - one of my roommates is in love, and she's probably moving out within the next six months, and the other roommate is new and young, and he wants to bring in one of his friends, I'm not sure that I want to be living in an apartment with two early-twenties guys. I've done it before. It's called "college".

And there are other negatives. The heat doesn't always work in my room. The super is painfully slow to react to any problems. There is very little sunlight in the apartment, which drives me crazy. And the kitchen is very small, with hardly enough space for pots and pans and food for three.

I know that I want to stay in Brooklyn, and I would prefer to live alone, but I don't think I can pay $1000/month. And I don't particularly want to live in the 'hood, or ridiculously far from Manhattan. And there are only a couple of people that I would consider living with at this point.

I suppose the one beam of light shining through these various clouds is that, for the first time in my New York life, I'll be able to actually choose the place that I want to live. Even if it's not in the neighborhood I want, or if it isn't too big, or I end up paying more than I want, I will be the one who made the choice. And that's kind of exciting.

So, if you hear of anything opening up, let me know!

got it!

Sometimes I have trouble thinking. My mind just feels strange...



...like I've got fruit for brains or something...

i'm trying to upload some pictures for you...

...but, for some reason, Sprint is being ornery. So you'll have to wait for my newest self-portrait. It's really powerful.

Not a lot going on here. The auditions are actually pouring in. I'm supposed to be working on one right now, but I've been procrastinating for about an hour now. I also need to sneak a workout in right now, but my room is so cold...

All right, one more try, and then I've got to exercise...

i can't walk!

I was running some errands in Manhattan, and I kept walking into people. Or I'd do that whole move-in-the-same-direction-as-the-person-who-is-walking-towards-you, following by the triple-feint move. Outstanding.

Apparently, living in Valley City has left me out of shape for city walking. Who knew?

Off to see another movie. Details later.

home again

Back in the casa. SO nice to be here.

I'm a little surprised that I'm happy to be home. I was kind of ambivalent about the whole thing - sure, it's nice to be on vacation, but that means I'm not making any money. And I miss all of my Valley City/Rockport friends, but I've got a lot of peeps in NYC, too.

So now I'm kickin' back with StefStar (who sublet from me, and cleaned the place up better than any sublettor I've ever had) and watching the Steelers beating up on the Ravens, which I'd be enjoying a lot more if our starting QB hadn't gotten hurt a little while ago. (He just came back into the game - thank God.)

It's good to be home.

prepping to go

I'm in the process of packing, while watching "The Blitz" on ESPN's SportsCenter, to catch up on the day in the NFL. I just said good-bye to Trouble and her sidekick, which was a bit sad.

It's kind of surreal that I'm going back to NYC. I went and saw American Gangster tonight, and I kept forgetting where I was. (Great movie, by the way. You should see it.)

But I'm excited to see what comes next. Besides a lot of traveling. Here's my schedule:

NYC next week
San Francisco next weekend for a wedding
NYC for ten days
Rhode Island for Thanksgiving - after last year, you know I'ma be there
NYC for two weeks
Chicago for a few days - not in stone yet
NYC for two weeks
home for Xmas
San Francisco for New Year's - another wedding

Crazy. And I've got a couple of auditions that could change everything.

So I better get used to packing, huh? I guess I should get back to it...

rest for the weary, please

I really like Valley City. It's a great place, clean and beautiful, and I have a lot of great friends here.

But I'm ready to go home.

I think what I'm really ready for is some rest. I worked for 12 weeks this summer, and the month off I had between Rockport and here wasn't so restful - I think I got about five days of actual downtime, when I was visiting my parents.

And all of the shows have been pretty demanding. I haven't been playing big roles the past couple of years, and all three of these I've done this year have been massive. Today was the first time my body stopped responding - I didn't have any vocal power for the last half of the play, and that's a BIG problem.

So I'm looking forward to getting at least a touch of rest, before I start traveling again. I'll post the itinerary later.

3 dates? 1 day?

Is this possible? Legal? I'm not sure if I can technically call them all dates, but I think that all three women are interested in me...

And get this - they're all in their thirties! (OK, I haven't totally changed my ways - I did hang out with Trouble last night.)

The first one is in an hour. This woman MySpaced me a few weeks ago. We've been trying to find a time to meet up, but things keep popping up. I have no idea what to expect. Except that I think I'm a bit too hung over to really enjoy anything on the menu at Chipotle.

The second one is around 2, with Power Broker West. Yes, I know, she has a boyfriend, but... It's an investment in the future. Ginger can back me up on this one. Right?

The third is this evening - she's an Irish girl who works at the theater I'm at. I thought she was cute from the jump, but I didn't get on her radar until a few weeks ago. She likes making fun of me, and for some reason, I'm a sucker for that. And for accents.

(She looks a LOT like a girl I went to college with, who I've had a huge crush on for almost ten years. Is that wrong?)

I got to say, the miser in me is not looking forward to paying for all this. I'll let you know how it goes...

i heart obama

I read a great article about Barack Obama in the NY Times this morning, and I have to share.

It's here. Check it out.

This is the phrase that really got my attention:

The debate [between Clinton and Obama] was “orienting” because it exposed the very different orientations of the two — one toward tough-mindedness and resolve, the other toward transparency and dialogue; the one toward the peril that we face, the other toward opportunities we must explore. How you felt about the debate had to do with how you felt about the world.

He's more liberal than I would usually go, but the more I read about this guy, the more I think he's the answer.

Discuss.

NaBloPoMo

...stands for NAtional BLOg POsting MOnth. (For more info, go here.)

That's right, you're being subjected to another full month of posts from moi. Congrats!

It's going to be difficult, as I'm taking at least three plane flights and two car trips this month. But I'm confident I'll be able to provide you with a few moments of entertainment each day.

