Sheepish Red

So... been a while. Again. Yes, I feel sheepish for my lack of news.

This is my sheepish face... well actually, it's is the woeful face of my new puppy after her bath.

She doesn't like baths.

Her name is Fernie and she is a rescue from Mexico - as far as we can tell, she does not speak Spanish.

This blogging thing is going to take some re-learning... it's been that long.

I'm Beet... the most productive day ever!

I know I've had productive days before but this Sunday takes the cake...

Here's the rundown:
- Walked the dog
- Went to Home Depot
- Did 5 loads of laundry
- Unloaded/reloaded the dishwasher
                                - Painted the large planter for the front step
                                - Washed the dog's kennel
                                - Picked most of the beets and carrots
                                - Helped hubby build a shed
                                - Washed vegetables from the garden
                                - Made shepherd's pie for dinner
                                - Walked the dog again
                                - Cooked up the beets and made beetroot hummus
                                - Cleaned up the kitchen after my spree
                                - Started reading Furious Love (I love it so far!)

And the sun was finally shining so it really was a fantastic day!      

Red's Summer Reading List continued...

So things must be really slow in my life if I have nothing to post but reading lists - right? Oh well, c'est la vie. I wanted to focus on more reading than tv this summer and I've been doing pretty good. Here we go...

I broke down and ordered a bunch of books online - as much as I love wandering the bookstores and library, the hold lists for popular books can be too long and it's really cheap to order online.

And of course the giddiness that comes with a new box of books means that I had to set aside my library books for a bit.

 

I was not ready for this one! Understatement. I guess I just really didn't expect it to be so graphic in it's depiction of human depravity. But the characters were incredibly rich and the mystery was so layered. I changed my mind on the "who dun it" so many times that I think it's fair to say I didn't guess right.

I started the first few pages of the next book and had to put it down. Child sex slavery?! Oh my... need to fortify up the stomach for that one - and no reading at night!

Yes, I finished the White Queen, after a bit of a pause. It got really good and then really boring and then really, really intriguing and then - it ended. Suddenly. So suddenly that I actually had to go to the computer and look up the historical outcome to the story. Again why build up this epic story and then not finish it. I guess the reader is supposed to be smart enough to know the historical outcome and chuckle at what is going to happen to the main character...

I was very good and made myself start another library book before getting to far into my box of purchases. And I'm only in about three or so chapters. Pauline Gedge is a favorite author of mine - the detail she writes with really pull you into that time and place. Most of her books are set in ancient Egypt and yet she's a homegrown author from Alberta. 

Aside from my summer reading list - this week I also caught a summer cold. Fun! So I spent Monday and Tuesday sick and home and found myself staring into the box of books and accidentally picking up eat pray love and starting it. I know I'm a little late to the game on this one, and in terms of being a bandwagon jumper I normally try to rebel but this one got to me, despite the hype and the movie and Oprah, etc. This is an amazingly written book. You feel like the author is talking directly to you and her honesty and openness is really refreshing. Of course I finished it on Tuesday.

And so the summer of reading continues - I have a friend who read this blog and wound up buying "One Day" and loving it - so I don't have to wait for my turn in the hold line (I should have bought it) and my turn is almost up for the library copy of "Furious Love". And my True Blood obsession will continue with books 6 and 7!

Wheee!

Red's Summer Reading List

So I now have a library card and I'm not afraid to use it.
Since my last book review post I have polished off four books, and two halves, one half not worth mentioning. Here goes:

This happens to be the tv movie I worked on so I was curious about the book - also the whole polygamy as religion thing is fascinating to me. This book has two narratives going on at once. The first is a fictional autobiography of Ann Eliza Young - a real person and the 19th Wife of Brigham Young. And the second is a modern day murder mystery set at a polygamy compound with an outcast son returning when his mother is accused. It was a pretty good read with a great history of polygamy in America and plenty of shocking details of the hidden world of polygamy. My main complaint was the ending seemed rushed or incomplete. This elaborate world is painstakingly set up and the ending just sort of wraps it all up without the same level of detail.

So this was a fairly easy read - I finished it in about a day - but it was captivating and funny. The characters are incredibly rich and I can see why Hollywood jumped on it.

