for your VINformation

I filed my taxes and it’s a sad day indeed.

After paying NY – $104.00 and NJ – $56.00, I end up with a federal return totaling $363.00.

That is so not enough for an iPad…

• Lights, off. Doors, pad-locked.  Job? Gone!

Postcard Front

I’ve been very lax about my post-carding. I didn’t do very much last year worth boast about and I’m afraid the industry has forgotten about me… that’s about to change.

Since I still haven’t done anything big enough acting-wise to boast about this year, instead of not getting my face out there, I realized, I did do something which can and will affect my career, so I’m planning a 500 piece mailing announcing my weight loss!

No more pussy-footing around, no more bemoaning my outcast state – as I’ve said before, no one is going to knock on your door if they don’t know where you live…

Postcard Back

The Text:

Allow me a moment of your time to reintroduce myself; I’m Vinnie Costa and I’m an actor.

I had a very good year; hosted a dating show pilot (Hung Jury), won Bartender Wars on The Fine Living Network and was involved with some great festivals (EATfest, Sam French & Fringe) here in NYC.

I’ve also lost 75 (SEVENTY-FIVE!) pounds and have gone from a Jason Alexander type to a Stanley Tucci type. If that’s what you’re looking for, check out my website www.vinniecosta.com for more info or give me a call 917-796-4209 to set up a meeting!

Cost Breakdown:

• Cards: $48.76
• Stamps: $120.00
• Labels: $25.00

• Total: $193.76

It’s more than I can afford right now, but I can’t afford NOT to spend the money on my career.

I’ve been working on myself lately, making my life less cluttered and better looking and I figured what better day than today to do the same with my blog.

I’ve tidied-up the sidebar and switched it to the other side; I’ve added the share/bookmark button to the bottom of every page and post – click, link, share and save, it makes Google like me more.

Keep coming back for more new features, we call it a “soft roll-out” – a little something new everyday.

I thought I had nothing to eat for dinner, but with just Whole Wheat Pasta, broccoli, onions, garlic and sun dried tomatoes, I made a dish fit for a king!

Simple, healthy and filling – just like me

De-lish!

How, Gentle reader, do you focus on the task in front of you? What tricks to you play on yourself to get things done?

Personally, I like deadlines and due dates – it gives me something to be accountable for, but when it’s me giving me the deadline, I’m usually ok with giving me an extension.

I would love to know how you do it…

The first month of twenty-zen is over. While I wasn’t planning on documenting every lucky penny this year, I couldn’t possibly NOT share this month, I found 73!

Seventy-three!

It was a record, a banner month of urban copper mining.

Was I lucky?

Well:

• I did catch a great break at the Dentist, and didn’t have a brain tumor.
• I got a fun little job that lets me stretch my acting muscle.
• I was asked to be a member of Tom & Brian’s wedding.

Gook luck to you!

I registered a 1.2 pound loss this week; for a total re-lost of 3 pounds.

I currently tipping the scales at 187.4 pounds, which would be a perfect weight for me if I were 6′2″ but at my current resume height of 5′8″ – my goodness is there any number I won’t tell a lie about? – I’m still a little “chubby” for my tastes.

Two more pounds and I’ll be comfortably back in my mediums and 34s, the fat pants banished, this time,  forever the tide is staying out.

Today, I had a cavity filled. Three shots of novicane later and I still felt the drilling. After the wisdom tooth extraction of a few weeks ago, when the pain meds ran out, I started feeling a lot of pain around the same area, in fact, it was the same pain I was feeling which forced me to make the initial appointment… anyway I digress, the dentist found a small but deep cavity on my lower right wisdom tooth, which he didn’t pull because it’s still a viable tooth and it’s too close to the nerve so I was taking care of something before it gave me pain, something new for me… but the issue, is the fact, the root of my rear molar is still exposed, the gum line hasn’t yet healed fully to re-cover the now exposed network of nerve endings and everyything I eat or drink causes me a great deal of sharp shooting pain.

Even breathing in the cold air through my mouth can force me to my knees in pain.

Apparently, the entire right side of my mouth is a rotting cesspool; a breeding ground of bacterial destruction.

Please understand, gentle reader, I always knew my heart was a dark, rotted void but now that’s it’s trying to escape through my mouth, I’ve grown concerned…

Job Title: Referee

Company: New York City Social Sports League

Duration 6 Seasons – Approx. two years

• As one of the original players in the league, I began reffing after I left my job at DC Comics – it was a great way to get a little money off-the books to help supplement my unemployment checks.
• Responsible for taping the courts before match play began and cleaning the space at the end of the evening.
• I had to follow six balls at any given time, flying through the air in different directions, making sure the folks who got out, got out – you be surprised how many people try to cheat during a dodgeball beer league…
• Job helped me develop an even thicker skin. People hate the ref!

• Sold Americana to the American housewife.

Customer: “Look, I don’t want to wait outside in that line, I want a single ticket for the Wicked. What do I do?”

Agent: “I can get you a single, no problem – it’ll be $159.00 – the $159.00 is inclusive of the box-office price, service and handling fees and all taxes, both city and state as we are a ticket reseller and besides, after six years as the highest grossing Broadway show, without the benefit of a Best Musical Tony, yet, I doubt today’ll be the day Wicked goes up at TKTS. TKTS has only a select group of shows on any given day and Wicked being the top grossing show on Broadway, it really doesn’t need to seel it’s tickets at half-price.”

Customer: ” Oh, a friend, who lives here, told me that everything is at TKTS and I shouldn’t get my ticket in advance because I could get it cheaper the on day of.”

Agent: “When you see to your friend, tell ‘em, ‘thanks for nothing!’”

RULE BREAKERS: