On a roll, baby

Guess who is a real professional actor? Can't figure it out? I'll give you a hint. It's me! Yeah, I just got a couple more days of work (no lines yet, but that's cool) on Guiding Light. Also some interest from a show filming in Connecticut. So, that means that I had to join the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). So, now I'm a union actor. Consequently, becoming a professional actor also has made me more broke than before, but that's okay. I'll get out of the red zone here soon enough. Note to all hot ladies: just because I am financially below where I'd like to be, it does not mean I can't both provide and treat you to a good time. So, also assuming all goes well in the next month, I'll also be joining the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). That's pretty huge as well.

So, keep watching, because I'm on a roll. I'm not sure where I'm rolling to, and the bottom of the hill may be a cactus garden, but I'm rolling baby...I'm rolling. Rolling like a bowling ball being rolled across an ice rink. Rolling like the left front wheel on a Rolls-Royce doing 70 mph on the freeway. Rolling like your mom...and I don't even know what that means, let's just leave it with the fact that I'm on a roll, so watch out.

A few teachings, if you will

How quickly one forgets how fast clean clothes become ready to be laundered. Ah yes, in my eventful day-to-day life, this is what appears to be worth mentioning out of all things that have happened in the last few days. How sad that seems as I quickly read over what I just wrote. It's as if life right now is caught in the middle area waiting for something to happen. That is of course not to day that I am idly waiting, on the contrary. I am actively persuing, diligently working, trying my hardest, etc., etc. Life is warming up before the game starts. A game in which I don't know the rules or even what the game itself is. So alas, my need to do laundry tomorrow stands out as important. There are no hidden meanins here, no philosophical teachings or thoughts I can impart in this. In no way does "laundry" stand for something deeper. The few sentences using the "game" metaphor maybe mean something, but other than that you have just spent a few minutes learning that I will most definately cleaning my clothes tomorrow so that I can be fresh and ready for another week. Instead of finding out some deep and dark secret about me, you now know that I don't have any more running or soccer shorts left and am very much out of underwear. That my friends is better than philosophy. That my friends is better than a juicy secret from my past. That my friends is simplicity in a not so simple city. Enjoy it. Take it in. Soak it up. And remember, clean clothes don't make the man, but they do make him a cleaner man.

Revelations on set

On the set of a Japanese (I think) film set the other day, something came to me. It was as huge revelation. It has shaken me to the core and caused me to add to my list of goals. Obviously it's only a matter of time until fame reaches my doorstep (or climbes the dilapidated stairs of my apartment door). I know, everyone can't wait until they get to read something scandelous or see some odd picture of me in People Magazine. It will happen, just give it time. When fame reaches me you know I'll be the same idiot I am as always, I promise. I have also made the promise to my sister that I would take her to my first awards ceremony and we would take a quick trip back to Pinedale, Wyoming before the ceremony to pic out our outfits since she saw this fur thing (kind-of like you might see the wealthy wear at Jackson Hole or Vail during the winter) that was oh so awesome and we would wear that to it. Those who know my style (as weird as it always is) knows I'll be in People Magazine or whatever as "Best Dressed" (or at least I'll be mentioned somewhere).

I digress. So, on the set, we shot a scene outside at Washington Square Park (NYU are for those who don't know) and the three lead actors each had someone shading them from the sun with umbrellas. That's right people, they had umbrella people. So there is my new goal. Along with a lead role in a film where I of course I have a sweet trailer, I want to be so famous that I have my own umbrella person. That's it. That is the epiphany that hit me the other day. I will also take requests if anyone wants to be or knows someone who would like to be my umbrella person. They have to be cool since I'll be close to them a lot. They also should be hot, that would help as well. But be aware that hot alone in this situation is not acceptable. I of course need hot first, but on top of that they (or you) better be a good conversationalist and be able to help me with lines and other errands and stuff. It will be a glamorous role I promise, and you'll be invited to my many cool celebrity parties. Think about it. Oh, and I will hold true to the promise to my sister to take her to my first award show dressed awesomly (hopefully I don't have a manager or PR guy telling me not to do it).

