I've been good this whole journey, but this week a lot of people have been pushing my buttons. I've been planning my wedding for five months, and things have gone rather smoothly. I've given people who've wanted to help out certain things to do, and plenty of time to do them in. But now with just a month away, people want to ask me questions which I've already answered quite a few times before, and my patience is wearing thin.
Writing this out helps me relieve the tension, thank god.
Also, thank god for my fiance. He has definitely been my rock.
Outside out of my notion of wanting to kill everyone who asks the same questions over and over, or wanting to put their two cents in, I'm looking forward to my birthday and wedding week. I'm excited about the things I get to do for myself, and the fun I get to have with my friends and family.
Not all of my friends and family will be able to attend 'cause of finances, but I completely understand. Hell, it's been a struggle for my fiance and I trying to pull all this together on our own, while trying to juggle home, bills, and work.
Our biggest help has been my mom. She has been my biggest support, even when she had next to nothing. I owe everything to her.
My mom has been blind for 12 years. And thanks to Oprah (All Hail Queen Oprah Winfrey), well indirectly, my mom's new doctor, Dr. Calvin Grant (my grandmother saw him on Oprah's show, and recommended him to my mom), will help her regain her sight.
In the first procedure, he went in, repaired the retina, and removed the scar tissue. In phase two, he'll put photon chips in her eye, so that light can enter it. And in the final procedure, he'll put in a new lens.
So by next month, my mom will be able to see me walking down the aisle. :-)
More blessings related to wedding and career: like any smart actor, if you meet an agent or casting director, you keep the lines of communication open in order to build a good relationship. Earlier in the year, I attended a meet-and-greet luncheon at Scott Powers Studios, and got the chance to chat briefly with Michelle Kilic of Ramona's Model and Talent. I arrived to the event a few moments late, felt terribly embarrassed, and knew that was not a good first impression to make. Like everyone else, I handed in my headshot and resume to her for review at the end, and played the waiting game. I just knew I blew it by arriving late, and I'd probably never hear from her again.
Fast forward to about a month or so ago. Scott Powers held a commercial print agents forum, and Janine Cerny of Ramona's Model and Talent, was scheduled to be on the panel. We chatted briefly, and I felt really good about our exchange. She told me to keep in contact with her because once a month Ramona holds interviews with talent they're interested in. I took that as a good sign. I got home, found her and Ramona Pitera on facebook, and befriended them both. Then I sent a follow up email to both of them on facebook, and thru my business account. One interesting thing I noticed on Janine's page was that she listed that she's a New York State Licensed Marriage Officiant. I said to myself, "Is this a sign, or just a random coincidence?" The next time I followed up with her, I also mentioned that I was getting married, and joked that the way things were going, I may have to inquire about her services. Shortly thereafter, I received an email from her asking me to come in for an interview.
The interviews were held at TVI Studios in the city, because their office is based out of Jersey. When I got there, Michelle came out to greet me, and she surprised me by saying that she wanted to sign me the first time she saw me at Scott Powers' in January, but some family issues came up, and everything got pushed to the back burner. And when she saw my name on the list of people scheduled to come in, she just had to come out to see if it was me.
Hearing that definitely put my mind at ease, because I was so stressed and nervous. Stressed, because the day before, mom had gone thru the first procedure, and I hadn't talked to her yet. And nervous, because I had no idea that I had made a positive impression on all of them instead of a negative one. My dumb butt should have known better. If I had really made a negative impression, they would not have contacted me in the first place.
My fiance went with me as my support system, which totally helped. I filled out the paperwork, and we chatted with Michelle until it was time for me to go in and talk with Janine and Ramona. They asked me about myself and what I had been up to, and I told them about the last couple of projects I worked on, about mom's surgery, and my upcoming wedding. I asked Janine about her being an officiant, and she told me that she became one so she could marry her best friend. How cool is that? They asked me if I had taken any commercial classes, and suggested a couple of places to check out since it's been years since I've taken anything. After the wedding, that is definitely the next step. My goal is to book at least a handful of national commercials, so I can stop messing around in a "day job".
I'm feeling good. Spring has definitely sprung, and I'm looking forward to what blossoms next...
