I wonder how many calories I burned hanging picture frames?

I've been on a kick of Organizing since my Mom was in town and helped me clean out my closet, which by the way, all those clothes are still sitting in my hallway in my room.  But there is a perk to that; I keep adding to the pile, so I'll be giving more away and that's a good thing!  And I've been loving my shoe rack that I found by the dumpster that was nearly brand-new looking, so who says you can't find treasure in another gal's trash?!

Today I attacked the wall opposite my bed.  I had about 8 boxes of shoes that I put away and shifted around so all the shoes I wear on a regular basis are under the bed and the rest are stacked in the closet.  Gone from the wall space...YES!  Then I got rid of a bunch of boxes, empty boxes mind you, from my sconces, my votives, clothes boxes, etc.  Why did I hold onto these?!?  I organized the shelf under my TV, got rid of random papers, and also combined a bunch of Birthday Bags from a month and a half ago into one that I will work on putting away later.  Next was taking care of the picture frames!

My idea of having pictures on the walls for the past 11 years has always been taping them up, not hanging them so this evening I decided to FINALLY hang some pictures I had bought frames for months ago.  When I originally got the frames from Michael's, they didn't have the right nails so I had to wait to hang them.  Today I stopped by and picked up special nails that when you nailed them into the wall they were already at a 45 degree angle and had a little hook attached to them.  Yes, I'm a girl and I'd rather have a fool-proof plan than mess something up!

Not too bad for my first time, eh?

I got all excited because I realized there was Math in hanging these frames.  I had 3 different frames, two of which were the same, and the other a little bit smaller so I had to decide how far apart I wanted them, at what height they should be, and how far from the corner of the wall.  After figuring all of that out, I got my pencil and measuring tape out and started making some marks on the wall.  The first one was the most difficult because I was nervous and wanted it to be just right but after getting that one done it became a little easier.  I did end up with my far right one being just an inch lower than the far left one but then I just made up the difference with the middle frame to look like I did it on purpose.  It took me over an hour to hang all three frames but I was proud of myself.

In all honestly, I would much rather be cooking Dinner in the kitchen than hanging a picture frame.  I am perfectly capable of hanging the frame, I'd just rather let my man friend do it and if I was making Dinner, I think he just might be ok with it ;)

I'll be up in the gym just working on my fitness!

Good Morning Monday!  This morning I had an Audition for a Fitness Infomercial in Woodland Hills.  I found out about it a couple days ago so I made sure to cut out the alcohol aside from a couple beers yesterday for the Beer Olympics at Bru Haus (was hoping it would help dehydrate me to accentuate my abs because they were looking for muscle tone) and have been eating really healthy the past week!

The Audition was at 11:20 am so I made sure I left by 10:15 to give myself plenty of time to get there in case there was traffic, find parking, and relax for a second before I went in.  I got there in less than a half hour and after finding the Casting Office, signed in, and filled out my information sheet.  I was the fifth girl there and super early for my Audition but that was great because then it meant I would be out earlier too!  While I was waiting, I read a little of my book, 'Eat Pray Love,' went to the bathroom to do some squats, lunges, and push-ups, and then settled in for a few minutes until it was my turn.

Once I got into the room and greeted everyone, I slated, and then they had me flex my abs and give them my best 'ab muscle pose' and then turn in a circle, pausing to flex, showing them my calves, my back muscles and biceps, and then again in the front.  Apparently, they were looking for something very specific.  On the Audition Notice it said lean and cut but not bulky and all the girls in the waiting area were just that!  Then I did a couple exercises, squats, alternating lunges, and reverse lunges.  And that was it.  In and out in less than five minutes with a thank you and have a nice day!

It's been a few years since my last Fitness Infomercial I did for Barry's Boot Camp but it was such a blast I would love to do another one.  Plus, I'm in better shape now than I was 5 years ago and I'm proud that I've worked so hard to get to this place!  The drive back was pretty quick with just a little bit of traffic but that Valley heat is always a killer on a drive home when your adrenaline is rushing after an Audition.

Of course, my early morning work-out didn't stop me from getting in my normal Monday routine work-out and hitting up the Grocery Store to continue my little health kick!  Although, I just couldn't say no to those 'Baked White Cheddar Cheetos.'  They were just calling my name...

What to do in LA!

After being so busy the week before I was excited to have a little more free time this week.  It ended up being a week full of relaxing LA things to do :)

The Getty is one of the main spots to check out if you're visiting from out of town.  It's got incredible views, beautiful gardens, amazing architecture, and ever-changing exhibits.  I could spend hours just walking through the gardens, sitting outside, and taking in the art.  There's no entrance fee to The Getty, you just pay for parking, which went up to $15 since the last time I visited.  There were a couple of new exhibits, a whole section dedicated to Photographer Herb Ritts and there was an Images of Death through the Middle Ages.  The Images of Death Exhibit was interesting, definitely morbid and a little strange, I was happy to move onto a new exhibit and then take a walk around the building to check out the views of LA. I loved the Herb Ritts Exhibit, I just wish that I would have been able to see all of it, but The Getty closes at 5:30 pm so I couldn't finish my walk-through or even get into The Gardens.  What a bummer!  I guess I'll just have to go back soon!

Messerschmidt & Klimt at The Getty...getting my face on!

Dine LA is always one of my favorite times of the year here in LA.  Basically, it's Restaurant Week, where they have Prix Fix Menu's (set appetizer, entree, and dessert) for a set price based on the average price of a meal.  It's still a way better deal than just ordering off the menu and gives you an opportunity to try new things.  I hit up Gaucho Grill which was an Argentinian Restaurant and of course, I still kept it slightly Italian by starting with a Caprese Salad, then choosing a Steak with White Wine and Mushrooms (that also came with mashed potatoes and more vegetables) and then a Chocolate & Caramel Crepe.  The salad was amazing, probably my favorite part of the meal.  The steak was good, but yet again, I've been reminded why I always get the Filet; it's the best, and whatever the steak was, was tough, over-done, and didn't have the flavor.  The sauce and mushrooms were excellent though!  The dessert was ok, just not my thing, but I didn't want flan, and that was the only other choice.  I'm never one for ice cream at a restaurant but since that came with the crepe I actually enjoyed that more.  I would definitely go back again and try other things on the menu but I'd get a Filet if I chose a steak and insist on Medium Rare.

