Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Only in New York


She told Jen and Marcus that you could only get these in Florida.

I found some at the CVS on Broadway on Astoria.

So I ate them.

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Saturday, June 23, 2007

Dance it Out

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Sunday, May 27, 2007

Thrown Back In

Fingers shaking, insides vibrating
I boarded the plane.

Back to the city.

"Just water, please"
"I mean Ginger Ale"
"No, just water."
Tears in my eyes.

"Are you okay?" 11-B said.
"Yes, It's just hard"
"To fly?"

Then I told her.

Then
she
hugged
me

"I have grand children too"

And I realized that the hardest part of flying
is leaving the ground.

And that the hardest part of leaving

Is Being Left Behind.

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Friday, May 25, 2007

In Memory

I have been reclusive for the past few weeks, and I thought that it was about time that I spoke about what is going on in my life. Anyone who knows me well, knows that my family is a huge part of my life, and certain members of said family have played a strong part in making me who I am today. One of those family members is my maternal grandmother, Granny J.

I have got hundreds of stories about Granny J, from saving my life many times (literally) to falling asleep in fried rice. Granny and I had a very special relationship. Born a little less than 70 years ago, Granny J was a true Southern Woman. She brought herself up from nothing (literally--she lived in a boxcar for a while) to become a force to be reckoned with.

On May 1, Granny thought that she was developing pneumonia, so she went into the hospital. While there, the doctors thought that she may have had a heart attack. Later she went on to have a heart cath and repair of an aortic aneurysm. All the time I was here in NYC waiting to be able to speak to her after she got out of the intensive care unit. Finally, I was able to speak to her.

On the morning of May 11th, I received a phone call that Granny J had a major stroke while in the unit, and it had affected her left side. I was told to come on home. (I had just spoken to Granny on Thursday, and she couldnt wait to get home--She was sitting up, eating, and getting ready to go to rehab from her surgery). Apparently Friday evening she threw a huge clot.

When I got home Saturday afternoon, it didnt look good. She was unable to speak, swallow, move or do anything. She was responsive, but uncomfortable. Being a trauma nurse for her life, Granny had wishes that she receive no artificial nutrition or any life support whatsoever. Basically, for the next week, the only thing she had in her body was morphine. Hospice came in to help prepare the family for the upcoming death, and they were great. I had dealt with them when my other grandmother passed, and knew how wonderful they are.

From May 11th until May 30th, I kept a silent vigil beside Granny's hospital bed. Holding her hand and watching her die. I vascillated between anger and utter peace. There is something very beautiful about letting someone leaving this world with the dignity that they displayed while in this world.

Eventually, Granny J passed away. We told her that we would "see her in the mornin'" and to "go rest high on that mountain"...things we have always said.

Granny J was a very proud and private woman. Her wishes were that she would have no viewing, and no funeral. She said "if people didn't come see me when I was alive, I sure as hell don't want them looking at me when I am dead". With a reluctant chuckle, we all agreed that we would keep those wishes. At some point in the near future, Granny J and Granddaddy J's cremains will be scattered into the Gulf of Mexico off of Gulf Shores--their oasis.

I still have great difficulty speaking about this out loud. I have great difficulty socializing. I rarely answer my phone, and reluctantly return emails. Please understand.

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Saturday, May 12, 2007

Today

Has been bad. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. More to come.

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Saturday, May 05, 2007

Daniel on TELEVISION

If you tune into HGTV tomorrow at 3:30 Eastern, you will see Justen and I on FREE STYLE.

It also will be re-airing on the 14th.

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Wednesday, May 02, 2007

My First Flame

As a blogger, I pretty much know that no matter what I say or post on here, I have agreed that it be available to everyone in the world. As you also may not know, my most read blog on here is one I posted a while back called Diarrhea Donut Shop. This post (which you may also visit too) is the one that brings most of my visitors. For whatever reason, people search for "diarrhea" or "watery bowels" and my blog comes up. Anyways, regarding a photo I have posted there I received my first flame. The language is quite bad, so I will post it after the jump...