With so much posting, I'm sure I'll be needing some inspiration, so feel free to throw some posting ideas my way. Holla!

a life in the theater

First of all, happy birthday to my mom. She's 56 today, and looks 40-ish. I hope I age that well...

Today (well, technically, yesterday) was a strange show day. In my show, I have this dramatic moment in the latter half of the play where I compose myself before rushing offstage. It lasts maybe 5 seconds, but it's just me on stage, and the audience is usually all, "what is he going to do?" and the silence is deafening.

Well, in the matinee, some guy belches HELLA loud, right in the middle of my moment of silence. And you could hear a woman's voice, right after, whisper, "Oh my GOD," like some old guy's being chastised by his wife for disrupting the show. I couldn't help but shoot a dirty look in his direction before leaving the stage - something you're not really supposed to do.

In hindsight, that was hilarious.

I was cruising along during the evening show, and I come off stage for my quick change before the tail end of the show, when all of a sudden I had to go to the bathroom. The last three scenes of the play are each about ten minutes long - and I'm onstage for almost every minute. And my change was too quick to go then.

So I got dressed, and headed to make my entrance. The guy who is in the first of the three scenes (he shares my real name, by the way, which is always confusing during rehearsal) is holding a prop for me, per usual. As I grab the prop and we head backstage, I tell him, "I gotta piss, so I'm going to do this at rain speed."

And I did. We finished 4 minutes early, which is a ton of time to take off a show. But when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Need to sleep - a big day t'm'row!

icky show

Really crappy show tonight. It was horrible. I mean, nothing ridiculous happened (as opposed to last Tuesday, when I completely blanked out in the middle of a scene - nothing scarier than that) but I just felt like I was acting underwater. Not good times.

What makes this especially interesting was that I had one of the best shows of my life on Sunday. I was doing everything right - listening to my fellow actors, actually reacting in the moment, feeling the emotions (but not in an out-of-control way). It was a pretty awesome moment.

But something got lost on the off-day, I guess. It usually does, at least for this show - it's really hard to do that first show of the week, after 50 hours off. I've got two chances t'm'row to make it up, so that's good...

Early bedtime for me tonight. I'm out.

busy busy bee!

Very busy weekend for me, which explains my absence from this spot. A quick recap:

Friday - went up to Rockport to see my friend Big Bird, who helped me shoot an audition. The big theater in Valley City - a place I've wanted to work for years - well, a couple of their people saw the show I'm doing now, and they've asked me to send a tape or DVD to the director of one of their plays. I usually shoot two or three auditions on tape a year, but, of course, I don't own a video camera. So I ended up spending several hours out there getting that done. I was there so long that I wasn't able to drive back to Valley City before my show, so I ended up sitting at a coffee shop for 45 minutes. Then I did my show. Then I hung out with Fred and Ginger.

Saturday - my parents came into town! It was awesome. They LOVE Rockport, so we ended going up there between shows for dinner. They really liked the play, which was nice. After the second show (which my parents and Big Bird and his wife saw) we all went back to Valley City and had drinks at a very loud club with Fred and Ginger.

Sunday - I drove my parents to the airport at an ungodly hour, and I was too tired and hungry to go to sleep. So I did a couple of things around the room, and then headed to a sports bar to watch most of the Steelers-Bengals game (which my team won 24-13 - five and two, baby!). Then I did my show. After the show, I got dressed as fast as humanly possible and drove to Valley City, because several of my friends were doing a play that ended 30 minutes after mine ended. It was great. After the show, I grabbed some dinner and figured that I was going to crash on the couch for the rest of the night...but Trouble called and invited me up to Rockport to carve some pumpkins. I hadn't done that in forever, so I headed up there, and it was lots of fun.

Today - I worked on putting the damn DVD together all day. I was only expecting it to take a couple of hours, but I didn't finish up until halftime of the Monday Night Football game. My computer was being weird, which kind of scares me. Bad times. I did get a lot of internet-type stuff done today, so that was good.

So now I can relax, and I'm probably going to do something that I've been putting off for a while - assembling a Facebook profile. Several friends have been bugging me to do this for a while. I had thought that I was too old for Facebook, but now that some of my late-30s friends are joining, I really have no excuse. So I guess I'm taking the plunge.

Back tomorrow with more. I'm back in New York one week from tonight...

PBW report

Not much to tell, actually. We had a great time. We were together for two hours and I don't think there was a single lull in the conversation.

She's really awesome - and she also seems to realize that the guy she's with isn't the answer for her. That's promising... I think that we would make a great couple. Ginger keeps saying that we would have beautiful children.

But the reality is that she lives in Valley City, and I live in New York. And even though there's a very good chance that I could be doing a job or two in Valley City/Rockport a year, that's just not enough time for me. And, as much as I love this region - I think I could be very happy living here, and may think seriously about relocating when I'm done with NY - I'm still very ambitious career-wise, and I just can't get it done here.

She's a classy lady, though. I definitely dig her.

Power Broker West

Remember, back at Xmas, when I met the Power Broker? It was a whirlwind few weeks, culminating with her telling me about her almost-boyfriend. (I'm still kinda-sorta e-mailing her, but communication has kind of fizzled once I left the city for the summer and started dating Snapple.)

Well, I've met a similar woman who generates almost as much excitement. I met her last year, at my friend Ginger's wedding. Ginger had literally been telling me about her for years, and I was always like, "Yeah, yeah," but I was really impressed when I met her. So we've been e-mailing back and forth for the past year. She lives in Valley City, so I hung out with her a bit this summer while I was in Rockport.

The reason you never heard about this? She has a boyfriend - met him the day after Ginger's wedding - go figure. And, at the time I met her, I was kind of dating Maxine, and I wasn't interested in the long distance thing - and then I met the Power Broker. So Power Broker West (they are really kind of similiar people, and they work in similiar fields) was kind of on the back burner.