I also think there is a bit of who-dun-it on the author's part because she sets up the end scene at the beginning of the book and then when we get to the end, something is different. So which version is correct? Has the old man re-written his memories? I don't want to give it away but this one is a great summer read.

This one was an accidental grab at the library. I think Carrie Fisher is a hysterically funny person and refreshingly honest about the Hollywood life. And I was curious about her work as an author. The beginning storyline was amazing, but when she switched focus onto a different character I seriously lost interest. And it was very different from what I thought the movie was about. I guess I'm going to have to track it down and watch it. Note how often I read books that have a movie version (completed or in the works). My hubby hates reading a book that has become a movie but me, I think I  love it!

 

This was on the New and Notable shelf at the library. I figured it was just your run of the mill murder mystery but I really liked it. Set in Dublin it follows a detective as he unravels the mystery of his first love (a redhead of course) who he thought had left him years ago. The author certainly has a way of creating vivid characters and family relationships and the flow of the story was pitch perfect. Of course I guessed who dun it at about the halfway mark but nonetheless it was worth a read.

So I am currently about halfway through this one, written by the same author as The Other Boleyn Girl and I must say this isn't as captivating. I know once I open it again it will draw me in but it doesn't burn in my brain the way other historical novels have.

What's next on my list? I can't wait for these ones... but the hold lists are too long so I may have to make a purchase!

Hello? Where'd You Go?

Oops - sorry. Bless me friends for I have sinned. It has been over a month since my last "confession" and to be honest, I don't really have an excuse. July hasn't been crazy busy or anything - I guess I've just been computer averse.

Now, where to begin? How about a quick list recap... you know how much I love lists.
1. July long weekend in Creston while my hubby stayed home and worked on the house.
2. July 15-19th in Montreal. Fantastic trip! Good friends, good food, good memories.
3. The post vacation blahs... yeah, a little for sure. And there are no trips on the horizon to look forward to. Maybe I need to plan a VanCity trip?
4. My library card finally came in and I've been reading up a storm. Wait, can that be my excuse?
5. August long weekend in town. My nephew had his 1st birthday party and... we worked on the house. The number of times I've said that, you'd think we'd be done by now.
6. Trying to enjoy what little summer nature gives us. We also threw in a 17k hike on the long weekend and it still rained a little.

So there you have it... not crazy busy but still pretty full. Gotta keep running...

Extra Red

I just finished three days on a film set in Black Diamond as an extra, hence the quiet blog. I actually didn't have long days since it seemed they didn't really want to pay us overtime but by the time I got home each day I was wiped out.

Here's the lowdown:

Day 1: Call time 6am so up at 4:45 to get ready and drive the hour. I arrived 15 minutes early, got into my CSI officer costume (pictures to follow hopefully) complete with CSI photo identification and got ready to wait. My CSI partner became a fast buddy since the rest of the extras were dressed up as fundamentalist polygamy folks and actually were in most of the shots, while we sat around. We stayed up at the location for most of the day, where there wasn't much shade until they brought up tents after lunch. We did not get to be in any scenes...

Sidebar: The hierarchy on film sets is crazy to observe. I am now an Actra Apprentice so technically I am considered "on voucher" so I can eat off the crew "craft" table but it's a very tenuous position because I am still just an extra... extras who usually get the scraps and have a separate snack area with only basic water and a few cookies. I wound up eating with the rest of the background rabble, who aren't "on-voucher" and are being paid about $10/hour because I didn't want to step on any toes... sigh - where's that backbone?

Day 2: Call time 6:30am so an extra half hour of sleep - wheee! I arrived 15 minutes early, as usual, got signed in, breakfast, costumes, hair, makeup and again back to waiting. This time I had a different CSI partner and he was a little... how should I put this nicely... full of himself and acting like he owned the set when really he was just an extra like the rest of us. We got sent up to the location but again didn't get in the scene and CSI dude convinced the wrangler to send us back to the holding area if we weren't needed, as if he was inconvenienced being on set. So we waited down at the holding area for the rest of our eight hours and then they sent us home, again without filming.

