Here’s to eight wonderful years and to at least 80 more!

Bananas to me are like nature’s candy. It even comes in it’s own wrapper. I just love bananas. Not banana flavored things, but plain old bananas. So when I saw these itty-bitty, teensy-weensy, Nino bananas from Ecuador, I jumped all over them.

I had one the other day. It was very sweet compared to a regular banana. But a bit bland. It wasn’t, however, unpleasant. I would actually consider using these bananas more for baking than regular bananas. So I think I will have to give it a try sometime. And they sure make a great snack on the go!

I strive to keep things clean. This includes the bowls from which my dogs eat and drink.  I clean them out with warm soapy water or even give them a good run in the dishwasher if it’s needed.

Now I don’t do this every day.  But after a few days I do and especially if the bowl looks like it needs it (which sometimes may be just a few hours after a wash).

What I can’t stand is people who leave their pets eating and drinking bowls dirty and caked up. I have heard the excuse “They’re not human, they don’t care.” Granted, I am sure they don’t give a toss if they are eating and drinking out of fine china or the best think plastic and I am sure some of them don’t care if it’s nasty and dust covered. But the fact remains that it’s germ and bacteria covered.

Our pets get sick, just like we do. And one way to prevent them from getting ill is to clean off the surfaces they eat from and keep them as sanitary as possible.  I know they lick their own butts and crotches but that’s because the bacteria they have in their mouths keeps it clean. Which proves to me that animals do care if stuff is clean or not.

Okay, he’s the second democrat that I know of to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Jimmy Carter is the first that springs to mind.

I can honestly see why Jimmy Carter got his.  He has made huge strives to make humanity a better place and has worked towards it. But Al Gore? He’s an activist and I do think it’s great he is bringing the dangers of Global Warming to the forefront but it’s not like he has solved the problem or even cut it down.  This is the man who  used 221,000 kilowatt-hours in 2006, more than 20 times the national average of 10,656 kilowatt-hours, to heat his 20 room home and pool house. If anyone else is spending $30,000 a year on utilities, raise your hand. No one? Really?

I don’t know anyone else who has a 20 room home and pool house though. So maybe that is the issue? And what about all those film stars, directors, celebrities that claim to love the planet but live in vast homes that probably eat energy and resources up by the gigawatt?

Now don’t get me wrong. I think we need to take care of the planet (it will be fine without us but if we screw up so we can’t live on it, well, we’re screwed!) and I think Global Warming is an issue we need to look at closely. We need to reduce, reuse, recycle like we were taught in school. But Al Gore getting the Peace Prize? What about the scientists and activists that have worked for years not only trying to get the word out but researching and finding alternatives? Not just funding an Oscar winning film.

I think the inconvenient truth here is that Gore is expecting us to listen and do certain things for the planet but he’s not ponying up himself. It’s great that he has really brought this issue so openly to the world, especially consumer happy Americans. But it’s time for him to put his money where his mouth is. Cut back or REDUCE!

I’ve told many people how sports crazy the locals are here. Especially Steelers fans. However, they took the biscuit recently. The doggie biscuit that is. Or maybe I should say the snausage.

I have looked online and cannot find one other team that has this. Not even in San Francisco, where Del Monte is head quartered. There is a Del Monte factory here (right near the Heinz factory), so they are coming directly from there!

Regardless of the fact of eating said football shaped snack treats, my dogs have not been converted to Steelers fans. Woof!

While on the set of my first movie, I learned a hell of a lot. And I saw a hell of a lot I didn’t understand but will hopefully learn. However, I couldn’t help but having weird feeling throughout as I compared my first filming experience with my 20+ years of theatre experience.

Number 1) As I would see the actors speaking or even hear bits and pieces of what they were speaking, my mind was thinking “They’re talking too softly. They need to speak up.” Then in a smack to the forehead moment, worthy of Homer Simpson himself I would think “D’oh! They have boom mics above them. They don’t need to speak loudly because of that. No wonder the director is not mad”

I’m blushing now. Okay, well, maybe not blushing, but feeling a bit sheepish. Yet, I do use my years of theatre and having it pounded into me to speak up and project in my defense. I must remember the rules are different whenever I get my first line on screen.

Number 2) I would find myself walking around in the background or heading some place and a quick chill would hit my spine and I would think my back was to the audience. *cough* Another smack to the forehead moment. Duh, Heather, there isn’t an audience. Just a camera, and you don’t have to worry about that.

Theatre training again. Honestly.

Number 3) Probably one of the biggest sins of theatre, something you don’t do unless the script calls for it, yes, I am speaking of, CHEWING GUM! It doesn’t matter if you’re in the background or have a speaking part, you never, ever chew gum on stage. It’s very naughty indeed. Yet, there I was, in true 80s fashion, waiting by the roller coaster, smacking on some gum. I know it felt so wrong, but it was so right. How liberating to chew gum when one is “on stage”.

