HEART TO HEART WITH AMANDA

I slept throughout the day since I wrapped so late (or early) last night. Soon, it was close to picking up Amanda. I decided to vacuum the interior floors since they were so full of debris. Then I noticed that I got a ticket. I'd left the car on the street and didn't realize that Wednesday is street cleaning day. I'd parked it on the street so that the sprinklers wouldn't hit the car and dirty it and look where that got me. Now I know where the saying, "no good deed goes unpunished" comes from.

Then I left for LAX to pick up Amanda. Her flight arrived a little early so raced over to United to pick her up. She was smart and decided to go to departures so there'd be less traffic. As we talked on the way home, we got a chance to do a heart to heart with one another. She told me all her feelings about what happened between she and Noel, how they got together, how everything blew up and how much trouble and heartache she has dealing with the kids.

I was finally able to have the discussion I wanted with her. She was straightforward, and I didn't get any feeling that she was manipulative or that she was trying to make herself look good. She seemed honest and confused and it was refreshing to finally hear everything that was on her mind. I too tried to be as honest as I could and tell her how I was seeing everything. We had a long talk, a few hours and before we knew it, moms was already driving in.

She didn't want to stay and besides, she had Scarlett to take care of so she went home when moms arrived. Moms and I had dinner then I waited a few hours to do my run. It's much easier when the air is cool and I had no real problems. The plantar fasciitis is still present and probably won't be going away during my training, but the good news is that it is not that painful while I'm running.

END OF WATCH

I took it slow and easy, waiting for about an hour before my call time (which was 6:30PM) before I got ready and took off to Quiet Cannon in Montebello. I was a little late, but I wasn't worried since I knew the line for wardrobe would be relatively longer. When I got there, there were two lines, one for men, and one for women. The men's line was shorter and after I put on a tie, I was approved while other older men had to change. I always laugh inside because I always think they're so clueless. I mean, after all these years working background, you would think they'd already understand what they should wear.

Anyway, I had one of the last burgers left and then I went to holding. I sat down with a bunch of older men and soon began to regret my position in the room. I think it was QC's VIP section which didn't look all that special really. But I sat in a section that wasn't really welcoming for a large foldout chair like mine, so I never used it until later in the night.

When we finally got to set, I saw Jake Gyllenhaal as groom and Anna Kendrick as the bride. They danced their little dance and then did a little hip-hop strut. One thing is certain - Gyllenhaal can't dance or at least dances like a white boy. Then it was time for Michael Pena to do his speech. Then everyone got up to dance on the dance floor. It was pretty fun dancing around because they actually had music on the dance floor. It was also interesting to see them improv a little and you could see they really had a camaraderie going.

I saw Megan from Dexter again and I gained an interest with a server whose name was Nina. She looked Greek or Armenian, but I never got a chance to ask her. Before I could get my serious talk on, I was wrapped and she wasn't. I saw her saying good bye to a bunch of dudes and exchanging cards with them, and that was enough to make me feel weird about asking her for her Facebook profile. I guess my confidence isn't as great ever since Melissa ignored my message to her on FB. How awkward!

I also met a Pinay named Lourdes who I knew didn't know I was Filipino. I'm not sure what it is about most Pinays, but I am just not feelin' them at this stage. I guess they have to look lighter or they can't look so typical, but I was just not real interested.

When I was driving out, I decided to turn around and head back to set to say goodbye to Nina. But I got lost and by the time I returned, all the servers were walking out and I didn't see Nina with them. So I gave up and felt like a loser driving home.

(written 8/31/11)

BODY OF PROOF

I was sent out to butt fuck nowhere today, out in Santa Clarita County in Agua Dulce. The show takes place in Philadelphia, but the scene required a pond or lake that someone drowns in. So they chose this ranch out there that is basically off the 14 freeway toward Palmdale. As I drove through the 14 which is just off where the 210 meets the 5, I noticed that there were actually a bunch of communities along the way.

But when I started driving off the 14 toward the ranch, it was trailer park city. I began to have thoughts of rolling into one of these trailer parks to see what kind of trouble I could get into. I imagined that there would be some trailer trash down to have some fun from some stranger in town.

When I got to the ranch and parked, I had to walk through dirt to get to the lunchbox. It was already hot, and it was nice to see that we could wait inside an air conditioned room. Also, lunch was just finishing up, so I actually got a chance to eat before they closed down catering.

Wardrobe was simple. I was given a crime scene unit jacket and props gave me a camera. After holding for a little while and cooling off, it was time to work. The hardest part about the whole thing was trying to stay cool. It was hot even in the shade and I could begin to feel that pool of sweat that slowly trickles down one's back. I began wondering if that little valley that your spine causes evolved that way to allow sweat to deposit on one's ass.

The only interesting thing about the scene wasn't the dead body that was pulled from the water, it was Nathalie Kelley, the hottie from Bruno Mars' video Just The Way You Are. She had an incredible ass and it was a little ridiculous to see her working as a medical examiner. I mean, come on, there is no way a chick that looks like that would be working with dead bodies. But that's fuckin' show business, so it is what it is. All I know is that she was so hot that it made me consider watching the show just to watch her.

I learned a neat trick to keeping your senses when it's hot. You take a rag, plunge it in ice cold water and dab yourself with it. They had a tub with all kinds of rags but they also put some kind of mint in there because you could smell it when you patted yourself with the rag. It was great though and I'm definitely going to remember that.