Day 3: Call time 10:30am woohoo! And another hour drive out of town this time with more traffic on the roads but of course I planned for that so I managed to be 20 minutes early... I figured they wouldn't call us back for an extra day if they didn't need/want us so I had a good feeling. And my original CSI buddy was back so I didn't have to put up with the other guy. We went through the procedure and settled in for waiting... lunch came and went... and finally about 4pm we were taken up to the location. And we waited again... and finally we got into our scene with the dead body. It was awesome - and it only lasted about 15 minutes but at least we got to see some action!

So three days of getting paid to eat and sit around... not bad work if you can get it. I'm hoping my CSI buddy comes through and emails the pictures from set!

Ingredients for a Perfect Day

Ingredients needed:
- a restful sleep the night before (Saturday morning sleep-in, ahhhh)
- a lot of Vitamin D (ie. sunshine finally)
- coffee walk (activity with a reward at the end, ps - thanks for the gc Nic & J!)
- productivity in multiple disciplines (gardening, laundry, doing the dishes, prepping and painting window trim, and repeat)
- music to help the productivity (ipod's at 305 songs now)
- a healthy amount of breaks (a couple of episodes of guilty pleasure tv during lunch)
- some fun (shopping after dinner, more coffee, blogging)

Life is good!

Red Reads with Eric Bana?

Thank you to the library of Cee for letting me borrow a couple books for our May Long adventure. Somehow I managed to pick two books that became movies starring Eric Bana. You would think I was a fan or something.
But no - just a coincidence.

First on the docket: The Other Boleyn Girl
I love historic novels - LOVE! My favorite being a book about Elizabeth I (redhead) that I read while traveling Europe in 1999 - I should try to figure out which one it was... I wonder how many are titled simply "Elizabeth" - but I digress...
I mostly found this a fascinating read although sometimes the author seemed to skip things that seemed like they may have been important... and to be honest she kind of glossed over the sex scenes. Not to say I like all the dirty details but sometimes it felt like chunks were deliberately missing.
This novel also made me think about how history repeats itself and how the courts of nobility seem to parallel the idea of celebrity nowadays. An interesting diversion was imagining that the Kardashians were some reaching family desperate to rise in the ranks... similar to the Boleyns in the book. Agree/Disagree? And who would be the King and/or Queen? Brangelina perhaps?

Second on the docket: The Time Traveler's Wife
All I kept thinking about as I read this was wow - what kind of storyboard/web did the author have to set up to keep this all straight in her head. It took me several chapters to wrap my head around things... May Long was a while ago so my reaction to the book has faded but I did thoroughly enjoy it. I want to see the movie too but all I keep hearing is how people fell asleep while watching it. Not a great indicator...

I can't wait to get my library card - I'm thinking downtown library lunch runs - good idea yes?

Inspired By...

I like lists too. And yes, back in the early days of 2010 I too (inspired by Nic) drafted a list of "stuff to do" for 2010. And again, inspired by Nic, I feel I should recap and assess the progress.

1. Read more - from the library.
Well, I borrowed from the library of Cee on May long and polished off two books (reviews to follow). My library card has just been renewed so it's onward and upward.
2. Load up ipod.
187 songs and counting.
3. Twice a week yoga/new yoga mat
A few lax weeks but overall good - a solid B+
4. Start my own blog.
...well we all know how that turned out.
5. Demo reel
where to begin on that one? No progress.
6. Plan out garden before spring - do research
Well the garden is in but it was neither researched or planned out!
7. Plan trip with hubby
A distant memory already
8. Photo wall, re-gather photos from Facebook/friends and backup computer!
No progress - boo. I'd get to it except for all these blogging challenges...
9. Watch less tv, do more art
I've been trying on the less tv part - but I haven't set up my art table yet - excuses, excuses.
10. See more live theatre
The one act play festival, Billy Twinkle, and As You Like It... much better than last year by far.
11. Go on more planned dates with my hubby
But we're so good at the spontaneous dates! Must plan a nice dinner date - top of the list!
12. Volunteer with dog rescue organization, maybe foster
Again I need more hours in the day - no progress, did I mention hubby is allergic?
13. Stress less about money - pay off debt
We were ahead and now we're behind... thems the breaks! Who's stressed? Not me.
14 Organize/unpack kitchen to cook more
Working on it...

So that's it - a good start to the year but a few things to move up the list. Plus I need to add my new hobby, the guitar to the list as well as keeping my guts healthy as there was a bit of a slide the past few months. Back on track!