When my Family and I were in California YEARS ago we made our way up the PCH because it was the best and most scenic drive.  Since I moved to LA over 6 years ago, it's very rare for me to drive that way because there's usually traffic and I'm not a big beach person.  I was so glad that I got a chance to do that yesterday because it was perfect!  On Wednesday I actually sat by the ocean and watched the waves come crashing in; it was so peaceful and relaxing and quiet, which is exactly what I needed.  Then on Friday when I drove up the Coast past the beautiful houses, Malibu, restaurants, into the mountains and looked down at the ocean behind me, it was stunning.  Once again, the silence was so peaceful and fresh air was incredible to breathe.  I definitely need to do that more often.  A lot of those restaurants do Happy Hour and getting to take in the sunset with a glass of wine in my hand sounds pretty awesome!

The view from the top of Las Flores Drive

While I'm a dive bar kind of gal; I love feeling comfortable in a place that isn't crowded, has a great bartender, and good people it's a nice change of pace to try new places.  I've been going to The Other Room in Venice for years.  It's a wine and beer bar and while it's pretty quiet during the week it gets packed on the weekends, especially when it's on First Friday's (which is the first Friday of the month and the restaurants do specials and stuff).  As I got there with my group of friends and there was a line already started at 10:45 pm we waited a few minutes and then got in.  There were a couple seats scattered throughout the bar, but not enough for four people so we all kind of split up.  Nowadays, I'm a red wine drinker, but with my brand new white top on, there was no way I was spilling on it the first day I wore it!  I ordered a glass of Riesling and it was one of the best I've ever had!

With work and my excursions this week, I've kept busy and it's been wonderful.  Sometimes it's nice to be a tourist even though I now consider myself an LA resident.

My Current Karaoke Guilty Pleasure

I prepared myself for a fun night of Karaoke tonight, and when I got there, Johnny was there thinking he was working.  After a little laugh he ended up staying to hang out and sing since it was a pretty slow night and we all had a good time!

Even though the night wasn't crazy it's always good to have those quiet night's every once in a while.  I opened with Seether's 'Careless Whisper' which was followed up by Johnny and Art singing some new songs.  We took a break to wait for some more Karaoke singers and luckily a couple more came in about a half hour later.  Khad was singing new songs all night, rocking a Kenny G song and trying a Patsy Cline song as well.  Judy sang 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline, and I love that song.  She also did a Bread song, and I remember listening to that band with my Mom back in the day!

My new song of the night was Christina Perri's 'Jar of Hearts' and aside from quieting the bar down and making Rudy tear up, everyone seemed to like it.  I had started to lose my voice tonight so it was a perfect song for my voice and I can't wait to sing the song again.  Johnny followed that up with a Vertical Horizon song, and Debbie sang a bunch of new songs tonight including Teena Marie.  I always like the slower nights because it gives people a chance to try out new material.  Since it was so slow we got to end early and after everyone got their fill of Karaoke I closed out the night with 'Foolish Games.'  I think Jewel is one of my new guilty pleasures to sing :)

Last Sunday I went to a Going Away Party in Santa Monica and after the party everyone was heading over to Gas Lite for Karaoke.  When my friends and I got there later it was pretty packed and even though I signed up, I was on the Maybe List.  I'm not quite sure how they run things there but I'm not a fan of it.  I know everyone talks about how long it usually takes to sing, and that they just have an ok selection of songs but I was fine with Melissa Etheridge's 'I'm the Only One' and I was able to sing right at the end of the night.  It's definitely more of a party environment with people dancing on the dance floor and it's always busy so that's great for them; I just like the comfort and friendliness of Gabe's!

Now, I've got a break from Karaoke for a week and hopefully by next week I'll have my voice back!  Happy Singing Everyone!     

'Yogaphiles' Premiere with my Wolfie!

I love my Saturday night's because they turn into Sunday day's and just round off the week.  Well, this wasn't my typical Saturday night but it shaped up to be pretty amazing!

Andrea had invited me to this Premiere Party & Birthday in Santa Monica and while I initially had plans, things changed and I was able to go to the Premiere and get to spend some much needed 'Wolfie Time' with her!  She had worked on this Web Series and while she wasn't going to be in this episode, I still wanted to support her on a job well done.

Andrea & I "Wolfies"

Red Carpet was at 9:00 and after that they would head inside to V Lounge and do the Premiere.  I made it to Santa Monica by 9:15 and Andrea and her friend, Brian, showed up minutes later.  We each flashed our red carpet smiles and took a couple photos together as well.  I haven't been to V Lounge since I went for a Birthday/Christmas Party at least 3 years ago and not much has changed aside from the fact that it was nearly empty when we got there.  There was a huge area set up for the Premiere and almost all the seats were filled so that was great.  We grabbed cocktails and took a seat.

I thought 'Yogaphiles' was actually very cute and funny; I take Yoga classes so it definitely had it's real moments.  I can't wait to see Andrea's episode!  Everyone got to see a sneak peek of her (she looked beautiful) in the Trailer for the show so that was awesome.  We did a Champagne Toast to kick off the night, appetizers were passed, and once the videos were done we all ate some cake.  Then it was time for some dancing!  The DJ was actually pretty good, playing some old school music from the 2000's (can't believe I have to say old school about that, but with all this new techno/electronica that I can't stand, I have to refer to Justin TImberlake, Britney Spears, Black Eyed Peas, Kings of Leon as old school).  There was a whole super-set of Justin Timberlake so I was stoked!

It did start to fill up in V Lounge as the night went on but we all wanted a change of scenery so we headed over to Bru Haus to see if some of our friends were working.  The bar was packed!  Andrea and I caught up over a couple of beers, I got to know Brian, and we all chatted and had a good time.  Plus, I ran into some of my boys who I hadn't seen in a couple weeks so that brought some more excitement to the night.

Overall, it was a really fun Saturday night and I definitely miss my Wolfie Time.  Lucky for us, we already have a fun outing planned in a week or two :)

Rock & Roll Karaoke

On top of an already busy week with the Trade Show last week and Dodger Game on Monday night too, I had Karaoke on both Wednesday and Friday!  Those who know me, know I love to be busy, because I thrive on having things planned and organized, and last week was that kind of week for me.

