DreamCity

Part 4

May 7

I got my check today.  Lucky too cause Manuel cornered me in the hallway.  I had to beg him not to charge me the $25 late fee.  Hard to believe I'm going to be in the same predicament all over again at the end of the month.  I need a sugar daddy. At least I'd know rent would be paid on time.

Maybe I need to be more like Arden...she's on a whole different level when it comes to men.  Somehow, I missed that class about how to wrap them around your little finger.  She met somebody at the party we went to and he's going to pay for her head shots.  Whatever she has, it must be all that.  She has her boyfriend paying her rent. I told her about my Shane-quest and she's agreed to help me.  She's working on finding out what gym he goes to and I'm working on finding out his favorite restaurant.  I called his office, but he won't be back in town until Tuesday.

May 8

I got my first gig through the babysitting agency last night.  It was for this couple.  The wife I recognized from the soaps, and I guess the husband was just some guy.  Anyway, they were going out to a charity function, so they left the numbers on the fridge for their cell phones.  They had a daughter who was 3, and she was already asleep by the time I got there.  Why did the husband try and hit on me?  Ewww!  Everything is about conquest out here and being human, having feelings, well, it's not part of the equation.  After they left, I checked in on the kid a couple of times and just watched TV.  Oh and I drooled over how the other half lived.  The kid's room was a designer's dream.  We're talking designer handmade furniture (a kid-sized armoire), coordinated linens...the room was gorgeous.  In fact the house should be featured on E! Entertainment or something.  One of these days....

May 10

I found the perfect black dress at Macy's.  I better be able to return this thing cause it cost $224.  It's so cute though!  It's long, it comes down to my ankles and it has a very revealing split on the left side.  The spaghetti straps crisscross to hold up a very plunging back-line.  The material is soft and clings in all the right places.  Wearing it, though, makes me want to get that requisite boob job.  Hey, when in L.A....I'm never satisfied with my body.  Don't let me get any money!  I'll be plucked, tucked and sucked with a quickness.

Are we just wired to be unhappy?  I'm just realizing that the most relaxed time of my life was probably spent in the womb.  I had no responsibility; no one even knew my name.  Those were the days...

I was supposed to meet Derek tonight.  He's my cousin on my father's side.  He's taken me under his wing since I moved out here.  We mostly stay in contact by phone because we seem to never have enough time to hook up with one another in person.  He works nights. Although, to his credit, he did help me move into the place I'm in now.  He has a pick-up truck and it was just us loading my junk onto his truck and moving it to my new place.  Then I met Q and he helped us carry some things in.

Derek and I are the self-proclaimed black sheep of the West Coast contingent on my father's side of the family.  My dad has a sister and a brother who live out here.  Neither Derek nor myself place very highly on their list of favorite nieces and nephews.  It's true what they say, you can't choose your family.  If it weren't for Derek, I would feel as though I was alone, but he has made me feel as though I do have someone out here in this crazy place watching my back.  I know if I ever need anything, he'll be there.  And I'd say that's pretty impressive considering we didn't get acquainted until last year.  Hopefully he won't trip, because I may be asking him for rent money.

I e-mailed my coverage on the two scripts I read.  Ho hum.  I wasn't crazy about them, but I could see with a lot work, they might have something.  I enjoy critiquing scripts.  Guess it's my only chance to read them since no one is calling me in for auditions.  I'm looking for a good movement class to take.  I always want to stay ahead of my game.  Maybe I'll look around for another voice class too.

Shawn's coming in for a visit from New York this coming weekend.  Can't wait.  I haven't seen her since I moved to L.A.

May 12

It's 4:10 in the morning and I'm just getting home from a most incredible night! I feel like Cinderella.  I'll fill in the details later, because I got to catch some shut eye so I'll be refreshed and ready to work on the plantation in the morning.

May 13

His name is Collin.  He is the source for my continued joy.  We met at the party the other night. 

The party was at a club in Century City.  There were a few interesting people there.  Kandi was disappointed because she told some guy to meet us there and he didn't show up.  Guess what?  He's from L.A.  Flake. 

Collin is from L.A. also, but he is like the antithesis of L.A.  He's brooding, he's cynical, he's so New York, it's amazing.  He's at USC's grad program studying to be a director.  Of course, he trashed the movie. He said the shots were oh-so-elementary and not at all innovative.  I thought the movie sucked.  It probably won't even crack the top five for weekend grosses.  None of the stars in the movie turned out for the party.  Guess they didn't want to be embarrassed.

Back to Collin...he looks like Michael Jordan without the height and with a goatee.  He's working on his thesis film.  He said he would let me read the script once he got to know me better. 

We had so much in common.  I felt this connection with him that I don't feel with most guys.  He was different.  I felt it in my bones that maybe, perhaps, he might be the one.  The right one for now anyway.  I'm on the fence about whether or not there is only one someone for everyone.  That whole soul mate thing.  Being the eternal optimist, I've often wondered if the yang to my yin was aborted at birth?  Or what if he was struck by lightning the day before we were supposed to meet? 

I mean, really, what is love and how much is chemistry a factor?  And how do you know if your love has an expiration date...what happens when you fall out of love with a person? But by that time it's too late cause your finances are all entwined and you have kids together.  I've seen it happen.  But I digress.

Fortunately, Collin and I hit it off right away.  Chemistry's not a problem.  There was this whole mutual attraction thing going on between us. Flirty banter that could easily lead to the walk of shame the next morning.  At one point, we danced to this slow groove and it was like there was no one else on that dance floor except us...cliché, I know.  Collin's hands felt like warm magnets on my back and I could feel myself being drawn to him.  I'm going to stop before I start sounding like a cloyingly annoying romance novel.  We're supposed to go blading at Venice Beach on Sunday after I drop Shawn off at the airport.

I found a couple of jobs to submit my headshot to from LA Casting.  Lots of non-union commercial work. At this point, I'll happily do background work as long as it's paying.