Red TV (Pilot)

Last September I was cast in and filmed a local tv pilot. I was the uptight party girl at a "passion party"... and the show was all improv which I love! Tonight I attended a screening of the final product and I took my #1 supporter - my hubby, tired after a long day at work - what a trooper.

The show was good, I did not do horrible things with my face, so hooray. It was a pretty short scene and of course they had to edit out so much of the fun stuff we came up with. The show however hasn't been picked up by any networks so who knows when or if it will actually air. My fingers are crossed for all the guys who have been slaving over this for years!

http://www.downholers.com

Buggered!

I think I am incapable of blogging tonight - even though so much has happened and I am long overdue for a blog. But I've had about four or five false starts tonight and I just can't get anything out without deleting all of it and changing direction.
Should I talk about my exciting and busy week which saw me signing up to be an Actra Apprentice, seeing some theatre (Mob Hit's As You Like It), and babysitting my nephew successfully? Or perhaps my theatre review in detail? Or some book reviews?
Or my guilt at watching tv this afternoon instead of a host of other things I could have been doing?
Bah - I dunno... I think I'll just give up for tonight.

Reddy to Wear

I am a shopping machine. I live for sniffing out the high quality items on sale. I am one of those tacky people who, when an outfit is complimented, will itemize how much of a deal I got on the admired item.

And tonight I deserve a big ole pat on the back. Okay so I'm patting myself on the back but you won't hold that against me. Will you?

It was almost better than outlet shopping in New York City... what could it possibly be, you ask?

Well unfortunately it wasn't for me, so I can't take full credit but my hubby was ready to give up the suit shopping for the big wedding this weekend... and yet he was eyeing a lovely light grey Ralph Lauren three piece suit. I had a hunch that it was the one and the price was marked down to a good amount.

But my darling hubby was sure that:

a) the pants were miles too big

b) any alterations couldn't be complete by Saturday

c) he couldn't wait a few minutes for the seamstress

Normally I'm the Debbie Downer in our relationship but get a man in a busy department store and it's any excuse to get out.

I convinced the hubby to hover near the seamstress for a few minutes and luckily enough she finished up with another guy and turned her attention to us. The alterations were minor and will be complete by Friday night AND IT WAS 40% OFF THE SALES PRICE!!!

If shopping was an Olympic sport...

What Red Day is it?!

What day is it? Sunday already?! Friday and Saturday seemed to meld into one... I haven't blogged, practiced my guitar, cleaned the bathroom, finished laundry, etc and I forgot to go to a housewarming party last night, because I was still thinking it was Friday.

Friday Update:

I am not a union member... yet.

I went in on Friday to sign my life away and the gal I met with was super nice and said we could just put my sign up on hold until the other non-union gig is completed. So I called and accepted the offered role and hooray, I get to do both! I am still concerned about missing out on gigs once I go union but overall I think it's for the best.

My hair... oh my hair. And I have to tell the producer of my new gig that I cut it... so unprofessional of me!

Saturday Update:

It has been a very productive weekend - don't get me wrong.

I've worked on getting the pesky grass and weeds out of my garden and I planted the rest of my Creston plants that I purchased. Hubby and I made another trip to Home Depot and got samples for our house trim colour among other things for our reno project. We worked on the house and garden until about 8pm last night and then just crashed.

Back to work tomorrow? Already?

Sucks.

Red Haircut Lament

I've never cried over a haircut before, I don't think. And of course my haircut story will pale in comparison to Nic's nightmare haircut where she wore a hat for a month afterwards.

I went to my usual stylist Francesco (aka Frank) who usually does very good work with my thick, thick red hair. I just wanted a trim and as has happened before Frank talked me into going short. Not a big deal really, I've had a short bob before... It's just that I just usually work backwards. Long hair in the summer for any acting gigs that come up and short in the winter when I get sick of the long hair... well, now I have short hair for summer. This will be when all the calls come in looking for long haired actors.

Anyway, Frank said it would "brush my shoulders" and my bangs would just touch my eyebrows - no shorter! But Frank must have had an oopsie because my bangs are halfway up my forehead and the longest layer just barely touches my shoulders.

And of course he styled it afterwards flipped out with big volume... it looked like a helmet.

