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December 31, 2004
Somewhere...
...I was talking about my Pretty In Pink-era outfit for Homecoming 1985.
Well... here 'tis. Enjoy!
Happy New Year, all!
Posted by bonnie at 7:39 PM
Chase This
From my friend Jo-D at Somesuch:
Chase Credit Card sucks much ass. They couldn't even name the credit report that caused my APR to jump from 7.99% to 28.99% (yes, credit report, not my Chase credit history).
My response to Jo-D:
They're doing it to everybody. Mine went from 7.99% to 23.99% with no warning, no notice, no word as to why.
My move?
Pay that sucker off and close it. Fuck y'all.
Satisfied customer since 1997 my ass.
Ho damn ho.
When I called, the CSR immediately escalated my call to a supervisor who offered to match the lowest card rate I currently have: 7.99% fixed for life. No, thanks. Then she offered to increase my credit limit. No, thanks.
That felt good.
I encourage everyone to say goodbye to a creditor. It's fun.
Posted by bonnie at 4:50 PM
One More Down...
Here's the book-writing process:
Contact potential interviewee
Conduct interview
Transcribe skeleton of the interview from notes
Structure questions within the text of the interview
Transcribe word-for-word from the audio tapes
Verify names, dates, locations, roles, productions, details
Edit out redundancy and tighten the general flow
Send first draft to copy editor
Edit per copy editor's notes
Send second draft to copy editor
Final content clean up
Typeset interview and photograph
Send formatted draft to editor for final check
Edit per formatting notes
Final in-house proof
Send files to printer
Proof bluelines from printer
Sign off on production
Promote and market until book ships to warehouse
Okay, so, here's where I do something really geeky like create a chart of where we are in the process on each of the book's chapters.
Oh, and I'm happily accepting offers of eager proofreaders (first dibs to those most awesome proofers who rocked on Self-Management for Actors). Let me hear from yaz.
Posted by bonnie at 5:18 AM
December 30, 2004
Tummyache
Ow. Withdrawal is actually a little painful. I have an owie tummy. But we went for a great big walk tonight, committing to a daily walk no matter HOW I feel during withdrawal (of gluten AND of my prescription drugs). Gotta use my manic OCD to stay committed to the daily exercise, as that's what's worked before when all else has failed.
Transcribed interviews all day. Read an entire book on gluten-free eating (thanks, Liz, for the carepackage). Just trying to keep myself distracted from cravings and aches and pains (pains that are NOTHING compared to the pains I had WHILE eating gluten... I'm amazed at how fast I'm responding to this).
Tomorrow's the end of the year, right?
Posted by bonnie at 10:27 PM
Two Things
1. Has anyone tried the flavored toothpastes Crest is making these days? Vanilla? Really? Seems a little weird. Not saying I don't love my Hello Kitty Bubble Gum flavored toothpaste, but that's more like a treat than a toothpaste.
2. Anyone in need of a GMail account, email me. I have six invites up for grabs. Still. Have we now reached a point of saturation with GMail accounts? Do we all have them now?
Posted by bonnie at 2:31 PM
Rituals
10am & 10:30am (KCAL-9) Judge Joe Brown
11am (KCAL-9) Judge Mathis
12pm (KCAL-9) Local News
1pm (KCAL-9) The People's Court
2pm (BBCA-264) The Weakest Link
3pm & 3:30pm (GSN-309) Win Ben Stein's Money
4pm (GSN-309) The Weakest Link (US)
That's when I know I'm keeping my brain busy so that I can cope: I watch court shows and game shows for several hours straight. I guess there are worse coping mechanisms.
*sigh*
So geeky.
Posted by bonnie at 2:11 PM
Withdrawal
Okie dokie! It has begun: the withdrawal. I was asleep by 8:30pm and woke up at 12:30am with swollen joints, achy bones, and wild cravings.
Niiiiiice.
Posted by bonnie at 1:09 AM
December 29, 2004
I Love My Life
Truly.
I'm sitting here, having cleaned the apartment, organized my files, prepped the new book materials that were in 20 different places, charged the SixHundy, played with the kitten-who's-becoming-a-cat, wrote out another dozen holiday cards, and comforted Keith when he woke up from a bad dream. That's a good few hours, even in the middle of the night.
I'm sleepy now. Good.
Tomorrow, two lovely young actors will come over for career consultation services and I'll be able to prep them for a general they have coming up next week. I love that I can earn money from home. What a wonderful life!
There are a few more holiday gatherings afoot and I'm not sure how I feel about going to them, at this point. Have to wait and see, I s'pose.
Ooh... I think there's a bed calling my name. Luckily, it's really closeby.
Posted by bonnie at 4:23 AM
December 28, 2004
Wow... really?
Tornado Warning at Catalina?
Yep, if you're reading this around 10:20pm PST on the 28th, that red blur over the island there is a tornado. Eeeeek!
Wild!
Posted by bonnie at 10:17 PM
Good News/Bad News
Ladies and gentlemen*, it's time for a round of that legendary game we call Good News/Bad News. Woo hoo!
* = Gentlemen may wish to skip this read. It's girlie. Like a tampon commercial is girlie.
Good News: I had my annual exam today.
Bad News: I weighed in 50 pounds above what I weighed at last year's exam.
Good News: All clear "down there."
Bad News: They are no longer permitted to prescribe my particular pill to migraine sufferers.
Good News: There are other pills.
Bad News: None of them regulate the cycle or reduce the debilitating symptoms I was having that made me go on the pill so young in the first place and stay on it so long in the second place.
Good News: There is also a shot.
Bad News: Starting the shot is not recommended for people who would like to become pregnant within one or two years.
Good News: I'm trying to get all of the chemicals out of my system anyway, hence the gluten-free diet.
Bad News: I kinda thought I'd get to decide where and when and how the chemicals would leave my daily routine with a little more planning.
Good News: Three days gluten-free and I'm having very little pain with headaches or joint pain AND the Amy's gluten-free foods are delicious!
Bad News: They are also expensive.
Good News: Thwok is old enough to get spayed.
Bad News: First available appointment is next week, meaning we're living with a Canadian bulimic howler monkey for another seven days. I can't imagine it's going to get LESS painful to hear. [Note: she is neither Canadian nor bulimic, but that's the phrase that describes the musical stylings of Celine Dion and... well... close enough.]
Good News: I came home from the non-triumphant morning and napped on the new sofa.
Bad News: There is no bad news. Life is good when you have a sofa you can nap on, kitties to cuddle on you, a fiancé who makes you gluten-free waffles with organic maple syrup, and a fun way to put life into perspective... all while making a list!
Any "family planning" conversations you'd like to have/advice on the above... gladly appreciated.
