!שלום לכם

hello everyone!
So verdict is in, I am a total loser to the jet lag powers that be. Well really i just never bothered to change my sleep schedual and Guy has been just fine with reinforcing it. We are basically on a sleep til 1 or 2 and go to bed around 5 kind of regiment. What can you do?

So in our slightly vimpireistic (is that a word? elie? randi? anyone?) life style we have actually been doing a lot. Over the past week we celebrated our one year of being.... in touch, i guess, technically ; ). I gave Guy my gift (a bday/anneversary combined gift) of an engraved stethescope an a pair of scrubs with his name embroidered on it. I told him either this means he really has to finish or now he has a very authentic costume for Purim (for those who don't know, that's a dressing-up jewish holiday, kind of like holloween, except jewish). He liked them very much, the scrubs fit, and he was even able to hear my low blood pressured heart beat. (This one time in 5th grade when we were doing a unit on god knows what (measurements maybe?) we had to check our pulse, i failed, reggie and i decided i was dead (remember reg?)) He even showed off the gifts at his bday celebration last night, everyone was impressed, enjoyed the stethescope and his school friends were jealouse (they didn't exactly say so, but i could tell).

Guy's present was taking me to what is a called a tzimmer (it was supposed to be a surprise but he eventually told me that we were going, bully for him i still had no idea what a tzimmer was till i got there) Its baiscally like a little romantic cabin. Some people go away to them as a family vacation but they are generally for romantic get aways. It was very nice, jacoozy in our cabin with a small kitchen area and nice big bed and tv. We slept, we enjoyed, we watched movies (pictures will be on facebook soon) and there was a beautiful view of the Kineret (The sea of galillee) and we were right across the water from the city of Tiberius (i think thats how its spelled in english) so at night all the lights were bright and shining. We had a lovely two night stay at the place. I do have to mention the part you won't get to experiance from the pictures is the lovely aroma from the cows on the kibbutz next door. It only smelled some of the time and once you lit the insense and closed all the doors and windows it was really no big deal (classic guy and roneet situation if i do say so myself).

We also spent some time visiting his friends and some tourist attractions. We went to Rosh Hanikra: one of those natural phenominon/historical/beautiful look-out points kind of places. It is the tip of the land that marks the boarder between israel and lebenon. The water there has carved out these beautiful grottos out of the mountain and when the british ruled they built a train that connected israel and lebenon (latter the haganah blew up the bridges over the grottoes to prevent weapons getting to lebanon as the country of israel was being born). So we're nerds, so sue us. It was very interesting, very beautiful, and if i ever get married in israel you are all invited to my rosh hanikra wedding. (pictures coming soon, to a facebook profile near you)

We also went to Hamat Gader, one of those hot medicinal spring water batheing places. There were crocodiles too but we came too late at night to see them. oops. we enjoyed the warm waters and then went to eat at the restaurant there, super yummy meal deal kind of things at this Thai reaturant serving chinese food with israeli music playing (misrachi music), a little strange but still enjoyable. We also ate at this other retaurant which i loved Guy didn't get enough to eat but i think that's becuase we hadn't eaten all day so i finished my food. That dinner was so good deffinetly worth sharing even though this post is getting long (getting?).
It was on a kibbuts Gesher (we went to the old kibbuts gesher last time i was here if you remember, we made fuccacia bread.....no? ok never mind). The waitress was really sweet and nice and made great suggestions. The place is kind of hard to describe. Small and quaint with dark wood furniture. Our meal was the following: Appetiser: Creamy potato and leak soup, calamari filled with goat cheese with salsa Main course: G: rice with beef stu kind of thing with muchrooms R: rice with white sea fish with a creamy lemon basil sauce (so good) Dessert: crem brulee with fresh berries (really really good) and i had a lovely glass of white wine. Did i meantion how good it was?

