Holiday! Celebrate!

Christmas was nice.  I was annoyed that I had to work late X-mas Eve (without time-and-a-half!) but at least I got a day at home with the fam.  I had been working hard on my new ukulele for a Christmas sing-a-long.  This sing-a-long was meant to be a Christmas gift to my family though I'm not sure this was apparent when I "gave" it to them.  I'm also not sure that it was apparent that I actually practiced as often as I could since I wasn't as good as I had hoped.  I had planned to give everyone red and green Hawaiian Leis but I couldn't find leis and had to settle for Mardi Gras necklaces.  Still, I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time.  I had a great time playing and that's all that matters, right?  My friend Zo helped me put together the sing-a-long booklets and I was glad that she came home with me for Christmas.  We have a lot in common and my family really liked her.

With the holidays past, I now have two new vegan cookbooks, an awesome mix CD, a necklace, a purse, Toy Story 3, Planet Earth, socks, a book called Lizard, a gift card, money, and potatoes which came with a potato masher (I've been using bean cans to mash my potatoes for years).  With the gift card, I got a sketchbook and some quality pencils because I have been wanting to start drawing regularly.  With the money, I will pay bills, save, and get some rain boots, pants, and Gary Franicone books. 

Inside Amy's Studio

My answers to the Actor's Studios questions which come from Bernard Pivot, who borrowed them from Marcel Proust.

1. What is your favorite word?

"Sofa" for the sound and "empathy" for the meaning and the sound.

2. What is your least favorite word?

"Juxtaposition." The word makes me think of snobby film majors.

3. What turns you on?

Kindness.

4. What turns you off?

A condescending attitude.

5. What sound do you love?

The sound of an oscillating fan, a cat purring, and a teacup on a saucer.

6. What sound do you hate?

The sound lenticular pictures (like the ones on kids' notebooks) make when it is scratched against.  And people chewing sometimes. 

7. What is your favorite curse word?

"Bloody." I don't curse often, but this curse makes me think of Monty Python. Like most curses, I mostly only use it in my head.

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Writing or musicianing.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

Anything boring and meaningless that doesn't involve any creativity and doesn't improve the world in any way. For example, a cashier. :-(

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"Everyone you love made it too."

Can You Hear Me Now?

I try my best make all of my blog entries as short and digestible as possible. It is my hope that this keeps me from rambling. So, last week I wrote about my birthday and my new job and decided to put off writing my commercial work job until a less eventful week. So here it is.

Last Thursday, I was an extra for a Verizon commercial. I've already been an extra for the movie SAFE and since this experience, I have made an effort to keep checking the casting site. When I saw the commercial posting I sent an email to the agency and I got a call soon after.


The commercial took place at the Wells-Fargo Center (previously known as The Wachovia Center). The plot of the ad was the Philadelphia Flyers kept progessing in the season. We (The Extras) had to act progressively more excited.

I had a really fun time. Firstly, I met people that I really liked. Secondly, the director looked like David Bowie from a distance. Thirdly, I made a contact to possibly get a foot in the door job-wise. Finally, I got to cheer and act happy all day.


I wouldn't mind being an extra everyday.

Wood You Come to My Birthday?

Yesterday was my birthday.  I turned 24 and had a wonderful time in the process.

For one thing, I finally have a full-time job!  I now work at grocery 
store that is a 7-minute walk from my house.  Everyone I have worked with so far is very nice and I'm glad that I will at last be able to have some stability.  I even get paid every week instead of every other week.  When I first thought of working at South Square, I thought how the job would offend my vegan-self.  I still have these thoughts.  You should see me as I gingerly pick up the very tips of a cheese or meat package to scan it.  I also worry about how my paycheck is partially coming from animal exploitation.  It's not an ideal job for me in this respect but the way things have been for about a year now, I've barely been getting by.  I've been surviving more than living but this is more than I can say for the animals' whose body parts and products I slide across my scanner and announce the price of.  What would my thighs go for?  What about my life?

Sadly, the job that I was barely getting by with ended and I needed another job.  This was the first one that I could find that would pay my bills.  I will continue to look for better options for me but in looking at the situation as it is, I see an excellent opportunity to do some activism.  Here I am, being presented with pieces of people's lives.  I recently listened to a debate between Gary Francione and Erik Marcus and Gary mentioned he always starts the conversation by asking about people's pets.  At my job, I'm ringing up their cat and/or dog food.  What a perfect lead in!  I've ordered some free business cards for The Abolitionist Approach and as soon as I'm finished my training I'm going to start talking to people about veganism and giving them cards at the end of our conversations.  I'll probably get myself into some kind of trouble but as long as I'm not selling anything, I don't see what's so wrong about having a conversation made relevant by a person's pets.  So, I'll see.

For my birthday, I worked and then I went back to my apartment where my boyfriend was waiting for me.  He got me tasty vegan pizza and a delicious vegan dessert.  After eating, he gave me a present which was a ukulele!  How exciting!

Then, I dragged my roommates, friends, and boyfriend to Woody's, a wonderful, gay bar and I think that everyone had a good time.  I had a good time.  Sunday is 80's night meaning some drinks are 80 cents and there is lots of 80's music.  I love Woody's!  Everyone there is so full of joy and there's so much love in the room!  This sounds corny but I don't care.

Oh, and P.S. I got a popcorn maker as a birthday gift!  Hooray!  The lid turns into a bowl!