Sunday!

Sunny

Uplifting

Naps

Doing nothing

Awesome

Yummy brunch!

I love Sundays...

I LOVE Folgers Coffee!

...and not just because I shot a commercial for the brand... But because I honestly love it!

It really is the best part of waking up!

The aroma that fills the air instantly transports me back in time...

I remember sitting around the kitchen table in either one of my Grandparents' house, that rich, bold, delicious smell lingered in the air. One by one members of my family would wake up, come out of the bedroom and pour a cup of coffee.

It was long before Starbucks, and before it was really "okay" or "cool" for 6 year olds to drink coffee... (now days I think kids come out of the womb slurping down mocha frappuccino's!)

I remember both of my grandmas were ready and willing to fill my coffee mug with a huge pour of milk, a couple table spoons of sugar and a splash of Folgers Coffee!

...It was AMAZING!

So it was easy to shoot this commercial, I had a lot of sense memory to brew from!

Worked Like A Charm!

...I was so excited about my news, that I had to write todays blog entry A.S.A.P!

I'm not sure if it was beginners luck, or if Craigs List is always this amazing...

But within 10 minutes of posting my ad, I sold my little green machine!

In fact, not only did I sell it, but I got what I wanted for it too!

Crazy how many people called within the hour I posted the ad, but even more remarkable was

how many people called throughout the day! Even after I removed the add. I guess a lot of people are looking to buy cheap used cars... And I for one, could not wait to get rid of just that!

So alas, my Chevy convertible is no more!!!

Yes, I had some fun times in that car... (I love driving along the beach in a convertible!)

However, I will not miss it. Especially in the rain!

Goodbye. Farewell. ...and thank you Craigs List!

There's A First Time for Everything!

Most of us are familiar with Craigs List... and if you're anything like me, your mind goes to the first thing you ever heard about Craigs List- which for me was that Craigs List was basically a national online escort service. Where people post nude and semi-nude photos of themselves and hook up with other people in their area. Then of course, I remember the first time I went to the site myself... I was desperate for a job, and a close friend of mine recommended Craigs List as a great way to find quick work! Quick work of course leads to quick pay...

...and the pay off was great. I actually scored to great independent contract jobs (as a promotional spokes person) for two very large corporations in the U.S.

I guess people (including large companies) realize the effectiveness of a site where millions come to you...

So this morning when I woke up and realized I still have my little green machine (the 1998 Chevy Cavalier I used to drive) still parked out side my house, I decided I needed to take action.

After all, the car is not going to sell itself, and I need to make some cash to pay for the new one I now own...

Naturally I thought about selling it on Craigs List! But because I've never sold anything on the site before, I was a tiny bit overwhelmed!

I have to say, it could not have been any easier! I simple went to Craig List and selected "post" picked my category: For Sale and clicked on "cars." From there I added the information I wanted to include in the add and uploaded a few pictures... clicked finish and the post is now live to millions of people!

Trying new things can be fun! And hopefully I'll be able to sell my car fast!

Check out my very first Craigs List ad by clicking this link. Please note the ad will only stay up for one week... so check it out soon!

Why I Love My Dog...

I have a five year old Yorkshire Terrier called Ginger.

She happens to be the cutest dog on the planet, and I'm not bias at all!

I love:

Her oversized perky ears,

The way her tail wiggles from side to side faster than hummingbird wings,

The look in her eyes when she knows you're talking about her,

The way she dances; hop, jump, circle turns when you walk through the front door,

Her ability to do Yoga: Nobody does downward dog like Ginger after a long nap in the sun,

Her willingness to fall asleep on almost any strangers lap,

The constant tongue licks on ANY surface for no apparent reason,

I could go on forever! I believe all animals are amazing, but Ginger is truly special. She's the best dog I've ever had!

New Car! ...sort of!

I'm so excited! Today, I got a new (gently used and well taken care of) car!!!

My very own Range Rover Freelander!!! ...I know, I know... Say no to the SUV.