I am sure there are many other differences. But this is a blog, not a book. So I’ll leave it at those three and let those of you who have dealt in theatre give me a good ribbing for me being so silly.

What an adventure it was. Never have I jumped out of bed so quickly at 5am! I came home with the most wonderful feeling of exhaustion I had ever had.  I was tired, sore, dirty, sticky and hot. But I loved every minute of it.

It was so amazing to be on the set of a real movie.  Just to see how things were being done.  It was much more informative than any documentary or behind the scenes DVD extra I have watched. Filled with surreal moments after being in theatre for 23 years that made me notice even more the difference between life theatre and film.

I met and spoke briefly with Martin Starr and Jesse Eisenberg.  They were both nice and friendly but sadly neither they or the director Greg Mottola (equally nice and friendly) saw me and said “WE MUST HAVE YOU NOW IN THIS FILM AND MANY OTHERS!” Of course, with my 80s gear and make-up I looked pretty damn scary in my opinion. And I ended up with blisters on the back of my heels thanks to the damn jelly shoes I had on. I remembered quickly why I hated these vile, plastic, creations as a kid and hate them equally as much if not more now.

The down points were the hot lunch consisted of mystery chicken, soggy three veg medley, dry rice and nasty cake (which I skipped for diet reasons) and the snacks we got were miniature, chilled, candies. While everyone else got salmon, mashed potatoes, fresh fruit and pretzels throughout the day and bottled water, while we had a Gatorade jug.   But I didn’t let that get me down because the 13 hours (for which I will get about $90 before tax) I spent there were just amazing. It was so cool to be standing there thinking that I was on a real movie set, something I have wanted to do since I was 8 years old. The start to a dream coming true (fingers crossed).

I won’t be going back though as were none of the Extras from yesterday as they are wanting to have a variety of people at the park which makes sense.  But I did get to know one of the girls at the casting agency a bit (totally by accident) and she remembers my name, so that is a good thing.

Hopefully when the film comes out, in 2009 (according to IMDB) we will see more than my elbow or the back of head!

My head is still swimming over everything that happened. So I won’t try to explain more right now as it will come out as a rush of vocabulary that an excited teenager would use and make no sense whatsoever.

For now IT SO ROCKED!

I can’t write too much right now as I need a shower. But I can say this much, I’m tired, sore, hot, and sweaty and I loved every minute of it! Woo hoo!

It has been brought to my attention I didn’t give credit where credit is due. Even though I did write it in my personal journal, which I am sure someday will be published after my death and read by everyone far and wide.

But thanks mom for hearing about the “Adventureland” stuff and of course for always being there for me and supportive. Oh, and thanks for the whole giving birth to me thing too. I appreciate it Love you loads! xx/oo

I am sure some of you are anxious to hear what happened at the audition today. While those who don’t care, well, they don’t even come to the site I am sure!

I can’t honestly say how I think it went. It’s kind of like in high school when I would come home after some big test I had actually studied for and my parents said “How did you do?” and I would say “I don’t know”. They would get frustrated with me and huff and insist I must know something but in all seriousness, I didn’t.

I never want to say I did well and have it turned out I bombed.  And I don’t want to say I bombed and look like a drama queen.  Instead, I just don’t know. Indecision is my friend in these situations. But, I can still tell you what happened.

I got there and the desk was unmanned. There were two other guys there filling out forms.  I picked up a form and did so as well. This was an open audition for their 2008 theatre season and all the plays looked great, so I circled them all. I attached my head shot and resume to the form and went pee (I have to pee when I am nervous).  I did my vocal exercises and stretches when I got back and went quickly through my monologues to make sure I remembered the lines. I did. That’s a good thing.  So I guess I can say I did good on the memorization part.

The audition people got back from their break. I was the first on the list. After a few more minutes of waiting the fella who ticked my name called me. Thank God I had a drink of water before or my throat would have been like the desert.

I walked through the doors and I could feel my heart thumping and my hands shaking. If someone needed a drink shaken and not stirred, I was the one to do it.  There was a man and a woman there on the stage. I walked up and they introduced themselves and were very pleasant. They asked me the basic questions, where I was from, what I would be doing for them today, blah, blah, blah and told me to start.

This was odd to me because after years of dealing with the crap at the Hobbs Community Playhouse, I had no idea what a professional audition was like.

I did my first monologue. The dramatic one. I can’t tell you how it went. I didn’t see them  react and I couldn’t hear them, even though they were just a few feet away. The man said “nice speech” and they looked at me and I asked if they were ready for my second one and they nodded.  I did it. It was a comic piece and they did laugh. Hopefully that is a good sign. When I was finished the man asked me again who the playwright was for my second monologue. I told him. They thanked me and I was excused.

The whole process took about five minutes and I was out.  I shook for about thirty minutes after. I won’t know anything for a few weeks. But we’ll just have to wait and see.