My Resolutions of 2012 :)

Well, 2012 has come and gone more quickly than I could have ever imagined!  I'm proud to say that I kept true to my resolutions from last year :)

1. To do something creative or artistic every day.

Whether it was performing Karaoke (in which I sang a new song every time I Hosted Karaoke and I plan on continuing that challenge), reading a play, taking a Casting Workshop, Auditioning, writing lyrics, painting, submitting for castings or e-mailing Agencies, I did something creative each and every day and I feel more fulfilled in my Acting Career because of it.  I filmed a Commercial in Spokane early in 2012, did a Politcal Spoof for Palpatine Vader, created a Doritos Spec Commercial for the Super Bowl which currently has nearly 60,000 views, worked a Medical Tradeshow and was a featured Model in Wheels & Heels Magazine.  I became a part of SAG/AFTRA which was one of my goals for a long time so I'm looking forward to even more success in 2013 and will also continue to do something creative or artistic each and every day.

2.  To be more patient.

Writing in my journal has really helped me to be more patient and aware of myself.  It's been such a great outlet for me to get out my feelings and think before I do something and I love writing out the best part of my day in addition to the creativity of it.  Even though I don't plan on journaling as much as I did in 2012, I will still write in it from time to time when I need a breather and break from the world and to share specific stories and feelings.  In addition to my journal, I took Yoga regularly and that also helped with my patience, breath, and inner peace and I continue to look forward to more of that in 2013!

3.  To smile more :)

With patience and understanding comes communication, and strengthening friendships and bonds and even though I want more, I'm happy with the progress I've made in so many aspects of my life and definitely feel like I've been smiling a whole lot more!  Part of smiling more is encouraging others to smile as well and I'll continue to make me people laugh and enjoy life just a little bit more.  I'm fortunate to work in a career where it's my job to make people laugh, and even when I'm Bartending, I love entertaining people, making them feel welcome, and it makes me feel great when I see the smile across there face when I remember their name and their drink :)

4. To start a blog.

It's been a year and 197 entries later, I have kept up with a blog and sharing parts of myself with the world.  I've gotten a little feedback recently and I will continue to keep up with my blog but I'm going to try to keep the entries shorter, therefore keeping viewers entertained without boring them (hopefully).  I'll try to include more pictures and write creative entries as well as share my funny and crazy stories with those that are interested in reading them! 

I worked really hard last year to stick to my resolutions and after a year they no longer feel like resolutions, I'm hoping they become more of a lifestyle and positive change.  I'll continue to challenge myself and keep up with them in addition to new resolutions, new goals, and new ideas.  And that all starts now...Happy 2013!

Thanks for being a part of my world :)

My Dentist Update & Yoga

On Friday I had to go back to the Dentist to take some X-rays to see if I had a cavity that the hygienist noticed.  I went back to the X-ray room and Victor got me started as we chatted about him teaching his son to drive, hockey and acting.  After my X-rays the Dentist came in and at first glance said, yes, I had a small cavity.  He suggested we take care of it that day and get it done right away.  This was my first cavity in over 15 years so I was already nervous and the more I thought about it, the more upset and disappointed I became.  I'm always brushing my teeth and flossing; how could this happen?  Was it going to hurt?  

I remember the last cavity I had years ago and how painful it was, including the shot and drilling and the after-math.  Next thing ya know, I'm in tears in the chair my German Dentist is apologizing for making jokes.  I told him it wasn't him, I was just being a girl and let's go through with this filling right then and there.  That didn't stop me from asking Victor to hold my hand for the shot (which I did feel) and had them turn the music up really loud so it would drown out the sound of the drilling.  As 'Unchained Melody' came on over the radio and I'm realizing 'time really does go by so slowly' my Dentist was actually singing along to the song, and Victor who was assisting said, 'Can you hurry up, already!'  It made me smile to know that he was concerned about me.  It turned out the cavity was far worse than they expected and I'm thinking my Sour Patch Kids are probably to blame.  That won't stop me from eating them but it has forced me to be more aware of my teeth brushing and making sure to get all the way in the back shortly after I eat them.

