mental preparation H.

Like the sand in the hour glass, fall is back. My sun tan abandoned me without saying good by or a hint of it coming back anytime soon. I miss it already. Mr. Dry skin moved in a couple of days ago, so Im trying to see if I can get him evicted with Mr. Burt Bee's, I've been told he is a good case lawyer.

5 days, 72 hours per week in Long Island City, I sit, I walk and I run from stage to stage from honeywagon to set. But with this type of weather all I want is to cuddle in my twin size bed in my little Brooklyn apartment and continue reading Just Kids.

My call is 5:30A, Ill have my 6 hour turnaround to sleep in my twin size bed in my little Brooklyn apartment and just imagine the next chapter of Just Kids.

good night kids.

L.

"if you have to leave, please lock the car and take the keys with you"

So, I finally met my match with our NYC cops. Yep, felt pretty badass riding on the back of that cop car.

"This is the only way I ever wanna be in one of these", I said to our MOVIE TV UNIT police officers, "with a walkie in hand and working". They laugh, while they turned on the sirens and made way for our rigged camera car coming right behind us. Six different types of coffee cups from different street vendors around the city decorated the cup holders inside the car.

"They say next week is gonna be around 6o." one says with a well earned NY accent.

"Well don't get your hopes up." says the other.

"Why you gotta be a debbie downer and rain on my parade?" they other says.

As this weather convo proceeded I just silently laughed in the background, thinking where they might be hiding the donuts. We continued to ride, sirens on and off, summons talk, clarified some doubts on using my puerto rican license to drive in NY, a call from one the officers mother's conversing about her trip to Florida. "

"If you have to leave, please lock the car and take the keys with you." The officer said, as he and his partner leave me alone to warm up in the cop car as they leave to speak to our 1st AD.

All of a sudden I had a crazy urge to just take the keys in the ignition, breaks off and just hit the accelerator and ram into something. You know, one of those of urges that are totally wrong but might feel pretty good, like that 7 year old kid that stole his is car from grandmother. " Maybe it is fun to do bad things after all.

ANYWAYS, after that little ride around town, I somehow ended up in the detective world, walking around, squad rooms, morgues and all the other fun stuff. Where props are badges, guns and making people look dead for the morgue at 3:00pm for Scene 001, is top priority. A well oiled machine that kicked my ass and kept me on my toes the whole week. I know, people say it's just a TV show, but like many other, i love this show. It's what made my parents and most people feel like NY is crazier than what it seems, not doubting that it's not at all, but giving it that extra "je ne se qua" to the city and its characters.

"People have been working on this forever, since the mothership."

It was like the 1st day of school. Old people, new kids on the block. Quite interesting to see. High expectations and some flying egos, but none the less, it's the show. My first day was like a complete mind fuck. I ran a photo shoot, helped out with 1st Team plus everything else. It was clear from that moment that I was in another world.

As they say, my rite of passage has begun.

L.

rabbit.

So.

Lets reflect on the month of January, shall we?

Cold.

Lots of cakes and birthdays. :)

no work :(

cold again.

ocasional sun rays.

some more cold.

Now, it wasnt all bad. Just a tad slow.

February keeps on looking up, al though ocassional water comes down my eyelids, im looking forward to better and greater things. I believe in the chinese. They celebrate the year with confetti, bunny rabbits and a whole lot of dragons.

So, yeah.

February, bring-it-on!

L.

Anxiety Attack. On.

The cold has scared the jobs away. "Things are slow", says my close PA friend, " January and February are always like this". A few interviews here in there keep me on my toes and show me that since I've been here the word "New York" appears more and more on my resume. It makes me have a little bit more confidence at the time of interviewing and speaking about my experience in NY. My last interview was for a staple NYC tv series. It went really well. I went in with confidence, speaking clearly and ready to kick ass. Even though I didn't get the position that was up for grabs, they where apparently really impressed with the things that I had to say. They mentioned that since the 1st time they worked with me, I worked with that AD team on my first job in NY, I had more confidence and more knowledge than before. Silver lining = they want me to additional when needed, if Im available. A job is a job! And on that note.....

