Donna in Hollywoodland

The blog from Los Angeles and Hollywood by Donna Grayson

Saturday, February 11, 2006


Feb 11


Garlic Mural

Palm Tree

Refection of Me

2345


Friday, February 10, 2006


Love Story

After all the excitement of my 6 month check up today, I went this evening and did some volunteer work for Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.

The movie was Love Story .

Okay, so I signed up to do this, on a day when I could have had bad news myself.
But I had good news, so it wasn't a problem after all....

There I was in the theatre watching Ali MacGraw die from leukemia or whatever....
And I just got a Six-month Okay on my own breast cancer.

Don't know what I was thinking ......
But I was able to enjoy this classic romance after all.



6th Month Check-up

First, my Breast Surgeon called me about the CT scan of my lungs.
Everything is Normal.
Nothing has changed. So they are sure now it really is scar tissue from my pneumonia.

Now, Here we go ... today it was my 6th month mammogram, and ultrasound.
Has it been 6 months since my breast cancer surgery ?
Yes.
Time flies when you are having fun.

Went back to the breast cancer clinic.
The technician had the worst time taking the mammogram of the left breast. The machine kept beeping at us, saying the photo was no good.
She finally went to talk to someone.
When she came back, she mumbled something about needing the machine on "manuel" - since this is the breast with the radiation treatment and the machine can't read it correctly.

Okay - so did I just have two extra x-rays of my left breast that I did not need?

And can we talk Pain...
These things are painful enough.
Imagine having a mammogram, and being squished, when you have a large area of scar tissue in your breast.
I would barely let the technician touch me before I started to complain.
There was actually a point I felt like I was going to pass out from the pain.
Seriously.

Finally it was all over.
The Mammogram Doctor called me into her office. She had the Ultrasound Technician with her.
My Mammogram Xrays were up on the wall with all the lights.
They were both happy and upbeat.
"Donna !!! We've been thinking about you !!!" They both chimed together.

The Mammogram Doctor went on : Everything looks totally normal.
Not one questionable thing on the mammogram.
She pointed to the large white area : All scar tissue, completely normal and to be expected since I have had radiation to that breast.

Both The Mammogram Doctor and The Ultrasound Technician went on.
Mainly about how wonderful I looked, and how healthy. And just that I looked fabulous.

"Well, I said, I am eating mainly organic. Taking lots of supplements and antioxidants. You know, taking better care of myself."
I left out the part about how now that the radiation was over, I was done with their toxic treatments - I was thinking it but I kept it to myself.

They really did seem happy and amazed at how well I was doing.
I am sure its because they've seen so many people on chemotherapy who are really sick at their 6 month check-up, that I am the one person who sticks out.

The Radiation Doctor was so amazed she said "I don't even think you need to come back in 6 months. Maybe not for another year."
I said "Oh, I know my Breast Surgeon will want this again in 6 months. So I will see you in 6 months."

I mentioned about how my sister now has colon cancer, and I need to get the colonoscopy done now too.
And how important it will be for me to be like clock-work with my check-ups.

Then the Ultrasound Technician needed to take ultrasounds of two areas. They were little round spots were water or liquid that had accumulated. They just wanted pictures of them, but they were nothing. Something having to do with the surgery, and
they are supposed to eventually go away.

So this was a happy day !
A good report from the doctor !
I am set for another 6 months !


Thursday, February 09, 2006


The Doctor


Nothing too urgent at the doctor. But I have alittle sinus infection.
I needed some Z-pak antibiotics.
My sinuses are alittle swollen.

It all started with a zit on my eyebrow.
(Oh,no - here's more information on Donna than you need to know.)

The doctor looked at it.
"Don't pop it." he said, "You spread the infection to your sinuses."

Okay, here's my big complaint.
After having breast cancer and surgery and radiation - the biggest complaint right now is:
My face is breaking out.

I told my doctor "My body thinks its too young. This is like back in high school."

He kind of laughed, and didn't have an answer.

I think getting rid of that Stage 2 Tumor in my breast, really healed my body.
I am nowhere near menopause, even though I in my 40s. All the plumbing works like clock-work.
And now my skin thinks its 18 again.

Could be all the organic fruits and vegetables I am eating.
And all the different vitamin and health food supplements.
Q10, Vit E, Vit C, Vit D3, Multi-Vit, Grape Seed Extract, Flaxseed.
And I started to sleep with a sleep mask on, to make sure my brain gets its melatonin.

If the grey hairs start to disappear, I will definitely let you know.


Wednesday, February 08, 2006


Commercial Audition

This morning, I had an audition for a National Commercial.
I was so thrilled, this is a big thing. It could be alot of money.
But I can't think of that, I just need to go and do a good job,and have fun with it.

In the commercial, I would play a Maid.
The information my agent gave me was they were looking for character types, short and stout, and along the Soviet-Bloc type of woman.
I looked up pictures of Soviet women on the internet, and you know, they are all types with all styles.
So I wore a cable knit sweater.

When I got there, I sat in the waiting room with all sorts of other character woman.
I went in with two other women, all of us playing maids cleaning a bathtub together.

