Well Folks, I booked THE MENTALIST, a truly fabulous show.  I also worked it last week in the bitter morning cold of Acton, CA.

An hour north of LA, Acton is in the Soledad Canyon area where it’s remote, gorgeous and deliciously quiet.

It’s an area that has been used by the film industry since the beginning of film.  Many westerns have been shot there, as well as feature films, tv series and specials.  The area offers so many different settings and environments.  In fact I shot my second LA job there, doing THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO in the Fall of 1981.  It was great to be back.

Got my last W2 on Saturday so Tuesday I have the pleasure of mailing off my end of year tax stuff to our accountant.  Yay!!

Sunday after I serve at Mass as a Eucharistic Minister, Tom is dropping me off at Mary Pat’s where I will have lunch before we head out to be judges for a Lions Club sponsored Public Speaking contest for high schoolers.

I ended up agreeing to do it and to finding one more judge, as a church friend is president of the Lion’s Club.  How could I say no? Ought to be a hoot   

I’ve been altering some curtains this past week and will continue to do so in the coming week.  As I began to plan for our summer travel and arranging for friends to be in our home while we are away, I decided it was time to get to those tasks, long on my TO DO list.

Tuesday I do my sixth outing of the year for SurveyLA.  I got a bunch of new information they want us to include in our presentations so I’ll be taking a second look at that before heading out.

Lent kicks off with Ash Wednesday.  We hope to attend the 12:30 Mass or the 5:30 if auditions dictate.

I’m going to dial in on a live stream meeting on the Internet of my unions discussion of merger.  I am ardently PRO merger of SAG and AFTRA. It will increase our bargaining strength and give us more power to safeguard our wages, residuals, working conditions and, our pension and health benefits. Our employers operate across all types of media. We must have the power to meet them as one union with one voice. Forming one union ensures that we cannot be divided, and will help us to protect what we have while we organize new work opportunities for all members, background to center stage. Vote YES on merger.

I’m going to lunch with Cece on Thursday.  We haven’t had one on one time in ages.

That night I hope to get to the Skirball to see a documentary called To Catch a Dollar, about micro loans to impoverished women.  I’ll also see Women Hold Up the Half the Sky exhibit as the Heifer event that was scheduled a few weeks ago was canceled.  I need to see that exhibit!

In 2010 I voiced the character of Maureen in an episode of BEN 10: ULTIMATE ALIEN.  It airs this Saturday 9 AM, EST.  The episode is called “Catch a Falling Star.”

Our TiVo will catch the cartoon as I will join the Ladies for a day of discount shopping and lunch at a local winery.

They did this last month but I was in Santa Barbara that weekend.  Well worth the trade but now I want to see those  mega discounts myself.  The Girls just raved about this monthly, super discount, warehouse event.  We’ll see.

Happy Birthday to my college pal, Charlie Bappert.  Hope it is a great one.

Ok, let’s recap. CLYBOURNE PARK is a must see play.  Brilliant. Besides winning the Pulitzer last year it is moving to Broadway.  Get to the Taper and see if for $20.  Hurry as it closes soon.

It was wonderful to see my old Michigan friends, Corinne & Mike Belanger.  Turns out it’s been about 25 years but no time at all as we picked up where we left off.  They got to meet Tom and see the house, although I have been writing about both for years.

Our weekend in Santa Barbara was perfection.  A gloriously relaxing time, sleeping a lot, touring their marvelous Botanical Gardens, dining out at wonderful new restaurants and ing Main Street.  We’ve been many times over the years so we no longer feel the need to see everything.  I even managed to view two more Oscar screeners, EXTREMELY LOUD and INCREDIBLY CLOSE and W.E. The first I enjoyed immensely and the second, not so much. 

Went to a beautiful church for Mass, Our Lady of Sorrows, just a four block walk from our home. Then Sunday brunch at a local eatery and on the road south by 2 PM.

Tom first  hit the bed while I prepared a Chinese Chicken Salad dinner for Winnie and us.  Then Tom was back to bed after dinner and Win and I headed out to the fabulous Surrealist Women Painters of North American and Mexico at LACMA.  This exhibit was far more interesting than I anticipated as it really explained how the surrealism movement by female artists was the forerunner of the Women’s Movement.  Who knew?

