Blink.

I cannot overemphasize how quickly the weeks go by. It's eerie. People tell me that it is because I am getting older. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not to me. I think it has something to do with my life having no definitive pattern and living in LA/Orange County. This week Monday and Tuesday were very busy with work and auditions. (The Ultimate Poker taping took ten hours on Monday alone.) By the time I took a breath it was Wednesday. Tomorrow is Friday and I feel like this week hasn't even started yet.

Ah well. It's probably all in my head. We will be going to Indiana for a week from Christmas to New Years. I'm looking forward to slowing down...though I know myself well enough to know that I will grew restless of resting come day four or five. January promises the beginning of pilot season and the finalizing of fund-raising for my film. Those weeks should crawl by...

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving awaits. Over all, a pretty nice holiday when done correctly: friends/family, football, no dietary restrictions and the annual viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacations. I'm looking forward to it.

Monday is a very full day of auditions. I'm reading for a guest starring role in the CBS show Numbers in the morning. Then off to HBO for an audition and finally a callback for an AMEX commercial. Any one of those three would be a nice little holiday gift for the Boyd family budget.

The Ultimate Poker Challenge show is supposed to start next week too, but I haven't been given the day yet. I'm still on hold for the soap "The Heiress" as well. It shoots down in San Diego sometime before Christmas. So, yeah. Things are still going on the acting front. Even with all of that, I spend the bulk of my time working on producing Hitting the Nuts. We could have some big news to officially report next week regarding some of the cast.

I'm off to attempt to do nothing for four or five days. Hopefully I can stick to that plan.

Today: Pretty Much a Waste

Pretty much these days I am trying to balance three jobs (not counting the whole parenting and husbanding professions.)

Those three jobs would be acting, producing and the part-time work that I do for The Crossing. For a while the producing and acting felt like one in the same, but as both progress I am starting to realize that managing my time and my schedule becomes even more important. I did not have an audition today so my plan was to spend the day working on several things for the film as well as my lesson for Lifelines tomorrow night. That's a solid eight hour work day. The problem with my plan came when my agent called and told me to get to Santa Monica asap for a straight to callback Office Depot commercial audition. Somebody messed up in the planning of the commercial because you never get called an hour before the audition...and it shoots in two days, which is a very fast turn-around. I should have been suspicious early on.

The audition was a complete embarrasment. Not on my end, because I never got to actually audition. I drove for one hour and sat in the waiting room for over two hours waiting to get in. Everyone in the room (and there were lots of us) grew more and more impatient. Finally, the casting director just came out and sent most of us home. This violates about a dozen SAG rules, so maybe I'll get some fat penalty check in the mail next month...but it was a complete waste of time. Then Los Angeles conspired against me and it took me another three hours to get home in rush hour traffic. Now it's 9:43 and I didn't get to do anything I was supposed to do today.

All that, and to appease my lovely wife Grey's Anatomy is our number one priority Tivo show (her favorite) and The Office (my favorite) is our number two. The geniuses at NBC decided to run them head to head tonight so Tivo killed The Office gang in favor or a bunch of brilliant Seattle surgeons all of whom aren't bright enough to have a normal social life.

Well, I think I'm done complaining now. I need to get to work anyway...

Booked UPC

I got an offer today to co-host The Ultimate Poker Challenge syndicated TV show. My agent is negotiating the terms on Monday, so I'll know more details then. Figured you would all like to know...I'll post more info as it comes in.

Most of my days this week were spent working on the Hitting the Nuts project. We are trying to finalize investors...lots of e-mails and phone calls, etc.

If you haven't checked out the website, it's linked below and to the right -->

The Website is up!

The website for "Hitting the Nuts", my first feature film as a producer, is now live. We are still fixing some minor things with it, but go ahead and take a look around. Garrett Curry, a buddy from college, designed the artwork. If you like it and need someone for yourself, let me know and I'll give you his info...I really like his stuff.

So...click over and look around: www.hittingthenuts.com

Network Improv Pilot

I just returned from an audition for a new NBC pilot as a series regular. I did pretty well considering...it was straight to producers and only about eight guys were there. I recognized most of them from the imrpov world-all really talented guys. I wish I had time in the room to do more. I was a solid B+. We'll see how it translates.

A few more auditions tomorrow as well. Pressing on...

