After Thought

Oh yeah... and I had my last class EVER yesterday.

Buuuuh...

Great News, In My Opinion

Network Comedy Pilots Are on the Rise, While Reality Slows Down LA Times Company Town blog

There are just five unscripted programs in development at ABC, CBS and NBC combined, the Los Angeles Times' Company Town blog reports.

That compares with last year's 13 unscripted programs in development.

The genre that's apparently filling the space previously held by reality programs is comedy, according to the study from analyst Anthony DiClemente, who based his figures on reports in trade publications.

ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox have ordered 44 comedy pilots out of their total of 84 pilots. That compares with last year's tally of 34 comedy pilots out of a total of 81 projects.

Drama orders are basically flat. Fox has 13 comedy pilots, the most of the big four networks, followed by ABC with 12 and NBC with 11. CBS has lined up the fewest with eight comedy pilots. The study found that Fox doesn't have any reality shows lined up for the fall, although has a few on tap for the spring.

Unlikelihood

Forgot something ish-important. The other day I woke up and I looked at my hair and I was just disgusted by the death I saw. So at the end of my shower I decided to cut it, which really isn't a far leap from having someone else cut it (like a roommate...) but... it is likely a little less even. Anyway, I cut about three inches off and it curls more when it's healthy, so it looks pretty significant. After I finished, I patted my own back for being spontaneous, and also for putting more action than thought into that problem.

However, those feelings were soon trumped by the fact that NO ONE has noticed yet. I mean... I told my roommates, but NO ONE noticed on their own. This doesn't bother me on like... an aesthetic level per se, but it's just weird that when I look in the mirror I see this huge difference, when in reality, clearly no one is even KIND OF looking at my hair. I'm not complaining at all. Just reflecting.

One more thing, but today I got to go to a photo shoot with Stacy Haiduk and Peter Bergman. It was AWESOME. I got to listen to a reporter interview them and it was just heaven. Then I asked the reporter about a jillion questions about her job. Then later we talked, essentially, about how we're all going to die because of ritalin, the pill, cans and plastic. It was actually awesome since I happen to be very interested and relatively knowledgeable about all of those subjects. Very cool!

Also, how unlikely is this!

You can't judge a felon by his or her handwriting, it seems.

Mood Rantings

The good news is, almost all of the stress will be over in the next... week? week.5?

The bad news is... well you know... this week.5 is going to SUUUUCK.

I had to do a little exit interview thing for my loans (lest they hold my diploma). What I learned... nay... what slapped me across the face was that while picking the best payment plan, they give you a little budgeting calculator. So I filled out my estimates of what I'm going to make and what I'm going to spend. Turns out it takes me 7 tries to negotiate my finances before I stopped getting an error that said I was spending more than I was making. So essentially the federal government has helped me to understand how truly important ramen is going to be in my future. I feel like I'll be asking Santa for vitamins and nutrients for Christmas.

If anyone else asks me where I'm going to live, I am going to kill him or her (her)! And when I say that, I mean that I will make a joke about how I'm not ready to talk about it, but subsequently I will have a very angry imaginary conversation with that person. And given the nature of my guilt, I'll likely spend the next half hour imaginary-counseling myself about how I shouldn't direct my anger towards others when it is really just a reflection of my own frustration and, in addition, these questions really symbolize how much these people care about me.

Stupid predictable brain!

Trying to find an apartment is weird because it forces you to envision different versions of yourself based on the location and roommate. I went to visit an apartment last weekend (unsuccessful), but I knew that the roommate was an artist/musician/actor and she was in a picture in what seemed to be a meditating position. As a result, I was forced to envision a Blythe that joins in meditation and harmonizes in the midst of incense. I wore my Berkley tree earrings and my Arizona flee market jade turtle bracelet. Gotta dress the part. Also, I do not mean to imply that any of this was the reason the visit was unsuccessful. That was purely a parking situation.

On the other hand, I applied to a place in which the roommate was a 23 year old male from PA. That Blythe, I assess, would be much more giggly... amongst other things.... ...

On Sunday I visited the Magic Castle! This is a super exclusive magic establishment. You can't get in unless you are a member, which miraculously my professor is... and he took the few of us that wanted to go. I had to dress up-- coats and ties etc. Shmancy meals. But most importantly, this shit was MAGIC! Seriously! I couldn't even BELIEVE how crazy all the magic was! I've been saying this to everyone, but it isn't like you see ball and then they go behind a curtain and then whatever, it's magic. Nay. I was WAAAATCHING something in the magician's hand and it literally disappeared in front of my eyes. And we may be a little jaded to the use of doves and chicks... but how is it POSSIBLE to move a live animal under a cup without me noticing! It's real guys! Witches are amongst us.