But if you've read any of my previous blog entries about my green little chevy convertible...

you'll know that ANYTHING is a step in the right direction.

Especially, a really nice, well maintained car like this! Plus, it's been in the family, so I know the car history!

No more fear of driving on the 101 South and losing my soft top, or waking up to find that my car won't "wake up!"

I'm happy, because I have a luxury car now, and I didn't have to pay a luxury price!

Proving yet again, that 2010 is that start of a wonderful new decade!

On a side note, I'm also pleased to announce that my website just got a facelift! I thought it was time to spruce up the website and add the new pictures of me that the talented Alex Fox shot!

If you get a chance check out this link and let me know what you think!

And remember... "You can look and you will find it. You can not look and you will find it. That which is yours will surly come to you!" Say the Zen!

Nice Shot!

You may remember I took some new head shots last week...

Ordinarily I dread going through the photos to find the one or two I will inevitably end up using...

However, this time I was honestly very pleased with how the shots turned out! I feel I got exactly what I was aiming for, and you may have noticed, I'm already using one of the new shots as my new and improved blog logo!

Check out the rest here and let me know what you think!

To quote the brilliant Pee Wee Herman; "Why don't you take a picture... it'll last longer!"

Thanks to Alex Fox the photographer who shot them, these just might last a while!

Family Dinner...

Sunday dinner was amazing...

I ate too much, drank too much and had a hell of a time!

Now I'm full and ready for bed.

Good night stars, goodnight air

good night noises everywhere!

The Road to the OSCARS!!!

There is only 15 Days 07 Hours 32 Minutes and 05, 04, 03... Seconds until the 82 Annual Academy Awards Show!!!! Being held Sunday, March 7 2010 on ABC!

...and I have nothing to wear yet!!!

I've been watching the OSCARS since I was a toddler. My first actual memory was around 5 or 6 years old... I stood up on the coffee table in our living room and started giving an acceptance speech. Too bad that was before the cam corder, the flip cam or the iPhone w/ video... I would have loved to hear that speech now!

I have my favorites picked and I'll share them as we get closer to the show...

But for all things OSCARS check out this link!

...And happy Saturday!

Picture Day!

Do you remember school picture day? It was always a big deal in my family.

Mom would take my sister and I out for a new outfit and a hair cut the week before...

I never understood how kids would show up in a stained t-shirt or bed head (before it was cool to have bed head...) Remember those cheap plastic combs they would hand out? Or the gross woman who would lick her hand and then try to pin down your cow lick? ...maybe that only happened to me.

My family loves pictures... I got it from my mom, who got it from her dad. My Grandpa Smith always has the coolest, latest, greatest camera... and brings it everywhere he goes!

So you think I'd be used to striking a pose... Okay, who am I trying to fool right now? I love to smile for a camera... Usually.

The one exception is: Head shots!

I dread head shots... They are so expensive. No one ever likes the same shot. I always get an ingrown hair on my neck, always in the same spot (and sure enough it's there this morning!) Plus, it's just so much more fun to take picture when you have friends and family in them with you...

Uhhhhgggg. Wish me luck!

I am Me!

One of the most difficult challenges I have in my life, is my self-inflicted pressure to compare myself to other people. I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but I'm positive nothing good has ever come from it!

So today, I'm going to do my damnedest to compare myself to ME!

I've been grateful for the cool adventures that have come my way so far this year, and I can only believe that I'm receiving them because I've released the doubts and negative energy that had a way of piling up over the years...

I have a wonderful opportunity today, and that comes with a great challenge...

To trust myself completely! I'm going for it! Why not?

In the words of Helen Keller; "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing!"

You Know You're Ghetto When...

You know you're ghetto when you have to use electrical tape, to seal the gapping hole around the window on your car's convertible top...

Let's be honest, if you've read any of the other blog entries about my little green machine, then you'll understand that, though I'm grateful my car gets me from point A to point B safely...

It's not the worlds best car...

