One More Thing That Annoy's Me

I really hate it when you go to a store looking for a perfectly reasonable item and they don't have it...like..not they are out of it..but that they just don't carry it at all. Today I went to Target to get a pair of BLACK Cargo pants and a couple black T-shirts. They didn't have black Cargo pants...never carry them...ever according to the 3 sales associates I talked to. That annoys me...you carry white, tan, green, camo, yellow, pink, any freaking color but the one you get when you mix them all together in a vat. The T-shirts they had only came in packs of 2 that contained a black and a grey(gray..whatever). So I bought 2 of those doubling the amount of shirts I needed but still only being able to use half of them for work purposes. I found a pair of black pants that are suitable for my purposes but not really what I wanted. Just thought I would rant that out on my blog..That's what it's here for..right?

Another Night, Another Fifty Dollars

Well last night was yet another riveting night of walking at a snails pace next to a giant float. It wasn't all bad...I am kinda working into the groove of the whole thing. I have this great sense of...belonging in the entertainment crew...no matter what I am doing..even though a lot of times I wish I was doing something else. It makes me feel really great that they care about me enough to try to give me great opportunities and still try their best to make me happy with my petty little requests for acting positions and stuff. The original plan fell through for me going to Active Backup..but there is a back-plan..but I don't know what said plan is. I got my costume/poncho thing last night...it looks a lot less like a costume and a lot more like a Mexican Seafood Restaurant threw up on me. I found out that even though I was told not to adopt a character, not to dance, just to walk along beside the float all night last night...that I indeed AM supposed to dance, get into it, adopt a character and things like that. Which is confusing and a little frustrating because we didn't get any choreography and no character name or even a real costume of any character derived source...so I still have no idea what to do. I was supposed to get to see the Executive run of Bill & Ted last night but that fell through because we ended up having to run the parade twice and get extended an hour and a half after our original out time. I crawled into bed at 2:30 and got up at 7 when my 7 year old cousin decided to show me a Ninja sword he just got...good times. I am helping out by driving my cousin to and from school for my other cousin. His daycare is without power still and so they are closed and there is no one else with an open enough schedule to make sure the little snot (Said in the most loving way possible) gets to school. Now I sit here at 9 in the a.m. eating my peanut butter on Honey Wheat and Hot Chocolate with mini marshmellow breakfast basking in the glory that is Cable and High Speed Internet. If anyone wants to give me a call...I am in Orlando and the cell phone works..sometimes. I am going to buy some Black Cargos and some Black shirts tonight to complete my Halloween Horror Nights "A Mexican Seafood Restaurant Threw Up On Me" ensemble...it should be fun. I'll blog later.

Someone To Watch Over Me

Well I went to my first night of rehearsal last night. I have run the gambit of feelings about it. First I was upset, then a little excited, then VERY excited, then crushed, and then just tired and ready to sleep. Basically my job is bead captain is to walk along beside the float and make sure the guests are doing as they are told regarding bead throwing. Then I clean the float after each parade and reload it. It's basically a management position or atleast the stepping stone to one. It was rough, watching all my friends from previous events out dancing and having a great time in the parade while I walked and watched the float. I felt like the only kid who wasn't picked to play softball. By the end of the night I talked to my Stage Manager and told her that I couldn't be sure until I had done it with guests at a full run..but I think this whole bead captain thing isn't for me. I told her that I would stick it out a weekend and give it a REAL try but just telling her that the possiblity of me not wanting to do it was there. She had a plan that I might just do it the first weekend and then go to active back-up because she actually had someone who DESPERATELY wants to be a bead captain and already has the training and they can take it after I am transferred to active back-up. I am not worried about finding hours as active back-up because I have 3 or 4 other ASMs who actually want me on their cast. And that is that. I got to walk through one of the houses last night..it was awesome. Having friends in high places definetly pays off. I think I am going to try for Coordinator or Bead Captain for Macy's or Mardi Gras. I'll blog tomorrow about the last night of rehearsal.