Meanwhile, after looking back at my 1998 DayMinder (old school paper version), I reeeeeally miss keeping a pen-and-paper calendar sometimes. Yes, I love my SixHundy and I do still keep an old-fashioned journal by the bed, but MAN, it was fun looking through all of those old pages and pages of my past.
Oh... and I was doing that to prep for what to expect, coming off the pill for the first time since 1998, when I came off EVERYTHING to find out whether I had bipolar disorder (I didn't... I was just a junkie).
Onward!
Posted by bonnie at 9:38 PM
December 27, 2004
Day Two Gluten-Free
So far, so good. No real headache, no joint aches, and pretty much feeling good. Able to eat some stuff I love and not yet missing the stuff I can't eat that I can't have, doing the wheat-free thing.
Awesome big shout-out to Anna for volunteering to take Keith shopping for gluten-free options, seeing as he's the chef 'round here.
Huge breakthrough last night in the missing Mom/leftover issues department. Bless Keith for being such a support system. Wow.
Not at all surprised that I'm having such personal growth spurts right now. I cursed the timing last night and Keith reminded me that this is precisely when it should all come together. The rest of the time, I'm too busy loving my life. Right now, I'm open for all of this. Awesome.
Big goal: lay off the needing to be right thing. Reading a book right now that talks about the need to be right being inextricably tied to the inability to control one's physical world. Makes perfect sense.
Anyway, there's more... but it's for the talks and the old school journal.
Oh, here's a question: Is it wrong to send Christmas cards this late? I made a deal a few years ago (at the suggestion of the brilliant Dawn) to only send after receiving (I'd gotten up to sending over 250 cards a year and feeling really taxed trying to get all of those Christmas cards out and feeling sooooo guilty if I missed ANYONE I'd talked to during the year). She said, simply, "Let yourself off the hook for sending any cards until you receive any." Rock on. I've been doing that for a couple of years now and it's saved me sooooo much sanity (and money). Interestingly, I was the one keeping up with so very many people. Now that I'm pretty much leaving it in others' hands... well... I can count on my fingers and toes how many people (other than actors sending headshot greeting cards) reach out to me. That rocks.
I prefer hooking up with those I see in person regularly anyway. Those are better holiday greetings in a major way. Want proof? See the Christmas and pre-Christmas photos by clicking below.
Posted by bonnie at 10:45 PM
She's Becoming a Woman
Well, technically, she will never be a WOMAN, she will simply be an adult female cat... but it's happening.
How do you know when your female kitten is becoming an adult cat? As we'd been warned, "You'll know." Oh yeah... we know.
Oh, the howling!
We had been told to wait until this started happening, so that all of her good female hormones would set in before the surgery removes much of her girlie inards. Thanks for the tip, former vet employee Shon. We'd have just done it at the six month point, which would've cheated her out of another seven weeks of growing as a female.
Good news is, the Santa Monica City Shelter has provided us with a voucher to defer the cost of spaying Thwok. We'll take her to the clinic next week and have the whole thing done for $30. Insane, right?!? Awesome.
So... I was looking for something to distract me these next couple of days. Think a howling kitty will do the trick? Heh heh.
Posted by bonnie at 1:33 PM
December 26, 2004
The Hardest Days
And now we enter the hardest days of my year. Cried myself to sleep last night. Woke up at 4am and finally got up at 5:30am to work. Anything to distract, at this point.
The usual.
I asked Keith when it will happen that I'll stop missing my mom so much. We both know that WON'T happen. All that will happen is a little bit of relief as more time passes. And that, in itself, is sad too.
It's just a hard time for me. Talk to me after Thursday. I should be more myself by then.
Posted by bonnie at 6:53 AM
December 24, 2004
Crybaby
So, I'm watching the ABC Evening News and they profile this guy, Matt Dalio, who founded China Care at Harvard a couple of years ago. After watching the happy addopted babies and their new families, I'm crying like a baby.
I find sites about China Care and I notice that Matt Dalio has been profiled by Teen People, People, all of the networks, and... Oprah. So, I remember Def Jam Becca MC blogging out her inibility to watch Oprah without crying. I cried watching Matt Dalio. Matt Dalio has been on Oprah. Via the transitive propery, I join you. Right? Your blog is relevant all over the place!
Merry Christmas, folks!
Posted by bonnie at 8:20 PM
December 23, 2004
Promising
I'm doing a lot of research on Celiac Disease and it looks reeeeeeallllly likely to be the culprit of my constant joint pain, sudden drastic weight gain this year, and increased migraines. Symptoms I hadn't considered that also appear to be related include numbness in the feet, anemia, and insomnia.
The day after Christmas, I will go gluten free. Anyone wanna join me?
Posted by bonnie at 1:33 AM
December 22, 2004
Dateline: 22 December 2004, 2:58am
Eating edamame while watching Sex in the City.
Life, she is good.
Posted by bonnie at 2:58 AM
December 21, 2004
Responding to Recent Comments
Okay, rather than emailing replies to comments or posting them within the comments field here, I'm gonna do that every-now-and-then thing that I do... making a post out of replies to comments.
First... OW. My head hurts to the extent that I would really like to lop it off and operate as a headless body. I AM SO SICK OF THIS PAIN!
Next... put a red rinse on my hair for a festive holiday kick (first rinse I've used in over two years) and it seems they've changed the formula and of course I didn't read the instructions and... well... I look like a poinsettia. Niiiice.
Excited about upcoming social engagements. We'll be out doing the holiday festivity thing every night starting tomorrow. Yay! Love our friends!
Have been told that my symptoms of joint pain, allergies, and migraines seem typical to those of a gluten allergy, so I'm doing research on all of that. Any advice/hit lists of non-obvious foods to avoid is much appreciated.
Updated the book's page to reflect recent interviews. Wow! What a rockstar-looking book we have going on here! AND... we're half-way done with conducting interviews! Woo hoo!
Oh... CHIP! I keep forgetting to tell you this! You may recall that you said, in your blog last year:
I think it will have one really good season and we will end up watching all of them hoping that it will get back to the basics of drugs and sex that it has strayed away from with guest stars and very special episodes. But, I will watch it anyway if only for Peter Gallagher's hypnotic brows.Okay, well, I was watching a Best Week Ever a few weeks ago (who knows when it actually aired... TiVo has so spoiled me) and someone actually said the exact phrase: Peter Gallagher's hypnotic EYEbrows, which is almost EXACTLY what you said well over a year ago!! Should you sue?
Cingular still way sucks. I've now faxed a copy of my contract from early 2004 to the SEVENTH person within the Cingular organization and we've gone to the Cingular store from which this contract originated THREE times. I think, at present, I've logged about 10 hours on the phone with various CSRs and managers. Result... I'm still grabbing my ankles and awaiting the inevitable you-know-what you-know-where.