After a 9 hour shift at the Medical Trade Show on Wednesday, I had Karaoke that night.  We got started right away because there was a Birthday Party there.  I'm not going to lie, I was a little cranky after a long day but Karaoke usually cheers me up and knowing I would have some friends come to visit me was sunshine on a busy busy day.  I opened the night with a little Kim Wilde, 'Keep Me Hanging On,' getting some cheers from the crowd and getting into the Birthday Party peeps right away!  There was a lot of rock and roll, some Metallica, Bon Jovi, Bowie, etc.  Khad came in to visit me and it's always nice to have a friend there as a buffer between the crowd and me and when it's that busy, he can help me out with announcing songs or getting requests.  It's such a huge help, so thanks Khad :)  I was losing my voice throughout the night because of talking the past 2 days at the Trade Show so I only sang one more song for the night which was my new song, 'Foolish Games' by Jewel.  I was definitely feeling the song and I think the crowd liked my emotion and I was just happy I made it through it with no tears.  Khad closed out the night with Mulan's 'I'll Make A Man Out Of You,' which is always a crowd favorite, and I think Amy behind the bar now knows that song by heart!

Marty and I had a mini-Happy Hour at Kay & Dave's in Culver City on Friday and kept it low-key so I was right on time to Host Karaoke that night.  It was nearly empty when I walked into the bar but by 9:30 pm we got the night started with a decent rotation.  Kayt, one of the original Karaoke Hosts told me she was in full mode for an 80's rock kind of night and I couldn't agree with her more.  I had my new song planned from Wednesday and was quite excited to do it.  It ended up being a really busy night at Karaoke and while there was no Double Entendre performance, there was a lot of fun going on.  One of the Abbott employee's from the Trade Show actually came in with his Dad and both of them sang really well!  He said that he used to go to Dive Bars in Wisconsin but that we had the largest selection of songs and very obscure stuff as well.  His Dad sang 'Runaround Sue' which is one of my favorite songs and it was an awesome performance!  Kayt flew through the air while one of her friends sang, 'Wind Beneath My Wings,' and I tried to keep the rock & roll vibe going by singing Toto's 'Hold The Line.'  I closed the night out with 'Bringing on the Heartbreak' by Def Leppard.  It was such a fun song to sing and perfectly in my range, so I will for sure sing more songs by one of my favorite 80's band!

I've been doing doubles of Karaoke the past few weeks so I'll be glad to just be working Wednesday next week and have a mini-break.  It reinvigorates me and gets me excited about seeing everyone and having fun when I'm working the next double :)

My Purpose & Love

"You might not live to see tomorrow, but you still have today to make things better than they were yesterday."

I was sitting in Church today listening to the readings, and then we were standing for prayers, when an elderly man appeared out of nowhere.  All color was gone from his face and he was holding onto the end of the pew and a woman, stood there trying to hold him, as he was about to collapse.  I immediately ran to him, put my arm around his back and held onto him as we lowered him to the ground.  The whole time, he was looking at me, and all I could do was assure him he was going to be ok as we looked into each other's eyes.  By the time he was on the ground and I sat there with my arm around him, a couple guys had come to help lay him in the pew.  I moved away to allow them to lift him up, shaking, my heart racing, and could tell my head was hot like I had a 104 degree fever.  I waited for a medic to come and get him into a wheel chair to take him to the hospital and as I had walked back to my pew, I was overcome with emotion.

How often do we overlook someone in need?  There were people all around this man, and aside from the woman who was next to him, I was the first to reach him.  For a moment, my life had more purpose than it ever did.  I thought about the person who grabbed his cell phone to find a loved one's contact info, or the man who stood next to him the whole time, and the woman who brought him a water.  While I certainly didn't save his life, as he looked into my eyes I felt like he needed the reassurance that he was going to be alright and taken care of and I was able to provide that compassion for him.

That was my purpose.  That's what I do in life.  I love to take care of people.  Perhaps it's because I feel valued, or because seeing that look on someone's face that you're making them feel better is such a great accomplishment.

I choose to live my life hoping to make the world a better place, just one step, just one day at a time.  Share your love with those who need it most, and never feel like an, 'I Love You,' is not worth saying, because it is.

My First Medical Trade Show

I got booked for the AACC Medical Trade Show at the LA Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles as a Crowd Gatherer for Abbott Diagnostics!  This was my first big Trade Show job and I didn't know what to expect!

Tuesday started my work week for Abbott and Amy, Amanda, Deb, and I were instructed to be at the LA Convention Center at 8:30 am to get our Badges for the show, in our business casual wear, and to report to the booth at 9 am sharp!  Because I was replacing my friend, Anne, for the Show I had a little trouble getting my Badge but thanks to an understanding employee I was on my way into the South Hall to find the Abbott Booth.  I did SEMA and PRI a couple years ago and while this show was huge, it was nothing even close to the enormousness of those Car Shows!  Abbott had one of the biggest booth's so it wasn't hard to find.  Our job duties for the day was to hand out copy's of their Science Book Magazine and try to get people gathered into the booth to check out the Presentations that were happening every half hour all day long.

The brunette's (Amy and I) took the back of the booth and pushed those magazine's out like they were going out of style.  We were getting people in the chairs for the presentations, helping people get information about the company, and chatting with clients and exhibitors.  Amy and I clicked right away, both of us being neat freaks, love football, have a passion for cooking, are similar in relationships, among our other talents we want to share with the world ;)  I took my Lunch at 1 pm and went to grab some food in the Cafe.  There were long lines at the different stations so I stuck with the grill and grabbed a Chicken and Chipotle Aoili on Ciabatta Bread.  There was no where to sit so I snagged a seat on some stairs and relaxed for an hour before getting back to work.  The rest of the day went back a little bit quicker but it was definitely  a long day!

At 5:05 pm all of us were on our way to the parking structure and thankfully traffic going West was moving so I made it into Palms pretty quickly.  I made a quick stop at the Library to get some new reading material, got home, got in a nice long work-out, and then went through my Castings.  By 11 pm I was exhausted and ready for bed.  

Amy & I working the Trade Show!

On Wednesday we didn't need to report to work until 9 am.  While all of us chatted until the Convention started at 9:30 am, Amy and I got split up, and while I was in the front she was working the back.  Today we got to use the Scanners, so anyone coming into the booth, we needed to scan their badges (we got to use those at the end of the day yesterday which is why our last half of the day went so much quicker than the first).  We really needed to come up with creative ways to get these badges scanned because people did not want to give them up.  By the time I was going to Lunch, I had scanned over 200 people, practically pick-pocketing them for the badges, telling them I was getting a pat on the back as incentive, or joking that I was using their information to buy new shoes or purses.  Hey, at least I was getting a laugh out of people :)  Amy and I took our Lunch together today and after hanging out for a little bit we got back to work scanning more badges.  I ended up scanning over 400 in the past 2 days which was awesome!

Wednesday was an even longer day for me because I needed to Host Karaoke that night so Thursday, even though we had a short day from 9 am until 2 pm was going to be a rough one. 