Hilarity Stolen From Anya

Children's Books That Didn't Make It:
1.You Are Different And That's Bad
2.The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
3.Dad's New Wife Robert
4.Fun Four-Letter Words To Know And Share
5. Kathy Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her
6. Some Kittens Can Fly
7. That's It, I'm Putting You Up For Adoption
8. Grandpa Gets A Casket
9. The Pop-Up Book Of Human Anatomy
10. Strangers Have The Best Candy
11. Pop! Goes The Hamster ... And Other Great Microwave Games
12. Places Where Mommy And Daddy Hide Neat Things
13. Daddy Drinks Because You Cry

Eric Hurricane Survivor AND A Letter To The Big Guy Upstairs

I have decided that Florida is as close to be hurricane prepared as it ever will be...if anything..we are getting laxed because it's like..."Look...we do this all the time..Don't worry." My parent's house is fine. It is without power...and will be for several days due to the complete lack of power lines in my hometown. Jeanne sucked them up like spagetti and then spewed them all over the ground like they had too much pepper and made her sneeze. Jeremy's, my best friend from high school, parents lost their house. It was condemned this morning. A tree branch as big as an enormous oak tree crashed through their living room ceiling. I stopped and helped them for about 2 hours..until my knee started to give out and I had to stop. To tell you the truth..it made me feel good...kinda..like a total self revelation thing. Ultimately I think I am a good person. Because today when I saw that they were working in the yard..I litterally dropped what I was doing at my grandmother's house and went to help..without a moment's thought. I think it shows that my first impulse is to help...and I think that is an excellent quality that my parents taught or gave to me or whatever. I went and saw Shaun of the Dead today with Billy. It is the greatest Horror-Comedy-Romance Zombie movie EVER. Well...it's the only horror-comedy-romance zombie movie ever...but still...it's GREAT! Now..I close with a letter to God...I decided to cover all my bases after watching Bruce Almighty...Maybe God does have email.

Dear God,
I thought I would write this letter to inform you of something you might want to keep your eye on. I believe that perhaps someone in the Department of Natural Disasters may have a grudge against Florida. Maybe they were born in the arctic and always wanted to bask in the glory of a warm Florida day at one of our wonderful theme parks but instead were condemned to a life of cold and the local idea of fun was sawing through 14 foot of ice and dangling a frozen sting in the sub-zero water until some starving unsuspecting fish grabbed it out of sheer desperation. Or if this is not the case..perhaps it is a technical error..my space bar sticks sometimes...perhaps the Hurricane button on your master controls is just stuck. I bet it's the first one though..perhaps a penguin who wasn't picked to come and live at Sea World. I mean you can't trust a penguin to begin with...always wearing a tux..who does that?!?!? I mean you can't blame them...I can barely stand a couple hours in formal wear...a lifetime of it..that would push even the most mellow of fowl over the deep end. If I am completely off base with all of this I am very sorry. I know you have a lot to look after and Florida can get away from even the most observant of dieties. I mean why keep an eye on tropical paradise...that's probably what the penguin was thinking...penguins.. I think Shamu is in charge you know. I mean who else would be? They wear a tux...he wears a tux. I think it's a whole gang thing they have going on..Secret base in florida. They can go underwater...hide from the hurricane..while we all get blown to Atlantis. I think I have said enough. Thank you for all of the good fortune that has fallen on the majority of us. Lots of damage..but few lives lost. A clean slate for many.
Sincerely,
Eric

Things Are....

The last couple of days has been kinda negative. Sorry about that to whoever is still reading this. Things have been compounding as the week went on. News I got on Friday through me into an emotional whirlpool, getting more and more violent with every corrospondence. Then the Halloween casting issue hit me because basically I auditioned for Halloween and got Mardi Gras. Which normally would have stung a little, but with everything else...stung a lot more. This with my parents and there problems right now that are affecting me a lot. The relentless calls of the credit card companies and the genuine yearning to get back out on my own into the world of the free. I am going to try to post more positive things here at the end of this post. I did get a job...one that it looks like will be paying more and is in some way shape or form kind of managment level..if not atleast higher than the normal scaractor. I have pretty good health and flexability for a guy who has major knee surgery 3 months ago. I have great friends who care about me and try their best to make me happy. I have a family who loves me even while in complete and utter turmoil emotionally with everyone and everything else in their lives. I was able to control myself when confronted with a situation that I normally would have exploded into an emotional rant through IM or email and left it with a respectable goodbye. I am growing up. And to top it off it looks like there is atleast a 75% chance that I may be able to get a nice house within my price range. Those are the things that I am happy for right now.

