Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Coming to a Theater Near Me: Me

I was watching TV tonight and saw another preview for the new Vince Vaughn/Jennifer Aniston romp, The Break Up. For those of you who have been faithful readers of my blog for any amount of time (or at least since last July) you'll recall that this is the movie on which I did some extra work while I was in Chicago.

The movie opens this weekend so if you happen to go out to see it, keep an eye peeled for me. There are 3 opportunities for you to see me (actually more like two, the third is a long shot).

1. Jennifer Aniston and the girl who plays her sister are walking along the boardwalk on Lake Michigan. They are walking directly toward the camera (camera man was walking backwards) and I and some other guy (as you look at the screen I will be the blader on the left) are behind them roller blading, also going toward the camera and after a short bit, we stop to rest. This is probably the scene with the highest probability of seeing me, so if you blink and miss it, kindly ask the projectionist at your local theater to rewind it.

2. The "Jennifer Aniston's sister" character is on the beach with a small child (I forget now if it was a little boy or girl) and there are a bunch of people in the background lounging. Me and another guy walk by in the background, moving from right to left as you look at the screen. I have on red shorts. Ladies, please, at least pretend like you don't recognize my legs immediately.

3. The other scene I worked on was at a ball game at Wrigley Field. I wasn't even near the camera. There's no way you're going to see me in this one.

So hey, while we're on the subject, if anyone reading this is in Indiana, wanna go to the movies Friday night?

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Eat Your Heart Out, John Cougar Mellencamp

I was born in a small town...

...and then I moved away and lived in a bunch of big towns and then moved back to a small town and am really getting a kick out of it. So many things I probably saw a million times but never noticed. Just a completely different outlook.

I was talking to my buddy Dan in NYC and he told me he was getting visions of Doc Hollywood in his head. It's not that bad, but you can see it from here.

First of all, everyone waves. After spending time driving in LA traffic and walking the streets of New York I have grown accustomed to making eye contact with no one. And now all of a sudden people want me to wave at them. I don't want to wave at them. I just want to go.

So, Indiana friends, if you see me in a car and wave at me and I don't wave back, don't take offense. Chances are, I didn't even see you.

I also found out that the tousled just-got-outta bed look that was so prevalent in NY and Nashville is just that here in Indiana. It looks like you just got out of bed. And that's not a good thing.

This morning as I walked outside to head to work with Dad he said "You look terrible!"

"I do?" I asked.

"You look like you just woke up! You didn't shave! And why don't you comb your hair!" (Granted, without being able to hear his inflection he probably comes off sounding like a grumpy old man and that's totally not who he is; we Placencias are known for giving each other a hard time for anything we can think of).

We then went to have breakfast at a small local restaurant and the Police Captain (an old friend of the family) came in. Dad said, "You remember my son Ed, don't you?"

And without pausing, the guy looked at me and said, "Sure I do. It looks like you shaved with a Hershey bar."

And people wonder why this smalltown kid grew up and got into comedy.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Scared and Tan

So far, so good.

My time back home in Indiana has been very enjoyable. Yesterday I got straight to work helping out Dad with the business (although that sentence makes it sound like we have mob ties (I wish) I'm actually assisting with his painting business). That's right. No slouch here. I was up bright and early, ready to go, and ready to scrape and prime.

After a hard day's work Dad and I went home, cleaned up, and headed over to Auburn to catch my brother Ray's softball game. It was good to see him, his wife, and my little niece again. Afterwards Dad took us out to eat at my aunt's restaurant and I got to see my cousin Glen there working (or as close as he gets to actual work).

We closed the place down and then made our way to Ray's house. My lifelong buddy Todd showed up (we've known each other since we were 5) and we all had a nice time reconnecting and reminiscing.

Today I went in to the radio station for a bit of a meet and greet sort of thing. Apparently the guy there who told them he was leaving (he told them he was out the door about a month ago) still hasn't left, so the position I am waiting to fill isn't open yet. I had a great talk with the PD, though, and he had me go into the studio to record some test liners and what-have-you. He seemed very interested in my production work and even took me back into his office so he could re-watch all of my videos that I have online. So that was kinda cool. I ended up being there for over an hour. So right now the radio thing is on a wait-and-see basis, but he assured me as soon as the guy leaves and the slot is open, it's mine.