Thursday was our final day working for Abbott.  It was going to be the slowest day at the Convention and getting people in those seats for the presentations was really hard, especially because everyone had meetings on the last day.  Amy and I did our best, scanning any badges we hadn't gotten before, scanning some again for number's sake, and joking around with our fellow Abbott employee's.  One of my friend's, Dilon, from Winona was at the Convention from Dallas for work, so when I saw him on Wednesday he had made plans to stop by Karaoke but got caught up in meetings.  He stopped by the booth to let me know on Thursday and we grabbed lunch together.  It was so nice to catch up with him!!  By the time all of us were back from Lunch, there was really nothing for us to do, so we all got cut early at 1:15 pm.

Promo Girls for Abbott Diagnostics

The Trade Show was a success and a new and exciting job to work.  I'd love to work them more often, and a lot of the time there is travel involved and I love that!  Plus, being around all this technology I learned a ton, and made some great friends!

Manic Monday

Last Sunday I prepared for the week ahead:  Karaoke, meetings, auditions, Bartending at Irish Times, and of course, Dine LA!  Little did I know that my slightly busy week was going to be doubled!

I found out I got booked on a Trade Show on Sunday evening around 7 pm and the rehearsal was on Monday at noon in Downtown LA.  On Monday morning, I got everything packed up since I had the Dodger game that night and then I was on my way to the LA Convention Center.  While I was on my way the address changed and so I adjusted and made my way to the Millenium Biltmore and figured I would be able to find parking around there for around $15.  Then as I was just getting into Downtown the address changed again and I had to go to the Westin.  Thankfully, Downtown is a lot of buildings all in one area; the only problem is the traffic and one-way streets.  AND that parking everywhere I looked was $38!  I'm sorry, but that is highway robbery!  I ended up parking a mile away in a $16 lot and ran in what direction I thought I needed to be.  Mind you, I don't have an iPhone, I don't have Internet Access on my phone, and was in the midst of high rises in unfamiliar territory, so I called my Mom told her my coordinates and had her point me in the right direction and ran a mile in my 4 inch heels, skinny jeans, and sweater, because I still wanted to be business casual for the meeting.  Not fun.

When I finally made it the Westin and found the Meeting Room we were in, the presentation had already started but because I wasn't an employee it was ok for me to be a couple minutes late.  I met one of the other Trade Show Models, Deb, for the AACC Medical Convention and she told me to grab some food and then take a seat.  Yes, please!  The buffet was amazing; I got both chicken and salmon, along with a caprese salad, (extra mozzarella) broccolini and asparagus, and a lemon dessert.  The food was so good and totally unexpected.  After the meeting was over we talked with our contacts and got the details for tomorrow's show.  I took a few notes, met the rest of the girls, Amanda and Amy, and Amy looked familiar and while we couldn't figure out how we knew each other we had the rest of the week to get to know each other!

Lucky for me I got to walk back to my car this time instead of run and I made an appointment to meet with the Owner of Brass Monkey to talk about Hosting Karaoke there.  my friend, Lucas, has been working there for years and said there might be an opening in the next few weeks.  I drove from Downtown to Korea Town and was able to meet with A* before he left for the day.  He also owns Boardwalk 11 and since I work next door at Irish Times he thought he could possibly have me fill in there for Karaoke or Bartending.  Cool!

After my meeting at Brass Monkey I headed up to North Hollywood to meet Neil and grabbed some Starbucks for him because he had to work the rest of the afternoon before we met Johnny at the Dodger game.  I was able to get my work-out in and go through all my Castings and e-mails, plus get all the information for the Trade Show faxed to my booking Agent.  I was bummed because I had to skip an Audition that I had to re-schedule from the week before because I was working, and now I couldn't go the re-scheduled one this week and I also got an e-mail from a Magazine asking me to Test Shoot for them on Wednesday but I couldn't shoot with them because of the Show and Karaoke.  I'm keeping my fingers that I can re-schedule that for this next week.

Soon enough it was time for the Dodger Game.  Neil and I headed to Dodger Stadium around 6:15 pm for the 7:10 start time; we were meeting Johnny there because he was on a flight back from Philly and getting into LAX at 5:45.  With traffic and the distance, Johnny didn't make it until 7:35 but Neil and I were able to watch a little bit of the game from outside the stadium.  It was Dodger's vs. Philly's and we got in just in time to catch the bottom of the 2nd Inning.  After watching a couple innings it was time for some Beer & Dodger Dogs!  There's nothing like sitting and watching live Baseball with a Dodger Dog in hand...it's just the simple things in life :)  While our fellow Dodger fans were quite interesting, two young girls sitting next to us, that were in a tizzy with Celebrity Neil next to me, the two little boys in front of us that were yelling and cheering for the Dodgers which was so cute, and the random drunk girl and her boyfriend getting in trouble with Security for being loud and crazy, we all had a good time watching the game.  Johnny ended up a happy Philly's fan when they won 3-2.

Go Dodger's!

Before we knew it, it was 10:30 pm and I knew I had an early and important day on Tuesday for the first day of the Trade Show so it was bed-time for a sad Dodger's fan!  Talk about an awesome and busy day, advancing my career, getting in a good work-out (running around in Downtown LA had it's perks) and getting to do something fun like going to a Dodger game with friends!  Now onto my busy week...

Low-Key Karaoke

It was a week of singing last week at Karaoke!  I worked on both Wednesday and Saturday.  I'm so used to the crowd on Friday's and you would think that it was the same for the Saturday night weekend Karaoke, but it's totally different.

On Wednesday there was just a strange vibe in the air but I couldn't put my finger on it.  The night was fairly quiet and I was glad to have some friends show up as the night went on to keep me busy and entertained.  I sang a couple songs I hadn't sang in a while, like Garbage, Roxette, and even closed the night singing with Khad, 'A Whole New World,' which I don't think I've sang in years!  Khad killed it because he sang new songs all night long, and that's always a challenge.  My new song of the night was Mary J Blige's 'We Ride,' which was much harder than I expected.  She's got long phrasing so breath control was key and with my allergies acting up because of the change in the weather I wasn't at my best.  But I definitely want to try it again!  It's rare that I sing R&B and it's fun to try something different and I'll feel better the night time I sing it, knowing I have it under my belt!  It's always great to have Debbie come in and liven up the night, doing some fun dance moves, making people smile and laugh, and I'm glad that I can keep that fun party vibe going throughout the night with her help!

