Right. Then Left.

Alvin Love

2010-10-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

I don't promote artists very often at all, so when I do... it means I love it. A lot. And, man, do I love me some of "The Strawberry Project" by Mr. Alvin Love. And, lets be honest, with a name like "Alvin Love" how can you resist? This is one of the most fun albums I've heard in a LONG time. Instantly puts me in a good mood even at my roughest. I really do encourage you to give it a listen and perhaps purchase the album. The melodies are catchy and the lyrics are so much fun. I promise you won't regret it. So... go get it

iTunes: The Strawberry Project

Be prepared to roll the windows down and have a blast. You think I'm exaggerating? You'll see.

Robby

Sometimes you disappear.

2010-10-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

I did. Oops. My wonderful friend Sarah Smith sent me a little message today saying that "the people" demand a new blog post, so here it is. Honestly, I wasn't aware that there were any people who still read this mess, but I guess I've been proven wrong. There's at least one. Sarah. And if she wants a blog post... she gets a blog post.

I last left you with the wonderful images of our housewarming party which included great friends, food, and a fantastic pinata filled with glorious treats. That was 2.5 months ago. Wow. I have been gone awhile, haven't I? Quick update on the little things:
- I've gone to 3 weddings since we parted last. One in Peoria, IL, one in Zionsville, IN, and one in Birmingham, AL. All of them were great.
- I worked a lot at Buca Di Beppo
- I went to Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN, and it was hilarious. Pretty awful, but hilarious.
- I got a new car and sold my old one. It was just time.
- I buzzed my hair... again.
- I am now a faithful fan of the Hollywood softball team that our friend Lauren plays with here in Nashville. They're pretty amazing.
- I got a Tennessee license.
- I went to Cedar Point and rode about 7 rides. Note: Don't go to Cedar Point when winds are 25+ mph because they will shut everything down. We still had an amazing time, though, and laughed a lot... and danced like idiots down the street while a parade was following behind us. And we might have danced in the Johnny Rocket's restaurant, too.

The past month or so has been a whirlwind of experiences. I'm not even really sure how to process or explain it. God has been teaching me so much, and I've been humbled and overwhelmed by His goodness and strength. I've met some amazing people who have become my "Nashville Family," and they've really helped Nashville begin to feel like home. One interesting event that I was able to take part in with some of my Nashville Fam was helping to set up for a 5 year old's birthday party. I know... you're wondering why I would bring this up. Well, it was no ordinary birthday party. This was the most incredible birthday party I've ever seen in my entire life. My friend Shelley works for the interior design company that decorates for these parties, and her sister Carly nannies the little boy who was having the party, so thats how I got in on this little adventure. It was a Jurassic Park themed party complete with roaring, moving replicas of some of the most famous dinosaurs, a huge "dig site" where kids could dig up fossils and bones, a giant inflatable play place, a dinosaur ride, and many various arts and crafts. It was insane. Here's a few pics from that experience:

Needless to say, I couldn't believe what was happening before my eyes. It was unreal. The little boy's entire family was so friendly and hospitable, though, and it was a really fun experience. Hopefully I'll get to take part in the festivities again next year. I can't even imagine what they'll come up with.

As of late, my life has been consumed with a new job I've been working. I'm part of the Art Department thats working on the feature film "Firebird" shooting here in Nashville, and when I say my life is consumed by it, I'm not kidding. We've been working 12+ hour days for the past 2 weeks straight, and I'm exhausted. Though I get super tired of the long hours and some of the frustrations of working on a film, it really has been a good experience, and I'm thankful for the opportunity. I'm not gonna lie, though... it'll be nice when filming wraps. Considering we still have 3 or 4 weeks of shooting left, I can't really start looking toward that quite yet. The main responsibility of the Art Department is to take the shooting locations that are selected and make them look as authentic and true to life as possible. They get furniture, paintings, photos, knick-knacks, rugs, curtains, signs, etc to dress a set or location before shooting at that location begins. For example... we had to transform a prison thats been shut down for over 20 years into a modern, working prison. We scraped paint, painted walls, replaced windows, brought in tons of workout equipment for the rec yard, and repaired fencing to make the place ready for the shoot we had this past Saturday. It's unreal the amount of work that goes into a feature film. We also filmed at a farm outside of Nashville that was beautiful. Here's some pictures of the farm and the prison:

Everything you see in this image was carefully placed by the Art Dept. Again... it's amazing what goes into this stuff:

They filmed parts of "The Green Mile" and all of "The Castle" at this prison:

This is the cell where James Earl Ray was kept (he shot Martin Luther King, Jr.). The bars to the cell are currently in some museum:

Here's part of the set from "The Green Mile" that they left:

This is where the electric chair (Nicknamed "Old Smokey") used to be. Thats obviously not the original chair:

Prison is terrifying and depressing. I pray I never have to go there for real. Plus, I just don't look happy in prison:

They remainder of shooting is sure to have many ups and downs, and I just pray that the Lord gives me the strength to keep going. Life is hard, and there's so many things I struggle with, but God is still God through it all. He knows what He's doing, and I pray that every single day I'll grow to trust Him more and take joy in Him and His plan for my life. Honestly, I don't know where He's leading me at this point or what He's trying to teach me, but all I can do is seek Him and things will fall into place. Working with this film has reminded me why I left Los Angeles and the film industry and moved to Nashville, though. I miss music and performing. I pray Christ brings those back into my life soon.

I hope "the people" are happy to have an update. I'm thankful to those who encourage me to keep this thing going. It really is therapeutic. Hopefully I'll be back soon with some good stories.

Workin' like a mad man and learning a lot,
Robby

How To: Make a Pinata

2010-08-14T00:15:00.000-07:00

Since I am now an expert at making pinatas because I finished my first one ever this week for our housewarming party, I figured it's time to let you in on the secrets of pinata making. If you're actually considering creating a pinata from scratch on your own, it is at this point that I will advise you to immediately stop thinking about that, drive to Hobby Lobby, Walmart, or Mexico, and buy a pre-made pinata for $15-$20 (or 2 pesos if you drive to Mexico, plus about $500 for gas... unless you already live in Mexico... in which case I ask "why are you reading this and how did you find me?"). However, if you're crazy enough to actually begin the process, just follow the simple steps provided below:

Round up some cardboard boxes in which you moved old books and knick-knacks, an old, yellow box-cutter (yellow not completely necessary, but helpful), some duck tape (honestly, any color will do, but red is preferred by 9 out of 10 pinata experts), crepe paper of various colors to fit your desires, multiple glue sticks (I'm not kidding... one was not enough for me), scissors, a coat hanger, and an iTunes playlist that has enough songs to play continuously for at least 12 or so hours.

Once you have all of that, press "Play" on your iTunes playlist and begin looking at the boxes for an extended amount of time trying to figure out how the heck you're going to cut the various pieces to create the pinata of your dreams. I chose a dragon shaped pinata (Free additional note: when you're making a list for your housewarming party on an Evite of things that will happen at the event, don't jokingly put that "dragons" will be present because someone will mention in their attendance confirmation that they can't wait for the "dragons" and you'll think it's a great idea to surprise and impress them all by actually having a dragon there). Slowly make very calculated and exact cuts to form the shapes that will create your masterpiece. Then begin taping the cardboard shapes together and spend more time staring intently at the figure being formed wondering where to go next. Finally, get to the point where you have it all figured out, cut the remaining pieces, tape them together, and then realize that you forgot to put the coat hanger in the pinata. Untape some of the pinata, insert hanger, and re-tape. You will now be at this point in your pinata adventure, and you'll be wondering what you've gotten yourself into:

Before you go any further, fill your pinata with the 3.5 pounds of candy and surprises you purchased. Make sure the hole that you put the candy in is only large enough to allow a few pieces of goody through at a time so that the process is long and arduous. Now that you've finished that, begin cutting small squares of crepe paper into piles until you think you have more than enough to last you a while. Apply glue to the area to which you will be putting the crepe paper. Wrap the square of crepe paper around your pointer finger, press onto desired area, and repeat. Realize the glue dries faster than expected and begin wrapping each square around your finger, rubbing it in the glue stick, and then applying it to the cardboard. Repeat this... over and over again. Then, realize that the "huge" pile of crepe paper squares you've cut is almost gone and you've only done one 8th of the pinata. Begin to wonder what you've gotten yourself into again. Now you'll be at this point (isn't this fun?!):

Take a break, think about all the other things you should be doing, then look at the unfinished pinata in front of you and realize the glorious creation it will soon be. Return to cutting out squares of crepe paper and applying them to the cardboard. Begin cutting slits in long strips of crepe paper and gluing them to the cardboard to expedite the process. Look at the clock and see that you only have 3 hours until guests begin to arrive to your party. Enlist the help of your trust-worthy friends in cutting squares and strips of crepe paper, glue like a fiend, and marvel at the amazing creature that is taking shape before your eyes. Look the pinata over, make sure it lives up the expectations in your head, put a few final touches on it, and then you'll be at this point:

Was it worth it? Probably not. Are you proud? Absolutely. Does part of you want to save it forever, but you've mentally prepared yourself for it's short existence, so you simply take a ridiculous number of pictures of it? Yes.

It's a labor of love and insanity that may lead you to tears, hysterics, fast-food binges, and old songs you haven't listened to in forever, but the look on peoples' faces as that pinata hangs under the bright light of a street lamp and then bursts open and spills it's goods for all will make every ounce of anguish almost worth it.

*Disregard the large wet spot on my shirt in that one picture. A water balloon had just been popped over my head. Don't worry... I dealt with the culprit harshly. She won't be doing that again.

I hope this helps, and I wish you luck,
Robby

Oh... and here's a video of me with my completed dragon pinata (I'm pretty sure I was delirious at this point... and I'm pretty sure I still am right now):

Summer... you're quick.

2010-07-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not even sure what's happened to me to explain my absence on here, but I'm sure it was something incredible. That or the fact that I don't have much to write about. Lets see if I can come up with something.

When I left you last, I had just revealed the "Eenie Meenie" dance video. I hope you enjoyed that. It was very professional and highly technical. While we're on the subject of things that I did while filming "For The Glory" I guess I should post the teaser trailer that was just released for the movie!

What do you think? Wanna see the movie?! No?... alright. It was because of my yawn, wasn't it? Dang it. If you do decide to see the film, it should be out early 2011. They're trying to get it distributed by a larger company and hopefully get it into theaters, but we'll see. That would be insane. Do I need to hire bodygaurds if that happens? I just want to be safe, you know.

I was also able to be a part of the promo commercial for CMT's new show "Your Chance To Dance" here in Nashville! It was a hilarious experience in which I got to wear a mullet weave. No, no. You didn't read that wrong. I said I wore a weave... and it was disgusting. Go to the link below to see the result of that shoot:

Oh, hello mullet. You're quite attractive.

Most of July has been spent scouring Craigslist for a new place to live and new things to fill the place that we found. You think I'm kidding? I get obsessed with checking to get the best deals, and I don't make a move until I find the perfect thing. It's a problem, but I'm usually fairly successful in the hunt. We are now no longer living in a 2 bedroom apartment with 4 guys, but have just this past week moved into a real, single-family home! God really has been so faithful in providing for us. Our rent is cheap, it's in a good area of town, we have a LOT more room than we used to. We're loving it.

OH! I almost forgot to say that I also auditioned for American Idol... again. Yes, you're right. That makes it the 4th time that I've freakin' auditioned for that show. Did I make it? Do you really need to ask? American Idol is just not the way that the Lord wants me to go. I really do love the whole process of auditioning, though, and it's always a good story. Plus, auditions were right here in Nashville this year, so I couldn't resist. I'm thinking thats the last time I'll try, but you never know. I'm pretty sure I've said that the past 3 years.

I also took a trip to Destin, FL with my roommates and some friends of ours, which was so nice. I hadn't been to the beach in a long time (except while I was in LA, so maybe not that long), and it was so good to just relax and enjoy time with friends. Note, though... never go to the beach in the middle of the summer, because you will hate your life as you're laying on the beach choking on the hot, humid air and literally cooking. I couldn't believe how hot it was. Maybe I've just always gone to the beach for spring break or later in the fall, but it was unbelievable how hot it was. Granted, I feel like this summer has been one of the hottest in a while, but dang. Miserable. Still such a great trip, though!

Now that the movie is wrapped, I've gone to the beach, and we're all moved into our new house, I don't really know what to do from here. My goal right now is to finally get started on writing and recording some original music and really thinking about where the Lord is leading me in that area... and life in general. Gotta take it a day at a time, and listen for His leading while taking steps of faith. A lesson I've been learning for a LONG time and still have trouble with.

Alright. That about sums things up! Hopefully I'll have more news soon, but until then... be good. Eat some cookies. Love life. And ride a dolphin (this one could prove difficult, but it'd be interesting to accomplish).

Robby

Eenie Meenie

2010-06-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

I love making videos. I love dancing. I have the Bieber Fever. Here's the result of what happens when those three facts collide while in Northern Virginia with the Kuykendall family:

You can thank Shawn for the sick video editing. I hope more video creations happen again soon!

Robby

"...... Apparel"

2010-06-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

So, one of my new life-long friends from Oakton, VA, Shawn Kuykendall (or "Flip McGraw" in the movie) and I have decided to start a t-shirt company. We're not sure what to call it yet hence the "....." in the title of this post, but it's guaranteed to be something incredible. Shawn has been painting, yes painting, t-shirts for quite some time now, and I decided I wanted one of these custom shirts. So, we made some this week. The most difficult part of making them was deciding what to put on them. Naturally, we chose to put eachother's faces on our shirts. I now have a shirt with Shawn's face on it, and he has a shirt with my face on it. Precious. Honestly, they turned out pretty freakin' amazing, and word is spreading as people begin to put in orders for them. Here's a picture of the two we made this week. Guess which one is him and which one is me (the only way you won't get it right is if you've never seen either of us in your life and you live under a stupid rock):

I know... you want one. Well, you're in luck because we're starting to take orders. I'm serious. They'll probably be a little pricey ($40) because they are completely customized from a photo that you send in, hand-painted on high quality t-shirts, and they're just plain sweet. We hope to have a website up soon that explains the details (see... I wasn't kidding about this).