But lately, PBW has been showing interest in The Rover. (Which he welcomes.) Ginger and her husband, Fred (you knew that was coming) really don't like PBW's boyfriend - he's a nice guy, but apparently gets verbally abusive when he drinks, and he takes passive-aggressive shots at her in public, and she really doesn't seem to like him that much - it's just not a good fit - and they've been talking me up. The four of us have hung out a few times, and it's always a blast. After a function a couple of weeks ago, PBW mentioned to Ginger how great she thought I was. And I realized that I've never hung out with just her.

So, on Wednesday, before my show, we're having dinner.

But she hasn't mentioned it at all to Ginger. And didn't mention it at all when the gang got together this weekend. Hmmm...

She's a total keeper. I mean, for reals. Smart, and funny, and interesting, and fun, and gorgeous. And if she were interested in me...well, I would have to try and get more work in Valley City or Rockport.

But she has a boyfriend. And doesn't live in NY. So...I don't know.

I've decided just to go out and have a good time, and get to know her better, and see what happens. No other expectations. I'll keep you posted...

7 randoms

So Hot Librarian tagged me the other day. I had kind of a busy weekend, so I'm just getting around to it now. The rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names.
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog.

Very complicated. All right, let's see what I can scrounge up.

1. I used to be a serious fingernail-biter. I've mostly kicked the habit, but if I've got a hangnail, chances are good it's coming off. Although I might pull it off now, instead of chewing on it.

(Gross. I'm sure you're really looking forward to my next 6. I promise it won't be as bad.)

2. If I had my way, I would spend every fall afternoon doing nothing but watching football. When I was younger, I used to decline phone calls so I could watch my games undisturbed. I'm much more flexible than that now, but I do love a lazy Sunday watching the NFL. Maybe that's why I don't have a girlfriend...

3. I have a 32 oz green Nalgene water bottle that travels with me everywhere I go. I usually try to drink two full bottles of water a day, but as of late I've been slacking off.

4. I have an amazing amount of debt. Most of it's for school, which is saying something, because I didn't pay for undergrad. I think the total amount I owe is in the ballpark of $80,000. This is especially hilarious given how much money I usually make in a year...

5. I balance my checkbook religiously, at least twice a week. And, for the past two years, I've kept track of every single cent that I've spent. Gotta justify it for tax time, but it really does something for your fiscal discipline to look at what you spend your money on.

6. I am a phone person. I probably spend 10-15 hours a week on the phone. I talk to my brother 4 or 5 times a week, my parents and Maxine twice, the Brooklyn Squirrel two or three times, and then I generally try to catch up with someone at some point. This means that I have to charge my cell phone a lot.

7. I have abnormally muscular calves.

Seven people to tag? Hmmm...let's see...

1. Desperate Husband.
2. So Gone.
3. Mermaid Girl (glad you're ok).
4. Melissa.
5. Urbanblight.
6. Wyntir.
7. Belle Chanson.

broke

I'm really tired of not having any money.

It's not like I'm asking to buy a house with a swimming pool or anything. I just want to be able to buy stamps without thinking about it, or not freak out when I find out I've mistakenly paid the wrong credit card (which happened today - thankfully the good people at Bank of America are quite helpful).

As much as I love my job, there are some days where I don't think I can do this much longer. Not because I don't get enjoyment from what I'm doing, but because it's SO difficult to pay the bills and student loans.

Maybe I should set up one of those websites where I solicit cash from people to pay my debts. Or, maybe, I'll finally find that sugar mama I've been looking for all of these years...

In the meantime, I just have to keep plowing away, eating dinners at home and settling for only one drink at the bar instead of two. I'll make it one of these days, right?

still guilty

I seriously want an answer to this question: when will I stop feeling bad about the Snapple thing?

I spoke to a mutual friend of ours tonight, who told me that I needed to stop talking to her - a decision that I came to on my own four or five days ago, after a particularly uncomfortable conversation. Our friend said something to the effect of, "I know that you liked her, and cared about her, and you're a good guy, so when you talk to her and you say nice things - that's all she hears."

And, in the "irony of ironies" department, she's flying in to Valley City (bound for a job in Rockport) on the very day that I leave (which was why we had the last conversation).

I don't know I guess I feel bad because I do like her, but my actions have made it clear that I don't care about her enough to be a boyfriend. And while it would have been much easier to let her come and visit me, and keep things going, in my heart of hearts I would hate myself, because it all would have been a lie. And, as I learned with Lil' Bit, it's much better to nip things in the bud than to have her go crazy and try to buy plane tickets without consulting with you first.

Anyway, is this normal? Should I be feeling this bad about things three weeks after the fact?

um...what?

Did any of you see this article?

Please read it.

Apparently, Dick Cheney and Barack Obama are...related.

Yeah.

I can't believe it either.

I don't know what to say.

blah

Wow. I have no energy and no motivation. I really should go over to the little hotel gym and hit the treadmill for half an hour or so (I had Popeye's chicken last night, and that isn't going to go away on its own), but I really just want to sit around here and do nothing.

Maybe it's 'cause I had such an exciting weekend.

It was really awesome having the ladies here. Next to my parents and brother, they are the people I'm closest to in the world, and I was really happy that they were able to spend four days out here, and see my show, and just generally hang out. Even though we only live 20 minutes away from each other in Brooklyn, I feel like we don't always get that much quality time. And I've been a bit lonely here. So it was really great.

I think things with Maxine and I are ok. We talked about it briefly on Sunday. I know that it was a stupid thing to do, but I wasn't trying to be mean or cruel or anything, and she understands that, I think. I'm having a whole lot of other thoughts about that whole situation, but I think I need to keep them to myself until I have a clearer grasp on what's going on here.

That's all for now. Key is forthcoming, I promise. Right now...time for lunch.

oh, shit

Mortified this morning.

