quick check in

Sorry about my lack of posting...my laptop isn't very healthy, and I haven't had much time to get on other people's computers. I really should be in bed now, but I thought I should at least let people know that I"m alive.

I'm in Chicago, and I'll have more stories to put up. I've decided that the pictures must wait until I get my new laptop, which should be in a couple of weeks. But StefStar should have a bunch of things to put up, including a picture of me. So you can see what I look like. Exciting, no?

Time for bed. More soon.

le grand week-end

Nothing profound to say, except that I've had a wonderful weekend in Denver and I don't want it to end. Saw some old friends, watched a play with some of the best acting I've seen in my life with my own eyes, and met some truly spectacular people. You want to hold on to moments like these.

But, alas, Steffie and I must hit the road once again. Nebraska t'm'row, and then Chicago for the better part of next week. Any suggestions for things I should do in the Windy City?

Wednesday

Yesterday was a crazy day, people. To recap:

I woke up really early because I couldn't sleep - probably too disturbed by that episode of "Cheaters" that I watched the night before. Or the fact that my bank account is seriously out of whack.

StefStar and I took Ziggy The Wonder Dog to the beach, where she promptly aggravated the elbow that's been bothering her. We had to get the car to bring her back. (She's ok, don't worry.)

Drove through Nevada all day. Have you ever driven through Nevada? Let me save you some time...don't. There's nothing to see there. Once you get past Reno, it's all over. I was the hit of a Subway in Wannamucca, though.

Driving through eastern Utah (another wasteland, except there the ground is white - literally) we noticed that there were some white dots on the windshield. We just figured that they were flecks of salt that were being thrown up. But it got worse and worse, and they just made streaks on the windshield when I tried to get them off with washer fluid. To make matters even worse, it was getting dark, and the lights from oncoming drivers - which were getting more and more numerous as we approached Salt Lake City - were making it even harder to see. I basically had zero visibility, and no way to get off the highway. I had to follow the lights of cars - that was the only way I could stay on the road.

So Stef and I finally get to a gas station just outside of Park City. I search all over the place, finally find a squeege with wiper fluid, and head to the windshield. And what do I find? Apparently, we drove through a HUGE colony of INSECTS! There were literally thousands of little bug remains all over the windshield...and the side mirrors...and the grill...and the bumper. From a distance, it looked like mud, but you could see the grossness up close. We took a couple of pictures, so you might get to see it, if you can stomach it.

Went to a couple of different places looking for food. Found the only spot that was still serving dinner at 10pm. Inside we heard the worst laugh you've ever heard - high-pitched and obnoxious. The staff said that the guy usually clears a place out pretty quickly. We decided to get a second beer there only after the guy left. The laugh is actually on tape - we're gonna try to get that up on one of our blogs, too.

Just as we were getting ready to leave, a semi-drunk realtor starting talking to us - getting our story, etc. He was trying to convince us to come to some "industry" party. We went, and had an awesome time. Our waitress from the restaurant - who I discovered was (a) training for the Olympics and (b) extremely cute - brought us over a few drinks. So we hung out with the realtor and the waitress/athlete and a golf pro, who was one of the nicest guys I've ever met. And it was awesome. We staggered back to the hotel at 1am. Totally random.

Oh yeah, I even saw a black guy at the party. Who would have thought?

So that was the day. Good times, no? We're headed to Denver in a couple of hours, and we'll be there for the weekend. Since we'll be in one place for a few days, hopefully we can figure out all the tech stuff and post some pics. Right now, though, I've got to go. "Good Morning Utah" is on, and it seems like a seminal moment in television history - they're discussing how Britney puts her baby car seat in incorrectly! I love Utah.

"Tahoe, bitches"

That's right. StefStar and I pulled up in this piece a couple of hours ago - good times. We're staying at this phat resort two blocks from the beach. Internet access hasn't been so great the last couple of days; hence, my absence. In fact, I'm writing this in the hotel lobby - Stef and I are sitting across from each other on our laptops, enjoying the free wireless.

Pictures will be forthcoming. We're documenting our travels as well as we can. Unfortunately, the digital camera I borrowed eats up batteries pretty quick, so I've got to buy some more. No pictures of Sleepy Hamlet for you. ;-)

Pretty exhausted, so I'm done for now. More t'm'row from Park City, UT - we decided that SLC may not be the best place for us...

mmmm...airport floor...