I did a Career Day at Christ the King grade school as part of Catholic Schools Week.  They had a terrific slate of speakers: lawyer, pediatrician, police officer, Fed Bank officer, priest and me. The kids asked wonderful questions both at the general assembly as well as my close up Q & A with the 6th and 8th grades.

The producers of the pilot presentation I did called FOREVER YOUNG AT HEART held a screening and party for an invited audience that included Tom and me.  It was wonderful seeing the cast and crew again but better than that, the pilot is terrific.  Now begins the hard work of finding backers to move this thing into full production.

After much thought we decided against a quickie trip to Phoenix to see my sister Jeanne and niece Allie.  Too big a push for too little time to visit.  With the trip cancelled it opened up a weekend that otherwise was booked.  We took advantage of it and saw the Oscar nominated animated shorts which were fantastic.  I wish the general public had a chance to see them.

After Mass we headed down to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana to see the Chinese Terracotta Soldiers.  Gorgeous presentation.  Turns out we arrived too late to get in as the days allotment was sold-out.  But, if we became members we could go right in.  So now we are members of a museum that is 45 minutes from our house.  Guess we’ll get down there at least a few times in the coming year just to get the value out of the membership.  To be honest, it was worth it for that one exhibit.

I’ve had a few auditions and but nothing has paid dividends.  Ever the optimist I am certain a job is just around the corner.

I did get a new headshot done.  Now it’s up on various websites dedicated to actors, such as www.imdb.com and Actors Access.  Having a bit of a problem getting it on the opening page of my website.  My web guy has to get in there and make the change. 

Also got my teeth cleaned, always a great feeling and good to go for another six months.

I’m lectoring at the 10:30 this week. Intend to get over to see my friend Martha who lives in a nursing home.  Mary Pat is coming after 4 and bringing dinner!  Nice to be taken to dinner in your own home.  Afterwards we’ll settle in to viewing the last 2 Oscar nommed animation flicks. Try to catch some of the Grammy’s in between.

Monday I’m doing another SurveyLA presentation, in Koreatown this time.  I did two last week and have only two more after this week.

So Tuesday is Valentine’s Day and Tom and I have agreed not to give each other chocolate.  Of course we both want it but don’t need it.  Finally got my weight stabilized from Christmas and am pressing on to lowering it.  We do think we’ll go out to dinner but haven’t picked a place.

Thursday it’s lunch with Cece at Pete’s Café in downtown LA.  A good catch-up is long overdue.  That evening I’ll be attending a Heifer Leadership Council dinner/meeting in Manhattan Beach. We’re developing strategies on how to grow major donors as well as plan the next several months of fund raisers.

I mail my Oscar ballot in this week so it meets the February 20 deadline.

We loved the CTG production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN at the Kirk Douglas Theater.    Directed by Phylicia Rashad and written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1950, it is loosely based on events in her life when her Black family moved into an all White neighborhood.  It is as relevant today as it was then.

Incidently, CLYBOURNE PARK, the play now at the Taper, takes place in the same house at the RAISIN play ends in.  The author was inspired by that story. “Clybourne Park --Two different generations of characters tip-toe the delicate dance of social politics and two seminal events—50 years apart—in the same Chicago neighborhood. The 1959 landmark drama A Raisin in the Sun provides a contextual center for this rich and darkly satirical Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy. Jokes fly and hidden agendas unfold as two vastly different generations of characters tip-toe the delicate dance of social politics, pitting race against real estate at the crux of two seminal events—50 years apart—in the same North Chicago habitat.”

Happy Birthday wishes to pals Eva Bailer and Ramola Naidoo, great nephew John Michael Bertrand and big brother Jack. Rock on!

Last week was amazingly slow which was nice.  I got more sleep, something I always need.  I even got all my tax prep ready for the CPA once the W2s arrive. Got the big annual alma mater charity auction donations logged, packaged and UPS’d. Cleaned out the only messy closet in the master bedroom, saw myself on MIKE & MOLLY and THE MIDDLE, took my 3rd zumba class, facial is done and got the food shopping done for the month. Also finished a “welcome guide” to our house as we are about to have a number of people staying here while we have a little getaway time.