Overall, the whole cavity experience wasn't that bad, and much better than years ago since they have numbing stuff that goes on before the shot, and it's a much quicker process.  My mouth was sensitive and sore for the next 24 hours but this was just a lesson to make sure I'm really taking care of my teeth so I won't have another cavity for the next 15 or more years!

Onto my Yoga class, I've been talking about Jo from Yogaglo for months now.  She's by far my favorite teacher there and while she's been out of the country for the past couple of months I've been forced to take a different teacher because I really do enjoy going and I've seen a change in my patience, mind control, and body.  I feel like a stronger person inside and out.  The past few weeks I've been taking classes with Sean.  Her class is definitely more challenging than Jo's as about 20 minutes into class I'm dripping with sweat and looking at the clock going, '40 more minutes?!?'

Today the class was 90 minutes and I thought I was up for the challenge.  Once again, 20 minutes in, and I was already wondering why on earth I was putting myself through this.  Her normal class is a Level 2/3 and today's was a Level 3.  There were tons of balancing poses which I was proud that I was even attempting and succeeding at a few.  There were also extended holding of plank and low plank (where you're just a couple inches off the ground at the bottom of a push-up) and doing that back and forth 3 times before going through a Vinyasa.  Everyone in class was letting out sighs of relief at the end and we went through that at least 8 times.  I think one of the more difficult things was doing Warrior 1 for an extended period of time and holding the pose for a minute, flowing through a Vinyasa and doing it on the other side, and then back to the first side, and doing that through another time, and then yet again for the 3rd time, eventually closing our eyes in the pose.  I thought my legs would be tired but it was actually my arms giving up on me trying to hold them up for a minute at a time all after the planks and push-ups.  

The last part of class for about 20 minutes we stretched and I'm hoping that will prevent the soreness that I fear might be coming since my legs feel a little bit like jello.  It's definitely a great challenge to take her class but I love my class with Jo and look forward to her return next week!

Massages & Beer

Today was going to be a busy day with 2 auditions on the opposite end of town from each other but I knew I had plenty of time in between even if they went longer than I planned.  I prepared with an extra bag that had my laptop, original clothes I wore to the Bud Light Commercial audition (you should always wear the same clothes to call-backs unless specified so they remember who you are), and my make-up bag.  

My first Audition was for the Plaza Spa in Sherman Oaks.  It was a quick drive to Sherman Oaks this morning and from leaving my garage to parking in the Valley, I made it in 20 minutes.  I walked over to the Sherman Oaks Plaza, took the elevator to the 2nd floor and signed in.  There were 3 other girls waiting, so I took a seat and pulled out my book to read.  Apparently, the girl who walked in right behind me was nervous because she wanted to chat, talking about her Facebook profile, showing me pictures she's recently taken, and talking about stunt work.  Certainly interesting but I'm on the last 40 pages of 'Hunger Games' so I really wanted to read my book.

After about 20 minutes D* came down to get the first set of girls, and 20 minutes after that 3 of us went upstairs to do our auditions.  Basically, they were looking for 4 models, one older woman, 2 younger women, and a masseuse.  We had on 'spa clothes' swim suits underneath so we did a couple poses for them, laying on our back, laying on our stomach and relaxing, and then sitting in seated position, legs crossed, in a zen moment.  They had me in my swim suit for the last pose, complimenting my tan and muscle tone, and saying I have beautiful skin, (so very nice of them to say)!  When D* asked what else I had going on today, I mentioned my Bud Light Call-back later, and he said congratulations!  Always a good thing to have another audition later and for something well known, even better.  

When I left the audition I headed home and made it home just around 12:15 pm.  Lucky for me, I had enough time to do my arm strength training work-out and abs.  I made myself some lunch, freshened up, and then just before 2 pm I was on my way to Hollywood for my Call-back.

The Bud Light Call-back was in Hollywood and it took just a half hour to get there and I was early.  I signed in noticing there were actually a lot of people there for a call-back.  I got put into my group right away (just two out of four of us were there) and he felt the same way, saying it seemed as though more people were hear now versus when he came to the original audition.  I knew there were only 10 girls coming in for call-backs which meant there were 30 to 40 guys.  It took a while, and about an hour later they had us lined up right outside the room.  J* took our headshots and gave us some pointers before going in the room, don't drink from the bottles, keep the energy high, and play our expressions to the camera.  J* also loved my shoes...ah, they are my favorites (silver platform peep-toes) and super comfortable.