Freaking Bead Captain

Well I got a call today from Universal...I got a role...but not really. I am a bead captain for the parade. Now..no one except an actor who has seen what bead captains do understands why this is a not good thing. Here is what I enjoy about Halloween Horror Nights.....Scaring people, cool costumes, working as a team to scare people, and hanging out with the awesome casts of young cool people that are always cast. Here is what I am going to be doing as a bead captain..and why I am not looking forward to it at all....I'm not scaring people, in fact that is frowned upon, I have NO costume as far as I know, I won't be working as a team because it's me and about 40 drunk guests who are throwing beads from the float, usually all of the people cast as bead captains are over 35 and won't have a lot of contact with them because there is only 1 bead captain per float, and to top it all off..I have to clean the float at the end of the night. Now..the one event that I look forward to every year, without fail, is pretty much a complete bust for me as far as I know right now. I called the casting director and he said there are no other roles for me...that's it. he said that the only roles he has left are for 6 foot tall (check), male (check), 300 lb guys (nearly check a year ago). So basically...this sucks giant rancid monkey balls. And this is for Billy (Don't ask) Freaking bead captain, Freaking bead captain, Freaking bead captain, Freaking bead captain, Freaking bead captain, Freaking bead captain, Freaking bead captain?!?!?!?!?!? Don't get me wrong..I am trying to find a bright side...just having a hard time..and I am hoping that something will open up somewhere and Chad will take pity on me and I will be relocated to something with some kind of acting aspect somewhere..or maybe bead captain for Halloween will turn out to be fun..I don't know...I doubt it. All I can say is that every single person I have talked to who is an actor, or works for universal had the same response when I told them I was a bead captain. "That sucks, I'm sorry." Post later

Validated

It feels good to have your feelings validated. Several friends today have told me that what I am feeling in regards to the news that I recieved Friday night is valid. I would post said news...but I don't want to display someone else's private life on the internet..even though I have done that before...but all of those times were in direct relation to me..and this one is only indirectly related to me. I am trying very hard to watch what I put on here..trying. I talked to Chad today (Casting Director for Work) and he has called my boss in hopes to get me released to Halloween. That should all be worked out by Wednesday...if not earlier. I don't offically have a role but I am in line for one that I am sure will be freed up VERY soon..and if not..then I will be a swing on active backup..no big deal. I'll have work..and that will be nice. I am going to track down Alesha..and get her number. Don't know when, don't know how..but I am going to. I like her..and I am tired of missing opportunities at being a dork..because I am a dork. AND that is that. I'll blog tomorrow with whatever information I have to blog.

My Not Return To Work

Well I went to work yesterday for a little over an hour. Got there and they didn't have me on the flash...they fixed that and sent me out to Greeter 2. Got to Greeter 2 and after about 5 minutes they sent me to Dueling Dragons to rescue. Went and changed costumes and went over to Dueling Dragons...pretty much on the other side of the park. When I got there they didn't need me after all because their person that I would be covering for had shown up. Then they sent me to Spiderman. I went and changed clothes again and then went to spiderman...they didn't need me when I got there. They asked me if I wanted to go to another attraction and I said no. No one needed me and it was obvious. One flaw in my plan...I had plans with Erika at 7. So I hung out until then and then Erika and I went and saw Cellular at 9:45. We were gonna see an earlier movie but there weren't any we were interested in. We ate at Nascar and then we went to the movie. It was excellent. Then I came home. It was a long day..laiden with emotional undertones in the back of my mind. Some information that I got Friday night hass been weighing down on me pretty heavy...heavier than it probably should. But oh well...that's me. I'll blog later. If anyone is still actually reading this...comment so I know. I might just stop blogging if no one is reading it anymore. Lu Lu and Jen stopped blogging themselves...so I wonder if they are still reading. Hope to see some comments.

