Monday, September 24, 2007

No Title

Yes, it HAS been this long since I last posted, and it HAS been brought to my attention that no one reads my blog anymore, but I'm ok with this, because tonight, for the first time in a long time, I want to write. Write about personal reflection, about where I am and where I'm going, and about how I got here and how I'm going to get there.
Everything in my life is True.
It's true that I came from somewhere: mom, dad, NJ, Italia, Ireland, Randolph High School, God, Mrs. Whorley's kindergarden, etc., and that all these things had a mark in me that is unwavering and can't be stripped away. They are facts, true and unadulterated. This mixture of Truths is what brought me to today in one way or another, big or small, in the fact that it's all me.
I came from these Truths and continue to create new ones everyday. You won't be able to take this moment from me right now whether you want to or not, because this moment has already come and gone, and I'm on to the next one. Did I create the right trueness in my life to honor God and all the previous truths before this one that have led me to this? I don't know. Sometimes I really don't think so. I sometimes find myself using the Parent scale of good truths to measure my moments of existence; mom's is easy because she is always so proud I'd have to shoot the Pope to waver that thought, and even then I'm not sure. Dad had a more realistic scale that I have used for some of my larger moments, like college, career, achievements, goals, etc. to trigger the dad-satisfaction level. It's not that dad was too hard on me or wasn't proud, not at all, just that I didn't hear it as much, and I only hear mom's now.
Am I constantly building on these truths? That's what I need to be asking but rarely am. Is the trueness of my past being superceded by the moments or truths of my present or future. Is my writing this right now, this truth, a growth from truths past. How do I know if the decisions I make now are going to set myself up for the greater truths down the road; or should I say up the road.
Going to college, getting married, entering hollywood; all true facts of my existence: am I building on them. I wonder if I'm a better husband, better scholar, better stuntman, than I was at the onset of these undertakings, or simply stagnant and unchanged, which absolutely scares the shit out of me, because that would be a True failure. I don't know if it would be any worse to have declined in these examples then to have simply sat idle in them, because what's the point of measuring beyond the line of failure. Have I grown in the Truth that is God. This most important question of all is one that I don't have any way of measuring, no Parent scale, just my faith that the truths I accomplish or don't accomplish in my everyday bring me closer in my walk and are pleasing to Him; a growth in this truth.
It haunts me to no end to think that I'm digressing as a man and not living up to the truths to where I come from and that have made, have sculpted me. I can only hope I don't let free-will corrupt me and not grow my truths exponentially.
I need to recognize my flaws and weaknesses and attack them with great vigor before they attack me.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

New Year's Resolution

Ok, so I admit it's been a while since my last post, but Heather and I have been a little busy throwing ourselves off things, traveling around the country like it's not going to be there next year, and having all our cars stolen and moving our lives across the Pacific, and across LA.
One of my new year's resolutions was to blog more, so here I am; we'll see how it goes; keep me honest if you see it slipping.
We've been busy, and busy is good. There's no worse feeling for stuntpeople than to have nothing to do, because that means your not working, nor are you generating more work by being out there, so busy is good.
Currently, Heather and I are flying to Hawaii for work these days on Lost, and I was in New York for Law and Order a few weeks ago (that show airs February 2). I doubled Ben Stiller in his new Farrelly Bros. Comedy (currently called "The Heartbreak Kid", but looking to be changed to "The Mulligan", but who knows, movie titles are the last thing finalized, after too much money has been spent on marketing to figure out what works best). A Comedy Central pilot should take off in 07' that I played Teen Wolf in, so if that gets picked up, the reoccurring role would hopefully keep me busy on a semi-regular basis, and would be an action-acting role.
You all know about Heather's car-hit, and I still can't watch it; probably never will (even though I recorded it). Every time you think this job seems a little too sweet, the ambulance curve ball gets tossed over the plate and you remember why most people think we ride the sanity fence on a unicycle.
We're looking forward to finally settling into our LA place that we technically moved into 3 months ago; home much? The newest un-stolen car was delivered this week, Volvo S40, and Heather and I are fighting the urge to see how it slides through a turn, spinning backwards of course.
We're both in NJ at the moment, visiting mom as she goes under the knife in the morning to remove a cancerous lump in her breast. Keep her in your prayers as we pray it hasn't spread into the lymph nodes. To recap, dad died of cancer in 2000 of non-hotchkins lymphoma, so this is obviously something we want to see handled with steadfast efficiency. I'll keep you all posted.
Well, I'll try to post often, with shorter posts, and you can be more interactive, as I'll attempt to log-into blogger more than once a quarter.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

