Guiding Light, Bitches!

Guiding Light, tomorrow, Tuesday August 1st, people. I know, it's only background, but still, my face my quickly grace your television set even if briefly. Check out my events page for a bit more info. Watch if you can, or I'll just have to tell you about it. Gotta start somewhere, right? Rock it baby!

Cooling to the Death

So...I would say I had a near death experience the other day. I was approximately 20 feet away from a possible ending of life, either mine or someone elses. Lets set the scene, shall we.

It is a quite warm Saturday night approximately 7:23pm. I am dressed in Abercrombie shorts and a polo shirt, looking quite good if I might be allowed to say. Looking in the mirror before I left my apartment I realized that I was looking particularly sexy this night. This has no bearing on what was about to happen. The corner of 8th and 23rd was the exact setting. I was standing, cell phone in hand, waiting anxiously for my friend's call. Let's be more specific. I was standing 20 feet away from the subway staircase on the southwest corner of 8th Avenue and 23rd Street in Chelsea. Not only did I have a cell phone in hand, but also a bottle of chilled green tea, quite tasty if you haven't tried it. Then...the incident.

Low and behold, or shall I say high and not holding on, an air conditioner made a suicide plunge from about the 7th floor of a corner apartment. It clearly had decided that it would not cool anything again and the only choice left was taking it's own electrical life. A gentleman and his family next to me and I started yelling..."Watch Out!" and "Heads Up!" That's all we could think to say and feel it was quite appropriate given the free falling nature of our circumstances.

Thankfully, no one was hit by the falling coolant, otherwise I would have been quite tramatized to see what would have been a pretty horrible death. The air conditioner was totalled, I regret to say and could not be revived, as it landed in the actualy staircase leading to the subway. Standing around soaking in the confusion for only a moment, I received a call from my friend and to the Boston Market I headed. I could not grieve anymore for the air conditioner which took it's own life for we had flowers to buy and a dance performance to see, which at this moment I care not to discuss as it was...not to my liking if you catch my drift.

Air Conditioner, wherever you are, I'm sorry you felt you couldn't keep up with the rising heat this summer and had no other choice but to sever your cord. Let this be a lesson to all appliances keeping us humans cool this summer, we do appreciate you and there is no reason to relive what happened on 23rd and 8th. I sincerely hope the Chelsea air conditioner of Saturday night is keeping things cool in the afterworld of electrical appliances. May currents run through you still.

Hmm, maybe I won't go and be studious

What a great family I have! Truly, I mean it. I was planning on going to the library to search for some monologues. That was my big plan for the entire day, to do some research, or R.S. if you will. In my persuit of acting, it's pretty important to do some R.S. in order to have some solid monologues for auditions, and the ones I have aren't that great. So, when I talked to my mother this morning I told her of my plan to do some M.R.S. (monologue research). She was of course very surprised to hear that, since she knows I didn't discover my college's library until the very very tail end of freshman year, and wondered how I would go about finding a monologue and if I would be able to handle being in an actual library. I quickly told her I would just go to the theatre and film section and start pulling out scripts and scanning them for material, probably at random. She came back with a suggestion that I do a little planning before going there and not waste my time randomly looking for monologues. I figured that was a good point. She also mentioned that my brother's friend is coming over tonight who's an actor (and went to the same colleg I did and probably went to the library more that I did) and maybe has some thoughts as well. How much do I love my mom for persuading me (it doesn't take much) to not go to the library. Especially on such a beautiful day as it is today.

Although not particularly of interest, today for lunch I resorted to eating a small yogurt and three rice cakes. While it is less about dieting, it is more about my laziness. Don't worry, though, I washed it down with a couple glasses of the finest Poland Spring bottled water. Living large in NYC is what I'm all about. People think New York City is about going out all the time, clubbing, fine dining, plays, and concerts. I tell you, there is another side of New York, the one that only artists know about. The New York that's filled with no clubbing, cheap deli's, rush and discount tickets, and free concerts while training and persuing your career in the arts. That's the New York I know, and it can be quite fun much of the time (other times it can just plain blow).

Goings on...or not

I'll be honest, I don't really feel like I have anything to really say of importance tonight. Feels like these last few days have been filled with no events or experiences of note. I mean, I could write about me finally getting into a few ballet classes this week, which is a good thing for me so that I keep up some sort of technique here so I can have some sort of career. But what thanks do I get for being a good boy and trying to improve my dancing? Basically the ballet gods have destroyed my calves completely and utterly. They hurt so much! I'm not complaining too much, since dancing as a career is such that you are always sore and in pain from something, especially if you are on the uphill battle with training and not just coasting through classes as "warm-ups" or "refreshers" after say 10+ years of dance. That being said, my calves just plain hurt.

