Small screens and even smaller minds...

Today I went to the casting director's office for some prelim camera stuff for next season's Miami Ink. (wow, I managed to make that sound very casual and sort of lingo-ish, but not in that trying-too-hard way... all the while practically pissing myself with excitement) It went well. The casting chick liked me a lot, she said that she doesn't even think the producer's going to want to do a second screening because I have a great story and I'm "adorable". Aww. That was nice to hear. Basically the bottom line is that there's a better than average chance that I'll be on one of next season's episodes. I'm totally stoked. It's one of my favorite shows and now I might be on it. That's just crazytown. I love crazytown.

What I don't love is that I had to take Miami-Dade public transportation in order to get to the casting director's office in SoBe. I'm not against public transport - not at all, in fact I'm very much pro train and bus whenever possible. Here's the thing, though - that pro attitude applies everywhere but here. The strangest of the strange ride the Miami bus system. They really do. Lucky for me half the population of screaming idiots on the morning bus were actually from New York, so I kind of felt nostalgic. That is, until the crazy old dude started making up fake Jewish prayer chants and yelling them at the orthodox dudes who got on just as we crossed the causeway. Oy vey. It was bad. You know when you're trying to do an impression of someone who speaks a language that you don't you might make sounds that sort of remind you of that language, but you're clearly doing it in jest? Well, this guy was trying to sound like he was singing Hebrew prayers, but it an obviously mocking tone. No me gusta. This is the same guy who sat down and whined (very loudly), "Aww maaaaaan, I wanted to sit next to a guurrrrrrrrrrrl!!!" as he took a seat next to a rather large, burly gentleman with a shaved head and handlebar mustache.

Then on the way home on the afternoon bus there was a distinct smell of shit and urine - fabulous combination. Can't forget about the Haitian woman behind me who spoke so loudly into her cell phone that I had to fight with everything I had not to ask her to take it down a decibel or two. Add to that the school children with the fake gold teeth capped over their lower teeth which made them talk with lisps - oh yeah, this is a major fashion trend down here. Apparently the more ridiculous you can make yourself the cooler you are. I haven't quite figured the whole fake gold teeth thing out yet, though. Lastly, the woman with the push cart full of garbage and random clothing that she drug onto the bus and then left in the middle of the aisle blocking everyone's way... she might be my favorite.

The day had several high notes, though. Miami Ink was great. I got to see Joe, who was in town for a whopping 30 some hours or so, for a couple of afternoon bloody marys at a posh little boutique hotel. I stopped and had lunch at Dogma - man, oh man do I love hotdogs (there's a whole hot dog tangent that I must go off on soon... J & K & I were talking about it yesterday and it's quite striking, I digress...) and washed it down with a mint lemonade. Now I think I'm going to take a nap. I'm spent.