Last post from the old home...

This is Bree, Steve and I at the House of Blues from awhile back. We got to hang out at the wrap party for Season 7 of "According To Jim". I was a great time - Bree and I have worked on the show a few times, gotten to be friends with the Guy and Dennis who work on the show, and even the costume and make-up department... back when we did "Civilization" a bunch of the crew from "Jim" came out to see the show.

And Guy and Dennis (because they are Steve's buddies) are the reason Bree and I are SAG right now. (Well, big thanks to Steve-o for making that one happen!) Wasn't sure if I ever gave props to him on here before! He is one of our bestLA buddies!

Well, tomorrow we start the move downstairs... they have begun painting and I cannot wait for Bree and I to have our own place! It is going to rule! We have a new bedroom set coming that we ordered and a new couch - thank you IRS! I love the "bank of the IRS" sometimes - comes in handy this time of year.

So, if you live in our corner of the world, or are coming out this way soon, come and check out our new pad - open for biz'ness May 2007!

More to come in the next few days - news on agents, a new play and film stuff!

Best Fishes!

J.

One long day my friends...

Never miss a plane... that is what I did yesterday when I underestimated how long it would take to get to O'Hare... and then it rained the whole way there making me miss my 7:30am flight back to CA....

So yesterday was spent, all 10 hours of it, waiting for the next flight back to LA... and then 4 more hours on the plane itself. So a great way to end what was a rough week =)

But alot of great things came out of this past week - spending time with people I love, my friends and my family (both my parents and Bree's), getting to see people I haven't seen in years - seeing that some never change and others... you look at them and hardly know who they are anymore. Coming to terms with how great my f'n life really is, seeing that I can really have anything I want and that putting my head down and working hard will see me through... Just a wonderful time made out of a really hard time that I got alot out of.

Coming home again in May and I cannot wait - need to start figuring out when I am going to see everyone...

Bree and I have begun the planning of our new place! It is going to rule - I cannot wait for you to come and see it Skafee and Kel! And anyone else that needs a break - the west coast is call'n out to ya!

As for today, I am heading back into work... a dbl! yippie! =) And the rain followed me back to LA, but that is good, since I have to work all day I don't want it to be beautiful outside!

And then there is New years planning already - if we are going to make a go of this we should begin planning now - I am throwing my vote in the ring and saying meeting up at one of our midwestern homes will be best - The Smith's, The Levan's or Kim and Mike's. It is most central and hell, at least I know Bree and I will be home for Christmas anyway... why not stay an extra few days!

Well, of to work in the rain! Love ya all!

J.

(how is two days for you kel ;P)

an odd week for sure...

(for the midwest...)

Wow... what can I say and where the heck to I start.

This has been a rather long and somewhat painful week. I have been home, in Chicago, with family laying my grandmother on my mother's side to rest. At the same time, my grandfather, at the age of 84, who is trying to make heads or tales of losing his wife of 58 years (think about that if you will for a moment - being with one person for your whole adult life... I can and am only so lucky - miss you baby ) is now going thru a major surgery and having to find his own place in the world, be it home alone or with a live-in nurse or a new home...and has been taking some serious level of crap from some of the family... thought others have been and are protecting him as best they can...

So, needless to say, alot going on this week. At the same time, I am moving from my townhouse shared with friends to mine and Bree's first real place all our own at the end of April. While when we first moved here, it was into our own place, we kinda knew that Nick was coming soon after and planned ahead by having a second bedroom, and while there was also the house... it really wasn't mine and Bree's... more Bree's... and I kinda moved in for a time. So this is a wonderful new thing, but at the same time, a little stressful. Partly because of the speed in which it is happening, and also because of being home and dealing with these other issues at the same time. Did I mention I had yet to do my taxes as well?

On the otherhand, I cannot wait for us to have a place all our own, as we have already begun figuring out how to paint, set up the place and overall create a fun and beautiful living enviroment for us and our J-buddy to share. Big times ahead for the both of us.

On the acting front (don't think I have left that all behind this week - I'm down, but not out!) I'm looking at agents right now, trying to figure out who really has my back and who doesn't. Meeting with some people... should have something figured out soon. The audition front has been slow for myself and I am going to change that in the coming months. While I know the summer to be a "slow time" I feel some big changes coming right around the bend.