Anonymous said...

you ass hole, stupid, how dare you put that picture of an epidemic child to illustrate such vanal and careless comentary. who the hell do you think you are? i wish you die from a diarrea, like a lot of people in the world who dont leisurely walk!!


I have a few things to say to this. FIRST, I wish that people that comment or judge me please use capital letters to begin their sentences. Secondly, I think that the last sentence is a death threat. Thirdly, if you are ballsy enough to call me an "ass hole" please also be "vanal" enough to leave your name or email address. What the hell does "vanal" mean?

Now, I pose to you, my other two readers...should I leave this comment up, or delete it?

UPDATE: "vanal" is indeed not a word. Also, judging from the commenter's spelling of diarrhea (diarrhea), this person speaks Spanish. (This is the Spanish word for watery bowels.) Please see other translations HERE. (I, too, have misspelled the word.) The correct English Spelling of the word is....Diarrhea. The British spell it diarrhoea. Please see article here.


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Friday, April 20, 2007

Fainting Goat

My mom had a fainting goat. She used to try so hard to get it to faint, and it never did. I think she got a dud.

She said that they used to bang pots and pans together in front of the goat. nothing. Wonder what that goat thought? Probably, "Why the hell is this crazy ass woman banging pots and pans in my face and hollering?"

Just a thought. Oh, click the hyperlink. There's an International Fainting Goat Association.

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Thursday, April 05, 2007

Do you know Dolphins?

I think I am going to start regularly exploring different animals on the blog. Here is the first: The Dolphin.

I am extremely passionate about animal welfare. I have supported animal rights for years. There is a part of me who really wants to be a marine biologist and conservationist who spends his days saving sea turtles and manatees and other creatures. Perhaps one of the most beautiful and interesting of all the sea creatures is the dolphin.

Despite popular belief, the dolphin and the porpoise are different animals. There are almost forty different species of dolphin. They range in size from 4 feet (Maui Dolphin) to 30 feet (the Orca). The dolphin lives in every sea in the world, but they prefer the shallower waters of the Continental Shelves. Dolphins are carnivores: their diet consists mostly of squid and fish. Dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene.

ANATOMY

Modern dolphin skeletons have two small, rod-shaped pelvic bones thought to be vestigial hind legs.

Dolphins have a streamlined fusiform body, adapted for fast swimming. The basic colouration patterns are shades of grey with a light underside and a distinct dark cape on the back. It is often combined with lines and patches of different hue and contrast.

The head contains the melon, a round organ used for echolocation. In many species, the jaws are elongated, forming a distinct beak; for some species like the Bottlenose, there is a curved mouth which looks like a fixed smile. Teeth can be very numerous (up to two hundred and fifty) in several species. The dolphin brain is large and has a highly structured cortex, which often is referred to in discussions about their advanced intelligence.

Unlike most mammals, dolphins do not have hair, but they are born with a few hairs around the tip of their rostrum which they lose after some time, in some cases even before they are born. The only exception to this is the Boto river dolphin, which does have some small hairs on the rostrum.

SENSES
Most dolphins have acute eyesight, both in and out of the water, and their sense of hearing is superior to that of humans. However, dolphins lack an olfactory nerve and lobes and thus are believed to have no sense of smell, but they can taste and do show preferences for certain kinds of fish.

INTELLIGENCE & SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Dolphins are social, living in pods (also called "schools") of up to a dozen individuals. The individuals communicate using a variety of clicks, whistles and other vocalizations. It is thought that dolphins have their own language. Members of a pod may even have a language that is just their own, as well as a universal language. Dolphins can establish strong bonds between each other. This leads to them staying with injured or ill individuals for support. In May 2005, researchers in Australia discovered a cultural aspect of dolphin behaviour: Some dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) teach their children to use tools. The dolphins break sponges off and cover their snouts with them thus protecting their snouts while foraging. (see photo at right) They are also willing to occasionally approach humans and playfully interact with them in the water. Dolphins have also been known to protect swimmers from sharks by swimming circles around them.