I hated that my shoes got dirty and was covered in dust, but I was glad that I wore my old brown shoes rather than my Steve Madden black ones. Even though the SM's are cheap, they're my newest pair so I want to keep them looking new as long as possible. Anyway, after about six hours, we were wrapped and the drive home wasn't really that bad. It's comforting to drive home without traffic, almost like a little vacation from the doldrums of life.

When I got home, I tried calling the union line to see if I could get work tomorrow. I was hoping I could get booked for another day which would make it technically six straight days of work. I've never worked from Monday to Friday, but I worked last week from Tuesday to Friday and was booked today, so that's technically five days. I noticed that they were looking for people for a night shoot in Montebello so I called and was able to book myself.

Now I have to figure out if I should list myself for availability on Wednesday. What if the night shoot goes all night long and I don't have much time to rest or to get to set Wednesday? I think I'll just let my service know that I am only available for call times that are noon or later.

SHOPPING WITH JARED AND MARISSA

We decided to go shopping locally instead of driving out to LA to look for a super formal tux for Jared. So we picked up Marissa and headed to Brea. We stopped by Jansen's so Jared could pick up a case for his iPhone 1 but he didn't actually have one.

We stopped by H&M to look at some of their suits, but they didn't have the tux anymore. It was too bad because that tux was pretty cool. Maybe they will stock some later during Fall or Winter.

We also shopped at Cotton On, which is kind of like H&M in a way, but maybe for a younger set. Jared and I bought some shorts and a tank that we will wear at the river.

There was a tea store that we saw and I wondered how they were making money to stay open. But they had a bunch of teas you could try for free and they were delicious. They also had very knowledgeable people and I felt like I could easily work there. But I had a bigger idea of starting something like this in Diamond Bar since there are so many Chinese people here. But perhaps there's just not enough traffic to get people to buy interesting teas and maybe it only works where there are white people since Chinese people will just buy their teas from Ranch 99 or an Asian market.

When we got back, I ran 4 miles and when I returned, moms and I prepared dinner. I just cooked some short ribs on the stove and Jared made a right on comment that we should eat something other than short ribs the next time we have dinner. It seems like we're always eating short ribs!

I took Marissa home and then drove Jared to Butterfield Ranch where his mom was waiting. Then I took K. Noel's car to the car wash since it was filthy. I spent $10 on a full works wash and I was pretty impressed how clean it looked. Still, the inside is crap and full of dirty on the floors so that's all I will do for my bro at this stage. If I had time and I didn't have to work, I might have vacuumed that thing up.

(written 8/29/11)

JARED PARTIES AGAIN

Didn't do much during the day. Just did a light run but after lunch, I felt like I needed a nap since I didn't really sleep that much last night. I got up and couldn't really go back to sleep, so I just ate breakfast and went online. The nap didn't last long because I couldn't really stay asleep. It was just right though, about three hours so add the five from last night and that's eight.

My only responsibility today was to make sure I pick up Jared from Marissa's family's party. He met up with all her relatives so it's pretty serious now. He wanted to go to a party with Marissa tonight, but I told him that wasn't a good idea and that he had to ask permission from his mom. Of course, after last week, his mom said no. So I told him I'd pick him up after the family party was over.

But he got a ride from Marissa and her friend to the party he wanted to go to. I told him I'd pick him up there and he came out when I called. There were a lot of kids walking in and a lot walking out. I never went to these parties in high school and I sort of wish I had, but at the same time, I don't think I would've gotten into Cal if I had. Funny how life works that way.

I didn't really have the heart to not allow Jared to chill since it seemed like a pretty harmless party. Also, Jansen was texting me to see if I wanted to go to Hollywood and hang with the Sri Lankans. So I let him hang and made sure our stories were straight.

When I got home, I watched some Firefly and I'm not a pretty big fan. I really enjoy how the show's characters develop and how you can really bond with them.

THE MENTALIST #2

I woke up after eight hours of sleep, but I didn't really feel like that was enough. Although I was tired last night and went right to bed, waking up early never feels like you get enough. But I slowly got up and then got ready for a 30 minute run.

My run is pretty light, nothing crazy right now because I still have a few months and I don't want to aggravate the plantar fasciitis. I just hope it doesn't get worse. I can do it at this stage since it doesn't hurt that much and after running ten minutes, I pretty much don't feel it anymore.

I got back, took a shower and headed to WB. It was hot and walking to Lot 33 made me sweat so much, my back was drenched. My undershirt and the shirt I was wearing was soaked. They finally let us on stage to hold and that's when I finally cooled down. But as I was drying off, we were sent to walk back to Gate 8 where our cars were parked, so we all started sweating again.

Then we were told to hold outside and there was just no escaping the heat. Some of us finally tired of it and went inside where Starbucks is. We waited there until we were sent to lunch and I walked over to The Grill on Avon St. to get a burger and fries. I walked back with 30 minutes left for lunch and talked to the chick I met earlier who had sat down to eat her lunch.

She worked in MIS and was kind of cute, but not so cute that you get crazy. As I talked to her, I asked her why she was outside when it was hotter than hell. She said that it's an icebox where she works and I thought, that's a perfect place for an ice queen like yourself. Bitch!