I like to feel like a million bucks after a haircut. Don't we all?

And I didn't.

And I lament my lack of backbone.

Woe is me.

A.C.T.RED

It figures.

I finally get my "invitation" to join the actor's union (see golden ticket commercial below) and in the same week I get a part offered to me in a non-union indie film. I auditioned Saturday, got my letter from actra Monday, booked my appointment to join (and pay) Friday. Just my luck!

Now, oh wise universe, how can I do both?

PS - this is the old vicious circle "I can't get a job because I have no experience, I have no experience because the union bans me from getting a job unless it's union rates"...

I'm hoping because it was a previous booking they will allow it but it's a long shot. I do plan to ask lots of questions on Friday - like why would they limit their apprentice actors who could be getting better experience on indie projects than some bit part in a big production. And don't get me started on how few and far between those are in Alberta.

This decision better get me more gigs than missed opportunities.

Stampede Redhead

My debut... I now exist in the viral video world. Weird!


Check out the rest of the "I Promise" commercials here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CalgaryStampede1912#p/a

Carrot Tops and Bloom

My first video! This is so funny - more interviewers should include conversations from message boards... am I right?

Bo-Red...

Reddy for beddy - Day Seven

I should be in bed already. I have to work tomorrow and I keep forgetting. You see my hubby is now on his way to Vegas (driving with his bro) and it feels like I should be on vacation today as well.

But I'm not.

I also packed my office up today so I could move to another office on the other side of the floor and so I got to come home early which also makes it feel like vacation should be starting.

But it's not.

So - this is the last day of our blog-a-day challenge depending on how we're counting.

Um, because we said we would blog for seven days but then we also said we would blog from Thursday to Thursday which is actually eight days... I'm so confused. Maybe the habit will be formed and we'll just keep posting daily...?

I feel like I should go out with a bang but honestly - it's late, I'm tired, I have to sleep alone tonight and work tomorrow - and I haven't done my dishes yet (did I mention we gave away our dishwasher this week?).

Is it vacation now?

Nighty-night.

I Heart Puppies - Day Six

Well, I promised an in-depth, investigative report on the plight of dogs in our fair city and it's coming but I don't want to rant without reason.
I have many friends who found their pets via a pet store or a breeder and I can't judge them for their choices - my dearly departed beagle was "rescued" from Petland, thus continuing their profits from selling dogs.


All I know is that there are a lot of dogs in this city looking for a home. Try surfing the dog category on kijiji - I stopped counting at 120 and the posts were only 8 hours old and still going!
Then add all the puppies in the windows of petstores and then add the dogs on the rescue websites. I confess to trolling all the rescue websites in the Calgary area and there are hundreds of dogs there too! How many new dog owners can there be out there?!

It makes my head spin and of course I want to save one or all! But I can't because I currently don't have a complete fence and my hubby is mildly allergic and "we" are enjoying our freedom without the responsibility of dog guardianship.
And that's another thing... all these dog owners trying to find new homes for their dogs because they "aren't giving their dog the amount of attention they deserve"... then why did you get a dog? Excuses, excuses... but I can't keep ranting about this or I won't sleep tonight.

On the bright side I will be spending the weekend in Creston with a whole herd of dogs; Chasey, Jake, Chief, Godfree and Jasper. This should help ease my dog-starved heart.

Do you want to save a dog? Here's where I found my list... and it's only a start:

www.canadasguidetodogs.com/abrescue.htm

Red Lights - Day Five

My hubby leaves in two days to Las Vegas, Nevada... for a stag.

From what I have gleened, the itinerary reads something like this:

Arrive in Vegas

Drink

Gamble and win money

Drink

Strippers

Drink heavily

Passout

Repeat for five days

Leave Vegas

Oh and they also want to fit in helicopter tours, airplane dogfighting, renting luxury cars, outlet shopping, and of course, stealing Mike Tyson's tiger. I don't know if they'll have time to fit all that in but if they win at the tables like they plan to then they'll be laughing.

One more thing - my hubby wants a tattoo while he's down there.

This was his first idea:

Veto?

He says I should like it because it's a redhead. Um, maybe if the maple leaf wasn't in her crotch...

Strawberries, Tomatoes & Beets - Day Four

What a fantastic Sunday!