For Saturday Karaoke, I was filling in for Johnny, who was in Philly for the week.  The bar was pretty empty when I walked in and Karaoke stayed slow all night but the bar filled up a little.  We had a short rotation all night long and got started just before 10 pm since we didn't have enough Karaoke singers until then.  There was one guy who was hilarious, doing an N'Sync song, complete with dancing, and then sang Backstreet Boys by request.  He actually did a really good job and I was impressed.  My new song of the night was The Bangles 'Eternal Flame' which once again will be exciting to try for the second time when I don't have my allergies.  I love that song, and it's crazy because sometimes I forget about all the artists that my parents introduced me to over 20 years ago and The Bangles, Heart, Blondie, Pat Benatar, were a few of the strong female performers I grew up with.  I love my rock & roll.  I'm always happy to get new singers up to the microphone, that want to sing; it keeps them excited to try something new, whether they are good or bad, or just having a good time.  Karaoke's not about being the best singer; it's about having fun doing something that takes confidence, and performing well.  

It was definitely a more low-key week of Karaoke and I have another double week happening this week if I can make it through my busy Wednesday.  But...more on that later...

Honda Hi-Jinks

I bought my first brand new car in October of 2010.  I spent months looking for just the right car, test driving, doing research, etc.  Finally, I decided on the Honda Accord Coupe!  Here's my story...

 

Sophia (my 2002 Toyota Solara) was getting older, LA wasn't getting any cleaner, and I knew it would be soon enough when I wouldn't be able to drive her around anymore, or have her pass a Smog Test, so I had to drive her back to Wisconsin where she would be appreciated.  I started looking at cars and decided to go with a Honda, Hyundai, or Nissan.

 

The first car I test drove was the Honda Accord Coupe (this was also the first car I ever test drove in my entire life, so I was pretty nervous) and I was completely uncomfortable.  I was scared and nervous and just didn't feel right in the car even though it was beautiful and drove well.  All the cars I was looking at were going to be fully loaded because I wanted the Navigation so they came with leather interior and all the perks (darn upgrades) like a sun roof, heated seats, power everything.  After leaving Honda I was on my way to Nissan to drive a Nissan Altima Coupe.  I'd driven my old roommate's car a couple of times, and my friend, Tony, had one as well that I had driven.  Both of them loved their Nissan's and the second I got into the car I loved it too!  It drove really well, I felt comfortable and like it was a great fit for me.  The Nissan was a little more than the Accord but I was ok with that.  My last stop was the Hyundai dealership where I drove the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.  I loved the power behind the car, it was this cute little thing, and I really felt great in that one as well until I sat in the backseat.  I had to crouch to fit into it, and I'm only 5"4; what's a normal person going to do back there, not to mention the trunk space was basically non-existent.  Unfortunately, those things alone took that car out of the running even though it was the most affordable, had all these great reviews, and I was really happy driving it.  I decided to give the Accord another chance because it was the first car I drove so I went back there and drove it again.  This time, I felt more comfortable, they told all these great things about the car where if you're in an accident or slamming on your brakes, the car will basically take over for you to help avoid any bad situations.  Pretty darn cool.

 

The next step was finding the exact car I wanted.  Because I was shopping for a 2010 when the 2011's were already available, finding one with the Navigation in Silver or Slate was very difficult, for both Honda and Nissan since I hadn't decided yet. By then it was October and there were no Silver Honda's left, anywhere in the US (after hearing so many positive things about Honda's, how great the gas mileage was, how well they hold up, their re-sale value, I decided on the Accord).  There was a Slate one in Virginia, and I even called dealerships in Arizona to try to find my car but nothing.  I figured I would have to go with the Nissan and took a week to think about.  I then drove up to the Van Nuys Honda and spoke to someone up there because the Santa Monica one couldn't find a Silver Accord, and the Culver City one was giving me the run around and trying to sell me a V6 (trust me, if I'm going to be getting only 22 MPG in the City, I'm not losing anymore gas mileage with the V6).  Btw, Sophia was getting between 24-26 MPG in Los Angeles, after being totaled twice, and driven across the country from Wisconsin to LA.  Luckily, after I figured getting my 2010 Accord was a lost cause and I had given up hope and figured I'd wait another year, Van Nuys called and said, there was an Unlisted Silver Accord in Torrance, and they'd give it to me for the price I wanted.  I said yes, I want it, I will be there tomorrow signing the papers.

 

I bought the car on October 16, 2010 for almost $31,000 (after taxes) put a down-payment on it and set up a 4 year loan that I was going to try to pay off in 3 years.  Because I didn't drive Sophia back to Wisconsin until November, the car sat in a garage for almost a month before I took it over.  Initially, driving the car home and around, I had that uncomfortable feeling, and I can say now, it's still not gone away.  I've never felt like the car was mine, even though it's nearly paid off now.  I still feel awkward in it, the blind spots are everywhere, and clearly there's a reason I haven't given it a name; something is just off.  The car is beautiful, it's silver with black leather interior looks sporty and fun; I take great care of it and it still smells like new car when you get in it.  I haven't even put 10,000 miles on it, in the 21 months I've had it!

 

Fast forward to recently...still getting 19 MPG.  I figured it would take 3,000 miles to start getting decent gas mileage, then 6,000, and now almost 10,000 and I'm still getting 19-21 combined City & Highway driving.  The listed estimates were 22 City, 26 Combined, and 33 Highway.  I'm not even getting close to the Combined because I'm not even getting the City!!

I decided to take it into the Miller Honda Dealership of Culver City to check if there was something wrong with the computer, if the fuel consumption wasn't right, etc.  When I get there, Javier is my Advisor, and he says, I don't mean to blow you off, but I don't think there's anything wrong with your car, you're just getting 19 MPG and that's not that far off from the estimate.  I say, 'I'm driving City and Highway, that number is far off from the Combined!'  He says they'll look at it and let me know when it's ready.

Meanwhile, my friend, Khad and I go to Santa Monica to grab lunch before drops me off at Honda to pick up my car.  Unfortunately, his motorcycle died, and we had to wait for AAA to pick us up.  In the mean time, I have spent nearly an hour calling and leaving messages for Miller Honda to shuttle me from Santa Monica to Culver City (because they do that, and that's how I got home earlier) to no avail.  I finally speak to a woman who says she dropped the message on Javier's desk, because my Advisor has to set up the shuttle.  After she hangs up I call back, 'Get me any Advisor, I don't care who it is, to set up the shuttle, why do I need to speak to mine to get a ride, I just need a ride from Santa Monica to Culver City; how difficult can this be?'  She puts me on hold for 10 minutes then comes back saying, hang up immediately, someone is calling you back.  At this point, AAA has arrived, secured Khad's motorcycle to the truck, and we're riding over to his Dealership to drop off his bike to have them take us to Khad's house so he can take his car to drop me at Honda.  We're almost to his Dealership when Javier calls, so flippantly, 'what can I do for you?'  'Please have my car ready as soon as I get there, thank you.'