Dolphins often leap above the water surface, sometimes performing acrobatic figures (e.g. the spinner dolphin). Dolphins are used in animal-assisted therapy, particularly for children and adults with Down syndrome and autism.

The year 2007 has been declared as (International) Year of the Dolphin by the United Nations and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

THREAT
Every October, in Japan, dolphins are herded together an massacred for food and also collected to be sold to water parks and zoos. Below, I have a documentary from PBS featuring Hardy Jones, a photographer who went to Japan to do a documentary on dolphins. What he found there shocked him. It will shock you too.

How Can You Help?
Many people are not comfortable with groups like PETA and their guerrila-like tactics and agendas. There is a group called Blue Voice (which was founded by Ted Danson) to help save Dolphins and Whales. Their website is a tome of information on what you can do to help. Every little bit does help. In addition to spreading the word, open your mouth! Blog about this, tell your friends! Never, I repeat NEVER patronize places like Sea World that profit from exploiting these creatures. Volunteer. Pray. Light a Candle. Just do Something. Start by watching this documentary.



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Too Much Beyonce



I have always wondered what would happen if someone had too much Beyonce. Most days, I feel like I have already had too much Beyonce. Take a look at the clip after the jump, and let me know what you think. Is this person a victim of too much Beyonce??



He's good, huh?

UPDATE: Many thanks to Frank at OMG Blog for giving this tiny blog a shout out.

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Mold Removal


In New York City, mold in your home is a problem. This problem also exists outside of the city as well, but due to the age of our buildings and other horrible things, toxic mold is a huge issue here.

Now, unless, like Justen and myself, you have had your ceiling fall in revealing all sorts of black mold colonies, you may not be able to tell the condition of your inner walls without doing much damage. I have recently learned that many mold detection services are using specially trained dogs (like the one above--named Hunter) to detect mold in your home. Basically, to understand why dogs are so good at this, you need to learn a little about mold.


Mold is a product of excessive moisture. Most moisture problems go unnoticed and unchecked for many years not because people don't care, but because most of the detrimental aspects of the damage are usually invisible. The way that homes are constructed now makes mold detection practically impossible. It is possible to sample the air in your house and get a spore count, but you have no idea where the mold is coming from--just that it is there. Now we have all seen mold at least once. Chances are, you grew it in science class, have some growing in your shower now, or maybe even have some fruit or bread with a little growing on it.

Penicillin is a mold. Its healing properties have saved millions of people from death. Our bodies are full of bacterium that help us live. But not all molds are as friendly. As molds thrive, they produce three things: spores, gasses and toxins. The spores are mostly confined to an area, and inside of a wall, it is hard for them to escape--unless there is a hole or crack. The big problem is the gasses released by the molds. The gasses mold produces are detected by the human nose as a "musty smell". Unlike spores, gasses can easily penetrate walls and build-up indoors creating discomfort and causing health complaints such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. While this seems like a terrible thing, these gasses are the key to the solution.

The dog's nose is hundreds of times more sensitive than ours. New Jersey Mold Removal is a company that uses specially trained dogs to "sniff out" these gasses. These dogs are led through your space, and sniff around, and alert the handler to the presence of toxic molds. Their noses easily pick up on the nuances of the smells of the different molds. This method is much less intrusive than what happened to us. It is also another way that companion animals are being used to help humanity. Dogs love to "work", it is their nature. Nothing makes them feel more alive than the hunt. This toxic mold hunting is a perfect job for these dogs.

So next time that your pooch is sniffing around, just think what might be behind those walls.

This post was sponsored by New Jersey Mold Company. I support them because of their use of companion animals in such a beneficial way.