We have lots of candy now

The boys made out tonight trick or treating-both in our neighborhood and with the Van Druffs. Eli counted 188 pieces of candy. (That's a very Eli thing to do.) Aidan made up a higher number without bothering to count his candy, which caused a fight between them. (That's a very Aidan thing to do.) Overall, a good time was had by all and we have roughly 350 more pieces of candy than we started the day with. This is great news for me because I am currently completely off of sugar and carbs.

I booked tomorrow...working on an industrial video for a company called Northrup Grummon. It is supposed to wrap by 5:00 and then I go immediately to an audition for a new series of short films/commercials for Mini Cooper. They are very fun spots. I'm waiting to hear back from a few film auditions that went well last week as well.

Things progress with "Hitting the Nuts" as well. I sent the first official offer out today to a "name" actor. I'm hoping that he comes on board. It's a great part for him and he seems somewhat interested.

Good Meeting

We had the Lifelines leadership community over this evening. It was very refreshing. We had two deaths in the community this weekend, so it was especially good to be together.

I hope to have lots of exciting news to report in the coming days about the film I am producing. Stay tuned for details.

Too Much Information?

Yesterday I threw up for the first time in twelve years. It wasn't fun. I was really out of practice. Today I pretty much feel better. Thanks for your concern.

From the set of "THE CURE"

A few pics from my work today on my friend Sidney's film...yeah, it'a a comedy.

Soap Operas, Pigeons and Mini Vans...

Well...tomorrow I had booked a principal role on a soap opera called The Heiress for the new MyNetworkTV channel. They called this morning to say that they are still using me but the shoot is postponed for a week or two. Turns out to be a good thing because I had an audition come in for CSI:NY tomorrow. That's a little odd, because my worst audition of the year was for that show a few months back. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I remember. I'm reading for a pigeon wrangler who gets murdered. So...yeah. It's hard to know exactly how to dress for a pigeon wrangler, but I think it involves a warm jacket.

I've agreed to play the lead in my friend Sidney's senior thesis film at Champan University. It will shoot Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Fun part.

The short film that I am producing (My Take) is going to shoot in November. I'm also working everyday on the feature. Generally, lots of good things happening with it.

Our van is busted again. The starter went out at 59,110 miles. The warranty expires at 60,000. So for today I am not an atheist :)

Full Speed Ahead

I try to post two or three times per week...it's really hard to believe that it has been seven days since my last entry. In the last week I have started and completed a film called PERSPECTIVE. It's an art-house piece going the festival route. I played the lead...a guy who loses his job and has to deal with the pressures associated with that. It was a good time and I met some really cool people whom I hope to work with again.

I am down to the final few guys for hosting the Ultimate Poker Championship TV show. I got an email yesterday that said they had not made a decision. I feel like I would have heard today if I got it, but you never know for sure. It would be over 100 shows and create some stability...would be an interesting thing to have happen. I'll post when I find out.

Two auditions today that went very well. I've had a strong run this month.

And I am actively seeking investors for my feature film in my spare time. I took a whirlwind trip to Vegas...less than 20 hours total, to meet with several people who are helping me secure funding. We're movin and grovin with this thing. It's going to happen. The official website for the film will launch Oct. 25 and I will be sure to post a link here. Until, then you can check out the myspace page on the side margin -->

Personally, the family seems happy. The boys are taking tennis lessons after school on Mondays and they both really like it. For those of you who know mom and dad, I'm excited to announce that dad took a new job in Kansas City with a different oil company. We've been praying about that for a long time. It will be odd to not visit them in Columbus, but it's a very good thing.

Here's to life as an adventure. Cheers.

Ramping Up

Whew. Today I had three auditions. One was to host the next season of The Ultimate Poker Challenge. It went very well and would be an interesting gig...100 shows over the next year. I also booked a film today that shoots Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I already have two days of work scheduled for next week...a day on General Hospital and another on a sit-com.

Production stuff is still ramping up too. I actually made a to-do list today for the first time in a decade or so.

I want to get back to telling stories at Lifelines so I've decided to spend three weeks in the book of Judges. Lots of blood, violence and questionable sexual ethics...it's everything you could hope for in and Old Testament book. It's all about how our lives get in the same pattern of calling out for help, getting help, forgetting that we need help, screwing up our lives by refusing to be helped, and then calling out for help again. I think it relates to recovery.

Coming Together

I'm loving the producing work that I have been doing the last few weeks. It uses a different part of my brain and skill set. Things are coming together quickly for "IN TNE NUTS...THE TRUE STORY OF THE 2007 SCOTT COUNTY SERIES OF POKER." (See the official myspace link to the right -->) I'm in the process of building a team for pre-production now, and it is exciting to see friends of mine from all different seasons of my life jumping on board. We are seeking investors now, which actually is enjoyable if you believe in the project. A few recognizable actors are reading the treatment this week...all good things.

