The highs and lows of 2014
Overall, 2014 wasn't too bad. Then again, it wasn't too good, but hey, it's ending on a positive note.
Jan:
-I went home to Ohio and spoke to young actors at my high school. A first. I was so freaking nervous.
Feb:
-went to NJ, had my first taylor egg ham and cheese sandwich (a NJ delicacy), saw the MLB Fan Cave (along with filming my audition video on location), explored Eataly and dined at Iron Chef Alex Guarnachelli's restaurant Butter. I also froze my freaking ass off and I got snowed in under 16 inches of snow, delaying my flight by 2 days.
-modeled for a photo shoot for my friend, Kelly
-participated in the last in-person session of Self-Management for Actors class with Bonnie Gillespie
Mar: (a rough month)
-Our dog Ralph had been having some problems with his back. it was so bad, we would have to carry him everywhere. (he's fine now, btw)
-after being jolted up at 5:30am on St. Patricks Day by a scary-ass earthquake, filmed an audition video for The Great Food Truck Race with Brendan and my friend Caileigh. They loved us...they wanted us to come to network. In fact, they called us just hours after submitting our video. Then tragedy struck...
-Brendan got a call telling him that one of his friends was on life support and wasn't going to make it. I drove him almost 2 hours away during rush hour (hell in L.A.) to say farewell to his friend. It broke my heart as we also know his friend's wife (she's our dental hygenist)
-A couple of days later, Brendan's uncle passed away.
-Then we learned that the friend's sudden death was actually a suicide. Brendan took it really hard and well, i didn't always know how to best handle the situation.
-Needless to say, despite Food Network wanting us to come interview at the network offices, we had to pass. It just wasn't the right time. I still haven't mustered the energy to watch the season that we would've been on. It's just sitting on our DVR. Brendan, on the other hand, refuses to watch it all together.
-I did make it through 3 cuts for the MLB Fan Cave.....bounced right before the final cut.
-entered an online writing contest and managed to not get booted during the weekly eliminations until about September.
April:
-Brendan got his wisdom teeth removed....finally. It wasn't fun, pretty or pleasant. He got through it though. He was such a trooper.
-Got new headshots
May:
-We'd been through the ringer the past couple of months, so I suggested a cruise for Brendan's birthday. We found a good deal and headed out of Long Beach to Catalina and Ensenada, Mexico. We kayaked in the ocean, hiked on the island, had some local brews. I ate "weird shit" (as I put it). Went wine tasting in Mexico, got ripped off for some really bad fish tacos (seriously, the fish tacos at Rubios are better and cheaper). Had Starbucks in Mexico.
June:
-met with a few agencies...always take the meeting.
-got my first voiceover credit when i did a voiceover on a spec commercial.
July:
-made the bittersweet decision to leave my longtime agent to sign with Tangerine Talent...initially it was just commercially, but they brought me on theatrically as well later in the year.
-learned that my previous hairdresser, Brent, passed away.
Aug:
-went home to Ohio, caught every game of Reds/Indians, ate at 2 restaurants run by Iron Chef Michael Symon...oh...and caught an epic foul ball at the Indians game (they even put me on the scoreboard)
-Lost my job of 3 years at the sports bar I was working at exactly 1 week after my birthday...no reason ever given to me other than "owners want to make a change" My regulars were shocked. I was heartbroken and it put a lot of stress on our household. Especially since I just blew a lot of my savings during my vacation.
-Auditioned for and booked the Fashion Angels charity fashion show in Ohio.
Sept:
-the universe takes and the universe gives....no sooner did i lose my job, then I booked a guest star role on a cable re-enactment show. I'm talking the lead guest star. my biggest role to date yet! 3 days on set....most of it being made up to look near death. I had a lot of fun for being a "sick person"
-still jobless, but I was picking up some freelance catering shifts here and there.
-job interview, job interview, job interview
-oh....Brendan had his first battle with kidney stones and also lost his job...for a couple of weeks, it was really scary and we were living really poor. No income whatsoever since my unemployment got held up. He found a most wonderful job though.
Oct:
-more job interviews, still no job. Well, job offer, but the place wasn't going to open until Nov and it wasn't the position I wanted. Still, I took it...in this case, something was better than nothing.
-did so well on that guest star role that the casting director called me for a co-star role on another show she works on.
-Went home for the Fashion Angels charity fashion show and rocked that damn thing.
-Got another job offer, but it's random and sporadic. I'm working special private events for Sprinkles Cupcakes.
Nov:
-Brendan was still battling the kidney stones, but i think they figured it out. thank god! that was scary.
-Started my new job.
-Got a call from my old manager at my old job and he offered me a job at the restaurant he just partially bought with some other people. Somehow i went from no job to 3 jobs.
Dec:
-Losing my damn mind working 3 jobs. Ok, not really, but I've been really busy.
-baking away my anxiety. lol.
