Really REALLY Overdue For An Update

Ok, I've obviously got to do a better job updating this thing. My only excuse is that I've been working a ton of hours lately so my free time has had to be spent running errands and occasionally getting out and seeing something cool. Since its been so long and there is so much to cover, I'm just going to break this down by category.

Food:

I'm still in love with Trader Joes for groceries, but even the run-of-the-mill grocery stores out here have produce sections that look like Fresh Market. Its great. I've become an expert on cutting and preparing mangoes. Did you know that mangoes are the most popular fruit in the world, being consumed 3 times as often as bananas and 10 times as often as apples? Now you do.

There is a little taco stand up the road from my apartment named "La Playita" that is ridiculously good/cheap. Its become a weekend staple of mine. Other than La Playita, I've avoided going to the same place more than twice since there are so many options. The notable meals have been pizza from Bravo on main street, a burger with plantains from Bossa Nova, Chinese delivery from Wokano, movie theater popcorn from the Arclight in Hollywood, the taco platter from Pink Taco, and some sushi place I went to and can't remember the name of. Lets just say it made Nama taste like leather from a hobo's shoe.

I've still got to try the burger from Fathers Office and another burger joint called "The Counter". They really take burgers seriously here. I've yet to have a bad one.

Bars:

Drinking in LA is expensive so I haven't done a whole lot of exploring. There is a great bar in Hollywood on Sunset called Coach & Horses. Its a small little cash-only bar, but it has a great jukebox and the pours are generous. I also enjoyed my visit to "The Waffle" further up on Sunset. Its a breakfast 24/7 diner that serves booze. Guinness and a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich makes a really good combo.

Back closer to home in Santa Monica, I was a little underwhelmed with Finn McCools. It was more of an irish-themed bar than an actual irish bar. I did enjoy the more upscale Bodega Bar. It reminded me a bit of Koi when they have a good crowd.

Hands down my favorite bar so far has been the back patio of this Polish place (Warszawa). Its one of those places I could have walked by 100 times without seeing. Big open patio with heaters. Think the beer garden at the Goose with a tiki theme a giant projection screen showing movies or sports. Good stuff.

Other Stuff:

The first people that come to visit me will be taken to see Point Break: Live. This is hands down my favorite thing in LA so far. I'm not even going to try to describe it in words. Its worth it for any fan of the movie.

I've made some plans on Friday to go to the Upright Citizens Brigade theater to see a dramatic reading of "The Hills". Something tells me its either going to be hysterical or really boring. There won't be any in-between. I'm also hoping in the near future to go see Garfunkel and Oates play, as well as The Dan Band.

Beyond shows, I've enjoyed hitting the bikepath in Santa Monica and going down to the pier. There are an infinite number of things going on to watch and its a great way to get out and relax on a Saturday.

I've also joined a legit kick ball league. While its not Sloshball, flip cup is used in place of a coin flip and the games always end with a trip to a new bar for drink specials. Play begins in a few weeks so I'll have to update on how that goes. It could be a bust but a lot of people recommended the league to me and said its fun.

Work:

I'm still at BET working on a pilot. I'll know in the next couple weeks, hopefully, whether it gets picked up for a series. So keep you fingers crossed because the more I work, the more likely I can squeeze in non-holiday visits to K-Town.

And speaking of visits... my sister is about 2 weeks away from giving birth so I plan on being back in Nashville for a few days and will be swinging up to Knoxville to say hi. Be ready.

Overdue for an update

So I've been really bad updating this thing, but the past month has basically been sleep, work, eat, rinse, repeat.

I'm in the process of settling into my apartment. Fortunately I've got a pretty cool roommate with a friend in common back in Knoxville who has been in this apartment for a while. Splitting rent and not re-buying all those little things that I didn't have room to bring from Knoxville has been a huge relief.

I think I'm a week away from having my bedroom put together thanks to a recent Ikea order. Once thats done, I'm able to officially unpack my bags and consider myself 100% moved.