Then we worked a little exterior shot, then moved again to Warner Village, a new section of the studio lot that has a bunch of new homes built just for shooting in and out of. But holding was outside again, so we spent the next few hours dying of heat with a film of sweat from the humidity that was present. It is supposed to be the hottest day of the week and it was 96 in the shade.

Finally, we were wrapped and I was excited to get home and take a shower. I filled up my tank and I think I got some good mileage because all I've been doing is driving to studios and back with no traffic. I showered, then decided it would be a Bodog night.

I played in a 3-table sit-and-go and ended up in first place. I was patient and a little lucky since the guy I played heads-up took three players out in one hand on the final table. That moved me up to third at the very least. Then he took out the other guy and I was heads-up with him with a severe chip deficit. But a few double-ups got me even and I took it from there.

DEXTER #3

Wow, most of these shows I'm being booked on have been shows I haven't worked on for like a year. It's probably why I'm getting booked on these shows! I don't care what the reasons are, it's great to work consecutive days. This is only the second time I've worked four days in a row. Hopefully, I can get five days in a row someday to break the record.

I was cast as a coroner and my call time was 8AM. I left at 6:30AM and got to Long Beach State a little early. Early enough to nap for about 10 minutes before heading down to base camp from the parking structure. No one was checking us in, so I ate breakfast. After I finished, we were checked-in and wardrobe gave me a jumpsuit to wear.

The scene took place inside a lecture hall which was actually a theater. The entire cast was examining the body on the stage and I brought a gurney down with the other coroner. It took us over six hours to work that scene. The finale was when the cast got dowsed with blood from above, just like on Carrie. We got to react to it so it was pretty fun doing that.

Then we switched over to being college students after lunch which was around 6PM. All of us felt old around the non-union kids who looked like they were really in college. But they weren't and were just working or who knows what these kids are up to? We ended up listening to the guy who was dead earlier, end up lecturing us on stage. Earlier, we shot an exterior scene with Dexter walking into the lecture hall.

It was a really long day and I got booked for The Mentalist tomorrow. The original call time was 8AM so I was dreading it, but the time was pushed to 11AM so I will be able to keep my training schedule intact. At least I hope I will. We'll see how early I can get up and run.

PARENTHOOD

I couldn't sleep around 6AM so I went downstairs to watch some tv and nap after some breakfast. I woke up 11AM and didn't get a chance to run. Instead, I just ate lunch and got ready to go.

I ran a little late and got to the parking lot at Universal Studios with about ten minutes till my 1:30PM call time. Thankfully, there was a shuttle that took me and two others to base camp. After settling in, we hung out for awhile until they were ready for us. The weird thing is that it was the first time I really felt super bored while waiting. It was so cold in the stage where we were holding, it was impossible to nap.

Then they shuttled us to the main square where Back to the Future was shot. Everything was re-built and it looked great. The funny thing is that the cafe we were shooting was nowhere near what Berkeley looks like. The closest thing to it was the cafe on the corner of University, but not really.

They gathered us all together and had us say a little line, "you're out of half and half." When it got to me, I didn't know what the line was and didn't do a very good job of saying it. The guy next to me choked and didn't even say the entire line. It was pretty funny because he then spent the entire time saying how much he choked. He was a funny guy and we had fun in between takes talking about the chicks on set.

Jenna, the stand in for a blond chick was probably the hottest one there. She had the type of petite body I go gaga for, but she was pretty stuck-up and wasn't really having it. It seemed she had the kind of attitude that said, don't hit on me because I have a boyfriend and I'm sick of it. I tried to small talk with her anyway just so I could see what she looks like. The funny thing about her was that she was wearing a blond wig to color match the principal, but man I wish I could see what she looked like as a brunette.

We wrapped and when I got home, I did a little 30 minute run. It wasn't difficult, but I noticed my plantar fasciitis is not very pleasant when running up hill.

CHUCK #6

I looked up the last time I worked on Chuck and it was like a year ago. Funny how time flies. I still remember the first time I worked on Chuck and how excited I was. It was their first season and I think one of my first gigs. How funny.

I jogged in the morning, finally trying to follow a more formal training guide based on Nova Marathon's schedule. Their schedule has a lot of light running during the week, followed by more intense and longer runs on the weekend. That works for me since I have weekends free. We'll see how hard it actually becomes.

It was hot in the afternoon so I sweat bricks walking to Stage 10. I was cast as a shopper in the Buy More store. After an hour of chilling, we were let go for lunch so I got a chance to visit the museum. I was disappointed because there was nothing new in the museum. I was hoping some things from the last Harry Potter movie would be on display, but there was nothing.

Nothing really remarkable happened while working. I remember a chick named Charlene who was from West Covina. Then I saw Melissa who reminded me of someone I know (basically Janet). I decided to strike up conversation with her and found out she was reading Tina Faye's book. That was a good start and when we finally wrapped, I waited for her to walk back to the parking lot.

Then our conversation finally flowed. She had hated her job in advertising while working in traffic and that was enough for me to get interested. But when I got home, it was impossible to find her on Facebook because there's like hundreds of her online. So I found her on Twitter and just gave her my name to friend. She had a picture on there and when I looked back on FB, I think I saw her. I just wasn't sure.