When we got into the room there were about 5 people, plus Karen the CD, and the camera guy.  Everyone was eating lunch and had their laptops in front of them.  They had us line up and then slate and do profiles for the camera.  Then they put us into position at a table.  Our Hero guy was prompted by his Buddy about the Bud Light Cruise he just went on, and the Hero tells us all these amazing stories that are supposed to make us jealous.  So, the other 2 guys and I are supposed to be bummed that we missed out on something so cool, and I'm sure the guys I was with could have felt like that, considering the Hero was talking about all the hot naked girls, champagne fights, and licking going on.  No joke.  Now, he was prompted by one of the casting people to really go with it, and get raunchy, but I found it difficult to really be jealous of this, so I played it off like this was my brother, and typical him to have this wild and crazy story.  Once again, I 'flirted' with another bar patron off camera, had some good expressions and frustration for 'missing out' on such an awesome time.  After running it through twice we were done and out the door.

I'm sure I'm probably being hard on myself feeling like I could have done better and should have tried harder, but I have to think I did the best I could and it's in their hands now.  I made a great impression that they wanted to see me a second time so hopefully they see how well I worked with the guys and can mix and match all the actors to make the perfect set of 4 friends, and fingers crossed, that includes me!

Since I usually go to Yoga on Monday's at 4:30 pm, I really wanted to go today, especially after this long and busy day.  It was 3:50 pm when I left, and as soon as I got home, I changed and ran back out the door, making it to Yoga just a couple minutes late.  Thank goodness, Sean, is always late!  It felt good to concentrate on my breathing and nothing external and by the end of the hour long class I felt strong and rejuvenated.

Tonight I am looking forward to just relaxing, hanging out with my roommate, watching some 'Housewives' action and finishing off my book!  But first, I must go through all of my castings...let's get some more auditions this week!

Guinness & Music & Yogaglo

I wondered why last week flew by and as I'm writing these entries I'm understanding!  So much was going on and I kept really busy.  On Saturday I was Bartending at Irish Times from noon until 7 pm.  It was my first time setting up on my own so it was a nice little work-out for me as well, getting ice, taking down bar stools, running back to my car because I had left the instructions in there and it was parked 2 blocks away.  Once everything was set up I had some time to hang out until some guests arrived.

Last week when I had worked they were filming something when I arrived and about an hour after I opened Karen, (she used to Bartend there and is a good friend of the bar) came in with a Boom Operator (sound guy) to get bar noise for the film.  We got to talking and found out she has an insane schedule next week because she runs her own Casting Company.  She said she had seen my headshots and submissions on LA Casting previously and said to make a note when I submit saying we know each other from Irish Times and also gave me her e-mail.  YAY!  My first customers arrived after 2 and the day stayed steady till I closed.  I had a rush right around 5 pm which kept me running.  Most people that came in had lunch or dinner so there were drink orders, food orders, and lots of chatting.  Plus, a bunch of games were coming on so it ended up being a really awesome Saturday.  I'm getting to know the regulars now and making new friends too!  

I left the bar just before 8 pm and headed home to get ready for my friend, Mike's show at Molly Malone's.  I saw him play there a couple months ago and was excited to see him play again since I now had his CD and knew the songs better.  I really love the style of his music and his band and him jammed on stage; Neil pointed out they were a lot like Dave Matthews, which I could definitely see, but I don't like Dave Matthews voice, and Mike's is so incredible.  He's got one of the greatest voices I've heard and huge range!  On top of it all, it was so great to see Amy and Nic, and Mike's family, and it's always awesome to see a big turn-out and people showing support for a good friend!  I loved singing along this time and rocking out with Mike and he closed the show with a cover of The Darkness's 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love' with the full band so it rocked!  