When I get to Honda Javier isn't in his office, but there are 3 gentlemen Advisor's just sitting around talking (must be why no one could set up a shuttle, they were too busy chatting about their day).  One of them has me sit in Javier's office and I wait for him and when he comes in he says there's nothing wrong with my car and doesn't even apologize for not returning my calls.  He asks me to sign the paperwork and I ask for his Manager.  The attitude he was giving was not a good look for him.  

I end up talking to the Manager who says that since nothing is wrong with my car, I can bring it back on nearly a full tank of gas, we'll fill it up, he'll drive 50 miles with me in the car, then fill it up again to see what the mileage is.  Now, I don't see how that's helping.  You're always going to get better gas mileage at the beginning of a tank of gas, and what happens when I get 21 MPG for the first 50 miles?  My problem is that I'm driving on Highway and City and getting between 19-21 when I should be getting 26.  I understand I live in LA, driving conditions are different here, but then Honda needs to advertise the actual MPG versus the ideal conditions, which the Service Manager explained Honda does.  In fine print it says, they drive the car under specific conditions, therefore getting 33 on Highway, 26 Combined, and 22 City.  So what's the normal person supposed to do when they have actual life and traffic to deal with and aren't on a closed road in the middle of nowhere?  That's false advertising!!  Honda I am so disappointed in you.  The Service Manager at Miller Honda of Culver City is disappointed with the gas mileage on his car.  I asked him how he could sell Honda's when he was disappointed with them and he said he didn't sell them, he was the Service Manager, so my next question was, how can you service cars knowing people aren't getting what they expected to?  I thought I was going to be getting better mileage, if I had known the TRUTH I would never have bought that car.  Who's to say the Nissan would be any better or worse, but what I do know, is that this situation with Honda has made me re-think the whole process and working with a Dealership.

The whole car buying process was supposed to be exciting, paying off a car should feel great, having a brand new beautiful car should make me happy, but I'm disappointed with my car, with the mileage, with the process, and the fact that I threw $31,000 down the drain on something I'm indifferent about.  Honda...you failed on this one.

Posh & Becks

On Monday, I was doing a Photo Shoot with Alex in Downtown, Los Angeles.  Neil was going to be shooting as well, he needed new Headshots, and I was going to be shooting some too, along with some couple and lifestyle photos for Alex's portfolio and fun for us!

It was a beautiful day outside, in the low 80's, but pretty warm in the sun.  Thankfully, we were in the shade for the most part.  I started out with some headshots so Neil could see how Alex worked and after shooting one outfit, it was Neil's turn.  He shot a bunch of different looks in his T-shirt and then switched to this edgy button-down for another style.  Alex brought a prop guitar along, and with that shirt, it made for a perfect photo.  We shot these photos at a wooden wall with colorful graffiti all over it.  I shot another set of headshots in a different color shirt and then we shot a couple photos together, joking around, playing serious, Neil playing the guitar and me singing, etc.

After our first location, we were on our way to the second, deeper into the arts district underneath an overpass.  I shot some more headshots there and then Neil shot some in a denim shirt.  I was playing director, (because I do that so well ;)...and Neil didn't seem to mind, too much) and Alex was happy to have me helping him out as well.  I had fun, fixing hair and clothes, and being an assistant for the day!  Then we shot another round of photos, and then some in front of Alex's white BMW with Neil in all white, and me in white shorts and a coral tank top.  I didn't know what to expect but when I saw the previews on the camera they were super editorial!  I loved them :)

Posh & Becks?

Then we were on our way to the third location where Alex wanted to shoot some pictures of us on the railroad tracks.  Unfortunately, a couple trains were blocking the view of Downtown LA that Alex wanted in the background so we played around on the tracks and took a couple photos but because it was so bright outside, and then underneath the overpass was so dark, it was a difficult shot so we moved onto our fourth location.

  

At our last location we were in the heart of Downtown, with chaos around us, and it was Neil's turn to kill it in his suit.  He took a ton of photos with different looks at the top of this escalator with buildings, green trees, and traffic going on behind him; it was actually really cool.  Once he got a bunch to choose from we moved to a fountain and sat down at a table and while Alex was setting up the camera we got shooed out of the area because it was private property so we moved to the sidewalk and were once again shooed away, except this time, the boys weren't going down without a fight, asking how the sidewalk could be private property and giving the security guard a hard time, but we ended up moving on anyway to an alley.  We took some awesome photos in there, very fun and flirty, but very classy and sophisticated.  

By the time we got done it was nearly 5:30 and we all had a long day of shooting were hungry and Neil had to get back to work at his day job.  So when he left to go home, I sat with Alex and his girlfriend, Kelly, while he uploaded the pictures and put them on a disc.  We ended up taking over 530 pictures!

Since we had such a long day, it was nice to go to Happy Hour with Alex & Kelly, along with their friend, Jenny, to Chaya in Downtown.  It was just about a 15 minute walk and we enjoyed sliders, this amazing corn appetizer, edamame, french fries, all different types of skewers, and other goodies along with wine and cocktails.  It was much needed and awesome to be out and social without having to be 'working.'  It's hard to call taking pictures and laughing with friends work ;)  We all had a great time, sharing stories, eating, drinking, and I'm definitely looking forward to another Photo Shoot & Happy Hour with good friends!

Sci-Fi Bartender

On Sunday I was Bartending at Irish Times and thankfully, there was no craziness to start the day; just a gorgeous day outside, and I had the bar ready by noon to open!

When I was working on Thursday, C*, came in to see if his film crew could use the bar to film a TV Pilot at the Bar that they were shopping to Network.  I said I was going to be working on Sunday and that it was ok with me, but they would have to get clearance from James, the Owner.  On Sunday, James came in and told me they would be there around 12:30 pm to set up and film for a few hours, they would be buying drinks, and hopefully food, and be done around 4 or 5 pm.  I was excited!

At 12:30 pm, lights were coming in, a Red Camera was getting set up, crew was working hard, and actors were hanging out until they had to take their places on our set.  C* was awesome, and had asked me on Thursday if I wouldn't mind being in some of the scenes, and I told him, of course, I would want to!