Maxine and our friend (henceforth to be known as The Brooklyn Squirrel) came into town for a wedding. They got here on Thursday, and so far everything has been great.

But last night (at the after-reception), I got a little too tanked and blabbed a little too much to Maxine.

Let me make this perfectly clear. I don't regret what I said - I said what I feel, and it was true. I just shouldn't have brought it up at that time. She's happy with her life, and I shouldn't interfere in that. And it's never cool to make a wedding all about you and your feelings - you're supposed to be celebrating the union of others, and seeing old friends, etc.

Essentially, this is what happened. We've been talking all weekend about the potential of us getting back together, how we get a smidge jealous when one of us is dating, etc. So that's been in the air. And we've seen a lot of people that we used to know, and it kind of takes you back, you know? So when I showed up after my show last night, I kept joking, "We really should get married." I guess it wasn't funny the fourth time, at 2am, because she kind of called me on it. And I told her that I wasn't really joking. And I made her cry.

So, I'm mortified.

rant coming

There are a dozen or so big regional theaters in America, and I would like to work at all of them. There's one in particular that I keep flirting with. I send them love notes (headshots), they ask me out on a date (audition). Sometimes I have other plans (I'm working). Once we actually went out, it was great, we made out a bit, but it was nothing serious (callback, no job).

(Do you like my metaphor?)

Anyway, I've known the casting director for years. I know she likes me, and we keep trying to make something happen, but the timing's always off.

This year, though, I have an ace in the hole. The woman who directed the play I'm in now is also directing at this theater in the summer. That, combined with the fact that I'll be back in New York in four weeks, had me in great shape. I figured, I go back to the city, I'll audition for them in November, and voila! I'll have more gainful employment. And, trust me, if I go to this theater, you're gonna want to hear ALL about my adventures there.

So what happens?

I get a message on my phone this morning, "Hi Rover, this is the Casting Director's Assistant. Can you come audition for us in New York on October 24?"

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

When I called them to see if there were other possibilities (like, could I send them a tape?), CDA said, "Well, you can audition in Chicago in December, or LA in January..."

Sigh.

That sounds great. Then I can lay out money for an audition for a job that, statistically, I have a slim shot at getting! Wonderful!

I hate this process sometimes.

coming soon

Yeah, yeah, you're getting a lot of posts from me in an extremely short period of time. Whoop-de-damn-do.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm getting close to posting something that many of you have been asking for for a while now - a key! That way you can keep track of the places I've been, and the ladies I've...whatever...with. (If you need a real-life translation, well, that's another story.)

I'm hoping to get it up (heh heh) by Thursday afternoon, but if I don't, it won't go up until next week, because Maxine and my other friend are staying with me this weekend, and since she doesn't know where exactly this blog is located, I'm not going to help her by posting while she's here. Unless I sneak down to the hotel lobby or something.

Let me know if there are any other requests...going to sleep now...

some friendly advice

To the family that sat in the front row of my show tonight:

Thanks for coming out to support live theater, folks. Really, we appreciate it. But, can I make a suggestion for next time? Three, actually:

1. Don't bring ten year olds to play with adult and sophisicated subject matter. It's just going to bore them.

2. If you must bring your child, don't sit in the front row. He's going to be bored, and he's going to be restless, and you're gonna have to explain things to him, and it's kind of distracting to the actors. Especially if they're facing in your direction for an entire scene.

3. This is for the lady sitting next to the child. If you're going to sit in the front row, you might want to try not rocking back and forth and talking so much. See point #2.

Thank you for listening. I must also tell you, Mr. Ten Year Old, that you yelling, "You were great! What a great show!" was very, very cute. And almost made me forget how annoying and distracting you were.

win a shot with tila tequila

...may be my new favorite show.

I love MTV.

Anyone else feeling this?

i don't normally do this

I don't have a specific number of people that read this blog on a regular or semi-regular basis. I know that the number is between 10 and 100. Some of them I know, and some of them I don't. But I have a sneaking suspicion that many of you are like me:

young (under 35)
college-educated and/or intellectually curious
not rich/saddled with debt, school or otherwise
working to create the best life possible for yourself

(if not, that's ok - keep reading, please)

I just finished a fantastic book, called The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America, by Daniel Brook, and I have to say that it's one of the most brilliant books I've ever read. (It ranks right up there with Cornel West's "Race Matters", which I think should be recommended reading for all Americans.) It basically takes on what I call the John Edwards conundrum - you know, Two Americas?

You should read this book if you've ever had the following questions:

Why do I have to choose between doing what I love and making a viable salary?
Why is it so hard to find affordable housing in my city?
Why do I feel as if I can't ever make a difference?

This book challenges some closely held conservative ideals, so some of it might be hard to stomach for those of you on the right side of the political spectrum, but I urge you to read it nonetheless. I'd really like to hear some feedback from people, positive or negative, so if you get a chance to check this out (it's less than 200 pages), please share with me your unvarnished opinions.

And thanks to the young woman who recommended this to me...I'm still searching for an appropriate blog name for you...

history

For the first time in recent memory, I did not go out on a Friday OR a Saturday night.

Both nights, I came home from my show - it's short, so we get back around 9:30 - and did nothing. Sat around watching playoff baseball and college football. Continued reading a really great book a friend gave me back in June (more on that later). Set up my humidifier, because turning the heat on in my room dries me out.

Am I turning into an old man? Is this what happens to you when you hit your 30s? Please tell me this is just a phase...

YOOOOOUUUU!

If you've listened to any urban radio the past month, you've probably heard Soulja Boy Tell 'Em's "Crank That". It's kind of the new hotness. I was first introduced to it by my homegirl HCIC, who's generally ahead of the curve on a lot of things.

