I Am I Said

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I am I said to no one there...and no one heard at all not even a chair. Yup, Neil Diamond knows how to sing it. Sometimes I feel that way too. I'm feeling a little melancholy these days. I found an old friend on Facebook. We were young single and had our whole lives in front of us. We were dating our boyfriends who became our husbands. And we had our first children around the same time too. Many years later and here we are. We both have 3 children only she is now divorced and living on welfare. She told me she has an Obama phone. I didn't know what that was and had to Google it to find out what the heck she was talking about.

I left Ohio for California and I am living the life I only dreamed about when I lived there. I am taking acting classes, visiting family in Las Vegas and looking forward to family visiting next month.

I am also taking better care of my health. I am seeing a new doctor and went thru the barrage of blood tests and seeing a new neurologist. My wheelchair was delivered to my home yesterday and as I was signing papers for the driver he said to me, you don't look like you need a wheelchair. He obviously did not see my leg braces lying on the floor.

I went to the grocery store today and rode on the little in store scooter to do my shopping. As I was paying for the groceries the young lady asked if I needed help taking the items to my car. At first I said no. Then I remembered my doctor saying that I should not be afraid to ask for help. So then I said yes, I would like some help. She took the bags out of the cart and loaded them in my car for me. I shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. But polio people like to be independent. We are so accustomed to trying to look like everyone else that we don't know when to ask for help.

Being an actor is not easy. Being an actor with a disability can be challenging, but oh so rewarding too. Do you know other actors with polio? How about Alan Alda, Mia Farrow and Donald Sutherland? Speaking of actors with disabilities I am finally going to meet Geri Jewell next week. And two of my friends are in the new film, Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts. I'm so excited for them.

Until next time!

Ah Yes

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Such exciting news I don't know where to begin. Guess who had an audition at Fox Studios? That's right! Me. I was notified by my agent that I had an audition for a co-star role on House. I can't really say anything else right now but I am keeping my fingers crossed for a callback.

I am taking some new acting lessons right now and very excited about that too. I am taking my acting to the next level after booking national commercials for Capital One, Starbucks and Pepsi. Now I am ready to do co-star roles. I may have mentioned how I butchered my audition last year for Dexter. Well, I was not prepared and it was a missed opportunity to show my best. But that won't happen again. This time I will be prepared.

Actors: gotta love em. I think we have our own language. We are only as good as our last performance and so we are always looking for more work. Work begets work. I am sharpening my tools. Voice lessons, acting lessons and constant networking. Oh and new head shots. I just got some new head shots the other day in Burbank. I was very pleased and you will soon see them online here and there. I sent 10 to my agent and she loved them all so that is a good sign.

If you all have any questions, please be sure to leave a comment and I will try to answer them. I had lunch with a friend yesterday and I was so surprised. She is a lovely woman but she volunteers her time all the time to friends. She is constantly picking people up and dropping them off. She works so hard for others (for free) and then she wonders why she never gets called in for any auditions. I try to tell her that it is okay to say No once in awhile and to be selfish with her time. She looks at me as though I am speaking French. I cannot understand why she is broke all the time and she doesn't understand why. Hello? Could it be because you work for free?

Oh well, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. How's that for a Midwestern saying? Once in awhile I will get nervous and out of my mouth will come another Midwestern saying. Crazy. You would think after all this time that would not occur.

Had a blast driving around Studio City today. It was such a beautiful day. My latest passion? Turtleneck shirts. When I am driving around LA, the hot sun is shining through the glass. The glass burns your skin. Then there is sun damage which is irreversible. So now I wear turtleneck blouses. They protect your neck and the decolletage area and your arms too. Pretty soon I'll be wearing a little hat and sunglasses just like Kate Hepburn. Oh wait! I do that too. Moving on....

Be $mart When It Comes To Finance$

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The other day I was talking about frugality and it is true, these are trying times. But as an actor it is important to be smart when it comes to finances. When I first became a professional actor and by professional I mean getting paid to act, I was so excited. I had done plays and student films. I had done industrials and even did make-up for indie films. I did extra work for $8/hr just to learn the ropes. As I got more familiar with acting and knew I wanted to do this for a living and not just a hobby, it became necessary to sit down with my family and have that financial talk.