Yes... if this situation is not resolved to my satisfaction, I will blog ALL of the gory details and create a website called something along the lines of Cingular Sucks dot com or such. And then, when they sue me to take it down, I will insist on mediation through The People's Court, produce my contract, and become a clip-du-jour on Talk Soup or Reality Wrap-up or whatever is out there for such clips of brilliance anymore.
Grrrrr.
Let's see... how far will I go before I decide this fight isn't worth the money in dispute? Hm. If it's anything like the fight I had with Experian and its erroneous reporting of my credit rating while I was in debt consolidation, it'll be some time AFTER every government agency with an interest in consumer protection has heard about it.
I've realized, my biggest issue with ANYTHING is fairness. I want what's fair, what's right, what's promised to be delivered. That's all. I don't want an unfair advantage. I don't want something I'm not supposed to have. I want exactly what I signed up for. And when I'm being screwed... well... I screw back. Hard.
And then, eventually, I move on, realizing some institutions are simply unscrewable.
It seems like a zillion years ago that I was so tweaked up over the whole Experian thing, but it really did consume me a couple of years ago. Every spare moment, I was writing another letter, faxing more confirmation, making more phone calls, researching more consumer rights, etc. And now that I'm out of consolidation and Experian has returned my credit rating to its rightful 100% PERFECT standing... well... I'm getting an offer a day for a 0% six-month introductory APR credit card with a $15,000 limit and a post-introductory 7.9% FIXED APR for life.
My answer? No thanks. I'll enjoy the offers and turn in all of my chips when it's time to buy a house or car or both and y'all can just keep salivating over the idea of getting my business until then. Ha!
Yeah, that'll show 'em.
I know. I've got nuthin'.
Okay... on to the comments.
Re: sushi and joint pain, Ames added (from Ohio, even)
ugh...so want sushi right now!!! hope you are feeling better.Sushi rocks. Seriously. But I had baby lobster tails with truffle and miso spinach instead of sushi the other night. Holy crap, that's some good stuff. Keith's steak was the best I've ever tasted. Yes, better than Dan Tana's. I don't know what they soaked it in, but it was TASTY! As for the feeling better... nah. But I'm thinking that gluten allergy thing might be a key. We shall see. Thanks for checking in.
Re: excellent music, Nini contributed
Ooooh I LOVE that Love And Rockets song! It's on a cool '80's mix CD that I made for myself...it always puts me in the BEST mood when I hear it.Love and Rockets has been a favorite band for nearly 20 years now. Man, I'm old. I've seen them in concert seven or eight times, most recently in 1997, methinks. Such a great band (and the bands before it comprised of its members). We came in the other night to Haunted when the Minutes Drag on the '80s DirecTV music channel and I just melted. Keith doesn't get it. Classic rock is more his speed. WhatEVER!
Re: Orphans' Christmas, Nini said
Hmmm...have this again next Christmas too, okay? Greg and I just may.......attend. *hopeful grins*That so seriously gets me bouncing up and down on my big sofa! I would LOVE that!! Yay! What a great goal for 2005... for me too! I can't wait! Yay!
Re: missing my mom, Nini gave
(((HUGS)))I know. It's tough. You haven't known me long enough to know how tough this time of year is. I'm currently crying pretty much every day. Thank goodness it's the "self-aware" kind of crying, rather than the really crappy misunderstood kind.
Re: my age-15 photo, Nini observed
Straight out of a John Hughes movie! :o)I know, I know. I was a serious Molly Ringwald contender. Wait 'til you see my 1985 Homecoming photo. Seriously... way Pretty in Pink. Tee hee.
Re: Keith's Marine photo, Nini growled
Yowzah!Uh-huh. You got that right, sister. Yummy!
Re: 2004 in Questions, Nini said
Physical peace......yes, *that's* what it's called. It's what I'm looking for too. What a great list. I'm gonna snag this too!Oh, goodie! It's a good one. I've reflected on my answers and the meaning of the year, using those questions to guide me, quite a few times since posting it. Definitely want some of that physical peace. You let me know if you find it first and I'll make the same deal with you. ;)
Re: Lost, Nini asked
And what did you think?I liked it. A little too suspenseful for me (and I'm not a big fan of getting the crap scared out of me in the name of entertainment), but I'm a huge JJ Abrams fan, and had I known he was involved, I'd have watched from the beginning just on repuation. I'm in. We'll keep watching. ;)
Re: Cingular Sucks, Aimercat shared
my dear, you need to read this. I'm convinced that Cingular is Latin or ancient Greek for shit.I'll be sure to link to that, when I create my hate site. ;)
Re: migraines, my sis Deb wrote
Oh, honey. Vibes for you to get better right away. Migraine... BAD. Happy smiley pain-free Bonnie... GOOOOOD!!!Keep those vibes comin', sugar. Ugh.
Re: quote attribution, the new winner in the God of Google contest, Chairman contributed
Perusing the Google links regarding that quote, quotation-resource sites unanimously attribute the quote to Mary Anne Radmacher. The results that pop up attributing the quote to Hunninghake are almost all from message boards where it shows up as someone's sig-line or as a quote in someone's post. Most importantly, Mary Anne appears to attribute the quote to herself in one of her motivational art pieces which can be seen here. With too much time on his hands at work,Holy crap, Chairman. I bow in your honor via the Internet today and will do so in person at Christmas dinner. Awesome.
Yours truly,
-cb-
Re: life rocking, getting more interviews done, celebrating at Dan Tana's, my lovely sis, Deb, wrote
I'm so damn happy for you, sis! You are getting everything you have worked so damned hard for and you deserve it! Woohoo! I can't wait for this book to come out! I'm jealous you went to Tana's! I'm having withdrawals!!! Loooove Mike, *said in my best Croatian accent*... "Shut up and drink!" Teehee! Miss you!I've been quoting Mike ever since that night. He was in rare form. "Drink, bitch!" Wow! I've moved up in the world, eh? ;) Very excited to get to see you this week. Yay! We'll have a blast! PS--Thwok is so big. I mean, she's still a kitten, but she's growing so much!
Re: the PhD with poor grammar and a mean streak, Nini commented
Aw GOD that sucks so bad. I'm so sorry. ((Hugs))Yeah, it's not even the NO. That's fine. It's what I expected, really. It's the way the no was served up with a plate of cruelty. *shudder* It's hard to shake that one off.
Re: sofa, Hannah the decorating goddess said
Yay for Sofa Day!!! I meant to comment earlier that I think the picture of it is SO pretty!!! Good luck with the book work. :-)Awesome. Thanks so much. Your sense of style is so very cool, so it means a lot that you like our new furniture. Now, if I could just stop feeling so intimidated by those recipes you post in your blog!