What's that? You don't know what "Donk" on the shirts means? Well, let me explain. "Donk" is one of Shawn's favorite words that was actually made popular by a radio station here in DC. "Donk" is short for "donkey" and is a word for someone who is just dumb or did something stupid. Oh, you'd like an example? I can do that. Lets say I was supposed to grab some chips for a party, but I forgot. I would say "I'm a donk. I forgot the chips." Easy, huh? Shawn loves it so much.

Your shirt doesn't have to say "Donk" either. Honestly, it can say whatever you want it to say as long as it's appropriate. Or you can get really crazy and let Shawn and I decide what it says. I know... it's risky. There's no telling what you'd get.

Seriously, leave a comment on this post if you want a t-shirt, and we'll work it out... cause they're awesome.
Robby

Can I just stop time?

2010-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will leave behind one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and it's gonna be extremely difficult. Not only have I gotten to wake up every morning and do something I absolutely love, but I've been blessed to meet some of the most incredible, Godly people who are sure to be lifelong friends. You think I'm being dramatic? I'm not. They're amazing. Watching the Christ-like love that comes out of those involved in this project has encouraged and challenged me more than I ever expected. Being a part of this film and a part of this community has not only encouraged and given me confidence in the gifts and talents God has blessed me with, but it's showed me that there are people out there truly seeking to use their talents to glorify Christ and make His name known. It's showed me what it really means to do everything for the glory of the Lord and to take advantage of every opportunity to show His love to others. I'm better for being a part of this project, and I'm humbled by how the Lord has moved. He is so faithful to show us His love and draw us to Him even when we're not expecting or looking for it.

"For The Glory" has changed me, and I pray it continues to change others,
Robby

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

2010-05-24T10:18:00.001-07:00

We're done with week 1 of filming, and it was incredible! I'm loving this whole process even more than I thought I would and can already tell that it's gonna be tough to go back to the real world when shooting wraps. My favorite scene to shoot so far might have been the wedding scene where "Kurt" (Jason) and "Sherry" (Chelsea) are leaving the church in their getaway car. It was super simple, and I didn't really have any specific lines, but for some reason it cracked me up. Maybe it was the fact that we got to throw rice at Jason and Chelsea 10 or so times in a row. Or it could have been the ridiculous, subtle comments that were being made throughout the entire scene. Or maybe it was the fact that on one of the takes I caught the bouquet of flowers that Chelsea tossed out of the car as they were driving away... I hope they use that take. Hilarious. Here's some shots from behind the scenes so far:

I've also gotten to do a good bit of site seeing here in our nations capitol, and I love it. Free museums, free national monuments, not free metro rides... its awesome. Here's a few of my favorite pictures from my day of site-seeing:

People on the metro are so happy...

We've also had two days of family fun time at the Kuykendalls' house where hours and hours of 4-square are played. Yes... the same 4-square that you might remember from 4th grade or so. It's incredible. These get-togethers have been one of my favorite parts of this experience so far. Such good times of fellowship, fun and food. Three of my favorite things in the world. Here's a few shots from FFD (Family Fun Day... I just made that up. Booya):

So, as you can see... I'm a HUGE fan of the cast, crew, and everyone else involved in this project! It's such a blessing to be a part, and I can't wait to see how the Lord uses this film. However, I can wait for filming to wrap. Thats gonna be a sad, sad day.

Robby

Virginia Is For Lovers

2010-05-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

And movie making, apparently. Well, I've arrived in Virginia (we're just 15 minutes from Washington, D.C.) to begin filming "For The Glory." The movie is based on the life of olympic soccer player Kurt Kuykendall, and I'm writing this post while sitting in Kurt's beautiful home watching a little soccer with him. Pretty awesome. We met the entire cast yesterday during a read-through of the script and then had a dinner at a house in my new favorite little town ever (Clifton, VA). It's been so great to get to know everyone involved in the film and they've all been so friendly and fun. I'm looking forward to hanging out more and getting started on filming.

We already made our D.C. debut last night when we went into the city with Kurt's son Shawn (who is hilarious and gonna be so much fun to hang out with). He gave us a little tour around the city before we hung out with him and a few of his friends at a cool restaurant with rooftop seating. I have a feeling I'm gonna love the history of the city, and I can't wait to go see all the touristy spots and incredible architecture. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. We'll see.

We've only just begun, but I'm excited about where things are headed. Our first day of shooting is this coming Tuesday, so I've definitely gotta get ready for that! I'm just praying that the Lord helps me out in the acting area. I think it'll be good, but I just feel so inexperienced at this point. I'm sure they'll be plenty of humbling times during all this... which will be good for me.

I'll have some pictures up soon, and I'll be updating pretty frequently on twitter (RobbyHStone), so things should get more entertaining.

Still hating politics even though I'm in Washington,
Robby

My mom is amazing.

2010-05-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

No really... she is. Her name is Rosemary, and the name fits her perfectly. Tiny little blonde with enough southern charm and grace to make you instantly fall in love with her but a touch of blunt honesty that makes her real and hilarious. She's a mother above anything else on this earth, and she will fight to the death for her children. Even if that means fighting to the death against her children. You see... mom wants the best for us always, but sometimes what she sees as the best and what we see as the best differ a bit. She's learning that on this earth her children might have to go through difficult times in order to learn what the Lord has to teach us. Sometimes the safest and most secure route is not always God's route, and even though it's really, really tough for her to allow us to walk down those paths, she's learning to encourage us in the path He has laid before us. She is a woman of God who seeks Him daily, studies His word, and prays unceasingly for His will to be done no matter what that means. As I've gotten older, I realize how blessed I am to have a mother like mine (and my dad is just as incredible. I know, I know... it's humbling), so on this Mother's Day I just wanted to let you all know about my amazing mom.

Happy Mother's Day, mom. I love you.
Robby

Leaving on a jet plane...

2010-05-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

... or my car.

This coming Friday, I will begin the long drive to Burke, Virginia (just outside of Washington, D.C.) where filming for "For The Glory" will begin! I really can't yet comprehend the fact that I'm actually going to be working on a movie for 3 weeks. It's a pretty strange thought, so I think it'll take a while to sink in. There's been a few script revisions, and I think we're still waiting on the final draft, but it's been fun reading through the current script and seeing what my part will entail. I'm praying that the Lord will show me a lot through this amazing opportunity, and I can't wait to see how everything turns out! I'll definitely keep you updated on things as we begin filming. Should be hilarious.

In other much more important news, I was able to see one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit the Music City with the flooding last weekend. Thank the Lord our apartment complex is high on a hill so we sustained no damage, but so many others in the city were not so lucky. It was unreal to see the amount of rain that poured on us for those two days and to watch as the flooding continued to destroy so much of the city.

It was amazing to hear the stories of people from all over Nashville coming together to volunteer their time helping those affected by the flood. Unfortunately, I was unable to lend a hand last week since I was up in Lexington, KY helping out with Booster from Monday through Thursday, but it was encouraging to hear about the love shown to those whose lives were flipped by this disaster. I'm sure there's still much to be done, but it's good to know there's so many willing to help turn the situation around. You're definitely reminded of what's really important when things like this happen.

Alright. I've got to go to the restroom. More to come soon.
Robby

GLEE Videos

2010-05-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd just post these on here for you to see. Still haven't heard anything, so we'll just keep waiting... and laughing at this whole process.

Statement

Glee | MySpace Video

Rehab

Glee | MySpace Video

Thanks to everyone who's watched the videos already and laughed along with me.
Robby

GLEE... you need me.

2010-04-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

You should go to this site immediately THIS website and laugh. I'm joining the thousands... literally thousands... who have submitted an online video in hopes of being selected to join the cast of the award-winning show "GLEE." Feel free to give me a gold star or add me to your favorites even though I'm pretty sure it will in no way hurt or help my chances of getting on the show.

Honestly, and maybe I'm just being pessimistic, I doubt they'll even pick anyone from this online "audition." I imagine it's just a marketing scheme to gather attention... and its working brilliantly. Nonetheless, I've put my mark on yet another online contest just in case there's a chance that its the real deal. I'm having flash-backs to the days of "My Grammy Moment" where I submitted a video in hopes of singing with Justin Timberlake at the Grammy Awards. Shockingly, I was not selected.

Maybe this time will be different. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.

Robby

For The Glory

2010-03-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

God is so good and constantly surprises me. I'm not gonna lie... the past few months in Nashville have been difficult. I've been VERY unsure of why the Lord has me here and what He wants to do with me. Honestly, I'm still in the middle of those feelings, and probably will be for some time. It's difficult to wake up everyday not sure of what step to take. My prayer has been that I will wake up and seek Christ with all that I am and not continually search for my place or my profession. That will come through the seeking of my Savior. So... I'm seeking Him. Thats where I am right now, and I'm trying to be ok with it.

Though in a tough place in life, God is so gracious to provide interesting and exciting opportunities that build my faith and fill me with joy. He has always been faithful to do this for me during times like this, and I'm so thankful. One such blessing that I've just been given is the opportunity to do something that both excites and terrifies me. Acting.

You might have read some of my blogs from my time spent in Los Angeles, CA last year (if not, go read them or get out of here. Just kidding. But seriously...). Such an incredible roller coaster ride that I would not trade for anything. It was during this time in LA that I wanted to pursue acting, which didn't really turn out exactly how I'd imagined. There were never any real breakthroughs for me, and I honestly never got the chance to do any real acting. Well... now that I'm living in Nashville where I'm pursuing music, the opportunity to act finally arrives. His timing is perfect.

My roommate, Jason Burkey, had been connected to a director working on a faith-based project called "For The Glory" that is in pre-production and had the opportunity to audition a while ago for the lead male character in the movie. He informed me that as of last week there was a principal part they still needed to fill because they hadn't found the right person, and the director asked Jason if he could think of anyone that might fit. He thought I might be good for the role, so we quickly put together an audition video and sent it to the director. After not hearing anything for a few days, I figured they hadn't really liked what they saw and were going with someone else... until this morning. The director called Jason and I to offer us parts in the film! Crazy.

You can read about the project at www.fortheglorythemovie.com in which Jason will play the lead character of "Kurt", and I will play his friend "Al." I am so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to not only have the opportunity to act, but has also given me the chance to be a part of an inspiring, uplifting film. I know there's a lot of people who can't take faith-based films seriously, and I'm honestly a pretty tough critic myself, but no matter what I'm proud to be part of a project thats at least attempting to provide something positive in a market saturated with filth. I'm excited to see where this journey takes me and how I'm going to be stretched and molded in the process (I mean... I'm gonna have to learn how to play soccer. Crap), and I'm so thankful for this opportunity.

Filming will take place in Virginia right outside of Washington, D.C. from the middle of May to the middle of June, so I would definitely appreciate your prayers as the project gets underway and we all begin to prepare. Not sure, but I don't think it's gonna make it to theaters, so I'll have to let you know how you can watch it and laugh at me when it's done. Thats gonna be hilarious. Dang, it's gonna be a wild ride. I hope I'm ready for it!... and I hope I don't make a fool of myself. If you have any soccer tips, please send them my way. I'm gonna need all the help I can get!

Cause God is SO good even in when I feel blind,
Robby

Whoa!

2010-03-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

I almost didn't post a blog during the month of March. That would've been sad... for March.

Relating to my previous post, you might want to check out minute 2:32 in the video below:

Yes, yes. That is my 1.5 seconds of fame folks! Isn't it glorious? I must say that the clap was pretty dead on (thank you music video editors). And, strange enough, I actually just received payment for this project today. I'm rolling in the dough now! Hopefully they'll be more awesome music video appearances in the future, so be on the lookout. I would just keep the channel on CMT or GMA permanently if I were you.

Oh... and Naomi Judd was in Bonefish Grill the other night. I think Wynonna was there, too, but Ashley definitely wasn't (and she's the only one I'd really care to see). Oh well. Maybe she'll come some other time when she reconciles with her mother and sister. I guess she's still bitter that she's not singing sweet country tunes and had to become a wildly successful movie star instead. Some people never get a break.

Cause the Judds love some bang bang shrimp,
Robby

Wrong Baby, Wrong

2010-02-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

So, last week I had a couple auditions for various things here in Nashville. One was to play a part in a promo for a new show for Melissa Peterman (she was on the show "Reba" apparently and now hosts "The Singing Bee" which can be pretty hilarious sometimes) and to be the lead guy in an Eric Church music video. I didn't get either of those, but the production company doing the Eric Church video was also shooting Martina McBride's music video for her song "Wrong Baby, Wrong" and needed a few extras for one scene. I did get that job. I know, I know... I'm big time.

Anyway, the scene took place in this tiny little bar called the Piccadilly Club in Dickson, TN which is about an hour drive outside of Nashville (this town apparently has a pretty awesome small town parade during Christmas that I want to go to next year. One year some teens burned a few buildings down... hope that doesn't happen again). It just happened to be one of many recent rainy, freezing days here in Tennessee, and there were about 20 of us huddled in this little bar. It was honestly kind of cozy and, though pretty disgusting, kind of an endearing little establishment.

The premise of the video involved Martina and 3 other girls coming into the bar and dancing while Martina performed onstage. We were pretty much there to be the crowd and just dance around and have fun. Tough job, I know. It ended up being really fun minus the fact that we weren't fed anything for dinner and were forced to resort to eating the props (small baskets of peanuts they had placed on the tables). However, I finished out the evening by going to Waffle House with a couple new friends I met on set (Josiah and Kim... you're awesome. We gotta do it again soon).

Considering I think Martina is actually really talented, I'm glad my first music video experience here in Nashville involved her. She seemed pretty nice for the most part despite the fact that she had been working since 6am that morning, and she has some of the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. I hope they're real. I think they are. Oh! And we found out that the dog tags she's wearing in the video are actually her father's... we didn't get any additional information because she got away from us pretty quickly. Oh well.

Hopefully I'll have some more good stories to come, and maybe I'll even book some of the work that I'm auditioning for. Getting the chance to sing a little bit would be fun, too, so hopefully those opportunities will fall into place.

Making a little progress,
Robby

One Year

2010-02-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

One year ago today I was waking up to my first morning living in LA. Dwight and I arrived at my new apartment around 2am on Feb. 5th to fairly dreary weather but exciting new opportunities. It really is hard to believe that its already been an entire year, and it's honestly a little frightening to realize how quickly time goes by.