Acting is not cheap. There are expenses for head shots, photographers, printing, postcards. You have to have reliable transportation to get to auditions and pay for parking. There are dancing classes and voice lessons and acting classes. You must have a decent wardrobe. You may also have a membership to a gym. Unless you are married to a sugar daddy or sugar mama, it takes juggling of time and finances to be successful.

When I first started getting paid for my work I put all my monies into the family account to help out. But then I quickly realized that acting jobs are hard to come by. And as soon as the money came in, out it went to help pay bills. Then I learned that it is important to put some of those monies aside for a rainy day.

Head shots should look like you. You cannot have a head shot from 4 years ago. They must be current. I actually have several that I use. A good head shot will get you an audition. It rarely gets you the job but it does get you in the door. So don't skimp on head shots.

On my last job which was a national commercial for Pepsi, I was talking with some of the other background actors. The moment I said that I used to be a banker I got every one's attention. Unfortunately, most people I meet on the set are good when it comes to being creative but they are not good when it comes to the business side of show business.

Many people spend all their money as soon as they get it. But what if the next acting job doesn't happen for 3 months? Then how do you eat? How do you pay the rent? How do you pay for the next set of head shots? It takes planning. Believe me I love to go out to eat and I love a fine dinner with wine. But if I ate that way every day I would be broke all the time. So now, I try to remember those lean times. And then I put away the rest for that rainy day. And rainy days will come, even in southern California. So remember, be smart when it comes to finances.

Time to be Frugal

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Actors - Hollywood...I love my actor friends. They are so special to me. Creative artists, dancers, actors, poets, writers, directors, camera men and women. I talk to so many others in the business. What I am finding is that we are all going through difficult times. Gone are the days when we could spend away and not worry about tomorrow. But how can a girl still look during a financial crisis? Read on...

I have been thinking of ways to be creative, save money and still do what we need to do. One of the things I love to do is get a manicure/pedicure. However, it will cost at least $25 and then add a tip. Or, you can watch how they do it, buy the essentials and save yourself some money by doing it yourself at home. I buy those little spongy toe separators. I buy a pumice stone to take away rough patches around the heels of your feet. You can then easily clip away toe nails, scrub the heels with a brush and then use your pumice stone. Wipe and pat dry. Use moisturizing lotion. Grab an emery board and shape your nails. Use the tools to take away any cuticles. Use the base coat, then your nail color. Let dry and then use your top coat to set your color. It normally takes 20 minutes to 30 minutes but then you save tons of $$$ and have fabulous looking nails.

Dollar stores are a great place to buy some of the above items. I also like to buy make-up sponges, round cotton type make-up remover, bath sponges, shower gel and cotton swabs. I also found eye shadow collections, black eyeliner pencils and lipsticks. Then I was surprised to find black demi false eyelashes. Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe my eyes. I grabbed 3 packs and really I should have put all of them in my little cart. When I went back to buy the rest of them, they were all gone. You can also buy tissues, paper towels and pot holders for $1 each. Why pay more?

One thing I won't skimp on is good shampoo and conditioner. I go to a professional hair stylist once per month to keep my color looking fabulous and to keep my hair neatly trimmed. As an actor, my product is me and I owe it to myself to stay in top form. My head shots are current and it is up to me to make sure I look like my head shot. If I have a fabulous head shot and I come in looking all scruffy and unkempt then what are casting directors going to think? I buy Paul Mitchell products and use only the best for my hair.

Visit your dentist at least twice per year. My dentist and the assistants love me. They always ask me when my next film is, commercial or print ad. They know I rely on them to keep my teeth looking fab. My insurance covers two visits per year. With teeth whitening, veneers and regular brushing and flossing, my teeth always look great.

Get your sleep! There is nothing like a good night's sleep to keep your skin looking good, your hair and eyes sparkly. Don't exercise right before bed time. Get a regular schedule so you can get some good sleep. If you are a worrier and have something huge coming up, you know you need your sleep. Once in awhile it is okay to take a sleep aide like Tylenol PM. It has helped me when I need an extra amount of sleep. But never take alcohol with sleep aids. A big no no!

Never fall asleep with your make-up on. Always moisturize before you go to bed and after washing your face first thing in the morning. Use a sunblock of 30 or higher.