Anyway, I've really been into watching video mash-ups of this song - they're kind of hilarious. HCIC has a couple of them on her page (I love watching the University of Miami Ibis doing the Soulja Boy dance), but my favorite is this:



Consider this your hip hop lesson for the day. Your homework assignment is to learn the Soulja Boy dance. Enjoy.

for you

My director gave me this for our show opening. I thought it was really nice, and I decided to share it.

PROMISE YOURSELF

to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

to talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

to make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

to think only of the best.
to work only for the best.
and to expect only the best.

to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

to forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

to wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

to give so much to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticise others.

to be too large to worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

to think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words, but in great deeds.

to live in the faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

who i look like, supposedly

All right, I finally gave in and did this thing. I did, like, half a dozen pictures, but this was the result I like best. Two notable things:

1. Apparently, I look like a girl.

2. Alicia Keys and I look dramatically alike, apparently, because she popped up on almost every picture. Does that mean I can't marry her? Natalie Imbruglia showed up a lot, too.



Agree? Disagree? Anyone else?

playoff baseball!

I just want to say that I LOVE playoff baseball.

I used to be a big fan when I was a kid - I played for ten years, and I was a pretty good player - but the strike in '94 ended most of my devotion. (That, and the fact that the Pirates have been pathetic for 15 years.) However, watching the playoffs is a different story. The fans are going crazy, and every play means something - it's really tremendous.

I bring this up because I watched a fantastic game tonight. The Colorado Rockies (a team I have a soft spot for, due to a summer I spent in Denver about a decade ago) beat the San Diego Padres 9-8 in 13 innings. It was everything a fan could hope for - teams going back and forth, home runs, improbably comebacks, a raucous crowd - very satisfying. Unless you're a Padres fan.

In case anyone's interested, I see a Yankees-D'backs rematch in the Series.

it's been one busy month

Well, I made it to the end of September. And I made a lot of posts. Hope you've liked reading them.

I've gotten feedback from a couple of you that I need to be posting more often, that you like the daily updates, so I'll try to oblige as much as possible. I've still got five weeks left in Valley City, and I'm not really going to be doing a whole lot; therefore, chances are good that frequent entries will continue.

Today was a pretty lazy day - I laid around and watched football and followed baseball games on the computer. Then I went and did a hideous run of the show - you win some, you lose some. I think one of the reasons I was so tired is that I partied with Trouble last night. We had an interesting exchange last night:

TROUBLE: God, my hair just looks terrible. My highlights haven't grown out yet - it looks horrible.

ME: Well, I have a confession to make. I lie awake at night, thinking about your highlights.

TROUBLE: Great. Well, actually, I have a confession to make, too. A real one.

ME: Okay...

TROUBLE: So, I've kind of started dating (her old RA).

ME: Okay. So, does that mean that nothing's happening with us?

TROUBLE: Probably not.

ME: All right.

TROUBLE: You know, I just think he's a better option for me, since he's not leaving in a month.

ME: True.

TROUBLE: Of course, I'm moving in six months...so I don't know.


Then she proceeded to flirt with me all night. Don't you just love the kids? It's ok. She's really hot, but I'm kind of enjoying my absolute freedom now. I like not really having any prospects. Besides, I still feel really bad about the Snapple thing.

Enough from me. I'm going to check up on some blogs (I'm currently obsessed with the archives of One D At A Time, which you should definitely NOT read at work) and then hit the sack.

thisclose

Damn, missed the Friday deadline by half an hour! That totally sucks. I meant to blog earlier in the day, but I was feeling kind of strange. My description was: "Either I've got a buzz, or someone just punched me in the head." Still not sure why I felt weird, but I'm better now.

Had our first paying audience tonight, and things went pretty well. I think this role is totally in my wheelhouse, and I'm excited to slip into it for a few weeks. I'm curious as to how people will receive it.

That's all I've got for now. More tomorrow (well, technically, today).

breaking up is hard to do

Damn.

I was just on the phone with Snapple for an hour and thirty-eight minutes (I checked when I finally hung up). That comes after spending an hour on this phone with her during my dinner break. But, the split is official.

She was supposed to come out here next week, and I told her that I didn't think it was a good idea. That was kind of the basis for this move - I didn't want to have her out here for five days if I was feeling lukewarm about the whole thing.

It just comes down to the fact that she's not the girl for me, even though she treats me well, is nice to me, etc. But she just doesn't understand. She kept saying that it wasn't exclusive, and she wasn't putting pressure on me, and that we have a good time together, so why would it stop? And then I would ask, "So, even though I don't see any future with us, you still want to date?" And then she usually would respond with, "I just want you to give us a chance!"

This is why it was so frustrating.

And so now I feel like shit. She's really great, and I feel really bad about this. I guess I need to know that I did the right thing...because, right now, I'm just not sure.

wow

I tried breaking things off with Snapple.

It's not going so well.

She's not taking no for an answer.

I'll update this later tonight.

silliness

I just got home, so I'm just making my blogging deadline. I did have time to change into pajama pants and a clean t-shirt, so now I'm all comfortable. My other outfit smelled like the turkey burgers I made for dinner - don't you hate when you reek of your dinner all night?

I just realized that I've been goofier than normal lately. Not in an obnoxious way, but I seem to be cracking more jokes. It's probably because I'm playing a character who is totally reserved, repressed, and "by the book", and spending so much time in that skin makes you want to do the opposite when you get out.

Anyway, I like my silly streak. It runs in the family. And it's a prerequisite for any potential Mrs. Rover that she possess such a trait.

Off to bed. I've been sleeping like crap lately - maybe tonight I can actually get to bed at a decent hour and sleep for a while...

good times/bad times

Nothing too exciting to report tonight. I had one of the worst runthroughs of my life this afternoon - I literally thought I was going to fall asleep on stage. (I think I didn't get enough sleep because the cleaning woman tried to come into my room at 8:50 in the morning.) But tonight's run was a million times better.