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Saturday, March 31, 2007

Wet Nose Therapy


Sometimes our pets seem to have a sixth sense about them. Anyone who knows Justen and I also knows Naomi. (The photo above is not her--that is mom's dog) She greets everyone in the house with joy, love, and hundreds of kisses.

Lately, since I have been unemployed and home more often than before, Naomi has been at my side the whole time. She sits with us on the sofa, keeps us warm in the bed at night, snuggles when we are sad, and all she asks in return is love. A good belly rub every now and again and sometimes a little fun outside. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Naomi lives completely in the moment. She has no regrets, no guilt, no nothing. If she is happy, she is 100% happy. If she is scared, her entire body quivers with fear. If she is tired, she immediately drops into sleep.


Naomi has job too, around the house. She barks at intruders. (and neighbors, and puppies, and just about anyone who comes in the building). She makes sure that if we drop any food on the floor that it is quickly eaten. She makes sure that we are always able to rub her belly if we want to. These are her simple jobs. She also listens when we talk to her, and never talks back. When I am on the sofa watching tv, she makes sure that she is nearby to cuddle. Unless she would rather be in the bed.

Through it all, our pets give so much more than they receive. We kiss them, feed them, walk them, etc. and ask for nothing in return. I know that not everyone is a pet person, but I think that everyone can empathize with the feeling of a being of unconditional love.

In China, dogs are bred for their fur. When they reach a marketable size, the handlers will bang their heads on a rock then skin them alive, tossing the skinless carcasses away to rot in the sun. This fur makes its way in to many of our clothes.

Here in the USA, the land of the free and home of the brave, our animals that are unwanted are disposed of, or used for experimentation. Our government requires that all of our drugs be tested on animals before being approved for human use. REQUIRES. (Even though there are models that more closely simulate the human body). We are a long way off from changing this, and it is a long, slow process. I am constantly writing letters.

Something that is in everyone's hands to change is cosmetic and household product testing. The lipstick that you are wearing may have been forced into a rabbit's eye before you could purchase it. Your hairspray may have been sprayed repeatedly into dog's eyes to determine how much would blind them. The lotion that you put on your skin was probably force fed to dogs to see how much it would take to make them ill. Why? Why not. The animals can not speak out for themselves. It is cheaper for the companies to purchase unwanted animals than to purchase human skin simulation. How can you stop this? Educate yourself. Purchase products that are not tested on animals. Be careful. Many companies do not test on animals, but get their products from people who do.

Write letters. Write to Procter and Gamble on behalf of the Naomi's of the world. Write a letter to pet-friendly companies thanking them--on behalf of the Naomi's of the world. It doesn't cost a thing. You can email them. go to PETA for help. The Naomi's of the world thank you. In their own way.

Know what---even if you never wrote a letter, even if you only use cruelly-produced products, Naomi will still greet you with a kiss. Thats just how animals are.

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Friday, March 30, 2007

Ghost in This House

I have been working more on videos. Here is a quickie I shot today. Would love to know what you all think about it. Basically, I was practicing using opacity and layers. Plus I love this song, and have felt this way many times.

** Note. If you have looked at this, look again. I tweaked it.


Ghost
Uploaded by dmeredith2

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Thursday, March 29, 2007

Fear Called Living



Living in New York City, you are almost constantly bombarded by independent musicians just trying to get a break. You see them everywhere. On the street, in the subway, in the parks. Most of the bands are good. Many are very good, yet their sound really is not that much different than what is out there now. It's those rare artists who break away from the mainstream who are able to break out of obscurity. "Fear Called Living" just may be one of those bands.

Fear Called Living (formerly called Arcadia) is a trip hop group formed in the Bronx. (Who ever said nothing good comes out of the Bronx?) Their music is a mix of electronica and hip-hop with a cool, melodic vocal track. The sound is quite indescribable. You must hear it to believe it. The best way to imagine the sound of this band is to imagine Evanescence with a much more cool and hip background.As of now, the band is currently unsigned. The website Unsigned.com has a place for them there.