My supervisor is leaving DANGEROUSLY soon! I already miss her and she's not even gone yet. I am super terrified, although I am also pretty excited-- mostly because I am pumped to have everything in my hands... people relying on me. Although I do kind of already feel that way, which is so wonderful. I am so grateful. Truly TRULY. I can say with COMPLETE honesty that I am a million times more excited about the production of this film than I am about graduating college or turning 22.

I got to listen to the tracks for our new Chords CD!!! Absolute heaven! Plus I showed my supervisor, who wants to buy some! And to be a little (a lot?) narcissistic, I am pretty pleased to have a reason to have people listen to me sing. I hate to even say that... but... singing is something that I'm more proud of than I'd care to admit, and I don't love when people don't know that about me.

More importantly, the album makes me miss Chords so much!

Even though I seem to be in a mood right now, I actually had a lovely last few weeks. I forgot to mention that I helped a lady jump start her car and... to make a long story short, we're essentially in love now. I saw her later and she hugged me like we were old friends. It was really lovely. You know how much I love strangers! Plus, I took a drive with the maintenance(?) guy... and we had such a lovely conversation for like... the hour+ that I was with him. I learned a lot about cheap fun places in LA (DEFINITELY not in a creepy way). These two encounters actually happened on the same day.

Also, something kind of awesome happened at CBS. But I can't tell you. Sorry. But I also get to go to a photo shoot tomorrow!

Grievances:

-Why won't my DVR record The Office!!?

-Stupid iPad that makes me feel conflicted about advertising, the bombardment of communication, and my curiosity vs. my desire to not be seduced by corporations or consumerism vs. my own pretentiousness about corporations and consumerism.

-How am I supposed to support my industry when a movie ticket costs $13.50?!

Lastly, look at this awesome snail that I saw on the ground!

I don't recall ever seeing a snail with a shell before!

The Surreal Life

I am getting SOOOO EXCITED!! Obviously I can't talk about the movie, but the crew list that was sent out has MY NAME ON IT! Awesome!!! There's more, but alas you just have to talk to me in person to find out (I encourage it).

I CAN tell you that I made this delicious vegetable wrap for lunch on Thursday, but very sadly forgot it at home. It was a beautiful day, so I decided to walk down the street and see what I could eat there. I came across a small burger place (Carney's), went in, and you know who was at the counter? Kevin Dillon! I vaguely remembered hearing in the office that Entourage was filming across the street, but I didn't think anything of it. Anyway, then I had a chili burger for like... $3.50. Awesome.

Later I ran some errands, and when I came back they were filming outside DIRECTLY across the street. I saw Adrian Grenier AND Kevin Dillon. RIGHT across the street. My life is so surreal. Especially because I saw Rufus Sewell (the bad guy in A Knight's Tale and the king in Tristan and Isolde) at the post office the other day. His voice caught my ear, I turned around, and there he was making jokes with the post office people.

I went to see Date Night last night. I just had to since I am clearly they're KEY demographic. The only two shows I don't miss in the week are The Office and 30 Rock. I felt obligated. Regardless, it was fine-- I laughed, but it wasn't life changing and some of it was a little annoying but I quickly forgave because I liked all the people. Plus, I semi-spontaneously went because I got out of work a half hour early (technically an hour early, but I usually get off a half hour early from CBS) and I decided to just plug in "movie theater" in my GPS and see where it takes me.

Side note: I was looking through the theaters and I saw one on some street and I speculated that I had seen that theater before. I HAD! I know that's not a triumph for real people, and I know it SOUNDS like I'm exaggerating, but when I got to the theater I couldn't believe that I saw the theater and the street name and correctly visualized the right place. Groundbreaking.

Anyway, the parking situation was 3 hours free, $3 for 2 additional hours. So I got there at about 5:27pm and the movie started at 6:50pm. The movie was over at 8:30-something and I lamented over how I would have to pay $3 for like... 10 minutes of time. But they didn't charge me! So that was awesome. Even though I'm probably still not going there again because the ticket was $13.50! I don't know what this industry is thinking about!