My scientific test

I want to put this out there, you can take it or leave it. It's just meant to be an observation if you will. It's as if I'm a fly on the wall of a building in New York City, you might say. So without further interruptions, it is being put out ther currently. Here you go. It's go time.

Apparently, you cannot pick up girls by looking sexy and simply smiling at them while walking down the street in New York City.. I say it again, this is not a fact but an observation. However, judging by my sexiness I think this lies somewhere in the grey area between fact and observation. I thought it might work. I make eye contact with lots of attractive girls all the time. Sometimes it mutually lingers just a hair longer than other times. Those are the times I was trying to capitalize with a smile. But alas, it was to no avail. I'll keep this experiment going, but maybe will focus on other pick-up techniques.

The passing of time

Weeks come and weeks go, and sometimes when you think back to what was accomplished or what happened in during your last week you can't really think of much. It happens. It doesn't mean it was worthless or a lost week, it just meant that nothing truly eventfull happened. That was my parly my week. Truly, it was a week where I bogged down and got lots of tedious career work done. Contacted a lot of people and I guess ended up crossing off most of the things on my "to do" list. So, not so bad, right. Ieven poured champagne at an important party and worked background on a film set one night but lost the next day due to catching up on sleep, and finally made it to the gym, even if it was only once. It was one of those weeks where it means things are starting to pull together and momentum is building. Yeah for that!

In other news, I just saw the trailer for Eragon and it looks like it should be a really great fantasy movie. I'm hoping it is as good as the trailer!

I wish I had more witty things of importance to say today, maybe something eventfull and worth writing about will happen this afternoon. Until then, I wish you a happy Saturday. Go out and enjoy yourself, for it is the weekend. A time when if you have a regular job, you have worked a hard week and deserve to go throw the frisbee around the park or watch a little television.

Forgetfull me, I found on the web a Bacardi commercial I was in a while back. I was just in the bar scene, but if you look closely, the camera angle is looking down the bar and I am at the end of it drinking (in line with, but behind, the bartender). It's a funny commercial, and the two lead salmon guys were hilarious! Check it out here.

Pool Time

I don't like to let people know that I'm not good at something...but I'm going to give in and let out a little secret. I've told you in the past that my brother beat me at golf. This does not mean I'm not good at golf, quite the contrary. I'm a pretty decent golfer, my brother just happens to be a more decent golfer. So, here it goes. I suck at pool. That's right people, one place I will not try to pick up girls is at a pool hall or by playing pool in a bar. Scenario A: Hot girl walks up to me at bar, I get her a drink, we chit-chat, she asks if I would like to play pool...here is where I must immediately say no. In theory it may be cute to not be great at something, but sucking as bad as I do is not sexy. Scenario B: there is none since I won't be playing pool with attractive girls watching.

The game is fun, though. We played it quite a bit while in Wyoming (the house had a table). Oh, and just for the record, my mother rocks at ping pong. Ask my brother about that...do it...ask him...he loves telling you about it.

Oh, so I was working background on the set of "Christmas in New York." It's an Italian film, which of course made me miss my time spent in Italy a few years ago, and was a blast. I learned a ton being on set. The crew was very fast at changing the camera positions and the director was really nice. Also, two I think pretty famous Italian actors were playing the scene, and it was awesome watching them, even if I didn't understand everything they said (it was in Italian, I'm not just stupid). Drawback: overnight shoot.

That's what's going on in my world people...and it does not involve playing pool publically.

Claus Family Marksmen

As promised, a few more quick words on Wyoming, mostly regarding my family's shooting ability. We are all pretty much professional marksmen. Throw a penny in the air and consider it shot. Yeah, so I may exaggerate a bit. Although we all were pretty good. We set up targets and were shooting all sorts of loose change and cans with a BB gun. My mother is putting together a little shrine with some of the coins that have a clear BB dent in them. And, on the last day my brother decided that we needed to shoot an egg off of a golf tee. Now that's just plain awesome, although it was the only thing shot that we needed to clean up. Oh, and in many of the pictures of us just around the ranch, you will notice we are carrying the gun. Not that we were going to shoot anything, it just made us feel very ranch-like. You always feel cool with a cowboy hat and a gun, don't you!