Then its time to start exploring my new neighborhood. I'm living on 5th street in Ocean Park (which roughly translates to being 5 blocks from the Ocean). I'm just a few blocks away from Main St in Santa Monica which seems to have a lot of cool bars and places to eat. Definitely looking forward to exploring that a bit more.

Hopefully more to come...

ROBOT SWORD FIGHT!

Mile a minute

Well, I expected to get busy out in LA but I never anticipated this. Over the past two weeks, in the hours I wasn't working my main job, on a side project, or looking for a place to live, I was most likely passed out into whatever quiet corner of the house I could find trying to catch up on sleep.

Things are starting to calm down a bit. I'm wrapping up the smaller project and I've found a place to live that has me moving in this Sunday. I've been living out of a duffle bag for the past 6 weeks so finally being able to unpack and settle in is something I'm really looking forward to.

I couldn't be happier with the way the apartment situation worked itself out. Long story short, in one of those "its a small world" situations, I was introduced to someone who has mutual friends in Knoxville and who just happened to be needing a roommate starting at the end of the month. Toss in the fact that its in the location I was hoping to be in and it was a no brainer.

So just a few more days of putting my head down and plowing through a hectic schedule and hopefully by next week, I'll be settling into my new place.

-Stephen

ps: The new place is 5 blocks from the beach in Santa Monica, has a perfectly fine couch, and a roommate who is totally cool with guests. Just saying...

Whew...

Definitely a good first day on the job. I've never been so happy to be this tired.

Job Hunt

The whole point of my moving to LA was to put myself in a bigger market for television production and its amazing how much is going on out here. That doesn't mean its any easier to get your foot in the door, at least if you want to get paid (getting a credit in a low-budget indie film doesn't help me buy groceries). I've made a lot of cold calls and emails which are finally starting to pay off with some interviews.

Having a job at this point means a whole lot of things for me beyond a means to support myself as I've really missed working in TV over the past year. The hours are never great and tend to be hectic, but I love it. 

Mostly I'm ready to have a routine again. I've done a good job of not letting myself become the lazy unemployed guy. When I was in Knoxville, I had the 6 am workouts at the Y to keep me energized and in LA I've had plenty to keep me busy, but I'm starting to reach the point where I'm stretching out my errands over several days to ensure I have a reason to get out of the house. Keeping myself occupied has definitely been the hardest part of this whole not working thing.

With any luck, I'll soon be settling into a 400 square foot apartment furnished by Ikea, spending my days enjoying the beach, and spending my nights in an edit bay. 

Better than birth control...

As mentioned before, I am extremely grateful that my friend and his wife are putting me up until I get my situation worked out here in LA. They've gone above and beyond for me and I'm truly in their debt.

They've also done a wonderful job with their two kids (ages around 3 1/2 and 20 months). Well behaved and listen as much as one could expect for kids their age. That said, I miss the time when they were slightly afraid of me.

Over the last few days, I've become fully accepted to the point where the youngest is now comfortable shoving a book into my hand and asking me to read to her. What this also means, is that I now have to be on my guard with anything and everything I do. 

Eating in particular is now something I have to sneak in with deft precision. If I'm not careful, the following scenario will occur:

Scene: I sit pleasantly eating some chips and salsa 

(enter the 1 and a half year old girl sporting a devastatingly cute bow and smiling)

Her: (sweetly) Mine?

Me: Um... I don't think you want this

Her: (louder) Mine?

Me: No, this isn't for you

Her: (emphatically) Mine.

Me: ...

Her: MIIIINE.

Me: Ok... here (hands her a tortilla chip)

Her: (sweetly) More?

Me: No... you have to eat what you have

Her: (louder) More?

Me: (leaves to find a vasectomy clinic)

End Scene

I always knew parenting was a tough gig, but to see it this up close, from the beginning of the day until its time for bed, is very eye-opening and gives me a whole new appreciation for what it means to be a parent.