2006 - Zero Sum It Up

I might be fooled to think that nothing of import happened in the year 2006, but I'm sure after careful consideration, the losses and the gains might add up to where I was last year at this time, costing me nothing, zero.

But that is quite wrong. Despite the lack of acting or writing career improvement in a tangible sense, I have progressed in the world and grown to the clever recluse that I am today, if you consider a recluse one who attends three weddings in Norther Virginia, California, and Mississippi. And travels to Miami in January and again in December for the love of family. Not to mention the traditional New Jersey visit with the Filipino and Jewish/Italian crew, in separate locations, of course.

It started on the Upper West Side, living off the government dole for the husband of a recently-unemployed actress. The dole was spent, her new acting role helped, I modeled a bit, but nothing solid and stable, an occasional temp job here and there, until we were forced to move, without warning, by our landlords. Nice of them to give less than a month's warning that they were converting our apartment complex into a low-price hotel. We soon discovered this when women of high vocal talent screamed and moaned their way into our private dwelling. Maybe you pay for a night and the women are included? So forced out in May, and we had no power in our sublease state.

On to Brooklyn, close to the end of the line, saving and subway-ing it. A wedding outside D.C. happened, we found employment in an investment bank, working for bankers and lawyers, making more as temps than we were used to, albeit much less than the wife's Broadway money, that we lived so comfortably with for almost a year. Then summer came, and we never left. We saw a beach once, Memorial Weekend, Coney Island, if you can consider that a beach and not a broken-glass depository. We got our Nathan's hot dogs, and vowed never to return as beach-goers. I feared what lay in the water itself.

In the midst of the investment bank, the long commute, and the unfulfilled art, I began writing a blog and creating a website. September was my first full month of blogging, and Julie and I began our subway book club, to pass the hour both ways with enrichment and Asian-oriented books. Three Kingdoms, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Still Life with Rice. 3 Kingdoms was hearty and chock-full of early Chinese history, and the others gave historical and fictional accounts of life in China and Korea. I also read David Mitchell for the first time, Ghostwritten, and loved it. And if you have read my blog, the one book that is still haunting and beckoning me to write is Screenplay.

Did I mention the life-changing revisiting of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead? Julie just finished it for the first time last night, and I am about to finish it shortly (I had to finish other books and get my own copy). Our little book club is enriching us and our sense of self, opening our eyes to what is false and real in the world. Atlas Shrugged is next... thanks to Dad and his encouraging gifts.

But the writing slowed down with the arrival of a new direction in work-related, time non-management, in my computer sales job. The time, energy and people-oriented position allowed me little discipline in writing, although another side of me has opened up. A side that isn't ashamed of my computer geek past and engineering experience. Embrace it, is what I say. But at this point of retail boom, that will begin to taper off, I must remember what I really want to do, and that has been tugging at me more and more through every hour I spend on my feet at the store.

Sure, there is a future there, but I feel my art calling me and this is the year when I really push for what I want. At least, push again the way I used to and show what I am capable of doing.

I always forget to mention that I was a VJ, a TV host, and I came very close to being one again here in the States this past year, which helped me to land an agent. I host many public functions and do it quite well. I love acting. I love writing. Why not combine the three and find my way into stand-up? It's the logical direction, and like Julie said, comedy has no time limit, unlike for women in modeling and acting. For men, it's another story. Although things have changed for women in the Desperate Housewives era.

So there's the potential direction. I still want to act. I still want to write. I still want to host. I can do it all. I will push the envelope, literally, licking and stuffing my own envelopes and mail out my face to the casting directors of the world, or how about New York and LA.

Our far apartment feels great. It's big, spacious and we keep our things in it. We have a car and a computer, due to resolution of past tax issues, and we are hoping to buy an apartment or house in the time to come. We want children, but our goal is to go to the Philippines and Japan first, to visit family, possibly work out there, and then we can have it all right here in the boroughs of New York.

This is 2006, and I am truly looking forward to 2007, married to the best friend and companion, the most beautiful woman in the world. I am thankful and fortunate, and just damn lucky to be in her presence every day. I am a better person for it. I'm filled with love right now for her, and the time we've recently spent with family, together. We are our own culture and comedy troupe of two, including our best sell-out audience. As fans of each other, the screaming and yelling of the cheering support, makes us grow and entertain and keeps life worth living. My love is in my chest and in the next room.