I will say that a year ago, there's absolutely no way I would have been able to make a video like this (LA would have no idea what to do with snow. If it rains they freak out):

Confessions/It's My Life from Katlin Miller on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoyed that. We're ridiculous. I have a feeling there will be more to come in the future.

Robby

Do it. Find the fun.

2010-01-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

My incredible friend Laura Vandal Chancey gave me a little ceramic dinosaur she had painted green that has sat on my desk ever since. In the course of my numerous moves throughout 2009 the dinosaur has received a few knicks and scratches. I think I kind of like it (I just changed my mind completely right then. I just wrote "I don't like that" right before I erased it and wrote "I think I kind of like it")... gives him character and some little battle scars. He's so tough.

I'm currently writing this post to avoid going to the gym to run. Maybe I'll run after work tonight. High unlikely, but I guess it's possible.

Thinking about me changing my mind about my thoughts on the dinosaur scars made me start thinking about change and my life. Growing up, I always thought that I was someone who absolutely hated change. I use to cry when my parents even talked about moving away from Huntsville when we lived there because I so hated the idea of change. I'm beginning to realize that while I hate change in some areas of life, I require change and even seek it in other areas. This trait has become more and more evident in the past couple years when looking at my multiple jobs and living situations. And looking back at my life I see how often I sought out change while holding fast to the familiar in specific areas. I think the familiar that I held onto was relationships. I never wanted to lose any relationship, and my resistance to moving was really my resistance to losing relationships. Friendships. The familiarity and comfort of having people know who you are and you know them even if the activities of life around you are constantly changing is nice.

My tendency towards change regarding activities in life may be my desire to do everything that I enjoy, and as you get older you kind of have to choose what you want to do specifically (something that I definitely have a problem doing) so I just jump from one thing to another that interests me. Hmmm... this seems highly likely.

When I was young I used to draw all the time. Usually it was houses or theme parks. I would also sing constantly and act and sing in plays at church. I'd go diving at the pool or flip around in our front yard. I would play with k-nex for hours or just go outside and explore. I even loved going to school. I didn't miss a single day for something like 8 years in a row, because I wanted to be there. I loved having fun... all the time. And I was good at having fun. Really good.

I don't think much has changed, and I think I'm trying to figure out if it has to change. Can life remain fun forever, or does there come a point where we have so much responsibility and pressure on us that we're no longer able to have fun doing whatever it is we're doing? Is there a way to continue living a meaningful and impacting life while enjoying it fully? I sure hope so.

I do realize that not everything in life is going to be "fun." Much of life is difficult, and we have to work hard through things we don't particularly like in order to accomplish goals. But can't you have fun in the difficult, or is that just attempting the impossible?

I might seem flaky and disconnected from reality at this point, and maybe I am. I don't know. I just feel like we have the ability to live with so much joy, and we often (me included) allow the difficulties of life to steal our fun. Life is hard, yes. But the joy of going through life with Christ and experiencing what He has laid before us to enjoy is so much fun. So I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna have fun.

Did this post make any sense? I kind of rambled. Sorry if its completely incoherent.
Robby

The SAG Awards

2010-01-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

They were on tonight. Ricky Gervais was not the MC. They were pretty average because of that.

It did appear that people didn't talk during presentations, which made me happy.

And "GLEE" won. Definitely made me happy.

Robby

Golden Globes

2010-01-18T11:31:00.001-08:00

Missed them? Don't be too sad. They were fairly lame... except for Ricky Gervais. He was perfectly inappropriate and uninhibited. I'd expect nothing less, though. I love how he can put some people in their place and then just laugh it off even though you know he's being completely serious. Awesome.

I was surprised by the ambient chattering throughout all of the presentations, though. Is that how every awards show is, we as the television audience just usually can't hear it? I would HATE to be a presenter talking to a room of people who aren't even pretending to pay attention.

Also, I felt like many of the celebrities who received an award were completely awkward, ill-prepared, and not well spoken at all. I guess they're just regular, intimidated, insecure humans like all of us. Crazy, huh?!?! Haha. Oh, celebrity. So weird.

Oh. One more note. "GLEE" won an award. We fast-forwarded through the acceptance speech, cause we really didn't care what they were saying, but I was excited for the cast. I think I'm in love with Lea Michelle (Rachel Berry). She's incredible.

The end.
Robby

Seriously?

2010-01-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

I feel like someone is playing a huge joke on me. FOX released the news that they're having open, online auditions for 3 new parts in the show "GLEE." I'm worried to even entertain the thought that the possibility of me being on that show could become a reality, so I'm just trying to not think about it. But can you imagine? I would freakin' love that. Granted, some of the subject matter is a little questionable considering my stance on certain issues, which could complicate things, but dang... it would be so much fun. If they need someone to play Mr. Shu's brother it's over. I'm their guy.

Alright. Thats all the thought I'm gonna give it.

In other news... life is pretty much the same here in Nashville. No big breakthroughs or major connections, but I had figured that'd be a slow process. I'm trying to be patient, cautious, and intentional about every pursuit. Good things take time, and I'm really praying that this will be a good thing. God can do anything, so I'm looking forward to what He has planned.

By the way, my roommates realized last night that they now have cravings for cookies at night. They said this didn't happen before I moved in. I somehow have that effect on people. Not sure thats a good thing (and neither are my roommates).

Robby

Today...

2010-01-09T15:02:00.001-08:00

I walked on a little frozen pond. It was exciting... and cold. I was only slightly terrified that the unknown thickness of ice would break through and leave me at the mercy of Katlin's willingness to help me out. That and the fact that I'd be wet... in a frozen pond... in 20 degree weather. Not ideal.

Here's the hill Katlin, Jason and I sled down Thursday night. It was hilarious. Sure, we may have just had a tarp and some cardboard, but it worked. Thats all that matters. Doesn't matter that we got the cardboard out of our apartment's trash compactor either... or that there was hardly any snow on the ground... or that I walked away with scratches and bruises all up my legs and arm. Sledding rocks.

Cause snow instantly turns me into a 10 year old again,
Robby

*You've just read the 200th post of "Right. Then Left." How do you feel? I hope inspired and somewhat gleeful.

New Year. New Place. New Opportunities.

2010-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

So, I'm writing this from my new apartment in Nashville, TN while looking out at a snow filled sky. How awesome is that?! I moved all my big stuff up here last Wednesday, but I didn't actually move into the apartment until this past Saturday. I'm so excited to finally be in this city even though I have no idea what I'm planning to do now that I'm here. I'm just trusting the Lord's leading and trying to have faith that He'll take care of things... which He will. I've had the desire to move here for quite a few months, but my logical side has constantly talked myself out of it. Now that I've made the move, though, it really doesn't seem like too big a deal. I'm still working at Bonefish Grill just in a new location (which I really like so far!), I'm living with two incredible friends in a great apartment in Brentwood, and I'm attending an amazing church called Fellowship Bible Church. Not bad. Not bad at all.

My main reasons for moving here involved the music industry. I love being in a city surrounded by opportunities, which is one reason I enjoyed my time in LA so much. Even if the opportunities are very difficult to get involved with at least they're here. Thats my take on it at least. I look forward to meeting various people who have worked in or experienced the music industry, learning more about the opportunities available, getting involved with Fellowship Bible Church's worship ministry, and just enjoying a city that I've heard so much about throughout the years. People ask me all the time what my plans are, but I really don't have any specific steps to take. I want to learn, grow closer to Christ and follow His lead, and discover how He wants to use me (whether that be in the music industry or not).

I really don't know how long I'll be here or where the Lord is gonna take me, but I'm alright with that. I know I'm supposed to be here today, and thats gonna have to be enough for me. It's taken me a long time to be ok with following God's lead instead of planning my own (and I've still got a lot of learning to do and faith to build), but after seeing His faithfulness in my life over and over again I can't help but trust Him more. He is good, and He loves me... and I'm so thankful for that.

Robby

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2009-12-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of trying a "Harry & David Royal Riviera Pear" over the Christmas break, and they could almost be described as life-changing. Seriously. If you're a pear fan, you need to immediately order some of these for yourself. They're ridiculous. I ordered a box for my parents and grandparents for Christmas because anything else I could have gotten them would pale in comparison.

Christmas was incredible. Great family time. Way too much good food. Fun games. Friends. It's just all around awesome. I thought I was going to have to work for some of the break, but I actually got all the days I asked off, so that was incredible! Though Jonesboro, GA is not too thrilling, my parents are wonderful, and I loved spending time with them. Watching my niece and nephew open gifts and experience Christmas was probably the best part. Everything was so new and exciting to them, which I love. Plus... they're just about the coolest kids you'll ever meet, so that helps (my parents are incredible, too).

I may or may not have spent 50% of my time at home curled up on the floor like a cat in front of the fire.

Also, there was also a fairly glorious sunset one day which I so perfectly present in the picture below.

I got some Sour Patch Watermelon chewy candy, too, so thats always nice. And my brothers-in-law and sisters are incredible (yes... I'm the last single child left. No pressure. And how do I always end up looking like I'm superimposed onto pictures? This is not the first time a picture has looked like this. I promise I really was there! So weird).

Alright. Thats about it.

Happy New Year!
Robby

Mr. Stone

2009-12-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

During my time in Huntsville, I've had the opportunity to substitute teach at a couple of high schools around the city. I began doing this because I wanted to see if teaching would be a good career path for me. If the education system wasn't so screwed up and teachers didn't have their hands constantly tied with paperwork, regulations, red tape, and inadequate discipline measures I might actually consider doing it. Sadly, the public education system is a disaster, and teachers can hardly do their jobs much less make it enjoyable. Alright. I'm done with my speech.

I really do love working with students and attempting to make school and learning fun for them. Unfortunately, so many kids don't want to learn and think it's unimportant, but I'm not gonna get on the subject of the current generation either because it's also depressing. Some kids are great. Some kids you want to kill. Thats it for now.

Here's the fun stuff... I filled in at Lee High School earlier this semester for boys P.E., and it was by far the most frustrating but hilarious experience with subbing that I've had. Imagine 12-25 high school guys who range from thug to awkward white kid (mostly semi-thugs) and a substitute teacher who has, over the course of 6 or so days, become lovingly referred to as simply "Coach." What did I coach? Nothing. How awesome is it that they called me "Coach?" Extremely. My main job ended up being to keep the guys who were actually in P.E. to stay in the gym and those who were just skipping class to stay out of the gym. It was pretty much like herding cats all day.

We were supposed to play basketball which usually turned into dodgeball using basketballs. Really safe. I probably should have stopped it, but honestly it was too hilarious to stop. I just prayed for the bell to hurry up and ring when those games began. The main story I'm trying to get to involves the 7th period class I covered with two other teachers (one being an asian) called "Lock Out" where students who are late to class are sent. It's supposed to be a sort of detention where students are forbid to talk and must silently work on school work. Yeah right. Cause thats gonna happen with high schoolers. And why are we sending the troubled kids who need to be in class the most to some room where no learning takes place? I don't get it.

One day a large group of people were sent to Lock Out, and I watched as they all poured into the room. I can't describe everything that went on, but there was this one guy who was continually talking and was called out by the asian teacher I mentioned. They fought back and forth about something and at one point he says "what? What are you saying? I can't understand you! I can't understand you, Sesame Chicken!" Yes. Thats right. He called her "Sesame Chicken." Now, I'm a substitute and am therefore not exactly allowed to burst out laughing with all the other students at this horribly offensive comment. What makes matters worse is that I was sitting in the front of the room facing all the students, and I had to fight back even a smile. It was torture. I'm not nearly far enough removed from the high school days to not think the situation is hilarious.

I have no doubt that there are plenty of stories like this out there from various teachers, but I'm just so glad I got to experience it first-hand. It really is always exciting in the public school system. I just wish it weren't made such a disaster by the government and central office.

Cause I love real sesame chicken, not "Sesame Chicken,"
Robby

BONES

2009-12-05T01:23:00.000-08:00

Remember that time I told you I played the part of a heroine addict in a movie called "Bones?" No... alright. Check this out, and then watch the trailer ( http://rightthenleft.blogspot.com/2009/05/heroine-yes-please.html ). It's actually going to be a movie!

Now, I don't know if they'll leave my scene in there or not, cause I'm honestly not sure that it wasn't total crap. However, I watched them film the part in this trailer where the girl falls back onto the bed the same day I filmed my scene, so there's a chance they left it in! I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Hilarious still. Oh, my random life.

Robby

It's SNOWING!!!

2009-12-04T23:06:00.000-08:00

Yep. Thats right. It is currently snowing in Huntsville, AL right now, and I am so pumped. I've had a slight obsession with snow my entire life, and this surprise little snowfall is pretty incredible. I realize it's not a big snow, but it's still frozen precipitation falling from the sky, so I'll take it. I just wish I wasn't so tired, and I'd stay up and just watch it. Maybe it'll still be here tomorrow! I hope so... minus the fact that I'm supposed to drive to B'ham for a wedding. Hmmm. Mom will not be excited about that if it does stick. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess!

Alright. I'm gonna go watch it a little more, then it's time for bed.

Robby

Wow

2009-12-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

I really did disappear for 3 entire months. Thats bad. I'm sorry.

Things you missed (I literally just pulled up my calender to see if anything worth mentioning happened):
*September:
- Laura Vandal and Caleb Chancey got married, and I had the honor to sing in the wedding. It was honestly the most epic wedding ever if judged on music. I'm serious. Unreal. And not because of me AT ALL. I felt like an amateur.
- My obsession with the show "Glee" began. I really think they had a meeting to decide a show that I would love more than anything and then created "Glee." It's amazing (currently listening to the 22 songs I've downloaded from the show thus far).
- Yeah. Thats about it for September.
*October:
- I went to Nashville one day to audition for some song writers to see if they wanted to use me to do some demo work for them. They were very complimentary and encouraging. I have yet to hear back from them. Thanks.
- I substitute taught boys P.E. at a fairly ghetto high school here in Huntsville (Lee High School) for a week. That experience is probably worthy of its own post. Yeah. It is. I'll do that soon.
- I started singing some at the church I go to up here in Huntsville (Life's Journey), and I love it! It's been such a huge blessing to have an outlet to lead worship with other believers. I still miss Brook Hills, but Life's Journey really is incredible... and I get to sing with my sister which is awesome.
- I got to spend Halloween with my sister, her husband, and my nephew Luke! It was so much fun. Luke was Batman, Rebecca was a pretty witch, Lance was a homeless clown, and I was a makeshift tiger. A picture is necessary...