I wasn't too disappointed to not have a definite time frame. At least I'm working and making some money and that was definitely part of the plan when I moved here. I'm hoping to be able to move into an apartment soon (crashing at Dad's in the meantime, but Ed needs his dancing space) and also still on the lookout for a cheap car so any money flow coming in is good.

Today at work I faced my fear of heights again. For those of you who dont know, it's pretty bad. I'm good on a 6-foot stepladder but anything higher than that is pushing it. And today I faced the 24-foot scaffolding.

Good night was I freaked out. Fortunately Dad knows how paralyzing my fear is so he was cool about it. He had to go run some errands and left me to prime some spots on this house on the scaffolding. "Just get what you can and I'll get the rest," he told me. I tried to get a lot. But I didn't.

Climbing up there was no problem. I was zipping up like nobody's business. The problem was when I finally got to the top and had to sit up there and do work. The slight wobbling with every move; the constant inner thoughts reminding me how high I was; I totally psyched myself out. I was really angry with myself for being so freaked out, but my fear was stronger than my anger and it won out. I only got a pathetic amount done before climbing back down and I knew it was lame.

Stupid fear of heights.

Oh well. At least I'm getting tan.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Great Way To End The Week

Well, my week-long stay in Pennsylvania has been a most enjoyable one, I must say. It's been so much fun to see old friends again.

John and Lisa have been such gracious hosts during my stay here and it was nice to hang out with their son Alex and have a genuine excuse to act like a kid again. Thursday night Stacey, Ann, Mindy, Tom & Mel came over and we had a great time playing karaoke and DDR Max (and we also watched the episode of Without A Trace which, I am sad to report, you couldn't see me in).

Last night I got to visit with my Radio Friend Phil and then went to Ethan & Aubrey's house for dinner and conversation. Aub's parents and her little brother were there -- great people-- and it was really nice to see them again. After eating we watched some of the videos Ethan and I had been putting together and then just talked about life, love, and other mysteries.

Today was a great day to cap off a great week. Beautiful weather outside, and while Alex played in the backyard with a friend of his, John and I sat on the back porch and talked about life. Ethan and I went to a big barbecue the radio station was at, said hello to the whole gang, and then went to a little Irish pub called Wahtley's (which, I was sad to learn, is closing its doors soon). After that we went to see a comedian and then Ethan dropped me off back at John and Lisa's. John, Lisa, and I stayed up and watched some TV and did more talking.

I love these people here. They were what made it so hard to leave PA the first time.

Today while I was hanging out with Ethan he asked me if this week felt like a vacation or if I was sort of nervous about the big move back home. I told him neither. I definitely wasn't nervous. And it also didn't really feel like a vacation. It was kind of like I was taking care of unfinished business. I haven't seen these friends for about four and a half years, and that was wayyy too long. It was good to get back and do some real catching up.

I told myself it wouldn't be another 4 years before I saw them again. I ask you, Blog Reader, to help hold me to that.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

On The Air Again

Had a really nice day yesterday. Got up bright and early at 4:30am to go in to the radio station with Lisa and see the gang at WJTL again. It was really great to see everyone. Fred, general manager of the station, co-hosts the morning show with Lisa and although I had originally gone in to just watch and hang out, he asked me to hop on the mic with them and it was fun to be back on the air. We even got a couple of really nice emails from listeners who remembered me from back when I worked there and it was encouraging.

I also got a chance to visit with most of the rest of the gang. It was fun getting to catch up with Stacey, Ann, John, and Darlene. I saw Stacey last year on my way into town as I journeyed to NYC, but hadn't seen the others in like 4-1/2 years.

On Wednesdays Lisa usually does the morning show alone, so I am going in today to co-host with her. Just like old times. When I first started at the station I was co-hosting the AM show with Lisa and it's been fun going back and hanging out again. John, Lisa, and Alex have been such great hosts and I am looking forward to a couple of evenings getting together with the gang and reconnecting.

Good times.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Movin' Right Along

Well, my journey to Indiana is underway.

My good buddy Ethan from Lancaster was able to pick me up yesterday afternoon and bring me back to Pennsylvania (Long story short: Deanna and I only had one car. The car was in her dad's name. I now am without wheels).

It was really good to get to spend some time with Ethan again on the ride home. Originally Ethan was going to bring me to John & Lisa's house, where I will be staying this week until Dad is able to make it out here and drag me the rest of the way back to Indiana. After realizing we wouldn't make it back to Lancaster until late, Ethan was kind enough to let me crash at his place so we wouldn't keep John & Lisa up late.

