Freedom By Being Fired

So....I got fired from the bank on Friday. I've never gotten fired before. It's kind of a weird feeling. But most of all...I feel relieved. I'm not a bank teller. Well, at least not a very good one. I was great working with people and making them laugh and joking around with them. I was able to talk to almost everyone. But that's just it. I talked too much and it ended up getting me in trouble.
I can't help but see this as such a great opportunity. Finally I can be available for auditions. Finally I can get more of my projects done. Finally I can just take it a little easier (for now). Maybe it will help bring my stress level down.
So we'll see. I feel I'm on the verge of another big adventure.
I told the HR people, after they fired me, that I would thank them in my Oscar acceptance speech for firing me. Finally I can pursue what I love closer to full time.
Here's hoping!

The Latest:

First off, I switched back my Twitter name.
You can find me here: http://twitter.com/JulisaLyn

I write this blog entry on a rare cloudy L.A morning. Irish Breakfast tea by my side and Miles Davis jazzing his way out my computer speakers.
Last night I was walking back to my car after going to see Roman Polanski's latest film "Ghost Writer". I really enjoyed myself. Had a very Hitchcock feel to it. I felt like I was watching a modern day classic movie - if that makes sense. Anyways, as I walked the rain covered pavement of Hollywood I heard Ella Fitzgerald crooning from some rooftop party and it was one of those moments where you love the very moment your in. The air was fresh after the rain, the city was actually a little quieter this Friday night, and Ella was the soundtrack to my life at that moment.
I've been trying to fight it, but I think I'm really enjoying living in Hollywood. There are times when you just feel like your at a big art camp. Everyone here is going for similar things. Most of us love the art of films and acting. We want to tell stories. I came here shouting loyalty to The Theatre, but I feel I've been somehow wooed by film making. I'm learning to appreciate the art of a well written script, smartly decided camera shots, subtle acting that catches your breath, and directors that have a story to tell in a simple beautiful way.
Of course there are those Hollywood blockbuster hits that make you feel like you just ate all the frosting off a cake and you feel a little sick afterwards...but there are so many film makers, actors, story tellers that want something deeper. I love discovering that.

I've started up a little museum going group. It started with me going to the Hammer museum on a whim a couple weeks ago. To have wonderful pieces of art so close at hand and not take advantage of it seems a shame and a waste. Leaving the museum I felt completely inspired to use what I saw in my improv, in my scenes, in my acting and writing, etc.
So I got a couple of friends together and we went to LACMA, saw Aztec sculptures (and by some odd chance got to share the experience with Diane Keaton), early American paintings, and a few other things. Last Sunday my friends and I celebrated Valentines day with our love of art, so we went to MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art). I don't think I've really gotten to experience art with friends that enjoy it as much as I do before. It brings a whole new light not just to you and how you view things, but discover how your friends view things as well. Seeing the art in friends is really great.
Renior is being displayed at LACMA now so I think that will be our next stop. Da Vinci will be at Getty in March.

I still have that feeling that something could happen and I would have to go home all of a sudden, so I make sure that I live every day to the fullest and take advantage of every opportunity before me.

I'll be starting classes at an acting studio in a couple weeks. I look forward to all it will teach me. The class will also help me get on the right track for becoming a working actor. I don't want to be a bank teller forever!
So many things are possible.
I like this feeling.
Shooting begins for Dear Hollywood in about 4 weeks. That is a great feeling too.

Transfering, organizing, and getting my crap together.

So I'm in the process of transferring all my bank stories to

I also made my twitter acct to just bank story excerpts as well: http://twitter.com/leTellerTattler

I think I'll keep this blog on a more personal level in that I write my day to day life observations. We'll see.
It's all coming along. Slow. Steady. One step at a time.

You can read more bank stories at http://tellertattler.wordpress.com

To Do List:

As much as I love telling my stories of being a bank teller, I don't want to be a teller forever.
Thankfully I have a few projects in the works.
1)Finish writing episode 3 and 4 for Dear Hollywood
2)Write a Dear Hollywood "stand-up routine"
3)Film Dear Hollywood episodes
4)Record ukulele songs
5)Finish writing my one woman Bank Teller show.

So a few things. Nice to have some goals and I'm pretty sure I can complete most of these by the end of the year.

Did I mention I'm playing regularly at the iO West (6366 Hollywood Blvd) every Monday night at 10pm in the Andy Dick Theatre. I can not express enough how much I love playing with my team. We have so much fun playing together and we really share a great group mind. We are in the process of filming our shows. I'll post the link as soon as it exists.

I fly back home to good ol Longview, Wa next Wednesday. So excited to see family and friends. I never know when I'll get to go back home so each time feels like a great gift.

Working at the bank has been a little wobbly. I was almost fired due to my distraction by talking too much to the customers at my window. But after reading about my customers wouldn't you get distracted too?
Ya, that's what I thought.