*November:
- I turned 25! Yep. On November 1st, 2009, I became a quarter of a century old. Weird. My grandmom made me buttermilk pie (pretty much the same thing as chess pie... trust me... it's amazing), so I was happy. Honestly, turning 25 wasn't that big a deal for me. Some people hate it. Actually... as I'm writing this I'm beginning to hate it. I'm stopping now.
- I filmed a little short film about cats (kind of) with some of my roommates. Oh yeah! I haven't mentioned my roommates. That is worthy of a post, too. Wow. Maybe I have had a life these past few months! I've yet to see the previously mentioned movie, but it's apparently hilarious. I'll post a link to it whenever it makes it's online debut.
- I missed the meteor shower due to cloud coverage. Still mad about that one. Lord... why does that always happen? I even prayed that it wouldn't, but I guess You allowed it for some reason.
- I made pineapple cheese casserole for a church function. People thought it was weird. I still love it and ate what they wouldn't. Uncultured taste, I say.
- THANKSGIVING!!! This has sneakily become my favorite holiday. I don't know when it happened, but it did. I love it. I think it's because it's all about realizing how blessed we are and forgetting crap that doesn't really matter. And because it's during fall, which I've realized is my favorite season. And we all met at our lake house for it and had fires and my mom's amazing cooking. It's really not fair for all the other holidays to be compared to it.

Alright. That should give you the highlights. Looking forward to posting about my substitute teaching experience and my roommates. It feels good to be back.

Robby

Apologies

2009-12-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog-

I offer my sincerest apologies for my absence. I realize that because of my disappearance you have become boring and not worth checking. I imagine that the lack of hits you've experienced has had devastating effects on your self-confidence, so I hope to be more frequent in my posting in order to draw your followers back to you and raise you up out of your pit of shame and embarrassment. Take comfort in the fact that there was absolutely nothing that you could do to fix the aforementioned problem, and I claim all responsibility (although, Jeremiah should claim some too considering he is co-owner of you). Please accept this apology, and know that the recent lapse of time in posting is not due to you but due to my fairly uninteresting life. Hopefully that will change soon.

Your co-creator (small "c" because we know who the big "C" belongs to... Jesus),
Robby

Dear Followers-

It is with the greatest remorse that I offer my apologies for my lack of posting in the past couple months. I have been informed that some of you have missed my wise words as ridiculous as they often are, so I am making an effort to bring this blog to the prestige and punctuality that it once maintained. I had no idea that anyone read this blog or would actually miss it if it slowly drifted away into the dark corner of the internet never to return again (just kidding... you know I wouldn't let that happen... for too long, at least). With that said, I pray you will accept this apology and support me as I attempt to bring a little life back to the "Right. Then Left." blog. I look forward to bringing you along on the journey ahead. More to come soon.

You're all pretty amazing (especially my Moe's crew... who I will never forget, Amy),
Robby

Reality And The Weird

2009-08-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Life is not as it seems. And life definitely does not always go as planned. Coming face to face with the reality of the world we live in is not easy, and there are times I've felt like I'm drowning in the depravity here.

If you had told me not long ago that I would be living in Huntsville for an indefinite amount of time working at a restaurant, I would have been pissed you had even thought that. Oh, how funny and humbling life can be sometimes. To say that the past couple months have been all that I've dreamed they would be is a hilariously ridiculous statement. However... is it exactly what I need for the Lord to continue to grow me? I'm still deciding, but I have a feeling the Lord knows thats a huge "YES." The situations I've been put in, and the challenges to my faith and ways of living and thinking about this life have forced me to really dig into myself and learn some difficult lessons (many lessons I'm still working through right now).

Lesson One: I'm Weird (Thank the Lord)

If you are a Christian, and you've never worked in the restaurant business, I encourage you to try it. Not because it's fun and an easy way to make money, but because it's extremely difficult physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This job has been one of the most trying, humbling and frustrating experiences of my life, but I'm so thankful that Christ has allowed me to go through it. My initial challenges were the usual fears of inadequacy and inexperience with the job of serving itself, but those were quickly replaced by the struggle of dealing with the reality and pain of this life through stories of the lives of my coworkers and by looking introspectively at my own life.

Most days I feel like some alien from another planet that has no idea how to communicate or form relationships with those around me. Gathering bits and pieces of the life experiences of those I work with, I began to realize how vastly different my story is from nearly everyone there. There is so much pain, deception, betrayal, and sin wrapped up in the lives of these individuals, and they don't even see the bonds that are choking the life out of them. At first I felt as though something was wrong with me that makes my experiences thus far in life so different from there's. However, I've realized that I am EXACTLY like every single one of them, and the only explanation I have for the difference is Christ. It is the saving grace of Jesus that makes my life weird to the world.

I'm sickened by the sin that has so fooled this world, but I think I'm disgusted most by how much of that sin is in me. It has been incredibly difficult to see how sin has taken so much from people, but the hardest thing is seeing that same sin in my own life everyday. I know that if I were to reject Christ and give into my human nature there is no doubt that I would fall into the snares laid out for all of us, and that fact terrifies me. However, I must remind myself that as Christians we cannot allow sin to reign over us. I think the key to conquering this fear of sin is realizing how great our God is and growing in our understanding of Him. It is a daily walk that will keep our heads above the waters of deceit and sin that can so quickly rise and sweep us away.

And there are definitely times when I feel as if the world we live in is a lost cause and sin is too great, but thats when I must remind myself of how much greater Jesus Christ is than sin, death, and anything this world contains. And when Satan tells me I'm sinful and weak, I will fully agree. It is the LORD in me that makes me who I am.

- Robby

Where did July go?

2009-07-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

Seriously. Where is it? How is it already the 20th? This is ridiculous. I've been back in the south for a little over a month now, and life has been pretty interesting. Definitely interesting in a different way than the previous 4 months, but interesting none-the-less.

I've really enjoyed my time in Huntsville and think it's been good for me to be a bit removed from friends and Birmingham so I can think without distraction. Of course I would love to move back to Birmingham to work and be close to all the people I love down there, but I'm just not sure it's time to return. I feel like there's more for me to pursue and obviously more for me to learn. That'll never change. Until I figure out where the Lord is leading I'm just gonna wait patiently here in Huntsville. At this point I still don't have enough money to move anywhere anyway, so that makes my decision easier.

I got a job at Bonefish Grill as a server, and I'm pretty excited/terrified about it. My previous "serving experience" includes the short stint I had with "The Kitchen" in Los Angeles (you know... that catering company), but I've always wanted to try out the whole server thing and feel this is the perfect time. I think I'll love the outgoing personality aspect of being a server, but I'm not sure how I'll do with the fast-paced, multi-tasking side of it. Things could get interesting to say the least. I'll be the first to admit that I'm pretty one track minded, so the idea of having to multi-task scares me a bit Hopefully I won't be miserable and I'll make a little money to save up! I guess we'll see.

I'll be training all this week, and then I think I'll be on my own after that! Crazy. I'm just glad it's a nice restaurant like Bonefish and the people working there seem pretty cool and helpful so far. Other than that I'm not sure what I'll be doing. Thank goodness I have a few friends left in this town to hang out with, or I might have gone crazy. My sister, nephew and her fiancee have been incredible, too. I've loved getting to spend time with them and pray they're not getting completely tired of me being around all the time. It's such a blessing to have this place to stay, and I'm unbelievably thankful.

I wish I had some funny stories, but I don't. Wait. Yes... yes I do. I was fortunate enough to be picked to dress as Maggie of Maggie Moos Ice Creamery (I love how I call it an "ice creamery" and thats not at all what they call it) this weekend for a charity event raising funds for a little girl with cancer. Great event and cause, but this is what I looked like:

Unfortunately (or fortunately), thats not a picture of me, but it's some other poor soul who had to be "Maggie" for a day. A picture of me in the costume would probably show me doing some heel click, swinging on a swing, or interacting with the petting zoo. Yeah. Apparently all you need these days to start a petting zoo are 3 kittens, some sickly bunnies, a goat, a chicken, and some ducks all packed into a kidnapper van. It was lovely. I was just thanking the Lord that it happened to be one of the coolest days of the summer, so I wasn't dying in that hot costume.

Alright. Time for bed. Glad I could update you on my thrilling life. Come see me at Bonefish Grill or Maggie Moos if you're in Huntsville!

Robby

The Waiting Game

2009-07-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to announce that today I completed my 3rd day as a cake decorator/ ice cream server at Maggie Moos Ice Creamery, and it really has been a lot of fun. Sadly, I'm not sure how long I'll continue with this ice cream adventure considering I'm only getting paid $7/hour and working around 16 hours a week. My calculations show that even though I'm not currently paying for rent or utilities that amount of money still wouldn't be enough to cover my other bills. Being an adult is crap.

I really am thankful to my friend Andrea for giving me some sort of job, though, and it's been hilarious to work with her and the other incredible Maggie Moo employees. I'm planning to submit an application at a few restaurants to try and get a server job. Hopefully that will work out, or I'm not sure what I'll do. Trying to find a job is hard enough as it is right now, but it's even more difficult because I have no idea where I want to end up at this point. Nashville is still a very good possibility, but I've also been thinking about Birmingham, too. For right now I'll just wait right here in the middle of the two (in Huntsville) and pray that the Lord will guide me.

This past weekend all of my family met up at our lakehouse on Smith Lake, and it's got to be one of my favorite places on earth. Plus, it was the first time I'd gotten the chance to see my entire family together since I've been back from LA, and I loved being with all of them. Sadly, I was slightly under the weather all weekend long (still am), and I couldn't enjoy all the delicious food! Oh well.

Oh! Hilarious story. The day before I left for the lake I did something extremely random and never expected anything to come of it. Well... something has, and we'll just have to wait and see how far things go because of it! Let me explain...

Some of you may know that I worked for a photography company called A Bryan Photo the 6 months or so prior to me moving to Los Angeles, and I absolutely loved everything about my time there. The guys who work there are incredibly talented (check out their work www.abryanphoto.com), and I always thought a reality show following the guys and their work could be hilariously entertaining. A few days ago I decided to write an email pitching my idea to the production company that does the show "Say Yes To The Dress" on TLC never imagining that anything would come of it. The next day I get a response email saying that they would love to call me with some questions about ABP because they're very interested in the idea. Yeah. I'm serious. I talked to someone from their company yesterday, and in the midst of my 45 minute convo I was told that my email came at a very good time because they were currently in the process of trying to develop a new wedding related reality show. Are you freakin' kidding me?! After talking with me, the lady said she would love to talk with Bryan Johnson (the owner of ABP) to discuss the idea further. They talked today, and I haven't heard how the conversation went yet, but can you believe this?!!! How crazy! All the guys at ABP are just cracking up that they're actually going to have to meet and discuss the idea of having a show based around them. Keep in mind that the typical reality show format would not work at a place like ABP. There is very little drama or disunity in the company and to try and make it appear that way would come across very forced. Plus... those always just turn out depressing and frustrating. The guys would only agree to do something if it had a more "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" feel. You know. Something that's entertaining because it's encouraging and tells a good story. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. The fact that anything is happening is hilarious, though!

So... I have a lot to think about and a lot of trusting to do. God is gonna work something out. Hope to have some more stories soon, and I'll try to keep you all updated on the whole show thing. Haha! So random.

Holding down the fort in H'ville,
Robby

Don't fear...

2009-06-26T23:36:00.001-07:00

I'm not dead.

I apologize to all of you who were phoning in to Blogger and Rescue 911 to question them regarding my disappearance from this blog. It really does mean a lot. I want to assure you, however, that I am alive and well. The past few weeks have simply been filled with literally thousands of miles of driving, surprising friends, and trying to figure out where my life is heading, so I've therefore been unable to update as I should.

Some of you might have gathered that I'm no longer in Los Angeles, CA. You are absolutely right. It turns out that the city of dreams is also a city that likes to take all of your savings out of the bank and leave you with just enough to make it back to the security of your home. Yes, LA was a bit pricy for this guy, but no one can say that I didn't enjoy the short time I had in the smog city. Seriously... it was amazing. I hope one day I'll have enough money to actually go back there and continue to enjoy the craziness that LA has to offer. For now I must try to rebuild my savings here in the south and spend time with my incredible friends and family.

At this moment I'm sitting in my room at my sister's house in Huntsville, AL. This is where I'll be living for an indefinite amount of time until I figure out what the heck I'm doing with my life... or at least the next step to take. Best option right now is Nashville. Yes, we'll just pray that the Music City has better things in store professionally for me than good ole' Los Angeles had to offer. While I definitely miss LA and the friends I have there, it's good to be back in the south. It just feels like home... cause it is.

I've been bouncing around between Atlanta, Birmingham, and Huntsville so far, so it'll be interesting to see what the next couple months will hold for me. I applied to a job at Belmont University as an admissions assistant for the School of Occupational Therapy, so I'm excited to see if that goes anywhere (if you have some clout there... put in a good word for me). I've also got a potential job lined up here in Huntsville to be a cake decorator for Maggie Moos ice creamery. This is a pretty hilarious opportunity because...

1) One of my best friends since 2nd grade is the manager, and I can only imagine what it'd be like for us to work together. Here we are back in Huntsville a while ago (Andrea... great shot of you. Not that I have any room to talk):

2) These are some examples of the cakes I've made in the past:

Strange enough, Andrea knows exactly what she's getting herself into by allowing me to be her cake decorator. Should be interesting.

I'll try to do a better job of updating all my faithful blog checkers on my thrilling life, but I have a feeling the exciting stories might be fewer and further between. Something tells me living in Huntsville will be quite different than living in Los Angeles, but I'm sure there's good times to be had! Please do pray that the Lord will continue to guide me on His path and reveal the next step He desires me to take.

