You Are What You Eat

So, over the last eight months or so, my diet has changed. A lot.

Rewind Back about eight months. Every single day, I would eat junk food, tons of fat, and barely any veggies. However, when I realized that it would be best to lose a few pounds for work, I realized that my diet was terrible.

Ok, I know I was not overweight or anything. However, if I wanted to eat something, I would just... eat it. Anything I wanted, anytime. Candy, cookies, cake, red meat, french fries, whatev. Over the summer, thankfully, my diet drastically changed. This is a good thing. Making good diet habits is paramount while I am still young.

One of the things I decided to give up was red meat. I know this decision isn't for everyone. However, for me, there wasn't enough diet benefits to outweigh the liabilities. So, now, I pretty much stick to chicken, turkey, fish, and vegetarian products. My absolute new fave happens to be the veggie burger. Seriously... so good. All you carnivores: don't judge until you've tried.

All of a sudden, I seriously crave veggies all the time. And whenever I have to eat greasy food, I feel awful for several hours. (the only thing to eat on a set the other day was pizza. yummy, but I felt gross. blech.)

I think this life change came at a very good time for me. My perspective about myself has changed. I feel like now I have more respect for myself. With this in mind, it can still be tough to navigate the waters of American food. There is so much crap in our food. But eating healthy is possible.

Mind Boredom.

Since graduating from college, I have been striving to consume any kind of knowledge that I can get my hands on. To be honest, my mind feels kind of... bored.

Even though my weeks have been pretty jam packed with various auditions, small jobs, and many other odds and ends, I find myself gravitating towards learning anything and everything. I think the lack of constant knowledge flow is very different for me.

To aid this change, I find myself reading. All the time. Book after book. I am taking this opportunity to catch up on classics that I have never read. I think classic literature and drama is a good thing for any artist to consume regularly.

Anyway, in other news, I have an amazing new manager. She is awesome. On top of this, I am working on picking between some representation contracts for print and commercial. This is a process, so we'll see where it goes.

On top of the background work on sets I have been doing every week for financial survival, I did just find out that I booked a couple of jobs that will be happening in the next couple weeks. Pretty exciting. I'm feeling really good about February!

YAY. Love you all.

Hitting the Ground Running.

Me and some of my crazy friends from APU

(I'm the girl in the back with the freaky long fingers)

This has been a good week for me. Many goals were accomplished; many battles won. I am truly enjoying the feeling of not being tied to classes anymore. The world is my playground. Despite this, I am learning how to slow myself down at the right moments.

It's funny. I am so goal oriented. I am very interested in results. Because of this, I often allow relationships to become second priority. I often find myself turning down spending time with friends because I have an early call time the next day. I don't believe that this is the way that I should live.

Last night, while spending some much needed time with a friend, I fully came to the realization that this shouldn't happen anymore. Of course---I need to be responsible, know my limits, whatever. However, I need to cultivate those friendships around me that aren't necessarily automatic (automatic being husband and family, even those aren't even really 'automatic'--but you know what I mean). Friends are SOOOOO important to our well-being, our health, and our spirits.

So I guess this could be sort of a late New Years resolution for me: don't let my friends fall by the wayside. Make a point to spend time with them. This is life lived.

Be Ready.

It's amazing how many things can change in only one week.

:)

Network Test.A First Glance

^From the movie, "The TV Set" --- what a network test looks like

As someone who has not yet gotten to the level of network testing for a television network series regular role, I was able to have an educational experience today. I was able to participate in a network test, even though it was not my own.

A little background: even though I have gone to many auditions, I have never tested for a network pilot before. Last November-December, I took an acting class all about auditioning in Hollywood. This class really contributed some great audition technique to me. I enjoyed this class through and through, as it was a fantastic new challenge for me.

Anyway, the class ended with a mock network test. The class was set up so that all of us(in the class) all researched our characters, were completely memorized, and knew the material(the pilot episode) inside and out. The actual test included several people who impersonated producers. This was so that we were able to feel the pressure of having to perform in front of a crowd. This mock network test was such a great experience for me. And, on top of it, after watching my tape from the test, I was very happy with my performance---something I rarely say to myself when watching myself on camera(most actors don't like watching themselves on camera).

Today, I was cast to participate in a network test for the benefit of the people being auditioned. It was amazing to be able to encounter a subset of Hollywood that I have taken time to learn about for my own benefit.

So I just keep on moving. I have been auditioning as much as possible. For a "survival" job I have been working background on sets around town. Tomorrow I am working Glee. May my theatre kid heart rejoice (even if I am just in the background)! :)

The Consumed Art

Ok. I'm not gonna lie. I am a HUGE nerd. Maybe even textbook definition. I am a disgusting overachiever in school, I basically want to watch every movie that comes out(except dumb rom coms), I spent a great deal of the time in my life reading comic books, and I am loyal to xbox's wonders. My nerdy ways expand to everything I do, including attempting to taste every flavor of art out there.