But last night, the final layer of frosting was added! I was driving home from a long night of rehearsal deep in the heart of the valley. I'm in the fast lane on the 101 South, headed back to my side of the hill, when I feel a slight chill in the air. Which is strange, because it was very warm in LA yesterday, and I didn't have the air conditioning on...

I'm looking around my car to see where the cool sting of air might be coming from...

"Did I leave a window down?" ...and then I look up in my rearview mirror and notice it!

A huge hole where the fabric attaches to the back window on the bottom left side!

...Not wanting to throw ANYMORE money at this car... I decided to go down this morning a survey the damage.

The result: It's not good, but I don't think it's anything a little black electrical tape and a prayer can't handle...

Oh, how I long for the day when I can buy a brand spankin' new car!

I love LA!

Days like today make me so happy I live in LA.
I woke up with the sun shining down on my face. Got out of bed and ready to greet the day...
Got in my convertible and drove over Laurel Canyon to make my way to a production meeting in the valley.
I arrived at the location, a non-functioning hospital that serves as a set for television shows and movies, and met with one of the coolest, wittiest, funniest director/actor/writers in LA...

David Wain!

We finalized the details of an episode of "Childrens Hospital" that I will be choreographing! It's a new show coming to Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network! (I booked the job thanks to an amazing friend and fellow actress/choreographer/producer Stacy Jorgensen! Thanks again Stacy!!!)
Yep, days like today are the ones that keep me going in LA... They're few and far between, so we have to enjoy them!

The Day After...

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Valentine's day is over and the mall is a zoo.
It's Presidents' Day so kids have no school,
...shopping today- I'd rather drowned in a pool!
(sorry, it's all I got today! Shopping at the Century City mall took it out of me!)

Love...

I woke up and thought I was in OZ... there was a little man baby walking around in my house wearing a diaper and holding a bow and arrow? That's when it hit me... (the arrow.)

I remember in elementary school making little heart cutouts with lace, glitter, and a lot of crazy glue... My mom would take us to Target and buy pre-made Smurfs Valentine's cards and I would use those as a template for each of the "one of a kind" designs I hand-crafted.

Then Mrs. Brown, my 3rd grade teacher, would help us hang our overly decorated white paper lunch sack with our name on it, up on a bulletin board. On Valentine's day, each of us would walk around the room and secretly drop little love notes to our admired classmates.

As an adult, Valentine's day gets a little more complicated... and a lot more expensive. We go out of our way to buy; flowers, chocolate, tickets to movies, fancy dinners, bottles of wine, etc...

However, my favorite Valentine's day memories, are the ones that were homemade and fr

om the heart. No matter how much or little we spend, the idea is the same... Valentine's Day is another opportunity to tell the people we hold dear in our life just how much we love them!

Lazy...

Wow, today I had one of the laziest days in a long time.

Aside from a quick rehearsal this morning and a fast dash to the supermarket, I spent the entire day on my couch.

...and I don't regret a damn minute of it! Okay, well maybe I regret watching the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, but even that had Helena Bonham Carter... so it wasn't a total loss!

So that's it... I'd write more, but I need to get back to the couch... Baby Mama isn't going to watch itself!

Butterflies

Butterflies, excitement, nerves, a rush of adrenaline,

Full of hope and positive energy,

Just going to have a blast,

The rest is out of my control.

Today is going to rock!

I'm looking forward to the next adventure!

Is It Just Me...

Is it just me? Or is the month of February flying by faster than Star Jones chasing after a bucket of fried chicken?

In my opinion, February is always a month that ends before it started... I know it's only a few days shorter than most of the other months- but I really need those extra days!

I guess February has it rough because it has to follow January, and in January, everyone is eager for the coming year! Full of hope, excitement and follow through on New Year's resolutions... Toward the end of January, I think most people find some sort of routine to get back into, and before you know it, you're back in a groove and it's February 15th and you realized you've missed Valentine's Day... and you're happy about that, but sad that half a month is gone!

Today is February 11, 2010. Not counting today, I have 17 full days to make the most of February! I'm going to rise to that challenge and do something really super awesome and big, so that February doesn't feel like "that month" that everybody hates! Happy February!

