Months Go By...

Lots of good stuff going on as we move from a very strange summer into what looks like a very busy fall!

The script I've been working on for what seems like an eternity is finally moving into production. I've got a meeting tomorrow to start making plans on fleshing out the production team and thinking about casting. I've got some ideas, but I'm staying open to input. I'm really exciting to get going!

I've been busy with voiceovers, too, lately-- I've been back in the studio for Campbell's and GE Appliances, and I also recently booked a national commercial for Wheat Thins. So far, a good year.

I also have a couple of ideas cooking for a new short film, as well as resuscitating an old project with a new twist.

Busy fall. Still doing Boot Camp, too.

In other news, remember my old photo project on this blog? I saw this person on the train today. Definitely a look you can't forget. Flashback!

Guess Who's Got a New Hobby!

Will is going to start brewing beer. We know a bunch of friends who do this, in addition to his dad and sister.

It's going to be fun. Delicious. And smelly.

The games begin once we get back from our big bike trip next week. More on that soon.

Four Digits!

This has been somewhat of a momentous week.

I booked another recording session with GE and did the final VO for this really cool commercial for kitchen appliances. I came home that day to my first round of payment for another GE spot that has been running for a few months already sitting in my mailbox.

I went to the bank yesterday and I am proud to report that I now, perhaps for the first time ever, have FOUR DIGITS in my savings account. And that's not even counting to the right of the decimal point!

Friends, dreams really do come true.

Reading the Writing

Part of the reason I've been MIA lately is, as I've said before, I've been working on this script. Writing, writing, staring into nothingness, changing the font on the script, changing it back, feeling inspired, writing, feeling hopeless, napping, etc.

Today was the first sort of "moment of truth" session, when I got a group of actors together to read it out loud.

This was one of the more nerve-wracking experiences I've had in recent memory. I've been working on this beast since December, and as you might suspect, I'd grown accustomed to the way I was hearing it in my head.

What if they didn't get it?

What if they didn't laugh?

What if it's just all drivel that's been done before?

Luckily, all of those questions were mere butterflies. Butterflies that had me awake at 5:30 this morning in a near panic, but butterflies nonetheless.

While I still have some work to do, it's not in bad shape. That's the word I got from my friend Jen, who is an agent with The Gersh Agency and has been helping me shape the project from the beginning. It was great to get feedback from her and to hear such a talented group of people bring these characters to life.

So back to re-writes/staring into nothingness. Hopefully more of the former and less of the latter. Updates will follow.

p.s. Will read the stage directions and as he was pointing out the fact that he was the "hardest working actor in the room today" because he "had the biggest part", I think I saw the faintest glimmer of stars in his eyes. Look out, Screen Actors Guild...

726%

According to my IMDb page, my popularity is up 726% this week. I never knew a jump like that was even possible, but let's not question math. It's practically science.

I did do a really fun show called Radio Happy Hour this weekend with the lovely Ms. Norah Jones... maybe statisticians at the IMDb got word of my elbow-rubbing... ??? (see photos here)

Oh. Me again.

Contrary to popular belief, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.

Truth be told, I'm working on a script, and every time I sit down at the computer, I feel obligated to work on that instead of writing anything as self-indulgent as blog posts. Which usually just translates into me procrastinating like crazy by playing lots of Scrabble on Facebook.

But the script is nearly finished, and I'm hoping to knock the rest of it out this weekend while we're away at Starlight for the annual canoeing trip. I don't know if I'm planning on trudging the laptop into the canoe, but... I'm sure I can eek out an hour or two and wrap up the damned thing.

More details on that to come. Until then, don't forget your sunblock this weekend!

More Crazy Train

I've seen some real doozies while riding the subway. Yesterday, I got another one to add to the list.

I got on the F train at 42nd St and headed to Brooklyn around 3pm. There were four boys that looked around ten or twelve years old riding seemingly solo. They seemed sweet*, passing a portable video game back and forth. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Enter: homeless man in winter coat, asking for change. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He made one pass up and back down the subway car. Nothing. But nothing out of the ordinary.

