The Electrifying Bionic Showgirl

The Academy Awards were on last night, and while we had a fun little get together with friends, the show wasn't that exciting this year.  I have a theory that the Awards Show is good every other year.  I was super into them last year with movies like 'Black Swan,' 'The Social Network,'  and 'The Fighter.'  I saw almost all the movies in 2009 as well, like 'Slumdog Millionaire,' 'Milk,' and 'Doubt.'  Don't get me wrong, there were some great nominations this year, but compared to last years Oscar Party hosted by my friends, Dale & Thi, nothing was going to compare to the fun and excitement of that!

I had a Commercial Audition today in West Hollywood for the Broadway Show 'Follies' which is coming to the Ahmanson Theatre here in Los Angeles.  I got there right on time, signed in, and in a couple minutes, a girl looking very much like Marilyn Monroe walked out and said good luck.  Apparently, they had my headshot on file, which is why they called me in, and B* recognized me right away.  Awesome :)  I wasn't even sure what role I was auditioning for, and the only information they gave me prior was to wear form-fitting clothes that I could do a little choreography in.  When I got into the room they showed me was a 2 second clip of a show girl moving across the stage.  M* & B* told me do some dance steps, and to move elegantly and gracefully.  No problem!  I slated and then did a couple dance moves, turns, and smiled, and the audition was over in 30 seconds.  Before I left they commented on me being Lindsay Wagner the 'Bionic Woman,' we had a nice laugh over it, and then I told them that my brother is also Robert Wagner.  Hopefully, I made a strong and personable impression on them!

My usual Yoga Class on Monday evenings has been postponed for another couple weeks, as I found out tonight, Jo is in Australia.  I tried a new class tonight, and the duo of Noah and Christina kicked my butt.  It was a level one class, but they said, technically two with attitude.  Yes it was!  I felt like every 15 minute increment was another half hour!  I gave myself props because I held up well, but it was so different from my usual class, I just wasn't used to it.  I'm really looking forward to Jo being back in late March.

Earlier in the day I received a phone call to confirm my availability on Friday for the '1000 Ways to Die' shoot, and then just 2 hours later got another call saying the show was being put on hiatus.  They said when they start shooting again, they will definitely call me back in to film, but I'm just hoping the show isn't permanently cancelled.  What a bummer!  But then this morning while I was getting ready for my audition, I was curling my hair, and all of a sudden felt a jolt through my wrist that went up my arm.  I didn't want to assume the worst and kept curling my hair, when literally, on my last section, I started to unwind it, and POP, sparks fly, and another jolt.  Pretty sure I was electrocuted...ok, shocked, for those less dramatic...twice!  Thank goodness I didn't start myself or anything else on fire!  So that was the end of my curling iron, but it got me to thinking about the quote, lightning never strikes twice in the same place...perhaps I'm on God's good graces today and I have some luck coming my way :)  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

*Side note:  I spoke to a Conair Representative about the Curling Iron who said because I was no longer under the 2 year warranty, that there wasn't much he could do, but he would send the claim to the Warranty Department and hopefully they could help, super nice guy, and I appreciated his help.  After the conversation I just had with a Supervisor, Doug, in the Warranty Dept, I wish they had never called me to 'help'.  They said they would send me a new Curling Iron but I would have to pay for the Shipping of my old Curling Iron, and also write a check to pay for the Shipping of the new one to me.  That may only be $10, but with all that hassle, it would be easier to just go to Target and get the same model for $17.  OR buy a different brand because it concerns me that a product that actually shocked someone, and had sparks fly off of it, would be the consumer's fault.  I guess I'm lucky it didn't start a fire or injure me, because who knows how they would have tried to 'fix' it.  Like I said, I would have rather never heard anything back than be insulted and disappointed by their lack of customer service.  I don't think I'll be buying any Conair products in the future.

Cues & Chalk

After Dinner on Saturday Night, Neil and I decided to go out and have a drink, and do something we don't normally do, so we went into Gabe's for Karaoke (which is not our usual night we go in), to play some darts or pool.  No cocktails for me, so I ordered a Blue Moon with a splash of OJ, because I can't drink soda either...no hard alcohol is proving to be a challenge and I like it!

Neil and I set up to play some pool, put our quarters in and started our first game.  There are two tables at Gabe's, and no one is playing at the table next to us, and this guy comes and puts down a roll of quarters...A ROLL!  Neil and I look at each other, we're playing for fun, and clearly playing together, why would someone put down quarters on a table when there is an open table next to us?  Then I get called to sing, and I figure they'll move to the next table, and the guy actually asks Neil if we're going to finish our game or not?  I could understand if the other table was full, and in that case, I would have passed my turn to sing so we could finish our game and be polite to those who fairly put money down, but this was kind of ridiculous.  Literally, seconds after the game is done, the guy is putting his quarters in and racking the remaining balls on the table.  Neil and I decline the game (and trust me, we would have won), but it was more the principle of the matter...we were there to have fun and play together and someone came in to be competitive and just weren't in that kind of mood.  So I got another buck in quarters and put money in the table next to them.  Neil and I were able to play in peace for the rest of the night :)

Both of us got up to the mic to sing a couple times and I didn't even plan on it, but sang a new song, and did 'Joey' by Concrete Blonde.  I can't wait to do it again when I actually know it better because it's a good song choice as Simon Cowell would say.  Neil killed 'Why Georgia Why,' by John Mayer too!  I'm going to be Hosting Karaoke on Saturday Night this next week because I'll be filming for '1000 Ways to Die' on Friday, so it was kind of nice to get a feel for the Saturday crowd.