Cause I'm back in my hometown and the party is just getting started,
Robby

Celebrity Update

2009-06-11T15:31:00.001-07:00

There's been a few more celebrities added to my "Celebrity Sighting" list (many of which were seen at the American Idol finale show or at events that I've helped to cater). And here's the full list:

- Elizabeth Berkley
- Dakota Fanning
- David Moscow
- Billy Bush
- Chevy Chase
- Zack Levi
- Matt Wertz
- Cooper Anderson
- Brittany Snow
- Gwen Stephani (plus all of "No Doubt")
- Neil Patrick Harris
- Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Andy Sanberg
- Seth Rogen
- Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls mom)
- Shane West
- Eric Balfour
- Pamela Anderson
- Jason Castro (American Idol)
- Justin Guarini (American Idol)
- Kimberly Caldwell (American Idol)
- All Season 8 American Idol contestants
- All American Idol judges
- Queen Latifa
- Rod Stewart
- Black Eyed Peas
- KISS
- Queen
- Drew Lewis (American Idol)
- Jason Mraz
- Carlos Santana
- David Cook (American Idol)
- Keith Urban
- Steve Martin
- Lionel Richie
- Cyndi Lauper
- Stevie Wonder
- Amanda Peet
- Jimmy Kimmell
- Michael J. Fox
- Jason Bateman
- Chace Crawford
- Annette Benning
- Mark Wahlberg
- Amanda Bynes
- Lance Bass
- Faith Evans
- Eve
- Seth Macfarland
- Cast of "Entourage"
- Chelsea Handler
- Jonathan Bennett
- Dean Cain
- Rachel Bilson
- Ryan Phillipe

So, there it is. Famous people. The idea of celebrity is still so odd to me. Oh well.

Robby

Mom makes me think... which is good.

2009-06-04T01:15:00.003-07:00

My mom and I talk pretty much everyday. And she talks about EVERYTHING... all at one time... mixing it all up until I'm not really sure how we got on the subject we're on. It's pretty hilarious, and there have been plenty of times that I've just started laughing at how our conversations progress. Somehow, I'm usually able to keep up! Because of this we tend to hit lots of topics and cover a wide range of information, and there's days that I'm up for it and days that I'm not. Usually she can tell when it's not really time for one of these conversations, and she'll end things pretty quickly. However, God has an amazing way of showing her the times when she needs to dig stuff out of me. Today was one of those days.

Maybe she knows when to dig because of the fact that when things aren't quite right in my life or I'm thinking a lot about something I tend to get short with people. And my family gets the worst of it. Why is that? Why do the people we love most see the worst of us? I guess we just know they'll still love us when we're miserable. I usually realize at some point in the conversation that I'm being completely ridiculous and apologize for my behavior, but I wish I would just not do it! Oh well. Life is about learning and growing.

I think I get frustrated with people who try to help me when I'm going through a time of tough decisions or stresses because I've always wanted to handle things on my own. I don't want to talk about things until I've figured them all out. Stupid, I know! I don't know why I do it either because I always benefit from working through things with others and allowing them to help carry any burdens I may have. This is something I've been working through for a while, and I'm so thankful that Christ has revealed this flaw in me. Thank the Lord mom forced me to talk through things today, and though the subjects were all over the place and she definitely has the parental viewpoint on things while I come from a completely different line of thought, it was very helpful.

Main thing we discussed... realistic thinking.

I've never really been one to rush growing up. I feel that I've immensely enjoyed every phase of life and fight against the time when the phase must end. I wasn't that guy who desperately wanted to get out of high school or college to move on to bigger and better things. I savored every single day and tried to stretch it out as long as possible. And while I feel this method of living life is good in some ways, I realize that you must move on. It's very good to move on. Healthy and mature to take the step into the next phase of life. To fight it would be detrimental to future success and growth.

Well... I can see one of those phases of life on the horizon, and I don't love the idea of having to cross into it. It's the phase where you finally have to be realistic. I don't mean realistic in a way that limits your ambitions and goals, but just a place where you have to consider a life that might not be exactly what you imagined it would be. A place where you finally accept that the things you'd always dreamed would somehow happen might not come true or might not even be the best thing for you.

Does this mean you have to quit pursuing those dreams? I really hope not! However, I do think it means that you begin to open your eyes to other paths that the Lord may want you to travel. If He wants you to accomplish the things you've always dreamed you'd accomplish, then you will! But what if the things you've dreamed of aren't what He really wants for you? What if His plan is SO much better than anything you could imagine?

I think the hardest thing is letting go of the dreams you've had for yourself and releasing them to the Lord. Trusting that His way is best even if it's not what you had always imagined. I think I'm at that point where I have to let go of my dreams and chase Christ! Not give up on my dreams, but just release them to Him. Giving up on my dreams would just be irresponsible, but being willing to give them up if He asks me to is a completely different thing.

I've never given my hopes and dreams and future up to Christ. I've wanted to control it and make sure it happens the way I see it. I mean, I've released small portions of my plans and have taken steps of faith that I wasn't sure would line up with my plans, but I really don't think I've ever said "Lord, whatever you want to do with my life is fine, and I will gladly give up my dreams and desires for You if You want me to." I've been holding on to plans for my life that may not be best for me and that I definitely can't accomplish on my own, and I pray that I get to a place where I can finally place them at the feet of Christ and trust Him to do with them what He desires. Am I willing to let go of my dreams so that His will can be accomplished? I want to be so badly! I know only then can he most effectively use me.

So thats my prayer. To let go. Lord, help me.
Robby

Weekend/Week Update!

2009-06-04T00:49:00.000-07:00

Updates from the past week...

I catered an event last weekend for the Michael J. Fox Foundation (yes, Mr. Fox was there... and he was such an encouraging and hilarious person). Guess who else was there. Hints: He sings. He plays piano. He's written some of the greatest songs of all time. His skin is quite a bit darker than mine. Any guesses? Well, I'll just let you try to figure it out. But I will say that he was UNBELIEVABLE! So surreal getting to watch him perform at some private party. Another hint, you say? Alright, alright. He's blind... and his last name is a brand of bread. No more hints. Some other names you may recognize were at the party including Jason Bateman, Amanda Peet, and Jimmy Kimmell. They all seemed very nice.

Sunday night we got a group together to go to Grace Community Church and then hung out at a friend's house playing games. I love game nights so much. Seriously. It's probably my favorite thing to do. Sit around with incredible people playing stupid games and laughing way too much. I can't believe how the Lord blesses me with such amazing friends wherever I live! It really is incredible. I do miss my B'ham peeps and family so much, but I'm so thankful for the relationships I've formed here.

Monday I spent the day hanging out at a friend's apartment watching movies and reading on her balcony looking toward the mountains. Yeah... it was amazing. You really can't beat California weather. Well... not easily at least. It's been so nice to have time to enjoy the surroundings since I've been out here, but I don't know how I'm gonna transition back into working everyday! Actually, I think I'll enjoy it. I like keeping busy, and this downtime has been silently stressing me out since I've been here. I'm getting to the point where I need some tasks to complete and some goals set!

Thank the Lord, we did find someone to take over my room in the apartment starting July 1st! It will definitely be bitter sweet moving back to the south, but I just really feel like it's the right thing to do. I've loved my time in LA, and I honestly would love to stay here longer, but I feel the things I want to accomplish and the direction I want to head in life will be best pursued somewhere else. Where will that be? I honestly don't know for sure. Nashville seems like a pretty good option, though. That's all in God's hands, though! I've had a hard enough time trying to figure out whether or not I'm supposed to leave LA. I'm just gonna take the steps of faith I feel I should take and trust that He'll continue to lead me to the next one!

Not sure what the next few weeks hold for me (so far it's not any work! Well, I actually have two more parties to cater this weekend), but I'm just trying to wait patiently. Change is on the horizon, and I'm spending a lot of time in prayer about when and how to take steps toward that change.

Keep the prayers coming!
Robby

Still Here

2009-05-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

Haven't found someone to fill my spot in the apartment yet, so I'm thinking I might be here in LA for the rest of June. While it kind of stresses me out because of financial issues, I guess the Lord wants me here for some reason so I'll just trust Him. Maybe its because American Idol auditions are here in LA at the Rose Bowl on June 30th, so I'll definitely be going to that if I'm still here! We'll see what happens!

Cause life is crazy,
Robby

Heroine? Yes, please.

2009-05-28T01:40:00.001-07:00

I've made it a habit to check Craigslist every once-in-a-while for random jobs that might be available (even though most are big scams). Last night I was enjoying this process and ran across an add saying "need a thin, 18-24 year old guy for feature film." They should have just said "Robby Stone... we need you." I sent my headshot to the email address provided and ended up hearing back from the director and booking the part! Don't get too excited. It didn't pay anything, but I was just excited about the experience. Plus, I had no idea what the part would be. I'd soon have that question answered. Hilarious.

Before I committed to the part, I wanted to get a few details. The film is called "Bones," and it stars Jimmy Bennett as the title character (IMDB him. He's done quite a bit for a 13 year old). I read over the script, and while I like the story line there is definitely a lot of language in it. Thank goodness I didn't have any cursing or even lines that you'll actually hear (there will be a voice over). I will be playing Bones' father in a flashback scene in the film. Bones' father is a heroine addict who dies before Bones is even born. Yes. The flashback scene was that fateful night when Bones' dad was killed! I got to die in a movie! Not sure if it's a good thing that I'm so excited about that.

Lets start with my costume for the scene. I have on light blue short 70s shorts and one tube sock with blue and red stripes around the top on my right foot... and thats it. Got that mental picture? Pretty incredible.

Now lets move on to makeup. Remember, I'm a heroine addict, so makeup litters my arms with needle track marks, abscessed needle wounds, and bulging blue veins while I'm given dark circles under my eyes, sweat, a huge fever blister in the corner of my mouth and sick brown crap in my teeth.

Now put the costume and the makeup together in your mind. If only I had a picture...

We filmed the scene at this disgusting motel room in North Hills, CA called the Good Knight Inn (Yeah. There was a castle theme to the motel that was very well executed... or not). I won't go into all the details of the scene here, but I will tell you that I am choked to death with my tube sock that I'm not wearing on my left foot for some reason. Pretty awesome. Oh! And during the first take that we did I was actually choking and almost passed out. When they stopped filming I stood up and everything was blurry and I was really shakey! Not too fun.

To tell you the truth, I was terrified of actually having to act. Super excited, but terrified. It was my first time to do any real acting, and I'll just say right now that I need a lot more practice before I'll feel confident doing it! Hopefully I didn't make a complete fool of myself, though. The crew said I did a good job, so I'll just trust them. I'm not sure I could have gotten much further from my true life than this character, but thats what acting is all about, right?

And if you don't think it's right that I played a heroine junkie then I'll just say that I feel fine portraying a character like that. It's a completely honest depiction of how some people live, and the life of an addict is not promoted or glamorized in the film at all. It shows the depravity and hurt that drug abuse can cause, and I hope I did a good job displaying that. Just thought I'd clear that up now.

I guess I can actually say I'm an actor now,
Robby

Maybe you're wondering...

2009-05-23T10:25:00.001-07:00

"what drink was Robby talking about from Starbuck's in his previous post that only costs $2?" I mean... you probably weren't wondering that, but you should have been. I used to think that any drink worth getting at Starbuck's was at least $4. Not true.

If you're a white chocolate mocha fan I'm about to change your life. Or just make trips to Starbuck's a little less painful. You need to order a misto with white chocolate sweeter added. It's seriously $2, and it taste almost exactly the same (a little less sweet than the mocha... which I like). And if you'd like that same flavor but iced then you need to order a cafe con leche with white chocolate sweetener (its just half iced coffee and half milk with sweetener just in case the barista doesn't know what you're talking about).

There you go. Hope you enjoy that little fun fact. You can thank the one and only Sarah Sizemore for that gem of information. She is a former Starbuck's barista and recent graduate of Samford University's School of Nursing (also the sister of my MIA "Right. Then Left." co-founder Jeremiah Sizemore. Where the heck are you, Jer?).

Making life a little sweeter (and more affordable),
Robby

American Idol Finale

2009-05-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yep. I was there. It was amazing! Where else can you see Queen Latifa, Rod Stewart, the Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz, Carlos Santana, David Cook, Keith Urban, Steve Martin, Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, KISS, and Queen perform all in one night along with the best group of American Idol contestants ever? It still doesn't feel like I was actually there. And I'm SO glad Kris won! I had a feeling he would, but it was just good to hear it. He seems like such a nice guy. I mean... Adam can definitely sing (I'll give him that even though I'm not a fan of his voice), and he puts on quite a show, but I just love Kris' style and voice. Not really what I would call an "American Idol," but he's freakin' good.

I pray one day I'm up on that stage. I would love it. All I can do is audition and pray... which I'll be doing again this year!

I'm pretty sure I'll be moving back to the south in the next week or so. It all depends on whether or not we find someone to take my place in the apartment. I honestly can't afford to pay rent for June, so I hope we work it out quickly. It'll be sad to leave LA so soon, but I just really feel that I need to pursue music or musical theater in a different city. I have so much more I'd like to see out here, but that requires money (something I no longer have), so I'll just have to come back someday and take some travel time.

In other news... tonight is the premiere of perhaps my favorite show on television (besides AI, of course). SYTYCD. That would be "So You Think You Can Dance." Don't laugh at me yet. Have you seen it? I dare you to watch a few episodes and not get hooked. I'm serious. There's just something about that show that grabs you. I have a couple friends (you can probably guess who you are) that I would never expect to like the show, and they love it. Wish I could watch it with all my friends back in B'ham, but I'll be back soon enough for us to catch a good bit of the season! Don't worry.

I'm gonna go decide if it'd be a bad idea to get a cup of Starbuck's. Nevermind. Just decided. It's bad.

Cause $2 is now too much,
Robby

New Adventure

2009-05-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

I've been debating on whether or not my time in Los Angeles should come to an end. I came out here for a few reasons. First, I really felt like the Lord was calling me out here, so thats really all the push I needed. However, I've also always wondered if I should pursue a career in the film and television industry, and I've never really had the opportunity to work in it, so I wanted to try it out. There was also a part of me that knew I needed to separate myself from the comforts of friends, family and familiarity. I needed to grow and be on my own where I only had Christ to depend on, and living in Los Angeles would definitely give me that isolation and challenge.

Though I've only been here 3.5 months now, it's been quite a ride. If you've read my previous posts then you've probably noticed the ups and downs that have occurred in my short time here, and I've learned so much through this experience. I've spent literally hours praying about where God wants me and what He wants me to do, and to tell you the truth I still don't know the full answer to that question! I do feel that the Lord is leading me back to the south for now, though.