Fresh Cut Grass.

Isn't it amazing how a single smell can transport you back to a wonderful moment in your life?

I was walking my dog Ginger this morning, and the neighbors gardener was trimming the lawn...

Instantly I flashed back to my childhood;

spending the summers with my grandparents and helping my grandpa with the yard work, AYSO soccer practice in 7th grade and picnics at the park with my friends after school.

I live for moments like that throughout the day. It's refreshing to know that no matter how far away from a beautiful experience you are in life, one smell, song or taste will unleash the sense memory of the special events in your life.

Did Somebody Say Starbucks?

Okay, so there once was a time when I had a little addiction to Starbucks coffee...

It wasn't that bad... I'd only stop in 3 or 4 times a day... everyday... for several years...

But it was while I lived in New York! That's what you did in NY... You left your 200 square foot apartment that you paid $2000.00 a month for, to eat out and spend most of your day in Starbucks writing, networking and waiting for auditions!

At one point my dad asked me how much I spent on Starbucks coffee a month, and I'm sad to report that after adding up one months receipts from Starbucks... the grand total was well over: $350.00.

Soon after that little realization, I decided to cut back. I'd only allow myself to go once a day, and that soon trickled into once a week, and eventually, I was only going to Starbucks a few times a month!

When I moved back to Los Angeles, it became even easier to skip Starbucks, because it was actually enjoyable making coffee at home and hanging out on my balcony!

...Long story short, I still very much love going to Starbucks! It's in my blood, and it makes me very happy! Sure, I try not to go that often. However, I must admit that I sneak in little Starbucks runs here and there...

Today, I'm excited because I get to see one of my best friends from NY (who actually lives in Cali but I NEVER get to see her) and we're meeting at a Starbucks!

It's like a wrinkle in time... If only I could go back and save that $350.00 a month... I'd own a Starbucks by now!

Sun

Oh how I love the sun in LA!

The sky is clear and blue,

Palm trees swaying in the wind,

Crisp ocean smell-

Mountains with snow capped peaks set a beautiful backdrop

to the towering skyscrapers downtown,

The Hollywood sign looks magical-

with it's white shinny glow,

Short sleeve T-shirts in February,

This is the town where dreams come true!

...sometimes.

Game Day!

Super Bowl XLIV New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts

Did you know that Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest day of food consumption in the U. S. every year? ...Second only to Thanksgiving Day.

Did you know that the Super Bowl was first played on January 15, 1967 as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and the rival AFL?

Did you know that this is the first time since they were founded in 1967 that the New Orleans Saints are playing in the Super Bowl?

Did you know that one of my best friends Amy Claire is from Louisiana and LOVES football and is going to watch this game with the same enthusiasm as a little girl opening a Barbie Doll on Christmas Day?

Did you know the only reason I really go to Super Bowl parties is for the chips and dip... and the half-time show? ...and the alcohol.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Go Saints!

You Can't Force Magic!

What can I say? I can't force something that isn't happening...

It's funny, because I'm rarely at a loss for words or something to talk about in life. However, there are those random days when I subconsciously decided that it's my turn to shut up and let somebody else talk...

Today is one of those days. I can't think of anything wonderful, important or funny to write about.

And I hate forcing dialogue just to hear myself speak (or write,) then it becomes like watching Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View...

So friends, today is a rare day where I'm going to shut up and listen! ...maybe.

Pizza Day!

Do you remember pizza day?

All through elementary and middle school here in Southern California, every Friday was Pizza Day! (As I'm sure it was everywhere else in the country...)

I'm not sure if it's the rain or the fact that I've deprived myself of pizza for a long time...

But like one of Pavlov's dogs, I started salivating the minute I woke up this morning!

I thought about calling Dominos right when I woke up, but suddenly realized it was 7 am and I thought perhaps I should try to wait until 11 or 12 before I filled my body with unhealthy, greasy, cheesy, doughy, deliciousness topped with extra sausage, pepperoni and crushed red peppers!