And if you're wondering who won the pool game...it was definitely a good match but Dubbs came out on top...I'm sure a re-match is in order.  Perhaps that's why you always want to play Darts, Daly ;)

Scary Stories!

Last night I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's and we had another slow week...what's going on out there, Friends?  I thought last week it was a day after Valentine's Day thing...then perhaps it could be because everyone's preparing their taxes and realized they have overspent...and then I heard it...we've got a couple people out, regulars and some co-workers who are sick with Bronchitis!  One thing my Mom always said when we were little was, put a coat on, put your hat on, put your gloves on, it's cold outside, you're going to catch a cold.  As I got older, I learned you can't catch a cold from being cold, so that would always be my response, to which I would hear from my Mom, well, it doesn't help, so put your coat on.  California is living proof that it can be absolutely beautiful outside, it was 80 degrees today, and people are dropping like flies!  So many people are sick or have been sick with Bronchitis in the past month or so.  I've been lucky so far that I haven't gotten it, but trust me, I've been washing my hands non-stop, keeping warm, and trying to stay healthy so I can avoid it this season.

Anyway...we still managed to have a good night at Karaoke even though my main customer was, Mustard.  Yes, his nickname was Mustard...I didn't ask any questions.  He liked to sing and kept me entertained, so I really can't complain :)  My new song of the night was The Ronette's, 'Be My Baby,' from 'Dirty Dancing.'  I want to work on it more, because it was a really fun song.  I also got back to a couple songs I haven't sang in a while like Pat Benatar and Tracy Chapman.  I did get offered my first drink of Lent, and turned that Margarita down pretty easily...thank goodness I had an audition today, so I had a good excuse to say no.  Karaoke was pretty low-key and I was glad to get to bed early for my audition today!

My audition was for a Horror Film, and was a cold reading with the sides available at the audition, so my only prep was making sure I was relaxed, comfortable, and confident.  The drive to Manhattan Beach was quick, and it was in a neighborhood with some beautiful houses.  It went fairly quick, and I did the scene 3 times, three different ways, and felt like I was really able to give a good range of emotions and different takes so I hope the Director will be happy when she sees the footage.  After I read the scene the Writer had me tell a scary story, so I told her about my old Waitressing job at Siebkin's in Elkart Lake, Wisconsin.  The building was totally haunted and I used to have to open at 5 am for Breakfast and I was there all alone until guests would come down around 6 am.  I heard noises, pots and pans clanging, water running, lights would switch on and off, and I even saw ghosts and pictures moving.  One day I was so scared I locked myself in the freezer...I have no idea what I was thinking, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  At least the ghosts seemed friendly, just family of the the family that currently owned it, and from time to time they would make their presence known to the staff and even guests.  Oh how I miss that job.

I also spent some time today looking at Casting Workshops and found a couple in the next month or two that look really good, so I can get some more training in!  I got a re-shoot date for the '1000 Ways to Die' story for next week, so I'm excited for that.  I've got some left-over Olive Garden, picked up 'What's Your Number,' at the Redbox, and the apartment to myself...I'm a happy girl.

47 Days

Today I had one of those awesome work-outs where you really feel like you worked hard, and know the hard work is paying off.  I suppose it didn't hurt that a couple who was working out at the stairs when I was, asked if I was training for something.  Nope just working hard to look and feel my best :)  Yesterday is my usual Yoga day at Yogaglo, and unfortunately, my class got cancelled, so I did Yoga at home for almost an hour, semi-following a practice that was on On Demand, but also incorporating the poses and techniques I've been doing weekly at Yogaglo.  So this week has started off incredible!

Today is Fat Tuesday aka Mardi Gras aka the day before Ash Wednesday, for us Catholics.  I like to give up something for Lent, and usually I give up Soda, Fast Food, Junk Food, and Candy.  I don't drink a whole lot of soda, or go out for Fast Food that often, or even eat candy that regularly, but when I add them all up, it becomes a challenge.  Subway does not count for junk food, and ordering a Grilled Chicken Salad at McDonald's is acceptable, in my book anyway.

Right now, I'm thinking of adding no hard alcohol, to what I'm giving up.  I'm not saying I'm going to buy a bottle of wine every night, because that's not helping me, but if I feel like a glass of wine or a beer if I'm out watching a sporting event, I'd like to partake in the festivities!  Most people during Lent have one cheat day a week, but since I'm not cutting everything cold turkey, there are no cheat days for me.  I will say this though, any candy I still have in the house is fair game, and I have a little bit of Passion Fruit Vodka left...besides it was Valentine's Day last week, and all that candy was on sale on February 15th.  Maybe I'll just have to eat or drink it all tonight!

So in 47 days I will be craving a Root Beer, having Taco Bell, getting a DiGorno Pizza, eating some Cadbury Cream Eggs, and enjoying a Vodka Tonic.  I'm predicting on April 9th I might be sick...

What's for Dinner? Part 3.

On Saturday Night I wanted to do a nice big Dinner, something special, because it had been so long since I cooked something 'fancy.'  First I set the apartment with candles, grabbed some of the petals off my roses, scattered them on the table and put on the Swingers & Standards Music Channel on TV.  Then I started cooking...