Paying $6.95 for the privilege of logging on to the internet on the floor at Chicago's Midway airport. Couldn't they at least hook up a computer lounge or something? It's the 21st century, after all...

Crazy night last night with the grad school peeps. Hadn't seen some of them in four years, and we certainly made up for lost time. I got to bed at 6:20am, and woke up (late) at 9. So I'm in fine shape today.

The trip has begun! I'll try to post daily updates, starting t'm'row. It will all depend on e-mail access. And, if you're really nice to me, I'll throw up a fun pic or two. Happy Mother's Day!

The Rover

That's what you can call me from now on. I mean, I'm not gonna be bitter if you keep calling me "K Lance", or (if you happen to know it) my real name when you e-mail me. But that's my new public face.

I think it works quite well, actually. Theatrical origins - a couple of famous classical characters go by that name. Of course, the description also matches my nomadic lifestyle. And it does give me a dash of mystery, no?

Thanks to all who made suggestions. Your time, effort, and sarcasm is appreciated.

the end of "k lance"; the beginning of my trip

The blog is continuing, but the name will be changing, for reasons too numerous to list on here. I will say that being back in NYC feels like a kind of rebirth for me, like I'm beginning my life all over again. I'm normally an optimistic person, but I feel even more so these days. And I'm really excited for what the future will hold.

Anyway.

The cross-country trip begins on Sunday! One of my roommates has kindly agreed to lend me her digital camera, so you will see glorious pictures of my trip across America. Well, you'll see them as long as we stay in places that have internet access. It's gonna be really exciting. We've almost got the itinerary finalized - it will probably look something like this:

Sleepy Hamlet
Lake Tahoe
Salt Lake City
Denver
Nebraska
Chicago
Detroit
Toronto/Stratford
Martha's Vineyard
NYC

Good times, no? In my dream trek across America, I'd probably take a more Southern route, going through Phoenix and Texas and New Orleans and Atlanta, but methinks my bank account doth protest too much. Plus this route allows me to fish for a few jobs. And jobs are what we're all about here at F&G. Well, that and the nookie.

Off to find a suit for the Wedding of the Century.

good news/bad news

I'm sitting here waiting for a phone call that contains the bad news. I'm going to hold off speaking of it until I get all of the details. It's nothing catastrophic, but it's not real good, either.

Good news refers to something that I alluded to a couple of weeks ago. I am officially a resident of Brooklyn. One of my friends (a former sublettor AND ex-girlfriend - how's that for a double?) is moving back down South and is giving me her one-bedroom apartment. It's in a cool part of the BK, and it's fairly cheap (meaning that I'm paying less than a grand). I'm going to have a roommate for a few months, and then it's all mine. When I'm not out of town and subletting it to someone else, that is.

What does this mean to my plans to move to LA? Um...good question. I still haven't figured that one out yet. I jumped at this opportunity because it doesn't come along very often. I guess that a fall move is still possible, but, like I said before, nothing more than four weeks out is certain.

I just needed a home, you know? A place to send my mail to, a place where all of my stuff can be, the place I know I can retire to when I finish a gig and not have to worry about disturbing somebody else. I think I'm most excited to get all of my books set up there. They've been packed away in the family basement for so long, and every time I go back to the 'burgh I have to dig through boxes and boxes of stuff before I can find what I'm looking for. No more!

Back to watching the phone, waiting for it to ring.

i heart stephen colbert

Have any of you ever watched "The Colbert Report"? (That final "t" is silent - pronounced "kol-bear re-poor".) Funny as hell. And now comes news of his blistering satire of the President on Saturday night. Normally, that wouldn't be too interesting - who doesn't make fun of the President? - except for the fact that he did it right in front of his face!

You've really got to see it to believe it. (There's a transcript here. You can also find a version of the video on YouTube.)

And then, if you like what you saw, go here to give Mr. Colbert some props.

you remind me...

I almost felt like I had a 9-to-5 today - spent a lot of the day on the computer, working on career stuff. Granted, I spent a lot of time trying to find a suitable sublet, but that kind of feels like work, too. Hopefully I can get all of this stuff settled in the next day or two, and then I can resume my "carefree life", ha ha.

I've been having very weird feelings the last couple of days. The room I'm subletting belongs to my X, who I haven't seen in almost six months. It's very strange being reminded of her 24/7. We lived together for a while, so it's not a totally foreign site to see her stuff hanging next to mine in the closet...but that last happened a couple of years ago.