Re: others' children and actor no-shows, Michael from Toronto commented
Read about your NO SHOWS(still amazed that that is the LOW end of the scale down in your neck of the woods...) and got sucked into reading the rest of the blogs (like so many before me I am sure) We are actually playing the role of parental units this weekend as well - because our friends went home for American Thanksgiving and the little guy is in a play and can;t miss rehersal. It's this great warm feeling when you have a little someone to have fun with - we've never played so many board games in our lives. Will be sad to see him go (Cody...he's the next big thing in Musical Theatre...he's 8) ! My parents have assured me that other peoples children are always much more stress-free than your own....wonder if that rings true?I think it's definitely cool to have others' children around. Especially fun during the holidays. I think we'll be doing some family/friend visits with our friends who have kids in the next few days and weeks and we'll certainly feed off all that. As for the no-shows, yes, we really do have that level of no-shows 'round here. I guess it's market saturation and a sense of entitlement, combined. I hear there are nowhere near this level of no-shows among New York actors. There is a theatre-actor discipline that spills over into everything, methinks. Here... it's all just so casual.
Re: y'allbonics, Suesie contributed
oh, i get these..HA!!!! as a chicagoian...born and raised (southern after marriage and birthin' three kiddos in 3 different southern states!!), i love it....rock on, jo-ja peach!Weren't those fun? Ah... I miss grits. Can we have those, next time we come over? ;)
Okay, I'm a little exhausted. Looks like we may have some movement with the Cingular folks. *fingers crossed*
And Salema, while walking across my computer, managed to pull off a key from the keyboard (the | \ key--wow, that was hard to type without the key in place) with her claw. Interesting, these kitties' technological capabilities.
Later, all!
Posted by bonnie at 4:46 PM
December 20, 2004
Okay, I THINK...
...I'm finally ready to try to get some sleep.
THREE book interviews in a few hours. So frickin' excited. I swear, this book already rocks.
Oh, and speaking of rocking books... there are only 400 or so copies of Self-Management for Actors left in our warehouse! Time to do the second edition. Hell, if the casting director strike goes through, I'll be in book mode for two books, back-to-back.
Yowza!
Anyone have any recommendations for how to keep my hands (joints, knuckles, wrists) from aching so, as I do all of this keyboard work? Yes, I have awesome wrist wraps that I use and I tried the whole glucosamine/MSM combo too. Still, I'm up for suggestions for keeping it all "feeling good" while rolling.
Oh, I like the Sakitini with the Ginger Sprig garnish at Sushi Roku. Happy Hour is a good thing there... such a lovely view.
Okay, much work to do in a few hours and I do want some sleep. Wish me luck!
LOVE my life. Seriously. What a gratifying year this has been. Rockstar.
Posted by bonnie at 5:25 AM
December 19, 2004
An Epiphany-a-Day?
Okay, so I'm having breakthroughs left and right. Finally, I've had to start looking at this non-stop personal growth stuff and ask:
Is this normal?
I mean, I know we spend our 20s pretty much self-involved. Are we, by nature, to spend our 30s self-evolved?
Not that I don't enjoy all of the new a-ha moments and happy confirmations that I am exactly on the right path and all that, but I have to wonder when we, as women today, kind of start just BEING.
Or is this what that is?
Hm.
I'm pontificaterrific tonight! Ooh... The Wizard of Oz is on! How much am I loving that they're using Love & Rockets' No New Tale To Tell as the lead-in/out music?!? Awesome!
PS--Walks to the beach at sunset and happy hour at Sushi Roku with your fiancé are just about some of the best living out there.
Posted by bonnie at 8:01 PM
Idiots!
Okay, so we're watching Headline News and they're talking about the drugs that keep slipping through the cracks in the FDA approval process.
"We're dealing with products that are difficult to evaluate," said the acting commissioner of the FDA.
WHAT? No you're not! You're dealing with effing financial incentives to rush pain killers and dick-stiffeners through to the marketplace while drugs that could wipe out cancer and AIDS are left sitting in pergatory of the drug approval process for years and years!
There is nothing "difficult to evaluate" about that, you fucknut. As long as money and healthcare are woven so deeply, there will never be swift approval of the drugs that don't make pharmaceutical corporations billions of dollars.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Posted by bonnie at 11:55 AM
Christmas Dinner
Anyone stuck in LA for Christmas? Looking for a fun thingy with some cool people? Lemmeknow. I have been told our location for this year's Mostly-Jewish Orphans' Christmas Dinner with Traditional New Orleans Stuffed Peppers is a "the more the merrier" style joint.
Cool! We like lots of room to spread out and play the Celebrity Game! Wow... was it JUST one year ago that I learned that game from Shelley the Great? Wow!
Okay, anyway, lemmeknow if you're in town and want to join us for the potluck of all time. We always have a blast. The proof is in the photos. Visit the photo page and see for yourself.
Orphans' Christmas in LA... a tradition since 2001. Ah... gotta love those long-standing Hollywood traditions.
Posted by bonnie at 4:08 AM
Exercise
This is interesting (and perhaps everyone knows this but me): exercise releases emotions. Powerful ones.
I miss my mom.
Posted by bonnie at 1:35 AM
December 18, 2004
Retribution
Keith says one good 19-year-old photo deserves another. Fine!
Heeeeee! That's me.
Posted by bonnie at 7:49 PM
Keith... nearly 20 years ago
Isn't he gorgeous?
Keith, 1985
Awwwwwwww.
(Click to see bigger.)
Awwwwwwww.
I so love you, honey.
Posted by bonnie at 7:42 PM
December 16, 2004
2004 in Questions
Happily nabbed from Aimercat.
1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
Move to the 310.
2. Did you keep your 2004 resolutions? Will you make more for 2005?
I make birthday resolutions, rather than Jan. 1 resolutions, so... n/a, really.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Only kitties.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Diane Smyth, Lawrence Parke.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just this one.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
Sense of peace with my physical existence. Relief and release from chronic pain.
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
August 17th: Discovered my first grey hair.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Growing as a person. Becoming evermore the person I love being.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not rebounding quickly enough from the little bumps in the road.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the usual chronic pain, migraines, blah blah blah.
11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Keith's; when faced with cruelty, he redefined grace for me.
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The hooded cowards who beheaded human beings on-camera for the world to see.
13. Where did most of your money go?
LASIK surgery.
14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Catalina (our new sofa). I know... I'm a geek.
15. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Bowling for Soup's "1985," ironically.
16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Far happier. And I was elated this time last year. Just keeps getting better and better.
b) thinner or fatter?
Fatter, methinks. Weigh-in will be after Christmas at my annual exam. Considering I lost 35 pounds in 2003 and gained 50 in 2004... and have lost some of THAT... well... who knows?!?
c) richer or poorer?
