I Still Love LA (just not as much as two months ago)
My Straight & Nappy partner Rebecca arrived in town two weeks ago. She and spent the last week preparing for an audition we had on Friday. I also spent the last week training for a new position at the pizza factory. I got a promotion to Take-Out. I have been in apartment hell. Where do I even begin?

First, the apartment. I stayed on my friends' couch when I first arrived on December 5, 2006. I actually began on an leaky air mattress that turned into a floor mat. After two nights of that, I hit the couch.

The friends are another actor and his opera singer girlfriend. They also have a female Japanese roomie. And a long haired white cat named Ed that sheds on everything I own including my all black work uniform.

From mid-December through mid-JanuaryI stayed in a sublet in Hollywood . There was talk that the resident of that apartment, a new age Aussie named Lucy, would give up the apartment when she returned for another unit in her building. This would have made her unit available for me to take. January 15th she came back and re-claimed her space (except for the 6 or 7 boxes I left there). She didn't seem all that determined to move very quickly. I was, of course, extremely anxious. I returned to my friends' couch.

I still haven't heard about an available unit her space. So, I have been searching for my own apartment. Rents in Los Angeles are extremely high. The average price for a studio in Central LA usually hovers between $750 and a grand. In Chicago, I could I have such an awesome address for $1000/month. In LA, I could probably be guaranteed nice lighging fixtures but who knows what the location would be.

I decided that I needed to live in a shared space. I searched Craigslist for roomies. Most of the ads that I responded to didn't bother to reply. When they did, I found the rudest, weirdest, and dirtiest people I have ever met. There was the Trinidadian that gave me a list a mile long of things that I would be prohibited from doing in the apartment. There was the cat lady with three cat boxes. She also didn't place cat food in a bowl. Instead, she would simply open a can and dump in directly on the floor. There was also the good looking buff black model from Miami that had a great space in Hollywood. I met him on last Saturday. And there was the laid back Asian college student with an extremely large 2BR in Koreatown. I met him last Sunday.

The Asian student was the first to make me an offer. We shook hands and he agreed to write up a quick contract for me to sign. I could move in February 1st. I was so excited. It was not my first choice of locations but it would do for at least six months. That would be time enough to set up base in this City of Angels.

The buff model called on Monday night offer me a chance to be his roommate. He had the better location and cheaper rent. But I had already given my word to the Asian college student that I would move in with him. I really wanted to back out of the deal with Asian college student. But I couldn't. Tuesday morning I called and politely thanked buff model for his offer but told him he should move on to his second choice.

Tuesday night, Rebecca and I rehearsed in her extended stay hotel room in Hollywood. We chose our material and ran over blocking and edits. In the middle of our session, I get a phone call from Asian college student. He backed out of our deal (that fucker!!!). He told me that his sister (his current roomie) decided not to leave so the room is no longer available. He apologized several times and wished me the best of luck. I didn't get angry. I was too tired. Between my regular host shifts at the pizza factory, my training for the new position, and the audition I just didn't have enough energy to get upset over this set back. I immediately called buff model guy but it was too late. He had moved on to his second choice who had said, "yes."

I'm back to square one. I'm still on the couch. And I still carry a lint brush to brush off Ed's glorious fur.

On a positive note, I passed all my training. Rebecca and I had a great audition and booked our first LA date.

We will be performing Sunday February 18th at 5:30 p.m. That's Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Boar, Bitches! Mark your calenders and save up $10 so you can see us live in LA at the McCadden Theatre, 1157 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038.