Today's Gratitude: Boys, Art, Beers and Camouflage

When I told my boyfriend I was going to be an extra as a gay pool party guest for a friend's web series, I'm sure he had his doubts.

There he goes again…

I just finished a new draft of a play of mine, which I was trying to do a reading of.  I sent an email to my director Casey, trying to set up a time in February to make that happen.  In her reply, she mentioned that she was shooting a web series and needed some pool partygoers in the background.  Would I be interested?

Oh sure, I thought.  Anything to help out a friend out.

When I got to "set", which was a house in the Valley, I got settled (i.e. got on my phone) since I was the first one there.  Then the guys started marching in.  One after another--chiseled, young and (in one particular case very) hung.  Okay, so I was definitely the writer friend who was doing the director a big huge favor.  It was then I realized that my week long fast wasn't going to help me out.

Just kidding.  I am not the fasting type.  But still, I was intimidated.  So I decided to do what I normally do in this situation…get loud, funny and brown.  Well, I'm always brown, but I browned it up.  (I don't know what that means…see?  My nerves are still fried from the whole experience)

But a few great things happened because I just said YES to helping a friend out:

• I had a great conversation with a pilates instructor in a black speedo with a scorpion tattoo (I feel like I need more.  It's lonely) about saying YES in 2014.  I shared with him that my friend Caitlin had given me the same advice over three years ago when I started this blog and broke up from my ex.
• I got a back rub from a very sweet (and totally hot) guy in a camouflage speedo.  It was for art!
• I caught up with a great friend and actor who I'm dying to work with again.
• I met an actor/director who is looking for plays for an evening of site-specfic theatre he's putting together.  We're going to try and have coffee soon.
• I met another actor who teaches at Pepperdine.  This is significant because the boyfriend just mentioned that I should try to reach out to local universities about teaching and one of the schools he mentioned casually was Pepperdine.  Thanks, Universe!
• Casey and I talked about the plays we're working on together and I mentioned to her a play reading I'll need a director for in May.  And we reiterated that we needed to get this other reading together.
• I connected with the lead actress, who happens to know a friend of mine.
• I had two beers.
• I helped a friend out.
• I spent the day talking about the things I'm working on and connecting with people who are serious about their art.

Great day.  Oh…and I got some color.  Browner than ever!