$21.95. Reading about talking.

A small financial sacrifice. A large investment in a career. It will not be the last.

A year or two will pass. Books will change colors. But, Hollywood is not going anywhere.

Samuel French is my constant.

We discussed character. Pacing. Plot. Criticism. The process.

This is how we wrapped the first stage reading of a new play. This is how it begins.

I’m used to the microphone. I’ve been in radio forever. It’s the commercial voice over process that makes me feel like I slept through an entire semester of doing. I remember this feeling well. I can’t say certain words. I hate the sound of others. As an actor and radio personality, I am doubly cursed. Burdened with the insecurities of two.

One of my personalities should at least have the courtesy to buy the other a drink.

This weekend, I had the honor of reading one for my close friend and talented colleague, Gina Yates. I was there when this was a 24-hour one act challenge at the Howard Fine Acting Studio. Now, it is a full-fledged stage play. It’s all growns up.

We read for the first time on the patio at Robano’s in Toluca Lake, on a slightly uncomfortable August afternoon. Not even Ke$ha or Justin Bieber blaring from the outdoor speakers could stop it from happening. We read, we played, we laughed. Nearby patrons ate sandwiches without batting an eye in our direction.

A play was born.

Green Lantern and Slim Goodbody. Wonder Twins?

“Nice office attire.”

You sign in on what is hopefully the correct sign-in sheet. There are 25 people ahead of you, way past their call times. You are early, because you like to think you are a professional. This means you have longer to wait.

You sit in your uncomfortable chair, in a room full of uncomfortable people in their uncomfortable office attire. You wonder what happens if that parking meter flashing “FAIL” suddenly starts working again.

Avoid contact with others. You will only psych yourself out. You will second-guess your presence here, and your existence as an actor at all. You will choke on fear. You will choke. Take out your iPhone. Pretend to be doing something. Anything. Pretend you belong.

And wait.

I had my first crack at doing ADR this week for SOLO The Series.

I squeezed into a booth with a mic, watching the playback, and replaced some of my original VO to match the scene. We recorded directly into Final Cut.

beep -  beep – beep – pause – pause – pause – ACTION

The fun part of the session was replacing the dialogue with completely different lines, and a new song. Yes, I sang – a cappella. Nothing reminds you how long it’s been since you’ve done any kind of singing until you do it without music. (It may be time to find a vocal coach.)

I had a great time with the show’s creator/star @JonathanNail. If anyone laughs at the finished product as much as we did, then our job here is done.

The girl in the blue skirt did not get the memo.

Enough rules to make The Situation’s head spin.

I should begin compiling notes for a script, tentatively called Scenes From a Rite-Aid. It is one of the more bizarre places on Earth, for the interesting cross-section of people, and the odd things they do/say/purchase.

Today’s episode involved a guy with an awkwardly long stare in my direction. What was he looking at? Was he wondering about the Florida State ballcap on my head, and how I came to be so far from home? Or, was marveling at my obvious neglect in hair length management? It must have been the latter, as I realized that he was waiting in line with a box of Just For Men. Ah.

Minutes later, I completed my purchase of cosmetic cotton rounds for the fiancee. I headed for the door, shaking my head about Just For Men Guy. That’s when I saw her. A young woman, strolling through the entrance, in her pajamas.

Pajamas. At 5:15 in the afternoon.

Valley Pride.

• We bought a house in L.A.
• I was cast in an exciting new web series
• The LAGenX radio show was launched
• I got engaged
• We watched Sadie take her first step
• I was Taft-Hartley’d

Not bad. Not bad at all.