Oh, I guess I did go to a Mets game the other night against the Cubs. Mets lost, but I usually support the Yankees as far as NY teams go. My loyalties are always for the Mariners if we are speaking in generalities, but I do enjoy the Mets. By the way, there are so many hot girls at baseball games, it's awesome. Even sat by quite an attractive and fun girl who enjoys candy more than anyone I can imagine. My friend set up a night for Boston University alumni and had an extra ticket, so of course I wore something not from B.U. to make sure people knew I didn't go there. Not that I have any problem with B.U., I've never actually been there, but just out of principle. Man I love a good baseball game. Reminds me of when my dad used to take my brother and I (and sister sometimes) to games in Seattle. What fun they are.

Apparently when I sat down more came to me than not. Maybe it's the wine speaking. Okay, so I've only had like one small glass, given to me by my neighbor who needed to get rid of the open bottle before it went bad. And I'm not one to waste wine. To answer your next question, I am drinking wine alone in my apartment. It's not sad, it's just heart healthy, thank you very much. To answer your final question, I do not own wine glasses, I'm drinking out of a dixie cup. It's classier that way, don't you think?

I feel I better list the things I've done these last few days so nobody thinks I'm sad and pathetic. Here are some of the highlights:

Mario Baseball (not winning by the way)
Planning out my career
A few auditions
Mets Game
Gym (a few times)
Ballet class (twice, thank you very much)
Phone conversations (nothing too important, however)
Food shopping
Food eating
Thinking
Sleeping

Man I suck, don't I. I better get myself in gear here, which I promise will happen pretty soon. I will rock the world. Man I want to kill this fly that keeps landing on me. It's really starting to piss me off. That will be my next point of business.

A Life Change of Universal Magnitude

My life has just gotten a little bit better tonight. Let me rephrase that. My life has definately become something worthwhile. Yes my friends, I have just had a television watching experience unlike many others. Let me explain how it went down.

It all started after my very unfulfilling three-course dinner. Now I say unfulfilling since each course consisted of a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats and Soy milk. Dinner of a champion? I think not. I sat down in my lawn chair to see if I could further myself in a game of Mario Baseball. I did not win at all. In fact, many explatives that I will not repeat passed through my lips in a bout of frustration. What happened next was mind-blowing. I literally was lost in another world for the next couple of hours. My friends, I tell you in all honesty...I have seen first hand the land of all that is good and holy...and am here to tell you now...the new Miss Universe was crowned tonight in Hollywood....my life is somehow more complete.

Did I know and event of this magnitude was happening on this very night? Oh no...I did not. Did I think I could witness such beauty and exquisite hotness? I did not. Am I a better man for watching such unbelievably hot women parade themselves in extremely revealing bikinis and gorgeous evening gowns? I am.

My mouth watered...no...drooled and hung open whilst the top 25 parading across the stage in their swimsuits. I kid you not, they were some of the most fit and hottest girls I have seen to this very day. I have to ask myself, am I worthy of dating one of them? Or let me rephrase that. Are they worthy of the honor of dating me? The answer to both questions is a most definate yes. I cannot do their hotness in this posting justice, they were of another world in their beauty. One might say of their sexiness and hotness that they were galactically hot.

Evening gowns was the same. Japan was very refined and awesome. Switzerland was just a fine speciman of fitness and sweetness worth mentioning. And Puerta Rico was the most unbelievable thing ever. You would look at her and just mumble out nonsense she's so hot. Those were my top pics, and the judges agreed. The new Miss Universe is Puerta Rico.

This night will forever be remembered. Not only for the hot women, but for what they do for the world. Apparently they do a lot. I didn't actually listen as much with my ears as I was my eyes. Don't confuse this to mean that I am shallow. Give me a chance to talk with these women and I'm sure I'll find that they are all as intelligent as they are wonderfully hot. In fact, give me a private hotel room with them and I will find out all I need to know. Mark my words...in one year's time I will have gone on a date with Miss Universe or one of her top runner's up. Mark my words again...as an addendum, I would also like to say that in addition to or in the case that I cannot make the date with those three Miss Universe girls come to fruition, I would like to add that in one year's time I will also be satisfied to have gone out with someone at least of a hotness of their magnitude, I have a few girls in mind.

My words have been marked and my life changed. A glorious night indeed.