I guess I'm feeling a loss of what was, if that makes any sense. I miss the time when things were good. That isn't to say that I want to be in that relationship again. But there are times where I really miss being in love with her.

I won't see her until June, and at that point, hopefully, we can kind of clear the air between us and see what our relationship is going to be in the future - friends, lovers, both, neither. I honestly have no idea. I've changed a lot...but so has she. I don't really have any expectations, and as a result I'm actually kind of excited to see what happens.

I think I need to start dinner. I'm trying not to spend any more money than necessary, since I'm living on the dole until my next acting job, but I kind of want some salmon. Looks like I may be making a trip to the local fish market. I love living in the city.

handlin' my business

Settled into my next place - a two week sublet in Brooklyn. (I can tell you that I'm in Brooklyn because there's about 2 million people here - I'm probably pretty safe.) I've never lived in BK before, and, much to my surprise, I like it. The place is nice - it's actually my ex-g'friend's, which is a story in itself - and the roommates are cool. I haven't had roommates in three-plus years, so that's going to be a little bit of an adjustment. No more late night booty calls, I suppose.

I've also been doing the New York actor things while I've been here - meeting with agents, going on auditions. It's kind of like exercising after a long layoff - you know what you're doing, but the skills are a bit rusty. Had a good meeting and audition on Friday, and I've got another audition set up for Monday, so at least I'm keeping busy.

I have more stuff to write about, but I haven't called Voice & Sandwich in almost a week, so I better check in before they think I'm dead.

The eagle has landed

That's right, peeps, I'm back on the East Coast. As Tony! Toni! Tone! would say, it feels good. Yeah.

I walked around a lot today - my plans ended up getting all messed up and I didn't want to have to to take the commuter train multiple times (I'm staying with my brother for a few days before moving into my Brooklyn sublet). Ended up going uptown to see some old peeps - ran into three grad school professors. Made phone calls to agents. Ate an "eggwich". Had coffee with a blogger. Had chai with a dear friend.

It was a good day.

And yet, I feel a little strange being back. Maybe it's because, for the first time in 3 1/2 years, I'm actually going to be here for a while. I don't have to rush to get everything done. And, furthermore, I have to kick a little acting game while I'm here. I'm working on securing representation, going on auditions, making connections. I haven't worked this hard on the "business" aspect in years. But I think it will be good for me.

I'm still on West Coast time, but I'm getting sleepy. More t'm'row - I've decided that since I've been running around like a crazy person for the last week or so, I'm just going to take it easy...

quick post

Sorry no Sleepy Hamlet weekend post. I was running around nonstop. More details about that later in the week. Right now I've got to finish packing so that I can fly to NY in the morning. Um, thanks, Cowtown, for...um...the memories? Do Jamba Juice and In-N-Out Burger count as memories?

Big news upcoming. I know I said that I didn't want to talk too much about future events, but this one, if it comes through, is pretty exciting, at least for some of you.

Oh, you want a hint? OK. I'll give you one word:

Brooklyn.

time to go...

I had all these great plans to write daily in a different coffee shop - look how well that turned out. In a Starbucks again, albeit a different one - one that has a bathroom on the premises. (Cue "The Jeffersons" theme song.)

Leaving tonight - late nite flight back to Cowtown, and then driving in the morning up to Sleepy Hamlet. I've really enjoyed my time out here - went to the beach, saw my cousin, hung out with some of my best friends in the world. The weather here is gorgeous, pretty girls everywhere (including Giss). I know that I can live here. But it's still not NY. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

One thing that's really stood out to me is how big this place is. Obviously traffic has something to do with this, but it amazes me how you can agree to meet someone in a place an hour away, and it's no big deal! I've lived in walking distance towns for way too long, I suppose.

Coming up on two hours on the internet here at the 'bucks, which means it's time for me to do something else. In this case, it means a trip to see my union representatives to deal with a situation way too complicated for me to explain here. I'll see if I can finagle a blog from Sleepy Hamlet this weekend - if not, you'll probably hear from me next when I hit the Big Apple.

LA!

Writing from a Starbucks in West Hollywood. So far, so good (except that I had to run across the street to go to the bathroom, because this store doesn't have a public restroom - won't be writing from here t'm'row). I've got a bunch of errands to run today, the most important of which involves a trip to the Apple store. Let's just say that I think I need a new iPod. And you all know how important my iPod is to me.

