for your VINformation

This bag was one of the many projects on my mile-long, magical, mystery, to-do list of things to do when there’s nothing else to do list.

A little background: when I went to South America with 5 Takes: Latin America, I wanted to bring a little piece of each country back home with me, but because the trip was almost ten weeks long and I’d have to carry my own bags, I didn’t want to buy anything big, bulky or heavy that would, in any way, weigh me down. I figured patches would be the best way to go, and technically, if I sewed them on, I thought, I really wouldn’t be carrying them.

The “plan” was to one day find a plain, simple messenger bag with good guts, to create a “travel-memory-bag” using all the patches from that trip and any other patches I may’ve acquired along the way. Full disclosure, I did go to a website to buy the flag patches required to complete my collection…

On the front of the bag, (shown) are the patches from all the places I’ve been including, Easter Island, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Amsterdam, The Bahamas and even Vatican City – the yellow and white one with the Pope-Hat on it. I tried to keep it international, as I’m going to start collecting national patches from here on out to sew to the back (not shown.)

It is a great conversation starter, I’ve been engaged on the subway and the bus many times about it – people like to discuss their travels and I’m usually ready with a story or two myself.

You’d be surprised, gentle reader, at how hard it was to sew all the patches on. I used invisible thread as to have none of the stitches show and not have to have thread to match each patch, even though most of them were iron-on; I believed it would be a mistake to take a hot iron to the bag as it’s lined with a acetate water-proof lining.

And, you may not notice, but there’s still plenty of room for more…

Customer: “I need to know if there are tickets available to Avenue Q?”

Agent: (After Checking) “There are. With the service, handling charges and taxes they’re $109.00 per ticket.”

Customer: (To other customer) “$109’s not bad but I’d rather pay less.” (To Agent) “Do they do rush tickets?”

Agent: “Each theatre handles rush differently. You’d have to go to the box office to find out.”

Customer: “Can I call and ask?”

Agent: “Box offices have unlisted numbers.”

Customer: “Surely you can contact them.”

Agent: “Yes, yes I can.”

Customer: “Can’t you call them for me?”

Agent: “Purchasing tickets here, you’re paying a service charge because we do all the leg-work for you. If you’re looking to get a cheaper ticket by not using my services and therefore not paying a service charge, you’ve got to do the leg-work yourself.”

Customer: “Well, that’s certainly simply put and fair… we’ll take two tickets to Avenue Q.”

Since this blog is all about me, Vinnie, and right now, Vinnie is all about losing weight and making himself a more marketable actor, Vinnie would like to put a button on the discussion and move on with his life.

There is no cure to what I have.

There is no pill.

There is no magic potion.

What I have ahead of me is a lifetime of hard work and dedication. The choices will be laid out in front of me, and I’ll be forced, everyday, to make the correct ones.

There is no laurel resting when it comes to bulge-battling; no off-days, no vacations. The road is long and the ride is hard but the payoff rocks.

By making my private battles public, I’d hoped to inspire those around me and keep myself honest – I’ve done both; so now, it’s time for this blog to go back to being about Vinnie acting, not just getting himself ready to be an actor…for, alas, there’s no cure for that fever either.

There is something so wonderful about the look of relief on a person’s face as he, running down the steps against the flow of traffic, realizes the train just pulling-out is headed the other direction.

Balls to face – painful, go figure

At this very moment, I’m on a date with an agent.*

A new agency is moving into town and I submitted myself months ago and heard nothing, “Who needs ‘em!” I thought, until I got an email inviting me in for a meeting and an audition.

So right now, I’m sitting and waiting to be seen, with my two monologues dusted off and polished, my pile of headshots & updated resumes and the best possible attitude.

*this post was written yesterday, I’m not actually writing from the waiting room…

UPDATE  1 -

I am actually sitting in the waiting area typing this. My “scam warning” lights are flashing, they are running about 45 minutes behind and I heard from someone that they are asking for money to get you listed on some database…

I’m not feeling it, but I’m sticking it out. If nothing else, I’ll get to work my monologue.

UPDATE 2 -

There are two ways today can go. You’re either asked to say and fill out paperwork or thanked for your time.

I’m currently waiting to fill out the paperwork.

Reflections.

If you live in NYC, one is inundated with reflections.

Today, as I walked from the DMV – where the clerk insisted I get a new driver’s license picture taken because, as she noted, “…honey, you almost haff  dis size now…” – I caught a glimpse of myself and didn’t see a fat guy glimpsing back.

I’m not fat and misshapen; pretty average, I’d say, and really, isn’t that all we really want?

I was all set to write a funny, witty post and by the time a sat to type it up, I forgot what I wanted to say.

Old.

On the way to work, I was forced to stop and watch as a Semi-Truck-Driver manuevered his huge payload into a space the size of a tuna can along one of the narrow side-streets that make up Manhattan.

It was both impressive and inspiring.

I give it up to Semi-Truck-Driver.

Keep on Trucking!

UPDATE: IF YOU LOOK AT THE POSTCARD FRONT, YOU’LL NOTICED I FUCKED UP MY OWN PHONE NUMBER! IT’S 4209 NOT 4200 – MASSIVE, EPIC FAIL.

FUCK ME!

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.

Twenty-zen is turning into the year of the Dentist.

The tooth, which I believed, was the tooth causing me all the pain has been finally been fixed.  Even after the extraction and the other filling, I was still living with the pain which brought me to the dentist in the first place.

There was a cavity on the tooth next to the tooth which was pulled, Dr. Boris told me, “Za root is exposed. I can not fill za cavity until za gum line falls back into place.”

So, four weeks, three trips and $800.00 later, can it be? Have all the extra holes in my head have been filled or yanked?

Yes.

Is there pain?

No!

Tips from Dr. Boris (in a Russian accent):

• When it hurts it’s too late.
• Prevention is key – twice a year checks-up cost less than three visits in a row…
• An infection can go to your brain and kill you!

As the Novocain wore off after my final drilling and filling, I grabbed an icy cold iced tea and bravely took a gulp; a feeling of joy spread over my entire being. For the first time in months, months I say, I experienced no pain.

A Spoonful of hot soup? No pain.

A sip of coffee? No pain.

Imagine that, a life with no pain. Who knew it was possible?

A picture is worth a thousand words…