Before I left for Mass last Sunday I read an email telling of an “open to the public” tour of the Wilshire Ebell, a historical LA women’s club.  So after Mass and breakfast at a new place, Vees Café (VG), I dropped Tom off and headed back to the fabulous Ebell.

It was established in 1894 by a small group of women with a desire for learning and being of service. College was rare for women of that era, and their opportunities for formal study were limited. So Ebell members lined up erudite speakers and prepared edifying presentations on Robert Browning, Shakespeare, Cleopatra and ancient Egypt, Berlin art, prison reform, Queen Dido and Jezebel.

At their height there were 3000 members.  Now they number 350 but held the Open House in an effort to expand their membership.  I have no doubt they did just that as I’d say their were 500 people in the buildings while I attended.  Great Sunday afternoon outing.

I took Tom to get a lumbar epidural as he was two months late in going.  The pain had once again become untenable.  But after a day of recovery he was feeling much, much better.  He is scheduled for two more visits in the next month to get the thorasic and cervical areas.

My entire career activity for the week consisted of putting down 2 VO auditions, going on one callback for a commercial which I did not get and picking out a new headshot from a photo shoot.  Now waiting for the agents to weigh in.

While shopping for blouses I stopped to sign a petition to stiffen penalties for those found guilty of perpetrating sex slavery in America. The woman seeking signatures is survivor and wrote a stunning book about her experience.  It is a very real, raw, stream of conscious type read and I recommend it.  The Streets, My Cradle by Jennifer Lynn Jackson, You can click on the link to order it.  http://www.streetgospelpathofhealingandlight.com

Here we are in the dead of winter, LA style, and our jonquils have bloomed.  They are magnificent huddled next to the barren rose bushes.

Tom’s cousin Paige is here and we’ve had a ball, laying low, watching movies (well they have as I’ve seen them already).  Did manage to get to the museum (LACMA) to see their newest exhibit, Metropolis II.  Oh my!  It “ is an intense and a complex kinetic sculpture, modeled after a fast paced, frenetic modern city. Steel beams form an eclectic grid interwoven with an elaborate system of 18 roadways, including one 6 lane freeway, and HO scale train tracks. Miniature cars speed through the city at 240 scale miles per hour; every hour, the equivalent of approximately 100,000 cars circulate through the dense network of buildings. According to Burden, "The noise, the continuous flow of the trains, and the speeding toy cars, produces in the viewer the stress of living in a dynamic, active and bustling 21st Century city." It’s worth the visit and bring your kids.Paige is back to DC on Sunday.  The rest of the day I hope to force myself to do some pension work on my 2010 statement.  I LOATHE checking it but this time I have put it off for almost a year.  I simply have to do it before the 2011 statement arrives. 

Happy Birthday to my sister Elaine. Monday she is 68.  How did we all get so mature?  I won’t say old as it doesn’t sound right. Have a rockin good day, Sis!

That evening I am doing another SurveyLA pitch at an area Neighborhood Council meeting.  I didn’t make the two from last week but intend to catch them this week.

Thursday we see CLYBOURNE PARK at the Taper.  Don’t know anything about it but we’ll be there.

Friday we’re off to Santa Barbara for the weekend.  Absolutely nothing planned.  We may just sleep, read and eat until we return Sunday evening to watch the SAG Awards.

I take Tom for the thorasic epidural on the day after we return from SB.   He’ll be down for a day or two.

Very dear friends of mine are coming to lunch on Wednesday.  Mike & Corinne are from Michigan where I worked for 6 years right out of college at the Meadow Brook Theater.  They were faithful subscribers and soon felt they knew me seeing me in show after show after show.  We developed a lovely friendship which has remained active these last 30 years even though I have not seen them.  I am really looking forward to introducing them to Tom.

Every Thursday Tom volunteers as a tutor at the Immaculate Conception grade school in downtown Los Angeles. He’s got the kids fairly fired up about reading, math and history.