They tried to get us to put on Maid uniforms. But the maid uniforms they gave us must have been Junior sizes, and we were all Misses sizes. And they didn't fit a single one of us.

The audition went well. We cleaned the imaginary tub.
I think I took the direction well.
I was happy with what I did.

The only thing was - one of the other maids in my audition group.
She would not shut up.
Okay, this is not a Saturday Night Live stand-up comic audition.
Stop making the silly jokes, and let the Casting Associate do his job.
Everything he said, she has a silly comment for.
She slowed us down.
The Casting Associate was very professional, and kept the audition flowing.
In spite of this actress's chatty-ness.

When I go in, I always try to be polite. Say my "hello's" and "thank you's".
But I don't try to hog all the attention.
I let the people do their jobs.

This is basically what they tell you in Acting Classes.
These casting people have dozens of people to see today, maybe a hundred - don't slow them down.
Be professional and polite. Its a job interview.

So it ends up being another acting exercise all together.
To not let the unprofessional actor get you flustered and ruin your performance.
And I don't think it did. I had plenty of concentration.
If I wanted a Maid, I would have hired me.


Tuesday, February 07, 2006


40 Year Old Virgin

Tonight, Arclight Cinemas had a screening of The 40 Year Old Virgin .
It was part of the Hollywood Master Storytellers series.
Speaking afterwards was the director and Judd Apatow and co-producer and actor Seth Rogan .

This is the second time I have seen this movie. The friend I went with had never seen it.
So I had told him "We have to go, you have to see it."
I really like silly comedys. The funnier, the better.
My friend likes all the critically acclaimed serious films. But I know he likes comedy too, so I wanted him to go.

Since I knew it was going to sell out, I ordered the tickets on the Arclight website.
You can pick the section of the theatre you sit in, but you can not pick the exact seat.
We ended up sitting somewhere in the middle, but pretty much dead center.

The Q&A was really great. And very funny in and of itself. They talked alot about the improvisation that the actors did.

Afterwards, they asked people to submit Questions for the Q&A. If your question got picked, then you won a DVD of the 40 Year Old Virgin.

And also they asked people to put their business cards in a jar, and if yours got picked you got a DVD of the Undeclared TV show , and a CD of the Freaks and Geeks soundtrack.

Judd Apatow, the director, actually pulled the business cards out of the jar.
The first business card he pulled, and looked at, and said "Donna Grayson".

I stood up - oh, cool, I've won something.

Oh, my God, the director of the "40 Year Old Virgin" has my business card in his hand !
I let out a scream .

If you heard the slightly delayed scream that night, it was me. Realizing that the director of a top grossing movie, had my business card in his hand with my name, phone number and website address.
Yes, he only looked at it for less than a minute.
But that thrilled me so much, I had to send my agent an email and tell him what happened.
Wow !



Tuesday the 7th


Hollywood View

Palm Trees

Steps at AFI Campus

Hollywood & Highland

Hollywood & Highland People


Monday, February 06, 2006


Monday the 6th

Hollywood View

Sky in Hollywood

Palm Trees

Me Purple

Mary Pickford

Locksmith & Flowershop

Cinnamon Mosaic


Sunday, February 05, 2006


Volunteering at A Noise Within

I drove out to Glendale, to "A Noise Within" Theatre Company.
The were performing the play "The Price".

We were asked to wear black and white to the patrons would know who were volunteers in case they had questions.
My duties consisted of helping set up the coffee table, guarding the theatres doors so no one sat down until we opened the house, ushering and showing people to their seats.

That last part was the hardest part. Alot of people were season ticket holders and knew where to sit.
But there were some people that I had to take around to their seats.

Then there was the couple who did not like their seats off to the side.
And they said they wanted to sit somewhere else - were the empty seats in the middle section taken.
I told them that the people with those seats were most likely on their way. And they should probably stay where they were.
Maybe move right before the show started.

Do you know that those people went and sat front row center.
Front Row Center !
Like the people with the best seats aren't going to show.
And they did.
And I had to ask the couple to move.
They moved over 2 more seats, still in front row center.

Then the next set of people came.
I had to make them move again.

If you don't like your seats, have some common sense and maybe sit towards the back.
But not front row center.

It was a great play.
During the first act, someones cell phone went off.
During the second act, someone else had theirs on "vibrate" - which is not "silent".
I repeat - "vibrate" is not "silent'.

I kept hearing the "bzzzzz" "bzzzzzzz" of the cell phone, through out the second act.

The fun thing was during intermission, I was talking to a little old man. Nice friendly chatter.
And I knew he was "Somebody".
I recognized him, but could not recall his name or think of who he was.
I think he was a famous agent or studio executive.
I had seen him before, but I don't know where.
So it was very fun, just chatting with him.

Afterwards, I drove around Glendale looking for a place to eat. And with all the construction going on, I skipped it.
Parking was to difficult.



Sunday's Pictures

Palm Tree in Hollywood

Hollywood View

Doggy in Car

Crossroads & Steeple

Sunset Blvd

Me in Frame

Velvet Margarita



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