Taking On Something For Lent

So, this may come as a shock to you, but I'm not Catholic. So it may be an even bigger surprise to admit that occasionally, I participate in Lent.

Brian and I usually take it up as a opportunity to break a habit, and it's been completely weird or to even mundane as giving up soda. I completely let Lent slip my mind this year. Brian called me the night of Ash Wednesday and asked me what I was giving up. I didn't even think of it. I had been contemplating the act of giving up sugar, or beginning of a juice fast, something to help my health. But my mind always goes to the extreme first. And so I could never truly commit to the idea.

Brian and I chewed up ideas. He and I have done enough reading and researching about habits and nutrition, and health. We knew we wanted to do something positive instead of something negative, we also knew that if we were going to build a habit, you start small. I told Brian I wanted to get more active. (especially as I just signed up for my 2nd zombie run). How do I build myself back up after having not done a damn thing for months? So we came up with me actually using my gym membership - 20 minutes at the gym everyday. I have it, might as well use it right?

Brian wants to work on his writing - so he's going to write for 15 minutes everyday.

What I'm most tickled with is how we check in with each other. We're not going to text each other, no, we're going to send pics to each other. Since Brian recently got himself a smartphone, we've been having nerdy fun sending pics to each other and playing with the voice dictation in our texts. So every morning I'm going to send him a pic of me at the gym. And every day he's going to send me a pic of him writing.

Unbeknownst to him, I'm going to share our first pictures and then check in throughout the 40 days. I'm really looking forward to how we do.

So yeah, cheers! Here we go on a new adventure!

Adventure! Fight Night, or, Shooting My First Fight Scene

Last night I shot my first fight scene. I had a fabulous time! I was with my Fight Class friends and family.

The challenges: my asthma acted up. It's been awhile since it's done so and I think I it was just due to being out of shape, yet another reason to get back into running. Usually in class, you do a couple rounds of practicing a fight, but you get enough time in between tries. So it was a whole new experience for me. Sometimes, even in "straight acting" you have to do several takes of a scene, or a particular moment. It's the same thing for a fight scene. I am totally in awe of stunt performers and what they go through. I felt bad to be out of breath, but whaddya gonna do? YOU KEEP HAVING FUN - and I did!

It's great to be part of something so different. I got to fight! In costume! With a quarterstaff! Weeeeee! Luckily, I was first in the line up, so after my fight was done, I just got to sit back and enjoy watching my friends in their work and play on both sides of the camera.
Let's see if I can share some pics.

My favorite shot of the night fighting Bernadett.

Dead, dead, deadski.

Getting notes for the next take. I'm sitting cuz I'm catching my breath. Bernadett's sitting cuz she's keeping me company. She's a great fight partner.

"I dare you to cross this line."

My fellow captives. Lyssa, hiding, Anne with the attitude, Olivia, all sad looking.

Kim Turney, en guard!

Eric taking on Ralph with double cutlass.

Anne in the middle of the rapier and dagger melee.

Bernadett taking on Adam with the broadsword.

Me behind bars, right where I need to be.

The Exciting Beginning of 2013 - Hosting

This is the first time that I am able to look at the year ahead and to be excited about it. There are projects, field trips, zombie runs, and who knows what else this year. These are the basics.

I'm gonna break it down for ya, so this isn't a super long post.

PART THE 1ST:

HOSTING!

My friend Cindy Marie Jenkins and I entered a partnership last Fall to discuss the rapidly growing world of the webseries. Since then, we've grown out of a Google Hangout format and we've begun to shoot and produce a true show. We've been very busy in this new year, what with the Vegas Trip, and with our new world of interviews. Have a look-see over here.

Our friends Kristen Nedopak and Bill Ostroff, founders of The Geekie Awards have asked us to lead weekly G+ Hangouts with their judges. The RUGeekie Weekly Hangouts begin this Sunday at 1:30 to talk with Bonnie Burton. *cue Mom squeeing over Bonnie*

On top of all that goodness, we were also asked to start a podcast on CSICON.com. Eeee, a podcast!

This is all truly amazing because after Comic-Con last year, I was left feeling a little out of it. I was so happy to be around friends and fellow creators, twitter peeps, it was such a Nerd Summer Camp. However, after the last dinner on the last night, (and it was a fantastic time, let me tell you), I was overcome with the feeling that I wanted more. I wanted to be able to proudly declare that I was part of something, that I had created, or co-created a project that had an impact among my peers. Because really, I was introducing myself as "Jessica Mills' old roommate." And as much as I love Jessi, and I am so thankful for the time we had working on Awkward Embraces, being the old roommate of someone doesn't really give you creative clout. I couldn't lean on Jessi's achievements any longer.

I started wondering what I could create. I'm not a writer, I don't even have ideas to create shows or characters that another person can write. On my road trip home that summer, I began listening to The Nerdist Podcast. About halfway up, I realized that a podcast was something I could do! I mean, get me with a group of friends and let's start talking! My parents don't call me Chatty Patty for nothin'. But how do I create a podcast? My funds are limited right now, I could do a G+ Hangout... maybe? I dunno. Then, out of the blue - Cindy says, "Hey, we should do a show about the webseries world." You can imagine my glee. It's like The Universe/Higher Power/Gods and God Alike all said, "here - have Cindy" and she's a fantastic partner. She steps in easily in places I don't even think of, she's a total social media maven, she's super smart, and laughs at my dorky jokes. She also has pets that I adore. This is what you want from a creative partner, yes?? I'm feeling very lucky, and very grateful.