If all goes as planned we will drive to Phoenix on Friday giving our brand new Honda Odyssey a chance to show us what she’s got.  My niece Allie is doing an internship there and her mom my sister Jeanne is flying in for a visit.  Figured I’d double dip by getting them both on this weekend.

Have two SurveyLA Neighborhood Council meetings to attend on Monday February 6.  Another one of Thursday evening.

Block Club meeting on Tuesday evening, right next door so I figure I better show.

We’re scheduled to see the National Theater Live production of TRAVELING LIGHT, afternoon screening.  If nothings happening I’ll go while Tom tutors.

Round off the week by volunteering at a Heifer Fund Raiser at the Skirball Museum exhibit WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY.  The exhibit is a reflection of a wonderful book I am reading HALF THE SKY by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

It’s a luncheon for 30 with a tour of the exhibit and guest speakers.  I’ll be a greeter and will assemble the gift bag the week before.

That evening Tom and I will see A RAISIN IN THE SUN at the Kirk Douglas Theater.  I actually have to change my tickets from the matinee to the evening so I HOPE to attend the evening performance.

Big birthday wishes to our great nephew John Michael, totally awesome pal Eva and  favorite former pastor, Msgr Antonio.

Tom, Mary Pat and I had a good but challenging time shooting I HATE MY DAD, the Adam Sandler feature due this summer.

It turned out to be about two hours shooting a wide variety of interpretations of the scene provided by a team of writer/producers coming up with multiple  “on the fly” line variations.  I have to tell you, it kept all of us on our toes.

Tom found the experience enjoyable and declared he has a much better understanding of what it takes to be an actor.  He said you better leave your ego and critical mind at the door because there is no time to think of anything else except what is immediately going on.  In this situation he is absolutely correct.

Bottom line, I enjoyed the experience because once again I got to work with the amazingly talented and kind director, Sean Anders.  He really is the best of the best.  (See photos posted on Behind the Scenes 2010)

My pitch for SurveyLA went well.  I’ll try to get two more done this week if my schedule remains open on Monday and Tuesday evening.

Cleared a couple of dreaded items from my desk: filed two sets of medical reimbursement claims and successfully rebutted a denial of AFTRA secondary insurance coverage for 2012. 

Took my second Zumba class and find it a wonderful workout.  I’m surely the oldest in the class but am managing fairly well.  I probably can do about 60% of what the instructor is doing but best of all I feel no aches or pains 48 hours later. THIS is a good sign.

I want you to know I am driving the oldest Lexus on the roads of Los Angeles.  It’s starting to act a bit wonky but my mechanic can’t find the problem.  This doesn’t bode well.

Having just plunked down 35 grand for Tom’s car I can not face having to buy another car for me, not right now.  Pray this baby makes it another six months, at least.

Finished all my AMPAS foreign movie viewing in order to cast my ballot for Oscar nominations.  So now it’s a wait and see for the final ballot to arrive.  I’m enjoying the break in movie viewing.

On Saturday I finally got to the hazardous waste recycling center, donating about 20 cans of almost empty paint cans, 2 computer towers, various electronic odds and ends, a few batteries and Tom’s medical waste from diabetes injections.  So pleased to move that item off my long term TO DO list.

We’ve started watching THE BORGIAS and I’m not enthralled, yet.  Hope to get there as I love period drama, especially the Old Country variety.

After Sunday Mass I’m going to spend about an hour trimming our pitasporan bushes. I’m trying to trim them into the shape of a golf ball.  Since you can only trim every two months each trimming is critical.  I wish they had wires you could put around them so I could use it as a guide.  I haven’t been able to find any.

Will see what Ricky Garvis is up to on The Globes that evening.

Before I forget, two things.  Happy Birthday to my niece Allie.  On Monday she turns 24.  That night my second episode of MIKE & MOLLY airs on CBS.

I also have a callback that morning for a commercial audition I did last week.  That and some VO calls kept me busy, career wise.

On Tuesday Tom and I are going to an AMPAS event, the screening of the 1927 film  WINGS with Clara Bow, reception to follow. We’ve never seen it, have you?