The Set Up!

*I picked those little white and purple flowers when I left Church on Saturday Night and they are currently making my apartment smell amazing!*  

I wanted a Mexican Feast, so I decided to make Chicken Fajita's with Spanish Rice, Corn, a Salad to start, and also needed dessert, so I baked a Cake. 

Here are the ingredients needed for tonight's "What's For Dinner?'

Chicken Fajita's

1 Lb Chicken Breast

1/2 an Onion

1 Bell Pepper

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Water

Fajita Seasoning

Tortilla's

I bought Del Monte canned Corn because I was looking for a specific flavor.  Normally, I would steam corn or use frozen, but the canned Corn fit my meal.  I also got Rice A Roni's Whole Grain Spanish Rice and just followed the recipe. 

For my Salad I used both Arugula and Butter Lettuce, topped with Mushrooms, and did a Catalina Dressing to keep with my Mexican idea.  I just looked it up, and Catalina derives from a Kingdom in Spain.  Pretty cool and glad it fit with my theme :)

Chicken, Peppers, and Onions sizzling away!

I cut my chicken breasts into strips and then heat a pan and put my olive oil in, once it was warm, I added my chicken which sizzled away.  Luckily, I had my apron on, so I wasn't getting spattered by the hot oil.  While the chicken was cooking, I cut both a yellow and orange bell pepper in half, used a half from each, and cut those into strips.  I also cut an onion in half and chopped it.  Make sure the chicken is cooked completely, and no longer pink before you add the water, fajita seasoning, and your vegetables.  I let that cook for a few minutes, so the vegetables were still crisp, but everything had taken on the fajita seasoning and had a great flavor.  Then I loaded a tortilla with my fajita fixings, along with some Mexican Cheese and Sour Cream.  It was a fairly simple meal but I was glad to try something different and out of my comfort zone.

A Mexican Feast!

Good Cake.

My water glasses are actually from a Sushi Restaurant and originally Sake was in them.  They've got a beautiful Japanese design on the inside! 

My cake was a Pillsbury Yellow Cake Mix and Pillsbury Milk Chocolate Frosting.  Why fix what isn't broke ;)  One of these days I'm sure I'll figure out a great recipe for cake and frosting, but with minimal time, I needed a meal that was going to be fairly quick and simple.  I added Sweet Tarts Hearts to the top to make it special.

Another successful and delicious Dinner that was actually very healthy and I was really glad to enjoy my leftovers today!

American Idol Recap & Karaoke

American Idol has started yet again, and while I don't watch the Auditions throughout the Cities, I get into it once they get to Hollywood week.  This year they seemed to have a lot of drama throughout group week, and as I watched each of the episodes I noticed a lot of people fainting, getting sick, and being unable to perform.  My question is, is it the show's fault for giving them such a short time to prepare and get together to practice and rehearse before the performance, and the contestants are just so exhausted, or perhaps nervous that they're fainting left and right?  I've never seen so many people going down in an American Idol season ever.  Or is it the contestants fault for not taking better care of themselves?  People are fainting out of exhaustion and dehydration, they need to be drinking water non-stop, and as singers, they should know this.  All of this drama creates good TV and since they've cut out so many of the crazy auditions, perhaps this is a way to get viewers to stay tuned.  Personally, I think it makes it look terrible and shows no regard for the people's health and well-being.  It is a competition, but Ryan Seacrest is the only person to show any concern when something like this happens.  It was nice to see all the contestants traveling to Las Vegas to perform 50's & 60's songs, which is a good challenge for them, and it looked as though everyone had pulled themselves together to perform to the best of their ability with no health scares.  At any rate, I'll look forward to when it's the Top 24 and hopefully everyone is prepared for the competition ahead!

Last night I had Karaoke and while I was hoping for my busy Whitney Houston Tribute Night, that did not happen.  The night was steady, but only had one Whitney performance.  We all had a lot of fun and it became a lively night as more singers and fun showed up!  My new song was Paula Abdul's 'Cold Hearted Snake' which was a fun little song to sing, and I completely forgot that she kind of raps throughout the song.  It was a nice surprise and challenge for me.  I closed the night with 'Cryin' by Aerosmith because it's been a long time since I've sang the song, and everybody in the crowd was jamming out with me, so I'm glad we all enjoyed ourselves and I was even happier that a couple friends of mine showed up to brighten my evening!

*Trust*

Wednesday was my first day of Hosting Karaoke since the tragic loss of the amazing and talented Whitney Houston.  I was hoping for a Tribute Night at Karaoke, but I think everyone was spent from Valentine's Day so the busy night I was hoping to have, was actually pretty mellow.  I'm hoping on Friday I can have a respectable Tribute Night filled with happy people who want to share their voice in honor of Whitney!  I was able to sing 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' which was received well, so at least I could get some love out there!  My new song of the night was a request from the Birthday Boy, Alan, so I sang 'Game of Love' by Michelle Branch.  A had a couple friends came in and kept the crowd entertained, and Jonathan and I sang 'I Got You Babe,' which was actually my first time singing that as well!  I was actually happy to have a rather slow night because it gave me a chance to get out of work early so I could get some sleep for my shoot on Thursday with '1000 Ways to Die.'