The plan is to work for a few months and save up money before heading somewhere to pursue music or musical theater. I'm sure I'll be spending plenty of time in prayer about where the Lord wants me to be and what He wants me to do. One step at a time, though. Thats all I can do at this point.

On a different note...

Here's some pictures of me and Danielle Broome. We were feeling a little crazy one night this weekend, so we decided to head down to Hollywood & Highland... dressed like idiots.

Oh, they get better... or worse. Depends on how you look at it.

Barbara. She so crazy...

I know, I know. I'm an idiot. And guess what... I'm so glad I am.

Robby

Am I in my "best years?"

2009-05-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

I hate the phrase "the best years of life." Why does there have to be a time in life thats considered "the best?" I certainly hope I don't ever get to a place where I feel that my time to be relevant and productive has passed me by. I think thats an absurd and lazy mindset, and I refuse to think that way. Every phase of life has something about it that makes it unique and more special than any other phase of life, and I feel that individuals can do extraordinary work in every single phase.

I understand that there are certain phases of life that allow for greater freedom and discovery due to a lesser degree of responsibility, but does that mean that it's the best time in life? I know this thought is coming from someone who has only experienced 24 years of life, so I am very aware that I have much to learn. However, I feel it's possible for God to use anyone at any age in incredible ways! Why limit ourselves by thinking that there's a certain time in our lives to do His greatest work?! Are we supposed to just work really hard for a while and then when we've finally "paid our dues" just call it quits and retire? The work of Christ NEVER ends! He can do so much if we just trust Him to do it. I'm still learning how hard having that kind of trust is, though. It's tough. Really tough. But He is so good to step in and prove that He is worthy of our trust!

So, am I in my "best years?" Yes... and I pray I'll continue to be in my "best years" for the rest of my life.

Robby

We really did have a band...

2009-05-13T00:06:00.000-07:00

I promise. Oh. And here's a video of us... before it all came to a screeching halt last week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XEPfjdGzrs

It was fun while it lasted!

Robby

Do I stay or do I go now?

2009-05-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles has definitely taken a toll on my bank account. Those savings I had when I came out here... gone. Those jobs I was hoping to book while out here... nowhere in sight.

I have no doubt that I was supposed to come out here to pursue some dreams, and I've learned a TON since I've been here. However, the lessons have left me with more questions. One extremely pressing question involves what to do now. I've been out in LA for close to 4 months now, and I've experienced quite a bit in my short time here. Extra work, auditions, a full-time paid band gig, a complete falling out of a band, and multiple days of unemployment.

As I've said, the lessons I've learned in my time here are priceless, and I don't regret my decision to make this move. I've learned what the film and television industry is like and some of what it takes to succeed in it. I've performed as a professional singer (as short as it may have lasted), and I realized how much I really do love singing. I love it. A lot. I even started getting into song writing, which I also loved. So, here comes the question... where do I go to pursue music?

Nashville or Los Angeles? That is the question. Nashville is definitely the music city, and the fact that it's MUCH closer to family and friends is also appealing. However, the fact that I've already moved to LA and have only been here for less than 4 months makes it difficult for me to decide to leave. Plus, I'd probably have to move to my parent's house in Atlanta for the summer in order to work and save up some money before I made the move to Nashville. That really wouldn't be bad. I mean... not ideal... but ok. I guess there's a chance I could find a job in Nashville while I'm still in LA and make it work.

I don't know. Lots of prayer is needed, and I probably need to just take a few days to think it all over. It's such a scary time in our society economically, and I'm definitely feeling the crunch. I want to make sure the Lord is leading me and not my insecurities or fears. Am I scared? Yes. Am I confused? Absolutely. But God is still in control. I just pray that He shows me what I need to do... and it'd be really nice if it was pretty soon. Please, Lord!

Alright. I need to get some sleep. I'm completely emotionally spent.

Robby

The Mysterious "g"

2009-05-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

"g" gave me some insight into pigeons. Apparently they're smart. So, pigeons... I'm sorry.

I'll try to get my facts straight next time I attempt to be humorous.

Robby

Takin' It Back

2009-05-06T01:19:00.000-07:00

I used to write a lot of ridiculous things on this blog that were super random but hopefully entertaining (look back about a year ago, and you'll see what I mean. You'll also see that this blog used to have two authors. Myself and my best friend Jeremiah. I know he still knows the password, so he really should write something sometime). I just really want to bring back the stupidity that this blog once possessed. Though informative, the blog is lacking a bit of the humor and lightness of it's previous days. I will now remedy that.

Carrier Pigeons.

Why did that ever go out of style. I mean, seriously. I can't think of anything more fascinating than a carrier pigeon... except dragons. Did people honestly send notes and such via the dumbest birds in the world? Over half of all the messages sent must have ended up under some bridge somewhere while the idiot birds got destroyed by horse drawn carriages and wild foxes. Cause you know how much wild foxes love pigeons. It's crazy how much. I guess I just answered my question as to why this method of communication went out of style.

Perhaps a better questions is how did it ever begin in the first place? I've never seen someone with a pet pigeon, and it's probably because pigeons are extremely unintelligent... and they're just gross. How anyone ever taught a pigeon to fly from one specific place to another with a note tied to its skinny little leg is beyond me. How big were these notes anyway? I mean... how much can a pigeon really handle? And it's not like they had tape back then to make sure the note stayed securely attached to the bird. Maybe they used sap. Yeah. That's it... tree sap. You surely couldn't send any messages of true importance via carrier pigeons. The odds of the bird landing in mud or traipsing through a puddle had to be pretty substantial. Maybe it was just dumb messages like "don't forget to bring some corn home" or "your quilt is finished." Messages that, if undelivered, wouldn't matter too much. I feel sorry for the person who just got a carrier pigeon and hadn't learned how stupid they were yet. They send "don't come to visit. We all have the plague" to their family, and the family shows up. They all die, and it's all because of the dumb pigeon. I bet the pigeon wouldn't even feel sorry. Idiot.

And were there different pigeons for different destinations? As if one pigeon isn't bad enough, you now have to have a pigeon for family members, the doctor, the preacher, the grocer, your best friend, and a magician (people loved magicians way back when). Thats the bare minimum, and thats about seven or so pigeons. Miserable.

I hope this has made you a little more thankful to the postal service men and women out there. That wasn't the initial goal of this posting, but there you go. Thanks postal man. Thanks postal woman. I'm glad you're brain is bigger than a pigeon's.

Cause stamps are cheaper than replacement pigeons,
Robby

Life is a Rollercoaster

2009-05-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Up and down and up and down. This is the theme of my time in LA, and I know the Lord is teaching me incredible things through each peak and valley. One of the constant lessons is in trusting Christ.

The Lord has encouraged me to keep a very level view of this whole band thing. I've been constantly reminding myself to thank Him for each day and realize that it could be gone in a second. I feel like this has allowed me to remember that Christ is all I really need and not to place all my joy or worth in the success of this current job.

No... I didn't get kicked out of the band. We did, however, get news this past week that we won't be going to France for the Cannes Film Festival. Something fell through with the venue, and there were some problems with the booking (overall it was just a huge mess). Kind of disappointing for the band, but honestly I was relieved! There was so much pressure on us since we were taking such a big trip, and I was really apprehensive about all of it. I mean, the band is really good, and I've definitely enjoyed it so far, but it's all VERY new, and I'm just not sure we were totally prepared for something on that scale. I think we all felt a little pressure lift when we got the news.

So, now we're sort of starting at square one (which I think is great!). We're actually working together right now to write our own music. We're figuring out what style fits us best. We're actually doing things that a true band should do! I feel like we can now really invest in the band and make it our own instead of just performing other people's music (even if we did a good job of that).

It'll be interesting to see where things go from here, and I'm gonna keep thanking the Lord for each day knowing that it could be over tomorrow. He's been with me through the ups and downs, and I have no doubt He'll stay with me through whatever is ahead! Just keep praying that I'll be receptive to His leading and a light to those around me.

Robby

Busy, busy, busy

2009-04-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

It's incredible how quickly life can change. Two weeks ago I was sitting in my apartment going crazy because I didn't know what to do with myself. Now here I am happy to have even a little free time to write a blog post. Strange.

Since I've joined the band it's been pretty insane. We've had practice pretty much everyday for about 10-12 hours/ day (one day we had a 14 hour rehearsal!). Believe me, I'm not complaining. I absolutely love it! I've always felt like some day I'd be getting paid to do what I love, but now that the time has arrived it's sort of bizarre... in a great way, of course. I'm not gonna say it's all fun and games, though. It's definitely required a lot of hard work and there have already been some difficult spots, but we're learning and growing. There are days I still struggle with the commitment that this pursuit will most likely require, and that scares me, but I really do feel like the Lord has placed me in this position, and I'm not going anywhere unless He tells me to!

To add to the craziness, I had a wedding in Houston, TX on April 19th where I sang 4 songs (keep in mind that the previous week I was beginning to learn the performance set for the band which includes 17 songs + some choreography... intense). The wedding was for my great friend from Samford named Janise. Janise was actually one of my first friends at Samford, and we stayed close all throughout college. She's one of the most talented interior design/ graphic designers that I've ever known, so if you need anything done you should get in touch with her. Plus, she's just an all-around great person. So, anyway, I flew to Houston for the weekend, and then upon my arrival in Los Angeles on Monday I headed straight to rehearsal from the airport.

Our practice schedule has been so intense because we had our first 2 concerts this past Saturday and Sunday night. That means we had 10 days from when I started the group to put together a 17 song show. Granted, some of the other band members had been there a bit longer, but it was still pretty crazy. By the grace of God we got the show together and performed at the Continental Gallery in downtown LA on Saturday night and the E-Road store parking lot on Sunday (E-Road is one of our sponsors, and they were having their grand opening of their store in West Hollywood). Both of the shows were so much fun even though there were a few bumps here and there. We'll iron them out, though! Pamela Anderson actually dropped by to watch the show on Sunday. She came backstage to wish us good luck, and she was really nice. I was pretty impressed. Apparently Barbara Streisand was supposed to come (I know. I couldn't believe it either), but for some reason it didn't work out. Maybe next time.

I was excited to have a few days off this week to sort of regroup before we start to prepare for the Cannes Film Festival. We honestly don't have a ton of time, though. Our flight leaves on May 7th, so we've got a little over a week to get ready! We'll be in France from May 8th - May 27th doing shows pretty much everyday, I think. Still not sure about all the details, but I'm excited/ nervous. Please keep me in your prayers! I hope it's not too crazy, but I imagine it could be. I know it'll be an amazing opportunity, and I really do feel blessed to go! It'll be tough to not talk to my family for that entire time, though. I just can't think about that.

I'll try my best to update the blog about any adventures along the way, but I'm not sure how much free time we'll have. I hope we get a little time to enjoy Cannes and stuff. I guess we'll see!

Miss you all!

Robby

Miss Liss and the Bad Cats

2009-04-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

Booya. Here's a video I found on YouTube about us. A little introduction to the band!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srw36fZRzaU

We've got two concerts this weekend, so we've been rehearsing like crazy for those! I'm so excited, and am loving the whole process. I get to sing and dance for 6-7 hours a day and hang out with incredible people! What the heck? Thank you LORD! I cannot explain what an incredible blessing this is. He really has given me more than I could ever ask or imagine!

Still love and miss you all (even though LA is getting better),
Robby

I'll stop holding you in suspense now!

2009-04-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

Warning: This is an extremely long post. I apologize in advance, but I just wanted to cover everything to show how unbelievably sovereign Christ is!

I'll just start at the beginning. On Monday morning I was having a really difficult time handling questions and worries about my decision to move out to Los Angeles and whether or not I should move back home. It wasn't that I was frustrated with how things have gone out here thus far, I just wasn't sure what I really wanted to do or if the entertainment industry was even where I would want to have a career if the opportunity presented itself. I spent all of that day and night alone praying hard that the Lord would reveal His plan for me and make me receptive to His will. I prayed that if I was supposed to stay in LA then the Lord would show me in a radical way or that He would lead me to go ahead and move back home.

On Tuesday, since I hadn't been booked for extra work, I looked through Craigslist for different jobs (as I've done a lot lately... with no responses) and submitted myself to a few. I saw one posting for a band that needed a backup vocalist, so I sent an email with my headshot and myspace music site and asked to get more info on the position. About an hour or so later I get a call about my submission and how they'd really like me to come in to audition for the part of backup vocalist... that day. Because I'm a skeptic, and the add came from Craigslist, I asked a ridiculous amount of questions about the band/production company and spent some time praying before I finally agreed to come for an audition. Though they were somewhat guarded about the details, I found out it was a full-time, salary paid position that would involve being available whenever they needed me for practices and performances and involved some sort of contract with the production company that was in charge of everything. I figured I might as well go and see what it was all about considering my prayer requests from the previous day and the fact that I didn't seem to have any other hope for a steady job on the horizon.

Still somewhat leery of everything but feeling like God was doing something, I showed up at the house where the auditions were being held (super cool house with modern decor) and sang a couple songs. When I finished singing, the guys running the auditions told me that they'd love for me to be a part of the band if I'd like and that they would be having a rehearsal the following day (Wednesday) that I could come to so that I could meet the whole band and talk with the guy who started the production company. They also told me that if I decided to join the band then I probably wouldn't be able to sing in my friends' Josh Hausen and Laura Pearson's wedding in May... because we'd be in France. Yeah. That's not a typo. The band is scheduled to perform in France in May. What the heck?!?!

I told the guys when I left that I would think about coming to the practice tomorrow, but just wanted to pray more about everything and talk with my friends about the possibility that I would have to miss their wedding if I committed. Also, as I was leaving, the pianist in the group told me that about half of the band were Christians and he really thought there would be a good feel if I were to join. Only if you live in LA do you understand how amazing that is! It's not easy to find believers in the entertainment industry. In my car, I immediately called Josh Hausen and told him about everything. Of course, he was completely supportive of whatever decision I made while also making sure I knew how much he would miss me being at his wedding (if you know Josh, then you understand how incredible he is. I'm blessed to have a friend like him. His fiancee Laura is freakin' amazing, too. You should meet them). After talking to my parents and a few more friends (of course Jeremiah was one... he'll always be my manager and source of advice), I decided that I should at least go to the rehearsal the next day to really get a feel for the band and what they're doing.

