4/21/2007 -- The Accident

As everyone knows, I've been crazy busy working 2 jobs and now I have this car accident to deal with. Let me just tell you the events of my day on April 21st, because the whole day was a complete disaster! So, my morning starts off at 5:30 am because I had to get up and be at work at 7 am. Everything is going as usual, I get in my car, turn on my CD. In order to get to my job, I have to drive through the famous Rodeo Drive Shopping District. I pass through there, and by this point I'm less that a half mile from the hotel, with one more traffic light to go through. Beyonce's "Crazy In Love" is playing on the stereo. I'm approaching the intersection; my light is green. It's about 6:50 am now and there are hardly any cars on the roads because it is Saturday morning. I get to the intersection and start to go through it, when out of the corner of my eye I see a huge white pick up truck barreling at me. I slam on my brakes, tires screeching, and the truck hits my left front bumper, spins my car 90 degrees, and then he swerves and hits a 3rd car. Has anyone seen those car insurance commercials where 2 people are driving in the car and they are hit by another car? It was just like that. It happened so fast. I couldn't believe it. I'd never experienced anything like it before. At this intersection was a gas station, so we all pulled in there.

The man in the truck jumps out and immediately starts apologizing saying he can't believe he just did that. I mean, he was nice and offered all his information, but I was pissed as you can imagine. I have never been in a car accident before. Luckily, I wasn't injured whatsoever thanks to my hefty Explorer. I noticed that this guy's truck was a company vehicle for a Termite Extermination company, and I said a silent, "Thank GOD!", because I knew the vehicle would be properly insured. So, we call the lazy ass Beverly Hills Police and they refuse to come to the scene because "there are no injuries". Now, does that make any sense at all??? Shouldn't the police come out regardless to determine who was at fault, and more importantly if anyone was drinking or driving under the influence?!?! I just couldn't believe they would not come out.

Anyways, we all exhange information and I find out 2 important things happened. The guy driving the truck told me that when he got to the intersection and saw me, he actually hit his accelerator because if he had hit his brakes, he would have collided right into my driver door and me! So, it was a combination of him accelerating and me braking, that prevented a much, much worse accident. After the info exhange, I head to work, late of course. My car was actually drivable, but it is really messed up. I'm an hour late for work, in a terrible mood, and then I find out that the hotel's boiler failed and the entire hotel is without hot water!! This means that for the remainder of my work day, I have to deal with angry hotel guests yelling at us at the front desk. I'm antsy and anxious all day, thinking about a million things including the fact that this guy could try and say that he was not at fault, since no police came out to make a report. I really prepared for the worst possible outcome, especially since he provided an expired insurance card when we exhange information.

After I get off work that very same day, I find out that my landlord is putting my apartment up for rent since I apparently have been subletting this whole time, even though I thought I was on the lease. In order to stay, I'd have to sign up as a new tenant (which means he would raise the rent) and find a good responsible roommate. I had one potential roommate submit and application, but the landlord didn't like the guy's credit history, so I think it is just easier if I move. Another headache I have to deal with. So, you would think that was it for my day. Not so fast. Later on that evening, I went to IHOP by myself because it is so good and I wanted to eat something that would bring up my spirits. After eating, I'm walking homes. I come to an intersection and patiently wait for the "Walk" sign to cross the street. After the signal changes, I begin to cross the street, and there are no cars needing to turn. All of a sudden some dumbass cab driver speeds around the corner and almost hits me. Like, he had to swerve to miss me!

That was my Saturday. Did I do some evil thing to deserve some bad karma or something? Did I defy death twice in one day?? This better not be some Final Destination type stuff. Defying death once is one thing, but constantly having to run from it, I don't need to deal with that. So, to end this blog on a good note........The Termite Company's insurance company just called me an hour ago and told me that the guy driving the truck accepted responsibility and that I am clear to make an appointment with a body shop to get my vehicle fixed and to get a rental car, all paid for by them. Now, of course I don't wish that anyone would get in a car accident, but I'm kinda glad he hit that other lady, because with our 2 stories, there is no way he could have tried to say it wasn't his fault. My car was much more damaged than hers anyway. So, that news put me in a good enough mood to finally type up this blog post before I go to work at the gym of course. I just can't wait until my car is totally fixed and I get my roommate/apartment situation all straightened out so everything can return to normal (which really means I can get back to dealing with my crazies because I have a lot of those stories building up, just waiting to be told, lol). Why does all the bad stuff have to happen all at once??? Geez.

I can't leave without the positive quote:

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."

--Theodore Roosevelt

I chose this quote because, on top of everything that I just mentioned above, I seem to be going through a little dry spell in terms of my agent calling me and me getting auditions period. I'm just not getting as much as I was a few months ago. But I'm not giving up. I've come far enough, and accomplished enough in less than a year, that I think actually have a chance. I just need to be patient and persistent!