I have begun the prep work for a new short Shakespeare films series my friend Steve and I want to do, and also have a wonderful idea for a full length piece (Thank you Skafee), maybe work it as a theatre piece and then into a film, from these other film ideas. In the next week I should be shooting the first test footage and then I will be posting it so I can get some feedback.

Also, Bree and I have begun work on a new (or rather a re-mounted) play. For those that came to LA and saw it, or live here and checked out Doubting Thomason (check out the acting pictures section of my myspace page), it was the first play that Bree and I did when we got to LA, and we are going to be doing it again this summer (Great time for friends and family to come and see us!) The author has been reworking it and we are going to begin working on the new version in a few weeks. It is a real blast and something a little different at the same time...

Bree has been working hard and auditioning harder, having auditioned for a spot on the new show Heartlands on TNT and also recently another pilot (I think she went out for 6 in total - I might be wrong...) So a bunch of callbacks, producer sessions and a guest star on Cold Case - not a bad first 4 months of 2007 - we haven't even hit the halfway point yet and she is kick'n butt! I am so proud of her!

And did I talk about my 27th b-day? (not sure if I did...) Well, if not, Bree took my to Six Flags out here - which was a blast. I got to ride the new rides, party all day with my favorite girl on the planet and I got some kickass gifts too! Thank you for the phonecalls, txt msgs and emails!

As far as my work-outs go, this week was rather hit or miss, (though I did workout on Monday and ran yesterday morning - 2 miles in 40 degree weather! I cannot wait to be back in LA) both with eating and with working out, but I am back on track tomorrow, since I am heading back to on the 7:30 am Jetblue to Long Beach. The past four weeks have been good, hitting the gym almost everyday, though I think I have been overworking myself, and so I am going to break the work-outs up a bit and see if that doesn't help a little... two hours a day might be to much working out, you know. At the end of the month I will post the results of the first 4 weeks (the month of April) and see where I am and where I have left to go (which I am sure will be a long way) And then at the end of May (right before I come home again) I will post the current results, so that way I can get some feedback on how that I working out too! =) Helps to keep me going.

Well, while this has been a blast updating and getting some of the crap that has been going on off my mind, I think I will be done for today and will post again soon... or not (right Kel!)
Love and blessing to you all. Feel free to write me anytime you like and I shall do the same.

Oh and TMK - I am down with 2008 - how about we meet in McHenry, to make it as central to everyone as we can.

Love you all,
J.

Days from the big day

I am just days out from my 27th B-day and I come back online to see I haven't been here for a month again. I am never going to get good at updating this thing, I can see =)

Anyhow, the past few weeks have been full of good work - audtioning abound - I went out for a few different cool things. One was a German Haircare company that Hidie Clum (is that spelled right?) is the spokeswoman for and then a Diet Mnt. Dew spot, which I really wanted because it was totally funny! I guess I wasn't the right look though, but it was a blast anyhow.

I have been meeting with some agents (looking for that theatrical rep so I can get some roles on TV) and it has been going okay so far - good feedback but no deals have been made yet.

Also been working on a play, my friend Steve and I are looking to put together a production of "Much Ado About Nothing" and have also been working on "Macbeth" (that one I really want to do as a film! It would make such a great f'n movie!)

Also I wrapped filming a short called "The Woman Beside Me", which I play a bad-ass spy that gets off'd by a hot chick! I will keep you updated when you can check it out!

Wrestlemainia 23 was things past weekend and so I got to see Brian for the first time in months! Undertaker won the title and remained undeafted (15-0!) That match and the "Money in the Bank" ladder match were the best parts of the night!

I added a bunch of new photos to my Myspace account - so go and check them out. I know this is so long ago, but all the headshots that I got are now up there, so you can check them out.

I have been hitting the gym again everyday, even got Bree hitting yoga a few days a week! My my leg press topped out at 675 lbs (for 3 sets of 10 reps!) this week! Doing good work!

This week I am working over the Soap Opera Casting people, trying that as an angle to get some work, send some thank you cards out to the agents I have been working over and then trying to find some workshops with working Commercial Casting people. Also I should have my reel up on YouTube tomorrow - I am going to post it myspace and here (if I can figure out how to do that) so check it out and let me know what you think!

Also, big news - Bree and I are heading back to the midwest for a few days in May! We are coming home for here brother 8th grade graduation (I feel so old - next year is my high school Ten year reunion!) but we should have a little free time (I think)

Gotta head to the gym and then work! Later Kiddos!

J.