I was up ready and raring to go, very excited to be working on a project!  The episode of '1000 Ways to Die' was shooting at a residence in Van Nuys and I actually got there early so I did all my paperwork and then headed over to the wardrobe trailer to figure out my changes for the episode.  It's a fairly busy scene, so I had 6 wardrobe changes.  After that was all set, I went into make-up, and just 15 minutes later, I was all prepped for shooting.  Lucky for all of us with a noon call-time, so we got to have lunch with everyone.  I love my craft service :)  After lunch, the other 2 leads and myself headed back to the trailer to get ready until we were called to set.  We were waiting for a couple hours and then got the sad news that the shoot was cancelled for the day due to unforeseen circumstances.  We all parted ways and are hoping to be called back in to film next week.  Keep those fingers crossed!

  

I know that these things happen all the time, and some of us all hope we don't jinx things by saying 'hey, we're working on this,' or 'we're in this show,' or 'we just booked this commercial,' in fear that something might happen.  I've been cut out of 'The Office' before, gotten so close to booking a commercial, only to hear a couple hours later they went with someone else, and that person was a guy.  It would be easy to be sad and disappointed by all this, and trust me those are the first emotions that hit, but then I realize everything happens for a reason, and there's something bigger and better out there for me, and when the time is right, it will happen for me.  Patience and a lot of trust.  That's all you can believe in. 

Valentine's Day

Now that Valentine's Day has come and gone, and I don't need to worry about it for another 364 days, I'm happy to say yesterday was wonderful :)

Last week I received Valentine's Flowers from my Mom and Dad so that set the tone that February 14th was coming soon.  Like I said, I've had terrible Valentine's Day's in the past, so as I do every year, I was hoping this one would be different.  As usual, my parents always kick it off with a good start!  Thank you Mom and Dad for taking the time to think of me and send me flowers and a card!

At midnight on February 14th, Neil called to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day and asked me to be his Valentine.  It was very sweet and thoughtful of him!  Then when I woke up in the morning I had an e-mail from my Mom, and an e-card from Neil, which was hilarious!  The day progressed with the video spot that I shot for ILF Media a few weeks ago in Spokane; I finally received the finished copy of it!  I was so excited to see it and share it with family and friends.  Then, later that afternoon I got an e-mail from '1000 Ways to Die' saying they had cast me in an episode which was filming on Thursday this week!  YAY!  I'm so glad I booked something this month :)

I drove to Neil's that evening, there was Motown playing, the table was set, there were appetizers, and beautiful Roses.  Neil brought me a cocktail and I was excited to learn that he was cooking me Dinner.  I was even more surprised when he announced it was steak!  My favorite and it was delicious.  He made Valentine's very thoughtful and special.  I believe that guys should get gifts on Valentine's as well, so I had a card, Chocolates and the new David Cook CD for him, hopefully, I made it special for him as well!  We also finally checked out No Bar's Happy Hour because it goes till 10 pm and it's really close to Neil's place.  Chill vibe and cheap drinks, yes please!  Of course, no Valentine's Day would be complete without 'Jersey Shore' and a game of 'Snooks.'  It was a very fun evening!

Overall, the day was awesome!  I got the video for Kaplan College from ILF Media, I booked a job shooting this week, and the day was special thanks to family and friends.  Hopefully, all of your Valentine's were just as special.

Suicide Monkey's, Hot Dog Buns, Meditation & Lemongrass

After a busy week I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend, and it was, in my own way, a version of relaxing ;)

I had gone on a run on Friday afternoon and walked to Trader Joe's and Albertson's to pick up some fresh groceries to make dinner for the weekend.  After a parking fiasco for Neil he decided we needed to do a Happy Hour!  I had some Vodka chilling in the freezer, while I said to pick up some juice since I already had sparkling soda, he being a typical guy, brings a bunch of fruity soda's.  He suggested we make Suicide's, so Suicide Monkey's they were with Passion Fruit Vodka and Strawberry & Grape Soda.  Quite dangerous I might add, and yes, they were delicious.  A little cheese and cracker plate appetizer, a new disc of 'Friends' and Happy Hour it was!  For Dinner, we had a Mushroom and Arugula Salad with a Red Pepper Dressing, and the main course was a Pesto Sausage and Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta.  Yum...it was my kind of night!

On Sunday, Neil and I ventured over to the Topanga Mall, where we shopped for almost 7 hours!  Both of us very happy with the day's purchases and finally settling up with our Christmas gifts.  We had some returns and exchanges to do, but wanted to shop together, because it's more fun that way for all the people we encounter :)  Really.  We settled on a Wine and Turkey Dog night, because classy we are, and of course, watched the Grammy's.  Not one to stray when music has entered our day, we went over to The Casting Office Bar in Studio City where they were doing Karaoke.  There were a couple Whitney Houston Tributes, as expected, and even a performance by me because I can't avoid a good Karaoke bar, especially when I'm NOT the one in charge!  Overall, a very fun, but exhausting day.