Continuing to pray like crazy, I headed to the band rehearsal at 2:00 pm on Wednesday. I spent that day meeting the band and rehearsing a few songs with them. The band consists of an electric guitarist, bass guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, three background vocalists (including me) and a female lead singer, and they are ALL unbelievably talented! So freakin' good. Plus, the whole band was so friendly and welcoming, which is another thing you can't always expect in LA.

After rehearsal I was informed that we were all invited to attend a promotional party that night to meet various people that our "manager?" (I'm not sure what his title is. He's the guy who created the Rip Cord Production company and formed the band) wanted us to see. So, I went to that with the whole band and afterward we were taken to an incredible sushi place where dish after dish after dish of amazing food was brought out to us, and we got some time to just sit back and talk. At this point I really don't think I could process all that had happened and what was going on. It was like something out of a movie that surely I wasn't a part of. Pretty surreal.

I continued to go to rehearsals on Thursday and today, and I've had some good time to talk with the other band members and learn more about them and the band. Facts I've learned thus far...
1. All the band members are super talented and friendly (but I've already said that).
2. The band and Rip Cord Productions were started in January by the VP of the international division of Universal Music Group (the "manager" I mentioned earlier).
3. The band was actually booked to open for the U2 worldwide tour before their former lead singer cancelled and went back to Costa Rica for personal reasons.
4. One of the band's sponsors is E-Road, so there are about 9 or so of these at the rehearsal location. Go to www.e-road.com, and you'll see what I'm talking about and why that is so exciting. They're so much fun!
5. The band is booked to be one of the house bands at the Cannes Film Festival in France in May. Yes... this May!!!
6. I found out I might actually be able to go to Josh and Laura's wedding after all! Not sure, but it's not totally out of the question!

Needless to say, I'm extremely overwhelmed and excited about this opportunity, and I feel so incredibly blessed and humbled by Christ! I really feel that this opportunity is from Him, and I've decided to accept the job. Now I just pray that He will guard my heart and keep me strong in Him while making me a light for His glory to everyone I come in contact with! I ask you for your prayers now more than ever, and I pray that this makes you so excited about how incredible our God is! His plans are so much greater than we could ever imagine, and He is able to accomplish such incredible things when we fully surrender to Him! This is a wonderful opportunity, and I'm so thankful for it, but I must remember that my joy and worth come from the Lord alone! He has given me a huge opportunity to live for Him, and I trust He'll continue to guide and lead me!

I look forward to providing as many updates as possible (hopefully not as long as this one), and again please keep me in your prayers! Love and miss you all!

Robby

We can't comprehend how sovereign He is...

2009-04-16T23:33:00.001-07:00

I don't really have time right now to explain what's going on in my life, but I'll just say that God is so incredible! His timing is SO perfect. Seriously. Unbelievable.

Update soon.

Robby

Set my eyes on You, Lord!

2009-04-13T01:07:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have those moments when the reality of who Christ is and what He's done for you hits? Well... I just had one. It's always one of the most humbling yet encouraging moments ever. Then you realize that there's no way we can even conceive how truly incredible Christ is and you're even more humbled! I don't know why or how the Lord picks the times that He impresses my heart with these moments of understanding, but they always seem to be at the most unexpected but most needed times.

I can't say that the past few weeks have been very great, and I've really been wrestling with why the Lord brought me out here. I know He has so much to teach me (and there's so many invaluable lessons I've already learned), but it's just hard when you have NO IDEA what He's leading you to do. I know I'm supposed to bring Him glory in whatever I do, so right now thats my aim. There are many times I miss the mark, but He's so merciful to pick me back up and give me another chance.

Anyway, I've just had a lot on my mind lately, and I've realized a lot of areas in my life that I need to surrender to Him. While I've taken a leap of faith by moving out here, I still often rely on myself and my own strength to accomplish things instead of allowing Christ to fully take over. This desire to make a plan for myself and accomplish that plan my way have made the past couple months very selfish. I realize moving to a new place and trying to get your feet on the ground requires some amount of self preservation, but I have been WAY too focused on me, what I want out of this experience, and how I'm going to go about getting it. That is not the way I want or need to live. My focus should be completely on Christ! He is the only one worthy of my attention. Everything else will fall into place if I just keep my heart focused on Him! Now, this is easy to write down right here, but I pray that He makes it true of my mind and heart. I will not survive out here unless that is my sole desire... to follow and glorify Him.

Fending for myself and depending on my own resources over the past two months has led to frustrations with job stuff, confusion about what I'm supposed to be doing out here, and worries about finances. Christ has every single one of these things under control, and He knows exactly what the future holds for me! With money running out, confusion about my future at an all time high, and job opportunities seemingly nowhere in sight, I've been brought to a place where I have nothing left but Him. Now it's time to see if thats enough... and I have no doubt it is.

My friend Dwight told me to keep the verse below hidden in my heart, and I'm so glad he did. The Word is so alive.

"And this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness! 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him. To the soul who seeks Him.'" Lamentations 3:21-25

I know Christ brought me out here, and I know He knows why. I ask you to pray that He'll continue to help me to trust in that fact and follow His leading. We serve a God more powerful than we can imagine, so I rest in that assurance.

Thank you again for loving me and loving Christ. I am so blessed.
Robby

I almost forgot!!!

2009-04-04T02:39:00.001-07:00

I've been told throughout the years that there are a few celebrities that I somewhat resemble. I wondered if I'd get any attention from random people due to this fact now that I've moved to LA. Well... I have. And it was hilarious.

At the MTV promo shoot that I mentioned in my previous post I forgot to tell you about the most enjoyable part of the day. We were filming at the Universal Studios, and our stage (large warehouse where filming takes place) just happened to be positioned right adjacent to the Universal Studios theme park. There was just a chain linked fence separating us from the crowd of guests at the park, and our catering station happened to be right beside a fence where a line formed to get on a ride/ show (whatever goes on at Universal. I've never been). Anyway, during our lunch break I immediately noticed that everyone in line was staring at us hoping to spot a celebrity. I was mixed in with the crowd getting my food and then went back inside to eat. A little later I decided I wanted a cookie (shocker), so I walked back outside and headed toward the catering station. Well, I was walking straight toward the line of people, and I noticed a lady quickly cup her hands around her eyes and stare at me excitedly. Of course, I was a little thrown off but quickly realized that she thought I was someone that I most definitely am not. You see, I'm not famous quite yet. I continued to walk toward the tray of cookies, and as I was picking a couple up I began to hear a whole group of girls yelling "JUSTIN! JUSTIN!!!" Thats right. They thought they were looking at Justin Timberlake. No, no, ladies. It's just me. Robby Stone. However, I didn't want to ruin their dream, so I immediately looked up, smiled, gave a little wave, and then turned around and walked back toward the stage. The entire time I was walking back I continued to hear them screaming at me. So bizarre. I really don't think I look much like Justin, but I guess the fact that I was wearing really baggy sweatpants, a wife-beater (I hate that name), and a track jacket made me kind of look like him. Sort of his relaxed, thuggish look. I don't know.

The other one I've gotten a few times since I've been here is Spencer Pratt. I actually got this one a lot back in Birmingham, too. Kind of sucks because this guy is a total jerk. He's a reality star from the show "The Hills." Another really high-quality, thought-provoking reality production.

Here's me:

Here's pictures of my look-a-likes:

You be the judge.

Robby

I've left you for too long. I apologize.

2009-04-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's been over a week since my last post! Whoa! And I really haven't even been that busy during the days lately. I guess I just didn't really feel like there was much to write, so I've waited a while to gather up some good stuff so I don't seem so useless out here. Just kidding... kind of.

When we left, I had an MTV shoot the next day. It was awesome! Not because I had to wear a gymnastics uniform (complete with extremely short, white shorts and tight tank top), however, who doesn't want to wear that occasionally? It's so attractive. No, it was awesome because the two stars of the shoot were Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Andy Sanberg! Andy is one of my favorite comedians ever (he's from SNL) and Cuba is just cool. It was a shoot for the upcoming MTV Movie Awards which I'm pretty sure will air on May 30th or 31st. I don't know, but it was hilarious! They were filming a gymnastics scene where Andy is apparently competing in the Olympics in the 80s and Cuba is his dad/coach (yes... Andy is white and Cuba is black. Thats part of the joke). Anyway, it should be pretty funny. They both seemed like nice guys, though Andy was more friendly for sure. Cuba didn't really acknowledge us, but Andy came around to say hello to everyone. Guess I know who's not getting an invite to my Christmas party this year. This guy:

Nice ride, Cuba.

After filming wrapped on Friday, I went to meet some friends for dinner and then went to see the movie "Knowing" for $13 at the Grove Theater. No. I didn't mistype that. It was $13. And, no... I will not be going to anymore movies in LA. Especially ones that have horrible acting and endings. Thanks Nicholas Cage. You're a cinematic genius.

Hmmm... I can't remember what I did Saturday. Obviously it was thrilling.

Sunday I went back to Grace Community Church, and while I really enjoy the friendly and solid people there, I'm just not sure I can take their stiff, formal worship. I think Reality LA is the church for me. I'll be going there this Sunday.

On Monday, my friend Phil (who moved to Birmingham from Australia right before I moved out here) came to visit. It was so good to see a Birmingham face, and we had a good time seeing all the hot spots in LA. The coolest thing we did was hike up behind the "HOLLYWOOD" sign. And by hike I mean we walked up a paved road. Granted, the road is really small and winds up the mountain, so it's not as lame as I'm making it sound. It was so beautiful when we reached the top of the hill because you could see both the south and north sides of LA (the city and the valley). All both of us could think about was how incredible the view would have been if there weren't any smog... and how our lungs were being filled with that delicious smog. After the hike, we went back to my apartment where we made spaghetti and watched "Australia." Yes, thats right. I watched "Australia" with a true Australian. Jealous? It was a pretty good movie, but it tried a bit too hard. Entertaining, though.

Tuesday, Phil and I went to Santa Monica and sat on the pier for a while people watching. Always entertaining. He had to head back to Riverside after that, so I spent a good bit of the rest of that day homesick and worrying about the fact that I didn't have any work lined up. That night I went to a concert with my friend Danielle, so that was a good distraction.

Wednesday I spent the first half of the day worrying about life. Then I drove half-way to Disneyland for an audition to work at the park but turned around and went home when I realized I would hate my life if I had to make that 40 mile drive even once a week... much less multiple times. Submitted myself for roles online, and then went to a senior voice recital with my friend Aubrey which was funny (though I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be). The students were actually very good, I was just in one of my moods where I'll make random comments under my breath to break the seriousness of the situation. Oops.

Yesterday I was inspired to prepare mail-outs to send to various agents in the city in hopes that they would want to meet with me to represent me, so I spent the majority of the day doing that. I also had an audition in the afternoon to act out cartoons. Pretty cool concept. The animators watch the recorded actors perform the scenes and then make the illustrations off of the movement of the actors. I didn't get the part, but its always good to gain some audition experience. Still getting used to dealing with rejection, though. Never fun. Last night I went to another indie concert with Danielle at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood. The most exciting part of the night was seeing two of the American Idol contestants (Alexis Grace and Matt Giraud). I actually talked to them for a bit. Alexis seemed a bit awkward, and Matt wasn't very warm either. Guess they're still getting used to fame. If I ever get to celebrity status, I hope I'm still nice to random people. I love people. Surely I'll be nice.

So, obviously this week has been... interesting. I feel like the Lord is definitely teaching me to find my joy in Him alone and trust that He'll provide even when it seems like things are going nowhere and I'm not sure what to do. Sitting around and worrying is just stupid, and I hate that I waste time doing it. I really do need to enjoy every single part of this awkward, terrifying, amazing experience and draw closer to Christ! I hate that I so easily forget His goodness and worry about dumb things that He is completely capable of taking care of! Do I have the faith to trust Him fully? I pray He gives me that kind of faith. I need it.

I'm hoping to finish up these mail-outs today and then I'm so excited about tonight because I'm finally gonna get some good time to hang out with a solid, Christian dude... the one and only Brian Willet. I just need some good guy time, you know? We'll be watching Mystery Science Theater tonight, and I'm pumped because I used to love that show but haven't watched it in forever.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers! Homesickness and insecurity have definitely started to show their ugly faces, so pray that the Lord will give me comfort and strength to resist self-defeating thoughts. Alright. I'm out.

Robby

Slow week, but I saw my sister!!!

2009-03-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

Last time I left you I was getting ready to be part of a student film entitled "Syrup Attacks." We filmed it overnight last Thursday and Friday in a Bristol Farms grocery (really nice grocery. Really overpriced), and it was so much fun! There was an entire crew for lighting, camera work, etc, and it was so great getting to know all of them. I'll post the video somewhere once it's completed, so you'll get to see that. Should be pretty hilarious.

As I also told you, I worked as Neil Patrick Harris' stand-in this past Monday. It was for a TV Land Awards promo commercial introducing Neil as the host of the awards and showing some of the stars who would be in attendance. I was there to stand-in for Neil while they set up lights and tested the camera, etc. There's lots of tedious things that have to be done, and they don't want the "talent" to have to stand there and wait while they set up. It was super easy, and I kind of felt bad that I wasn't doing more to help out. Guess someone had to do it, though! The crew was really great, and I loved working with them. Once Neil got there and was ready to film, I just sat back and watched everything. It's fascinating to be on a set and see how things unfold. I've learned that editing is HUGE! They can piece together so much stuff that I have no idea what the final commercial will look like. Plus, it was filmed on a giant green screen stage, so I'm even more clueless on what will be going on. Neil was really cool and funny, too. Seems like a nice guy. I didn't get to talk to him much, but I shook his hand and introduced myself. Played it chill. Haha!

Also, my sister came into town (well... came to Costa Mesa. About an hour away from me) on Sunday night for a business meeting, so I drove down to meet her once filming wrapped with Neil. It was SO GOOD to see her and just relax for a bit! I'm pretty crazy and my sister is pretty crazy, so when we get together we're just ridiculous. Monday night I went with her while she tried on wedding dresses, and that was hilarious! I'll just say that at one point she was laying on the ground in a wedding dress with her feet up in the air. Don't believe me? Ok... here you go:

I told you we were crazy. The salesman had no idea what to do with us. Here's a normal picture of us:

Ok, seriously. Here's one:

That night we just ate an extremely overpriced meal in the hotel restaurant (though, it was good) and then hung out in the room. I waited around until Rebecca was done with meetings on Tuesday and then we headed to Newport Beach! We ended up renting a bright yellow, double-seater bicycle and rode along the beach. It was amazing... and we looked like idiots. Haha!