Far richer. And I was in good shape this time last year. See "A." Rock on.
17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Take time off and relax.
18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stress about anything.
19. How will you be spending Christmas?
As usual, Orphans' Christmas Dinner with the gang I love so much. We rarely see each other outside of Christmas Dinner, but it's always a highlight of the year. This year, Shelley's house. Yay!
20. Did you fall in love in 2004?
I fall in love daily.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
"Significant Others," of course.
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate. I move on.
23. What was the best book you read?
"Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting," even though it was a 2003 gift. I read and reread and even bought ten copies this year to give to others.
24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Not a discovery... a renewed love for LIVE Pixies action. Awesome.
25. What did you want and get?
Everything but physical peace.
26. What did you want and not get?
See above.
27. What was your favorite film of this year?
"Ray," though I would say "Big Fish" too... even though I saw it on December 31st of 2003. Awesome films.
28. What did you do on your birthday? How old were you?
Ate chocolate chip pancakes from IHOP. 34.
29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning the lottery. And I mean more than the $2 we won.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
I don't understand that question.
31. What kept you sane?
Writing. Loving. Friendship. Kitties. Long walks with Keith. Talking everything out, all the time. Faith.
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
John Edwards. Jon Stewart. John Cusack.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
My goodness, so many of them. And really, I did everything I could. Why linger?
34. Who did you miss?
My mother, as always.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
Man... that's tough. Chemin Bernard, Abby Casey, Sharon Gardner, Blake Robbins (I'd say Subhash Mandal, but I met him in 2003)... man... a tough one. I love so many people right now!
36. What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2004?
You can never be sick enough to heal the ill. So, be well. Live well. Teach well. Being poor will never erase poverty. Being angry will never erase anger. And the only way to solve a problem is with compassion and grace.
37. What song lyrics sum up your year?
In Heaven
Everything is fine
In Heaven
Everything is fine
In Heaven
Everything is fine
You've got your good thing
And I've got mine
Posted by bonnie at 10:18 PM
Great Evening
Walked to the bank and market, hung Christmas lights in the window, now watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. Kitties are doped up on Cosmic Catnip and all is right with the world.
Posted by bonnie at 8:07 PM
December 15, 2004
Executive Decision
I've decided that I will start watching Lost now. Everyone keeps talking about it like it's the best new show of the year and the pilot is on tonight with reruns the next couple of weeks. Okay, fine. I'm in.
We'll see.
Posted by bonnie at 7:57 PM
Anger
Do you ever just want to like seriously rip off someone's arm so that you can use it to beat the crap out of them?
Yeah... me neither. But dayum, I'm close.
Cingular sucks.
I almost want to go to The People's Court on this so that, when the judge lady says, "Wait! Bonnie, you have a CONTRACT?!" I can whip it out and have that Perry Mason moment be a clip they use in their ads.
Why is it that I have to prove TO THEM that I have a contract that says I upgraded to Nationwide with Rollover in February? And why is it that faxing the contract to them THREE TIMES isn't sufficient? And why is it that they certainly began CHARGING me for this new calling plan back in February, but neglected to upgrade my actual plan at that time? And why TODAY am I told that I have to pay this month's bill while they "sort this out" after THREE customer service reps have told me that THEY would be calling me back to give me an adjusted amount in 48 hours over the course of the last two weeks?
Y'all suck. Seriously.
Okay...
All better now. Must go do kitcheny things for the Roxbury Potluck tomorrow. That's a good use of energy, right? Creating food items? Or am I begging to be further frustrated?
Ooooh... there's wine!
Posted by bonnie at 6:44 PM
Three Years Ago Tonight
Keith proposed under a new moon and the Hollywood sign.
I said yes.
Three years engaged and holding. I like that.
Yes. Yes. Yes. (One for each year.)
Posted by bonnie at 5:00 PM
Indecisive Stance
Can you take an indecisive stance?
The big casting director meeting is tonight. It's a bicoastal CD meeting with the Teamsters to determine whether we will conduct a pilot season work stoppage in order to gain recognition by the AMPTP. Our formal request to be recognized as a work organization was rejected last month and therefore CDs have no health and pension benefits, despite the fact that all other crafts, unions, and guilds in the entertainment industry DO have these things. We have no standardized rate of pay, no contract dispute backing, and the Teamsters have agreed to strike with casting directors, should that be the decision that is made at tonight's meeting.
I attended a unionization meeting a year ago and voiced my concerns about the plan as it then existed (only CDs of feature films with a budget over $1M would qualify--that leaves me out, thus far in my career; no commercial, voiceover, industrial, or music video CDs were included in the plan--meaning those types of CDs could come in and work our film and TV casting gigs if we were to strike, etc.). I told them then that I would not back a plan that didn't have representation for ALL casting directors, since creating a union that only covered a fraction of the CDs is like going in knowing that (for example) an actors' union would be FAR more powerful if it were a combination of ALL performers, yet choosing to split the types of people covered and hoping they'll still all stand together. I just couldn't understand how anyone on the steering committee could expect commercial CDs to stand with film and TV CDs in a work stoppage when the goal was to get a union of CDs recognized... but that same union wouldn't recognize or cover commercial CDs! Silly!
I attended that meeting a year ago and voiced my concerns and explained what would need to happen before I could feel that I would support THIS casting union plan (just like with SAG and AFTRA mergers... some plans are better than others, and you can't simply support a single goal of a larger plan that doesn't quite cut it on every level). I suggested that the CSA work to create a standardized contract that would be agreed upon by producers (similar to what the legit stage CDs in NY had done, last year) and, once they had bargaining success with producers here in LA, consider using that newfound producer-level support to fortify the request to become recognized as a union.
Anyway, I haven't decided whether I'm going tonight or not. I'd like to think it would be an informative, educational, well-organized presentation of facts and options. Based on what I've experienced before, though, it's more likely to be a rally with lots of fear-based conjecture and empassioned demands for health care and retirement funds. I'm passionate about that stuff too, but I run my own business and have made inroads to getting coverage the same way any small business owner does.
I spoke with a fellow "new" casting director at a showcase last week, and as she expressed: "I'm concerned that a strike will simply cause producers to say, 'Okay. Back to the studio system! We don't need casting directors!'" She's certainly right that that could happen again. Casting directors serve the purpose of middleman in the industry. Without casting directors, casting can still take place.
And it saddens me to not be hugely pro-union about this, right now. My grandfather was a huge player in the very beginnings of the AFL-CIO and United Steel Workers. He is in history books as a part of the Ducktown 8 and I feel a great sense of duty to the union life.
