Set backs and Obstacles

So, it's been a while since I posted. (I'm not that great at this whole blog thing). But I thought I'd throw something out there to say, "hey! I'm still here."

And by here, I mean...well, I'm still alive, obviously; I still have a blog; I'm still in LA.

Yup. Contrary to many requests my mother has made as of late: "maybe you should come home," I am still living in the greater Los Angeles area, pursuing my career as an actress. These motherly requests have largely been spawned by recent events which have threatened my life or quality thereof.

A close call car accident. A little too close.

A dent in the new car.

And a broken fibula caused by a water-skiing accident (yes, water can hurt you).

The latter resulted in no work, no play, no pay, and a yet another endearing suggestion to come home.

My summer is wasted! No more water-skiing, no swimming, no frolicking through the trees. I am on my butt, leg elevated, asking each passer by if he or she would mind grabbing me a little more syrup, I'm so sorry, thank you so much, I'd do it if I could. 

Not to mention, no auditions. Projects are postponed. I can't even dance.

Some people may see this all as a sign to give up and go home. You gave it a good shot. Maybe the universe is telling you this isn't for you. I bet you'll never go water-skiing again.
Are you KIDDING ME?! NO! I'm going to succeed at carving that water with one ski if it kills me! (That's what my mother's afraid of)

Why would I give up? When I set out to move to LA, I knew it was for good. It had to be. I didn't want to just give it a shot, see how I liked it for a year, and when the money ran out, (and it has), move back in with the padres. To do what? Be broke in another town?

What the "universe" is telling me is there are always going to be car accidents and broken legs, empty bank accounts and stealing your roommate's peanut butter, boyfriend's who break your heart (mine hasn't, thank goodness) and managers who never tell you they don't want to represent you. Life is meant to have obstacles! It's just learning how to overcome them. And that's a complete and separate issue that I have not yet figured out...but I'm confident that I will. As long as I keep trying, it is only a matter of time. As far as I'm concerned, LA is just trying to see how tough I am, and baby...I ain't goin' nowhere.


"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it."  - MIchael Jordan

Moving on

I’m about to finally move into a permanent place and the two things I’m excited about? Being able to open a new bank account and receive a library card.

In the last year and a half I have moved 7 times. I have reduced my belongings down to a couple suitcases. I need to expand and create an unnecessary necessity to purchase nic-nacs at the local thrift store. That is what my own room and the idea of staying a while means to me. Oh, and privacy.

I’ll have my own room in a townhouse of 6 girls, paying around $600/month. I am afraid of what is to become of the refrigerator. 

I think once I have my library card and bank account I will be super human. I will have access to free music and hardcopy literature once again. I’m thinking some David Sedaris is in order. I will laugh in my room.

With my bank account begins my slow transformation into a California resident.  Goodbye, Zions Bank. Ya done me well since my first job at Arby’s at age 15. Those were the days. Now I’m a Chase Bank girl, and I can’t look back. 

Speaking of looking back, remember when I was married? THAT was weird. 

I'm all over the place

Yippee! Yahoo! Zipp zipp zipp.
This is happening:

and this is happening:

I've been cast in the indie feature film "Alienate" as Amy Madison, to be shot in Utah this summer. Michael Shumway is directing, and I'm very excited to be working with him. Check out this short he directed last summer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bLoEmYHaXY

and this just happened (in case you missed it via facebook): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=630go-8VVpI&list=UUhkwKnnEBjPMrhV3iXrmUtg&index=0&feature=plcp


Nonsense? Yes. But I'm moving in with those girls, so I thought I'd introduce you to my new friends. (one of them is not a girl, and he will not be joining us)

Also, I thought I'd start a "favorite item of the week" thing. Why? Because I don't necessarily believe in "favorites." Why? Because mine change all the time. Favorite color? Don't have one. Favorite restaurant? Don't have one. But I do have favorites. And I want to share them with you.

THE YOGG FAVORITE ITEM OF THE WEEK: Dermasil Lotion, $1 @ Dollar Tree. It is da bomb. Controls even severe dry skin. Skin Lipid & EFA Treatment (whatever that means). Hypo-Allergenic.

ADVICE!
----If you sign up for Actors Access, also sign up for ShowFax. You pay a $68 fee for ShowFax and get unlimited submissions through Actors Access. Otherwise, they're $2 a pop, and that adds up fast. This is if you don't have an agent, like me! :)

Why, hello there. Like my answering machine, my blog is a place for you to leave messages about what you think of me, or what you would like from me. The added bonus to reading my blog versus calling me and leaving a message, is you actually get to find out what happened to me recently. "Wow! Could this get any better?" you might ask. Let's hope so.

The end of May. I made it through one month living in California. And what better way to commemorate this special day than to receive my first parking ticket in L.A. $68. Stupid sauce.

To celebrate, I decided NOT to drive 15 minutes to the Observatory, but instead to walk 10 minutes to the nearest redbox and rent "My Week With Marilyn." Michelle Williams did a superb job as Marilyn, and it is always a pleasure to hear Kenneth Branagh speak. The story was only so-so, besides the fact that I could relate to the troublesome notion that a lot of actors have a problem with feeling loved, adored and admired.

When I first drove into the San Fernando valley a month ago, my parents in the car, I thought in my head, "What the hell am I doing?" Those thoughts quickly left and turned into "I think I'm gonna like it here" to "I'm not good enough!" to "How can I afford to live here?!" to "I've burnt the ships! I either do it or it's Chinatown!" Here are a few other thoughts I've had since then:

"Funny how everyone jokes about the Los Angeles river."

"I thought tips would be better in California."

"Driving and talking on the phone is ILLEGAL?!?!!"

"The bums are a heck-of-a-lot crazier here than in Utah."


All in all, I LOVE IT HERE! I'm so glad I finally did it. And I'm glad I am surrounded by people who love me. And the haters...ah! I can't stay mad at choo! MAY THE BLOGGING BEGIN! BSHH!*

 *(sound of champagne bottle being broken on metaphorical ship)