That's basically it since our trip. We have been watching movies, seeing friends, and other such activities. Guy had freinds over to celebrate his birthday last night. I was hear exactly a year ago almost to the day really becuase last year he had his party on the 24th and this year it happened on the 23rd. But this time i knew almost everyone........... and simon wasn't with us. And like i said Guy showed off hoe great a girlfriend i am, so we had a good night.

Next up: Something is going on on sunday, my other surprise (has anyone figured out this kid loves surprises yet?) so more on that later. We plan on visiting some freinds in Haifa, maybe going to Jerusalem, a couple of day trips here and there, I'm going to visit with my aunt (guy has been accupying all my time so far).........

So ill let you all know how that goes.
Thanks for reading.
Miss you all
Take care.
r

Shalom once again!

Hello all. I made it. Safe and sound. Here i am in Israel once more.
So far i have been doing a whole lot of nothing. Really. I got in about 5:30 am came home to guy's house and passed out. We slept til 5pm. He didn't sleep before picking me up. Woke up ate some dinner went for a walk and then i fell asleep again and he went to go see some friends from school.
Today, i slept till 2pm....so getting better. We sat at the beach with a couple of his guy freinds and now are back at the house and i am exauhsted. I just feel like sleeping so i thought to keep my self occupied online so i am not a totall loser to the jetlag powers that be.

Chicago was great. Elie Paula and i spent the whole week getting fat. What do i mean by this? We drank, we ate, we sat and watched things, and we slept. We also took cabs to every one of these events. IT WAS GREAT! We trully learned the meaning of freindship regardless of activity or location. We spent one night bar hopping and closing bars out, such a great time reminising and gettting pretty tipsey. We saw Grease and Wicked, Paula saw Dirty Dancing, i opted not to join her for a second round of the 3 hour classis story on stage. Paula and I also watched some movies here and there. We watched Knocked Up and Elf and of course (Paula just couldn't get enough) Dirty Dancing (the classis story on film). I got to see two good freinds from my birthright trip, which was super. And we took Paula to the bean! We also spent lots of time getting to know the backstage area and elie's lovely office (the nice wood shed, at least it was warm) at Dirty Dancing. We even helped out carrying merchandise up and down stairs. Basically we had a blast. It was so nice to just be together. A true vacation!!!

So that's that. Hope everyone is warm where ever they are, israel is a nice change from chicago ;)

Yours,
R

alright blog readers....

after quite the sleepless flight of 6 hours, i have made it to my first foreign destination. I am here in england. i will go and enjoy some time iwth my family here before returning to the airport tonight for my next flight which will take me to Israel. I feel like i am in the olden days where the fast transit of today didn't exist, its taking me two days almost to get from chicago to israel. what was it like before the technologies of the here and now? Ok i'm a spoiled 21st centuary raised person, i will admit traveling to israel by boat or camel or whatever would be worse but i am tired and cranky and the girl next to me slept far more comfortably than i did. I hate her. Hate is a strong word. i know.

Talk to you from the holy land.

chokay... so -

I have not disappeared off the face of the planet. I promise.
I am here. alive and well and have been enjoying california for the past two months.
Its almost 2009 so i figured i should write to you all. I'm lame, please forgive me.

Quick update:
Movie. Was great. Phenomenal learning experience form every angle possible. I learned so much about myself, acting, my acting, making a movie, and that there is only so many nights in a row you can eat pizza and sill crave the stuff. Believe it. I will miss the cast, the experiance, everything really. I can't wait to see it!!!