After a rocky start at a very busy garden centre (we went pre-coffee and food - not good), hubby and I made it home with all our gardening necessities. And we proceeded to spend the next three hours toiling and planting and planting and toiling until... voila! A full garden!

Oh and did I mention the two hours the day before tilling and clearing the whole thing to remove the grass and weeds from years of neglect? I swung a pick axe! It was a proud moment...

Today starts to make up for the sting of my front flower beds. I actually planned ahead and

planted bulbs last fall (I love bulb plants - so easy) and low and behold the tulips started sprouting as soon as the last snow fell.

And then we proceeded to strip the house of it's layers of siding and even though we were careful, there were some flower casualties.

AND THEN the crews came in to trim the windows and stucco... and they were not as kind (although at first they tried). Now I have one tough tulip left, barely standing amid the ruin of tulip leaves. Sigh.

Okay wait - back to the positive. I will have tons of veggies and herbs to keep the family (and friends) fed through the summer and our kind neighbours across the street have offered some flower cuttings for the front beds so once the eaves are done, I can have flowers once again.

Life is good.

Well Red... Day Three

So I figured out my problem with blogging successfully. It seems I have a problem with focus.


You see I usually try to start with a nice visual touch however if I don't have a ready photo (which is often the case) I turn my attention to a lovely "bucket" website with lots of photos to search and then an hour or two later I realize I still haven't found a photo for my topic and I'm tired of the computer and don't like my topic anymore and I'm wasting my whole day and then I just give up.




So it all started when I was looking for an "I Heart Puppies" image for my blog today in advance of my soapbox rant about the number of puppy breeders posting on kijiji - serious journalism... and somehow I wound up with the penguins which made me giggle (and seemed apropo for our blog challenge and my use of the ...) and I've been staring a pictures of puppies which makes me happy so perhaps I'll put the soapbox away until tomorrow.


I found a few more gems too - but I think I'll have to save them. There are still four days of blogging to go. I may run out of things to say and just resort to pictures.
What?
I'm a visual learner.

It's a Small Red World - Day Two

Okay. This is my matchy-matchy celebrity sighting - I probably should have mentioned it earlier but I wasn't sure it was newsworthy. And no, I'm not trying to one-up Nic during the blog-a-day challenge... her sighting, complete with army fatigues, was way better. She just reminded me of a lovely memory...

Colin & Justin (from their zany decorating show) walking down the street in Calgary. I was on my way to yoga and was walking behind them. I probably wouldn't have even noticed but they were so nattily dressed. And they were carrying bags from Holt Renfrew and some big men's designer that I can't remember.

Were they on their way to the home decor shops on 11th Avenue? Perhaps.

Did I turn to go into my yoga studio and pretty much forget about my brush with fame? Yep.

One more question. Is it lame that I'm telling this story?

Let's rehash my list of famous people I've seen:

Val Kilmer in Paris

Stedman (talking to Oprah on the phone I'm pretty sure) in Calgary

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in New York (taking the subway - how cool is that!)

Paul Gross in Calgary

Gavin Rossdale with Kingston and Zuma in Calgary

LA - the city of famous people, where I should be able to spit and see someone famous - ZIP.

I'm still bitter...

Rusty... Day One

Ahh Spring... when it feels like you are waking up and then all of a sudden, the urge to get stuff done and cleaned and organized starts. Okay so maybe I'm not feeling that urge too strongly yet but I am feeling like I need to shake off the cobwebs.



Refresh. Renew.

So in the spirit of spring renewal I bought a second hand guitar and I'm trying in vain to capture the dormant music skills I used to have. Did you know I took guitar lessons when I was a kid? The guitar was adult size so maybe that's why I didn't quite take to it.


Oh and the guitar is the excuse I'm using for not blogging last week (not that I'm racked with guilt or anything, I'm a busy chick). The tips of my fingers were sore and tingly. Not good for typing. Apparently it takes two weeks for the fingertips to harden up. Two weeks of pain and I've wrecked my back somehow with my guitar posture... all in the name of finding something new to spend my spring energy on.


PS - the Blog-a-Day Challenge has begun!

Nic has finally got the first honest to goodness VanCity celeb sighting. I have a celeb sighting too... okay maybe two months ago but it still boggles the mind that I've seen more celebs in Calgary than my trip to LA. I'll save it for tomorrow - can you guess? Also a reality tv connection.

