Social Media Saturday

I've:
Texted,
Tweeted,
Tumblred,
Facebooked,
Instagramed,
Vined,
Blogged,
and sent my last email.
I think it's safe to say that social media is here to stay-
Now I'm off to enjoy my day!

Just When You've Got it All Figured Out...

Reality hits.
You remember that life (no matter how much you fight it) is full of unexpected situations;
An opportunity comes along to perform on your dream TV show,
OR
You get a phone call informing you that the wonderful job that you've been confirmed on, gets canceled- leaving you jobless for three months!
It happens.
It's life.
Dealing with the reaction to the news, positive or negative, is also a huge factor in the game of life.
I continue to learn, and relearn that life is a daring adventure,
Much like whitewater rafting.
One minute you're smiling, high on the rapids- dry and happy.
Then, out of nowhere, you're tossed out of the raft, into the violent water, and left praying that you don't get pulled under or hit a rock.
Somehow, you find a way to get back in the boat, and eventually back on top.
All you can do is fight for the things you want, and continue to say yes to opportunities.
You can't plan life-
But you can decide how to react.
Release the fear, and focus on how to rebound.
Stay positive and take action.  Every single step forward, is a step in the right direction.

Lap Dogs

We have two small dogs;
A Yorkie and a Shih Tzu.
Ginger, the Yorkie, is a 5 pound prima donna-
Lily, the Shih Tzu, is a tubby 11 pound, pound puppy.
Both are adorable, cuddly puppies who LOVE to bury their heads in a nice warm lap.
Just don't expect either one to fetch anything for you,
Lily will chase and play tug-of-war, but she has yet to master the art of catch and return.
Still, I love my puppies.
Even when the hog the entire bed and steal all of the covers.

Lets Do Lunch!

Today is one of those Hollywood days-
Finalizing our new press kit,
Coffee meeting with our manager,
Strategizing with our production partner,
Lunch meeting with network executives on the lot.
Hiking the Hollywood Hills,
And hopefully booking a gig...
All before lunch!
#SoHollywood

Six Word Essay on Auditions

Waiting for the phone to ring.

Annoying, Shitty, Downstairs Neighbor

When the annoying downstairs neighbor gets me down;
Playing music with the bass pumped up to full blast until 2 AM, four days in a row...
I don't get mad-
I wake up EARLY Monday morning, put my favorite tap shoes on, and start cleaning my house.
I vacum while choreographing a heavy time step,
I dust in the middle of my cramp rolls (extra loud on the heel drops.)
I empty the dishwasher in the middle of a shim-sham and belt out the high note in my best audition song!
Because the fact is, some people are just shitty, disrespectful, unaware human beings that think the world revolves around them.
Truthfully, I don't mind neighbors throwing a wild dinner party or holding a club night in their home, as long as it's not a nightly occasion.
But when it's day four of what sounds like Lady Gaga and Britney Spears wrestling over the last mound of cocaine-
I'm going to fight fire with HEAVY, syncopated tap combinations that involve rearranging almost every piece of furniture I own!

SUNday!

Church,
Hike,
Journal,
Creativity,
And now the beach.
I LOVE my SUNdays.
The continued focus on balance.

When You Party Until 2 AM...

You sleep until NOON.
I HATE wasting days because of laziness.
Still, an adventure is always fun, and last night was no exception.

Better Luck Next Week... A Motivational Reminder:

I don't really believe in luck,
Mostly I just use the word as a point of reference.
I spent most of this week in a groggy, mopey, uninspired state of mind-
The kind of mental and emotional place that will get me nowhere fast!
I think we're all entitled to at least one or two moments like this a year;
But that is it.
I am a healthy, talented, hard working, intelligent and fun person,
I have absolutely no reason to let one day of my life pass without finding a happy moment!
So, release, relax and roll on!
Okay, the pep talk's over...

Out of Darkness

Darkness is always near,

But can only effect you when you allow it to be more than a break from the light-

It's easy to sleep in negativity,

It is just as simple to flip a switch and awake with light!

Our greatest accomplishments wait to thrive in the warm glow!

Social Media Mind-Warp!

Texting and Tweeting and Tagging oh my!
Spent 45 minutes surfing YouTube,
Before heading over to Facebook- where I was lost in an endless chain of shared social media satisfying.
Then off to Instagram for a photo bouquet...
I spend too much time using electronic devises, that are meant to help me connect to people!

Side Note:

Some days you've just got to give yourself a break...
AKA-
Movie Matinee!
#ILoveLA
#IndustryResearch

Monday Back in LA!

After a a summer on tour,
I'm so grateful to be back in town.
Hustling for meetings,
Creative writing sessions,
and
Maybe even a Monday morning movie matinee?
It's so good to be back in LA!

Sunday Chores!

Woke up early to get things done.
After church and a Starbucks it was off to work!
Hair cuts for the puppies,
Dust and sweep,
Cleaning the kitchen,
Bills,
emails,
The list goes on,
But Sunday evening is time for fun.
Enough work, writing too.
I'm chilling with friends.

Back In LA

The sun is out,
The skies are blue,
Gorgeous tans,
Tight bodies-
Surrounded by healthy, happy, smiling people.
I LOVE LA!

Colorado

Rocky Mountains,

Blue skies,

And my family-

This was a wonderful visit!