A Successful Shopping Trip = New Jeans at Karaoke

I always look forward to my Monday's, because it's become my weekly day of Yoga Practice.  Today was like no other, and for the first time (I think) since I ever started Yoga, I kept my breath flowing in and out perfectly the entire time.  Perhaps it was because we started with a Meditation and I was very focused on a healthy and happy session.  I got outside after the hour-long class, saw it was still light out (yay for the days being longer and it getting closer to Summer), and felt rejuvenated!  I had more energy coming out of class than I did when I went in.  I made a nice big salad and also a veggie quesadilla, which for some reason, tasted really good today!  Minutes after I'd finished Dinner, got a phone call from Carolyn asking to go out for Dinner.  Not one to turn down Dinner and catch up time with a close friend, she picked me up and we went to this great Thai Place on Venice Blvd.  I had called her earlier in the evening because I was craving their Lemongrass Soup, which thankfully, is also one of her favorite items on the menu.  It was just as I remembered it and a perfect compliment to a pot of green tea :)

Certainly, not a bad way to start my week...because we all know what day it is tomorrow, but hopefully, the great beginning is a sign of the week ahead.  Happy Valentine's Day all...and much love <3

I'm keeping my red ticket.

Wednesday Night it was back to Hosting Karaoke and it was Sam's Birthday so he came in to celebrate and sing.  We had a pretty busy night because of the Pool League and a steady stream of singers, but for the most part, everyone kept it low key.  I did a couple duets, one with Johnathan and another with Marcus, and dedicated two songs to my Mom because it was her Birthday at midnight.  I hadn't sang 'When You Say Nothing At All' in a very long time, and I sang that for her my Senior year in High School for Cabaret, so it brought back a great but teary memory :)  My new song for the night was 'Undo It' by Carrie Underwood, and I'm glad I'm still keeping up with my resolution and challenge!

On Thursday night I got invited to a Press Screening of 'Wanderlust,' at the Hollywood Arc Light.  I was stoked because I love Jennifer Aniston and really enjoy Paul Rudd.  I actually just realized now why their chemistry was so great, because they had worked on 'Friends' together years earlier.  I just recently re-started 'Friends' from the beginning.  I have the box set and when I'm feeling bored I pop in a disc and continue where I last left off.  It still makes me laugh; every time.

Back to the screening, no cell phones, no cameras, no recording devices and I was sent into the theater.  I had a red ticket and was told to hold onto it so I could be seated in the VIP section.  Score!  Obviously, I picked up Sour Patch Kids on the way in, I can't enjoy a movie without some sort of candy or popcorn.  It took a long time for everyone to get sat but finally the movie was starting.

These screenings are really neat because you're seeing the movie before the general public is.  Sometimes it's a few days in advance sometimes it's weeks or even months in advance.  I don't want to give the plot away but I thought it was really cute.  I think this was a different role for Jennifer, she looked as beautiful as ever, and I'd never seen Justin Theroux act before, and he was crazy in a good way.  My only issue with movies now a days is that the weirder or grosser they are, the 'funnier' they are, and I don't really agree with that.  I miss the days of a comedy without saying derogatory terms or a scene involving everyone throwing up or doing #2 all at the same time.  I'm not saying it didn't happen back in the day, I'm just saying, it wasn't the premise of the movie, or what the writers relied upon for humor.  Overall, I liked it, but could have done without a lot of the nudity and over-emphasis of trying to be funny.  It's a different idea for a movie with a lot of known actors playing new characters.

After the movie was done, I was starving and really looking forward to Chick-Fil-A; especially since it was my first visit to the location that opened up in Hollywood last Summer, and had been over 8 months since the last time I had it.  How I missed my sauces!  Delicious...as usual.

Wish I could have been with my Mom on her Birthday since I was lucky and got to spend it with her last year but I'm sure we'll celebrate when I'm home this Spring with a trip to the Casino...I was just happy to hear she won big at midnight!  Happy Birthday Mom...I love you!

A Typical Auditioning Day in LA?

Thursday was a really exciting day for me because I had 2 auditions and a very busy day ahead!  Randomly, both required swimsuits, and I figured I'd rather have all the swimwear auditions in one day so I can solely concentrate on them.

I always prep for my auditions by making sure I have scripts read and any lines memorized.  I try to get a good night's sleep, and eat healthier for a couple days before, and also try to avoid alcohol for days sometimes even weeks building up to an audition.  Diet is extremely important when it comes to a swimsuit audition, and I'm not the type of person to starve myself, but I make sure I'm getting in a good work out with cardio and strength training so I look good, and that I'm eating healthy meals and avoiding anything that's going to make me feel heavy.  If I'm walking a runway, I want to float!  Other than that, a positive attitude and smile are key components!

My first Audition on Thursday was in Beverly Hills.  I saw a Casting Call looking for models of all heights and sizes who would be auditioning to walk the Runway for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week while wearing swimsuits or lingerie.  My first thought was what an amazing opportunity, and since there was no height requirement, I could actually audition!  I was notified on Tuesday of the audition, and that Janice was going to be present.  I immediately knew that meant Janice Dickinson.  Holy crap.  That woman is a legend, she's been on numerous magazine covers, TV shows, is a queen in the fashion world, and has a very out-going personality.  I was afraid.

I got to the audition at 12:30 pm and there was already a line of girls out the door and it only got longer as time went by.  It was a little chaotic but by 1 pm, cameras were rolling, the judges were ready, and auditions were beginning.  There were girls everywhere in swimsuits, putting on lotion or baby oil, re-applying make-up, flipping their hair, as I stood among them in my blue flowing dress, trying to keep it on as long as possible.  Perhaps this wasn't my best idea?

