Whistle While You Work

Today was a day of running around, setting appointments, and feeling like a whirlwind duststorm. I randomly thought about an Eva Mendes interview in a magazine I read a few months ago, where Eva attributed her refurbished derrier to working out with a trainer and changing her eating habbits. Eva said that when she was first starting out, "all I ate was junk food, like Jack in the Box, because I was always on the run and constantly eating in my car." I now know how Eva felt, after practically ingesting a fruit salad at a stoplight today, on the way from one photoshoot to the next, as the people in the car next to me probably chuckled and said to themselves, well, there goes another starving actor. Whew.

This morning I paid my bills, including a quick drive over to my landlord's house to drop off my rent check. Paying bills was my loss for the day. While my landlord and his wife were vacationing in Napa, enjoying strolls through the vineyard (perhaps wheelchair escapades) and sipping Cab Sauv, I was begrudgingly slipping my rent check - worth approximately 87.5 hours of packing to-go orders and wiping tables at Zeke's Smokehouse - under their quaint Hollywood Hills' veranda door. Loss.

I then made my way to another test shoot for 365 Hangers, which is the discount designer website I mentioned a few days ago. I must say that the five outfits I modeled today were much more flattering, so keep an eye out for new pictures in about two weeks (www.365hangers.com). Also, if you buy an item I model, I get to keep something like three percent as commission! Three percent may not sound like a lot to you, but money in the piggy bank keeps me eating. Go buy some goodies, and start following the group on facebook. I am doing a test run with the company now. If they like me, and if the things I model online sell, I get to stay on as a permanent model, which would be lovely. :) Even though I'm not being paid at the moment (except gas allowance), working with the group of women that is the driving force behind 365 Hangers is a very fun, very relaxing experience. The owner of the company is very motherly, yet young enough to be hip, and even though this is a start-up, she brings in snacks and lunch for whomever is at the studio each day, and she makes sure to catch up with every girl who walks in the door. The stylist, photographer, and makeup artist are all very charming girls in their twenties. When I walk in the door, I feel like I've just stepped out of Los Angeles, riddled with old sketchball men (not all of the men, but enough), and into a sleepover from my teenage years. We giggle, we do hair and makeup, we take fun pictures, we eat, we look at cute clothes. All that's missing is the cookie dough and the chick flick! I love going to see the 365 team.

Following that shoot, which lasted several hours, I drove to a gym where I will likely be hired as a bikini model, only to find the door locked and nobody home. I called the owner, a renowned personal trainer, who had made a mistake and written down the wrong time. He felt awful about the situation and offered to reimburse me for gas if I could come back sometime later this week. I agreed, and we set up a meeting for Friday afternoon. If all goes well, the shoot will take place this weekend. God willing, I will be able to muster up some sort of a tan by then. The trainer saw my old bikini shots, was horrified by my complexion, and asked if I still had that ridiculous tan line. I sort of told a half-truth.. Sally Hansen spray-on legs, which sounds disgusting, works wonders for creating last-minute tans, as I learned when I performed as Roxie at the Tommy Tune Awards in high school). That being said, I am working on getting at least minimal overall color so I no longer stick out in Hollywood as the walking dead. That movie has already been made.

I then drove home for a short break, which ended up being quite exciting. First, I got an email from Steven "Earth" Metz, who opened Earth's Power Yoga in Los Angeles in 1994, inviting me to teach him for half an hour tomorrow as a sort of test-run to see if I can substitute teach at the studio, in exchange for a yoga membership there. I accepted, of course. However, I am now terrified. Some of the things which have been said about Steven include:

"I started practicing Yoga in Los Angeles with Steven Earth Metz because I heard he was a really great Yoga Teacher, I stayed with him because it is true." -Renee Zellwegger

"I practice and enjoy Steven's classes whenever I am in Los Angeles." -Jewel

"I ask for Steven Earth Metz whenever I am in Los Angeles because he is the best!" -Penelope Cruz

In case you didn't notice, this man, this living legend of the yogic realm, is sought after by everyone in LA - including celebrities - because of how incredible he is at teaching. How I am supposed to prove to him in thirty minutes tomorrow that I am up to snuff, I have not a clue. I will try my best, and hopefully, that will be enough. Instead of putting pressure on myself, I am trying to look at it from this persepctive: how privileged I am to be able to spend a half an hour working alone with such a revered yoga teacher, who is generous enough to let a random stranger who sent him an email lead him in a practice. This is compassion and generosity in motion. Win number one for today.

Another big break came today when I finally, finally managed to get through on the Central Casting non-union women's line! This single act, in and of itself, was nothing short of a miracle. When the phone actually started ringing, my mouth dropped open, and I had to remind myself to speak to keep the casting director on the other end of the call from hanging up on me. Ladies and gentlemen, I have officially booked my first job as an extra! Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 21st, at 7pm, I will be driving my gold 2007 Honda past a church for "Criminal Minds". It is embarrassing how exciting this advancement was to me (I feel my drama teachers cringing), but hey, it's a start. One of my favorite sayings is: "work begets work." Tomorrow, I will test out that theory, as I arrive early to set, multiple costume changes in tow, and business cards flying this way and that. Hurrah. This is most definitely a win!

At 6:30pm, I went to EssensualsLondon, a salon which just opened in Hollywood a few weeks ago, to act as a hair model for one of the senior stylists. Although it took two-and-a-half hours, I walked out of the salon (another major celebrity hangout, due to their very talented stylists) with a gorgeous haircut worth $100 for free. Haircuts at EssensualsLondon, a salon connected to the UK Tony & Guy, can go all the way up to $300 a cut. That's before tip, color, treatments - anything. Just for the cut. Yet the people who worked in the salon were so friendly and welcoming. No one looked at me like an outsider for not carrying a Gucci bag. :) New haircut paired with positive attitudes equals my third win for today.

I made it home around 9:30pm, scarfed down a salad and some squash with goat's cheese, checked emails and the like, and then, both tragically and joyfully, I watched the last episode of LOST. Excuse the pun, but I was personally at a loss as to what to feel or think after the episode ended. Overall, I really enjoyed the series. While season five dragged on for me, season six definitely made up for it. I did not cry during the last episode, but I did get teary-eyed, partially because of the content, and partially because my nightly viewing of LOST is now at an end. I am "moving on", ironically enough.

And now I am headed to bed, so that I can wake up and go to yoga at 6:30am.

"Make a good day."