For 7 consecutive days let there be posts! And then we rest...

Red Eats her Words

Well now, my cynical actor had a good old vent last week and um, backpeddle, backpeddle... I got the part!! I guess despite the small pool of work and large pool of actors I did have just as good a chance as any.

Also of note, I even beat out the other redhead (she's super nice, confident, beautiful, always put together and acts for a living) who I see at most of the same auditions. I can confidently say I'm totally jealous of her and it was some sweet satisfaction to know that I won out.

I always say I am not good with commercial auditions but again I am eating my words because I have now filmed my first commercial. It's funny how sometimes things work out exactly too. The filming was set for Sunday which meant I didn't have to cancel anything or skip out on my full time job. Thanks universe!

Oh and one more confession, for Nic. My call location was the Holt. I didn't get to film there though but I did get to browse while I waited for hair and makeup... the shoes, my goodness, the shoes. I saw the same pair of Manolos from Sex and the City movie... you know the blue ones with the jeweled buckle? So pretty... so expensive!

And then I got to pick up fake poo about 50 times - it was awesome...

Red Reads The Road

It was listed as the top book of the decade by multiple sources, it won tons of awards and accolades and of course the mighty Opes touched it with gold and scored a seemingly impossible first television interview with the author.

Note for later: I should watch it... it might help.

So I read the book in two days, well more like one late night and the next morning - I am a bit of a speed reader which might have been to my detriment this time. This is one of those books where the words need to be chewed over thoroughly. I tried to go slowly, I really did. And yet, it was over in a flash and I was left scratching my head.

There was so much hype around this book that maybe I just expected more.

Not to say I didn't find it incredibly captivating and haunting, I did. Perhaps I just need a few more days to ruminate on what it all means... or maybe I should read it again.

And another note for myself: stop reading books/watching movies about the end of civilization when I'm home alone!! It makes for a sleepless night...

Red Knees

So I like to tell people that I have two colours, white and red. I know how to be careful in the sun and I adhere to the redhead code (Pale is the new tan!) so I felt fully prepared for my fantastic vacation to the equator. However despite my ironclad precautionary measures... well, I failed. Don't tell my dermatologist.

It was the whitewater rafting day - firstly we were told we couldn't bring anything on the raft. So we decided one person would bring a smallish bottle of sunscreen for all of us to reapply. We didn't even bring water... only to find out we could place items in a container at the back of the raft. I guess they didn't want us to overpack but really we were without two essentials - water and sunscreen. And we were on the river for a long time before we stopped for lunch, where I dutifully reapplied and loaded up on iced tea and watermelon...

Everything seemed fine and dandy even when we finished and were drying off and changing - I still looked white. And then on the two hour bus ride afterwards the heat started. By the time we stopped for our first pee break I knew something was horribly wrong. While the lower part of my legs were still whiter than white, under my capris my upper legs were glowing red and smoking hot - the damage was done. When we finally arrived at our next destination it was an epic burn on my knees and upper legs. Crapola!

Despite multiple solarcaine applications throughout the night by morning it was a second degree burn, maybe third... blisters were involved. They oozed... here's a look two days later. Click on the photo - it enlarges for a much better view!!)

The joys of being a blue-eyed, fair skinned redhead.

I can happily report however that I now have all new skin on my upper thighs and knees. And when we got to our last few days on the beach I managed to hold the line and there was no further red added.

Seeing Red

Hello, my name is Red and... I am an actor. There, I said it. They say the first step is admitting it... and for some sad reason, admitting you are an actor is on about the same level as admitting you are a drug addict, maybe worse. Because a drug addict can rehabilitate.

And so I ask - why is being an actor so bad?

Let's make a list (I love lists)...

Top Ten Things People Think When I Say "I'm an Actor":

10. You are weird - who admits to enjoy playing dress-up as an adult?

9. You have no concrete skills, we bet you don't even have a job.

8. Oh great, another annoying waiter...

7. Your resume of two community theatre productions does not make you an actor.

6. We bet you have a giant ego and constantly talk about yourself.

5. Sigh, you are going to make us pay money to watch some atrocious performance piece that is three hours of you crying over a broken wheelbarrow...