The only dicey thing was that I hurt my throat a little bit in one of my big scenes. So I'm not doing a lot of talking tonight. I'll probably just stay up a bit longer to see what happens in the wild card race (baseball) and then hit the sack. No rehearsal 'til 2 t'm'row...I'm excited...

new phone!

I've been fighting Sprint for most of the weekend - it's been horrible. Basically, they replaced my phone last Monday...with a refurbished phone...with the same problem. Needless to say, I was not happy.

This was my old phone:



After a weekend of wheedling and cajoling and stomping my feet, Spring finally did right by me and gave me a sizable credit to put towards a new phone. So...I got THIS:




Much better. Now I can actually have conversation without fear of my phone cutting off. Huzzah!

Sometimes it's the little things, people.

Now to sit down and go through the instruction book so I can figure this thing out...

TV recommendations

I'm kind of a closet TV fan. There's a lot of crap on nowadays, but occasionally I'll watch something that catches my fancy. Here are a handful of things on my radar:

THE WAR: This is on my television as I type this. Everyone below the age of 35 probably watched part of Ken Burns' The Civil War. If you didn't like that, well...I really don't know what to say to you. But, if you did...this is better.

CHUCK: NBC is pumping out a lot of shows that are similiar to Heroes (why is it so hard to come up with an original idea in Hollywood?). This really isn't one of them; it's kind of an action-comedy. And it's pretty good. The lead guy, Zachary Levi, is probably going to become a star.

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES: No one does trashy reality TV like Fox. This time they've taken their general sleazy methods and applied it to something not-so-dicey - fixing up failing and floundering restaurants. And it's utterly delicious. You've got to see the first episode - priceless.

NFL FOOTBALL: Seriously, are you surprised this is on here? If you are, you obviously don't know me very well.

Rover loses his cool

I got off the phone with Snapple about 20 minutes ago.

It took me that long to calm down.

See, here's the thing about that "relationship": when I'm with her, I have a great time - she's fun, and she's cute, and the sex is great, and she likes football and video games, and I can't gross her out. But when I'm not with her, I basically don't think about her. And, on top of that, I want to make out with other girls.

I've been really honest with her about that (and let me be clear: I realize this isn't the best thing to hear, and everybody reacts differently), but every time we try to have a discussion about this, one of two things happens:

1. She tries really hard to convince me that we should give this a shot. "Well, if we like each other, and we have fun together, why wouldn't we try?"

2. She goes negative. "Was anything you said to me ever true?" "So, am I just a piece of meat to you?" "I thought you were different from the other guys, but I guess I was wrong."

It was the last comment tonight that sent me off the deep end. My response went something like this:

"JESUS CHRIST, Snapple, you always do this. You always bounce to the extreme! Not everything is black and white! I don't hate you, I'm not trying to disrespect you, I'm not trying just to fuck you. But I'm not in love with you, and I don't want you to be my girlfriend, either. It's in between. Sometimes things are in the middle!"

You know I'm upset when I take the Lord's name in vain. (And I'm sorry for it.)

Yes, I know, not the smoothest thing I've ever said. But I had had it. The line was quiet for a minute, and then she said, "I have to go. Good night."

So...I guess we'll see what happens next. Thoughts?

party details

Ummmmm...I got drunk.

Trouble...well, she lived up to her nickname. I'll explain later.

The bar was cool. I saw a lot of friends from the summer in Rockport, which was cool. I didn't end up paying anything, which was cool.

And...I got drunk.

My hangover is surprising mild, considering what I drank. (I had at least two shots, and I don't know how many beers.) It was postponed somewhat when I got a call from DirecTV (long story) and my cell phone started acting up, but it's coming up now - just as I have to go to work. Of course.

dirty thirty

I'm 30.

Wow.

I went on my MySpace page today, and looked at the number, and I couldn't believe it.

It's not that I have a problem being thirty, because I've kind of been looking forward to it for a while. (One of my friends, two or three years ago, told me that I would be looking forward to it, and I was like, "Yeah, right." I'd like to officially apologize to him here. You were right.)

I just don't know where the time went. It just seems like yesterday I was in high school, and now I'm here. It's kind of amazing. Does time ever slow down?

Anyway, I'm having a fantastic birthday celebration tonight - I have several friends in Valley City; one shares my birthday, one was born on the 22nd, and the other two have birthdays right around this time. So we're all having a huge joint b-day party tonight. And...no rehearsal! I'll try to give you a full report tomorrow...

the streak ends

I didn't get a post up yesterday, which totally sucks.

I do have an excuse, though.

I was working in the morning before rehearsal. I planned on coming back and writing at night. I got home at nine thirty and, because one of my friends had called me on my drive home, decided to return her call before doing anything else.

It turns out that she and her husband had gotten into an accident, and their car was totaled. She sounded pretty shook up, so I hustled down there. The car had gotten hit in a parking garage, so in addition to trying to find a tow truck and talk to their insurance carrier, they also had to direct traffic so that no one else would hit their car (which was kind of in the middle of the aisle, and not drivable).

It took two hours for everything to get squared away. Then I drove them home. They live in Rockport, which is about 30 minutes away. I dropped them off, got a bottle of water, and headed back to the car.

The clock said 11:55. I knew I was screwed. So I called Trouble (who lives on the outskirts of Rockport) and went over to her house and had a beer, 'cause I needed one at that point - it had been a long day. And then came home.

I'm disappointed that I didn't keep my streak alive, but I'm going to keep plugging away, and post every day for the rest of the month. I suppose that the accomplishment of writing every day is more important than actually punching the time clock, every single day.

But, damn, it would have been nice.

weirdness weirdness everywhere

I was thinking the other day, "Wow, there's nobody to write about here." The cast of my show is rather small, and I've known the director for years, and everyone is really nice. Not a dash of weirdness among them.

