Day 6. A Job Ticked and watching guys work out.

Below is the current status of my finger. 

(Notice the weeping and infection). Today was the start of work. If I wasn’t on the phone to Steve (Spielberg. Steve to friends) then this day is wasted! A high claim but you have to aim for the stars. 8:30am and gym, usual work out but harder with a septic finger (it’ll get more dramatic).

When we got back, Tris wanted to get ready and go out. ‘No’ I shouted! Raised and pointed to my foot and then slowly placed it back down. He frowned- ‘the foot is going down’ I proclaimed. Work shall commence, and the clouds parted and I thought now is the time.

I have a long list of agencies and managers based in LA, my job is to go through all 14 pages and find e-mail address for them. I did 7 pages which I believe is commendable. And as Tris cowered in the corner, fearful of my new found character I said. ‘Now we can go out’.  And before you get off your high horse and suggest I didn’t do enough work. I can cross off one of my ambitions from the list. We met up with that director friend I was talking about. Those of you who haven’t seen the short film here is the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3xHX9edOqM It was great fun and beautifully shot by him. He is a good guy and is developing some great contacts out here. It was in fact that short film that bought him here, a sort of promotional piece to gain interest. After we finished filming years ago he sent me a very nice e-mail saying how pleased he was with my performance and that if it was to ever get made into a feature he’d love to have me on board. I thought these were just words, but he reminded me of that today and still has every ambition of making it into a full length film. He also met with another English actor friend of his who has recently got representation with an English agent based in LA. So there! How’s that for networking?!

After work comes play and I’d justified it to myself now! We tried to get a sim card for me but failed! They make it a lot more difficult out here to be contactable.

But then we looked round Venice beech! And wow, what a beech. It is just like Camden but slightly more edgy. As we parked the car, two 12 year old kids came running towards us ‘Yo homie, you got a dollar’? Homie? I sir am British. And in no way am I your homie. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. 'No sorry bud’ I stuttered, and continued to look at the ground and moved swiftly along. But the beggars make this place and it is a competition over who can come up with the most obscure sign. One tramp had a sign saying ‘Need money for a Penis reduction’ and another ‘You can kick me in the nuts of $5’ and they are both completely true. We watched and young girl kick the tramp in the nuts and her father hand over $5. What a country!

We watched the infamous skate park and people doing some great tricks and then walked along to Muscle beach. And stood there watching men work out. 

Odd when you think about it, but a huge tourist trap. We then passed a ‘doctor’ I knew he was a doctor as he wore a lab coat. The only difference is on this lab coat was a cannabis leaf. I asked Tris what the law is in regards to smoking weed and here we go. It is legal but you have to get a prescription from a doctor. So all along Venice beech there are ‘doctors’ who sit you down and inevitably diagnose you with glaucoma (who’d have known) and the prescription? You got it, weed! That’s mental, but you now legally can smoke it and buy it anywhere. Glaucoma is on the up, but most people who have it can’t remember why.

We went home and evaluated our day. I was awarded funniest line of the day. As Tris got something from his car I admired the grass with my foot. He came back and said ‘that’s wired, I just saw you as an old man’. I responded, quick as a flash ‘Ah, but did you see us together’? and that resounded through the day. I didn’t speak to Steven Spielberg, but I could very well have met up with the future version.

Lesson learnt: Network. If you know someone, how can you help each other?