....which kind of snuck up on me! We've been having warmer than usual temperatures (thank you, global warming) and that plus the time change has kind of discombobulated me. Just wanted to check in, see how everything is with everyone. Are you happy? Enjoying spring-like weather wherever you may be? Seeing snowdrops, crocus, tulips, and daffodils popping up? Enjoying the trees all getting ready to sprout? Getting ready to VOTE if you haven't already? Yep, VOTE!! And think about what you want for yourself, for your country, for the world. You might not like the choices presented to you, but really, are you ready to give up all of your freedoms and basic human rights if you put the orange f*ckwad back in the White House? Are you really ready to cower in fear, be terrorized, watch everything we've worked for over the last 248 years slip away under a despot's crazy, insane, racist, sexist, elitist, white nationalist approach to the world? I surely hope not. I surely hope you'll VOTE and VOTE for the good of our present and our future, the future of your children or someone else's children, how you want the future to be, how you want our world presence to be and what we stand for. Yep, it's my sincere plea that you take a good hard look at the facts of this oh-so-crucial race and VOTE for the people who believe in you, not people who are only out for themselves and their wallets.
Enjoy the day. Spread joy, kindness, happiness, and love. You can do that just with a smile to a loved one or a stranger. It's so easy and you'll be amazed at how good it'll make you feel. I look forward to this event every year, the woman and the crocus. She makes me so happy :-)
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....my god....going from jubilation to terror in the blink of an eye. Devastating. And this gun violence continues its domestic terrorism path, because that's what it is, domestic terrorism. Guns in this country (I can only speak for my country) have become weapons of mass destruction. I know that the definition of weapons of mass destruction, at least by Homeland Security, only include biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological weapons, and I'm pretty sure the reason guns aren't a part of that definition, especially guns that fire more rounds in a second than anyone on this earth truly needs, is the grip the NRA has on this country. I think we need to rethink that definition and take massive steps to stop this insanity. People who gather anywhere, be it a synagogue, a mosque, a bowling alley, a classroom, a disco, a Fourth of July fireworks display, a Super Bowl celebration, should not have to worry about gathering in celebration of life by having violence and death destroy everything they're seeking to celebrate. How many times do we have to read these same atrocious, sickening headlines before the people in our government, who we hire to protect us, DO SOMETHING proactive about protecting us???? It defies understanding, at least mine.
I needed to get that out. This is Friday afternoon and I'm going to close my computer and breathe and relax. I hope your day has brought you beauty and joy. My wonderful partner gave me this fab box of chocolate for Valentine's Day. So far, so delicious! ...game!! And mostly super commercials! Seems like the games have gotten better over the years and are so exciting to watch! Commercials have waxed and waned. They started out being so great years ago, then it seemed like they were trying waaaaaay too hard. The ship seems to be righted the last couple of years. It always comes down to the writing, doesn't it? I think trying too hard to be hip fails every time. If you don't have the basics of good, then it's hard to succeed. The Super Bowl commercial that I was in briefly aired just after the third quarter. I had a battalion of friends and family keeping watch :-) Honestly, it was pretty cool to see the opening shot and know that THIS IS IT!!! It's a lovely commercial for Jewel, a local grocery chain that's showing in Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Eastern Iowa. Below is a screenshot my BFF took. Here with the marvelous Lee Kanne. He did such a terrific job! Actually, the half day of shooting at this cute bungalow on the west side of Chicago was awesome. Amazing crew, incredible director, fabulous sound guy, darling makeup artist, terrific wardrobe folks....everyone was so wonderful at their jobs. This felt like a huge gift to begin the year.