The family who takes care of the ranch, their son is a nationally recognized shooter. He brought out his competition 22 and taught us to shoot sillouttes. We sat at a table to make it easier. All of us, including my sister, did pretty well. It does take a lot of getting used to looking through a powerful sight on the gun. Then we tried it standing, and I'd say it doubled the hardness by at least 100%. Not so good like that.

All this shooting makes me wish I could go hunting, something I've never been able to do. I've shot a shotgun a few times and did pretty well, but have not made the plans to actually hunt. My dad hasn't gone in a long time and I'll be honest here, not many of my dancer and actor friends do that sort of thing.

Getting back into the New York routine is tough. It's a constant job to search for work, both acting, dancing, and to support myself. Cross your fingers for this fall.

Now that I'm a bit busier, I probably won't get to writing every day, but I'll try and keep up with it as best I can. Also, I'll post when you can see me in a film or television of if I have a dance concert ever coming up. Also, a quick congatulations goes out to my sister for making it into the jazz choir and one of the other great choirs at school.

Kathyn's Afraid of Cows

As promised, the entry entitled "Kathryn's Afraid of Cows." Not much to it, however. She was torn between her desire to get a picture with a cow and her small fear of the cow. In my time spent wandering the plains of Wyoming contemplating thoughts you can't even comprehend having, a little known fact came into my possession. Cows are not too fond of humans. I proved this many times, like in a mathematical theorem, that while walking toward cows they would always run away. They, my friends, are actually afraid of humans, making my sister's fear of cows irrational. Cows are not horses or dogs that are fond of man. Cows are an unexplained anomaly that this earth lets wander. But all my efforts (and my brother's) to persuade Kathryn to dismiss her childish fear of the creatures that provide us hamburgers and milk were of no use. So, as the picture below proves, her hard work in getting a picture aside one of this earth's greatest and often misunderstood yet greatly appreciated culinary-wise creatures was in vain. Sorry sis, and get over it.

(Cow is just off-camera...close, but not close enough)

Western Models

So, to further prove the idiocracy of my family, I give you exibit A, B, and C.

A- (Picture of me jumping fence)

B- (Picture of brother and sister with gun)

C- (Picture of entire family on porch)

Yes, we are a family that loves to get dressed up and pretty much act dorky. For more ictures, check them out starting at Page 7 in the Wyoming part of my gallery. Now for all the pictures where I'm jumping over the fence, I'm simply trying to look and feel more like an western action hero, and I think it worked.

Little known fact, in high school I was voted as the most spirited male. I believe my sister followed suit, not sure for my brother, but I know he did his part. We dressed up for every event possible and loved it! I of course, being the oldest paved the way for my younger siblings by increasing our costume closet substantially (bringing some to college and even have a few articles in NYC (pink and white bellbottoms that rock harder than your mom)). My sister I think may have beat us all when she went for our "Moving Up Assemply" with her friends as the iPod Shadow People. My friends and row dressed as women, which was pretty sweet, but alll I can say to my sister is...you rocked it sis. So, pretending to be western models is not really out of character for us.

The Bone Yard

First, a few points of business. Concerning the FOS-SEA Golf Tournament at Port Ludlow on August 17th, 2006, I would like to officially say that my brother Kevin beat me fair and square. In fact, I publically announce that he is a better golfer than me. I will provice no excuses or anything of that sort since our scores in subsequent golf rounds later that week also proved him to be the superior golfer. Maybe I'll find a way to practice a bit to keep up with him and my dad in the future.

Second point of business is about the ranch in Wyoming. I would like to say that we (my family) are so grateful to our cousins who have graciously given us the opportunity to use their beautiful property. It has been so wonderful to us the times we've been there and we know they hold it as a special place in their hearts. Thank you so much.