Of Doctors, Needless Waiting And Other Such Things

Well I went to the doctor today and he gave me a somewhat clean bill of health. He wasn't entirely happy with my muscle strength...but he released me back to full duty. I am returning to work on Saturday. A relatively easy 5 hour shift..kinda worried cause I am afraid I might have forgotten something important. I'm sure I will be fine..they are supposedly going to take it easy on me my first day back. I am excited and nervous. So many new people have started...and so many people I knew have left...so it will be like starting over...but as someone who basically knows how everything works. That happened at MIB when I came back from my seasonal events..it was wierd and scary. Didn't want to sound like a know it all to the new kids who didn't know that I had worked there quite a while. But things will be fine...I have made it a point to stop by Jaws some to try to meet everyone. Billy and Jen are out in Gainesville...deliriously happy I'm sure. Lu Lu has decided to stop blogging..which makes me sad..but I understand that...as Charlie Brown says, "All Good Things Must End." I talked o the supervisor today and as far as he is concerned I am fine to do Halloween..just waiting on them to call him and then call me. So things are falling into place...slowly..but more than they have been. Blog later.

Auditions Are A Great Thing

Today I went to Halloween Horror Nights auditions. It is such a great feeling. I went in, saw a LOT of people that I know. People were asking me about how things work, thinking I had been there for Halloween many many years...when in fact I have only been there for...this will be 3 years. There were people there who are on their 6th or 7th. I auditioned...which was complicated as hell. Rick set up the audition process like this. He described maybe four different character areas that they are using this year briefly...and by briefly I mean..."We are going to have beast like creatures..kinda like monkeys." and that was the most descriptive he got...and then pointed to the first girl in the group. She was very confused...as well as the rest of us...even me..and I have been there for a while. So I was a monkey thing...I charged the table and made a screaming, monkey, raptor yelling noise. It went very well. There were 2 highlights in the audition. 1. At the beginning when they asked if anyone had done Halloween before and I pointed at the 3 or 4 pictures of me on the wall behind them from the year before. 1 of which was me alone in my Camo beast costume. 2. After the audition when the casting director called me by name without looking at my sheet and all three men at the table told me that I am a great actor...specifically for Halloween. All I have to say is...they think my acting is good..wait till they see my creative side when it comes to Halloween. I don't know if we are striving to litterally scare the bodily fluids out of people...but it would happen if they used one of my concepts. So the jyst of the situation is..I have a part..but not officially until they talk to my supervisor and he O.K.'s it. If he doesn't, we are going to have words. THE ATTRACTION IS CLOSING FOR THE DURATION OF HALLOWEEN! Anyway...We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Cross it while yelling and screaming and throwing torches. GOOD MOOD!! REALLY GOOD MOOD!! Wierd how you never forget what those feel like. I'll blog tomorrow with information regarding casting.

I Think It's Time For Efficiency Counseling In Heaven

So today I got out of therapy and called Billy. He informed me that Jaws is closing for 5 weeks starting Sunday...I can go back to work on Friday. THAT SUCKS! Anyway...through this ordeal I was thinking...I think that life in general would be easier and much more efficient if we all recieved monthly statements directly from heaven detailing all sins and itemized Karma in general. So then you can take out your statement monthly and look at it. "So...work is closing for 5 weeks just when I can finally go back and my mother has decided to tell me that she is tired of supporting me as bills continue to pile up...That is payment for...Running over an old lady on a sunday afternoon who was holding a box full of puppies and not stopping...Good To Know." That would be so much easier. Rather than things like this happening and you wondering if this is payment for something you did previously or if this is just good Karma building up for the future. Just a thought. I really am going to lose it if I don't get out of here soon. My mom is trying...I know she is. My dad..well...he's doing what he thinks he needs to do where my grandmother is concerned...but it is hurting the family. It's hurting me...I know that part. I don't come from a broken home...wellI do..but not an emotionally broken home..just a physically broken home. So now basically living in one years after I have moved out and now had to come home..not only come home..but come home in a weakened state...it is driving me to the edge. The dreams have stopped...but atleast then there was somewhat of an artisitic outlet going on...even if it was making me not sleep at all. I'll be fine. I know all of you care. And I miss the hell outta you guys. Tomorrow are Halloween Auditions...maybe scaring the living spit outta people for a month will help...I HOPE IT DOES. Don't know what else is going to.