I hope this day finds you enjoying whatever it is you're doing with a song in your heart and a smile on your face. ....that it's already the end of January?! My, my, my....this month has just flown by! This month started out with a voice-over at the wonderful ARU studios, in the middle I shot a commercial for Jewel that airs during the Super Bowl (!), and I'm finishing the month learning lines for an industrial that I'm shooting for Kohl's at the beginning of February. Yep, you bet I'm counting my blessings! It just goes to show you that you never know what's around the corner. The month started incredibly slow with scoping (January is always slow and I always forget that!) and I was worrying (one of my worst habits that I'm trying to work on) that I'd never work again. Sheesh....what we do to ourselves! Of course, as soon as I wound myself up in knots with worry, work came flooding in, and then I worried that I had too much work and wouldn't be able to meet deadlines! Sigh....my wise partner said that worrying becomes a habit, even when there's nothing to worry about (um, is there ever NOTHING to worry about? hmmmm....) and I hadn't thought of it that way. So I guess if I treat worrying as a bad habit (not that worrying about some things is bad, but worrying about EVERYTHING?!), then perhaps I can work on diminishing my worries to the small stuff, and then perhaps I won't sweat the small stuff. It's a process. Life is a process, right? Hopefully, we're always working on something within ourselves to make ourselves better humans. What are you working on? I hope you're making progress :-)
Ugh, this car made me so angry and sad at the same time. A picture of so many things that are wrong in this country. Why? Why does this thing exist????? What does it say about whoever thought this was a good idea to manufacture and the person who bought it and is displaying it so prominently? Shame on you!!! Shame on you. I hope your day is filled with wonder and discovery of beautiful and lovely thoughts and deeds. ...headshots AND computer, from which I'm typing right now :-) I must admit, it's a little daunting buying a new laptop when I've been used to my old one and the way it works and all of my crap just sitting on my desktop awaiting filing or me to use it. Setting up my new one was not nearly as horrible as I thought it would be, although I still have stuff to do with it. I have to download my scoping software, so cross your fingers that that's an easy-peasy thing. This new laptop is so clean and beautiful! I'm not a big technology must have the latest, greatest equipment person, but I definitely appreciate the new and slick and FAST of replacing older equipment. I also went for a bigger 17.3 screen. So far, I love it :-)
Raging snowstorm going on right now that we were warned of, although over the last few days, they were warning of SNOW!! and it was RAIN!! instead. It's so beautiful outside and I love the sound of the wind and the sight of snow clinging to everything. Our enormous mulberry tree looks like it belongs in fairyland. I have a callback today that was supposed to be in person, but luckily, they changed it to Zoom. Wish me luck! Whatever you have planned today, I hope it fills you with unbridled joy and happiness. I have no pictures on this new computer, so, alas, it's just a blog sans photo today. Insert your favorite picture here :-) ...surprisingly little snow for this time of year. In fact, December was weirdly warm....hmmm....global warming, perhaps? What else would it be??? Anyway, trying to find some sun on this dreary day, but it's just not happening. Thinking I'm going to need my SAD lamp if the sun doesn't make an appearance soon. Amazing what a bit of brightness can do for your soul.
Wish I could tell you something new, but nine days into the new year and nothing too much new to report. Luckily, all is well....quiet, but well. I've fortunately had and continue to have auditions rolling in - yay! It's always good to be wanted even if you don't book the job. Because you can't book the job without the audition, so there you go :-) Putting a positive spin on the world today because positivity feels like it's at a low right now. Trying also not to immerse myself in the news every five minutes. Lordy lord, but it's addicting to tune in and it is not good for me to be too connected. So...here I am, musing on a rainy day about nothing very important. Just felt like writing something. Something! See what I did there ;-) Hoping this finds you having a sunny, beautiful, high-flying, lovely kind of day. I surely miss this man and his family. ....2024!!! What??? Flabbergasted at the swift passage of time. And I'll bet if I go back and look at all of my blogs that begin a new year, they'll all say the same thing :-) So....good! Time is going swiftly, which must mean that I'm happy, healthy, as are family and friends. In my own little corner in my own little chair, things are lovely. I hope the same is true for you.