Bodog seems like an easy way to win money playing poker. I joined another tourney but came in 6th out of the money (out of 10 players) by being a little unlucky. I decided to gamble TT v A3 but doing so lost a chance to place in the money. The BB called me with A3 while the SB folded smartly since he only had a few hundred chips left. Oh well, it was only $2 and I'm not sure I would have done that if the stakes were higher.

(written 8/24/11)

NEVERENDING P90X

Last night I won a single table Bodog tournament. It seemed too easy, almost like playing on Facebook. I guess we'll see if it gets tougher.

I just watched tv after lunch. I remember thinking today how lazy I was and wondered why I can't motivate myself to clean shit up. I guess I'm somewhat of a hoarder in a way because I really have trouble throwing stuff away. I'm not sure where this comes from. I think I'm going to screw this attitude and just throw stuff away.

For example, I have all these call sheets from productions I've worked on. What will I do with all this stuff? Probably nothing, but they serve as proof that I worked on these things. Other than that, they are pretty meaningless. I also keep all the parking passes and visitor passes when I'm sent to the studios. They aren't worth anything, but again, I guess I love the idea that it is proof of what I've done. Maybe in a way I think they are sentimental and I would like to keep them in my memory. So perhaps I should just scan them so I'll have a virtual copy that doesn't take as much space as a real copy.

But then, I have to scan and that in itself seems like work. See how lazy I am?

After dinner, I did more tv watching. I fell asleep in the afternoon and didn't get a chance to workout. I try to workout around 5PM but it seems like that is the time I get sleepy if I'm laying around. The key is to not lay around because it's a pretty sure thing that I'll get sleepy if I do.

I waited until around 9:30PM to workout. I did a P90X workout that is pretty much useless. I mean, I'm not really working out so much as going through the motions. I'm not pushing myself and that's ok with me.

I also looked at the training schedule that's based on the Nova Marathon episode. It seems that I'm already behind, but it shouldn't take much to catch-up to the schedule. Hopefully, I'll be prepared for the half-marathon I'm planning to run in the winter.

ANOTHER LUNCH OUT

We ate at Chili's since moms wanted to eat out. Afterwards, I dropped her off at home and then took the kids to Zita's where Kimi was. The discussion was about Jared again and how much potential trouble he could have gotten people in. We were all thankful that no one was hurt, but again, the prudent thing to do would not have a party, but what's done is done. Like I said, the only way he's ever really going to learn is when he really gets in trouble.

I didn't know it, but Marissa was actually at the party. She ended up hiding and somehow, the cops never found her. She said that if her dad found out, she would be dead. So she's lucky I guess. I told Kimi she should have told her dad so the dad could tell the other cops to give Jared a hard time and teach him a lesson. Obviously, Jared didn't really learn shit except that he got away with it. Hopefully he takes our input somehow.

Then I went home and watched Forbrydelsen. I thought it was the last episode, but it wasn't. I thought the American version was different, but it actually wasn't. The last episode in the original version from Denmark also ended without revealing the killer. Only in season two do they continue the hunt. I think I might just watch the original and not bother with the American version.

Then I biked to Lorbeer and ran 2.5 miles without much difficulty. I ran very slow and flat-footed since I want to let my plantar fasciitis heal. I was running on my forefoot a few weeks back and felt ok about it, but then recently, I began to feel pain on the bottom of my feet right where my heel is. Yep, it's plantar fasciitis. Interestingly, moms had the same diagnosis when she was walking too much. I guess it's part hereditary and part exercise. I hope my appendix isn't in danger.

KIDS BARE THEIR SOULS

K. Noel's kids were dropped off by Kimi who went to the beach. They wanted to spend the weekend with their grandma, but we had other things in mind, or at least I did. I wanted to have a talk with them about exactly what happened last night. It turns out that Jared had thrown a party without his dad's permission at his dad's house. Over 150 people showed up and by 10:30PM, the cops had come to and break it up.

Jared called me last night, but I didn't really get a chance to discuss it with him. It was just too fresh and his mom had just picked him up. The cops were cool with Kimi and were used to this sort of thing. No one got in trouble and no one got hurt. So I told Jared that I thought it was pretty cool that he did such a thing and no one landed in jail, but I told him he had to be careful because the downside is that if someone did get hurt, it'd be him and his parents that would have to pay the piper.

As we talked about what happened, the conversation shifted into talking about their relationship with their father. They talked about how unhappy they are and how negative he is when they are with him. They were all upset and I could see that they weren't just feeling sorry for themselves. I really wanted to just hug them and tell them everything would be ok, but I just sat there frozen not knowing what to really say. So I tried to lighten the situation by just summarizing the point of the discussion which was that it's all Jared's fault.

Then the girls and I left to buy some ingredients for our taco feast. Kylie made the salsa, Jared cooked the meat and I prepped all the tidbits that would go on our tacos. I didn't think we had enough food since I only purchased three pounds of meat, but three pounds went a long way and we still had plenty left. I guess a good rule of thumb is one pound for every man and half a pound for every woman. That's more than enough and that would also translate to a good amount of leftovers.

Moms wanted to go to San Diego, but I didn't know what to do out there if we dropped her off at Valley View. Instead, we decided to watch a double feature at the Mission Tiki Drive-In. I screwed up because the guy asked for $14 seeing only Karina and me, but I gave him $60 since I thought it was $5 per person. He obviously didn't see everyone in the back and I could have gotten away with paying admission for just two people, but I blew it and ended up paying full price.