Mark your calendars to watch my episode of THE MIDDLE airing Wednesday, January 18 on ABC.  I had a great time shooting this and eagerly await the airing.

Tom’s niece Paige will be back for a visit on Thursday, staying through the weekend.  Unfortunately Tom has to get an epidural that morning so he’s likely to be in bed throughout her visit.  But we’ll get some things done such as going to a new exhibit at our County Art Museum, called Metropolis II. I’d also like her to see the Il Teatro all Moda costumes I visited a few months ago.  They’ve extended the exhibition so that is high on my list.  Will also try to see the National Theater’s Live broadcast of COLLABORATORS.

I’ve planned a small dinner party for her Saturday evening to say hello to some of our friends she’s met over her previous visits.  And if I can talk everyone into it, a game of charades.

Major congratulations to my brother Jack and his wife, Sue for celebrating fifty years of marriage on January 20.  And they’re not yet 70!  Now that is a major accomplishment.

Week of January 8, 2012

Just when I thought the party season was behind me I end up with another invitation from my Heritage Association., They had to cancel their Volunteer Appreciation event and have now rescheduled it for this Sunday.

Since I’ve taken off the feed bag, so to speak, I decided the best way to deal with another amazing menu is to volunteer to work it.  I’ll be cleaning and bussing and replenishing for 90 minutes and then go home. Feeling in control about it.

Got through my final few movies last week: BEGINNERS, WARRIOR and TINKER, TAILOR SOLDIER, SPY and thoroughly enjoyed all of them.  I mail my nomination forms in this Monday.

I only vote for best actors and best film so once we have the final in all categories, I’ll be seeing a slew more flicks for sound effects, make-up, animation, Etc. Frankly, I welcome the break til then.

Our house was scouted for an interior scene for BODY OF PROOF.  Still waiting to hear about BONES.

In the meantime I did a callback for a JC Pennys commercial and about 9 VO auditions.    Then Friday I get a call about being asked to do a “bit” for the Adam Sandler film that just wrapped filming, I HATE MY DAD.

Turns out I know the director, Sean Anders from my pilot PLAYING CHICKEN, and his film SEX DRIVE.  Adam knows me because I did a table read of one of his movies.  So, they asked me to do it AND, this is the kicker, to have my husband Tom do it with me. 

Tom is a non actor but apparently he’ll be playing my eye candy, er husband in a non speaking extra role.  There is more.  My best pal Mary Pat Gleason is also doing it with us.  She has done several Sandler movies and Adam loves her.

So basically we’ll be doing a home movie on Monday that the whole world can see.  Isn’t that just too much?

That evening I’ll be seeing two foreign films: “Amnesty” from Albania & “El Shooq” from Egypt as part of my panel viewing for best foreign film nominations. 

Friday I see two more: “Morgen” from Romania and “Aballay” from Argentina.  It’s been a big responsibility and a major time drain.  I’ve loved seeing them but never again, until I’m retired, should I ever retire. 

Worked on getting our old van ready to sell.  For being a 1994 it is still in very good condition.  Runs beautifully but has no suspension.  With Tom’s chronic pain that is not going to work.

Anyway when our housekeeper came last week she asked what we’re asking as she thought her brother might buy it.  And if he didn’t she thought she would.

When I ran through the good and bad about the van, gave her a $1500 price she said she thought she’d take it herself.  I told her if SHE wanted it, we’d give it to her.  She was absolutely speechless and I loved it.  We adore Angelina who has worked for us for over 20 years.  It is so nice to be able to do something for her that she really wants.  It’s a win-win for all.

Got an email that we are gearing up for the third and final phase of SurveyLA.

That’s the program here in LA where the Department of Historic Resources is conducting a citywide survey of historic resources.

As one of their volunteer public speakers I am gearing up to pitch the program at seven neighborhood councils in the next few months. I’m kind of excited to be getting back into it as I believe in it so much.  Once all the data is collected and collated I think it will be the most useful management tool every put together by a City.  The information has so many applications from city planning, film locations, cultural celebrations, population growth, tourism and on and on and on.

Happy birthday to brother-in-law Ronnie and belated best wishes to great niece Sophia.  You rock!