Janice actually came out and addressed all of us, saying we were fabulous, and she wanted to see everyone, and to please be patient because we were all important.  After almost 2 hours of waiting in my 4 inch heels (and I ran from the parking garage in fear I would be late, which was 4 blocks away), my back was killing me, but it was time to be confident, fabulous, and fun.  I walked into the room, full of excitement and introduced myself.  Why did I want to walk the runway, because I'm from Wisconsin, spunky, fun, appeal to both guys and girls, I'm real, and I blow fire :)  As I did my walk in front of the panel of judges I was shaking and incredibly nervous but continued to smile and give it my all.  Janice even said I had a nice tush, and could tell I worked out, and she thought it looked great (she was all about the booty with everyone else too).  They then commented how I could blow fire down the runway and no one else could do that, very impressive.  They asked my name one more time, as I said, Lyndsey Wegner, I heard the familiar, you're the bionic woman.  I gave a quick wink and walked out of the room.  I was still shaking on the walk to the car and was impressed that I stayed cool in front of some super impressive people.  Whew...I was so glad it was over!

I made a quick stop at home so I could run lines for a little bit and grab a snack and relax for a minute before I was off to my second audition in Hollywood.  Once again had to park super far from the building, and be cautious of parking in Hollywood because it's so easy to get a ticket, and once again I was off running in my 4 inch heels!  I really need to start bringing tennis shoes with me.  I can't say much about the audition other than I was auditioning for a role of a Co-Host for a show on a cable network.  I definitely felt much more confident at this audition and was surrounded by some more down to earth girls which made me feel a little bit more at ease while I was preparing for the audition.  I had changed out of my dress for this audition and was able to keep on my plaid pink button down and black shorts so that was nice as well, while the Casting Director commented on my 'pretty eyes.'  Quite a difference from the first audition, not that I didn't appreciate the first one, just a completely different experience.  I'm really hoping for a call-back on this one!

I guess it's not out of the ordinary to have swimwear auditions, especially in the city of Los Angeles, as it's sunny pretty much year round.  I have to admit, I'd rather memorize a scene and sit in traffic for an hour, than do a swimsuit audition, but I'm just lucky that I have the opportunity to audition for them in the first place, and won't have that forever, so I just have to be thankful for the chance while I have it!

After my second audition I went over to the Arc Light to see a Press Screening of 'Wanderlust'...but more about that in my next blog :)

Dragons, Jersey Shore, Downward Dog, and Music...OH MY!

Oh Monday, the start of the week, and it's going to be busy.  I couldn't be happier!

I headed off to my Audition in Burbank on Monday morning prepared, as a snobby girlfriend, who paraded herself in front of the boys, with a good back-story and everything I needed to rock my audition.  This audition was for '1000 Ways to Die' which I had worked on in 2010, but currently, my episode has yet to air.  I was hoping this time I would be cast, and finally have my Spike TV debut.  After about 10 minutes in the waiting area, I was called in for my audition, which was going to be all improv, and it definitely was!  I looked a little more 'Jersey Shore' than the Casting Director had expected and a quick change was made to my audition, and all my original thoughts and ideas were thrown out the window to be a Reality Star who owned her own Tanning Salon, a-la Snookie.  I think it's weird for my family to think that I could be ethnic looking, as they see me as their 'Little Lyndsey,' who is Irish and German (technically Luxembourg,) while in Hollywood, I could be Middle Eastern like Kim Kardashian, Italian/Spanish looking like Penelope Cruz, the cast of Jersey Shore, or Michelle Rodriguez, and even Jewish, like Mila Kunis or Lizzy Caplan, in which I've heard a reference before.  Needless to say, the quick change flustered me, and I felt like I didn't audition at my best ability.  I am glad to say, it's been a long time since I've felt that way, but frustrated that I was unable to rock the audition like I had planned.

Instead of letting the audition eat away at me all day, I'm lucky it was my day for Yoga.  I went in with a heavy mind and was able to leave a little more at ease with the days events.  After Yoga, I was starving so I went home and cooked up a nice pasta dish and decided on watching 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.'  First off...it took almost an hour to get into the movie for me, which at that point, hit a very graphic turn, and would cause most to turn it off at that point, but sucked me in to find out what was going to happen.  Thank goodness for IMDB, because I was able to follow along on the Plot Analysis, because I felt like the dialogue was very quiet, a little muffled, and hard to understand with the accents, not to mention, all the Swedish names made it confusing as to figure out whom the actors were talking about.  I actually look forward to watching the original movie with the subtitled Swedish.  Overall, I feel it's one of those movies you'll understand and like more as you watch it and more than once, although I think the average person will quickly move on past the graphic scenes as they are terrifying.  I definitely want to see it again, and look forward to the original movie.

So as the day started off rocky, and moved into a peaceful state, and yet again back to a hyper-sensitive state, I went into Venice to see Neil at Trip Bar on Lincoln Blvd.  We got there around 9:30 pm and literally, doubled the amount of people in the only Wine and Beer Bar.  Neil was able to play a full hour set, and while he was overcoming a case of Bronchitis, he rocked it out for a bunch of people that showed up to see him play!  The sound quality in the bar and his vocals were incredible as he played new songs and old, along with a great version of 'More Than a Woman' by the Bee Gee's, and yet finally, my 'Everlong' by the Foo Fighters.  Trip is definitely a great bar to check out local musicians as well as sporting events and new beers!