Last quick point of business concerns those friends I did not see while I was in Shoreline. I appologize very much, but due to my trip to Wyoming during my stay things ended up a lot more rushed than I expected. I promise, those that I missed and those that I saw but would still like to see me again next time, please keep in touch somehow and when I return for a visit we will plan it out in advance. I love you all.

Now, on to something a bit more interesting and probably a bit gross. My mother really was into finding a couple bones to take home. The family who runs the ranch gave us permission since there are always tons of bones around and even were nice enough to direct us to a part of the ranch where they end up dragging dead animals to rot or extra bones they have. They call it the "bone pile" and we call it the "bone yard." Big difference in the names, I know.

At first, this sounded just plain awesome...and it was...sort-of. So with my mom on the back of 4-wheeler we headed out. The trek was a bit bumpy and a little ways out there, although nothing like when my sister and I tried to really explore for about an hour one way on a trail not really for an ATV with way too many cows and a little stream to cross that ended in a dead end, that was awesome. So we made it to the hillside and say many a bone and actually a few dead carcases. Laura, the rancher, told us exactly what it was, so what were we expecting.

Most of the bones were a bit too...ripe, for lack of better words, meaning they still had hair or skin attached to them, so my mom didn't want those, clearly. Also, there was a pretty large dead horse not rotted to the bones quite yet. Oh, and the smell of death that was all around, pretty much took some of the fun out of the "bone yard."

All and all, my mom found one skull she liked...score...and I of course had to take a few more trips there just to show my brother and sister.

I realize after reading this that it is without a bit of the humor I like to write with. Well, it's not a humorous story, per se, but I'll try in the future. You might say that posing with a dead animal is kind-of funny...maybe? We saw the sad sight of a dead calf and were without camera at that point, but I guess who really wants to see all that. I should also point out, that the dead horse I'm pictured with had a very large stomach cavity that was of course empty, and I tried my hardest to persuade my sister to lay inside it and pose for a picture. I assured her that nobody would have a picture like it and it would be awesome. I also assured her that I'd drive her immediately home to scrub down and shower and it was okay if she felt sick whilst inside the horses stomach, but she wouldn't go for it. It told her she needed to make some sacrifices here for the family, but could not get her into it. That really would have been funny...well...probably just gross...either way, it would have been sweet!

This week on Lampboy.net:

Monday: A brief look at the Claus family modeling western styles.
Tuesday: Kathryn's afraid of cows.
Wednesday: How good a shot are we?
Thursday: Fishing? You be we did.
Friday: Other games my brother's better than me at.

Boof...the wolverine?

So I'm spending a few extra minutes before the darkness descends upon the pond trying to get a fish to bite again. The family has already taken the suburban up to the big house leaving me the ATV. So noticing there are no fish being tempted by my tasty flies, I pack up and hop on the 4-wheeler for a chili ride home. Oh yeah, the days may be shorts and t-shirt hot, but the nights are definately sweatshirt and pants cold.

I arrive at the door and here's my mother shushing me and scurying me inside to check out a wolverine on the porch. I'm trying to visualize what she's talking about since she's more excited than scared as hell if it had been a wolverine. So I look out on the deck and it seems to be a badger-like spiny and shy creature.

What course of action does the Claus family have, but to surround it armed with my camera and a flashlight to try and see what it was while at the same time leave it completely cornered. Lucky for us we identified it as a porcupine which are not very afraid of people and sort-of shy and dumb. Furthermore, we named it "Boof." Us city folk don't get to see too many porcupines in the wild, so pretty neat. I'm just glad it wasn't a wolverine. Thanks Boof for not being a wolverine.

I also have a picture of me attempting a 360 on my wakeboard which did not really work out. I think if I would have just held on...maybe.

Lastly, a picture of my sister driving the boat in honor of her freshman year at P.L.U. Go Lutes, whatever they are.

Pictures are in!

The pictures are in from my time spent at home in Shoreline and our trip to Wyoming. Check them out. I'll mention more about the specifics of some of them in my writings during the coming week. For now all you get is a pictoral view of how cool my family and I are.