Wait... What time is it? 10:20 am? That'll do!

Happy Friday!

Encouragement

Who doesn't love a little encouragement now and then?

...I know many of my friends must think I'm crazy nowadays. Most likely because of my conscious decision to actively be a more positive person.

I think (and I could be wrong) that I've always been a pretty happy go lucky guy... but there were always those moments of rage...

This year, I decided to try a different approach, and so far it's really paid off.

One of my little projects has been to post a positive though, quote or several words of encouragement on my status update on Facebook.

I must admit the saying, "What you give comes back to you tenfold" or something like that... is so true!

It feels so nice to put a positive vibe out in the internet universe and hear the wonderful comments my friends are sharing with me in response!

My Grandpa Smith used to tell me, "If you make one person smile each day, you're doing a good job!"

Grandpa always makes me smile!

So I thought I'd share one more positive thought today: Enthusiasm is a driving force that overcomes all obstacles.

Have a wonderful day!

The Question of the Day Project

I'm not sure how long it's going to last, or if anyone will even find it interesting... However, for a while now I've been toying with the idea of posting a "Question of the Day" segment online somewhere.

The idea is that I will film myself asking a random question each day and then post it online. The questions may be anything from: "Do you like Mexican food and why?" "Does anyone really care what ads are played during the Super Bowl?" or "Should health care be controlled by government?"

In other words; the question might be serious one day and goofy the next. My goal is to get people talking and (hopefully) posting their own filmed answers or comments!

The only thing I was unsure about is where to post?! I knew I wanted to keep my Blog more a form for my writing and thoughts... with an occasional video post here and there.

I also knew I didn't want to post the "Question of the Day" to my YouTube page because I really like to keep that for my sketches and short film projects.

Finally, I decided that it might be fun to start another YouTube page dedicated to whatever crazy, fun projects that I want to experiment with... and that is exactly what I did.

The FunnyShaffer Show is my new YouTube channel. (I mean who doesn't want their own online talk show right?)

So, in addition to my daily blog entry, I'm also going to do my best to ask a question each day, and maybe even have some special guest questions too!

Rise and Shine!

I'm trying out this new thing where I wake up at 7 a.m. everyday, even if I don't have to be anywhere until later in the day...
I'll be honest, I'm much more of an evening person, however, in the tradition of living a full life, I decided that waking up at 10 or 11 a.m. is probably not utilizing each day the best I could.
At first, waking up so early was NOT fun! In the past I would wake up at 5, 6 or 7 a.m. for two reasons: to go to work or take an early flight to save money! Never because I wanted to.
It's different now though. I actually enjoy the time I have in the morning. I feel like I have twice as much time each day to accomplish my goals, work out, spend time doing the things I love and still get some work done!
In fact, the only down side to waking up early in my opinion is that I have more time in the day to overeat!
I'm not sure who coined the phrase that I heard so much growing up: "Rise and Shine!" But, at least now I understand... When I rise early I definitely have more time to shine.

Gone Are The Days...

I remember the days I would go to the bank with my grandparents... We would walk in, and the bank manager would great my grandparents by name, followed with a handshake and a smile. Then, without missing a beat, he would walk over to me, pat me on the head and offer a lollypop!

Gone are the days!

It seems like there's a competition for who can provide the WORST customer service...
Top of the list: AT&T, Chase Manhattan Bank and Time Warner Cable!
...of course I do business with all three!

These big companies don't care about customer service, they don't have to! Because they know people have no other options...
Sure you can switch banks... but that's like jumping from one burning house to another. AT&T doesn't have to worry about their terrible service, because they know if you have the iPhone, you have to stay... And my favorite: Time Warner doesn't care AT ALL!!! They have a monopoly in the city I live, so we have no other cable provider, and we can't get Dish where we live!

I think it's time for me to rewind time and get rid of all this crappy technology that is supposed to make my life easier and faster... All it does is leave me with a headache and make me break a promise to myself, that I would stop raging in the new decade!

... I WANT MY LOLLYPOP DAMMIT!