Now, since I am, at this moment, procrastinating from getting ready for a meeting(I still have a little time. hehe.), I really want to go into further detail about the art that I have currently been consuming in my life.

1. It's Complicated

Ok, so you know how I said I don't like dumb romantic comedies? Well, I don't. Romantic comedies often seem to have the same plot line in every single movie. They are sappy. I don't like sappy.

It's Complicated, in my opinion, did not fall into the standard fare. I really enjoyed this movie, through and through. I will admit, it did have a bit of a slow start. However, the exposition truly solidified the action that happened in and through the plot.

I really enjoyed how the movie explores real life themes. Themes including, but not limited to: how families heal from divorce, and reaping what you sow.

Go see it. :)

2. Avatar

Ok, let me preface this by saying I don't believe this is the best film of 2009. I really don't. I know many nerds would tout Avatar as a film with the whole package. I don't believe it was a perfect film. But, man, I really enjoyed it.

What fascinated me about the film was the incredible underdog story: how a man with no higher learning under his belt can significantly surpass every PhD in the complex, and be the one man who is chosen to integrate into this other worldly culture. This was the aspect of the film that really touched me.

Of course, the film also has other valuable messages about caring for the environment, and not wasting natural resources. On the other hand, I did feel the film had kind of a negative thing going about the army. I dunno. Maybe I'm off. Whatev.

OH and the special effects... BEAUTIFUL???!? um... yeah.

3. The Sims 3
Ok. So I have been a Sims fan for years now. However, when I switched to an apple computer, I couldn't use my old PC-only sims disk on my computer.

However, my sweet baby brother got me the Sims 3 for Christmas!!! And I have been playing and playing. I haven't played a video game this much since Mass Effect and Batman: Arkham Asylum(both of which I played through multiple times).

There have been many significant improvements from the Sims 2. Mainly, the game is much more expanded---there are very few limits to where any given sim may go in the town, which was not the case in sims 2. Also, things that were game annoyances in the sims 2 are no longer a factor in sims 3. Things such as having to work your butt off to get your children to do homework, gain skills, and level up are not too hard anymore. The only thing that is still tough is getting toddlers to have a good upbringing. It seems no matter how much time I spend with them, I can only get it to a "modest upbringing", which ends up affecting them in later stages.

Overall, though, great game.

4. Twilight Series
Ok. So I am not some ridiculous diehard twilight fan. I'm not. However, I really enjoy a good story, and the Twilight series delivers. I know there are a lot of complaints about the quality of writing and such, however, I will commend Stephanie Meyer for being an excellent storyteller (even if the writing itself is not the most complex).

After seeing New Moon in theatres, I decided to continue reading the twilight saga where I left off. So, I received Eclipse and Breaking Dawn for Christmas. I am currently in Eclipse. LOVE!

Also---side note. I am a collector of cinema scores. The score from New Moon, by Alexandre Desplat, is absolutely breathtaking! Even if you don't like the movie, the score is worth the buy.

5. "30 Rock"

Ok, so can I just say that NBC's thursday night line up is truly kick butt? really. The whole night (especially with my good ol' favorite, The Office in there) is wonderful. "30 Rock" tops out the evening.

Tina Fey really is amazing in this show: as the writer/creator, and as an actor. She's sooo funny. With the rest of the brilliant cast, it is a brilliant show.

Anyway, that's what I have been into lately. When I discover new art, I typically obsess about it for a month or so before it becomes part of a normal viewing habit. So, I thought that I would just talk about my faves on here.

Gotta get ready now. bye.

A New Beginning

^My Mother-in-law and me... love her. :)

So, I am back in LA now. Christmastime was really, truly, soooo amazing for me(and Matt too). To be able to spend that much time with family was incredibly refreshing to my soul. I've spent so much time away from family in the last year and a half; I truly treasure every ounce of time I have with both sides of my family.

However, now that I am back in California, I feel... different. Like I am not completely the same person I was when I left.

I really do mean this all in a good way. I know some of it has to do with graduating from college. Like, maybe, just maybe, I crossed an unseen spiritual threshold when I walked across that stage. Even so, I don't know if that is all of it. I really, honestly feel different now. I have grown up a bit inside, I think. Or, I am maybe finally prepared for things--things in my direct path--that are waiting for me.

Whatever it is--whether it is a culmination of everything or just one minor specific change to myself--I notice something different. And... it is making me very anticipatory about the near future.

You know, for someone who welcomes change and spontaneity, I really have issues with uncertainty. You would think by now that uncertainty would just fuel my fire. I guess that is something that I should work on. Or let God work on.

Uncertainty, spontaneous happenings, change, whatever you call it--I think it all constitutes a new beginning. A new beginning. A new season. A new year.

I like it.