So in just the past two months projects have been taken to the next level. Ideas are flying in my head. I've even begun a weekly massage therapy series where I answer questions about the biz and my experience in the world. It's all very new, just one episode up, but it's something that I've been wanting to do for quite sometime.

I have a few more big projects to announce, but I'll save 'em for another day. This is what has started off my year, and I really couldn't be more excited.

Sneak Preview!

Last night, I was invited to attend a sneak preview of the play, "I Fart In My Sleep," a world premiere written and directed by Jennifer Sorenson. I snagged this honor by 1. Being a blogger, (almost spelled that blooger), and 2. being friends with the wondrous Renee Scott, who ran this campaign to get in bloggers for publicity. It was also fantastic as fellow blogger and roomie, Trina Mock joined me, and we got to watch our idol (cough, cough), Jim Hanna perform. I miss theater and I love seeing my friends' work/play on stage.   When Renee asked if we could join the event, I was just tickled.

Here's the review:

This show is freaking fun and delightful. Jen bravely started blogging about her most embarrassing moments in life and then turned some of her most hilarious, and I'm assuming embarrassing stories into a show. One could think that turning your blog into a show might be a little self-indulgent, and then I would say get over it. Performing and sharing stories about your life goes hand in hand with a storyteller's life. If performers didn't do this, there would be no drama, no comedy, no stand-up, no Christopher Titus.

Trina and I before the show begins. 

The show opens up to 8 actors coming out on stage, claiming that they are Jennifer Sorenson and sharing something about "their" life. It ends with Jen standing center and telling us what we're in for. For the next 90 minutes, (no intermission, and you don't even notice the time fly), we are treated to 8 monologues brilliantly shared about Jen's life. The ensemble steps in to help tell the stories, become different people in her stories, her mom, her crush, her hungover old roommate, while in the back a projector shares pictures of her life and holds the title of the piece we're watching.

The set. 

The ensemble performed with an air of play and whimsy. There's a twisted joy watching a grown man share the humiliation that a middle school girl went through. I felt myself laughing and going, "aww" as the stories and the horrors were shared. I actually held myself back from reacting like they were a friend telling me a story as I was drawn in to each tale. You learn about Jen's first kiss, her life as a stand-in for Lea Thompson, and where the height of her humiliation took her in a yoga class.  I found myself  thinking about my embarrassing tales, my versions of certain stories, (like when you embarrass yourself in front of your crush), and I love that I was drawn in, and made comfortable in the mutual experiences. And some of her shit was just fucking hilarious. I commend Jen and her cast for telling these stories, because it's not often a thing you would share with a room full of strangers. HA! *chuckles to self in remembering last night's stories*

Myself, Renee, and Trina.  We had a good time. 

I caught Renee in the middle of a conference with Jen.

After the show, Renee introduced us to Jen, and instead of shaking her hand, I gave her a hug - cuz I think that's important. We laughed and had fun hanging with the cast and fellow bloggers. I even had my own awkward moment as the lobby suddenly went quite when I said I wanted to split a cupcake with Trina and not eat a whole one. You know, after we all knew that Renee made them from scratch and how weird is it to share a cupcake? I'm trying to be good, dammit! Luckily, as lots of awkward moments had been shared with the room, it made for a good laugh.

A lobby of bloggers & actors!

To sum up: GO SEE THE SHOW! Two thumbs over here. If you want to get in with a discount, here's your chance, there's a discount only if you use this code given to the bloggers from last night: BLGR. Go to www.theprodco.com or www.brownpapertickets.com/event/311544. That code gets you a $10 discount on any full priced ticket. This is the only way you're going to get discount.

Follow Jen on Twitter at @IFartInMySleep or @JennSoLa.

Jim & fellow cast members basking in the glow of a great show. 

I love this man, I really do.

The cover of our next album. 

In between poses for her blog-Trina laughing at Jim.

Cuz Jim's really good at modeling as well. 

Field Trip: Vegas! The IAWTV Awards!

I am back from Vegas! I had a great 3 days there, as Cindy and I decided to watch the IAWTV Awards for our WebSeries Watch.

Here's friend, inspiration, and creator of Skyrim Parodies Kristen Nedopak. We are totally hardcore. Totally. This is what happens when you  drink wine and eat bread at The Wine Cellar in Rio. 

Here is the lovely Venetian. Artificial sky and water. Like a giant Disneyland version of Venice for us ignorant non-travely types. In't cute? The awards were held at The Palazzo Theatre in The Venetian, and while Cindy and I spent all day walking around it, I still felt like I was in a TARDIS. Different areas just kept opening up around different turns. Thank god for their signs, otherwise, I'd be blogging from somewhere inside there right now.