The front row seems to be the best seat in the house and if you're going to sit outside, it's best to have some headphones or other device that will allow you to have better sound than just hearing the speakers from the car. Still, sitting outside under the stars and watching movies with all kinds of chips, drinks and popcorn is something I just love. I don't know if it's because I remember watching Star Wars in the drive-in or if it's the cheap cost, but I really, really love it.

We watched Conan the Barbarian and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Both were pretty good, but Rise was really good. I'm amazed how realistic the computer graphics are when it comes to motion capture. The apes on that movie were incredibly life-like and displayed emotion that is pretty shocking. I was impressed and the movie was really good too. It wasn't James Franco that was the star, it was the monkey.

(written 8/21/11)

UP ALL NIGHT

After a haircut and lunch, I left for Encino where the show was shooting on location. When I looked at the Google maps, I knew I'd be in trouble. I took too long warming up my food and taking a shower and left with only about an hour and ten minutes to get there. So at my 3:30PM call time, I called Central and told them I was going to be late. I got to base camp about 3:40PM, the only one late. But the nice thing was that it didn't really matter since everyone was standing around anyway.

I was booked as a waiter with another guy and we were put in jeans, a vest and a tie. The pants were way too big, but they didn't seem to really care how it fit. It still looked ok to them. Then we were shuttled to a nice block somewhere and told that we wouldn't be working for a few hours. This is always the time when I realize I should have brought my chair.

So we hung out for a few hours waiting for the evening to come around. I just read a lot and the toughest thing about waiting was when an ice cream guy came around making sundaes for everyone. It was hard to resist and I was so tempted many times to just grab one, but I'm really trying to avoid empty calories when I'm not working out.

When the evening came, it was finally time to go on set. We walked across the street to a super modern house with a big pool and giant backyard. A pregnant Maya Rudolph arrived a little later since it was her scene. She basically pretends to be taking care of her baby when in fact she's in Vegas feeding a handsome man some cake.

We finally wrapped and I headed home to get a few things, then headed to Jansen's pretty late. We yazzled up then played some Bodog. I played a single table tourney and got third, then Jansen played and got sixth. That was our lonesome night together.

CASTLE #3

I was booked as a stand-in for an Asian guy. He was some kind of criminal but I didn't really get a chance to see what the scene was about because I didn't get any sides. I got to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery right on time, but the van that took us to set was a little late.

The set PA just sent me directly to set and I watched the rehearsals for a little bit before having to stand-in. Later, a wardrobe guy brought me a black shirt that I used for color matching. The camera crew wants the stand-ins to wear something similar to the principals so they can make sure their settings are correct.

I saw Yvonne who I'd worked with before on Rizzoli & Isles. I was amazed at her body because it wasn't really visible when we were in uniform on Rizzoli. This time, she had some form fitting pants that really showed off her bootie.

I also met some of the regular stand-ins like Mike and an incredibly gorgeous woman who was even hotter than the principal she was standing in for. She looked like a model, but she graduated from Azusa Pacific with a psychology degree. Hot and educated, what a combo.

Our scenes didn't take too long and I was wrapped right during rush hour. Both Janet and Ash weren't available so I just drove home and had a conversation with Rachelle about Binggoy's situation after having smoked half a j. She seemed to believe that T. Bing didn't like Karing because he thought she was not submissive enough. I didn't think that but Rachelle was sure of it because she said she thinks exactly the same way he does.

So I called Binggoy to talk to him about his situation, and we didn't really get further than where we have been. It was just good to let him know that the Jedis already know about it and that they've discussed it within themselves and support him. Other than that, what else can we really do?

I also played a tournament on Bodog and had a pretty fun and easy time getting 3rd out of 27. It seemed like a lot of players were just bad and that continuation bets were pretty easy to win. I think I waited too long to push in the end and should have gambled rather than allowing my stack to dwindle. Maybe it was the yay, so who knows?

MOMS BIRTHDAY!

I actually woke up and didn't say anything to moms to wish her a happy birthday. It was only going on the computer and seeing the reminder that it was her birthday that made me realize, I haven't done shit for her!

So when it was lunchtime, I told her we should go eat at our nearby Japanese restaurant Kyala for her birthday. We drove down there and had a pretty good lunch. The restaurant had just been re-modeled, so we spent some time trying to see what had changed. I wish I could talk to moms like I do with some friends. Nothing stops me from doing that, but I guess I can't just expect to talk to moms the way I do with friends. We have a relationship that is different than that.

Then I rode the bike to Lorbeer and jogged two miles. It was hot out, so it was actually tougher than usual. I had a slight headache and the heat wasn't helping. Even riding the bike back was tougher than usual, but I was still able to do it, even though I wanted to just quit and rest.

Moms wanted to go to TGIF to use the gift card she got during Christmas or during Engineer's Day at her work. So I drove us to the Brea one and it was pretty crowded. We got a very cute brunette named Janice who was really very nice and attentive, almost to a fault. We didn't bring any cash and the gift card matched the cost of the meal. So when it was time to tip her, we were in trouble. I ended up having to buy a smoothie just to charge her a tip!

