Life Savvy

Today is a beautiful soggy Florida day; the sound of steady rain outside my window induces a quiet serenity within my soul (and apparently invokes my inner Dickinson and Bronte). I recently borrowed Season 1 of the Showtime series Weeds and spent all of yesterday watching. I had one episode to go (the final one of course) when I realized that my husband would be arriving home from work shortly. I decided to save the final episode for today (I dig suspense anyway) and I just finished it. WOW...Mary-Louise Parker is amazing! I first noticed and gained great admiration for her when I saw Fried Green Tomatoes; she played Ruth. Nancy Botwin (the character she plays in Weeds) could actually be a reincarnation of Ruth! OK, enough movie analysis; however, while on the subject of TV, I was slightly disappointed and reality-checked all at the same time all because of America's Next Top Model. Yesterday, auditions were held close to where I live. OK...I am not a crazy super-fan; in fact, I just began watching ANTM in May after a visit from my younger sister, Casey. She had seen the show and explained the premise; one day while flipping throughout the channels and finding absolutely nothing to watch, I came across America's Next Top Model. The Oxygen Channel was running a marathon. I don't know if you've ever done the cable channel marathon thing, but let me tell you, it is a conspiracy to get viewers hooked on a series (and it works, on me at least). So, I've been watching the marathons on and off (when Hubby is at work) and was stoked to find out that a chance to be on the show was within my reach (mileage speaking). However, after doing some Web research with a friend (the one who actually informed me about the auditions) I found that I'M TOO OLD! The cut-off age is 27; I am currently enjoying the last year of my 20's (I started watching the show 2 years too late). On the other hand, ANTM is not the only opportunity out there. I have a renewed desire to pursue either a career or short-term tryst with the industry. I dabbled in modeling with a casting agency in Houston,TX, my birthplace (I moved to FL when I was 18, summer after I graduated high school), from ages 15 - 16. Composition shots and portfolios accompanied by a hotel brochure and department store catalogue are what I remember; then I was told that I was "a little too pudgy" and that I had a "double chin". Rather than being upset, I focused my energy on high school theater and was able to experience true performance!