A Few Congratulations

Congratulations to the boys and girls dancing with Thomas/Ortiz Dance. Ted and Frances put together some wonderful pieces, everyone danced beautifully, and the concert last night was just great. Wtaching it makes me definately miss dancing and working with you guys. Y'all should be very proud of yourselves!

Next, congratulations to my brother for having a birthday today. I of course send you my best wishes and hope you have a happy one. Love you bro!

And I believe that's all the congratulations I have to send out today. I hope this nasty weather goes away, I'd like to get to the beach here pretty soon, don't you?

A Long But "Enchanted" Evening

So, the verdict on the background work these last couple of days was that I actually learned a lot and had a good time. The film is called Enchanted and is slated to be out sometime in 2007. Should be pretty awesome, Disney is behind it. They were, or course, long-ass days, though. I did some awesome work having a fake conversation in the background and they even gave me a two-way radio as a prop. Yeah that's right...a prop. And a radio is the coolest prop ever. For one thing, you look like you're in charge of something with it since all the P.A.'s have them. And the jokes of "Flying Eagle this is Mother Bird, 10-4" never ever get old.

Oh, and I had a wonderful makeup artist work on my extra facial hair, which was fun. I wish I could grow a soul patch (or dude-patch as one of the makeup artist like to call it) as sweet as the one they gave me. Think what you will about my look, but I can pull it off. For that matter, I can pull of anything well, but that's not what we are discussing.

So, as it stands I am one step closer to being a SAG actor, which is huge. Oh, and I saw Idina Menzel (Maureen from the movie Rent) and James Marsden (Superman Returns and The Notebook) who were the principle actors in the scenes we were shooting. Pretty cool. Fun fact...James Marsden was second choice after I turned down the role since I really wanted to do the background work on the film instead. It's an artistic choice and I stand by it.

So after a couple of 12-hour days today was a rest day. Nothing exciting really happens much to me, except for two nights ago. If any of you know about my irrational fear of certain bugs, you will know that I was pretty damn freaked out a few nights ago. I cockroach (later found out to be just a water bug) about an inch long ran across my shoulder and arm around 4am and of course woke me up and freaked the hell out of me. And after attempting to kill it and only injuring it slightly (probably pissing it off more than anything) and a long time searching for it after my attempts, I lost it and had to get sleep before going over to set. Needless to say I did not sleep much. It's the only one I've ever seen, so at least we don't actually have them in our apartment and it was just a freak thing.

Alright, I'm off to bed. The experience shook me up so much I sleep with a flashlight next to me and do a thorough search of my apartment and sheets each night before actually going to sleep. Awesome, right!

Thought in the Heat of the Night

To start off with a sad note tonight seems fitting as I sit here sweating at my keyboard whilst not doing anything physically active that would normally induce the sweat reflex. Watching the television tonight, it was reported that Avril Lavigne indeed got married this past weekend. While to her and many others this seems like a wonderful time, I now have to move her down on the list. The whole "she's taken" factor plays quite heavily on the hotness and date-ability meter. While currently the list is "under renovation" meaning I have to reorganize some things and put some thought into it, I will reveal the list at some point. Let's leave this sad thought right now, bury it if you will, and move on.

By a fortunate turn of events I will be working some background on a film tomorrow. Now I don't usually care for the large background calls, and this one seems to be not huge although we'll see when I actually get there, I will write a bit more on my filmatic experience after the fact. My only hope, and I'm pretty sure we will be, is that it is indoors since the heat will be fairly unbearable tomorrow I expect. Oh, and I have to travel to Brooklyn (the Navy Yards to be precise), so wish me luck while I leave Manhattan into barely chartered territory as those who know me know I seldomely travel outside of Manhattan.

I will leave you with one final thought. PIcture if you will for a moment, you first or most favorite and passionate kiss. One that you will always remember. Thinking about it? Picture the surroundings, the leading up to it, the locking eyes...now keep that going and picture my face instead of theirs. Gotcha! For some of you that may have been revolting, and for others...heavenly bliss and your deepest feelings and desires both satisfied and confirmed. I will leave you with that thought.