I ran into an actor friend once at an audition. Her hair color had faded and her hair was all frizzy. She had no make-up on. Her overall appearance was tired and unkempt. I, on the other hand, was relaxed and refreshed. My hair looked good, my clothes were clean and pressed. I arrived 15 minutes early and was ready to go. I had directions, extra head shots with me and was eager to audition. I could tell that she knew I looked great and she was a mess. I felt badly for her but just for a moment.

This is a very competitive business. We owe it to ourselves to be our best and give our best at every audition. You can save money and still look good. You can be the professional that you know you are. You owe it to yourself to be your very best and to shine. It's never to late to begin. These principles are the same if you are an actor, a banker, a salesperson, or a nurse. Until the economy turns around we can still look great and be frugal too.

Super Bowl

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Nothing like starting the year in my career than with a Super Bowl commercial. Yay! I auditioned for a role in a Pepsi commercial. And lo and behold, I got it! Go to www.Pepsi.com and see the commercial called Kings Court with Sir Elton John. If you look at 30 seconds into the commercial, you will see me dancing. I am left to right the 4th or 5th person, standing next to a tall man who is dressed as a juggler. He is wearing a one piece yellow and red leotard. We are all dancing to Respect!

Starting the year off right!

New Year, New Me

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My goodness, so much has been happening that I can't believe it is January. So here we are in a new year. I didn't think 2011 was bad at all. And I am hoping that 2012 will be even better. What do they say? Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. I am making lists and taking care of things so that I will have a good year.

October flew by with so many performances of the Wizard of Oz. Before I knew it, we were into November (resting) and lots of eating because of Thanksgiving. We had a visit from Tony, my brother-in-law who loves to visit and he loves my cooking.

Then before we knew it December was here. We didn't even put up our Christmas tree till December 19. That is how crazy everything was. I have a six foot tall artificial tree. And I decided that even though my son is away and cannot visit, that I would still try to be cheerful and decorate the tree. Once I did, then I actually did feel better. I made a fabulous Christmas dinner of turkey, ham and all the fixings. The gifts were few but heartfelt. My brother actually came for Christmas this year. I have been inviting him for years and he finally came. I was so thrilled. I think he loved waking up to mimosas, scrambled eggs, ham and homemade muffins. We had a great time and a quiet new year's eve.

In December, I had an audition out of the blue for a national commercial for a major client. Then, I had a callback! And I booked the job! Even though it was only for background, it is still a national commercial. We didn't film until January but that was okay. We shot the commercial for two days at Sony studios. It was great fun and I made some new friends. It is a fabulous way to kick off the new year.

So my resolution this year is to stay on top of business! I felt like last year was such a blur. And this year I vow to stay on top of things more. We have a new baby on the way. My career is going well. I am writing more and actually just wrote a one act play. My voice lessons are going great and I am looking forward to more auditions and more opportunities to be involved in film projects.

Windows of My Mind

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I can't believe I am awake at 4:00 a.m. on a Monday morning but there it is. It was raining all evening and very cold for southern CA. I don't like it one bit and I'm glad that I stayed home instead of going out in this mess. Traffic to and from LAX was a nightmare. I felt sorry for the poor folks who were out in the mess.

Ah yes, the windows of my mind. Well, now that things have slowed down a bit and I am recovering from a cold that has lasted two weeks. Funny when you don't feel well how your mind can wander. I feel like the opening scenes of Chicago when Roxie Hart is watching Velma Kelly perform onstage. There is that watching and knowing that she can do what Velma is doing onstage. Of course the music is fantastic and the choreography, wow!

So Thanksgiving is in a few days and it reminds me of some previous turkey days. Where have the years gone? Sometimes I think I can hear the kids playing in the other room and me scrambling to get everything cooked and prepared on time. Now they are all grown and working. I never thought I would miss all those hectic times but there it is. Sometimes you don't know how good things are until they are gone. But I'm glad that they are living their own lives now and making their own memories.

I am staying positive to new opportunities around the corner. And I realize that in this showbiz you cannot wait around for the phone to ring, you have to make your own opportunities. I've had some new opportunities this year and made some new friends. My goal right now is to be kinder, to not say the first sarcastic thing that comes to my mind. I must get all the facts before I speak. I must learn more before I throw myself into that next project.