Then...I had a costume fitting today.

One of the women was one of those types who just can't stop talking, you know? This woman must have given me 15 different exit lines, only to turn around and start talking about something else. I just wanted her to leave the room so I could change my pants!

The other one was a piece of work. She's really hot (she kind of resembles a blogger friend of mine), but she kept talking over the blabbermouth, throwing out random comments about how good I looked in my costume, and how she had decided previously that she had a crush on my character. Part of me was saying, "Yes!", but the louder part was saying, "Run!"

At least my clothes fit.

I'm exhausted - time for bed. More tomorrow, my last day of being in my twenties...

such a tight schedule

So I'm rehearsing these days from 1-9:30pm. I generally assume that, because I'm on stage virtually the entire show, I'm going to be exhausted and worthless when I come home. So I've got to get everything done before I go. Working backward...

- I have to leave the "house" by 12:30

- I need to be in the shower by 12 (so I have time to make food - I'm really trying to save money anywhere I can and, therefore, I'm trying not to eat out)

- I've got to be in the hotel's little workout room by 11

- This morning (and most mornings before we open), I've got to do some research for the show, which means I have to start that around 10

So...if I want any quality internet time - which is a must, especially when you're trying to blog every day - I've got to get up around 8:45 in the morning. And, in case I haven't mentioned this before, The Rover is not a morning person.

The good part is that I only have two weeks of rehearsal left. Once October hits, I'll have a lot more free time.

Almost time to research...

hotel livin'

So, I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but I'm living in a hotel. Again.

This one is WAY classier than the last one. Full kitchen, huge living space, plenty of closets. It's actually bigger than the studio apartment I lived in back in Sleepy Hamlet. And they've got a little weight room, and complementary breakfast every morning (not just donuts and coffee, but eggs and cereal and sausage and waffles...awesome), and a happy hour four nights a week. Plus I'm living about ninety seconds away from downtown Valley City. So...it's a sweet set-up.

The only complaint I have is TV. Why won't hotels give you (a) TVs with AV ports (those red-yellow-and-white plugs/holes) or (b) VCRs or DVRs? I mean, how hard would it be? VCRs cost, like, ten dollars nowadays. Ridiculous. I'm rehearsing 1-10 on Sundays, meaning that I miss lots of football. It would be so great if I could just record something and watch it later - like I was able to do at the mansion in Cowtown.

I shouldn't complain. I'm very lucky to be able to do what I do, and get paid large sums of money to do it. And the digs are great. You know how it is...

Think I'm going to head to one of those happy hours and see if I can steal some food.

scattered notes from a scattered guy

Sorry about the crappy posts the last couple of days. It's been a whirlwind of activity. And it's going to get worse - we have an insanely short rehearsal process, so I'm going to be working my ass off for the next week.

But...it's all good 'cause I'm doing what I love.

Some random thoughts:

- Went to Rockport last night to hang out with some old friends, including a girl I'll call Trouble. Why? Because...she's trouble. Anyway, this dude was all over her (she usually has guys all over her) and she was trying to explain to him why he wasn't going to sleep in her bed, and he kept trying to convince her. Why do guys do that?

- In a similiar story, The Hot Wing was telling me about this guy who sent her a text message basically saying, "I think you're hot. I think your roommate's hot. I'd like to go out with either one of you that's more into me." How pathetic is that? What is wrong with guys?

- I stayed out WAY too late last night. I'm going to be running on fumes. I've promised myself that I was going out only twice before we get this show up. And I'm totally regretting that decision right now.

- I don't have a VCR in my room. So I'm going to miss a lot of football today. :-(

All right. Shower or sleep. Then work.

another cheap post...

...because I just got done with rehearsal, and now I have to make the half-hour long drive to Rockport to see some friends.

But I'm here!

A real post tomorrow, I promise...

arrived!

Safe and sound in Valley City. More later.

(I know this is cheating; I just want to make sure I get something up before midnight.

checklist

Wow, dudes, so much crap to get done. Here's the remainder of my to-do list:

- checks for (my roommate)
- pack toiletries
- call hotel
- pack computer bag
- call SF hotels (for weddings in Nov and Dec)
- car service
- balance checkbook

You know what? I don't want to do any of those things.

I want to sit on my couch and do absolutely nothing.

(sigh)

All right, I'll get to it. See you kids on the flip side, from somewhere in middle America...

leaving AGAIN

Just put up yesterday's post. I was crazy busy all day, and had zero computer time. But I did write something (see below). So...that counts, right?

The reality of heading out soon is finally staring me in the face. I just packed up a big plastic bin of my shit, which UPS will pick up at some point tomorrow afternoon - hopefully it shows up at my hotel in the middle of next week.

(I actually found out that instead of staying in The Burbs, where the theater is, I'm actually staying in Valley City, which is the big brother of Rockport - where I spent my summer. So I am a very happy camper right now.)

Part of me is really sad to leave the BK - it's been nice being home, if only for a minute. But I've really felt adrift here - rarely sleeping in the same place two nights in a row - so it will be nice having my own place for a few weeks.

Off to see Maxine do some street theater. More t'm'row - for reals this time.

audition woes

I was really annoyed by myself before; now I've calmed down.

Somewhat.

I totally blew an audition today.

I ran through my pieces in my apartment, and they were good. Really good. But I only left myself 5 minutes to play with, and I lost a whole lot more than that, due to a sick passenger on my subway line. So I showed up ten minutes late, sweating buckets and completely frazzled. And, like an idiot, I didn't take the extra time offered me by the monitor. Instead, I said, "Sure, I'm ready!" and marched in.

It wasn't that my audition was so bad (it probably rated a B) as much as it could really have been great I guess you just chalk this up as a learning experience - and vow not to make the same mistake again.