Ethan and I rolled into town around midnight and then we stayed up with his wife Aubrey talking until 4 in the morning. It was a great time to catch up and reconnect with some friends I very dearly missed. We all woke up today around noon and pitched in to create a mondo breakfast: strawberries, pancakes, omelettes, potatoes; it was great.

Ethan and I arrived here at John and Lisa's around 3:30 or so, unloaded all of my stuff, and it's been great getting to be with the Blowers' and their son Alex again. I am returning to WJTL tomorrow with Lisa and am very eager to see the gang at the radio station again. I'm looking forward to spending time with my PA buddies, many of whom I haven't seen in about 4 years.

I already miss my NY gang terribly but if there's any way to numb the pain of missing friends, it's by spending time with more friends.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Catch Ed this week in NYC, PA, and on CBS

Three ways to get your fill of Ed this week. Don't say I never gave you options.

1. It's my last weekend performing at the National Comedy Theatre before my move back to Indiana. I'm playing at all four shows this weekend, so come on out and have a laugh (or two). If I remember correctly, I will have just over 80 performances with NCT under my belt after this weekend. Not too bad, seeing as how my first performance with them was at Christmas. 80 shows in 5 months? Sweet.

B. Before I land in Indiana I will be spending a few days in Lancaster PA and will be co-hosting the Get Up and Go Show on WJTL with Lisa Landis Wednesday morning. If you're going to be up from 6 to 9AM, tune in. You can listen here.

4. Finally, the season finale of Without A Trace I worked on a couple of weeks ago is airing Thursday night at 10pm on CBS. I've never ever seen the show, so if you watch it and it turns out to be a lame series, sorry about that. There's a scene where someone shoots a gun and/or pulls a fire alarm at the FBI building. I am one of the evacuating FBI employees (wearing a grey shirt with sleeves rolled up and yellow tie). Depending on which takes they decide to use, I could either be walking right behind Anthony Lapaglia, or you see my back in the distance walking away from the camera. Who knows. Continuity didn't seem to be a major concern for them.

And that's where I'll be this week. Keep an eye on my YouTube site. I'll be adding a couple more videos there in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. They're guaranteed to be as cheesy and as hokey as what's already there.

Talk to you soon!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Yuppies Can't Wait

Today I went to the library to return the last of the books/DVDs I borrowed. As usual, there was a small line to return things, but it usually moves fairly fast and I wasn't there more than 5 minutes. As I was leaving I saw this guy get in line, shake his head, and then head for the exit.

He was your basic snooty-looking yuppie type (think James Spader in any movie from the 80s). You have to go through security on your way out of the library to ensure you're not stealing books. You give them the books you checked out, they check your receipt, look in your backpack, and that's it.

This guy started to walk through the detector things and then held up a plastic bag and said, "I have CDs."

"Did you get them from here?" the guard asked.

"Well," said Yuppie, "I was going to return them, but I'm not going to wait in that line."

"Do you have your receipts with you that you check them out?"

The yuppie got really mad and took his You-Don't-Know-Who-You're-Dealing-With stance. "No."

"Then you'll have to return the books. I can't let you leave with them without a receipt."

"I'm not waiting in line."

"Sir, you need your receipt, otherwise anyone could give me a story and just walk out with anything."

The Yuppie now took his How-Dare-You-Suggest-I-Wait-In-Line pose and said the most awesome line ever:

"This is preposterous."

What made it awesome was the fact that he didn't say it loudly or like he was upset. There was no exclamation point at the end of his sentence. He said it softly like he was giving someone the time or asking for a slice of cheese.

"This is preposterous. You know, but not preposterous enough for me to do anything about it."

The Yuppie was then made to go back into the library and return his CDs. Two points for the good guys.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

New York friends: STOP BEING COOL

Tonight was yet another great night at the National Comedy Theatre. We had a couple of "preview" shows to kind of give the newbies a feel of running through an actual show and afterwards we all hung out a bit.

And doggonit if I didn't have a blast. I know I should be enjoying this time together but at the same time I find myself hating having fun because I know our time is limited and I don't want even more good times I'll look back on and miss. It's almost like I wish everyone would be a jerk to me so it would be easier to leave. But they're not. They're staying cool.