Plus, I went in and ALL the previews were for super bloated budget movies. I saw the preview for that Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz movie. It had like... every special effect ever. I like action movies a lot, but I don't like a montage of every crazy stunt someone could ever do in every element they can do it in. It's not very organic. Plus, either their date was moved back or they have been advertising this film FOREVER because I feel like I've been seeing the previews since before Avatar. But the whole time, as everyone around me mumbled about lame-ness, I thought about how many AMAZING movies they could make with that budget. Hell, they probably paid Cameron and Cruise $10,000,000 + each. More importantly, I didn't see any advertisements for a good Juno or Little Miss Sunshine or the like. I guess it is summer though. And to be a little contradictory, I am PPPUUUUMMMPED about Iron Man 2. Seriously, I think I may buy my tickets in advance. Catch it opening night. That would be awesome. I am so excited!

Also, I just want to say that I love Steve Carrell, but he needs to take a break after Dinner for Shmucks. I'm just a little Carrell-ed out.

It's almost scrapbook making time! Last one of the college years!

Ooo, also there are some scary/sad things to think about. Moving. Final projects. Money. But... not for today (or at least on the blog).

If, when I was 9, I imagined what it would feel like two weeks before graduating college, I would have NEVER predicted the complacency that I feel right now. I only casually think about it. If I was 9, I would have thought I would be feeling the stomach flip excitement that I used to get trying to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. I don't even think I'm as excited as I was when I graduated high school. Not to say I'm not SUPER excited about what I'm going to be doing! What I'm already doing! But... I am neither upset nor particularly pleased to leave college. I'm shmena. Or maybe it hasn't hit me yet.

Disasters and Manipulations (but not dramatic)

A few crazy things. Short one first.

I experienced an EARTHQUAKE! Except that it wasn't that exciting actually. I was reading at a table outside and I started to feel dizzy and a little sick and I thought I was getting vertigo again (which is stupid because I only got that once in 6th grade... but I'm still afraid!). I promptly forgot as soon as it was over.

Soon after, Matt texted me asking if I was okay after the earthquake and I told him I didn't even feel it. It wasn't until later when I talked to my roommates that I made the connection. Exciting... (But obviously I am grateful that it wasn't scarier for me)

In other news, I have taken another great leap towards adulthood by having my very first (drum roll) car trouble! (exclamation point for emphasis, not excitement)

I woke up on Wednesday and couldn't start the car. Very luckily, I can walk to CBS so I could still get to work. On my lunch brake I called my mom to speculate over the trouble, and she surmised that I needed a jump start.

I know jump starts are easy because I've seen them done a jillion times. After work I went to the leasing office at my apartment to see if someone could jump start the car. Closed. I went to the guard and asked for her advice, and she gave me the number to the Park La Brea tow place. They didn't have any people available, but suggested I call AAA. They told me that if I pay out of pocket, it will probably cost around $60, so they recommended I become a member because that will also cost about $60 and I get four free calls.

So I went in and tried to set up, which was a struggle because the website was difficult to navigate. It was difficult to verify that I got four free calls. Plus, I called the help line once and got an answer, but I tried to call again for another question, and they closed. Lame. Finally I get it set up. Then I call to have someone come over, and while I'm on the phone, my mom rings. When I call her back, she said she put me on HER AAA plan. So then I had to call back and cancel my membership and... just a bunch of crap that took forever.

The guy arrived and, as it turns out, my car did NOT need a jump start. The starter was broken... which, by the way, I thought was a term they were dumbing down for me so I would understand. Nay. That's the actual word for ... whatever it is. Clever. So he told me I had to bring it into my mechanic, of which I naturally have none. So I called my boss, told her my car was likely not going to start in the morning blah blah blah-- she was SUPER understanding and great.

So the next day the guy (George) came back and started my car and I followed him to the shop. I was TRYING to summon my inner haggler, lady on a mission so that I wouldn't get taken advantage of, but unfortunately I defaulted to my go-to stranger personality-- overly cheery and grateful. I can't help it! I don't want people taking care of my car to be pissed at me! I prefer to have people not take advantage of me because they would feel terribly guilty. Idealistic, maybe, but it's... something I have a hard time controlling. I ended up paying nearly $300. My mom said that sounds fine... but who really knows.

Note to self: acquire a car-person friend. (I also want a history-buff friend, but only for my own pleasure... not to abuse them. So if you know anyone... these are the people that I'm looking for... Actually though, maybe you could find me an interesting man. Yeah... make that you're first priority if you're going to evaluate your acquaintances for me)

ANYWAY, the neatest part was that we had about a JILLION deliveries to do for Present Pictures. WAY more than usual. SOOOOOO I got to drive my supervisor's car, which was AWESOME! I don't know what kind of a car it is because... I entirely forgot to make that observation... I'm pretty sure it's blue. Regardless, I've never really driven another car before. The whole day was SO SURREAL because of it.