But as casting directors are FORMING a union, we simply MUST look at the mistakes others have made in forming their unions and PREVENT OUR UNION from repeating those mistakes. The fact that I, as a CD of low-budget indie SAG films (the largest budget I've cast thus far was $750,000), am considered unworthy of protection under this proposal... yet I'm asked to NOT work with the directors and producers who've come to me for their low budget projects for two years... well... it's a little bit of a slap in the face.
*shrug*
It's an emotional issue for a lot of people. I'm still totally on the fence and have no idea what I'm going to do tonight (re: attending the meeting) or what I'll be doing when the order to stop work in casting comes down (I'm almost certain that will be the outcome of tonight's rally). Thing is, I'm in "book mode" right now anyway and have said NO to casting jobs since finishing casting the feature film I just handed off to production last week. So, in a way the timing supports my indecisive stance.
If there is such a thing. ;)
Posted by bonnie at 2:56 PM
So Dang Inspired
I swear, there are so many amazingly talented, wonderful, connected people in this world and I am so truly blessed to cross paths with so many of them on a daily basis.
What a wonderful class we just attended! Great actors. Wonderful instructor. Delicious work. And such warmth. Man... actors are brave people. And when they are kick-ass talented, they're brave AND BEAUTIFUL. And it has nothing to do with beauty like Hollywood likes to define it. It's just awe-inspiring.
Awesome.
I love my job.
Posted by bonnie at 1:07 AM
December 13, 2004
Hollywood Happy Hour Press Release
HHH January 4, 2005... NEW LOCATION!
Hey, Gang! Hope you can make it to our big Pilot Season kick-off version of Hollywood Happy Hour. It's going to be a hoot!
Please join us on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 for our PILOT SEASON Hollywood Happy Hour with special guests, industry news and reviews, networking, loads of great prizes, yummy food, and adult beverages!
Who: casting director Michelle Morris-Gertz talks about how pilot season impacts even feature film casting directors like herself and return guest and TV Guide writer Craig Tomashoff dishes all of the early dirt on the up-and-coming, soon-to-be-hits (or cancelled) new TV shows. Bring headshots, bring questions, bring a friend!
When: Tuesday, January 4, 2005, 5:30pm arrivals, 6pm program start, 7:15pm schmoozefest
Where: Pig & Whistle, 6714 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90028
How Much: $5 plus two drinks... full menu available and lots of goodies for HHH-ers!
What Else: goodie bags from our sponsors for winners of our business-card drawing (make sure to bring your card) and trivia questions, lots of freebies, and everyone's uncle, Uncle Bob, will be putting it all on "tape" for our audio archives... Yay! And if you don't see Aunt Diana poke her head out to wave hello, it's because she'll be cozied up to a small TV to keep tabs on her USC bowl game. ;)
RSVP: with your name, number in your party, and any suggested questions for the Q&A segment to info@hollywoodhappyhour.com ASAP.
All details will soon be available at http://hollywoodhappyhour.com (we're constantly updating the site). SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!!!
Woo hoo! Have a delightful year-end! Hope 2004 has rocked for you all.
Posted by bonnie at 5:57 PM
Coming Back
Ugh. Coming back from migraine drugs is icky. I now have ONE last sample drug from my friend who works in a doctor's office and stocked me up with migraine samples last year. I don't want to ever take it. I hate how it makes me feel. Of course, it does get rid of the migraine. *shrug*
We're about to interview one of the stars of Crossing Jordan for the book. Yay! Still need to get a few more interviews scheduled before the end of the year (ideally) but it's getting tough, with everyone doing holiday stuff and all that.
Oh, hey, if I haven't said it yet, let me make it absolutely 100% clear: THANK YOU, SUBHASH MANDAL. YOU ARE THE FAIRY GODFATHER OF THIS NEW BOOK AND IT WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT YOU! {{{{{big hugs, Steve}}}}}
Tonight: going to speak and critique scenes at Jane's acting class (Jane is one of Faith's costars on Significant Others and she's teaching this biz-of-the-biz class which uses my book as a resource). My co-speaker dude is the awesome Bruce Smith of Omnipop. Yay! He's in my second book. It'll be good to see him again.
Okay... I need to get ready for the interview and prepare to crash into a nap as soon as it's over. Must stay on migraine watch until it's 100% over with. Oh, Aleta, thanks for the recommendation for a new drug to try. Will do!
OH! And, Chairman, you are seriously my new favorite Google-mate of all time! Wow! I'm worshipful toward your Googleability. Rock it! And THANKS!
Posted by bonnie at 12:02 PM
December 12, 2004
And, there it is:
a migraine.
Posted by bonnie at 4:44 PM
Ow, My Head
Okay, seriously, I have had a mess of a headache for two weeks now. Here's the deal. I came back from casting The Entertainer and got a headache. It lasted for two weeks. I figured it was a fun case of the Santa Anas and good ol' travel fatigue wrapped into one.
So, that was the first two weeks of November.
Now it's the first two weeks of December and I have this crushing headache again.
Let me explain the headache: it's unlike any I've had (well, except the one I had a month ago). It's not a migraine and it's not a standard headache. It doesn't do a halo thing and it's certainly not tossing off all of the migraine symptoms that cripple me. This is most like a sinus headache, but even so, it's different. It doesn't respond to any kind of drug I have (Excedrin--three different varieties, Benadryl--three different varieties) and it seems to be ON all the time.
Keith told me to ask Dr. Khanna about it, which I did. He did a thorough exam Friday and told me there was no indication that my headaches were related to my eyes or the LASIK. I believe that.
Of course, I thought, based on the cycle of the headaches, that they could be hormonal. To quote my dearest Keith, "We don't have enough data points to be sure of that yet."
So... if it's hormonal, I should wake up tomorrow with no headache and be free and clear for another couple of weeks. If it's weather-related, then is anyone else experiencing headaches due to the changes in temperature and having to do heat one day, open windows the next, avoid high winds one day, get out the umbrella the next? And, if that's something you're experiencing, did you also have this happen to you in early November?
Ugh. Me no likee.
Pain sucks. And I'm really getting pissed about the fact that my physical body continues to be the one area of my life to which I cannot apply the Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting guidelines effectively. I have absolutely transformed so much of my life this year with that awesome little book... yet my body continues to resist.
So very frustrating to have such pain all the time. Damn, I miss the days of the pain killer addiction. Fiorinal was fun, even if it did kill my personality. *grumble* Stupid clean and sober lifestyle. *grumble*
Advice and/or vibes accepted graciously. Thankee.
Posted by bonnie at 12:47 AM
December 10, 2004
Eyeballs
So, today was my three-month post-op checkup (scheduled early, for some reason... holidays I guess) with Dr. Khanna.
Left eye: 20/20. Right eye: 20/15. And... he's going to email me the before and after radial images (they are so dang cool... all multi-colored and drastically different pre/post LASIK) so that I can add them to my blog. Woo hoo!