The best part of the night was when all the servers came and sang her the TGIF birthday song. She was so embarrassed it, her cheeks were glowing. I was surprised how that happened since I'm just so used to this sort of thing, especially with the attention-whore nieces I have.

At night, I finally deposited the PS withdrawal into Bodog. I was too sleepy to play so I didn't actually play which makes me wonder if I'm over poker. I definitely don't want to spend the time I did and will just play much more recreationally (is that even a word?) now.

(written 8/18/11)

THE EXES

I wanted to get up earlier than I did to eat breakfast, but as usual, I couldn't get myself up in time. Instead, I left around 9AM and ate a packaged oatmeal breakfast bar on the way to CBS Radford Studios. I got there early because there wasn't any traffic so I was actually able to put my chair away since we were seated in the bleachers.

The Exes is a TVLand show so it was this groups' first time out this season. It seemed like the actors had a lot of input during the takes, but when the director wanted something done, it was done.

The nice thing was that we had breakfast from the crew leftovers and also lunch from the crew leftovers. I got a chance to hang with "K" a Japanese lady who I have worked with many times but have never spoken to.

After our scene in the Italian restaurant, we were wrapped pretty much in the middle of rush hour. Rather than fighting it, I called Janine to see what she was up to. She was in the middle of doing some accounting but had enough time to have a little wine and cheese at the restaurant next door. We had fun catching up and we discussed her business as usual.

I enjoy talking about her business but I gotta say, I don't know how she manages to keep things afloat. She's got some ganas for sure and perhaps some other things I don't know about.

LORBEER GIRLFRIEND

Moms and I had lunch and spent most of the day just watching tv. She asked me about the Sprint bill and I had to call them to find out why the overage penalties were never credited to the account. So I had to spend time again explaining what happened and going over the entire call history I had the first time I called. One thing is certain - you definitely want to get in touch with a Filipino call center because they seem to be the most able to waive fees.

All this reminds me that we're going to have to figure out whether we want to keep our land line and to shop for new home insurance.

Then I went for a two mile run at Lorbeer. I finally saw the mysterious track girl running again, but this time, she had a dog. It looked like a boxer and she looked like she got some new boobs or something because she seemed a lot top heavier. I wish I had the kind of game to talk to her without her feeling too weird since the first and last time I spoke to her, she told me she had a boyfriend when I asked if I could take her out for a drink.

I was tempted to put money into Bodog again, but never got around to it. I guess I'm a little worried I'm going to spend too much time on it rather than working on cleaning up my room. Eh, whatever. I'll probably do it eventually (both clean my room and deposit money) but for now, I'm ok with just catching up on my tv shows. Good lord I am a boring, old man.

HORSESHOES AND WHORES

I took K. Noel and Amanda to the airport this morning. The mollys are cool because they're not so strong that you can't do anything the next day. I was short about one or two hours of sleep, but other than that, I was good.

When I got back, poor moms didn't have any fruit to eat, so I went to the grocery store and bought a bunch. I also bought some pan de sal so she'd have something to nibble on rather than eating full meals. Then I went over to Zita's to hang out with the gang. Mike and Kennie were in town and Jerry and Ronnie were over too. Then John, Margie and John's girlfriend showed-up along with Lori and her aunt. The Kreps were also hanging out so it was a full house.

We played some horseshoes and drank and ate and all the usual things that go on at Zita's. Then, as the night grew darker, people began leaving and I ended up taking Jared's girlfriend Marissa home.

PACIFIC FESTIVAL 2011

I went to Jansen's and waited for Vanessa to arrive before we all left. I gotta hand it to Tam, she is still down to roll even though she's prego.

The OC Pacific Festival was in Oak Valley or something like that, a private parcel of land in some valley. There was only one way in, but it was smooth flowing to get there. We parked on a dirt lot and got started with our pre-party. Vanessa is apparently the queen of pre-parties, always getting her drink on before entering.

When we got to the entrance, we noticed a lot of things weren't allowed once again, just like last week. So Jansen and I put our backpacks away and headed back in. We had to make sure our taint was right and we had no issues getting in.

The crowd is definitely more mellow, a lot different than last week's rave. Tam said that it was more like the Coachella crowd, and I was diggin' it. I feel too old for the rave scene, but this more upscale crowd was closer to my level.

Jay and I started smoking some trees when we saw Afroman on stage. The goal today was to sell some joints and make back some of the cash it cost to purchase it. But I only ended up selling one joint and it was a pretty hard sell. I had to let them smoke it first and then the couple gave me $10 in single bills. I felt like a drug dealer but there's no denying it - I was!

The rest of the jays went up in smoke because no one was interested in purchasing any. I guess we didn't do enough marketing or everyone brought their own shit. Oh well, it was fun dealing for the day. There's a little excitement that goes into doing something illegal.

The day wore on and at one point, I lost my hat. I figured it was lost forever, but when we returned to our original spot, there it was, lying there in the dirt. Jansen spotted it and I dusted it off and it was good to go. I put it away in my shorts so I wouldn't lose it again and felt great that something lost was now found.

Jansen berated me for not bringing any yay. I thought it wouldn't be needed and boy did I regret it. It's just something that helps you keep going and now I know why people bring that shit to these events.