Started out the new year with a voice-over session at the fabulous ARU Chicago studio. Love, love, love these folks! There is nothing - NOTHING - like being in person at a studio in a comfortable, state-of-the-art booth with the audio engineer masterfully doing his thing, working on this lovely script that the smart and savvy ad agency wrote. Such a fun, collaborative way to start the year! I feel very grateful to kick off the year this way. Here I am in the booth. I think my smile says it all :-) I hope your new year has started the way you want it to - on your own terms, happy, healthy, full of joy and looking forward to what's next for you. ....the scary poll numbers regarding the 2024 election? (I'm reading them but not sure if I believe them but am staying hypervigilant.) Are you keeping up with the vitriolic racist Nazi-speak spewing from the orange f*ckwad's mouth? I hope you're paying attention to what he's saying about YOU and anyone who isn't HIM. This crap about immigrants? Are you kidding me???? He's out Mein Kampfing Mein Kampf and just like that unforgiveable, horrendous, terrifying dictator of old seems to have some sort of hypnotic hold on people. What is that about? I honestly don't understand it AT ALL. He's speaking to the worst part of humanity's fears, that people different from YOU are....what? Trying to take something away from you? And what is that, exactly? We all came here from somewhere, even the orange f*ckwad, so WTF. How can we stop this? VOTE!!! Vote like there's no tomorrow, because if by all that is unholy The Orange Terror were to get back into the White House (when he should be in jail with the key thrown away), then we are in for it, and quite honestly, if you vote him in, you deserve what you have wrought. Yeah, I know, this is not a pleasant blog. But the headlines and the speeches this unholy orange f*ck are giving are scaring the bejeezus out of me. I hope it's doing the same to you and gets you out to the polls to VOTE.
I had to get that out of my system. On a whole nother note, I bought a new ergonomic mouse and it is fabulous!! I had bought one years ago, but the technology and design is better now and this is a lovely and much-needed addition to my workday. I don't mind giving it a plug (although it's bluetooth - no plug needed :-). It's a Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic mouse. They make them in both right- and left-handed versions. I couldn't be happier with it :-) I hope your day is full of beautiful and happy. ....but the wind sure is blowing! A cold and blustery day today, but we haven't had any snow this December so far. I don't want a blizzard, but....December should have some snow! All the folks who poo-poo global warming? How do they explain all the extreme weather? The drought, the hurricanes, the tornadoes, the...everything weather-related that is unprecedented? How is it that one can deny science? I might not understand it, but I can't dispute that people far smarter than I am figure out things that I have no means of figuring out, which is why we rely on experts for a whole host of things - fixing our teeth, curing cancer, building bridges, teaching our children....not the tangent I thought I'd be discussing today, but as I listen to the wind howl outside, this is what I'm thinking about. Also thinking about the holidays and how this is a difficult time of year for so many people. There's such an emphasis on buying gifts (what if you don't have the money?) and being with family (what if you don't have them anymore or near where you can get to?) and the "perfect" holiday in the eyes of others that put such a burden on those with other ideas about what it means to celebrate a day. I hope that whatever you celebrate, you get to do it in the manner you wish, whether it be with your loved ones, your beloved pets, your friends, yourself...whatever makes you happy on these days and doesn't put pressure on you in any way. That's my wish for you. ....happy whatever you celebrate! I bought some really pretty Hanukkah candles this year, so now I'm spoiled forever :-) Though I'm not a religious person, being Jewish is very important to me. I'm so proud of my heritage - shouldn't we all be? -- and of my ancestors who came over for a better life. My great-grandfathers on both sides came over when they were just in their teens, neither spoke English, both learned how to speak English by reading newspapers, and when they had earned enough money in the jobs they took to be able to send it to the rest of the family to come over, they did. My immigrant background is no different of so many who came over and who come to America for a better life. All of us came from somewhere. If the only true natives to the U.S. are the indigenous peoples, then we are all immigrants. So why the outcry from the most red of Republicans or misguided Democrats or anyone who isn't thinking straight to keep people out of our country who want to have a better life when all of them have the same background, if not Jewish, then Catholic, Christian, whatever, that I do? When did we decide we're not the melting pot but the privileged pot? "Come on, people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now."
I hope your day is full of love for your fellow man, even though sometimes, it's incredibly challenging. |
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