This weekend literally knocked me out, and I was so glad to crawl into my comfy bed and get a good night's sleep that night...finally :)

My LOVE for Cupcakes!

For those of you who don't know, Cupcakes, are one of my favorite things in the entire world!  They are a great Birthday present, and also, the perfect gift for anytime.  They are thoughtful, sweet, fun, and cute; not to mention, they are the perfect size to eat at any occasion.

Meggan's Superbowl Party was coming up on Sunday, so it was Dessert Time for me.  I usually make cupcakes and decorate depending on the occasion.  Luckily, my errands on Friday led me to Valentine's Day cupcake batter, so it was a Vanilla Cake with red accents.  So there I sat, on Saturday afternoon making my cupcakes.  I had also picked up some white Vanilla Frosting, which I dyed a beautiful shade of blue.  Trust me, it's difficult to get the right shade of Patriot Blue, as I didn't want it to be too bright, so I even added a drop of green and yellow dye, and luckily got a very bright shade of blue.  I knew I could have experimented to get a deep blue, but I had to be overly-cautious, because I didn't have enough time to practice with color.  I ended up with perfectly baked cupcakes and in my opinion, perfect frosting.  I did frost them on my own, because my helper was more interested in eating the frosting and my anal retentiveness, along with my wanting no lines in my frosting, forced me to eventually do the job on my own.   

Meggan had out-done herself with two infused vodka drinks.  The first being a Basil, Jalapeno, and Bacon infused Vodka, and the second being Mango, Watermelon, and Pineapple.  I had to try both, so I started off with a Bloody Mary, perfect for the start of the Football Game, and also perfect for checking out Aaron Rodgers Pre-Game :)  It was super spicy, but kicked off the game!   I switched over to the Fruity Vodka after the first drink and was able to enjoy Shrimp Dip, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, along with a Sausage and Corn Dip which was incredible.  Needless to say, we were all well-fed!

Superbowl 2012 Crew!

Although, the game didn't end the way I wanted it to, (with a Patriots Victory,) I was so glad to be spending time with some great friends.  My only quip...it's a Superbowl Party, if you're not interested in the game, and the invite says, 'Superbowl Party,' be fair to the people who are there to watch the game, and allow them to enjoy it.  As Actors, we all love to see our friends in commercials, and hope we can be there in them someday as well, but as Sports Fans, it's the Superbowl, a once a year event, and darn it, I want to see the game!

So...Go Pack Go!  I expect to see a Packer Victory next Year!

3D Mermaids in Bathtubs

Wow...the end of last week and weekend just flew by, so much in fact I'm going to post multiple blogs today because not only was it a busy weekend but a very creative one at that!

Thursday night I was pleasantly surprised with tickets to see 'Beauty and the Beast' in 3D.  I have never seen a 3D movie so it was something new and exciting for me to experience.  I haven't seen this Disney movie in years, but still remembered most of the lines and all of the songs throughout the show.  It's interesting to think how the designers work on a movie that's been on DVD for almost 20 years and how they make it 3D.  Clearly, it's the new 'it' thing as 'Titanic' will be done later this year, (I'm definitely seeing that) as well as 'Star Wars' being worked on as well.  I think the most obvious 3D effects were the weather conditions as there's a ton of rain throughout the movie, which was really neat to see, and of course I loved the snow.  I didn't feel like it was overly done but had some great touches that enhanced an already great Disney movie!  The only negative aspect of the 3D experience was the 3D butter and white cheddar topping I put on my popcorn...I over-did it, and that's hard for me to say!

Friday was an incredibly busy day because I had 2 auditions, errands, and Karaoke later at night.  My first audition was in Sherman Oaks and was for a bank.  Auditioning for the role of a know-it-all wife, I had to sit in a bathtub while blow-drying my hair, and then was allowed to improv on my last line.  I read 3 times and had a great one-liner, where even the Casting Director said, 'Wisconsin, you're funny.'  Even if I don't get the role, that's compliment enough for me!

Then I was off to Santa Monica for my "Little Mermaid" callback.  I got there early and was able to sing two songs, my original audition song, 'Baby Love' was first.  Then I did a scene from the Disney Movie and felt like I was able to show my range because it was a longer scene so I could show different emotions.  When my audition was done, I asked if there was anything else they wanted to see, and could I sing a different song, perhaps one from "Little Mermaid" and they said yes, so I sang 'Part of Your World.'  I felt my call-back was stronger than my audition!

I ran a couple errands and then met up with my friend Khad for a late lunch/early dinner.  He's Vegan, and always introduces me to new places to check out.  I've become a huge fan of Green Peas thanks to him, and haven't been there in months so I was looking forward to it.  Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations, bummer at the time, but exciting for future visits, so we decided on Vegan LA, for which I had never been.  I had an amazing Thai Curry with Vegetables and Grilled Tofu, which was huge and awesome; I was able to take half of it home with me.  I finished my dinner off with Vegan Carrot Cake.  It was a little dense and not as flavorful as I was hoping, but was still good.

After an incredibly busy day I made my way to Gabe's to Host Karaoke.  At Karaoke, Marcus and I decided to play a little game in which we use a word from our previous song to direct us to our next song.  He chose the word 'Dust' so all his songs had 'Dust' in the title.  My original song was 'Don't Stop' by Fleetwood Mac, so I sang 'Nothing's Gonna Stop us Now' by Jefferson Starship which also kept up with my New Year's Resolution, and then chose 'Never Gonna Give You Up,' by Rick Astley, which is one of my favorite 80's songs, and another new song for me.  Overall, it was a busy and very fun night with visits from good friends!