Unsigned.com bills itself as, "the new voice for independent Artists looking for the chance to be discovered". They boast that over 2000 independent Artists have already signed on. The website is unique in that it allows listeners to interact directly with the artists, thereby building a "grass roots" listenership.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a hip-hop fan. Do not let the use of that term to describe this music steer you away. This entire genre of music is out there, and is not being played outside of big cities. All you have to do is ask. If you like a band that is getting no radio play, call the station and ask for it. Keep calling. Get everyone you know to call. That's what happened to John Mayer.

In the meantime, check out Fear Called Living and the entire trip hop genre at unsigned.com. While you are there, you can look around at some of their other genres...but trip hop is definitely something you may have never heard before. And I guarantee you will like it.

View the page here: Trip-Hop Bands

This post sponsored by UnSigned.

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Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Burger King starts the trend


If you know me, you know that I am a compassionate meat eater. I was at one point a vegan, but very unhealthy. I have always stood firm on animal rights, and it is a passion of mine to speak out for those who have no voice to speak for themselves. That being said, it is with great pleasure that I point out:

Burger King set to make "historic advance" in animal welfare: "...the world's second-largest hamburger chain, said Tuesday that it would begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that did not confine their animals in cages and crates. The company said that it would also favor suppliers of chickens that use gas, or "controlled-atmospheric stunning," rather than electric shocks, to knock birds unconscious before slaughter. It is considered a more humane method, though only a few slaughterhouses use it."



For more information, please visit PETA at: http://www.goveg.com/corp_murderk-victory.asp

And please, go out and have some BK fries or something.

The image posted above shows how mass-market chickens are treated in captivity. They have their beaks chopped off to prevent them from killing each other after being confined to crates makes them insane. Eat free-range, or don't eat it at all.

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Monday, March 26, 2007

This Weekend

Spring has sprung here in NYC. As of the end of last week, you couldn't really tell. The ground was covered in snow and we were still all wearing our puffy coats. Alas, the equinox has noxed, and we are now beginning the "light" half of the year.

Speaking of the light half of the year, Daylight Savings Time really kicked my ass this year. I don't really know why. All of a sudden, the clocks sprang forward, and left me behind in the dust. I have slowly recouperated in the recent weeks, but it. was. a. bitch.


My friend from my previous life, Ashley, came in to town this weekend. He was here for a blogging convention. He is working in Marketing at PayPerPost, and was here for a BlogHer convention. Ashley and I were friends through a girl that I dated over 10 years ago. We eventually became roommates and had some great times. He has lived in Orlando for a while. Due to just plain life, distance, and my phone anxiety, we have been spotty about keeping in touch. This weekend was the first time that I had seen him in about 7 years.

Anyways, Friday night we decided to go out and get drunk. We started our night at VYNL, which is one of my favorite places in Hell's Kitchen. After eating a little dinner there and of course having a couple of their amazing martinis, we decided to start our night. That's me standing outside VYNL.

When we were leaving VYNL, we ran into Kacy, mine and Justen's roommate, and his friend Brad. We decided to all meet up at Phoenix in Alphabet City. (Justen was on the way). The Phoenix is a really cool place to start your night. It has the feeling of a pub and is quite laid back. The music is not loud. It's very much a hang-out place. There is a pool table there. The movie that I was just in, Skull and Bones used it as a location. We took a seat in the side room (which looks like a dungeon) and waited for Justen. We drank a couple of more beers while there, and Justen came and joined us. Every time I go to Phoenix, I see a celebrity. Well, I use the term celebrity loosely. I see someone who is on TV. Last time I was there I saw the guy who plays the forensic investigator on Law and Order SVU, and this time, we saw Jay McCarroll, who was the winner of Season 1 of Project Runway. He has finally released his ready-to-wear collection and was there at Phoenix with a small entourage. He was wasted. When we were outside about to leave, he came barrelling out the door slurring his words. Either that or he may have been completely sober and speaking in tongues. I'm just sayin'.

