Monday, December 31, 2012

Cien. Cent. Cento. ONE HUNDRED!

The relentless march of time rolls on.  Can't say I'm sad about that.  Enjoying every minute.  Like ya do.  'S how I roll.  I also apparently roll with short declarative phrases.  As far as years go, 2012 was pretty epic in many ways.  It was also pretty slow in many ways.  But!  I managed to make it to the end with my usual sense of optimism, a new stamp in my passport, no debt, and a little less hair.  Here is this year's list of 100 things that brought a smile to my face:

reading
oreo balls
vacations
sleepovers
beach time
new clothes
lunch with friends
FRIENDS!
family time
weddings
trips home
live theater
road trips
scooter rides
acting class
working
quitting my soul-sucking job
working out
fireworks
cuddling
singing
acting
improv
$6 movies at AMC
paying off the credit card
good news from my agent
NPH
scaring people
Pioneer Day BBQ
museums
a massage
TV
ice skating
Christmas lights
future plans
Disneyland
hummus
babies
Spain
inspiration
flirting
good haircuts
yellow pants
roller skating
dance parties
the world not ending
Walking Dead
pajamas
hocho
scarves
shorts
farmer's markets
roller coasters
grandmas
grandmas on Ambien
the Muppets
the sale rack
auditions
being on set
being on stage
comfy couches
senior citizens dancing
walks
nephews
the niece
teaching
building blocks
projects
cleaning
showers
churros and hot chocolate (European style)
public transit
hobos
seeing myself on TV
seeing friends on TV
Garlick family chip dip
memories
socks
love songs after dark
inside jokes
Facetime/Skype/Google Hangout
sleeping with two, count them - two!, comforters
Brene Brown
people watching
exercising
nerf gun fights
Pip and Phin
cherry pomegranate juice
hot tubbing
lovesacs
awesome views
clementines
mail
Trader Joe's holiday waffle cookies
new glasses

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Have any spare change?

Along with my personal blog here I'm also a contributor to the Northern Lights blog over at the North Star website.  North Star is, basically, a support organization for us gays that are stickin' it out with the church.  And our friends and families.  Sometimes I write posts because it's my turn and I think, "meh".  Other times I write posts because it's my turn and I think, "That was an alright post.  I'd like people to see that one."

My most recent post over there deals with the question of changing orientation.  It's a letter to a member of the church - friend of a friend - who is of the opinion that I, and everyone else in my position, have a duty to use the atonement to change.  I shared my opinion that while the atonement certainly has the power to change that sort of thing, I don't think that's what it's for.

Read the whole thing here.

And Merry Christmas.

And here's to a prosperous 2013!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Card Trick

I was super ambitious this year.  At the beginning of the year I decided I was going to do a kind of info-graphic, pie-chart, bar-graph, interesting statistic kind of newsletter and send it out with a Christmas card to all my friends and loved ones because I'm a grown-up now and stuff.  I even kept track of all kinds of interesting statistics for that very purpose.  All year long!

Then the end of the year got here and I'm broke, so I couldn't afford to print off cool newsletters, or Christmas cards featuring me in some festive scenery, or buy cool matching envelopes in which to send you the cool newsletter and card.

But I didn't want all of that fastidious statistic-keeping to go to waste, so I'm gonna do a makeshift newsletter here.  I also designed the card and I'm posting it here for your enjoyment as well.  (You can tell I put TONS of thought into the card because it says, "Full Name".  Maybe that's just the new nickname I gave myself.  You don't know.)  I realize you won't be able to tape it to your door, or hang it on your wall, or whatever it is you do with your Christmas cards (I put yours on my tree because I'm too poor for real ornaments, but it my very well turn into my tradition.  So for now your Christmas card is surrounded by hand-made origami ornaments.  In the future it may just be surrounded by ornaments bought on clearance from Target.  So, ya know, classier.) - unless you choose to print it off of course - but maybe one year I'll be rich enough to send you a Christmas card encased in chocolate or something, at which point it'll all be worth it.

Until then - Merry Christmas!



2012 RECAP!!!

It's been a pretty crazy year.  I've done 6 national commercials, an assortment of unpaid projects including student films, PSAs, and short films.  I worked for NPH in a haunted house.  I visited Spain.  Saw some shows on Broadway.  Went to Utah about 8 times.   Was rejected by Disney - twice.  Quit my job.  And considered getting a cat.  Life continues to be amazing and adventurous here on the Golden Coast.  I'm loving every* minute of it and cannot wait to see what 2013 brings.

2012 IN NUMBERS!!!


auditions


trips to Disneyland


books read


dollars spent on hamburgers



approximate miles traveled

2012 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS!!!

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Old Mr. Franklin was one fairly inspirational human.  He left home at 16 and did amazing things with his life.  His autobiography is not comprehensive, but gives a good idea of what his life was all about.  I think I'm gonna keep this one on my shelf for those days when I need a little boost of motivation.  I recommend everyone reads this at some point in their life.

Miss Peregrin's School for Peculiar Children

A quirky little tale using old, odd black-white-photos as the inspiration (photos are included in the book).  I like when I read a book and am surprised by what happens.  Not surprised in the sense that I didn't expect what happened a-la-mystery novel, but surprised by the creativeness and "different-ness" of the book.  This was one of those books.

Pillars of the Earth

This one is long.  LONG.  So be prepared for that, but such an amazing story.  I was fully engrossed.  It's set several hundred years ago and follows the interconnected lives of several sets of characters as they build a cathedral and a community.  Be aware that some of the situations/language in this book can be fairly adult in nature, but not gratuitously so.





*almost