for your VINformation

Proper eating has become second nature. Fruits and fiber are filling and replace sweets filled with empty calories.

Not drinking alcohol/soda is real easy and drinking gallons of water is now second nature.

Walking with my stiff ankle is hard but a necessary, the more movement the better…

Here’s the current rundown:

• Starting weight: 225 lbs.
• Week one’s weight: 221.5 lbs.
• Week two’s weight: 213.5 lbs.
• Week three’s weight: 213.5 lbs.
• Week four’s weight 215.5 lbs
• Week five’s weight: 214 lbs
• Week six’s weight: 213.5 lbs
• Week seven’s weight: 209.5
• Week eight’s weight: 206.5
• Week nine, current weight: 203.5

Weight lost this week: 3 lbs

Total weight lost: 21.5 lbs

One of the best things about being 20 lbs lighter than I was two and a half months ago, besides the fact all my clothes fit again and I don’t have to go out and buy an entire new wardrobe is traveling on public transportation. Being able to only take up only one seat on the bus or subway instead of slightly oozing over onto the other riders personal space is a really great feeling. Seating at the movie and theatre theaters also seems a little more comfortable.

Only nine and a half pounds to hit my goal of 195 by my 40th which seems fast approaching.

Classic, romantic -
impeccably cast. Strangely,
still poignant. Must see!

Two great musical auditions. A quick in and out. Sing, make ‘em laugh, get back to the desk - I’m working the Equity door, and I swear sometimes, these shifts are sent to me by my Equity Angel because there is something for me to audition for.

Again, I went in with Sam, You Made The Pants Too Long, and I went in with the thought running thru my head, "I’m already booked this is just for show…"

To have an entire five person panel burst into laughter at my final spoken line "So long Sam, I’m getting an Asian tailor" was just the reaction I needed at this particular point in time.

I not expecting anything, but #19 went much better then #20 and it’s just up in White Plains…

The flotsam and jetsam that occupy my brain:

Sometimes, I think I want to sell everything thing I own - furniture, books, comics, TV everything - put what I want to keep in storage at my parents house - clothes, bed, original art - and travel the world for a year or more with nothing but a backpack, a video camera and my Mac.

I have nothing holding me here in NYC - no lover, no kids, no pressing career. Just bills, two cats and a great deal on a rent-controlled apartment. But I’d be willing to all give that up, if need be.

Maybe I’ll head back down to South America and teach English for a few months in Buenos Aries, then over to Europe with a Euro-Rail pass and hit England, France, Germany, Italy and Amsterdam. Perhaps India as well, I really want to see the Taj Mahal.

It seems like it would be nice to travel without anything hanging over my head, no need to get back to do anything or be anywhere, and lets face it, I have nothing here besides my friends and family and I’d like to think they’d all be here when and if I came back.

Or maybe I should start auditioning for more regional theatres and get out of the city that way, for just a few months at a time, that is, if I actually book anything. Since I haven’t booked anything worth anything since January, I don’t know if that’s a prudent plan or a plan I can really count on.

Mayhaps my time at Americana - if I stay through the holidays - will pay for it all and I won’t have to sell off my possessions, that way I can have my cake and eat it too!

I’ve given-up my infatuation with Derek Jeter and transferred it to another Yankee; one Mr. Jason Giambi.

I don’t care if he took steroids, personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that - if I were a sports superstar, I would be shooting up as well; and now he’s got that awesome ’stache…I’m in love.

"Behold: the power of the ’stache!"

I LOVE YOU JASON GILBERT GIAMBI!

Advil, oh Advil - liver be damned,
like M&Ms I ingest you. So round and smooth
you go down easily.

Advil, oh Advil - how you take the pain away -
at twice the recommended dose.

Advil, oh Advil.

What now feels like a million years and careers ago, I was a concierge at the Crowne Plaza Times Square; I didn’t work for the hotel per say, but for an outside consignment company called Americana Tickets.

I was still pretending to be an actor back then, but working 50-60 hours a week, I didn’t have much time for auditions; in fact, I didn’t have much time for anything other than getting fat - the free meals offered at some of NYC finest restaurants can do that to you and when I hear "free" I order surf and turf - when I quit I tipped the scales at over 270 lbs.

The job paid very well and had a shit-load of perks - I saw ton of free Broadway shows. I left to move on to DC Comics and gave up on my acting aspirations. I thought I’d work at DC for the rest of my life; if I couldn’t be ON Broadway, at least I’d work on Broadway - which actually made no sense since the Crowne Plaza is on Broadway. My thinking was simple: Americana was a just a survival job, DC Comics would be a career.