We left the Phoenix and decided to cab across town to Mr. Black. This hipster haunt on Friday nights sports waiters wearing only aprons. The cover charge was $10, but we thought it may be fun. On the way there, we saw Kacy stumbling down the roadside, so we did what any friend would do. We rolled down the cab window and heckled him. Priceless.

The line at Mr. Black was around the block, and we didn't feel like waiting, so we walked into the West Village to Pieces, which is a little dive bar. Its right there across from the gay pride statues. We stayed there about 1 beer's length and were deciding to call it a night.

As we were walking down the street to get to the train, I saw Marie's Crisis, and knew we had to stop in. Marie's Crisis is a little bar in a basement that is a piano bar. You can go there and get a drink from the bartender and sit at the piano and sing along with god only knows who. Last time I was there, Dawn Weiner from Welcome to the Dollhouse was there. She was apparently having a sapphic convention there, and was getting a lot of attention. We arrived late, and there were no notables there. We all decided to do a Lemon Drop shot. I did mine, but Justen and Ashley didnt like theirs, so I did theirs too. That was my mistake. I was fine until I drank 3 shots of cheap vodka.

We got in a cab headed back to Astoria. We took the Williamsburg Bridge, which was bumper to bumper at 4am, then came here and crashed. I managed to get the airbed blown up for Ash, allthough I don't remember.

The next morning I awoke at 3pm in a black haze.

Justen went to dance class. God. 31 sucks.


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Wednesday, March 21, 2007

wii


Ok, I did it. Since last year, I have been secretly lusting after the Nintendo wii. (which is still, btw, impossible to buy in stores). Yesterday, afterreceiving birthday money from my parents, I went and stood on line outside the Nintendo world store in midtown from 6:45am until opening--i was first in line--and got the Nintendo wii.

Why may you ask? Well as a young man, I used to stay up nights with friends playing my first-generation Nintendo trying to beat the games. Many of you have been there with me--Super Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt, and most importantly THE LEGEND OF ZELDA.


When Legend of Zelda came out on the NES, I played it and played it. My nights were filled with the quest to rescue this princess. Later versions of Zelda also transfixed me. I was particularly into The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. This was for the Nintendo 64.

After seeing the advertisements for the wii, i thought that this would be the game system for me. I owned a PlayStation 2 for many years, and eventually sold it because I never played it. I had beaten "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds" and lost interest in the system completely. The games for the PS2 were just not for me. Most were war simulations and battle type games and frankly I never liked them. I started seeing the "trailers" for the new Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and my interest was picqued again. I researched the wii to determine if it would be a one-hit-wonder with me. I don't think so. Here are the reasons:

  • Nintendo releases many games that are not just bloody war type simulations. They even have a game tie in to the movie Happy Feet.
  • With the wii, you can buy all of the old games that you love so much. For 5 bucks, I was up playing Super Mario Brothers last night just like I did a decade ago. (okay, over two decades ago--the original came out in 1985) It is interesting to note that playing Super Mario Bros. is like riding a bicycle. You seem to go on auto-pilot as soon as the music starts.
  • With the wii I can send emails and messages to friends all over the world...which brings me to my question:

DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ONE OF THESE THINGS? IF YOU HAVE A wii, my number is: 6047 9712 3060 1158

Happy Day to everyone.