I got here yesterday - it was raining when I left Cowtown. The ending of the show was surprisingly normal. No emotions, no grand send-offs - it just felt like a normal show. I'm glad it's over. I really needed a break - and now I'm getting it. The "business" side of me is kicking myself for not setting up a bunch of auditions and meetings while I'm here. But, realistically, what good does it do to go meet an agent and say, "I'm only here for four days. Hire me!"? It doesn't. So I'm just going to relax, enjoy the weather, hang out at the beach, and enjoy myself. There will be plently of time for hustling when I get back to NYC.

Off to the Beverly Center. More t'm'row.

packing sucks

The bad part about being a vagabond is packing. Just when you start to get comfortable in a place, and your stuff is spread out all over the apartment, you've got to shove it all in a box and ship it off halfway across the country (or, in my case, all the way across the country).

And this packing adventure is even more complicated, because I've got these mini-trips planned for the next week, but I have to mail some of my stuff by next Friday, and I won't have any time Thursday night to do so...ugh.

I guess I just need to be happy that I'm going on vacation for three months.

another Awkward encounter

I walk backstage to start Act II. Awkward Dude is sitting in a chair. It's dark, so I know that someone's sitting there, but I can't tell who it is or what they are doing.

"Hey Rover."

Hello, Awkward Dude.

(pause)

"I was just making shadow puppets with my hands. You know, birds, stuff like that."

Um, great. I was just getting ready for the rest of the show.

"Well, that's what I was just doing. Making shadow puppets."

Great. I couldn't really see what you were doing there.


Aren't you going to miss him when I leave this place?

change

I feel like my blog world is changing.

A-List Celebrity shut her blog down a few weeks ago.

Infinite Monkeys disappeared last month.

Sweet Aphrodite announced that she's closing up shop yesterday.

Things change. I've accepted that fact. I mean, look at my life - seems like I can't be in the same state for more than two months at a time. However, maybe the ever-shifting nature of my life means that I cling even more strongly to my routines. Starting my day with green tea and oatmeal. Reading the paper online in the morning. Watching Pardon The Interruption. Reading my blogs. So when something in that routine changes - when I run out of oatmeal, or I don't have time to get online, or PTI is pre-empted by golf, or a blog disappears - I feel out of sorts.

So I'll miss the above blogs. Stay in touch, y'all.

Thank You For Smoking

Saw this movie yesterday with a friend of mine - pretty good. Directed by Jason Reitman (son of Ivan, who directed, among other things, Ghostbusters) and based on a book by Christopher Buckley (son of William F.). Two kids of famous folks making good.

I think it goes into wide release in the next week or two, and if you're in the mood for something refreshing, you should check it out. It's not often when you see a film like this. It's satirical, and the bad guys are the good guys and vice versa. I know that those things don't sound unusual...but wait until you see the film. And Aaron Eckhart is irrestible in the lead role...he'll charm the pants right off you. But not in a sexual way. Unless you want it to be like that.

Maybe I should start a second career as a movie critic...Rover's Critiques...

why schedule anything?

I'm starting to think that I should never "announce" what my future plans are. Every time I think I've got everything worked out, something else pops up.

Now there's a development which may potentially keep me out of LA until fall 2007.

(It could also increase the duration of my stay in New York, allowing me some time there in winter and spring '07.)

So, until I start signing contracts - or resolve to take some time off - I'm only going to address the future as speculation. Because, obviously, life can and will happen.

What I do know for sure, though, is that I don't have all that much time left in Cowtown. Sunday night I'm off to LA to visit GISS (Girl I'm Sorta Seeing) and some other friends for a few days. Trips to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and the beach are in order. Then, next weekend, I head up to Sleepy Hamlet. I'm going to be doing some teaching there for a couple of weeks this summer, so I'm going up to sign the contract and see some plays and attend some meetings. (I was actually planning on visiting there to see plays and friends anyway; wrapping the job stuff into it allows them to pay me for being there, which is a-ok in my book.)

And, two weeks from today, I go back to NYC. Couch hopping for a week, Brooklyn for the next two. Should be loads of fun.

Time for me to watch yesterday's episode of 24 on the TiVo - boy, am I going to miss that thing when I'm gone.