One other thing I must admit. While this entry is being written on Tuesday evening, I'm writing it longhand in my notebook, because I don't think I'm going to get any computer time today (long story). Does it still count as an entry, or have I failed my task? I leave it up to you to decide...

time is running out!

I leave on Friday morning for The Burbs (the location of my next show), and I'm no where near ready.

I still need to pack, and learn lines, and see people, and get my apartment in order...aaarrrrrgggghhhh.

There just aren't enough hours in the day. Of course, it didn't help matters that I spent four hours with Maxine today. I mean, it was quality time, and we really hadn't hung out all that much. But, still...

Half hour 'til the Monday Night Football doubleheader. The perfect ending to the first weekend of football...

quote of the day

I'm walking to get some food with my friend (who doesn't have a F&G name yet, but will). We're walking next to each other. From the other direction comes an older black lady, probably in her 60s. She looked at me - I was wearing shorts - and said to my friend:

"I don't want to disrespect you, ma'am, but your husband has got some beautiful legs!"

Obviously, my mojo is unstoppable.

party! (and my partyin' past)

I'm throwing myself a birthday party tonight.

I always kind of wish I had someone to throw the party for me, or someone to have the party with. For some reason, I always feel a little pathetic, throwing it for myself. But I had to soldier on, because I have a long and illustrious history of birthday parties:

In grad school, I had huge blowouts my last two years, which also doubled as "welcome back to school" jams.

The three years I spent in Sleepy Hamlet I always had joint parties with a couple of my friends, who have birthdays within ten days of mine.

Last year, I threw together a last-minute thing...with disasterous results.

This year, things are going much more smoothly. I did an e-vite, for one thing, which was brilliant. I reserved some space at a trendy SoHo bar, and one of my dear friends is buying me a cake, or cupcakes (whatever the bakery has). I had to promise the bar that I would buy $100 worth of drinks (and give them my credit card number), but I think we should be able to handle that one.

So it should be good times. I'll give you a full report tomorrow...

my "ideal" BK 'hood is...

My roommate and I are thinking about moving. I'm pretty loyal to the BK, so I know I want to stay here. She took a little quiz on her website about where she should like, and I decided to do the same. I find these things kind of fascinating.

(By the way - can anybody help me fix this? I'm tired of my picture/quiz posts looking all retarded.)

You scored as Boerum Hill/Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens, You should live in Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, or Carroll Gardens! Don't go to the broker who bills it as BoCoCa -- he is trying to rip you off! These neighborhoods are lovely places for 30 somethings who are a little more settled, and have a little more income to pay the rent and eat out at great restaurants. There are plenty of places for you to drink your beloved microbrews, but when you want to indulge your hipster side, you can still grab a PBR at Brooklyn's only landlocked yacht club. Get it? It's ironic. Boerum Hill/Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens 73% Prospect Heights 73% Coney Island 70% Fort Greene 67% Redhook 60% Sunset Park 57% Greenpoint 53% Williamsburg 53% Brooklyn Heights 43% DUMBO 40% Navy Yard/Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy north 37% Park Slope 36% East Williamsburg/ 33% Manhattan 13% What Brooklyn Neighborhood Should You Live In? created with QuizFarm.com

More later.

it's the most wonderful time of the year

The NFL kicks off another season in less than an hour.

I'm so excited!

Football is something that I love so much. It's been a part of my life since I was a little kid. I remember watching games with my dad, playing in the yard, practing goal-line stands with my brother and our living room couch. Oddly enough, I never played (my mother was strongly opposed), although I did practice with a club team in college (I played FB and CB) and played lots of flag football.

I always think that, if I were forced to quit acting tomorrow, I would have to do something that involved football.

Anyway, I fully expect the Colts to win tonight. But I wouldn't be shocked if the Saints end up being the better team.

Oh yeah - this is just an appetizer. I fully intend to spend all day Sunday in front of my television - much to the chagrin of my roommates, I'm sure.

spiders!

There were lots of them, in my room.

My sublettor (StefStar) has many, many bites on her legs.

So, I threw away the mattress pad. I vacuumed the entire room. I washed the sheets in hot water. I dropped off the blankets to be cleaned. I shut the window, which, I suspect, is how the spiders got in the room in the first place.

The super is supposed to be calling the exterminator.

Hopefully, that's enough. I'm exhausted.

who? what? where?

Drinks last night with The Hot Wing last night - she's my Brooklyn drinking buddy, and a semi-regular reader of this blog. It's always nice to have someone who will enable your drinking habits living just a few blocks away from you. Good times.

One of the things that she - and others - have mentioned is that I may need to make some kind of key so that you can keep all of "my ladies" straight. So that may be a project for me at some point in the near future. Thoughts on that?

I'm really scattered these days. I can't seem to find enough time to do all of the things that I want to do. It's kind of annoying. Maybe I just need to take a couple more days and not leave my house. (Actually, that will happen on Sunday, because it's the first full day of football.)

Got to run some errands, so this will be a short post. Cross your fingers and hope that my agent isn't in a pissy mood.

Labor Day sans labor pour moi

Had a very nice evening with Snapple last night. I hadn't seen her in two weeks, and I was surprised to discover that I missed her, a bit. My favorite part of the evening (aside from the fact that she was genuinely interested in my fantasy football draft) was that we didn't talk about "relationships" at all. No updates on where we stand, no talking about feelings...it was good.

Right now I'm procrastinating. I need to secure a bar for my birthday party on Saturday night, but I'm kind of split between two places, and I don't know which one to call first. I keep telling myself that none of the reservation people would be around on Labor Day, or that I should charge my cell phone before calling anyone, but I think that these are excuses.

I'm also putting off:

- balancing my checkbook
- exercising
- grocery shopping
- learning lines
- returning phone calls

If procrastination was a sport, I would win a gold medal.

Until t'm'row...