Camellia season...

Actually, camelia season had been here for a while... all through Christmas locally, and there are some stunning displays locally.  But I decided to post a pic of this growing down the street from me. 

1)  I figured you and me both needed a break from acting posts broken occasionally by drama posts. And

2)  when life gets ugly, I try to find something pretty focus on and

3)  I don't actually know much about these plants, since I've never grown them, But they are nice, aren't they?

And so we carry on...

After the events of the disastrous room mate situation,  leaving me less than an inch from homeless, I've began rallying back. 

Just now... it strikes me that with my age... maturity, lets call it maturity... with maturity, I've actually gained some things.  If this had happened when I was in my 20s, it would have thrown me off balance.  I would have spent the next 2 week's raging, screaming and basically feeling sorry for myself, blaming the planet, and being useless. 

What did I do now?

I went to work. 

True...that may have been the most uncomfortable set I've every been on.  Its less than 40 degrees, we're at the South Side Harbor Marina, there 20 mile per hour winds coming off the water, and we're dressed for summer in Florida. 

Hell no.

But, I got my stuff... I moved into a cheap dorm, and I just carried on.  This isn't going to set me back.  Other people's karma is their problem.  My roommate was a senior citizen with a steady government check.  The young couple that he took up with are drug addicts who are taking advantage of him.  

Yes, there is a chance that they will find him by the road and his car long gone. 

I tried to block them... the hotel banned them from the property a month ago, but roommate was sneaking them in at night so they could squat. 

I would go to work in the morning, and he would sneak them into the room all day where they would sit and whine at him. 

God only knows what they've managed to manipulate him into... (I did get wind of one plan to run drugs across state lines and I certainly thought I'd squashed that...But when I'm working 12 hour days there's so much going on when not here, who knows)

He's decided, and he's not stupid so it was a decision, to steal my money and throw in with them.   So be it.  I can't worry about this.  You make your bed... you lie in it. 

I've got more movie checks coming in... the hotel is working with me (along with some of my stuff, the microwave, a space heater, and a few other things of theirs disappeared) and I'll just carry on.  It will mean RAMEN noodles for dinner for about a week, but I've survived worse and I get good food on set.

I apologise for the last post.   It was moment of self pity and angst that I'm getting past, all though I'm sure there will be a couple of flare-ups over the next few weeks, but I promise I'll to keep my head up and attitude positive.  

Carry on. 

Well Fudge

I'm sure y'all are getting really tired of my constant  drama. 

God knows I am. 

Here's the latest... a bunch of checks came in from the movie gigs all at once... I cashed them, and since the rent is paid tomorrow,  when I'll be on a movie set, I gave the money to my roommate, since the lease agreement is in his name. 

He, a senior citizen,  sent me to the store, took the money, all the food (he took the bloody Ramen noodles!) the hotels microwave and space heater, and, with the help of a couple of drug addicts who've been sucking up to him, took off in the space of 20 minutes. 

I've been working 12 hour days on set,
Days off set I work manual labour and/or banquet service, and now I have nothing to show for it. 

I'm left with about 20 bucks in cash, and basically trying to figure out if I'm homeless or not... the hotel is working with me, but we've got to figure this out... and there we are... 

Damn Damn Damn.  

I've often joked on Facebook that the starving actors gratefully accept donations.  Now I bloody mean it!

Grrrrr

Well, not been posting, I've been scrambling.  They raised my rent with 4 days notice, which isn't legal, but I can't really afford a lawyer to prove my point, so I've been doing day labor jobs and I'm wore the hell out and still got more scrambling to go...

I am keeping up with y'all, but just haven't had anything of even moderate interest to post...  sorry. .

A moral Dilemma.

Well... that does presume I have morals... but here's the thing...

A casting call came through from The Church Of Latter Day Saints... seems they're doing a series of internet spots promoting 'traditional family values' which isn't really one of my favorite phrases. 

Quite frankly, it's a phrase that's a bit TOO open to interpretation, but considering the source, is probably boiling down to anti-gay, although it could be anti-abortion, anti-divorce, anti-  Well anti lots of things which I may or may not agree with. 
Of course, I am am actor, and its my job to portray lots of things I wouldn't actually do or think. 

And its strange... I would quite willingly, without a second thought, portray a mass murdering psychopath, so why am I drawing the line at conservative Republicanism?

I think that it's the nature of the presentation... if I was portraying a mass murdering psychopath, it would be in a setting of the hero trying to stop me.  Well... usually, and everyone watching would know it's a fictional portrayal, at least on some level. 

These web infomercials are presented as a nonfiction," this is what you should do with your life thing," and it's pushing my comfort zone.

But... I did submit...

Not sure how I feel about that... I'm not confident that I'll get it, I'm not gonna be upset if I don't, And the moral dilemma can be dealt with If I  do.  maybe I'll just show up for the shoot wearing a leather bondage harness and rainbow cape...

In other news,  I'm filming another episode of NCIS Monday.  Thats cool.  No dilemma there...

Pfhhht

I'm starting to look back on my day labor days with nostalgia... working in the movies to the point that I don't have to do day labor, and don't have the energy to anyway.

After my final day on GeoStorm, which will soon be going to CGI digital effects for about a year before it's released, I was a journalist on Astronaut Wives Club, then, after a refreshing total of three hours of sleep, another scene for NCIS... this time one of the people at the Mardi Gras parade ... 