The IAWTV Awards are in their 2nd year. Founded by the International Academy of Web Television, it's the webseries world opportunity to really have a great moment with the growing community and the successes we've all been going through.

It was a pretty great night as I got to hang out with friends, and yet see some web celebrities and feel all "Oooh and Ahhh" about them.

I awkwardly made eye-contact with Felicia Day. My heart went all a-flutter as Chris Hardwick was close by. Truly, I can go on and on about my total NerdCrush on him. He's a pretty remarkable guy and very much adorkable. Kristen got to give him the award for Best Online Channel! Woot.

Here's a panoramic shot of the after party.

Cindy setting up the camera, pre Stockholm interview

Here's Cindy and I all dolled up. We realized we never took a pic of us while actually in Vegas, doing something Vegas-y together. But we did take plenty of travelogue videos that you can watch here: Vegas Playlist. You'll also find videos of our interviews that we were able to have with David Nett and also the peeps behind Stockholm. If you'd like more watch the site: www.web-series-watch.com

We had a good time. It was nice to see friends and share in their adventure. Being there made Cindy and I really excited about what we've been doing with WebSeries Watch, and I'm excited about where we're going to go with it. I think we're on the right path.

I'll keep you posted as we go along. There are so many things to share!

Cindy gambling only on a LOTR slot machine. She won $.30. Which means, she only lost $.70. 

Our furry/blurry hosts. That's Jeffery the black furry think, and Rupert, the blurry gray and white. They were ADORABLE, and made us very happy. 

A Grateful, Goofy, Geek

In the middle of last month, inspiration struck.

I was sitting in my car, quietly lamenting to myself how I didn't want to go into my dayjob. I had been struggling with that feeling for quite some time, (who doesn't), and I was making myself write down what I was grateful for, before I walked through the door. Then it hit me: why don't I just make a quick video each day of what I'm grateful for? It'll be something fun to do, and I can do it through the end of the month, taking me into the new year.

In the midst of the holiday season, some people feel lousy. In the midst of the mentally ill taking lives, you can feel devastated. In the midst of feeling ever so broke, you can feel crushed. When you combine that into December 2012, oh, what a triple whammy of crap to go through. So I thought doing a video each day of what I'm grateful for might just be a good thing not only for myself, but maybe, I can reach someone and make 'em giggle at my goofiness, even for a moment.

Trust me....there's some goofiness.

So if you have about 26 minutes, turn it on, listen, and laugh while you're doing the dishes, or have something inane to do.

I think there is always something to be grateful for - that's what I've learned. It may not feel like a big deal, but there is an awful lot to be grateful for. So go out there and tell me what you're grateful for.

Happy Frickin' New Year!

Susan Update!

Today Susan goes into her LAST CHEMO TREATMENT. Hooray!!!!

Having just hung out with her last night, I can easily say that she is ecstatic about her last round of chemo.

Susan being greeted by Scruffles & Punky,
the pups I get to live with. 

Susan's been doing great. Throughout the ups and downs of Life being heightened by the outrageous fortune of fighting cancer, she's hanging tough, for sure. She's been working on a children's book, taking commissions on art, and has two gigs through Fiverr.com. (Links are at the bottom). For those of you who don't know, Fiverr is a great resource where people hawk their wares and services for $5. I think everything you can think of is on that site.

Susan has become friends with renaissance man, Adam Emperor Southard, and got to be part of his series, Id, Ego, and SuperEgo.  In the L.A. Theater scene, Adam is a writer, musician, photographer.... I think he pretty much does everything. It makes nothing but sense that they found each other and hit it off. Susan was previously part of Adam's series, Body & Soul.

As Susan's a force to be reckoned with, she's also working on illustrating a children's novel called Zwoosh!. Below is the first layer of the cover. As I understand it, these things have several layers, (like a cake!), and here it is, right off the easel. I was lucky enough to see a draft, and it looks just delightful. As a big fan of picture books, (hello, I used to run StoryTime at Borders), I'm thinking this will be a hit.

And some of you are probably wondering how she's doing financially, as we had that emergency fundraiser a little while ago. Her Disability has finally kicked in! They lost her claim once, and I'm pretty sure, if she hadn't stayed vigilant and kept calling, it would've been lost forever, and I would've been trying to figure out other ways to help her raise cash monies. She luckily got a hold of someone who helped expedite the whole process, and it has kicked in. Finally. The relief has been palpable. She now can afford her rent and bills, but that whole food thing and you know, life, still needs a budget. So if you want to commission some art from her, or need some copyediting on your latest book, why not contact her? (Nudge, nudge).

 If you'd like to help out, you can kick in whatever you'd like, or even just simply share the links to friends.

If you need help with copyediting, go to here on Fiverr.com.

If you'd like to gift someone some handcrafted kanji necklace or Halloween Goodness, go here.

If you'd like to commission a painting from Susan, follow this link, and contact her at susan@lifeonitsside.com.

If you want to send Susan a note of encouragement and love, or even send her a buck, you can send it via PayPal at her email, susan@lifeonitsside.com

No matter what, chances are you know someone who has been affected by cancer. Give 'em a hug, ask if they need anything, and if they have an organization that's helped them. Share your stories.