Snoop Dog was probably the best show because we knew all his songs and he got everyone dancing. He also threw a really good, entertaining show. He still can get down. Then we watched the main act Cut Copy who was also really good, but we left before they finished so we could get the hell out of dodge. It took some time before finally getting out, but when we did, it was clear skies all the way home (no traffic).

KIDS COME VISIT

I guess K. Noel's kids had a minimum day because they all came over around 4pm today. I was just about to leave for a run when they arrived. So after a little dilly dally, I went to Lorbeer with Jared and we jogged a very slow mile. Jared wanted to run faster, but I'm a much slower runner than he is. We got locked into the track so we had to jump the fence.

When we got back, the bbq was getting set-up. K. Noel and Amanda brought some food from their fridge that they wanted to get rid of. So while they did this, I went to Pharm Assist to pick-up an 1/8th. The cutie behind the counter is a little shorty that I want to talk to more in the future. She's cute, but I wonder if a lot of guys try to hit on her.

I got back a little late because I had to go all the way around Diamond Bar just to escape the accident that was on Golden Springs. I just told everyone I had to get money. Then Rosie called and asked if we could pick-up the money. So I went with Karina and she asked why it smelled like a skunk in the car. I laughed internally.

Karina told me she was in a little relationship with little Shawn Kreps. She confessed she was torn about it because he's not exactly the type of cute boy she normally associates with. But that she truly liked him because of her emotional connection with him. Ahh, young love. I hope she learns some lessons from this though I'm not exactly sure what it is I want her to learn.

We had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. We thought about going to Brea Fest, but K. Noel wasn't in the mood so we just hung out like we usually do at home.

(written 8/15/11)

BACK TO THE RUN

After lunch, I took mom to her Dr. here in Diamond Bar Kaiser. She did a little follow-up exam to make sure her sores weren't infected or anything. Moms is fine and so is the cutie behind the pharmacy counter. Might have to do a little re-visit to that Kaiser cause she got me all curious.

I asked the Dr. about moms coughing and she didn't seem to really care. She just wanted to prescribe anti-allergy medicine. She said all her tests were good and that nothing came up. It troubles me that she felt that way because it seemed like it wasn't much of a problem for her. Maybe I'll need to follow-up with an email and have her think about it differently.

Then I rode the bike to Lorbeer to do some jogging. I did two laps with a pretty flat foot and then a mile on the fore foot. It wasn't bad, but I definitely felt out of shape. I noticed that when my face is scrunched, the jog seemed harder. When I relaxed it, it felt easier. I guess the facial muscles really do have an effect on ones mood. I guess I should try smiling more often.

I didn't do much after dinner. Just a lot of tv. Oh yeah, I invested in another ETF. I bought an index to the financial sector. I wanted to buy BofA or Wells Fargo, but decided to just buy an index to be on the safer side. Besides, that's what Elizabeth Warren says all the pros do in her book "All Your Worth."

CHILLIN' WITH MOMS

I finally convinced moms to take her medication to help her relieve the pain. When she did, she felt a lot better, but it made her sleepy. What do you expect? That stuff is strong.

So we spent the day just relaxing and watching tv.

(written 8/27/11)

BRINGING MOMS HOME

I left for the hospital in the morning to see if moms would be released. She was still groggy but was awake when I arrived. She seemed okay, but said that her stomach hurt from eating the liquid food she was given. She had some broth for lunch, and then the nurse said she could go.

I drove the car to the waiting area and moms got in gingerly after being wheel-chaired there. She looked good and she seemed ok except for some of the pain from the laparoscopic surgery. When we got home, she refused to take any of the medicine because she said she was fine. She also knew that it was very strong and she was worried that it might upset her stomach.

She pretty much rested all day on the couch and didn't want to eat. So I just tried to keep her comfortable by turning the fan on and making sure she had everything she needed. My poor moms!

(written 8/20/11)

MOMS GOES TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM

Mom went to see her Dr. in the morning because she was still feeling pain in her tummy. The Dr. ordered her to get a CT scan at the Baldwin Park Kaiser so while she waited, I went to In-N-Out for lunch. When I came back, she was still waiting for it to be done so she told me to go home and pick her up when she was done.

I had forgotten my phone at home, so by the time I got home, there was a message telling me not to go since she had finished her scan. So I drove back to pick her up then headed back home. We waited about 30 minutes when we got home for the call from the Dr. It turned out she needed an appendectomy. The initial diagnosis of diverticulitis was incorrect.

So I drove her back and we waited at the ER for a few hours before she was finally admitted. They took her upstairs to the OR and I was placed in a different waiting room. K. Noel and Amanda came later and as they waited, I went to WingStop for dinner.

By the time I returned, moms was already done with her operation and we saw her in the operation treatment and care area or OTC. She was still groggy from the anesthesia so after a few goodbyes, we left and let mom sleep.

HARDFEST 2011

Jared, K. Paul, K. Noel and I played golf at Diamond Bar this morning. I was hoping for an earlier time, but I guess there wasn't one. We decided to walk since it was going to be a slow day and we save some money. I was a little worried about walking because it was pretty hot and I knew I was going to party tonight.

We decided to play skins straight up except that Jared would have a handicap. I shot a 47 on the front and didn't feel too bad about it. There were some double bogeys and triple bogeys I felt like wasn't too much my fault. By the turn, I got my game together and shot a 40. I had two birdies in the round, both to win some tough skins. I guess the handicap really works since it made the game pretty fair. Otherwise, Jared would have killed us.

