Hollyweird

I am frequently amazed that I made it here. I look back over high school and college, and LA was always where the truly weird people went, and mostly, if one who went was not already an up-and-coming star, they'd come back "home" with tail between legs. So many songs from my childhood indicated that no one ever truly "made it" in LA ("Car Wash" comes immediately to mind). And yet, I've chosen, twice in this adult lifetime, to live and work in this crazy place.

Things that make Holly"weird":

• The traffic sucks. You think it's bad that you have to drive half-an-hour to get to your job? Is your job fewer than five miles away from home for that :30? No? Then quit yer bitchin'. Any Los Angeleno who spends less than :30 commuting to a job or a gig feels like Today Is A Good Day.

• There's always smog. It's probably why my allergies are so fucked up, particularly of late. Still, when I take a walk and I can see the mountains clearly, we're all breathing a little better, and Today Is A Good Day.

• It's expensive to live anywhere "close" to the film industry. You either pay for a convenient location, or you pay in your commute time/maintenance of your vehicle. But when Stephen and I moved to North Carolina for our "things", we spent more time and more money making ends meet, and we weren't doing work that would ultimately feed our souls. He was writing, sure. I loved my job at TJ's, absolutely. But we were ultimately adrift, and the day I spent eight hours in my car so that I could be on set for an eight-hour paycheck in a right-to-work state was probably the day that tipped LA back in our favor. Traffic may suck here, but if it takes me four hours each way to commute to a gig, you know that I'm going to be compensated for that, because I'm covered by a great union. I may have a right to work in "right-to-work" states, but the work doesn't compare to what I get in my union state. And "right to work" doesn't necessarily that there is any work to be done. As you already know, if I "get" to work here, then I consider it a Today Is A Good Day kinda day.

I love Hollyweird. We currently live in NORTH Hollyweird, which is not actually even Hollyweird-adjacent (it's separated by a little mountain that's commonly known as "the Hollywood Hill"), rather a ~ 9 mile commute from one H community to the other, and there are a few other communities in between, like Studio City, Universal City (yes, they call it a "city"), and Toluca Lake. Burbank's not far, either, although it's technically not "between" Hollyweird and North Hollyweird.

#TodayImGratefulFor the opportunities I've had to come out to Hollyweird. I'm grateful that it's possible to live so easily in what the outside world might consider "difficult" circumstances (listed above). I've been eligible for Public Assistance from time to time; I've had friends who've helped me in unfathomable ways, be it lending me a car while mine was totaled (ten years ago), rescuing my furbabies, instructing Stephen to find me for a college reunion 7 years ago, giving me/us furniture, loading/unloading during moves (and yeah, I've moved too much in the last 14 years), shopping with me to update my wardrobe because I suck at it, and more. I've had moral and financial support from friends/family/the government, and I'm so grateful for my network.

And speaking of networks, y'all remember that Scripty gig I was so excited about in August? That created a great network for me, and I know I'll work with everyone again and again. I mostly know that I'll work with everyone because the season that we shot is going to begin airing on December 15th, streaming on Fullscreen (I dunno if they'll release all seven episodes at once or space them out weekly - it is supposed to be a "television show"). And then we all go back to work in late winter to shoot Season Two! W00t!

Here's the trailer, but before you watch it, be aware that it is Very Adult Content, Black Humor. If you are easily offended or have small children nearby, I recommend not watching. For everyone else, ENJOY!

(I was there for at least half of what you see here, and I cannot wait to get back to creating even more chaos with these crazy people).

What else? My health and dental insurance (from Warner Bros.) run out on the 30th of this month, so I've gotten all my Depo shots and breathing/knee shit looked into, and I got a tooth extracted and the rest of 'em cleaned. I've gone online to Covered California to see what insurance plan(s) I'm now eligible for, as well as what tax assistance I may receive. My car is filthy because I refuse to wash it while we're in drought conditions. My unemployment benefit year ends this week, so I'll be opening a new claim soon. We've been taking care of Smokey's hotspot, and it's getting better. Stephen's commute to his promotion has been a little hinky of late (drama on the subway, including a homeless tweaker dude randomly PUNCHING Stephen in the face as he stepped off the train - no injuries except to his confidence that day). We seem to be experiencing autumn, of late, with windy days in slightly-cooler-than-I'm-comfy-with temperatures (low 70's?). We've had a little rain, which is definitely a #TodayImGratefulFor item. I've rebooted my walking, to some degree (three days this week of 10K+ steps, yay!). I've rebooted my sleep. I still do the #WalkingSamplingLunches at Costco, but I have to drive to Costco to do it, so I definitely make sure I have other business there, even if it's just filling my gas tank (last fillup for eighteen bux, baby! Only $2.299/gallon!).

So. Hollyweird weird enough for ya? Don't ya wanna come on out to see if YOU can "make it" here? We have a futon you can crash on, for your first week, at least. And the cats are less afraid of "strangers"; one or both of them may snuggle up with you on the futon!