When I finally got back to my other car, it felt so strange! And to make the day even MORE surreal, we went to a taping of The Soup. Joel McHale is funny! Too bad I don't ever feel like watching his shows. Maybe I will now (probs not).

I finally got to watch The Doors! After watching it and then reading about it... I feel like it might not be the most accurate representation of Jim Morrison. I know that they are going to dramatize things, but it just wasn't the way I would have chosen to idealize him. Here is an example: In the movie, Pam (his lady (Jim and Pam... )) did heroine with some guy and Jim, super high, flipped out and locked her in the closet and set it on fire. She lived and found him and apologized for what SHE had done.

That didn't happen.

So... that's a HUGE personality trait that they added to Jim and Pam. He's the kind of person who goes so crazy that he tries to kill people. And she's so deluded that she apologizes to the person who tried to kill her. That's a whole level of crazy that... needless to say speaks a lot about a person. And it colors the rest of what he did. Where is the poetry coming from if it's out of someone that is completely crazy?

That said, Val Kilmer could NOT have done better. However good or bad or entertaining or whatever Oliver Stone's interpretation was, Val Kilmer put his ALL into it. I was SUPER impressed! AND I was super surprised to find out that he only got nominated for an MTV Movie Award. I contend that if it came out today, he would get some pretty big awards. I don't know what happened here.

But weirdly enough, in one of the articles I read about the movie, they said that a new anti-Stone documentary on The Doors is coming out in 2010 (People Are Strange)! So I looked it up and it had it's premiere. So I saved it on netflix, but I couldn't order it yet. And then I got into the car, literally RIGHT after I looked all of this up, and an ad came on FOR THE MOVIE! It's narrated by Johnny Depp.

So then I was thinking, this was all a PLOY and they GOT ME! A few weeks ago, I walked in on my roommate watching the end of The Doors. Now I see that they planted this movie to stir up some interest for their new documentary. And they TOTALLY took me right in. Now I'm obsessed/intensely curious and there is no way that I'm NOT seeing that movie. Crazy.

I was curious as to whether I would develop a Bob Dylan-esque obsession with Jim Morrison, but the other day I went to Barnes and Noble and saw a coffee table book about Dylan. I spent a good 20 minutes going through the whole thing. Oh Bob Dylan! How could I love anyone as much as him? (anyone out of all the people I haven't and will never meet. I obviously love, at the very least, my mom above Bob Dylan. I'm not crazy) Plus honestly I've only had two full-blown obsessions with music artists. Michael Jackson in 7th grade, which WAS huge and meaningful despite my age, and Bob Dylan last year-- also intense and meaningful... to me.

In What am I Going to Live?

Well, today I decided to take a gander at the apartment situation. Of course, I already know that the closer to the move in date, the better opportunities there are. But when I went to craigslist to see what's up, I realized I have no idea what I want. This is hard!

Do I want to actually get an apartment and have a lease? Then I will have to stay for a certain amount of time. Should I do that with a roommate? What if I have to leave? What are the ODDS that I'll have to leave?!

Otherwise maybe I should sublet for the summer. But then I have to move again soon no matter what. And that means I can't get any furniture, because lord knows I'll have no one and no resources to help me move. Oh god.

I also saw an option where I could essentially get a dorm room and pay $500 per month. I mean... a dorm room. Again. Although I would be alone.

Plus what about roommates? Can I live with a 25 year old man? Or other such bizarre circumstances? What about Cassidy, my old friend who suggested we live together with his girlfriend? What about Devon's friend who I can call?

This is really going to be a journey, people.

In other news, I finally finished Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin. It was completely satisfying. Although it does destroy my fantasy of seeing her on the street and having her sign my book, since I carried it around in my bag all month. Oh well. I've just started Blink and it is already blowing my mind. I am not shocked at all, but I am thoroughly pleased.

I am on the cusp of final projects, which is basically a tragedy. I essentially haven't had any major homework yet this semester, although I contend that I am already stretched in terms of working hours. But this will be my last school struggle, and that's exciting. I see this step as equivalent to hitting $32,000 in Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. After I get this degree, I always have it no matter what happens later. I feel secure. Being a college graduate will always be an important feather in my cap that no one can take away. Awesome.