Coming to a Very Small Screen Near You!

Things are moving so fast! Day before yesterday, the Girl From Texas got herself a part in a student film being done at USC. It was just one scene, but it sounds like it was a good one. She said she looked good on camera, which was something she's been worried about, since sometimes the lens isn't all that kind to her. And, best of all, everyone was nice, and it was fun. I've seen a couple of stills from the shoot. Can't wait to see the actual footage. She knows she needs to do tons of these - plus some indys - before she can seriously attract any representation. She's off to a good start.

And then last night, she moved into her new apartment! It's in an "iffy" neighborhood, across the street from MacArthur Park. There's some online propaganda about how this neighborhood is beginning to undergo rebirth and gentrification. Lord, I hope that's for real! She spent the night on the floor of her new place and is excited as hell about getting moving on this next phase of her life. It's a most humble start. After all, any good artist (or should I spell that "artiste?") has to make sacrifices. Right?

Me? I'm settling into it, too. My stomach doesn't churn every time the words "Los Angeles" pop in and out of my brain. I will consider it a very good thing when the words "Los Angeles" stop popping in and out of my brain entirely.

Just a Girl From Texas

So, yesterday my daughter ran into her first Hollywood Scumbag. She should have known better, but I understand how she could have gotten fished in. She's done a bit of promotional modeling and finds that it's easy work and pays well. So, she figured she'd sign up with a couple of agencies in LA and make a little extra money while she's studying and building her portfolio. She answered an ad on Craig's List looking for models of all sizes (she's short, so that was an attractive point for her). She gets over there, and the guy started telling her what a loser she is and how crappy her pictures are. Lo! He happens to have "contacts" who can fix her up with excellent "LA style" pictures, for a mere $1,500. Of course, she's too smart to fall for that, but it is dismaying that she even got as far as this creep's office. When he saw that he was going to lose this opportunity, he got abusive and told her, among other things, that she was "just a girl from Texas."

He didn't realize that, for us Texas girls, that is NOT an insult.

Idiot.

I guess it's not entirely his fault. After all, he's just a jerk from LA.

Can I get a serving of angst with that?

Dear Lord! Yesterday I put my daughter on a plane to Los Angeles. My stomach was churning almost as much as it was the morning I put her on a ship to go to war. She's taking Step One to seek her fortune. In other words, yesterday was the first day of the rest of her life.

She's always wanted to be an actress. One thing or another has prevented her from pursuing that dream...either a sense of practicality, or a man in her life, or military obligations or...well, you name it. She's been dissatisfied with her life of late, and since she's got no obligations, no relationship and nothing going on here...she found herself a cheap airfare, a car rental place that would rent to under-twenty-fives...and off she went. She's only planning to stay two weeks this time, while she scopes out living arrangement possibilities and about a bazillion other things. Luckily, we have family in Santa Barbara, which will be her "headquarters" for this portion of the adventure.

Now...whether she can act or not - I haven't a clue. And, of course, there are thousands of other beautiful women trying to make it in the film world. I hope her brains and determination help her rise above the crowd. Many times in her life, I've seen her decide she's going to do something....and I'll be damned! She does it. This is a biggie, though. I'm excited for her...but scared to death.

So, for the time being at least...my stomach is still churning. This is hard.

Take your pick!

OK...so I was going to get grumpy about the appalling behavior of my fellow audience members at the play I attended last week. But, don't get me started....

Then, I thought, no....I'll grump about the yuppie mommies (is "yuppie" still an appropriate derisive term?) who let their little darlings PLAY with the automatic door opening button. You know the one...it's for people who can't open the door by themselves. But, it's the favorite toy of indulged children who visit our establishment. We have a two-day school event involving something like 100 of the little dears. It can't be good for the device to be used as a toy. Never mind that it just took us 3 months and God only knows HOW many dollars to get the damn door fixed. I don't want to go through THAT again anytime soon. Plus, it's freezing outside, and when the button is pushed, BOTH the inner and outer doors hang open for something like a full minute or so. BRRRRR! Tomorrow, I shall be openly grumpy. Today, I just wore more enamel off my crowns.

But, I think what I'm really, really grumpy about is my health. It ticks me off to get old, first of all. But, like someone once said, "It beats the alternative." SIGH....

Anyway, I went to the doctor a few weeks ago. Finally got insurance AND some money ahead so I could pay the ridiculous deductible. So, I went to the doctor, and he tells me I'm diabetic. Well, hell...I knew that. I've been in major...I'm talking MAJOR...denial about it, complete with a very believable story as to why the PREVIOUS diagnosis I got about 3 years ago had to be wrong.

I used to think I really was a smart person. I'm beginning to wonder.

The latest news really made me grumpy. And, then I found out that our wonderful health insurance doesn't cover testing supplies. Yikes! Perhaps they'd rather I didn't keep tabs on my condition and stick them for a kidney transplant in a few years. But, I digress....

So, I got my little meter and my little test strips, and bought a bunch of low-carb food and, lo! I found that my blood sugar is all kinds of strange. Way, way up! Way, way low! Never "normal," not even when I eat just right. Plus, I take my meds right on time. I expected better. Nosirreee...not MY blood sugar. It's not going to cooperate. I just expected the critters in there to sit up and take notice and do the right thing the minute I started taking care of myself.

Apparently, it takes a while to reverse the situation. Apparently, I'm going to be punished for years of misbehavior. I guess there is some kind of justice in that. But, I'm not liking it. Not one little bit.

So, yeah...the grump is back. Take your pick as to why. I'm focusing on Door #3!