Six Word Essay on Four Days of Halloween Partying...

I need a barf bag, now!

Wedding In Palm Springs!

Wedding In Palm Springs-

Pool,

Cocktails,

Ceremony,

More cocktails,

Delicious appetizers,

Find your table,

Introductions to friends of friends,

Dinner is served,

More cocktails,

Speeches,

The first dance,

More cocktails,

Wild crazy dancing,

Late night pool party,

midnight snack,

Crashed!

It was a beautiful wedding!

Congratulations Ric & Jane Barbera!

I love you both!

Halloween Day 2...

Last night I partied at a cemetery...

Tonight I partied at an old skool Hollywood house that's been turned into a night club...

The four day Halloween-fest continues!

Who's the leader of the pack?

Halloween In A Cemetery...

Only in Hollywood...

Would you find a bunch of hot, half naked men in

themed (stripper) Halloween costumes;

Drinking, dancing and doing devilish things-

At a famous Hollywood cemetery.

I must admit it was a fun night!

Albeit, very strange to be dancing around famous dead peoples graves!

Oh well, I'm sure they knew what they were getting into

when they decided to be buried in Hollywood!

Hollywood Forever!

Remembering Grandpa

Today I remember the man who taught me how to make the most delicious scrambled eggs, how to shave in five minutes and how to make an entire room laugh without saying a word!

It's hard to believe my grandpa has been gone for two years. No matter how long it's been, his energy and spirit live on in me and my family.

He was a great man. Stylish, intelligent, funny, calm, brave and full of life.

He encouraged me to follow my dreams. To live everyday to the fullest. To "stop worrying so much."

And most important, how to put your family first.

Growing up he would always remind me, "Life's short Matski, enjoy every second!" Then he'd follow with, "Carpe diem, Seize the day Mattski!"

Of course at the time I couldn't really understand what he meant. But as I got older, I started to see the years pass. Just before he died we had a wonderful conversation- It was all I needed to hear to refocus my life, take bigger risks and enjoy each day for what it brings. Today, brings wonderful memories of a man I loved with all my heart and soul.

Life Lesson Re-Learned In A Labyrinth

I walked through a labyrinth today-
It felt like a metaphor for my life.
Like the maze, when I first began my journey I really had know idea of the direction I was headed.
There are many twists and unexpected turns along the way.
At a certain point the path becomes clear and I begin to discover a great sense of self.
I start to realize that I've overcome so many dead ends and obstacles.
I was even able to stop, take a deep breath and reflect on a few of the amazing adventures I've had so far.
At that moment it dawns on me that I'm only halfway along the trail and I've already walked right passed my goal-
Separated only by the rules of the labyrinth.
It was frustrating and promising all at once...
On the one hand, I was annoyed that I was so close to the target, but had to continue along the maze until it was time to reach the end.
On the other, I was incredibly excited to remember that the goal is only a few steps away.

Standardized "Life" Test Failure!

I don't believe in tests...

But if I did-

I might wonder if I'm being put through the ultimate standardized "Life" test.

Over the past month it feels like anything that could go wrong... Has!

Nothing serious like; illness, death or destruction.

(Thank God!)

But every single piece of electronic equipment has failed.

Plans with friends have backfired.

Simple daily tasks have lead to rage.

Rehearsals and classes have been muddy...

I'm suffering a communication meltdown!

If I am being "tested" I guess I have no choice but to push through the shit I hate, and make up for it in the essay portion.

Just like I did in High School!

I'm off to write in my journal, and hopefully work through some

issues!

Technology... It's all the RAGE!

Another long day;

I sang show tunes on my way home from teaching,

It put a smile on my face.

Then I got home and attempted to sync my iPhone;

The rage of the day came flooding back!

I really hate when technology gets the best of me...

The only way I'm going to release the anger is to sing a song about it!

You Win Some, You Lose Some...

Some days you win-

Some days you lose.

That's life.

I fight like hell to stay focused, calm and positive.

Usually it works,

Today it didn't.

So now, I'm going to dig into a dark chocolate bar,

and pass out on my couch watching trashy TV~

Cheers to tomorrow!

Rigatoni Dinner!

Wine,

Good Friends,

and delicious homemade rigatoni~

Proof that no matter what a friendship endures,

everyone can come together in honor of family!

It was a very good night!