What else?
David is back with us for a long weekend. It's fun. I'm designing his actor website right now (well... mostly did it yesterday). It's going to rock.
Spent most of the day on the phone with various CSRs dealing with all manner of happy Mercury Retrograde issues. VERY excited to be where we are, financially. I said 2004 would be a rockstar year and holy crap, it has been. It's simply amazing what a shift we've made in our prosperity in this year. LOVE it.
Thwok is growing like crazy. She's seriously becoming a cat. Still plays like a kitten though. Kind of like Keith. ;)
Speaking of whom... his son Quinn will be SIX this weekend. Holy crap! When I met him, he was only TWO! Even then, he was so very smart. Like I said after his first visit here (at age four), "The Johnson boys are BRILLIANT by the time they're like three. And then they're done." ;)
Ahh... I tease because I love. I swear, Keith has taught me so much about love. Oh, and he'll be headed back up to NoCal to deal with family whatnot again this Christmas, so I'll do the orphans' dinner again with my dearest LA friends (I really dig this tradition we've had going all these years now) while Keith [deep breath] plays big, brave brother. Bless Liz for handling all the day-to-day up there.
Oh, and Keith will come home with... a new car. Yes. Again. ;) One a year feels right to him. [Yes, I'm looking at my 15.5 year old car as I type this. *smirk*] I'm so happy for him! We're going to donate Snowball (his current car) to charity. Well, unless someone speaks up about needing a used car as sweet (but quirky) as Snowball. Keith's years in LA travel: Year One--bike (and hit by an Escalade), Year Two--share my car (and stress our relationship out like crazy), Year Three--first luxury car of his life (used, quirky, but really awesome), Year Four--new car (thanks, Santa).
I so seriously love life. We walked to the ocean after midnight the other night. Why? Because we could. Gorgeous night. And I can see all of the stars. Man, that LASIK was a good choice. Oh, and the doc said we can have all sorts of free high-end web design services from his brother, as a thank you for all of the LASIK referrals and the good will from the awesome blog on the procedure. How rockstar is that?!?
Oh, the 90210 guest-star I cast in the film was NOT Val's druggie friend. Need more hints? Post-Brenda years. Pre-Dylan's return. At Val's suggestion this actor was able to do something that stressed out Donna. Ooh, this is fun!
Goodness, I'm updatey over here today. I think I want to go out tonight... but ugh, it's a weekend night. It's just that it was 80 degrees today and now I have the windows open as I watch the sunset and I really want to go play. Hm. We'll see what the boys come up with, when they get back.
Got a seriously kick-ass gift basket of food and booze from the producer of the film I just cast. Y'know what's fun about casting higher-profile projects each gig? Better people and cooler "stuff" with each gig. ;) Speaking of cool "stuff," Faith's official "Significant Others" holiday gift was delivered here. I said, "They send you scripts at your new address. How do they send this thing here?" "Ah, what do they know," she said. "They cancelled us." Bummer, but she has such a great attitude. I guess getting married in Scotland in a few months and exec producing your own series for another network will kind of put another series' cancellation in perspective.
Heee!
I will NEVER get rid of Google ads that are acting-related if I don't quit writing about the industry all the time! Oh, wait... that's what I do for a living, isn't it? Oops.
Still need to write this week's Showfax column. Any suggestions? I have my YOUR TURN part done. A reader wrote an amazing letter that will be, in its entirety, the YOUR TURN section. Awesome. I love it when people GET IT.
And when they don't... well... you move on and stay glad your interactions with those types are few and far between. ;)
Yes. Cryptic. Me. Love it.
Posted by bonnie at 4:58 PM
December 9, 2004
Save the Date: 4 January 2005 (HHH)
Big announcement coming soon regarding Hollywood Happy Hour for January 2005!
Can you believe we've been doing Hollywood Happy Hour for almost TWO YEARS now?!?
Wow!
With the support of the amazing Kris Burtt, Keith Johnson, Uncle Bob, and Aunt Diana, Nelson Aspen and I have seen Hollywood Happy Hour grow way beyond our wildest dreams (well... maybe not our WILDEST dreams... but you know).
THANK YOU for all of the support!
Oh... what date should you save? That'd be...
TUESDAY, JANUARY 4TH, 2005, for Hollywood Happy Hour... ringing in the New Year and Pilot Season Kickoff!
Woo hoo!
Posted by bonnie at 11:27 PM
Controversy!
Okay, so I went to see (for like the 10th time) Jonna's Body, Please Hold the other night. Jonna has this quote in her program that has long been a favorite quote of mine (and yes, you've seen it in my ever-rotating signature file in Cricket Feet emails).
Problem is, Jonna attributes this quote to Anne Hunninghake and I attribute it to Mary Anne Radmacher-Hersey.
So... whose quote is this?
Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the
end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."
Yes, I asked Google about it.
What say you, fellow quote geeks?
PS--Watching Deb and Ash on MTV's Date My Mom RIGHT THIS MINUTE. Holy crap, that's funny stuff! Debra... will your video clip make the hall of fame over there? Heeeeeeee.
Posted by bonnie at 1:33 PM
December 8, 2004
Two More in the Can
Woo hoo!
Another two interviews for the book today. AWESOME interviews. I swear, I so love this new book already. Really wonderful. And Blake is such a great partner. And... we both come with awesome partners of our own. Karen is designing the cover. She's a major Madison Ave. ad designer. Seriously. And, Keith is handling all of the specs for publishing and distribution. Rockstar collaboration, this one.
Oh, and the guy we interviewed today... ooooooh. He's hot (one) and he's SUCH a good person. He's so grounded, centered, seriously connected to his process and his life. That's SO healthy for a kid who was a star of "24" at... 24.
The second interview... also rockstar good. Such an amazing child actor (teen, really) from New York. A series regular on "Third Watch" and such a WISE soul! Man... this book is going to ROCK!
Went to a showcase tonight and got to hang out with fellow actor-turned-casting-director Lisa Soltau. She's loving working for Junie Lowry-Johnson and the rest of the "Deadwood," "Six Feet Under," "Star Trek" gang. Dang... cool gig, Lisa! ;) Good luck with that meeting Monday. Aim high, baby!
The showcase was wonderful. Excellently written and acted. Review to come on "Shows I've Seen" once I get updatey over there. Man... I'm so frickin' busy. I LOVE IT!
Keith has an interview with a talent manager next week. (Woo hoo!) This rocks especially since all of my casting work is keeping me from managing his acting career as much as I had been, early on. *sniffle* My little actor man is growing up. *sniffle*
Out with friends last night after another show (and a showcase the night before. Man, is it showcase season or what?). I think we shut Dan Tana's down. Can't recall. Damn you, Mike and your never-ending pour of Ketel One!