He decided to take a second pass, this time goading us, the tight-fisted strangers who did not seem to be interested in donating to his cause:

Sh-eeeeeeet, if I was y'all, I'd have my hands in my pockets already. What is wrong with y'all?

This was a little out of the ordinary. Usually panhandlers plead their case in one pass, get what they can and head to the next car. This guy was hell bent on not leaving our car until someone forked over some loot.

On his next pass back down the car, he passed the young boys and as he reached a young man who was sitting near the door, he screamed:

DON'T YOU MOTHERF$@*ING TOUCH ME AGAIN! I HAVE TOLD YOU: I AM NOT GAY! F&@* $##*@! #&%@@*! ***##&@%@

This was bizarre, and everyone was staring, even though we all tried to do it subtly. The guy on the receiving end of this rage seemed entirely nonplussed, considering that attack just spat upon him.

And the young boys... well, let's just say that I have never seen four sets of eyes bulge that far out of such small faces before. They sat frozen for a moment, dumbfounded. One kid played the lookout and when the coast was clear, they all began re-enacting what had just gone down. They nailed it and were probably more interesting than the crazy guy himself!

*I say "sweet" because they were relatively quiet-- I always expect kids that age to be total loud screaming brats.

The Funniest Phone Call I've Ever Received

I got a call from one of my commercial agents today. It was certainly unique.

Me: Hello?

Phone: Hey, Robin. It's Tony from Atlas.

Me: Hey, Tony! What's going on?

Tony: I'm just working out this breakdown here for a Yoplait commercial. I'm looking through your skills and you've listed yourself as an "expert" at yoga.

Me: I can do some yoga, yes.

Tony: Ok. Can you put both of your legs behind your head?

Me: Uh... actually, Tony, yes I can. Is this the strangest day you've ever had at work?

Tony: Yep. It gets especially awkward when I call women who have children my age.

We'll see if this saga continues...

Photo: Sunday, March 22, 2009

Zaytoons, Smith St between Sackett and Degraw, 2pm

Photo: Saturday, March 21, 2009

'Em Thai, Smith St between Sackett and Degraw, 3:30pm

Photo: Friday, March 20, 2009

Naidre's, Henry St. between Sackett and Union, 2pm

Photo: Thursday, March 19, 2009

Naidre's, Henry St. between Sackett and Union, 12:30pm

Photo: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Momofuku Noodle Bar, 6:45pm

Photo: Tuesday, March 17, 2009

F Train, 9:15am

Photo: Monday, March 16, 2009

F Train, 10:45am

Photo: Sunday, March 15, 2009

Driggs between N. 6th and N. 7th St, Williamsburg

Photo: Saturday, March 14, 2009

Binghamton, NY

Someone's been a little behind...

8 Days of Photos, all at once. This week (+1) got away from me. I'll explain soon.

For now, headed out of town for the weekend. Maybe I'll explain later, maybe I won't.

Photo: Friday, March 13, 2009

F Train at Delancey, 9:15am

Photo: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Carroll Street Station, 12:40pm

Photo: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Carroll Street Station, 11:15am

Photo: Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Clinton St between Union and Sackett, 3:30pm

Photo: Monday, March 9, 2009

Downtown 6 Train, 10pm

Photo: Sunday, March 8, 2009

Photo: Saturday, March 7, 2009

North 8th St between Driggs and Roebling, 2:45pm

Photo: Friday, March 6, 2009

West 18th between 8th and 9th, 11:30am

Where was this when I was a kid???

When I was a kid, I would have traded in the creaky, creepy staircase to my bedroom for a slide in a second!

I sort of want these guys to come design my room now...

Will's Dream Office

Will recently dropped a not-so-subtle hint about what I can only imagine is his dream of working from home. This is not what our current home office looks like. Not even close.

Photo: Thursday, March 5, 2009

Photo: Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Photo: Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Photo: Monday, March 2, 2009

A Train at 14th Street, noon

Photo: Sunday, March 1, 2009

Photo: Saturday, February 28, 2009

Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant, Bushwick

Photo: Friday, February 27, 2009

11th St Bar, East 11th between A and B, 9:30pm

Photo: Thursday, February 26, 2009

Bryant Park, 9:30am

Photo: Wednesday, February 25, 2009

West 4th St, 9:15pm

Age: To Lie or Not to Lie

I just got an email from my agent asking me to update my profile at nycasting.com, a site that casting directors and agents use to communicate about submissions, and where actors can go to submit themselves for projects.