Cool vs. Not

You know what's cool? Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. You know what's not cool? Frozen yogurt that pretends it's regular ice cream but has that "frozen yogurt" taste. You know what else is not cool? Spilling ice tea all over your computer keyboard so everytime you touch certain letters you fell stickiness. A few other "not cool" things I feel I must add to this list while I'm at it is spilling orange juice all over a number of magazines not to mention the now sticky portion of floor near my beach chair, soreness all over my body focused mainly on my legs, achilles tendon on the right foot, and lower back from a photo shoot the other day, and last minute stress trying to frantically memorize a monologue for an important film audition. To balance out the "not cools" I will add one last thing to what is cool. This next year you will all be able to refer to me as of course Andrew, Lampboy, or my newest title, "Mr. December" (although I have to double check that it's the right month). Yes that's right, as I had another wonderful photoshoot yesterday with the same photographer (nothing to do with this next year's calendar appearance), I will be included, one might even say featured, in a prominent dance calendar for this coming up year. Now you may all have your deepest wishes come true (maybe not deepest since I won't actually physically be with you, ladies) and be able to have me with you in your bedrooms. Goodnight, and sleep tight y'all.

Birthday Wishes

I must spend a minute or so sending my love and best birthday wishes to my sister today. Happy Birthday Kathryn! I hesitate to mention this, but she's now finally 18 and closer to being an adult, and if anyone of my friends comment on this (specifically Josh, Erik, and Chris) I will be forced to kill them. I don't mean I'd be a little upset and annoyed as they would be joking. I mean I'd actually kill them. Off the top of my head I can think of at least 5 ways I would do it too. I'll just list one, however, and that is I would physically rip their hearts out and make them eat it with a fork and knife (I'm at least civilized) while it is still beating. I think y'all catch my drift.

Oh, and on a separate subject, on TBS the other day American Pie Presents Band Camp was on. Sadly I watched it. I liked the first three very much, and although this was another cast I ended up sitting through it. While there were funny moments, all irreverent and what not, It was maybe 50/50 good/bad. I get so annoyed when the jerk guy and the hot sweet girl finally fall for each other and the guy is a dumbass and screws it all up. I hate that. That goes for any movie. It's just painful, because if I had the chance to impress the hot girl in the movie I'd be trying hard not to mess things up, especially since thus far in my life I have not had the chance to have a girl as hot as Arielle Kebbel (the girl from Band Camp) and hope that she will consider me for a date in the near future.

This leads me quickly to my last point of the night. Arielle Kebbel has now moved into the #1 top spot on my list of girls that I would date who are unbelievably hot. Avril Lavigne has now been placed second. Albeit it's a close second, as I would not turn her down, but none-the-less it has to be done. So now you know the official top two on my hot list.

ps - A tear runs down my cheek as I realize that my...I mean the family's...boat is waiting in the driveway to be used. Sadness that I am on a different coast unable to take it out. Soon...just you wait...we will be on the lake again enjoying our time together and much skiing and general fun will be had. I promise this.

Standing in Central Park

After a long walk from my apartment to Central Park and an enjoyable time spent wondering through the grass, I came home and put on one of my playlists in iTunes. This song came up and it really means a lot to me. So, here are the lyrics. It's deep and meaningful and quite lovely. Soak it in people...soak it in.

Standing on the Corner
by
the Four Lads

Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by
Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by
Brother you don't know a nicer occupation
Matter of fact, neither do I
Than standing on the corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by

I'm the cat that got the cream
Haven't got a girl but I can dream
Haven't got a girl but I can wish
So I'll take me down to Mainstreet
And that's where I select my imaginary dish

Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by
Standing on the corner giving all the girls the eye
Brother if you've got a rich imagination
Give it a whirl, give it a try
Try standing on the corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by

Saturday and I'm so broke
Haven't got a girl and no joke
Still I'm living like a millionaire
When I take me down to Mainstreet
When I take me down to Mainstreet
And I review the harem
Parading for me there

Standing on the corner
Watching all the girls go by
Standing on the corner
Underneath the springtime sky
Brother, you can't go to jail
For what you're thinking
Or for the woo look in your eye
You're only standing on the corner
Watching all the girls
Watching all the girls
Watching all the girls
Go by

Handsome Stares

You ever get that feeling that everybody is staring at you when you walk down the street. Now clearly it could be because I am extremely handsome. That is one possibility. However, I of course am checking my to see if my fly is down, which it's not since I'm wearing warm-ups, making sure I haven't peed myself, which I haven't, wiping my face to make sure there isn't food on my face, which there's not, making sure I don't have snot dripping from my nose, which I don't, and running myhand through my hair to make sure it looks okay, which it does. Hmm. I have deduced that either I am just plain funny-looking, or the ladies (and men, apparently) think I am gorgeous.

Furthermore, after further contemplation I willgo with the latter statement that I am gorgeous. I say this because whils in the gym the two days ago, and yes I know my stories often surround the gym for some reason, anyways, whilst in the gym stretching, there was the superbly attractive girl doing some floor excersizes and we definately made eye contact. Not just once, however, in case you are thinking she was only taking notice of my overly sweaty nature, but a number of times. One might even say we connected eyes numerous times, also known as a large amount of times. Sadly I had to leave as she was still on the treadmill by that point. My possible advances foiled by the treadmill.