Transition 1: Complete

Damn, I'm glad I've got some good work ethic! I've finally secured and started my new job, so in terms of income, I'm good. I now have 3 jobs technically. I'm still registered to do background, I work at the gym and I now work at a hotel in Beverly Hills at the front desk. Easy jobs, but long days. In the next 7 days, I will be working 60 hours between the gym and the hotel. That means, I have 2 full days completely off. Most people would use those days to rest. I might, I might not. It depends on how I feel. That's the ONE good thing about doing background. You book yourself the day before. Now, seeing that the average day on the set is 10 hours (sometimes 12-14), if I did background on my 2 off days, I would easily hit 80 hours this week! That's pretty hectic, huh?? It's really not surprising to me. I mean, I was in medical school last year. I had long days like this all the time, and doctors do it regularly. I think I am built for this stuff. I look at it this way. I'm young. I'm single (for now). I have no kids. I'm healthy. Why the heck not work? I like to have money to buy the things that I want. If I took the days off, it would always be in the back of my mind that I could have made an extra $200 on those days. The trick, now, is to juggle doing auditions with all these jobs! Ahh.....the life of an aspiring actor. You gotta love it! Somehow, some way, it all has to work out. I've invested too much of my time and money into this for it not to! I'm claiming my success now! haha

In other news (for anyone who cares), my next transition is the roommate search. It is stressful, hectic, and I absolutely hate it, but that's life I guess. I put out an ad on a roommates website specifically stating what I was looking for. It included things like, someone my age, no druggies, no smokers, cool people, laidback people, people looking to stay for at least a year, no drama, etc. The responses so far:

• a guy my age that lives around the corner
• a guy my age also from ohio
• another guy a few years older than me that lives around the corner
• a 42 year old man (yes, 42) and his WIFE of 17 years
• a recently divorced 38 year old man with one kid
• a girl from (and currently living in) Russia!!
• a guy from India who needs a place in the US for 8 weeks!!!
• a guy who needs a place for the summer

Now, as you can see I listed the cool, normal people first, the first three. I saved the crazies for last. I just don't get it! For one, I specifically stated in my ad (in capital letters): DO NOT CONTACT ME IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING. I explicitly stated that I was looking for someone my age. The only people I would want to live with over the age of 35 are family members. It would just be too weird, wouldn't it?? I clearly stated this was a one bedroom apartment and that I was only looking for one other roommate. Why is a married couple even contacting me??? Can somebody out there explain this to me?!?! Am I missing something??? AHHHHHHHH

Enough of that, I have a headache all over again. So, I basically typed up this blog in about 15 minutes. I'm dead tired, but I know everyone is just dying for me to update (kidding!). It usually takes me a good hour to do a blog post, think about what I'm going to talk about and how I'm going to set it up, look for pics, etc. Well, you don't get pictures this time, but I won't leave out the positive quote.

"Do not waste your time holding grudges, even toward those who have treated you unjustly. You will meet such people along the way, as you rise toward success. Others who are not making the grade will try to hold you down to their mediocre level, but they can't if you refuse to be bothered by what they say or do. Nobody can keep your success and prosperity from you but yourself."

--Catherine Ponder, "The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity"

This quote is kind of random, but I think everyone can take something from it.

I Know I Know

I know it's been a millenium since I've updated my blog but I'm really busy and lazy at the same time. Hold tight for another day or two!

At Least It's Nice and Sunny

I guess one thing about phasing out background is that my posts can be a little shorter and to the point now (and more frequent, kind of......sort of......hopefully, lol). I've still been working over night so I've been able to enjoy our sunny and 80 degree weather here. Don't hate! A portion of the Hollywood Hills caught on fire last week in case anyone didn't know. Right behind the Hollywood Sign. I live at the base of the Hollywood Hills, about 2 miles from where the fire was. Some apartment complexes had to be evacuated, but no residential areas were damaged. They got it under control. Scary.

So, I was working at the gym the other night. You would be surprised at the number of people that come in all through the night. It still amazes me. The regulars come in every night, and they know me know, so it's cool. Anyways, the other night I was at the front desk and it was about 3:30 am. I see this car park in the parking lot and this guy gets out and is walking towards the door. He has a huge bag on his back, coats in one arm, miscellaneous stuff in the other arm, and a cigarette in his mouth. He is dropping things because he has so much stuff. It was pretty funny. He comes right up to the front door and then throws his cigarette butt on the ground and steps on it. Now, I know smokers work out too, but I was thinking, "This guy is crazy. Who not only smokes a cigarette right before they work out, but literally right up to the front door?" I mean, it's like he wanted to smoke for as along as he possibly could until he got into the gym. He then walks through the door. I glance at my computer screen, and then at him, and guess who it is? It's Danny Bonaduce!!! LOL From the Vh1 reality show Breaking Bonaduce (and from The Partridge Family of course). He looks just like he does on the tv. He's short. However, he was REALLY cool. He was a nice guy. You know I keep it real and wouldn't lie. He also came back the next night looking for some punching bags, but we didn't have any. You never know who you're going to bump into in Hollywood. Now, I just need Mariah Carey to waltz in one night.