A few auditions this week as well and back on General Hospital for the first time in a long time next week. I booked a web-based sit-com that shoots in a few weeks. I'll post the link when it's up.

All for now...

My Bacon Number is 3

I was just informed that I have an official Bacon Number on imdb now...

Joe Boyd was in Devil Girl (2006) with Billy Bryan...
who was in Army of Darkness (1992) with Bridget Fonda...
who was in Balto (2005) with Kevin Bacon.

See...I've made it.

Hitting the Nuts...

My first feature film as a producer is offially in pre-production! It's called HITTING THE NUTS...THE TRUE STORY OF THE 2007 SCOTT COUNTY SERIES OF POKER. I've created a myspace page for it and I will post updates here too. The next few months will focus on finding investors...it's considered "ultra-low budget" with a total budget of $269,000. It's a poker comedy set in Scottsburg, IN...which happens to be my lovely wife's hometown. It's kind of Rounders meets Spinal Tap, inspired by Napolean Dynamite. It'll be fun.

If you myspace, go to www.myspace.com/hittingthenuts and befriend us.

Some fun people are jumping on board already...

Studio 60-Week Two

OK...it got better. There was a scene in which I literally sat up in my chair and clapped my hands. (Luckily everyone else in my house was sleeping.) I have to admit that I love the show in large part because it hits every major interest and passion of my life in one show, even including the atypical Christian working in Hollywood.

I also tivo'd Heroes with high hopes. I hated it. Ah, well...

Why do I do this again?

I sort of freaked out this week. I'm not sure why. On Monday I went down to San Diego for my second audition for the TV show "Art of Betrayal"...the role of a policeman. They immediately called me back to read again at 2:30 pm. I did very well in the first reading and not as well in the callback. This happens sometimes. It happened to me last week too. I was called back for a TV show called Mystery ER on the Discovery Channel. I nailed the first reading and not the second. I don't think in either case that I totally blew it...but I could have and should have done better. In golfer terms, I get the yips at callbacks. I choke on putts I should sink simply because the stakes are higher. Not always...but recently for some reason.

So for a few days I looked around on monster.com and craigslist trying to imagine something else I could do...

Yeah. There's not really anything.

Today was better...coming out of the funk. I wrote a seven-page script that I'm proud of. It will be submitted for use in a 48 hour film festival in December. My agent finally called after a week (in the middle of my funk, I assumed they had fired me and forgot to tell me.) I have two auditions for the show Vanished (Fox) tomorrow ("policeman" and "security guard")...I've already read there once this season as well. It's a good sign when they bring you back like that. (Based on my most recent auditions, maybe I should consider a career in law enforcement.)

So, I'm back off the edge. Ironically, I received several e-mails from long lost friends this week telling me how proud they are of me for following my dreams and all that...I figured quitting this week might be too hard on them anyway. And by the way, following your dreams sounds so awesome until you do it. Then it just feels really hard and a little pointless...and kind of like you should get a real job...and, to be honest, sometimes out of nowhere...it does feel a little awesome.

On a side note, I've been listening to the audio book BLINK from the other of THE TIPPING POINT. It's pretty cool...there is a whole chapter devoted why improv is the greatest thing people can do together. (My interpretation-but it's not so far off.)

To my Lifelines friends...my Vanished audition is at 5:00 in Hollywood so if I'm a little late tomorrow night, talk among yourselves and I'll get there asap.

I think I'm in love...

...with a TV show.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC, Mondays at 10pm).

I was looking forward to it, and blown away at the pilot last night. Enjoy.

Devestating News

I'm sitting at the Diedrch Coffee on 17th Street in Newport. There are forty of these coffee shops in Orange County. Diedrich's is one of my favorite things about living in OC. Sitting at the Diedrich's in Laguna Beach was one of the fondest memories of my early vacations here with Debbie before we had kids.

They just sold to Starbucks. All 40 stores.

Lame.

I shouldn't let this make me sad. It really sucks though. I've never been a Starbucks hater...I just like this place better-the coffee tastes a little better, the people are a little friendlier and the wireless internet is free.

I might have to start hating Starbucks for this. Only time will tell.

If the prophet Nathan were here, he would march up to Seattle and tell Starbucks the story of the one little ewe lamb...but, alas, Nathan is gone...and so is Diedrich's.

RIP.