Based on this logical prrof, I believe wholeheartedly that New York City is staring at me today because of my outrageous handsomeness and sexiness. Let's just hope the rest of my day goes as well as this morning.

Pirates Advanced Screening

Curtesy of my credit card company, myself and a friend were able to see an advanced screening of new Pirates of the Caribbeanfilm yesterday.

Man was it an epic. By that I mean, 2 hours and 31 minutes. A bit long in my view, but I will say the action and fight sequences were done so very well. They were clever, engaging, high-enery, and fun. There was a bit too much exposition going on, and it would help very much to see the first film since so many of the same characters come back and a lot is eluded to from the first, although it's not a necessary.

Be forwarned, this is the middle of a trilogy. Nothing is really resolved and you will not have to wait until next summer to see what actually happens. That annoyed me quite a lot. Also, be well rested to see the film since I felt exhausted after sitting through it. All and all a fun film.

Now I guess I need to go to Disneyland to see the changes they've done on the ride. Darn, I have to go to Disneyland. Bummer, right. Maybe I'll actually make it happen and get out of the city for a little while...maybe. If only I didn't have committments, a career to make happen, and access to endless monetary funds, I could live the life of luxury and just plain fun.

Why don't you play the game?

'Last night I had a dream about you. In this dream, I'm dancing right beside you. And it looked like everyone was having fun, the kind of feeling I've waited so long. Don't stop, come a little closer. As we jam the rythm gets stronger. There's nothing wrong with just a little little fun, we were dancing all night long.

The time is right to put my arms around you. You're feeling right, you wrap your arms around too. But suddenly, I feel the shining sun. Before I knew it this dream was all gone.

Ooh I don't know what to do, about this dream and you. I wish this dream comes true.

Ooh I don't know what to do, about this dream and you. We'll make this dream come true. Why don't you play the game?'

Why don't you play the game?

Digital Love by Daft Punk

Ahh, it's just like all my dreams. Curse you sun...curse you. And girls...why don't you just play the game, huh?

Crazy Weekend Sightings

Yesterday I definately saw and honest-to-goodness narcoleptic. I love it when I can find something else to add to my "things one can only see in New York" list. A sample past entry to this list includes the "man catching a pigeon in Chelsea" incident.

No I'm serious. Walking by Bally's on 19th Street, this dude was just chill'n there standing up and sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk. In New York City! What!? Crazy narcoleptic dude! Oh, saw him wandering around later that afternoon sleepily walking. Now it's possibly that I did not diagnose this correctly seeing that I'm not a doctor and all, but this is my story and I'm sticking to it. People weird me out in New York, because he might not have norcolepsy at all and just be a strange dude. Ah well.

On a separate note, I am now even more technologically connected and in tune with today's world. My Sony Clie which my father gave me a number of years ago (this particular model came out in 2001) is now up and running. The CD and a new battery which I had to order from Sony since I haven't used it in that long arrived. I now have my cell phone, ipod, and my Sony Clie Organizer. I'm ready to rock and roll and stay technologically organized while out and about town. Watch out world, here I come...on time and ready to rock.

A Sunny 4th Weekend

Welcome to the July 4th weekend extravaganza! Well,for me it's a bit less of an extravaganza and more of a relaxing weekend when less people are in the city. Nice! Although, even when the weather is so nice as it is, Superman Returns keeps getting sold out for the times I would like to see it. It's true I'm a bit lazy on finally making the decision for the time I'd like to go, and generally by that point they are sold out, but still.

July is a time for figuring out life. It's a new start if you will. I'm back in the gym, getting together to be in both dance and hopefully some acting classes, auditioning a fair amount for various films, getting some monologues together, eating healthy, generally trying to figure out my life's direction. Apparently life doesn't work out where you have someone just telling you where to go and what to do. That's too easy. And so far nothing has just dropped into my lap and the road hasn't just opened up to show me what's next. So, I'm searching, which is both exciting and tough.

Oh, England lost yesterday if you didn't watch, to Portugal. What a bummer. I was hoping they'd do well, which they fought pretty hard lost in the shootout. You have to give it up to Portugal's keeper for stopping them in the shootout. And France won, which is pretty cool. Great games to watch. Man I wish I had cable. I lucked out with the England game on ABC but had to watch the Brazil vs. France game at the gym while I worked out.

Happy 4th of July weekend!