The Thing About Family...

No matter how much they annoy you,
Through all life's ups and downs;
My truth with family-
They'll always come around.
Their love is unconditional,
Yes, it may be with emotion,
But nothing will break our bond.
Pure love.

A Dream Is a Gift Your Heart Needs...

I got to see my grandpa Shaffer in my last dream before I woke up this morning.
It was so nice to hear his voice,
Give him a hug and say I love you.
The dream was so real, I could smell him!
I'm so grateful for those moments with him,
Even if it is in a dream-
I still get to see him from time to time, and remember his impact on my life.

Six Word Essay on Colorado

Crunchy granola mountain men are hot.

Vacation!

As much as I hate traveling,
I'm so happy to spend some time off-
Colorado in August is always beautiful.
Looking forward to time with my family.
First trip without gram;
I'm sure there will be some rough patches,
But I'm here to live in the moment and enjoy my family.
PLUS- I get to sleep in. (I got up at 7:30 am instead of 6!)
Life is good.

Daily Truth:

I have Faith and passion-

I am an unstoppable force!

So Long NYC!

Hit it,

And quit it!

That's how you do New York City...

I was in the Big Apple for one whole day-

Just enough time to see some good friends, walk through Times Square and remember just how stressful the city can be.

Now I'm on the NJ Transit headed to Atlantic City.

The NYC skyline safely in the distance behind me,

It doesn't look so tough looking back.

New York, Brooklyn?!

I thought the saying was New York, New York!
Nevertheless, I'm on a couch in Brooklyn visiting with my friends in the city.
Flashback to eight years ago, when I used to live in NYC, and you NEVER would have found me in Brooklyn! NEVER.
NOT because it wasn't safe, or hip, or cool.
It just wasn't The Big Apple!
When I was a kid growing up, I never dreamed about moving to Brooklyn-
No offense. It just wasn't part of the Broadway experience.
So after PLENTY of ribbing and clichéd jokes, I decided to give Brooklyn a chance...
I mean, I didn't really have a choice, that's where their house is, and I needed a bed to sleep in!
All I can say is that I was wrong.
Their tree-lined street is gorgeous. Their apartment is charming. The food and culture rivals anything I've seen in Manhattan, and they live right next to a spectacular park!
The only down side-
Two subway transfers and 20 minutes to get to midtown...
#YouCan'tHaveEverything!

I Saw The Sign

Every year, we usually end up with tickets to the Hollywood Bowl.

I love it.

The music, culture, friends, food wine and people watching-

It's the perfect LA moment!

Last night was special for me. Not because Steve Martin was performing, though he was very entertaining.

One of my favorite moments at the Bowl, is as the sun sets behind the Hollywood Hills, the dusk heightens the romantic atmosphere-

Then, I always see it, right near the famous Hollywood sign, there's a gigantic Cross lite up.

I see that Cross on every trip to the bowl, and each time it feels like the first- a significant sign just for me.

"Remember Matthew, God is with you. You are safe. You have nothing to fear."

Last night however, I did not see that Cross.

It turns out the seats that we'd been given were perfectly placed in a gorgeous section of the outdoor theatre, and right next to us was a very lovely old tree hiding the Cross.

It suddenly dawned on me,

"Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there."

It was the most brilliant analogy for Faith.

It came at the exact moment in my life that I needed it.

After losing my gram, the doubt and questioning of my path and purpose in life began to seep in like a slow killing poison. 

I miss her so much, and no matter how many times I've tried to release my pain, my downward spiral continued.

I was remind last night, that in no way is my lack of Faith or sadness serving God or the spirit of my grandma. 

My time on this earth is short-

God has had a magnificent presence in everything good in my life.

I'd rather spend whatever time I have here filled with; happiness, hope, passion, love and Faith.

Whether I can see it or not, God has a path for me, I have to trust that it's there.

Six Word Essay on Mixed Messages...

Please get your story straight ASAP!

Tuesday...

It came and went without me.
I did some stuff,
But not enough,
And now it's almost Wednesday!

God is Real To Me...

In every blessing,
Opportunity,
and failure-
In my happiest moments,
and my darkest fears-
Every trace of doubt is removed, at the exact moment that I need to remember or feel His presence.
Through all my setbacks, questions and successes-
I believe in His path.

Six Word Essay on Food! ...Again

I love to eat so much!

Creative Juices!

This morning I'm getting my creative juices flowing again!
Looking forward to shooting a fun sketch for Funny or Die.
Whether I'm working on my own projects,
or in this case, helping a friend out,
I'm always grateful I get to do what I love.
If you're passionate about your job,
It's a lot more fun to go to work...
Especially at 8:00 am on a Saturday!

Up, Up and Away!

I'm feeling much better about myself now that I'm back in LA.
When I'm on the road I lose track of the things that are most important to me.
My quality of life, family, goals and faith are what keep me grounded and motivated,
When I'm on tour, I don't have enough time to focus on maintaining balance.
But I'm back in LA and I'm up, up and away!
Working towards accomplishing more of my dreams.
One day at a time.

Shake It Off...

The process of release is slow sometimes-
The point is that I'm trying.
Holding onto pain and the past, will not help my future.
I have to shake it off!
1, 2, 3...
Shake it off, shake it off!
(I think I understand the origin of that song!)