The Pilot they were filming was a Western set in Space, with a Sci-Fi feel.  This crew has been working together for years, and you could tell because of the camaraderie, and how quickly they worked.  Trust me, the beer and cocktails were flowing for everyone on C's* tab, and everyone was in a great mood.  I walked through for a couple of scenes, picking up glassware or clearing tables, and then got some face time for a scene where I was hanging out with my regulars, and this alarm goes off, and while we don't make a big deal right away, we figure out it's pretty serious, and everyone exits the bar.  They did close-up shots of a few people, so I was glad that I was one of them!

When the filming was done, most of the crew and a couple cast members stayed to have some lunch, and because the bar was open all day as well, I was kept pretty busy.  We had a couple groups of people come in throughout the day and everyone was super awesome about the filming going on around them.  C* was so thankful and appreciative for my help, but I was happy they were in there to keep me busy and give me something to do, so it wasn't a problem for me at all!  I hope that their Pilot gets picked up and perhaps we can all work together in the future!

The rest of the afternoon the bar ended up getting pretty busy so it was a great day to be working!  Plus, the Yankee's were winning, and I impressed a group of guys with my knowledge of what had happened the first couple innings of the game along with knowing the starting line-up.

Even though it's an 8 hour day behind the bar, and that's a normal work-day for most, being behind a bar that long is like 2 normal shifts.  But one of the things I love is that I'm done by 7:30 pm at the latest, and I can go home while it's still light outside.  Every time I've worked I've gone for a walk or just enjoyed the day.  The sun is setting, people are in the park, it's cooled down a little, and I can listen to music, or catch up with family and friends.  It's always a great way to end a shift at the bar :)

My Week with Diego

So this last week, Neil went out of town, and needed someone to take care of his Chihuahua, Diego, for the week.  I love Diego, and have been wanting a dog for the past year or two so I was happy to take care of him while Neil was in Chicago.

It all started on Monday when Diego and I dropped Neil off at LAX and we were on our way back to my place.  Deegs likes to sit in the driver's lap, and look around, and I wasn't used to this just yet, but there was no stopping him, so in my lap he sat, looking out the window and smiling at me because he got his way.  I'm just glad we were stuck in traffic.

At home, I had  toys for him, treats, his leash, etc.  The first thing we did was play for a little bit with 'Freckles' and after getting some work done, it was time for our daily walk.  There's a great park just a block from my place so we took a lap around the park and then walked around the block before coming back to my place.  Our first visit to the park took a little longer than it did the rest of the week because he was in unfamiliar territory, smelling everything, watching the kids play in the baseball field, watching the people on the tennis courts, and of course, checking out cute girls.  Diego is really well trained, so the only reason I kept him on his leash in the park was to keep him moving, otherwise, he would sit down and just stare at me as I walked down the path, but once we got onto the sidewalk, I could take it off because he enjoyed the freedom and would stay close by.  He was constantly complimented, how cute he was, what was his name, he's so well-behaved...

It was nice to have a little snuggle buddy on the couch, even though he dictated how I sat so that he could nestle into a specific spot, I was glad to have him there.  His favorite thing about sitting on the couch was having my purple blanket to bury himself in.  I watched him the other day for 2 minutes straight, moving, digging, burying himself into the right spot on the blanket, while still being covered but able to see everything around him.  Apparently, this was an art form that he had been working on for years, because he did that when he slept in my bed too. 

Deegs & Freckles

Every morning he'd wake up with me around 9 am, yup, he slept in till 9 with me, but knew I needed 10 minutes to just lay awake and think about my day, so he'd come and snuggle in right by my shoulder and lay his head on my arm until I was ready to get up.  Then we'd take a short walk outside to start our day, play for a little bit, and then have Breakfast.  We got into our routine quite easily and taking our walks together was probably the hi-light of my day!  During play-time we could throw 'Freckles' or 'Elephante' for 20 minutes without stopping.  He'd get all excited and drop one of them in front of me and I knew it was time.  If I didn't pick the toy up fast enough, he'd pick it up and drop it closer to me, and if I didn't pick it up then, he'd speak so I knew he was ready.  He's just such a fun little creature.

Now, I had to work at Karaoke on Wednesday and Friday for 5 hours, and Bartend at Irish Times on Thursday for 8 hours, and had an Audition on Friday morning in Palos Verdes, and I couldn't believe how hard it was to say goodbye to him.  I would find myself wondering what he was doing, was he drinking and eating, was he playing, where was he sitting?  Before I left, I'd put him on top of the couch so he could look down around the apartment and be the King while I was gone and as soon as he heard my key turning in the lock he was right at the door, waiting to give me kisses and play.  Because I was working a bunch this week, when it came time for Game Night with my girls up in The Valley on Thursday night, he was my Buddy and definitely coming with me.  There were a couple other well-behaved dogs, but just as Neil said, Diego would be a snob, because he was a 'human' and was better than they were.  He sat by my side all night, but he wasn't any help with Balderdash ;)

Needless to say, this week absolutely flew by and I was so sad to see little Digalo go home on Saturday night.  As difficult as it was, hiding him, because we're not supposed to have dogs at our Apartment, and he'd bark making it even more difficult, as much as he would lick me and be a little trouble-maker, I love that little man so much.  I love all his little quirks and nuances, his excitement for the simple things like taking a walk, playing, or laying on the couch, how smart he is, and how much love he gives and happy he makes me.  I can't wait for our next adventure together <3

The Valley Girl at Karaoke

I had a busy day on Friday starting off with an Audition near Palos Verdes that morning.  It's so gorgeous down there!  When my Mom was in town visiting last August we went to the Botanical Gardens which were incredibly beautiful and the Wayfarer's Chapel where the view was excellent!

My Audition was for a Fox Promo involving an App.  I was playing a New York Blogger, similar to Gossip Girl and I was told to wear Yoga Pants with a Fashionable top.  When I got to the Suite I found out it was for a Church App...cool :)  D* answered the door and gave me the sides which I read over for a few minutes before heading inside to do my Audition.  D* asked me to tell him a little bit about myself, so I said I was from Wisconsin and had been living in LA for 6 years.  I asked where he was from and he said Ohio, so we talked about playing Fantasy Football, College Football, and who our teams were.  We both agreed that we miss the Midwest and the people back home are great!