Looking pretty spiffy if I say so myself.  Not that it matters... this is the same episode that I got featured in, so there's no way in hell they're gonna let me get near the camera and be recognised as the guy from earlier... and there were over 400 extras on set.  

But I'm getting my money anyway... 

Tomorrow brings more costume fittings for Astronaut Wives, then Friday I film a crowd scene for 'Daddy's Home' which stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlburg.  Not real hope of any close ups there, and I'm beyond the point of worrying about it.

Im a little wiped out, in case you can't tell... i mean, its nice too be working,  and in demand, but there comes a point that you begin to wonder if there's any other actor in town they can call for this stuff...

Just tired.  

Good night

More busy

So.  The NCIS shoot I talked about in the  last post turned out interesting.  I was more or less featured at the protest as the Suspect in the Crowd.  One of the advantages of looking like I do is that although I can clean up pretty good, I can also look a little scary without too much effort... yeah, I've got character face.  Its an advantage... Vincent Price made a lot of money with that and I have no problem following on his footsteps

So, when we break for lunch, and I'm surrounded by about a hundred extras who are hating on me because they think they should have got the featured shot and could have done it better,  I turn on the phone and a casting director is calling. 

Can I run over to anothet set to film something else?

Um... no... I'm on a set now and will be the rest of the day...

Could I schedule a shoot for next week...

Uh, sure, why not?

All while people are glaring holes into me. 

Bite me weasels. 

So...Scary suspect at protest... NCIS episode 15... if you wanna see it.  And more Astronaut Wives Club.   And I'm off for my final day, I think, at GeoStorm in a few minutes. 

Busy Busy busy

Haven't had time to blog... which is upsetting actually.  I like to keep track of my friends and writing on here keeps my priorities in order. 

Last Friday,  I filmed on Astronaut Wives Club again... This time I was a "roughneck"

It was my job to sit with 2 other guys on the tailgate of a pickup truck.  An astronaut comes out of the bar,  guy recognises him and wants to have a beer with him,  He turns us down, so we kick his spaceboy butt. 

It started out with wardrobe putting me in something that made me look like one of my high school math teachers,  so we changed out to something else, and spent the next 5 hours sitting outside in weather that started out about 37 degrees and steadily dropped.  My sinus cavities were not happy.

Then the next day... I get an emergency rush call to be a spectator At the WAL (that's Worldwide Armwrestling League) championships that they're filming for ESPN.  This isn't as uncommon as you'd think.  With certain sporting events, people come, see the match they want to see then leave.  ESPN and WAL want the stands full so that the event looks exciting, so they pay extras to fill the stands and cheer and generally act like they're having the time of their life. 

Which is difficult to do, Because, let's face it folks, everything starts to get boring after a couple of hours.  Besides, being locked in a room full of sweaty arm wrestlers starts to get rather fragrant eventually...

But I dressed the part... workboots, jeans, black t-shirt and camo hoodie, and cheered the guys on as best I could...

Today, a day off,  tomorrow NCIS New Orleans.   I'm a protestor.  Don't know what I'm protesting, but I'll probably wear the same clothes and take a few options.  And then. .. I've got to be in a Mardi Gras parade on the 21st... but the final day of Geostorm is in there somewhere, and I'll probably come up with a few things in between.

Howdy

First and foremost, for those of you that read my last few posts... I'm not homeless.  My living situation has changed... for the better... but I'm not going to go into it for the moment, because there's still a chance that the situation may further change...

And in the grand tradition of "my life is a roller coaster" I go in for costume fittings tomorrow (weds) film Astronaut Wives Club on Friday, NCIS on Monday,  and Geostorm next Friday.  I'm also up for a couple of more things and haven't heard yet, So I'm gonna be overworked, and hopefully over fed.  

So, I'm on am upswing now and I'm gonna try to concentrate on keeping it upward...

new years

The last year, actually the last three years, have been an emotional roller coaster.  Some of this was my fault and my own bad decisions, for which I take full responsibility, I'm not a drunk, I'm not on drugs, so I can't blame no one and nothing but myself for it.  Some of this was just the world at large, and I got caught in the same hole other people did.  That's the way it is.

This day, the first day of the year, is traditionally when we feel somehow obligated to look at the past and muster up what hope we can for the future.

When you've been on a roller coaster, hope is sometimes in short supply.

I have a list of things I am grateful for.

I am creative.  I am talented.  I am healthy.  I am a good friend.  I am inventive... the list goes on...

The only thing I can think of for a resolution is this... I promise to not be so hard on myself, and to take better advantage of my talents.

Right now,  I'm sitting in a guesthouse waiting to see if I'm homeless.

The owner tried to kick out a young lady last week, and I stood up for her because I knew she had paid because I was standing at the desk when it happened.  However, since she paid in cash, and the only record is a file that seems have disappeared... she was out on the street.

The file turned up 6 hours later, but now I'm a troublemaker, and my rent is a day late... I've already got a job lined up for tomorrow, but that won't matter... he's gunning for me.  He kicked out a mentally ill man last week whose government check got delayed, and kicked out someone on Christmas Eve in the rain... he's a real class act...

Of course, even the Salvation Army is closed, or at least the intake offices are, so if I'm out, I'm on a street, all the other guesthouses are filled to capacity, (the sugar bowl is in town and New Years is a very big day down here) and I'll be on a street for a night. I can survive that, I just don't want to...

We'll see what happens...