Ex-squeeze me? Mexican food?

Holy guacamole, it’s September! Ladies and gents, it has been a year since I landed on this crazy town. So let’s take stock: what, pray tell, have I learned and achieved?

1. Produced, performed in, and promoted my own show, which was a resounding success.

2. Successfully navigated the black hole of creepiness that Craigslist can be to find the nuggets of genuine people, and found somewhere to live.

3. Learnt that living with two cats in an apartment with no outside access is a BAD IDEA.

4. Successfully navigated the black hole of creepiness again, and discovered that Melrose Place-style living (complete with swimming pool and sex scandals) really exists.

5. Got my Californian drivers license (on the second attempt - sigh), after facing the fact that 20 years driving experience counts for little when taking the Californian drivers license test. Being able to back up 30 feet in a straight line is considered more important than demonstrating you can reverse park.

6. Got a job (eventually).

7. Got an agent.

8. Auditioned for several commercials (and counting…).

9. Cast in several short films.

10. Wrote for and performed in original sketch comedy show.

11. Discovered that LA drivers are TERRIBLE.

12. Despite daily contact with said terrible drivers, maintained a clean driving record: no traffic violations, no accidents (touch wood).

13. Insurance is HORRIBLY expensive.

14. Wages are PITIFUL (no wonder everyone complains about taxes).

15. The weather is GORGEOUS (but very dry).

16. You have to drink LOTS of water.

17. Lots of water is WASTED in LA (it’s a desert, people, wake up and turn off the hose).

18. Although most coffee is crap, it is possible to find excellent espresso.

19. Americans are really friendly.

20. Americans go weak at the knees in the presence of an Aussie accent.

21. Developed and polished my skills in various classes and workshops.

22. Made some really good friends.

Hmm. Not bad.

I’ve been uber busy at work the last couple of weeks, but sliding into some downtime now before things get busy again next month. In Sport of Acting-related news, we’ve started rehearsing some short plays, all written by the same guy - Jeffrey Addiss - a friend of Vinny’s. The plays each tell very different stories, but all have great characters and are sharply written. Meanwhile, in our regular class, I’m working on a kick-ass monologue from the play “The Last Days of Judas Escariot,” by Stephen Adly Giurgis. If you haven’t encountered this play, go find it, it’s fabulous. I’m working on Saint Monica’s monologue, which is a whopper. I chose it because it’s not obvious casting for me, and it has a high degree of difficulty; when I first read it I loved it but thought “I don’t know how to do this,” at which point it became essential that I tackle it. I love a challenge, and believe that some of my best performances have been in roles that I was daunted by to begin with. Acting challenges make me grow, exploring new territory, making me a better actor. It’s like at the gym, sometimes you need a personal trainer to push you harder than you thought you could go, in order to get fitter and tone muscles you didn’t know you had. A tough role in a good play, with the right director, can be like a personal training session.

To celebrate my LA anniversary, on Friday night Alex and I went out for a drink at the poolside bar on the rooftop of the W Hotel in Hollywood. Swanky! We got there early, so it was pretty chilled out and quiet when we arrived. Heading poolside, we first passed through a lounge area decked out with big booths made from gold leather, nestled into a shiny stage area graced later in the evening with very bored pole dancers (not the naked kind, but nonetheless providing glimpses of panties beneath mini-skirts fluffed out with tutu-style petticoats). Outside, the LA skyline was visible on two sides as dusk settled in. Palm trees and daybeds lined the pool (yes, on the roof), and Hot Young Things milled about taking photos of each other. The guys wore designer shirts and lots of hair product; the girls wore short’n’tight dresses and skyscraper heels.

Mum flew in on the weekend, escaping from Melbourne’s winter blues into the embracing warmth of LA’s autumn sunshine. It’s great to see her and we’re making plans for various activities over the next few weeks.

P.S. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the AFL Grand Final (Friday night, LA time). CARN THE PIES!!!!!!