Acting. not so much has been happening of that since i finished the movie. Maybe it was because i wasn't supposed to stay after the movie so this whole time i wasn't really putting my all into it. i guess i didn't want to get into any long term commitments that would conflict with my plans.

which brings me to ..... my plans. what's next? More nomadic life style. Yes i am hitting the road again and i am taking the show with me. First, with my greatest honeymoon sweet heart, Paula, i will be in chicago for a week to visit the one and only Elie. From there i fly back to Israel. for a month. Yes, Guy has survived first semester of Hungarian med school (passed with flying colors i might add, i am so proud of him) and will be in Israel for his winter break. I will be with him until he has to go back to Hungary for round two. I will then have a weekend in England with family there on the way back to the states. I will land in NY, be there for a week, see all the lovely faces i miss so much, get to my winter clothes in storage (which will be oh so neccessairy for the final destination of my travels (for now (of course))) Minneapolis!!! I will be living for a time with my uncle aunt and cousins who live there. Hopefully be apart of some great theater and projects and meet a lot of great people who will help me to the next phase of my carreer. I know what your thinking, minnisota? but its so cold.....all i have to say to that is: Yes. it is. (I did buy uggs though....)

In the meantime, what have i been doing? Working. Babysitting, searving beers and burgers, you know. making some money which has been nice. But also seeing freinds family and the likes. It has been great being home and back to my old shinanigans with my girls. The holiday season has been full of wonderful bump ins with dear old friends. It has been nice and warm (internally, it can be very cold here) and cozy.

That's basically it for the "quick" update. I leave in less than 10 days and am already having anxiety dreams about packing. I am excited and nervouse and tired and wired all at the same time. I am reflective and pensive and confused and wondering.......

2008 has been such an up and down kind of year, i heard about so many engagements or weddings and happiness as well as so many deaths and saddneess.
for me there was love (can you believe it? Jan will be 1 year after Guy and I met) and travel and exploration as well as success and home and comfort but there has also been saddness and anger and unfairness. I can't say 2008 was all bad but i will not be sad to see it go (don't let the door hit you on the way out bitch!)
It seems like with all the news about israel, 2008 is really trying to go out with a bang (sorry for the saddly literal pun)

So here is to 2009, may it be filled with more happiness than saddness, with success, with reunion, with peace of mind and calm heart as well as peace on earth and quelled rancor between all.

Love, happiness, and health to you all.
Happy New Year.

Long time no write.......

Sorry about that, i guess i got caught up with being home. Ive been doing so much of nothing i just haven't had the energy to sit in front of the computer and type. Bizarre i know. I think maybe i kept waiting for something exciting to happen before i wrote again, but then nothing did.

OK Let's see. So got home, i've caught up on tv, spent time with the family, seen my girls, looked for jobs.....thats basically what i have been up to. Family time is nice. My father came back from cambodia the day i arrived here, my mom picked us both up at the airport together. then he left again 5 days later. He is now still in Cambodia, not sure when he's getting back really. Hanging out with my girls has been a blast and a half. Back in action and reeking havoc on palo alto. We have been to Tapas bars (say tapas bar real fast to someone they'll think your saying topless bar, its fun) and ice skating, gotten our nails done, taken walks, gone to yoga, and talked to strangers till wee hours of the night. Basically back to all our old shinanigans!

Looking for a job has been harder than i thought, well i guess the looking part is not hard its the finding part really. I have signed up with at least 3 different babysitting sites, posted on craigs list twice, and submited myself to all kinds of crazy random posts. I almost cocktail waitressed a holloween party in costume for $100 and tips but the party got canceled. I have found that many amature photographers are in need of natural women modles with good skin, none have been interested in me, yet. And i have emailed my headshots to countless email addresses and have heard nothing back. Accept a compariosn to Andy Macdowel. Its been fun. Oh and i finished my book.

That was the past two weeks.
As of today i found a woman who will let me take care of her hyper active child for 15$ an hour yay!! My worst fear is that i will be trapped and have to listen to the mother tell me more stories of how she learns languages really quickly, like the time she learned danish in 4 months.........
whatever, its work, beggers can't be choosers, and the kid seems cute.