Before I left Americana, I helped Tom 2i’s 2e’s get hired and he’s turned it into a career and a good one at that. Because of Tom 2i’s 2e’s, I was never far removed from Americana, the entire office supported our many shows at the Duplex, for that, I’m forever grateful.

All in all, I ended up taking six years off from pursuing my dreams. Six years careering from career to career without ever feeling the joy that struggling in the business we call show brings.

Well, now I’m going back to Americana, this time at the Marriott Marquis.

Just few days a week to help pay the bills.

Part time to allow for auditions.

Right now, just for the month of August, which I was expecting to be a difficult money making month.

It came at a good time, I start tomorrow.

One of the best salads I’ve ever eaten! I had to get the recipe and share it with everyone.

Glory’s Glorious Candy Salad:

Salad

• Salad greens
• Pears, (not too ripe) cut in pieces
• Dried cranberries (Craisons) - optional
• Red onion, sliced
• Cucumbers, sliced
• Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• Glazed pecans or walnuts (packaged from the grocery store)

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:

• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Onion salt
• Garlic salt
• Fresh pepper
• Chopped parsley

Combine vinegar and oil – 1 part vinegar to 4 parts oil.
Add a couple shakes of garlic and onion salt, a few grinds of pepper and chopped parsley.

Mix well.

Combine all the good salad stuff and pour dressing over.

Toss.

Nummy!

It may be a little hard to read, but spray-painted in silver on the side of a white building in my neighborhood are the words, "all we have is time."

Quite profound, don’t you think?

What did you see today?

While I don’t usually fall into the forward trap - especially one from Godtube.com, but one of my oldest, dearest friends sent this to me and I really needed to share it. It really put a lot into perspective for me.

This is a true story……Read the intro, then watch the video.

The son asked his father, "Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?" The father, who despite having a heart condition, said "Yes."

They went on to complete in the marathon together. Father and son then went on to run other marathons, the father always saying "Yes" to his son’s request of running the race together.

One day, the son said to his father, "Dad, let’s do the Ironman together." To which, his father said, "Yes."

For those who don’t know, the Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events: a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island. Father and son went on to complete the race together.

NOW TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND WATCH THIS VIDEO:

This was a hard week.

I struggled with eating, I didn’t exercise as much as I would’ve liked and I had Chinese food. I thought there might be a gain, but I’ve been eating so much fiber - even adding it to things that don’t normally have fiber by using Benifiber, my insides are super clean - luckily, I registered a loss.

On a side note - and trust me this is not a complaint - I need to start wearing a belt, all my pants are just a little too loose. but on the other hand, I’m able to wear clothes I haven’t worn in over a year.

Here’s the current rundown:

• Starting weight: 225 lbs.
• Week one’s weight: 221.5 lbs.
• Week two’s weight: 213.5 lbs.
• Week three’s weight: 213.5 lbs.
• Week four’s weight 215.5 lbs
• Week five’s weight: 214 lbs
• Week six’s weight: 213.5 lbs
• Week seven’s weight: 209.5
• Week eight, current weight: 206.5

Weight lost this week: 3 lbs

Total weight lost: 18.5 lbs

With only 11.5 lbs to go, I’m right on track to meet my goal of 30 lbs lost by my 40th birthday.

I need to exercise more, ’cause now instead of being being fat but solid, now I’m fat an a bit flabby…

My New Headshot Postcard is finally ready to go!

Commercial agents, Commercial Casting Directors and Legit Casting Directors will soon have my big open mouth crossing their desks.

At a cost of  $114.00 - I’m forgoing food shopping this month, but I think it’s worth it.

My, my, laugh and cry
Mamma Mia - a must buy
better than Broadway!

I blame Jimmy for giving me something else to do instead of doing what needs to be done!

He told me about this website, www.surfthechannel.com where you can watch streaming video of TV shows and movies. Instead of doing my laundry, I watched Mamma Mia.

Now, I gotta tell you, I wasn’t really a big fan of the Broadway show, it just felt a bit forced to me - Jersey Boys is still in my opinion how a jukebox musical can work - but the movie Mamma was great.

Meryl Streep is flawless. Is there nothing she can’t do? Even in a popcorn movie watching her is like getting a master class in performance.

Anyway, getting back to www.surfthechannel.com, they have hundreds of movies and TV shows, some that are still in theaters. Mamma Mia wasn’t as crystal clear as I would’ve liked, but it was certainly better than paying $12.00 to see it in NYC…

Now I’m gonna watch The Dark Knight - awesome!

The gay side of the nude beach on the Jersey shore is much better looking than the straight side.

Not necessarily the people - cause well have you been to a nude beach lately, Americans are fatties - but the umbrellas, towels, blankets and chairs.

Just sayin’ - not judging.