“The last thing I remember is leaving the bar despite the gogo dancer’s invitation to stick around,” explained my friend. On a recent trip to New York he was telling me about a trip he recently took to West Hollywood and the phenomenon he described as drunk autopilot. “Then I realized I couldn’t remember what hotel I was staying at. The next thing I know I’m waking up in my bed, on-time and with all my clothes on — no strange person in the room with me. I’ve got a good autopilot when I’m drunk.”

As actors, we’re taught about objectives and how they should lead your character through a story. My friend’s objective was strong enough to get him safely to his bed. He of course, didn’t want to wind up in a compromising situation, or be late for his work function the following day. I’m telling you this because as the weather is growing warmer, I feel like I’ve come out of hibernation. I read my last blog about eating all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey and realized that somehow, I came out of winter better than I went into it. I’m doing a show, I’m making ends meet — even if it is on very little, and I’m not working some stupid job… I’m a working actor. Ok, ok, I do a few other things to make money here and there other than the show, but my days are filled with lots of activity pertinent to being an actor.

At the end of January I made my escape from the terrible apartment on the Upper West Side. It turned out that I was being cheated on the rent. The Chinese-born, slutty, lesbian was living there for next to nothing while making each day hellish. I started sending complaints to the guy that I sublet from about the flies hatching, the leaks in pluming, the mites, the rodents, the roaches, the smoking, the bartender that slept on our couch, the unfair rent… you get the idea. When nothing was done, I decided it was time to leave. As I’d signed no lease, I simply left without saying anything. I never thought I’d do that in my life but I felt it was necessary to make a statement — you can’t take advantage of me.

I’m now living in a fantastic apartment in Hamilton Heights (a neighborhood in Harlem) with two fantastic roommates. We don’t really have any furniture yet, but we’ve got a nice kitchen and the apartment is beautiful. I also started studying acting again and it’s amazing the progress I’ve made in my acting and singing in the past two months.

How did all this happen? The last thing I remember I was cold and hungry and depressed and now I’ve woken up, and I’m a working actor with lots of potential ahead. I have to point to my objective. My objective to be an actor and singer is clearly very ingrained in me. After all, who gets rid of almost everything they own, just to move across the country work at a restaurant and audition? Well, thankfully, the risk is paying off.