The first thing I came across as I filled out my info was this:


An "appearing date of birth". That is the first time I've heard "lying about your age" put that way. Crazy business!

Do I lie about my age? Not really, though I should own stock in Oil of Olay and their ever-increasing line of creams. I've always thought it would be smart to lie up, to say you're older than you actually are so you always look younger. Because isn't it always about how you look?

Photo: Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Reproductions, 40th and 6th

Photo: Monday, February 23, 2009

Radegast, N. 3rd and Berry, Williamsburg

Photo: Sunday, February 22, 2009

Photo: Saturday, February 21, 2009

Taxi, 11pm

Use Your Words! An update of sorts.

Someone said to me the other day something about how I'm not writing very much on my blog these days. It's true-- I've been posting a photo a day which satisfies whatever bloggy cravings emerge.

I've also been pretty busy with so many things that are not yet at a stage where I can write about them, so I feel like there isn't much to report. Good things cooking, but nothing quite ready yet.

One thing that I'm loving these days, though, is Camera Bag on my iPhone. It's the reason some of the photos I've posted look so nicely photoshopped. I did not become a photoshop whiz. I spent three bucks and put the app on my phone. I highly recommend it.

I'm also still going to Boot Camp. Some friends and I actually have been going 5x/week since the first of the year (except for one week when I was sick). I put that one hold this week (though it might be back... might being the operative word there) and only went 4x. The guys seem to have upped the intensity after the holidays and they haven't let up. The end of January marked a year since I started (though I left the other place after the initial six-week run and started at WFBC in May). I can do a lot of things now that I could not do when I started:

• I can get all the way across the monkey bars now-- last year, I couldn't imagine getting simply from one rung to the next
• I can hurdle 4 of the 6 hurdles, as opposed to climbing over them-- which I still do to the last two-- they're high!
• I can climb the rope at the end of the obstacle course
• I can do 100 sit-ups in 2 minutes-- we did 2-minute drills during bi-weekly fitness testing

Overall, I'm faster, stronger and generally in much better shape than when I started. It's still hard as hell-- there are people there who run marathons and do triathlons and such things and it's still hard for them! But it's the first time I've actually joined a gym and felt like I've gotten my money's worth by actually going regularly. Part of that is the fact that it is a combo of a personal trainer (two, actually) and the set-up of a class-- basically group personal training. The group aspect is a big factor. When you sweat all over people, there's sort of nothing to do but become friends.

Talk is starting now about the Men's Health Urbanathlon. I don't know that I'll do it this year either, but it doesn't seem as crazy a thought as it did last June.

Photo: Friday, February 20, 2009

Photo: Thursday, February 19, 2009

Arlo and Friend

Photo: Wednesday, February 18, 2009

What I love most about this photo that you might not be able to see is that she is wearing a Muslim headwrap and reading a fashion magazine that features some semblance of a Q & A with Gwyneth Paltrow. I thoroughly enjoy seeing cultures collide. Especially on the subway.

F Train to Brooklyn, 12:30pm

Photo: Tuesday, February 17, 2009

F Train to Brooklyn, 3pm

Bonus Photo!

I had some new headshots done today. They really don't get any better than this.

Courtesy of Will

Photo: Monday, February 16, 2009

F Train to Brooklyn, 6:30pm

Photo: Sunday, February 15, 2009

53 Wyckoff Street between Court and Smith, Brooklyn

Photo: Saturday, February 14, 2009

F Train at 14th Street, 10am

Photo: Friday, February 13, 2009

14th Street and 5th Avenue, 1:30pm

Photo: Thursday, February 12, 2009

F Train @ Jay Street, 3:30pm

Photo: Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Naidre's, Sackett and Henry Street

Photo: Tuesday, February 10, 2009

F Train at 14th Street, 10pm

Photo: Monday, February 9, 2009

Whole Foods, Houston Street

Photo: Sunday, February 8, 2009

Photo: Saturday, February 7, 2009