On the film side of things reherasals have started, shooting has not. We have read through the script did some basic blocking with space that we have (we are not in the house we will be filiming in yet becuase the family that lives there is still there) and talked about wardrobe and things like that. Its been fun and exciteing, the cast seems great. I think it will be fun and we will get some great work on film. I am excited for shooting to start but i still need to memorize my lines. I know i said i was planing on doing it about a million posts ago, but then i had to wait for the finalized script, and then i had to reorganize it, and now i have to put it in a bigger binder..........i know i know, i started going through it today.

I also went to a general call for John Casablancas Modeling and Career Center. This was fun. I was encouraged to go by my mother, who so many years ago refused to take me to these things as a kid. I figured i had nothing else to do so why the heck not? it would be a nice break from the tv and craigslist surfing. I got all dressed up and took my self to San Jose for this general audition.

First i must share with you the email i got from them to inform me about the general call. (For all you that have heard the story already here it is in black and white)

Subj: Appointment Scheduled Email

Congratulations on your interest in the John Casablancas Modeling & Career Center ! We look forward to meeting with you and discussing your potential along with specifics about the modeling and acting industry.

We have listed some important reminders about your first meeting with us:

• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment time.
• Please bring a recent photo of yourself. It does not have to be a professional photo - a snapshot will work just fine. If you do not have a recent photo, that's okay too!
• If you are under the age of 18 years old (or still in high school), you must have a parent present for your appointment. Sorry - no exceptions!

The dress code:
No Jeans
No Sneakers
Solid top, any color except white so that your photos stand out for the photoshoot.
Be Camera Ready!!

ADDRESS:
1090 Lincoln Ave, Suite 1
San Jose, CA 95125
Phone: 408-947-8222

We are located in downtown Willow Glen of San Jose. The cross street is Willow Street.

Note: Please do not reply to this email. Please use the above contact phone number if you need to reach us. Thank you!

Sincerely,
The John Casablancas Team
John Casablancas Modeling & Career Center

"It's In You.We Just Help Bring It Out!"

To learn more about John Casablancas, we invite you to visit
www.jcasablancas.com and www.johncasablancastestimonials.com

In the end there was also a voice mail to clear up all the confusion created by this email.
(How do you congratulate someone on their interest in something? this was unfortunatly not cleared up by the phone call)

When i got there i got the chance to meet such interesting characters. A young man probably somewhere around my age who i witnessed go back to his car in order to retrive his forgotten sunglasses at 6:30pm headed to an indoor event, a young blond little girl shy as can be, a 10 year old girl who knew her shit, an older black lady getting back into the buisness, another girl probably about my age who seemed seriouse about her modeling career, and of course the blond haired big boobed tight assed pencil skirt and high heels wearing young lady who was just so excited to be there. i wish it had a been a mocumentary that i was watching in a movie theater and not apart of. (Honestly i am really not this judgemental) After reading some commercial copy for the camera and hearing the history and misson of John Casablanas Modeling and Career Center we then (and this is my favorite part) walked. the. runway. Yes my freinds, Roneet struted her stuff, i did my little turn on that catwalk, i showed them what i was made of with a soundtrack of Biance's latest and greatest. The 10 year old put us all to shame.
After each individual fashion show we were asked to rate ourselves as an A a B or a C. C means no one likes you and your buttugly and you shouldn't be here (no one in their right mind is going to come to one of these things and rate themselves "not what we're looking for at this time") B means you have the drive and the passion but you lack the skill set or headshots to really be able to market yourself (so give us $2400 a year for training and we'll make you star!) and A means you are working talent and have a head shot and resume. Thats me! I told them i was an A and they told me to come back next week. Today was next week.
I walked in and met with the director of the place, she explained to me how their acting management company works gave me contracts and info pages. Then she set me up with the casting website they have a relationship with and I am supposed to get them 10-20 of my head shots that they can give out. They get 20% of any paid work i book through them, that being said they are not binding and non exclusive. Sounds good right? Well i figured from the begining that i would follow through until they asked for my money, they havn't yet so i guess this means i have an agent in the bay area? I havn't signed anything yet, i have some questions i want to ask, see if i can find that catch somewhere, but if they can get me on some commercial gigs over the course of the next month, i have no complaints. Oh and as i was leaving the 10 year old was coming in with her mom.