I know it'll be easier once I'm home and around my family again...Reconnecting with old friends...my brother and I already have some plans for our next video creation (stay tuned to my YouTube site!) so I'll kind of have that distance to help with missing my NYC friends. But right now everyone is still too close.

After we left the theater tonight a couple of people went to hang out at a bar and asked me to join but I declined because I knew I would have fun. I know, that doesn't make sense. I should be loving the fact that I'm having a blast my final week in New York. What kind of weird neurosis is this? I think I became a Jew without realizing it.

Woody Allen, eat your heart out.





Saturday, May 06, 2006

Pros And Cons

I've moved around a lot in my life (as is evident by the many scribbled out entries under "P" in your address book) but never have I made a harder decision than the one I made this week.

I have a very nice opportunity at a radio station in Indiana and I am returning back to good ol' Dekalb County to pursue my radio chops once again (and there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth).

I haven't kept silent about how much I love New York and the friends I've made here in my blog and that certainly hasn't changed. Each time I leave a place, it's always the people I've met there that make it hard to go. Today, before I officially told anyone about my decision to leave NYC, Cohen from the National Comedy Theatre asked me to hang out with him. We called Jeff, another buddy from the theater to see if he wanted to hang out with us, and then Kevin, yet another NCT-er, called to see what we were doing and the four of us hung out in the Village for a bit. And it was such a cool, cool time. I was just kind of like Wow, thanks guys, for giving me an awesome time and making it even harder to leave.

Not that I'm not excited to make the journey. I'll be back in my home town in Indiana (quite a change from the Big Apple) and again near my friends and family. I am excited to hang out with my brother again. Definitely a highlight. It'll be nice to be nearer to Piper (his wife) and my awesome niece Valencia. And of course, hanging out with Dad again will be a great time. I am envisioning nights of The Great Dalmuti and Euchre. And of course, there are my cousins Glen and Jim and our buddy Kevin, with whom we formed Cousins Productions and would make goofy home movies (what's that? you haven't seen our stuff at YouTube ? And you haven't requested to be my friend so you can see secret videos not available to the general public? Well get going!). So that'll be fun.

But man, I'm gonna miss being at the theater each week and doing shows.

But I'll be able to get some footing financially and start saving some money.

But man, those guys at the theater are a blast to be around.

But I'll be able to see my grandmother on a regular basis, something I don't want to take for granted.

But man, I love my pals in New York.

If you know me, nothing is ever permanent and set in stone. I mean sheesh, since I moved away from Indiana in 1992 I've moved ELEVEN times. So who knows. Never say never, right?

Amy, Chris, Christine, Cohen, Dan, JT, Jacob, Jason, the other Jason, Jeff, Kevin, Magee, Paulie...(I'm forgetting some, I know and I apologize)...I know I'll cross paths with them some time . I just kinda wish I knew when.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Letterman and Tarantino

What a weird day today was.

This afternoon I went to my first taping of the Late Show with David Letterman. It was actually a lot of fun and I think what impressed me most was the band (of all things!). You get to hear a little bit of them in and out of commercials but these guys are actually really good! Dave was hilarious and I didn't have to fake any laughter. Until the guests came out.

Rosie Perez and some female Indy race car driver. Rosie Perez showed us all how stupid she really is, and the girl race car driver showed us how arrogant she was. I think the audience loathed her. I know I did. A lot of fun, though. I'd like to do it again sometime. Once the show got started, it really flew by.

After that I went to an audition for a showcase of monologues and scenes from various Tarantino movies. Dan, Jacob, and Jason from the National Comedy Theatre came along and we did a scene from Four Rooms. It went really well. A weird experience, though. It was hard to make out what this Italian guy running the auditions was saying. Afterward we kind of mutually agreed that we didn't know what to think.

Weird, huh? Fun, though. I enjoyed it.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Without A Number

Yesterday I worked on the season finale of Without A Trace here in downtown Manhattan. I've never seen the show, so I wasn't crazy stoked about being on the set, but I was definitely glad to get in more work.

It took place at a Chase bank that they had altered a bit to make look like an FBI building. They were only shooting the outside of the building and the rest of us were FBI employees evacuating the building.

It was a very efficient crew and we were on the set and working very quickly (comparatively). While on the set I met a really cool girl named Taisha from New Zealand. We had a good time chatting together but then we got separated and I didn't get a chance to get any more info from her to keep in touch. So...that was weak.

If by any chance you run into a kiwi artist named Taisha, tell her I said hey.