Overall....sure there were some rough spots, but not too shabby....and I'll even be popping up on your tv somewhere and sometime in 2015.
Jan:
-I went home to Ohio and spoke to young actors at my high school. A first. I was so freaking nervous.
Feb:
-went to NJ, had my first taylor egg ham and cheese sandwich (a NJ delicacy), saw the MLB Fan Cave (along with filming my audition video on location), explored Eataly and dined at Iron Chef Alex Guarnachelli's restaurant Butter. I also froze my freaking ass off and I got snowed in under 16 inches of snow, delaying my flight by 2 days.
-modeled for a photo shoot for my friend, Kelly
-participated in the last in-person session of Self-Management for Actors class with Bonnie Gillespie
Mar: (a rough month)
-Our dog Ralph had been having some problems with his back. it was so bad, we would have to carry him everywhere. (he's fine now, btw)
-after being jolted up at 5:30am on St. Patricks Day by a scary-ass earthquake, filmed an audition video for The Great Food Truck Race with Brendan and my friend Caileigh. They loved us...they wanted us to come to network. In fact, they called us just hours after submitting our video. Then tragedy struck...
-Brendan got a call telling him that one of his friends was on life support and wasn't going to make it. I drove him almost 2 hours away during rush hour (hell in L.A.) to say farewell to his friend. It broke my heart as we also know his friend's wife (she's our dental hygenist)
-A couple of days later, Brendan's uncle passed away.
-Then we learned that the friend's sudden death was actually a suicide. Brendan took it really hard and well, i didn't always know how to best handle the situation.
-Needless to say, despite Food Network wanting us to come interview at the network offices, we had to pass. It just wasn't the right time. I still haven't mustered the energy to watch the season that we would've been on. It's just sitting on our DVR. Brendan, on the other hand, refuses to watch it all together.
-I did make it through 3 cuts for the MLB Fan Cave.....bounced right before the final cut.
-entered an online writing contest and managed to not get booted during the weekly eliminations until about September.
April:
-Brendan got his wisdom teeth removed....finally. It wasn't fun, pretty or pleasant. He got through it though. He was such a trooper.
-Got new headshots
May:
-We'd been through the ringer the past couple of months, so I suggested a cruise for Brendan's birthday. We found a good deal and headed out of Long Beach to Catalina and Ensenada, Mexico. We kayaked in the ocean, hiked on the island, had some local brews. I ate "weird shit" (as I put it). Went wine tasting in Mexico, got ripped off for some really bad fish tacos (seriously, the fish tacos at Rubios are better and cheaper). Had Starbucks in Mexico.
June:
-met with a few agencies...always take the meeting.
-got my first voiceover credit when i did a voiceover on a spec commercial.
July:
-made the bittersweet decision to leave my longtime agent to sign with Tangerine Talent...initially it was just commercially, but they brought me on theatrically as well later in the year.
-learned that my previous hairdresser, Brent, passed away.
Aug:
-went home to Ohio, caught every game of Reds/Indians, ate at 2 restaurants run by Iron Chef Michael Symon...oh...and caught an epic foul ball at the Indians game (they even put me on the scoreboard)
-Lost my job of 3 years at the sports bar I was working at exactly 1 week after my birthday...no reason ever given to me other than "owners want to make a change" My regulars were shocked. I was heartbroken and it put a lot of stress on our household. Especially since I just blew a lot of my savings during my vacation.
-Auditioned for and booked the Fashion Angels charity fashion show in Ohio.
Sept:
-the universe takes and the universe gives....no sooner did i lose my job, then I booked a guest star role on a cable re-enactment show. I'm talking the lead guest star. my biggest role to date yet! 3 days on set....most of it being made up to look near death. I had a lot of fun for being a "sick person"
-still jobless, but I was picking up some freelance catering shifts here and there.
-job interview, job interview, job interview
-oh....Brendan had his first battle with kidney stones and also lost his job...for a couple of weeks, it was really scary and we were living really poor. No income whatsoever since my unemployment got held up. He found a most wonderful job though.
Oct:
-more job interviews, still no job. Well, job offer, but the place wasn't going to open until Nov and it wasn't the position I wanted. Still, I took it...in this case, something was better than nothing.
-did so well on that guest star role that the casting director called me for a co-star role on another show she works on.
-Went home for the Fashion Angels charity fashion show and rocked that damn thing.
-Got another job offer, but it's random and sporadic. I'm working special private events for Sprinkles Cupcakes.
Nov:
-Brendan was still battling the kidney stones, but i think they figured it out. thank god! that was scary.
-Started my new job.
-Got a call from my old manager at my old job and he offered me a job at the restaurant he just partially bought with some other people. Somehow i went from no job to 3 jobs.
Dec:
-Losing my damn mind working 3 jobs. Ok, not really, but I've been really busy.
-baking away my anxiety. lol.
Overall....sure there were some rough spots, but not too shabby....and I'll even be popping up on your tv somewhere and sometime in 2015.