I hope babysitting goes well tomorrow and the rest of this week and i really hope this mom can set me up with some other moms for the upcoming weeks, we'll see.
Still no holloween plans, i guess i'll figure it out when i get there.
Hope you are all well where ever you may be.

What's new pussycat? Woah oo woahoowoah oo

nothing....really......

i just realized thanks to my marymount or theater or whatever it is due to training, i wasn't planing on memorizing lines before rehearsals but i just realized i have two days between rehearsals and shooting....ack. so i guess i have a lot to do before i get on that plane.

I took advantage of the lovely 25th floor here, compleate with pool and sauna, locker rooms, gym, and laundry room. I went swimming today in the indoor pool. fun! and elie and i are doing laundry as i type. more fun!

i also discovered that people don't really walk here in Chicago. i found myself 1.3 miles (thanks google maps) away from the apt and just wanted to double check i was walking in the right direction, so i asked an off duty traffic cop on a bike if i was walking the right way and he said "you gonna walk?"
"uh yeah?"
"yeah, you're going the right way, good luck"
"thanks?"
silly chicagoans....the wind has really gotten to them i think ; )

Anyway like i said nothing really new here.

I did do some research for Elie and my's next day of Chicago adventure. I looked up where that chocolate factory sells their chocolate and Andersonville, which is a super cool neighborhood that i have been to a couple of times now with various people. This reasearch was all made possible by the super duper cool Chicago Transit Association website, my love of which was made possable by the wonderful Betsy....she makes my life so simple and easy and gives in to my simple minded lazyness so well. ; )

CTA is really cool beuase it gives step by step directions on how to get to where you wanna go. You put in starting point and destination like any directions giver and then it gives you 3 possible public transportation routs you could take. I love it! We are happy together.

Also i signed up on JaJah. if anyone reading this has JaJah, let's talk!!

Also i am searching for a job in california. if anyone reading this has one for me, let's talk!!

I have been posting on craigs list and filling out profiles on sitter sites and answering emails left and right! NO ONE wants to hire a sitter for just a month and a half, lame beucase there are all these little children that i could be speaking hebrew with and none of them are going to get to be graced with my presence. sad i know. I'm thinking of joining a temp agency......sigh

I would like to take a moment now to remember an old friend of mine: Mother and her circus animal cookies
I always loved the little white ones better than the pink ones, for some reason i always thought there a difference, but the frosted circus animal cookie is a good friend from childhood and i was very sad to learn that Mother's Cookies has gone under......A fellow frosted circus animal lover could not have put this loss any better:
"They had Mother's to comfort them through the First Depression...how are we supposed to survive this one?"
Thanks, Anna, for that.

To leave on a less tragic note: I also discovered (again because of super Betsy) a cool aprtment finder company. They are totally free, and offer really customer friendly service to find you the best apartment for you. I'm thinking i will call them today and find out all about them for when i get back. But as i understand it they take you around in their company cars to go see aprtments. How great is that? We'll see how that goes. The problem is ill need a some what furnished place so that might make it difficult but i am going to call and ask.

Alright....thats really it, i don't think i could squeez out anything else even if i was doing something with my self ; )

Hope you are all doing well out there!
Yours,
R

ok so....

As Elie and I walked ourselves to the synagogue to repent our sins before the end of our day of fasting and atonement, we happened to walk by a lovely Chicago tour bus where we over heard the kind and enthusiastic tour guide telling his bus full of tourists about the GIANT CHOCOLATE FACTORY ABOUT A MILE AWAY.
we both stopped dead in our tracks and did one of those slow head turns in the direction of the tour guide.

our home made chocolate chip cookie smell mystery has been solved.

i know you were all on the edge of your seats......