4. ... And then you are going to ask us what it meant.

3. You are vain and are likely to succumb to an eating disorder or the dangers of long term botox usage.

2. You are an unrealistic dreamer whose bubble is going to burst one day - and we don't want to be around when it does.

1. No fair... we secretly wanted to be one so you can't be one.

As I write this I realize that perhaps the title should be "Top Ten Things I THINK People are Thinking When I Say "I'm an Actor"... so maybe that means I'm messed in the head and should stop ragging on myself. Anyway, we digress...

The point is, I am a professional actor trying to make it in the very, very, "small pool" of Calgary acting productions and yesterday I had a commercial audition. Wheee... sigh.

Another room full of some of the same faces - even another redhead friend (who is super nice and pretty and I am totally jealous of her) - and a room full of kids with their parents... and the chick in charge was actually asking the mothers if they wanted to audition as well. WHAT THE F#$%CK! As if we don't have a hard enough problem getting the attention of casting directors but you throw in some desperate non-acting mothers into the mix as well. Obviously they think any random person can spout off their cheesy one line into the camera, so why did I even bother showing up? But I did show up, working through lunch so I could skip out of the office and into the cattle pen. For the love of my craft...

Once in the room with my adorable matching kid, the casting director didn't even bother to introduce himself - why hello, Mr. I'msoimportantandyouarepoo. And speaking of poo - I then had to pretend to pick up dog poo right before delivering the gem of dialogue into the camera lens. It's going to be a doozy... let's hope I get it!

Red's Ides of March

How can the last post be March 6th? It feels like only yesterday... I did make it through District 9 (which I thoroughly enjoyed), thus completing all 10 Best Picture nominees in time for the Oscar viewing party. It felt like a big accomplishment which makes me think I need more goals in my life. When I have a focus things get done - if I don't have a focus I become wishy-washy and I can't function. Anyway, the Oscars were full of predictable winners and some surprises. I was apparently one of the few who wasn't surprised that Hurt Locker would take the Best Picture and thankfully, despite a few missteps in the technical categories, I pulled out a win in my Oscar pool. Just barely of course - Nic gave me a run for my money as usual.
I should give a rundown on best and worst dressed but it's almost bedtime and so much has been happening in the first half of March I don't know what to yak about next.
Here's the breakdown... which hasn't yet led to a breakdown but close:

• MIL had open heart surgery = hospital visits and worrying but all is well
• Play rehearsals... mad schedule as our show night approaches
• Finally getting a doctor referral I've been waiting 7 months for, perfect timing
• prepping for a two week backpacking trip to Costa Rica
• Dogsitting
• Oh yeah... and it's my birthday today.

So that's the gist of it... March madness at it's best. All of these items deserve a full post but my bed is calling and it's my birthday so I can sleep if I want to.

Oscar Ketchup 2...

So I buckled down today and made it through 3 movies with only one to go... and I would be watching it now but my eyes hurt.

Avatar: Oh James Cameron... you have it all figured out, don't you? Pick a universal story, spend a lot of money, add some slick new technology, make a bunch of behind-the-scenes-making-of videos, promote, promote, promote... and voila; highest grossing movie of all time... again. Well of course, this movie was overhyped for me but I, gulp, did enjoy it. It may even take the top prize tomorrow at the Oscars. It's going to be a coin toss I think.

An Education: Sweet, surprising movie. I loved the style of it and I always enjoy a movie that fakes me out. You think it is going to go one way and instead it heads in a completely new direction. It's not quite as shocking as my favorite surprise movies (Shawshank Redemption, Usual Suspects) but none the less it gets bonus points for not being predictable. And the acting was enjoyable as well, a solid ensemble cast.

Precious: Wow - I don't even know if there are words for this one. I'm glad I forced myself to watch it. I like my movies entertaining not horrifying and this one, well, hits a lot of nerves. Mo'Nique is a powerhouse, especially that last meeting. Wow again. I did find the narrative a little choppy and I felt like I was missing a few puzzle pieces. Probably details from the book that they had to edit for time - like the relationship with the male nurse, totally came out of nowhere in the movie and didn't make much sense.

Only one more to squeeze in tomorrow morning: District 9. I really wanted to see this in the theatres this past summer. Sigh... it didn't happen.