People Watching At Starbucks

A man in his sixties wearing booty shorts with his sagging butt hanging out-
A beautiful woman with a shaved head eating pasta salad with her fingers-
The cackle of a strange man with a bright pink mohawk about two feet high-
The employees talking shit about the customers while not working behind the counter-
The phony Hollywood meetings where each person continues to talk about their amazing project loud enough for everyone to overhear-
The tourists that eat their pastry wishing that it tasted half as good as the ones they eat back home-
The cute little girl that demands her fathers full attention, while her mother finishes her cold cup of coffee-
And all of these people staring back at me like I'm judging them-
I am. And it's amazing!
I love to people watch at Starbucks!

Behind The Curtain!

Today I went on a wild adventure.

I saw behind the velvet curtain and it wasn't pretty;

You always want what you don't have-

Until you get a glimpse of it...

And realize they can keep it!

I have my path,

They have theirs.

It may seem like they've conquered the world,

But I see the rat in a cage.

Conflicted

Do I rise above the bitterness?

Is it worth sitting down to rehash the past?

I'm optimistic and hopeful that people can change-

However it's been my experience that they usually don't,

At least not for very long.

How will this time be different?

Nobody wants to have an eight year friendship end like this...

On the other hand, I don't have the energy to respond after being attacked.

I'm extremely conflicted!

Dear iPhone Software Update,

Thanks for F_cK!nG up my phone, my computer and six hours of my day!

Technology has bitched slapped me into loving the torture.

I feel like I'm one of those people they make "Law & Order" episodes about!

RAGEAGERAGERAGEEEEGARAGEEEEEEEEEEEEERAGERRRRAAAAGGGGEEE!

How It Started...

This is what happens if you leave a bunch of kids with

huge personalities and wild imaginations home alone

with a camcorder...

Here is a clip from the very first parody / variety show

that I made with my cousins back in 1992 when they

came to visit us in Los Angeles.

We all loved shows like In Living Color and Saturday

Night Live, so naturally we decided that we should have

our own show too.

We turned my parents garage into a studio!

Complete with lights, camera and a lot of action!

This is what ignited the flame for me!

I made the executive choice to remove our dialogue...

I think the visual is enough!

Cleaning House...

Over time one can amass a huge amount of clutter in all manners of life;
Like an overgrown garden, career paths and relationships are often neglected-
Days, months, sometimes even years pass before we realize that weeds have surpassed the beautiful flowers, and insects we didn't even know were there, are destroying the entire greenhouse.
This year it occurred to me that the metaphorical "house" that is my life had become a version of Grey Gardens...
I forced myself to pull back the drapes and face the ugly truth now exposed in the harsh light of day-
Friendships turned upside-down, business associates that have rotted to the core, even family matters that have been shoved into a closet.
It was time for me to clean house.
At first the process felt impossible. I finally got a glimpse at what a hoarder must feel when the camera crews come blazing through their home...
But as I began slowly removing the toxic clutter, I was once again able to see the beauty that still surrounded me.
Cleaning "house" I rediscovered the things in my life that are most important.
I filed the moments I treasure, arranged the objects I love to display and deleted the energy that had become a waste of space.
Hopefully in the future I will remember to spend more time on the maintenance and up keep of my life!

Sundays

Chillin' on the sofa,

I've got a puppy on either side of me.

Switching back and forth between Discovery documentaries

and Family Guy on Netflix.

The cool ocean breeze is blowing in through the living room window.

Taking a little catnap before a dinner with friends...

I LOVE Sundays!

Setback. Step Forward.

Life is full of setbacks;

One day you're up,

The next you're down.

Often I feel like I'm making such great strides in my life and career...

Then I take a blow. My ego gets bruised and so does my bank account-

Once I get my mind wrapped around the upsetting setback, I refocus and develop a new battle plan.

But what I remembered today-

What feels like a shitty set of circumstances is likely a blessing in disguise.

The universe has an amazing way of guiding us where we need to be, precisely when we need to be there.

If I wasn't forced to take a gig that I had no interest in working (other than making money) I would never have met a contact that has a shared interest in my passion and the means to help me get my project off the ground.

Proving yet again, EVERYTHING happens for a reason. No matter how hard I fight the obvious, I've learned that life is in motion and there are some things that I cannot control, I just have to trust that the universe will lead me to my next lesson. If only I could remember that in the thick of the setback!

Waking Up Is Hard...

Standing all day with a smile on my face-

Needed to blow off steam last night when I got home...