Adventures In Dogsitting

First of all...everything and everyone I know survived the hurricane pretty much unscathed. My parent's are still without power and it knocked a tree branch out of a tree in our back yard which promptly crushed a piece of our fence...but mostly...everyone and everything is ok. I babysat Tuesday and Wednesday and then I started dogsitting Wednesday night. A couple friends of mine, Buffy and Carol, had to go out of town because Carol's grandfather died. I am watching one of thier dogs while they are gone. His name is Buster and he is a scared little old dog. He is adjusting. This house is great...really needed to get away and feel like a free man again. It's very nice. Cable tv, High Speed Internet, no one bothering me...SO NICE. Blot may have to come and stay with me starting tomorrow..but that's cool..miss my crazy freaking dog anyway. Therapy is going very well. Should be back to work in a week or two. Had a couple run in's with Universal this week..nothing major..well I lied...kinda major. My stupid freaking supercisor scheduled me to work for a week while I am still in medical leave and then went on vacation and didn't fix it even though I TOLD HIM THAT I COULD NOT WORK THE SHIFT LEGALLY. But it's all taken care of thanks to a very polite call I placed to his boss. She informed me that I am not the first to call her with a scheduling problem with this man..and she is sure I won't be the last but she is working on ending the barrage of calls on this problem.I will be house sitting until sometime Saturday. Give me a call..I HAVE FREEDOM!!! And a little money cause they paid me.

380 Mile Wide Swirling Cloud of Stress

Well here we are...getting ready for yet another hurricane, this one named Frances. It's roughly the size of Texas. I am feeling a little better in regards to sleep and dreams. I got some Tylenol Simply Sleep...it's helping some. The dreams aren't coming as often, and when they do they aren't as intense. I may be developing Night Terrors...that's what my dad has. His are pretty bad though...he once put his fist through the ceiling in his sleep. Good times. Sorry if I worried anyone...Just a lot going on. I hope everyone makes it through the storm ok. Please call me periodically if possible just to say you made it through...if you don't..you damn well better expect a call from me. As mentioned in an earlier Blog...friends are just as important as family to me....some even more so. I will be riding out the storm at my Grandmother's house. It withstood Donna...that was a bad storm...worse than this one according to my father. Kinda wierd to face the prospect of not having a home after this. My mom had me take pictures of everything we have that is worth anything. Cars, laptop, Computer, video games, video game systems, air conditioners, entertainment centers. Just a wierd sensation. Everyone stay safe. Please. My dad has a generator and I have 4 hours of battery on my laptop. I will be getting on the net periodically, as long as the phone stay online, to check peoples blogs...and just to see what's up in general. STAY SAFE..BEYOND ALL ESLE...STAY SAFE.

Welcome to Melodrama 101, Please Take A Seat And I'll Begin

I am stuck in a constant battle of wills, my eyes forever blinking to avoiding looking at either world. The outside world filled with fears of parental seperation, hurricanes, stress in general or the inside world that leaves me writhing in pain every time I wake. I have had nightmares everynight for 2 weeks....nightmares so intense that I wake up looking for wounds that aren't there and screaming or crying over people who aren't dead. I don't want to sleep because of the horrible visions that come to me during that time...but I don't want to stay awake because of the negative path reality has taken. I have therapy now. I'll be back later.