Then I left for Hardfest after showering. I didn't have time to eat and just said goodbye to the kids and fams. I picked Jansen up and we left for Venice so Josh could drive us to Union Station. There, we found $6 parking and got up on the platform. We could already see the freaks out in full effect. I began to feel like this was a rave we were attending.

We did some taping inside out drawers to smuggle some shit inside. It was pretty sketchy, but we didn't have any issues at all. When I got inside, I went straight to eat because I was starving. By the time I started to really take things in, I realized this was a full on rave. Jansen had fooled me into thinking it was more of a music festival. I guess it was, but it really was more like this even though these are pictures from Audiotistic.

It was a pretty long night, but I really enjoyed watching Cromeo. I also liked Duck Sauce though Skrillex wasn't too much my thing even though my friend Rich loves him. I didn't get as wasted as I thought I would get but I suppose that's a pretty good thing at my age. We didn't find any after-parties, so after chillin' at Josh's for a little bit, we just went home.

(written 8/22/11)

MOMS FAINTS

I woke up and moms was already cleaning around the house. Then she broke down and said that she fainted and had a stomach pain. I told her and yelled at her that we needed to go to the hospital but she refused. I was so mad but I didn't know what to do. She said she was fine and that she would just observe herself.

Then K. Paul and the fams came. Lia wanted to go to the shelter, but since it was already closed, I said we could go to the store to buy some things for her pet rock. I gave her the rock from Chiaty's wedding. I can't believe I held on to it for so long. We put some googly eyes on it and some slippers. Then Lia added a little bow to make it a girl.

I bought some kfc for the kids for dinner and moms had made kare kare for the rest of us. Then we chilled and rested the rest of the evening.

(written 8/11/11)

CASTLE #2

I'd never worked in an insert unit before, so I didn't exactly know what that meant when I was booked in one. It turns out that the insert unit is responsible for shooting the little shots that are inserted in between the main shots used in a scene.

So today, I was supposed to be the Indian ER intern. The funny thing is that they don't even get close to shooting any part of us that is even visible, so it could have been pretty much anybody. Instead, they always seem to try to get someone as close to the height and shade of the original principal.

The people I was working with were pretty cool and they were young. One chick was Pinay named Crystal and the other was probably Korean named Terra. I also met a Hispanic dude who was very nice and laid back who I ended up seeing on The Shield. He played the medic and was sitting around along with us pretty much all day.

I got to eat lunch with Crystal and Terra and Terra seemed much nicer and talkative than Crystal probably because she was single. I hate eating at commissaries because it's always so expensive, so I ordered the cheap house salad for $5 since we had a lot of food and treats back on stage at crafty.

It was a long day and I ended up staying longer than everyone else since they needed one more extra to take the part of a detective. But after this insert was shot, everyone wrapped. It was kind of spooky getting dropped off at the Hollywood Cemetery since that's where we had to park.

(written 8/17/11)

GOSSIP GIRL

The show is normally shot in New York, so I felt lucky to get to work on it. I was cast as a cook/server, but basically I was dressed as a crew person along with a captain and another crew guy.

We worked in Long Beach on a yacht that was docked in some marina. When we got dressed, my pants fit just fine. But the captain's pants wouldn't fit him, so they asked if I could take one for the team and switch with him. The pants didn't fit me either, but it was closer to fitting me than the other guys. So I got left with camel penis and pants that couldn't be buttoned.

The first scene I was placed on was with the three friends, and the only one I knew was Blake Lively. She introduced herself to me when I was set next to her. My job was to pour some orange juice for her and walk off. Then the scene began.

Most of the time we were chilling at holding, right on the dock. But as the sun began moving, there was no shade, so we set-up next to the bathroom where the shade was. The captain went to USC but the other crew guy was a pretty annoying, strange guy who came from Philly with aspirations to become a famous movie star. It's funny the type of people you meet because you really meet all types.

The Trojan loved his dog and showed me some pictures of him. We talked about breeding and I commented how much I loved the way he used the word "bitch". He told me that last week he told a woman what a fuckin' bitch she was. He had no problem telling her that and he had no problem that he was asked to leave when she told on him. I'm impressed that people can be like that because sometimes I wish I could be a total ass and say fuck you to some people.

We were wrapped after 7pm and the drive home wasn't bad at all.

(written 8/15/11)

NCIS LA

I got cast as another Operation Tech working with the geeks that provide technical information to the guys on the field. The PA was pretty hot and the little geeky actress was cute too. Her guy counter-part was totally gay, but what was cool was that they knew how to have fun between scenes. They would dance and do fun things during the dead time.

Meanwhile, we worked on a few scenes doing some crosses. We all looked and dressed the same. Jeans, button up shirt and clean-cut. After a few hours, we were done and I was out of Paramount before rush hour. I even got home before moms did.

(written 8/11/11)

RENT PICK-UP

All I did was pick-up the rent from Rosie who asked if she could pay the other $200 in another two weeks. I bet it must be difficult for her to ask every time, but what's a mother supposed to do? When things are tough, they do what they can. I told her it would be fine but that she should add another $20 since she didn't add that last month.

(written 8/9/11)