Showered and feeling fresh,

Walked down with friends for a Happy Hour!

Happy Hour turned into hour(S)!

Partied like a maniac and still in bed by 10-

Waking up this morning...

Not as fun as last night.

My Ideal Nightmare

Working an outdoor gig wearing a black suit in record breaking heat with a forced smile on my face...
It's gonna be a long day!
Ah- the glamorous life!

Enjoy The View While You Have It

Enjoying the view-

I never know when it will change...

Working hard to appreciate where I am.

Soaking in every minute. Even the frustrating moments.

...and there have been a lot of those recently.

Nevertheless- the view from where I stand is every bit as breathtaking.

Thrilled!

I'm still exhilarated from last night!

We had an informal cast and crew screening of our pilot episode of "The Outrageously Fabulous Weekly Parody Talk Show!" To my delight, it was a huge success!

I can honestly say that working on this project with Jeff Payton, Ellen Buckley and Amy Claire has been a rewarding experience. The result is by far my proudest accomplishment in my career!

I have no doubt that an idea that started out over a year ago, sparked by a lifelong dream of mine to have my own variety show will result in a wildly popular TV show!

No matter what, I can die a happy man knowing that I followed my passion and it lead me on such an adventure with my talented, witty and ambitious friends! I can't wait to see what the future holds for our new show!

A New Chapter: ParodyChat

It was a sad day for us at A Group Produciton when we found out that Jill Zarin and Kelly Bensimon were among the four housewives to be released from the popular Real Housewives of New York franchise on Bravo!
After all, Jill and Kelly were the divas that put our parodies on the map!
I'm so grateful to Jill for reaching out to us and sharing our work with all of her fans! Not to mention that she appears with us in our own parodies!
She's one cool lady and I know she'll have another fabulous project for us to enjoy soon!
In the meantime, we've decided to start a new segment on our YouTube channel called ParodyChat! In ParodyChat we will spoof the homemade videos of celebrities and Reality TV stars...
It makes sense that for our first ParodyChat, we'd spoof the ladies that helped us get the ball rolling.
Here is Jill Zarin's Message Parody Ustream With Kelly Bensimon!

The Cutest Pumkin!

I know it's slightly bias-
But the fact remains...
My niece is the most beautiful baby in the pumpkin patch!

Saturday

Really looking forward to a day off!

Today, is not the day.

Aren't Saturdays supposed to be relaxing?

Not when you're producing a pilot.

I know it will pay off!

Basket Case

Crying watching The X Factor.
Crying watching Dance Moms.
Crying because I can't stop crying...
I'm a total basket case today~
I need a spiritual vacation ASAP!

Face Off.

Tonight I came face to face with a former friend.
I'm disappointed that the encounter was strained, to say the least.
When did our love turn to hate?
How does it happen?
It breaks my heart-
Friends should inspire one another not tear them down.
I've always been told that time heals all wounds...
I hope that's true.

LA- Expect the Unexpected!

The rain in LA comes sporadically-

It's usually unexpected.

Which makes sense if you think about it...

Hollywood is the land of wonder.

How come it rains for one day in October and then not again until February?

How does Keanu Reeves continue to get work?

Why do they green light shows like 2 Broke Girls and cancel shows like Arrested Development?

The answers to these mystery's and many more may never get solved...

But one thing's for sure, LA looks sparkling clean after a nice bath~

Maybe Colin Farrell should take note!

A Big Campy Opening Number for our New Variety Show!

Today, I'm thrilled to share the opening credits to our new Variety Talk show that we've been working on for the past year! I believe in this show whole heartedly! I hope you enjoy:

Follow your passion and success will come chasing after you!

That's Life

Today I had a list of shit on my desk a mile long of all the things that I needed to get accomplished...

Guess what?

I got to cross two things off that list!

What a sad day.

It hurts my head and my heart when I don't get to slash a bold line across some silly task that should only take five minutes to finish!

UHG.

Like my Gram always says, "That's life Mattsky! You've got to take the good with the bad."

I'm ready for the good to keep back in!

Six Word Essay On Dinner With Friends...

Booze, food and laughter- perfect night!

Fall

Crisp air.

The smell of a fireplace.

Craft fairs and pumpkin patches.

Layered clothing.

The sound of football pouring out of the neighborhood bar.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks!

The build up to the holidays...

I LOVE the Fall!