...And Then There Was None

Lets be honest, it's been a while since my last post, and even with Heather in the hospital she still managed to keep her readers atuned to the latest happenings in our lives, so I'm not really sure where that leaves me and this blog; so I rant.
We're trying to do everything right to make it in this town, in this business, in our lives, for better or worse, and we hope we're doing the best we can. Sometimes we get down on ourselves or feel like we missed the window but so be it, another will open, such is life. I've coordinated a PSA commercial and have been invited back for more. Heather worked on the biggest movie of next summer. I was shot in the leg and bled from a squib. All is good, but I guess we'll never know if it's good enough until we see what tomorrow brings and if our personal successes propel us into professional acclaim.
My car was stolen. My life's work if you will. Those that know me know how much that car affected me and how I effected it. I felt Karma had been satisfied, but the powers that be apparently weren't through with me. I have know one to blame but myself. I never saw it coming and I should have relied on the same insurance I once repaid. My regret is that I now leave Heather to bear the burden that my past has bestowed upon her. I struggle.
Perhaps taking the car away, among other things, helps recognize the health of my family is the single-most important thing in my life. I wouldn't have guessed that through the trials of my life, above all else, I would have let that slip by the waist-side, but how human a being I am.
Perhaps my focus was not at the things I care for, but rather at the things I care about.
Los Angeles hasn't changed who we are, although it isn't quite as condusive to flip-flops and boardshorts as one might imagine (that one being me). We've got a great friend-base to work from and we're trying to make time for them all, and at $13 a drink we've been pacing ourselves.
What happens in Vegas should be met with neuclear antidote. The only thing that should stay in Vegas is the Al Quada when it's finishing it's story.

Friday, April 28, 2006

The Adventures of Jonathan and Heather: Part 10000...




It seems I haven't been keeping people up to speed with all the latest and greatest in our world, and perhaps that's because as soon as something blog-worthy happens in our life, something else supersedes it, making the last thought obsolete and the new stays fresh and interesting until that too gets superseded, and this seems to happen more often than I can get in front of a computer with an hour to spare to do more than check emails. (How's that for an excuse.)
I must admit, I have been spending key writing minutes pimping the pages of myspace (otherwise known as the lazy-man's blog) answering comments, messages and friend requests.
The season is winding down, although production is working harder than ever to hand over the finale episode on time (which isn't going to happen) so ABC can get it in line for the May 24 air-date. Last week we were actually filming 4 separate episodes on the same day in an effort to meet our early May deadline. As for me, I enjoy the workload because it's allows more opportunity for stunts.
One of my characters (from early in the season, hint-hint) returns to be the focal point of the 2 episode finale, so I've had some good stunt-work over the last week or two, and it may make for even more work in Season 3 (hint-hint). So much work in fact that I've gotten myself pretty banged-up in the process, but luckily I've had the days off when I've needed them most.
We traveled off Oahu for the first time in a while to visit Kona for Easter and pack up remaining personalparaphanelia and ship the car over to LA.
Did I mention we're moving to LA, well yes, we are. We'll head over mid-May and immediately continue working to get ourselves on a feature for the summer. Lost will be here for next season, and we may split time between HI and the mainland strictly depending on the workload.
Well, Huck Finn and I have plenty more tales to tell, but I'll share them in subsequent posts to not bombard you all at once. Here are some pics and my myspace page is worth viewing for picture content as well.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Whose Space is Myspace Anyway?