After about 15 minutes we got into the actual performance.  I slated, did profiles, and then explained what kind of App I would want (because on top of getting paid for the job, this company was designing an App for the Talent as well).  I'm sure there's one of these out there, but my App would calculate calories burned, with the time of the work-out, and keep track of all these details so I could compare at the end of the week, month, etc.  Then I went into my sides.  It was a short 30 second snippet where I had to play a flighty girl who realizes the App helps her out by keeping everything organized because she's so dis-organized.  D* told me to lose my IQ, play a little ditzy, and do it again.  So I did it again, playing dumb this time, but keeping it light and conversational.  D* said that was better, but to take it all the way, commenting that my line about 'forgetting where I put my car keys' was spot on, and to keep that vibe throughout the whole scene.  So I did it again, playing Valley Girl almost, very unfocused, and then honing it in at the end and he said it was great.  We both had a little laugh before I left, after I asked if I could show him anything else, and then I was on my way home!

On Friday night I was Hosting Karaoke at Gabe's, and actually thought it was going to be kind of quiet because of Debbie's Party last week, but it ended up being almost as busy.  There were a lot less people in the bar, but everyone that was there, was singing.  We had a fun group of girls keeping everyone involved singing songs by Def Leppard and The Eagles.  We had a bunch of regulars singing but for the most part, I was hanging by myself, which was ok.  My new song of the night was The Eurythmic's 'Here Comes the Rain Again' which actually was perfect for my voice, and I was able to change it up, harmonize at certain parts and make it my own.  My only disappointment about the song was that it was kind of repetitive; it could have ended a minute earlier and no one would have known any different.  I also sang 'If I Could Turn Back Time' which the crowd loved!  There were a couple of really excellent singers that sang hard rock/metal songs that sounded just like the original artist, being AC/DC and Ozzy.  Overall, it was a very supportive crowd night and everyone had a lot of energy which always keeps it exciting :)

Back Behind The Bar and 4th of July Karaoke

I'm finally back behind the bar on a regular basis!  I've been filling in at Irish Times since March and working random shifts but as of now I'll be working on Thursdays from noon until 7 pm!  I'm so glad to have a Bartending job but am obviously still looking for something permanent that I can call home where I can work multiple shifts and start making good money again!

I've been working at Irish Times the past couple Thursdays and Sundays and am starting to get to know the regulars better since I'm here on a more regular basis and can recognize people and their drinks.  There's been the Euro Cup on lately too so I've had a crowd earlier on than usual, and even if it's slow at least it's been steady and kept me going all day long.

Today started out with some excitement...no Guinness tapped and me trying to move the Guinness was I'm sure quite funny.  Thankfully, we had a guy working on the beer taps so he took care of it for me...darn damsel in distress!  That wasn't so bad because as I was opening the bar and our lovely chef was cleaning she happened to throw some water to clean the bathroom and it hit an electrical outlet.  She came running out to get me and as I went to assess the damage saw the smoke, smelled the burning wires, and saw the sparks.  I knew with the water on the ground that would act as a conductor (right?) and would shock us if we tried to wipe the water from the outlet so my first thought was to call the Fire Department just to be safe.  Of course, after telling them it was a Non-Emergency they said they would have to come and check it out as a precaution.  Meanwhile, I'm hoping they don't come with the whole crew, hose in hand, lights and sirens going...I was wrong.  Lights, sirens, 3 Firefighters, and a Manager guy, all dressed in suits.  Luckily, after looking at it with a special camera, everything was fine, and I offered them a beer (hey, they might have saved our lives, I was just trying to be hospitable) before they left.  They declined, but not without a smile and chuckle.  Just another exciting way to start my day :)

On Wednesday, I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's for Independence Day/4th of July!  I walked into a nearly empty bar but had a great conversation with some friendly gentlemen and around 10 pm a couple Karaoke singers along with Johnny came in to hang out and sing so we got the night started.  While there wasn't a big crowd everyone was happy to have a short rotation and be able to sing more often!

I opened the night with some Beatles because they seemed like the most Patriotic Band that I could sing and we got the evening started.  I sang a bunch of songs I haven't sang in a while and practiced some songs I could use for a Karaoke contest that's going on throughout LA County like 'Mercy' and 'Baby Love.'  Johnny told me about the contest and was also practicing and sang a bunch of new songs.  I don't know if I've ever heard anyone sing Hoobastank, so he sang 'The Reason' for me.  Art did Gene Pitney's, 'Town Without Pity' which is by far one of my favorite songs for him to sing, and just makes me want to dance every time I hear it.  Then around 11 pm a group of my friends came in to sing, who have never been to Gabe's before!  They sang, Guns & Roses, Prince, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. and had so much fun, and did awesome!  I think they'll be back ;)  My new song of the night was 'Everytime We Touch' by Cascada which actually went well for not knowing the song.  It's a fun dance remix so I'll have to do it on a busier night so people get up and dance!

Our 4th of July Celebration ended up being a lot of fun, not too busy, the perfect amount of people, everyone able to sing, and having a good time!  Now if only I would have been able to see some Fireworks...there's always next year!

Star Wars Election

This Saturday I filmed a Star Wars Election Parody with some friends whom I worked on the Web Series, 'Jules & Jess' with.  We shot the Internet/Commercial spots at Magnolia Park in North Hollywood in the gorgeous sunshine.

Basically, with the upcoming 2012 Election, this is making light of voting for our current candidates and turning to The Dark Side.  They needed people who had Star Wars Costumes and would dress up and talk about Voting for Darth.  Any excuse to get more use out of my Princess Leia Costume the better!

After arriving in Costume with Han Solo, himself, we saw that Darth Vader was getting dressed in his authentic costume.  It was an actual replica of George Lucas' vision, and even though he paid $4000 for the Costume, he can never get paid to wear it because it belongs to the Star Wars franchise!  That's a huge investment for something you love, so I give him props!  About a half hour later more people had showed up and we were ready to shoot some scenes.

Darth taking a Sitting Break in-between filming scenes...he was actually 6 feet tall!

All of us did a Confessional style, Man on the Street Interview, turning to The Dark Side and keeping it light and fun.  The point wasn't to be perfectly Star Wars (except for Darth) but for it to seem very normal that these people would be roaming the streets.  I got to do a scene where I stated I was voting for Obama/Biden (it was acting) but after meeting with Darth and feeling The Force, I switched over to The Dark Side.  We did it a couple different ways and then moved onto a group scene at a picnic table where we're discussing Politics with Darth, and someone asked a question, and he killed them with The Force.  Who would wear Wookie brown when you could wear black like Darth?!  

It was a quick shoot and I'm hoping to get some fun footage from it as well.  It was great to do some acting work and Improv and get the crew together again to film something :)