Even after a long day, I missed one of my favorite girls and talked to her till almost 5 am and headed to bed shortly after.  Good thing her boyfriend lives in my building, and it's just a walk down the hallway to bed for me!

I wouldn't change a day like this for the world.  This is what I am in LA for, to pursue my career in Acting and I couldn't be happier.

Casting & Karaoke

My Current Headshot :)

Once a month I get a Casting Newsletter that always has some useful information for us actors.  It was the 3rd time in a week that I heard or read, your headshot should sell you as a role, it's your advertisement for what you could be.  It sounds pretty basic, but I think sometimes we forget that, we just think if it looks good, then it'll work, but that Casting Director needs to see you as the character they are casting.  Any tips you can get from the CD are always beneficial to your career!  Perhaps I keep coming across this info because I'm getting my new headshot printed very soon and I need to get some feedback on my current headshot?  Opinions?  Could I be one of the girls on '90210', the girl next door, the snobby mean girl, the artsy fashionista?  Rachel or Monica from 'Friends?'  The Girls on '2 Broke Girls?'  Zooey Deschanel's character, Jess, a quirky teacher on the new TV  show 'New Girl?'

Speaking of headshots, I think I'm shooting a new set very soon.  I always say I want to get some Kim Kardashian style headshots and then end up just doing Lyndsey, so one of these days I need to go all out with a smokey eye, lashes, and pumped up lips!  As I spoke to a friend at Karaoke later, she mentioned that my outfit was a headshot I should shoot.  Jeans and boots with a button down, very girl next door, innocent, natural make-up and hair.  The more I thought about it, the better idea it became, because it could sell me as a younger high school age character and just a natural farm girl type which was what worked for me while I was hosting car videos for Power TV.  How I wish I could get a job for the Speed Network and Hosting about working on cars or racing!  Last year I was working for PowerTV and traveling all over the US for Car Shows like SEMA and PRI and it was such a blast with a really fun crew, not to mention, I was the only girl :)  It got me more interested in cars and working on them because it was new territory for me, even though I spent many days in my Dad's Auto Body Shop, helping him wash cars, pressure clean them, even help with changing the oil and sanding my own car so it could be painted. Here's my Hosting Reel for PowerTV!

Last night I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's after almost a 2 week hiatus.  I really missed my job and my regulars and it was nice to hear that they missed me as well and were interested in how my job went in Spokane, which I was very excited to talk about!  We had another busy night of Karaoke which makes it more fun because the time flies and everyone is ready to sing on their next turn.  Continuing with my Resolution, I tried Mariah Carey's 'Someday,' which was a challenge but fun.  I like to experiment with new songs, and also sing songs I haven't sang in a while like 'Lights' by Journey.  Definitely a very positive day!

Pink & Red Candy Month!

It's the first day of February already!  We're already a month into 2012 and I'm feeling really good about this new year.  I've booked an acting job, taken a more active practice in my mind and body with Yoga, and worked on my communication skills as well as making creativity a part of every day!

I hated Valentine's Day and the weeks leading up to it for years, and I still strongly dislike it, even when I'm in a relationship, because I fear the worst of that particular day.  I'm opening up today about why I've hated it for so long.  In grade school, we did Valentine's Day Candy Grams, and handed out Valentine's Day Cards.  Every year I would get so excited to pick out my design and hand write each and every one for all my classmates, and when it came to the Candy Grams, I would buy one for each classmate or for a couple of my close friends.  I always brought Valentine's Day candy for everyone!  My Mom had always taught me to include everyone and be nice to everyone, and I'm not saying I didn't have my moments or made mistakes, but for the most part, I treated everyone with kindness and a smile.  Unfortunately, some parents didn't teach their children those values, or their children chose their own path and made their own decisions.  Many a year, most of the class would get a Candy Gram, and I would be the sole person left out, same with cards, and invites or parties.  I grew to fear and hate Valentine's Day just because I didn't like feeling left out or alone.  I was left confused as to what made me different from my closest friends who were included in the gifts.  I thought maybe High School would be different, and while our class was bigger, I didn't have to worry about the Candy Grams, nothing good really ever happened on Valentine's Day.  I would come home in tears and my Mom would sit there and comfort me.  I even had a boyfriend break up with me on Valentine's Day in college!

I've had a couple pleasant memories on Valentine's Day, flowers and thoughtful gifts from my awesome college boyfriend, surprises out here in LA from certain creative guys, and even a crush in College who remembered that I had said, 'The only good thing about Valentine's Day is the red and pink candy they sell,' and then on Valentine's Day he had a heart-shaped box filled with red and white candy, and was apologizing to me for not finding pink candy!  Lots of tears that day, and I will never forget that moment :)

While I no longer hate Valentine's Day, it's too strong a word, I don't necessarily look forward to it either.  Perhaps one day, I will have a reason to look forward to it!  For now, I've got my Mom's thoughtfulness, with sending me flowers and candy on February 14th every year, and that's just fine with me!

I hear my sweet tooth calling and it's onto some red heart candy and sweet tarts hearts for me <3