Heather signed me up for myspace this week and it seems to be taking the internet world by storm, kind of like blogs were supposed to do. Everyone and their mother, literally, is on this personal-profile based website, allowing you to link-up pics and videos in a brag-sheet fashion for all the world to see, and it seems that all the world is seeing them.
For example, a night after I posted to my myspace profile that I attended the University of Alabama as a Alpha Tau Omega fraternity member I received 2 friend requests from friends of mine that I haven't talked to in years from my old house; crazy.
Myspace was created as a singles-site that has mutated into a full-on yearbook junkie reunion page for everything from everyday friends to obscure acquaintances to people you've never met.
Your info for all the world to see; and we're all throwing it out there. Pictures and personal dish sprawled across your page with links to everyone you know and gossip on everything you do, like to do, and places you spend your time; everything. There's already been reported cases of misuse of the pedophilia-type, and myspace has combated the problem with an age limit on allowed users, but that's like expecting to stop trespassers because you posted a really-really big scary sign.
My Myspace Page

Thursday, March 02, 2006

It's Been a While

It's been way too long since my last post, and I'm sure no one's checking my blog, but I felt the urge to write, if only to myself, while I fight a cold on the couch.
Things are going well for Heather and I, and we double 6 characters between the two of us on the show. Charlie, Desmond, and Henry for me; Kate, Ana-Lucia, and Claire for Heather.
With only 6 episodes left to film in the second-season of Lost, we strategize our next moves thoughtfully.
We've spent this season conditioning ourselves in the art of stunts and the entertainment industry, including a trip to LA for networking and training purposes in the first part of February. Tenatively, we plan on spending more time in LA during the 2.5 month hiatus starting this May between the seasons of shooting furthering the resume.
Life in Waikiki is good. As the epicenter of entertainment and tourism for all the islands. The best part is that tourists need protection, which brings police, which keeps the ever-so-popular Hawaiian rif-raf out of the area. Heather and I enjoy evening walks through the downtown section we live in amongst a vacationing public that exudes vibrance and joy like school children at recess, just a bit more intoxicated.
Our activities in HI have been a mainstay during our less-than normal work schedule, enjoying the normal creature comforts of sun, sand, and scuba as often as possible. In addition, I'm playing ice hockey in a league at the state's only ice rink, and would say I'm a big fish in a very small pond.
Gymnastics is a new venture I've recently taken up. Training at the best academy in the islands, Heather and I know this is a skill that can help us in our profession. It was like riding a bike for Heather getting back in the saddle, and she was probably the best gymnast there her first night back, whereas the instructor has been sincerely impressed with my novice abilities. Golf and tennis are two other sports I'm annoying Heather to persue, and she's dabbled in them with me.
Other than that we've been working out at 24-hour fitness and I've been trying to get my flexibility up, as it's good to bend well while your being thrown from something or falling off something.
We took on an agent this week in HI to keep us abreast of all stunt, acting, and modeling opportunities available on the islands; again looking to build the resume. It's the biggest and most widely-known agency here and should produce a few good endeavors. We were invited to join through the references and referrals of our casting director on Lost and another personal friend.
Enough for now, I'll continue the rant/update after we get our new computer, as this is the last day of the Apple Powerbook G4 and the Apple MacBookPro is on order.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Country Hopping

Accessing wireless from the airport terminal does make you wonder how easy it could be to hack into personal info while I'm in the network, but I'm putting concern aside to blog, for a change.
Having just spent the last 11 days in the Pacific Northwest, Heather and I now sit in Portland International Airport on our way to NJ to bring in the new year.
We had a great time visiting family in friends in the rain, traveling to different parts of the region in the rain, skiing and snowboarding in the rain, celebrating Christmas in the rain, and doing anything else outside, in the rain.
To it's credit the PacNW has a mild climate and the lush landscape helps you forget just how much it precipitates. It also makes you notice, even appreciate, the fact that it's not raining, which is something you definitely take for granted in Hawaii. Don't get me wrong, it rains in HI, but the difference is you may not even leave the beach when it's happening.
Christmas was great and we feasted at Heathers' mom's house the day before Christmas eve with alot of her extended family and friends, the feasted again Christmas Eve, and again Christmas day, and feasted one last time tonight, prior to our departure. As everyone knows and expected, Tracey over-fed and we all over-ate.
In our 11 days we managed to visit with Riley and Mary in Auburn and all the Western Washington crew, immediately followed by a night in Heather's hometown of Ellensberg to cowtip and see just how many boys in love with Heather are still serving drinks or waiting tables in town.
We tripped up to Wenatchee next to get in a day of skiing/snowboarding and see all the apple-capital family and meet Chaun's new Sally. Sally and Chaun took us down to Washougal just outside Portland and 4 days later it brings us to the present.
Boarding now so more to follow soon. It was FANTASTIC to see every one of you, thanks for making the first part of our trip so memorable.