Ever met those people asking you about services in the streets of NY? You know, they ask if you've ever used "X service" and ask your opinion about it? Well, for 2 very long and cold days I was working for a commercial for the something around those lines. Tackling little quaint cafes in Williamsburg, money driven peeps of Wall Street, busy kids at NYU, the beautiful parents of Greenwich Village and of course the busy folks on Midtown...Grand Central Station anyone?

My job: wrangle people to talk to us about NYC 311. Insane! I have never in my life spoken to that many random people in 2 days. In the mist of it all, it was interesting but between the cold and a little dehydration I would get these little anxiety attacks. You know, the ones that make you feel like crap for about 10 minutes...well those. I came to think that I was afraid of crowds, but it was kind of weird. ANYWAYS, I got through it. When I went to sleep after the first night of the shoot this is what I dreamt about: Elias, Jane, Peter, Allen, Mark, Idalia, Maria, Stephanie, Luis, Janet, Johan, Luca, John, Tony. Yes! These were some of the names of the people we interviewed. I woke up at 1:30 am overwhelmed. Today, I had another anxiety attack just thinking of going into the masses again.

Breath in, breath out.

After speaking to my roommate almost in tears, I realized a valid point. I can't take things to serious. I take jobs and invest myself in them to much, no matter how silly or simple they might be. Im weird. Im not saving the world or anything.

So yeah, life is all about breathing....if I stop, I might die.

End of thought.

L.

once more, just a little faster please...

If their is one thing about being a freelancer that you always think about, no matter what holiday season it is, even when you are scarfing down that last plate of battered shrimp from that crazy italian holiday party, your always in the back of your mind wondering..."when is my next gig?".

My last gig took me by surprise....a text that said: "Indie film w/ big stars...you up for it?".

My reply: "Hellz yeah"

You see how professional i am via text.

I came in mid production, I learned a lot and meet one of my all time celeb crushes. Its crazy how small the world is, I tell ya. I was star struck for like a second. Then as I said: "5 minute warning for rehearsal", and he just stared at me blankly with no response...I realized he was human.

Actors have different ways of preparing themselves. I try not to interrupt them, just inform them on whats going on. I don't want to necessarily be their best friend, I just need to make sure they are ready to be on camera and on time. Sounds simple, right? This was my first time running an A list 1st team.

Its like juggling, or better yet, being a waitress all over again. Like having two really good tables at a restaurant that you so want them to be satisfied with your service. All though this was an indie setting, I still wanted them to feel like they are total A listers...which they are.

Attention to detail, basic stuff. How they take their coffee and from where, and that some people prefer a simple slice of pizza over thai food or chicken noodle soup over a catered lunch. Hey, whatever works. Even, if it's reading lines with them in the make up room.

When this happened, i felt like for the first time I wanted to be an actress. I have no idea why really, but saying those lines with this incredible performer before me kind of inspired me. Don't get me wrong here, this will not become the "day to day w/ an actress" blog, but the fact that they are the ones that have to be in front of the camera until we call wrap plus everything else in their lives, well...it must be hard.

So at the end of the day when an oscar nominee actress says to you that you are very professional...well that made my year, at least what was left of it at that moment.

timing is everything.

December = effin Cold.

Winter came and left it's mark.....with a crazy blizzard! Good things happen when you get snowed in with your roommates and Netflix's. Yes....thats means Law and Order: SVU marathon :).

Dec 10th: Birthday

House Party at my place with friends. Cupcakes, home made Irish Whiskey, Miike Snow and alot of dancing.

Dec 24th: Christmas Eve

Celebrate baby Jesus with crazy italians in Staten Island. An insane amount of food....loud and full of drama! Just like Mary and Joseph would want it.

Dec 25th: Christmas Day

Ladies dinner at Park Place. Our lovely downstairs neighbors invited us over to more food and alot of wine. Lucky for Xiommy and me...we got tons of leftovers, which helped us out on our blizzard fest 2 days after.