Red Lipstick and Stockings

Since being forced against my will to drive across the Southwestern United States to relocate in California something happened-

I slowly started to move out of my comfort zones.

This summer I not only started my master's degree in administration (something I never thought I would have done), I started writing a novel (something I never thought I would actually try), and I signed up with Central Casting.

Central Casting is a company which casts "background actors" in television and movie productions. A friend of mine had done it, so I knew it was legitimate. I mulled over the idea of registering for quite some time but wasn't sure. What if I never actually got to do it? What if I did and got on camera looking stupid? What if?

I decided to just take the plunge and do it anyway. When will I ever be 25, married withOUT children, living in Southern California again?

Never.

So last Monday I drove to Burbank and registered.

The way Central Casting works is you call a phoneline which has prerecorded messages from casting directors telling you what they are looking for. If you fit the profile, you return the call, they look at your picture and then decide if you are, indeed, what they want.

I called, and called, and called, and called for several days and never got more than a busy signal.

Thursday morning I fit a description that I got very excited about.

It was for Cold Case.

It was a 1940's flashback scene.

All I needed was to hear flashback scene and I was calling that number like a madwoman. I really wanted to do extra work at least once before being forced back into the public school system and was running out of time.

I called the number and got a busy signal for ten minutes.

Then, it rang. And rang. And rang.

Then, "First five of your social please."

"Uh,....."

"Hi Adrienne."

"Uh, Hi."

Awkward pause and she looks at my picture in essence sizing me up.

"Ok, Adrienne, let's put you on Cold Case."

Yay!!!

The next Monday I went to Western Costume (apparently THE costume company for all of LA) to get fitted for my 1940's costume.

Then Tuesday night I rolled my hair in a wet set (a whole other blog I assure you) and promptly failed miserably at sleeping that night. After getting not an ounce of sleep, I left the apartment at 3:45 am in order to make it to location for my 5 am call time.

We all got there, rollers and all, sleep deprived and aware that the on location set smelled heavily of cow manure.

We were ushered into wardrobe to get dressed, then on to hair and makeup where we got to listen to a hair lady accost almost all the girls for not setting their hair correctly.

Well, excuse us for not being born in an era where we don't wet set our hair anymore!!! We tried, ok?!

Anyhow, after being rudely cut in front of by several other extras I finally got my hair and makeup done and was off to the holding area near the filming.

There was something surreal about walking up to the set. Almost a hundred guys in air force attire and about 35 women in dresses, seamed stockings, red lipstick and some very vintage hair. There were military tents set up and lots of period jeeps and airplanes. If there hadn't been cameras and extras in costume talking on cell phones it would have really felt like 1944. It was amazing how much detail and planning goes into filming something.

Then began the "hurry up and wait" that is so rampant in the film industry. We were rushed out of hair and makeup only to sit in a sweltering tent for three hours. It wasn't bad actually and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with some of the other girls. It's always nice to meet new people.

When we finally did begin filming our scene it was hot. Really hot. Like 100 degrees hot. I won't give anything away about the episode or the scene we filmed just yet, but I will say it took hours to get one thirty second scene filmed.

We were hot and sweaty and hungry and sleepless and underpaid (minimum wage), but it was such an experience!

I loved dressing up and getting to see exactly how things are done with cameras and direction and props and background and all the behind-the-scenes stuff most people will never see.

I want to do it again.

Preferably on another period piece.

Or CSI.

Yes, CSI would be acceptable.

When Did It Get To Be August?

Wow, summer is almost over and mine has hardly begun. This is the point where I would start complaining about that fact but then I remember that most people in the world don't have a summer vacation at all and it is annoying when people who do get a "hiatus" of any kind gripe about how short it is.

Do I get a little bit of a "le sigh" moment since I simulataneously taught summer school and took six units of grad school? Maybe.

On that note, summer school wrapped up about two weeks ago.



We read "Twilight" and finished up the summer watching it. I was the only girl in the room who was on "Team Jacob" if any of you even know what that means. I certainly hope not since it's horribly embarassing that I have succumbed to an overly advertised, teenage girl crazy trend. Most of my life I've tried to not like things oftentimes because they are popular. "Twilight" being case in point, but by no means the first. In high school there was "Harry Potter," followed by Facebook, blogging (gasp), iphones, and now...dare I say it, I think I'm about to get a Twitter account (even though my better judgement is screaming no). To my better judgement: I say...blah...I'm going to do it anyway.



After teaching ended, so did my Ed Law class (I just found out I made an "A" yay)! I learned way too much about California law and answered way too many emails from irate parents with silly questions about...everything. I really enjoyed the class, the people in it, and the professor though.

The day after both of my summer schools ended, Drew was a groomsmen in our friends' Cliff and Heather's wedding. It was beautiful and we are so happy for them!



The very next morning we were at LAX to board our flight for Dallas. We had a really good time at home, seeing Rachel off to the Dominican Republic, forcing Drew's family to watch "Twilight" (they LOVED it, by the way), lots of making fun of our families (all in good fun of course), visiting grandparents, smoking cigars (Drew and Glynn), and watching most of the first season of Laguna Beach with my sister. She was not happy that I saw Lauren Conrad at LAX the morning of our flight. I thought it was pretty cool.







I'm off to spend my last few weeks trying desperately to write as much of my book as possible. It has been hard to get motivated though. Emails of forceful encouragement are greatly appreciated.