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Sunday, March 18, 2007

King of the World

What is it about birthdays? I have recently celebrated my 31st one. Justen and I went out to eat then saw COMPANY on Broadway. I don't really recommend it. Wait till it comes on video. Its just not that good. If I feel compelled later on, I will write about why I did not like it. Anyways, back to the lecture at hand....
I would like to start this off by saying that I am so excited to be in my thirties. If your twenties are representative for the quest to find yourself, then the thirties are definitely a time to chill inside said self. All of the pressure that I used to feel to "assimilate" or "be" or "do" is no longer there. I am just as happy on the sofa watching TV as I am at the movies. It's just that chill. Go out to eat, order takeout, cook...these are the questions that plague me daily...now I just go with the flow. If I want pizza, I eat pizza. If I want to fry chicken, I fry chicken. If I want to make brownies, I make brownies. And don't care.
The feeling of "laissez le bon temps rouler" or "laissez-faire" has spilled over into my professional life. Thats not such a good thing. If I go to an audition, I go. If I don't, I don't. I no longer have that little cheerleader Daniel in the back of my head saying "DO IT" "GO THERE", etc. And honestly, I don't miss that twit at all.
That being said, I realize that at some point, I do have to "shit or get off the pot" so to speak. But now I don't feel terribly motivated. And that's okay. I feel like as an actor I am in a weird transitional period between playing the roles that I have played thus far and the roles that I am yet to play. I think I am just gonna coast for a while. And pay my student loans.
So as I wake up today, closer to 40 then I am to 20, I wonder what will this decade hold. I am only one year into it, and I love it. So far. The past few years of my life have been the best ever:

  • meeting Justen
  • getting Naomi
  • backpacking across Europe
  • Moving to New York
  • working as an actor
Time will tell what is to come, but right now I am the "King of the World". Or at least the unemployment line.

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Thursday, February 22, 2007

Its been a while, but here goes

Golly, it has been a little while since I last blogged. So much has happened...lets see where to start...

First, the audition I went on was for Periwinkle National Theatre's tour of HALFWAY THERE.

That being said, getting that job has opened a door for me. Actually it kicked me in the ass a little. So, I quit my PR job. I think that I need to focus hard-core on working in the business here, and with my cushy job, I cant do that. I am only going on safe auditions, and I need to get out there more. And make money. So thats that.

Tim and Derek came over President's day weekend, and I made some good 'ole gumbo for everyone. Beau (their puppy) stayed with us while they went to the theatre, and Naomi had a field day. I haven't seen her play like that in years. It was so refreshing. Beau is welcome in our house ANY day.

Later that night, Justen, Tim, Derek and I went to a local bar called Albatross. I have nothing else to say about this bar. Its there. 'nuff said.

LOST is actually getting better. Thank God. Maybe it wont get canceled now. We will see.

Are Jim and Pam ever gonna get together on the Office? I wonder. Cause probably if they did, there wouldnt be any reason to watch. Except that I love that show. I love it bad.

We saw Pan's Labyrinth recently. I will write a separate review of it at some point, but the gist is, go see it. Its beautiful. Its also a bit bloody, but it is good. If you are expecting Narnia, its not like that at all. More like Titus. or if Titus and Narnia had a child, it would be Pan's Labyrinth. Oh, and the child would have to be Spanish.

I have been working hard on my ancestry. Nothing crazy new to report except that Gore Vidal is actually a very close relative to me. 3rd or 4th cousin. Kinda cool, since I like him.

OK. time to go back to work.

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Monday, February 12, 2007

Mimin' Hurts, 'yall

So on Saturday, which was also the day of Jen Nelson Lane's big blowout birthday party, I went to an audition for a character in a TYA show. The character is basically the personification of bad. He tempts the characters back into a life of drugs, booze, or whatever. ANYWAYS, the part is masked, and a mime.

Ok, so it has been a while since I have mimed. Maybe since my last mime at grad school (i remember all of us doing a scene where we were all in a gym. Then another scene where we were attacked by our bathroom necessities---mine was shaving cream.) where was I...OH yeah. pain.

I did a little of the choreography from the show as well as some leans and other basic mime stuff on Saturday. No problem. I was actually quite good. Problem is...it is monday now, and I still cant walk right. I used muscles that havent been used in years. There are parts of my quad which are used in mimin' that arent used in anything I have done since 2003.

I put a heat patch on today, and had to take it off cause I was sweating my ass off. And it felt like the skin on my thigh was gone. all of it.

Anyways, I have a callback for this part on Wednesday. Please pray for my little used muscles.
and my burned up thigh.

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