Also, I was at the grocery store the other day and I ran into Christine Taylor, better known as Ben Stiller's wife. She is pretty and thing, just like any other actress. I didn't talk to her though. I wantedd to, but like I said, I'm not that kind of person. I did want to say something though because I used to watch this show she was on years ago when I was kid. It was a show on Nickelodeon called Hey Dude! Is there anyone my age reading this that rememebers that show? I never missed it.

That's it. Positive quote:

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

~Harriet Tubman

I really hope everyone (in America at least) knows who Harriet Tubman is. As soon as I saw this quote, I had to use it here. It really puts things into perspective. When I think about what hardships people have gone through in the past, whether it be the slaves during the Atlantic Slave Trade, the Jews during the Holocaust, the Native Americans, the first settlers who set up camp at Jamestown, Virginia, or even my own grandmother who moved 7 young children from Jamaica to the United States, BY HERSELF, it makes me think the things I whine about now are nothing! I have no right to be tired or inconvenienced. I have goals damnit and I'm not stopping until I achieve them! Who's with me??

It's Time For A YouTube

Anyone on the Sanjaya bandwagon? I'm not, because I don't watch American Idol, but here is a funny video that has been going around the net. It was shot right here in LA and in the video you can see a portion of the LA Film School. I've had many auditions there, lol.


Sanjaya Anthem

Add to My Profile More Videos

I Actually Have Something To Write About

My new task is to find some interesting things to write about since I can no longer write about all of the interesting sets that I've been on. I haven't found interesting things yet, but I think I can muster up a few things. For starters, I think working at the gym is going to provide me with enough "crazies" to write about, so that shouldn't be a problem, haha. For instance, last week the manager at one of our other gyms called me and asked me if I could work the overnight shift for a few days because the regular person got the pink slip and she needed a temporary fill in until she trained her new person. I reluctantly agreed. I needed the money, but I wasn't too thrilled about working from 10pm-6am, being the only person working and basically being bored out of my mind! For anyone who doesn't know me, I have a very short attention span. (My biggest fear before moving to LA had nothing to do with money. I was afraid of being bored to death since I didn't know anyone). Anyways, I worked 3 overnight shifts last week, and I loved it! It surprised the hell out of me. I liked it for a few reasons. First, there isn't much to do, but enough that I wasn't bored all night. Second, this is LA, so people come in all through the night and they talk to me and stuff. Third, since I'm the only one working, I can eat whenever I want and do whatever I want. Not to mention, on the first night, some young guy high on some kind of drug was starting fights in the basketball court and he got punched in the face and I had to call security and the police and he was escorted out. So, I was certainly entertained all through the night!

I'm also looking for another job because obviously the gym isn't going to cut it here in LA. It's really hard to find a good paying job as an actor. You need your days free (or a job that will let you out for auditions), you need flexibility and you need more than minimum wage. I've filled out so many applications that I don't ever want to see another one again. I haven't really found anything worthwhile until I saw a posting on the internet for a really good paying job that actually said "actors and artists welcome". That's pretty much unheard of. Most jobs other than restaurants (which I'm so desperately trying NOT to work at) don't like hiring actors because of auditions and stuff. So, I submitted for this job, but I knew that a thousand other people probably did too. Here's a sample of the message I got today:

Kris,

Your name has helped you with this interview. I have received an overwhelming response and would not have opened your email, had it not been for your name. I like your name.

LOLOL. Isn't that cool? I never would have expected a message like that. I guess I have to thank my parents for that one, huh? Thanks Mom and Dad. Now, this is just for the interview. I haven't gotten the job yet, but we'll see. Funny how things happen though.

Lastly, I have to mention a thing or two about the power of the mind. I'm sure everyone has heard about "The Secret". The thought that if you think positive things, good things will happen to you? I haven't read that book, but I have read 2 that are similar. Some of my positive quotes come from them. One is called The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity and the other is Think and Grow Rich. I'm mentioning these because they all talk about the Law of Attraction. I believe it and I have proven. If you think positive, then you will attract positive people and positive things (although I still attract the crazies, but that's how it's always going to be. I'm not complaining...I need to laugh). I moved here in July, and basically from July to December, NOTHING happened for me. As you can see from my very first blog entry in 2007, I wrote about how I was only going to think positive, use what I learned in 2006 and go from there. In January I was contacted by 5 talent agencies and I signed with one. In February I was booked in my first 2 film roles. In March I became SAG eligible. Today is April 1st and I just got an e-mail that I am being called back for another independent film (wish me luck and think positive for me!). I did have a bad week last week in terms of being a bit down, but today I got 2 e-mails: 1 about the job, the other about the call back. Is that not proof??? How could I not believe? I believe in pre-destiny, but I think it has to start with the mind. It's more powerful than we think. And if something is working for you, I think you should share it with others, so I'm sharing. That's just my two sense (or is it cents? hell, I don't know, you get what I'm saying).

Positive quote of the day:

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew."

~Saint Frances De Sales