Molly Malone's

Talk about a busy Saturday and busy weekend!  I always look forward to my Yoga class on Monday's and after the weekend I was stoked to be in class, even though my favorite teacher, Jo, is out of town for the next two months; I figured I'd try another teacher's class.  So today we worked on stretching our legs and really getting deeper into the stretch.  After doing this for about 20 minutes it was really interesting to see how far you had come from the beginning of class.  The last 40 minutes of class we worked on inversions, doing shoulder stand and head stand.  I'm actually a little sore from it so I'm definitely missing Jo's class right now!  I really like flowing too and today's class was concentrating on Hatha Yoga which is more sustained poses and for someone who doesn't do a whole lot of inversions or in most of the classes I've taken, you're only doing it for 5-10 minutes, this was a big change for me.  I'll just have to keep working at it!

Whew what a busy week and I can't wait to do it all over again this week, except this time, I'll be back in Wisconsin for it!

Having Fun...Rain or Shine!

I had a very busy and fun weekend last week; got to see friends I haven't seen in a while, enjoyed a Burger & Beer with Jeff from PowerTV at Father's Office, drank Sangria by the beach in Venice for Brunch with Kristina, enjoyed LA being dreary and sunny, and laughed a lot!

On Monday I covered for Ian at Irish Times and got to Bartend for the first time in over a month.  It was my first time being solo at the bar and I had to close up shop all on my own.  Lucky for me, it went off without a hitch, and I had a very successful night.  I had a couple friends come in to keep me company and have some cocktails and even got a little late night Jack & The Box snack :)  It was really steady all night!  I'm still trying to find a permanent Bar Home and it's proving more difficult than I thought.  I know I'm being picky but I want to make sure I'm happy and comfortable with the bar I'm working at, and considering I was so unhappy for 6 months at the last bar I worked at, I don't want to put myself into a negative situation like that again!  Something will come along; I'm trusting it will.

Before I went into work I got in a great work-out and run in the park and later that afternoon was able to go to my Yoga Class.  There were only 9 people in the class, including me, so it was a really small and intimate class and she let us decide what we wanted to do.  It ended up being a day of twists and hip openers and the last 20 minutes we were able to concentrate on whatever we wanted to work on.  In fact, I did my first ever Yogi Headstand!  I was so proud of myself.  I knew I was going to be in a calm state of mind for the rest of the night, even if it was going to be crazy busy at Irish Times!

Tonight I Hosted Karaoke at Gabe's!  I'm getting a little bit more creative with trying new songs as I look up artists and songs during the day to see if it's something I could try or experiment with.  Johnny had added over 3000 new songs to our database and updated our computer with a new system that was easier to navigate and was there finishing up when I got to work.  It was really quiet when I got there and since everyone was singing slow music or love songs I decided to try Roxette's 'It Must Have Been Love' and when I was done Johnny told me I needed to learn 'Dangerous' so we could do that as a duet.  Done and done!  We found out we both own the album so we sang that a little later.  It was a great duet and we hit the harmonies perfectly; so I was able to try two new songs in one night!  The night ended up being really busy and the bar was packed (I was worried that the pouring rain was going to deter people but that brought everyone in)!  Jonathan was trying a bunch of new music as well and we even sang 'Need You Now' by Lady Antebellum.  We closed down just before last call and Debbie was my back-up dancer for my first ever solo version of 'Baby One More Time.'  Karaoke is all about having fun, right?!?  I love seeing people smiling and having a good time and last night was certainly one of those nights!  I hope Friday is just as exciting :)

The week is already half-way over but it's not stopping anytime soon for me...I've got a busy week ahead and I'm going out for a run this afternoon to enjoy the effects the rain has on LA...fresh clean and clear air!

What's For Dinner? Part 6.

After an awesome Yoga session today at Yogaglo (I'm so happy that Jo is back and felt like I was walking on a cloud after class, so refreshed and relaxed) I wanted to make a really great dinner from scratch.  Originally I had thought about getting some fresh veggies and doing a light sauce with pasta, but then changed my mind to one of the first recipes I ever learned from my friend, Erik, who is an Italian Chef.  I could barely remember it, so I tweaked it a little and have made it my own.

Here are the ingredients for tonight's 'What's for Dinner?'