Dating, Deposits, and Deepening Friendships

On Friday one of my favorite handsome regulars came in and we were joking around while I took care of his deposits. As he left he said "See that's why we can never date. You can see I have no money and you probably want a man with money to take you out." "So you're calling me a gold digger?" He just laughed and said "see you later!".
A few things went through my head: 1) Were you really thinking of asking me out?! Your waaaayyyy too good looking for me. 2)Do I look like the gold digger type? 3) How could I date someone that thought I needed a guy with money?
Sad.
In a town where money seems to be a little more expendable than time I find I'm at a loss. I'm more a quality time person than "ooh what fancy place are you taking me?" kinda girl. But I'm learning that things take way more time to develop here. I don't just mean dating. No. Friendships too. Like this town, it takes forever to get places and everything is so far spread apart. I don't mind working towards a friendship. Taking time out to drive that extra half hour to get to your place so we can have a couple hours of hanging out, playing a card game, and having a drink. I like being face to face with the person. I can only handle so many text messages, e-mails, and Facebook/Twitter updates. All those hit only a level or two deep in the person. I want to know more. I want to know you and know if something is wrong by the sound of your voice or by the way you make some facial expression. So that if any miscommunication is made, it gets fixed right away. 'Cause your right there. Right in front of the person. You can say "Wait, I don't think you know what I mean. Let me clarify...."
I know we all have crazy work schedules. M-F and 9-5 is a rarity among my friends so I understand. I'm so happy to see my friends working and getting those chances to do what they love. I think slowly but surely I'm getting there too.
I guess I'm just realizing I like to be with friends. Real connections. Real conversations. Real discussions and chances to disagree, try to understand, have awkward moments, push through them, laugh about them, and let the friendship grow.
As much as I bitch and complain about some of the people that come into the bank, I love people. Sociology is one of my biggest interests. And I want to know you. What makes you tick. What makes your heart so happy it could burst, and what do you consider the most hurtful thing? All this takes time.
I'm a walking contradiction. In this microwave era I find I have little patience a lot of the time. When I find someone that I'd like to be friends with I want to hang out a lot, just so I can know how to relate to you. And also in hopes that maybe you'll get to know me. Even my weird awkward neurotic side. I can't hide it. It's right here.

The Universal Voice Change

I think I should start another blog or a new series of posts telling stories I remember from when I was a kid. I have a list of stories I'd like to share. Like the time my sister and I dropped my grandma's birthday cake on the floor in the hallway while we were waiting to surprise her. Or the time I dressed up as dice with my friends and rolled down a hill and landed on "6". Building a scooter with 4 wheels, making my own "Gameboy" out of wood in my grandpa's shop, playing Boxcar Children with my sister and friends that lived down the street. Pretending I was a ninja turtle (Donatello was my favorite- I've always had a thing for intelligent guys), or Robin Hood. Making my own bow and arrows from the twigs in my front yard.
Big thanks to my parents for not having cable while I was growing up. Actually had to go and entertain myself.
Here's one story I'll tell out full for now. Being and Disneyland the other weekend reminded me of the time my family came down to Disneyland and Universal Studios when I was in the 4th grade. I'll paint a picture for you. Me, at age 10: big glasses, buck teeth, headgear, huge T-shirt, jean shorts, sandals (with socks thank you!), and a turquoise mickey mouse baseball cap on. So my family goes to Universal studios and one of the attractions we check out is the Back to the Future "exhibit". Basically they bring in an audience and show you how they created the effects of flying and "shooting through time". They asked for two volunteers. A boy and a girl. My hand goes up instantly - I figure I can handle being on stage. Heck, I just performed pantomime for the last year. White face and all- I got this covered! So I go up on stage and the boy they pick is super cute. This is my chance to impress him! Sweet. So we get in the Delorian (sorry if that's misspelled), he in the driver's seat and me in the passenger seat. All I'm told is to scream like I can see we're flying really fast and I'm scared we're going to die. Awesome. The boy was just supposed to drive. So they get us all set up, cameras on us and all. The audience now sees up on a screen what it kinda looked like in the movie. The host tells me to start screaming. So I scream. A high pitched 10 yr old girl scream. "Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh" but I loose my breath and take a big inhale and let it out again...this time the scream is about an octave or more lower than when I had first started. "Uggggghhhhhhhh". As if I had some freak voice change! I don't know. All I know is that the whole audience started laughing like crazy. As embarrassed as I was, I think that's when the comedy bug hit.
I saw the cute boy later that day and tried to make eyes at him behind my big rimmed and thick glasses and smiled my big toothy grin- but got nothin in return.
Whatever, now I knew I could make people laugh.

Just a little something...

Today I had a customer who came up to my window laughing and saying: "your that funny teller aren't ya?!" I just smiled and said "What's your account number?" He laughed harder and gave me his account number. As I proceeded with his deposit and cash back I asked if he wanted me to leave the change in his account. "Bwahahahaha! ya I guess so. The change just weighs down my pants! Makes my pants fall down!", "Nope, don't want that." I responded. "Bwahahaha! Your a riot!" He still laughed as he took his cash and walked out the door.
The other day a lady came into the bank in her dance leotard. Now I know totally recognized it as a leotard but my co-workers thought it was a swim suit. Doesn't matter. The point is: Really? You're wearing that in public? yeesh.