Posts Tagged ‘How-To…’

feeling half-glass full

Another summer OVER.

Can I say the same for my professional Dry Spell?

Man, I hope so!

I really motivated myself this summer so I’ll be ready to ROCK the GUEST ROLE AUDITIONS this Fall. I need to be in front of the camera so everyone will remember what I can do – what I can be. Call it “prepping for PILOT SEASON.”

Summer Finds and Finding Myself

Spent the summer working on my inner and my outer — coaching actors, TA-ing at an Acting School, doing a small part in an Indie for a friend, and slimming down with the best discovery – my Yonana machine! It’s my version of a juice cleanse – but it tastes like ice cream, or sorbet, or Italian ice (depending on the ingredients). I can’t say enough about this fab find. My favorite combos are Peaches & Vanilla Yogurt Yonanas or Pineapple and Coconut Milk Yonanas. I got the bigger machine online from Bed Bath and Beyond –Yonana Elite is 2 ½ times more powerful) — and my freezer is packed with mini containers of frozen fruit, yogurt and coconut milk (haven’t tried almond milk yet). Frozen super-ripe bananas mixed with nothing tastes exactly like banana ice cream. I could go on and on, but enough on Yonanas…

Josh (my agent) said I need to glam up more for auditions, so I went to Barneys where Patrick (make-up artist extraordinaire) did my face before my audition yesterday (sure, I bought a ton of make-up — but Patrick gave me great tips so I can do it myself from now on).

Then last night— Read the rest of this entry »

heart-wrenching emotion

Projects from personal experience connect us, move us, touch us universally. Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12 has all of the components of an unforgettable film – it makes you laugh, cry, feel and remember – long after the final credits.

The acting is so natural, it feels more like a documentary. It’s like we can read Brie Larson’s complicated mind as she struggles to maintain her reputation as “Grace All Mighty.” John Gallagher Jr.’s “Mason” (I knew I recognized him from somewhere – he’s Jim Harper in The Newsroom!) exudes a vulnerable warmth that’s rarely seen onscreen.

Bring Tissues!

If someone were to tell me that all of the teens in the Home are actually At-Risk Kids who’ve experienced OCD, depression, abandonment, abuse, you-name-it, I’d believe it. We feel their pain, share their triumphs, ache for them, root for them, keep thinking about them…keep thinking about them…keep thinking about them…

It’s obvious Destin Daniel Cretton has lived this experience in some way — his film is pure and from the heart. You’ll want to check out SHORT TERM 12 as soon as possible. Even sooner if possible! It’s A.MAZ.ING! Read the rest of this entry »

Hollywood vs.The Hospital

Okay, so if BuzzFeed writer Jack Moore can get staffed on the Fox show US & THEM simply by pitching modern day Seinfeld stories via his @seinfeldtoday, maybe I can star in my own life story about the characters who surround me…

Evie Stewart Meets @ERtoday

What If…

• Abby Lockhart’s mom goes off her meds and lands in the ER, but escapes with Evie to Barneys to binge shop before Abby cancels the credit card? Read the rest of this entry »

help!

OMG! I’m the one who needs to be resuscitated!

I get to my late afternoon shift and things are already outta control! Sunday Night Special! Patients wall-to-wall. No available beds. Missing wheelchairs, codes blasting on the PA, screamie-meemies, chest pains.  Anthony Chan’s being a bigger-than-normal pain in the ass —

VOLUNTEER, what part of “limping” do you not understand? Get my patient a wheelchair, stat!

I check the hallways, L & D, parking lots – nada, nowhere, now what?

I’ve gotta return with wheels pronto, so I head into unfamiliar territory, open a daunting door with a “Staff Only” sign and step into a brightly lit waiting area, where I discover:

Two Empty Wheelchairs!  Voila! Yay! Perfect!

Uhm… WAIT!  What’s that abandoned patient doing lying on that gurney? Read the rest of this entry »

nightmare!

They say — “Timing is everything” but when is it gonna to be my time? The right time? Time to cash a paycheck?  Booking a job is like an oasis – it seems like it’s right there in front of me…like I’m on theverge. But when I get closer it just vaporizes into a cloud of disappointment. I feel like I’m constantly letting down the people who care about me — the ones who believe in me… it totally sucks.

I keep trying to — Read the rest of this entry »

Prescription for a Happy Face

Health isn’t the only thing that needs to get better in Hospitals. Customer dissatisfaction is more contagious than the Flu!  Think about it. Pre-internet when a customer was dissatisfied he’d maybe tell ten people, but in the current social media world complaints broadcast to thousands… maybe millions if your YouTube hits big.

Patient Satisfaction Overhaul (Finally!)

Did you see that L.A. Times article over the weekend about how federal payments to hospitals are being tied to customer satisfaction? That’s a major topic at the hospital where I volunteer. Everyone’s suddenly scrambling to figure out ways to make sure customer surveys are filled out positively — OR ELSE!

At my hospital they hire more people to act as Liasons between the Patient’s family and the Hospital.  I guess it helps everyone navigate the system, but we could do more. Much more. A great example of Hospital know-WOW comes from Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital.

Caped Cleaners

It’s a bird, It’s a plane…

I mean how cool would it be for anyone entering the hospital to look up and see Super Hero Window Washers? Read the rest of this entry »

No one would argue that L.A. is super COOL —  but it can also be confusing and costly. Want to experience the JOY of SUMMER without getting lost or breaking the bank? Join the club! (Hey, I should be president of it!)

Fun & Free — L.A. July-August

1. Spotify your latest and greatest, blast your sounds on your iPhone, and run your firm body (or at least firm it up on the run) along the beach where you’ll soothe your soul and breathe in fresh salty air. Ahhhh…
2. Bike along the Venice canals (between Washington Avenue and Venice Blvd.) and wind your way around bridges, quaint houses and charming gardens. (I’m an L.A. native and I didn’t even know about this gem of a neighborhood till I saw it in a movie – Truth! So crazy!)
3. On the second Thursday of the month, check out the hipsters and creatives (and oh, yeah – the art) at the Downtown L.A. Art Walk.
4. Step-up and start “Stairing” in Silver Lake or Santa Monica. It’s a great way to get tan, get in-shape and meet new friends. (Seriously, the stairs are packed with potential love interests, bffs-to-be and frenemies who should be on a watchlist, ahaha).  Read the rest of this entry »