Summer Salad

1 Cup packed Arugula

2 Strawberries

1 Small Roma Tomato

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Pepper

Tortellini & Gnocchi in a Garlic Cream Sauce with Vegetables

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Cup Gnocchi

1 Cup Tortellini

1/2 an Onion

1 Cup Mushrooms

1 Zucchini

1 Apple Sausage

2 Cloves of Garlic

3/4 Cup Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Goat Cheese with Honey

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

This recipe cooks really easily and in less than 30 minutes.  I started with the olive oil in the pan added the garlic and sauteed until fragrant, then put in my chopped onion, and let that saute for a couple minutes while I chopped the zucchini and sausage.  Then I added in the mushrooms, zucchini, sausage, and salt and pepper to taste.  After letting that cook for a couple minutes I added in the heavy cream and let the whole mixture simmer until the sauce thickened.  Once it had thickened I added a quarter cup water along with the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese until it was melted and mixed together.  While I was making my base I had boiled water and cooked the tortellini and gnocchi till it was ready to be added to the cream sauce and vegetables.  Because it was a simple recipe I was able to throw together my Summer Salad easily, cut up the strawberries and tomatoes, and tossed them with the arugula and balsamic vinegar and topped it with some pepper.

Gorgeous colors!

Delicious :)

The recipe was just as good as I remembered it but better.  (This dish can also be cooked casserole style in a glass baking dish in the oven; my Mom has done it that way, and it's just as good)!  The sausage gave it a little sweetness along with the goat cheese which was INCREDIBLE!  I can't believe I hadn't tried the Honey kind before.  The whole dish was really savory and had great flavor.  I love when you can get a lot of vegetables in a sauce and everything just works together really well and has a ton of variety.  Heavy Cream does have quite a bit of fat, but I had one medium size bowl of the Pasta Dish and was full, and every once in a while, you need to splurge and enjoy a home-cooked meal, and I enjoyed mine with a glass of Chateau St. Michelle's Sauvignon Blanc :)

Can't wait to enjoy my leftovers tomorrow!!

 

April Fools & Blues

Sunday started the month of April and what a gorgeous day it was!  It had rained on Saturday night so it was a beautiful, clear, but breezy day, so of course, I took a nice long walk around the neighborhood, once again, heading up a major hill on Palms Blvd that takes me to an amazing view of all of LA and even the Hollywood sign.  The sky was such a beautiful shade of blue with just two big clouds over parts of the city.  Along with enjoying the view I chatted with my Wolfdog, Andrea, about her upcoming Housewarming Party next weekend.  Exciting!

My Mom had called me earlier giving me this story about Facebook and accidentally adding someone and not realizing it, and I started to get frustrated as to why she would add this random person when she yelled out April Fool's and started laughing. I didn't think it was funny but had to give her props for actually fooling me.  I tried to play a little joke later and mine didn't go over so well.  Well, ya win some, ya lose some.  I remember a couple years ago I told my Mom they had fired me from my job because of something ridiculous and I had her going for a while, so I suppose this was probably payback.

That evening I met up with a couple friends at Mom's Bar in West LA where Nick, my old Manager from Saint's & Sinner's works.  We had a mini S&S reunion including Canadian Carrie!  We all went in for Karaoke but apparently that quit a couple weeks ago, and has been replaced with Ping Pong.  Really?  I've got one more week until Easter, so less than 7 days till I can drink shots with my friends or have some french fries and I feel like I've really been tested this past week!  So soon...

On Monday I kicked off the week with a crazy Yoga Work-out with an emphasis on opening and stretching your hips to improve flexibility and flow.  Over 75 minutes later my legs felt like jelly but it was such a great breathing exercise and vinyasa.  I just hope I won't be too sore tomorrow for my run!

Of course, the March Madness Championship game was on Monday night as well.  University of Kentucky vs Kansas.  Both blue teams but I was cheering on Big Blue as I had picked them to win my bracket and I have been a fan of Cheerleading Team for the past 10 years as they were always the best and performed amazing!  I got together with some friends at Bru Haus and got to see some of the old Cabo Crew so that was nice.   My crew was cheering on Kansas so I was the Lone Ranger being a Kentucky fun and happy I was because Kentucky won.  The game wasn't all that exciting, until the end when Kansas started coming back, but couldn't overtake the powerful Wildcats!  And my Kansas boys were definitely feeling the blues after that game.  Sorry Boys...there's always next year ;)