I'm hurting for Keith, still. I've never seen someone so very wounded yet still traveling the high road at every turn. I swear, he's teaching me grace every day. I am amazed at what a good man he is.
I am so tired, yet wired. I am so glad to have handed off casting to production on "Trees Grow Tall and Then They Fall" so that I can swing fully into book mode now. I LOVE going into book mode. Man, writing rocks!
Okay, put the brakes on, Gillespie. It's time to get some rest... or at least turn your brain off and make out on Catalina for awhile. Heh heh.
Oh! Chip... Def Jam Becca MC wants to talk to you about blogging. She needs to blog... and she can't log in to comment. If it helps, she's a 90210 junkie too. ;) Becca, I'll email you soon. Gotta unwind a bit first.
Man, I love my life. Seriously, every day is a mountain of bliss lately. That is so dang cool!
Posted by bonnie at 11:37 PM
December 5, 2004
Hee hee
This is geeky.
I am happy because I got to cast a former 90210 recurring guest star in this feature film.
Hee hee hee.
Posted by bonnie at 10:35 PM
"He doesn't hardly know you guys. He's not going overseas with you."
Thanks. That's great. A long-distance dad loves hearing that from his ex-wife after he's asked to take his son to Scotland for vacation next year.
Nice. Well done, Jessica. You still know how to kick Keith in the balls.
Posted by bonnie at 4:51 PM
December 4, 2004
Gratified. Tired. Gratiftired?
Callbacks were great. I should be allowed to make actor offers tomorrow or Monday at the latest. Rockstar good stuff. Amazing actors. Really, really awesome.
Shifting into BOOK MODE for the new book, Acting Qs: Conversations with Working Actors. Got lots of work to do, which is always fun, but I'm going to have to start saying no to some casting jobs in order to get the writing done on our timeline.
Tomorrow is a big day. I'm going to a really wonderful casting director holiday craft fair of sorts. Over 300 people have RSVP'd and every name on the invite list is a name I recognize (casting directors, agents, managers). I swear, this will be great networking, a good way to get a little advance info on the big, emergency casting union meeting coming up this month (possible CD strike afoot), and a fun opportunity to see what other CDs do when they're not casting. I know what *I* do. What do the rest of us do? Well, some craft! I look forward to buying handmade-by-casting-director gifts for my actor friends. That'll be fun. Also awesome to hang out with Chemin, as always.
Okay. I need sleep. Already napped once today (after the callbacks) but still need a little more of the good stuff before that big day o' mine. Oh, and I don't EVEN want to start thinking about how many days straight of commitments I have the rest of this month. Shows, showcases, more shows, more showcases, holiday parties that are more networking than socializing in nature.
Sleepytime. Sleepy. Pleased. Spleasedy? Yeah.
Posted by bonnie at 10:33 PM
December 2, 2004
Bliss on Catalina
"Catalina" is what we named our sofa, since we used the money we were going to use on a romantic getaway to Catalina in order to buy it.
So, now, Keith gets to "take me to Catalina" anytime. ;) Heeeee. We're geeky, I know.
Salema still hasn't come to check it out, Archie FINALLY decided to come sleep on it about an hour ago, and Thwok... seeing as her world is so new... well, she's loved it all day, like I have.
It's seriously such a big, deep, plush couch that I get lost in it. LOVE that! Keith and I cuddled and snuggled and such on it for an hour today. Awesome!
Happy Sofa Day!! ACTUAL photos to come. I have a lot (from lots of stuff) to upload, actually.
Posted by bonnie at 9:57 PM
It's Almost Happy Sofa Day!
I guess, technically, it IS Happy Sofa Day already, but since the sofa won't actually be here until between 11am and 2pm, I'm saying Happy Sofa Day actually begins in a number of hours. No use getting even MORE excited so early.
I'm seriously THRILLED. Can't wait!
We moved the other sofa (started to call it the "old" sofa, but I don't think a sofa purchased just over three years ago counts as "old," really) over by the floor-to-ceiling window and it is LOVELY there. Really gorgeous. Hm. We may like keeping it there, after all.
Anyway, the area for the new sofa is prepared. Even hung family photos over where the sofa will be. Finally! Getting photos up really helps us feel like we've moved in... despite all the stuff still in boxes. We really need a good two weeks with NOTHING else to do and a maid to help us with the deep-clean and a kid to help haul off all of the trash, donations, whatnots. Then we'd be moved in.
That said, we are steadily moving forward. We will, in fact, have that housewarming party... say, early January. Finally.
Oh, spent most of today and yesterday working on the new book. Realized I'm going to have to turn down some casting work here in the next couple of weeks in order to get this ready. Quality problem, of course, but also a bummer. Nah, not a bummer. I love that intense "book work" time. It just takes a shift of my energy, after having been casting for so long. The last time I went into "book-writing sequester" mode was August 2003. That's a pretty long break, actually.
Hee hee. Archie is snoring.
Short films accepted into Sundance 2005 will be announced on the 6th. I can't wait to learn whether The Moor made it. *fingers crossed* I'm so excited!
Posted by bonnie at 12:37 AM
December 1, 2004
Well, well, well...
January 1st will be VERY interesting 'round here.
Why is that so interesting?
Well... lemme make it a leeeetle clearer.
Need it a leeeeetle more clearerer?
Bonnie Gillespie went to UGA. Keith Johnson went to UW, Madison. Should be QUITE the fun bowl game, from this couple's TV. Heeeeeeeee.
Go, DAWGS!!
Ooooh, and what I REALLY love is the poll standings at the Outback Bowl site today!
That'd be Georgia with the big ol' honkin' majority of the pie up there. Heeeeeeee!
Posted by bonnie at 4:20 PM
In Remembrance
In honor of World AIDS Day, I release a red baloon in memory of my friend and mentor Dennis Stabler, the North Springs High School chorus teacher who would be the first to tell me, "You're a chesty alto, honey!"
That was in 1983, ten years before his death.
He would go on to inspire me to perform in Show Choir, tour with the advanced mixed chorus, hit the high school music festival circuit with the all-women's chorale, and compete at All State (IN SPANISH, earning me a score of I across the board).
Mr. Stabler, you inspired me and taught me and encouraged me as only a teacher can do. You are missed.
Posted by bonnie at 2:41 PM
Disclosure
Today is day #7 for me on CortiSlim (day #6 for Keith). I love it. Seriously. Wow. No cravings. No overeating. No grazing all day. No late-night munchies. No interest in junkfood or sweets whatsoever. More energy. Less severe reaction to stressful happenings. Consistent moods and feelings and interest in greater physical activity.
Awesome.
Posted by bonnie at 12:35 PM