After that, we drove around for a bit and then went to eat in Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach did NOT live up to the hype. It's a kind of sleepy, residential town. Nice enough, but not too exciting. Oh well.

Sadly, Rebecca had to head back home on Wednesday morning, so she didn't get to come to my apartment here in LA. That means she'll have to come back soon, though! I really do hope my family gets to come out here soon. I miss them, and it'd just be fun to show them around. It's such a cool city, and it'd be fun to have them here. Not sure if that'll happen, though, considering how far away it is.

The rest of this week has been spent waiting to get booked for some extra work jobs and not getting booked. Fun, huh? No. I guess the Lord just wanted me to have some time to slow down and remember to trust Him. I actually had a great time last night with a group of college students from Oregon (a friend of mine, Aubrey, has a sister thats with the group doing mission work in Compton, so thats how we connected with them) at this inner city church. There were some special musical artists there, who were... different. All the students had such a great energy and passion for Christ, which was really encouraging to see. I loved talking with them and sort of feeling like I was back on some youth group mission trip. Man, I miss those days of careless living! After we went and got some pretty disgusting shakes at some shady place in Inglewood, Aubrey and I took the Red Dragon (thats what I call her car. It's a bright red firebird) to Santa Monica and jumped in the ocean! It was so random and spontaneous and freezing cold. I loved it!

Today I just went and read a little up at Runyon Canyon up in the Hollywood Hills. It's so awesome! Tons of people go up there to run or take their dogs on walks (there's dogs everywhere), and there's usually a few celebrities. I finally got booked for some work tomorrow, so I'll be shooting some promo for MTV where I'll be a male gymnast. Haven't done any tumbling in quite some time, so this could be interesting. I think I've still got some in me if they need it! We'll see.

Alright. I'm done. Hopefully I'll have some more jobs lined up for this next week, so I'll keep you updated!

Robby

My First Feature Film!

2009-03-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

... as an extra. Which is still fairly exciting to me! It was the new "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" movie. Booya. And I'm not kidding about the "Squeakquel" part. It kind of frustrates me how Alvin gets all the attention. Why is that? Just cause he has some sweet hoodie now? I don't like it. Not one bit. I have a feeling Simon and Theodore will eventually revolt or just become heavily addicted to some life altering substance... as will Alvin. It's sad, really.

Anyway, I won't tell you all the good secrets (like I know any), but I will tell you that the chipmunks have made it to high school! Alvin is of course doing great. Voted "Most Popular," class president, prom king, etc. Simon is goth. And Theodore is flunking out and got his girlfriend pregnant. Just kidding about the majority of those statements... I hope. All I really know is that I got paid to sit around on a beautiful sunny day for 8 hours in the quad-like area on the campus of Cal State with snacks and a full lunch and then go sit in a high school auditorium for 4 hours and pretend I was watching imaginary chipmunks perform. Seriously?!?! Yes... seriously. I did this along with 350 other extras. 350 x $8/hour x 14 hours (including overtime) + catering = $40,000 (approximately... and thats not including SAG extras who get double the pay of non-union extras). Wow. I hadn't thought about that until just now as I typed it all out. Thats insane.

It really was a fun day, though. My new friend Phillip was also booked as an extra, so we hung out most of the day and ended up having a really great conversation with a girl who was an atheist. It's so cool/frustrating to see that we as humans can do nothing to draw others to Christ. We can present the message of who He is and what He's done for us, but He has to be the one to open their hearts to that truth. I'm not sure how our conversation will impact the girl (her name was Kara), but I really do hope the Lord softens her heart. She was a really sweet girl. Sadly, I haven't taken many opportunities like that to share my faith, but it was so great! It's definitely good to have your faith challenged to really think about what you believe and why you believe it. I was really convicted to hide the Word in my heart more and be more intentional about sharing with others. I have no doubt He'll provide plenty of opportunities!

More exciting news... I booked work to stand-in for Neil Patrick Harris, which means that I'll literally stand-in for him on scenes when the crew is setting up lighting and shots so that Neil doesn't have to be there doing that tedious stuff. I am SO thankful to have gotten this position because it pays a good bit more than extra work, and I definitely need the money to cover my bills. As far as I know I'll only be booked for that one day (this coming Monday), but I guess there's a chance they might use me again for other work Neil does. That would be so great!

I'm also beginning a shoot for a student film tonight. We're filming it in a grocery store tonight and tomorrow night from 10pm to 4am. Crazy, I know. I'll just have to sleep during the day for the next two days! It's going to be a really fun shoot, and the story line is hilarious. Hopefully I'll be able to post the final video on here or something. The basic outline of the story is that 3 people are going to have a all out battle for the last remaining bottle of chocolate syrup. Should be interesting.

I still have moments of extreme homesickness and gut fears wondering what I'm doing out here, but as I've said so many times the Lord has been SO incredibly faithful to show me that this is definitely where I'm supposed to be for now. I have no doubt that He has a plan, and even though I don't know where His plan is leading I'm following as best I can. He is good. So good.

Love and miss you all... unless I don't know you... or if I don't like you (but there's very few of those people out there, and I doubt they're reading this blog),
Robby

Full-time Extra

2009-03-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

After talking with a friend of mine who's out here doing extra work full-time, I'm going to try and pay my bills by doing purely extra work. I didn't think it'd be financially possible for me to survive on just background work, but if I get consistent work then it should work out. I'm excited about this because it's flexible, I enjoy it, and it allows me to be on movie and tv sets and learn from watching! Just pray I get enough work to pay my bills!

This past week I was booked for a Bollywood film that I learned today has been cancelled. Pretty frustrating. We had two days of rehearsal because we were gonna be part of a wedding dance scene. So, I spent two days learning choreography and not doing extra work to have the project cancelled. It's not nearly as bad for me as it is for everyone who's been involved in the project thus far. That would be miserable.

On Thursday, I got to work on the pilot for a show called "Lily." It's a spin-off of "Gossip Girl" set in 1983. I was part of a huge group of extras who were dressed as 1983 rockers. I was put into some maroon pants, a torn up maroon, blue, green, and tan knit sweater with diamond design, maroon suspenders, and black boots with yellow snakeskin accents. I looked ridiculous. Then they put a ton of eye makeup on me that made me look like David Bowie. Hilarious. Most of the day was spent sitting in this shady warehouse south of downtown LA where I met quite a few interesting people. We filmed in this basement room that had been spray painted with graffiti and stuff to look like a club scene. We were supposed to be rocking out to the band "Snowed Out" which actually turned out to be "No Doubt." I'm serious. I was in the same room as Gwen Stefani and the rest of No Doubt filming a TV show. Where the heck am I?! Haha! The lead character is played by Brittany Snow, so it was pretty cool to see her. The episode will air on May 11, so be on the lookout!

I also met some really fun background actors toward the end of the night, so we had a lot of fun acting like idiots together. My "background family" as we began calling ourselves consisted of Joy, Sarah, Michael, and me. They were hilarious, and I hope we get to work together again soon.

This week Jared DeVirgilis and his girlfriend Rachel also came in town! I can't believe that I've already had two of my friends come and visit LA since I've been here. It's been really good to have them come and make it feel a bit more like home here. I showed them all the usual LA tourist spots, and I think Jared is now in love with the city. He says he's really gonna consider moving out here, so it'll be interesting to see if anything comes of that. I have a feeling his parents would definitely not be too fond of that idea!

Oh my gosh! Speaking of family... my sister Rebecca got engaged on Friday! Many of you don't know my sister's story, but it's quite interesting how God has moved in her life and all of our lives over the past year. He's definitely been a source of unbelievable strength through a very difficult time for her and our family. It's just so incredible to see how the Lord's plan is worked out. She's engaged to a guy named Lance McCord (this means they'll be two Lances in the Stone family. My other sister Rachel married a Lance), and he's been a great friend of hers since the 9th grade (although, he remembers her from when they were in 5th grade together... crazy, I know). I have a feeling that he's always had a crush on her. Of course, everyone had a crush on Rebecca. If you've ever met her, you can see why. Anyway... he was a senior with her when I was a freshman at Grissom, and he was sort of my "big brother" on the track team. After I graduated and went off to Samford, he would apparently stop by my parent's house and visit with them from time to time even though all of us (the kids) were gone. How awesome is that?! So... after years of being separated and many life experiences later, they met back up and something was different about their relationship. They started dating, and I'm pretty sure they knew right away that this was it. I have no doubt that Lance loves her more than any other guy ever could, and I'm so excited for them! Also, Luke absolutely loves Lance, which makes everything even better. Here's a picture of the two of them from Christmas:

And another one of Luke, Rebecca, and Lance (they're crazy):

Alright. I'm gonna end on that news, cause it can't get any better! Hope you're all doing well, and I'll post again soon!

Robby

More to Come

2009-03-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a pretty busy past few days, and I'll elaborate on that soon, but I thought it might be time for a "Celebrity Sighting Update!!!"

Don't forget. They're people just like you and me. It's just fun to keep track of who I see.

On Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills:
- Elizabeth Berkley

In Kitchen 24 (such a good restraurant):
- David Moscow

In church at Bel Air Presbyterian:
- Billy Bush

On the set of "Chuck" filming at Hollywood First Presbyterian:
- Chevy Chase
- Zack Levi

At the House of Blues in Hollywood:
- Matt Wertz

On a street corner in Hollywood. No... he's not a hooker. He was doing an interview:
- Cooper Anderson

On the set of "Lily" filming at some shady warehouse south of downtown:
- Brittany Snow
- Gwen Stephani (plus all of "No Doubt")

Hope to tell you about the past few days soon! I'm heading out now to hang out with Jared DeVirgilis and his girlfriend Rachel. They drove out here this week! I have the greatest friends ever. Seriously. I miss you all!

Robby

Why do I not trust Him sometimes?

2009-03-09T19:37:00.001-07:00

God is SO GOOD! Like I just posted earlier, I signed up with Extras Management today, and they just called and have already booked me for work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! It's for an Indian film, and I'm gonna be part of a big dance number. Are you serious?! That's my dream! And I'm being serious! Tuesday and Wednesday will be rehearsal days and then filming will take place on Thursday. Unbelievable. I just had to share that. God really is so good.

Robby

Job Search

2009-03-09T15:33:00.001-07:00

That was the theme of this past week... the job search. And, oh, how fun it is! I spent hours online submitting my resume and searching for jobs and also applied at 6 restaurants. Have I heard back from any of those efforts? Um... no. Right now definitely isn't the time to be looking for a job, but you've got to try, right? I should be completely stressing out, and I admit that I have my moments of panic, but the Lord has been so good in keeping me calm and focused on the fact that He alone can provide. I trust He will.

So, since last week's search was seemingly unsuccessful (obviously the Lord has other plans), I decided to pursue extra work full-time. I wasn't sure I'd be able to make enough money to pay the bills while just doing extra work, but after talking to a friend currently doing full-time extra work, I think it's possible to live off of it! I'm really excited about this because I really do enjoy doing extra work and just being there in the industry. I signed up with Extras Management which is a calling service that books extra work for you so that you don't have to call in and book yourself. This will be EXTREMELY helpful to me because it's really frustrating to try to call in and book yourself. Example... one time I called over 300 times getting a busy signal and when I finally got through the jobs were already filled. Not fun. It's also not fun that Extras Management will cost me $75/ month. Again... it'll be worth it. I hope.

I also met up with a new friend that I was connected to by Katlin Miller (pronounced Cat-lin... not Kate-lin. Get it right or pay the price... $200). Katlin is a friend of mine from high school and my roommate freshman year at Samford. He moved out to LA for a year after our freshman year and met a girl named Aubrey while he was here, so he connected us. I met up with her and a few of her friends at her church (Grace Community Church), which will probably become my new church home. It's where John MacArthur preaches, and when I told my parents where I was they were so excited. John MacArthur is my dad's favorite pastor, so he and my mom were so excited that his church is right up the road! It definitely makes them feel better knowing that I'll have a church home that practices solid, Biblical preaching.

Anyway. It was so good to meet up with Aubrey and her friends! They are extremely sincere and fun, and we had a great time hanging out and getting to know each other. I'm looking forward to hanging out with them quite a bit and building some good relationships out here. It's been fun to start building a community out here.

I also got the chance to meet up with Joel Davis who is a friend of mine from Samford and UCF (University Christian Fellowship... our college ministry) who is now living with his wife in South Pasadena. He really is one of the nicest guys ever, and it was such an encouragement to talk with him about his current experience and what the Lord is doing in both of our lives through the move out west. I'm excited to see how God uses him. He's one of the most talented musicians I've ever known. I have a feeling there's big things ahead for him. I actually attended his church in San Marino on Sunday night and really enjoyed the tight-knit community they're building there. It's a bit too far for me to want to make it my home church, but it'll definitely be a place I want to go every once-in-a-while to reconnect with the people there.

Though it could have been a somewhat frustrating and discouraging week, God was so faithful in providing people and advice at the perfect time to help me refocus on the Lord and His goodness. My experience out here thus far has been completely different than I had expected, but I have consistently felt a calm and a peace about being here. I really don't have any idea where the Lord is leading me or what He wants me to do yet, but all I can do at this point is take small steps in the direction I feel He's leading. It's the most exciting and difficult test of faith I've ever been through, but I know He's growing me in ways I could have never grown.

All this to say... God is good.

Alright. Hopefully I'll be busy with 12 hour days on set doing extra work on random shows (hopefully some feature films!). I still haven't seen any of the shows that I've worked on yet, so it'll be funny whenever that happens. Keep praying that the Lord will provide some great opportunities and continue introducing me to wonderful friends. I appreciate the prayers more than you know! I miss all of you back in B'ham, and I hope to make it back sometime soon. Not sure what "soon" means yet, but we'll see.

Robby

A month into this thing.

2009-03-02T23:06:00.000-08:00

So, I left Birmingham on my way to Los Angeles one month ago today. Strange, huh? I really can't believe its been that long already. Although, some days it feels much longer than a month. Life is funny like that.

I was fortunate enough to have a friend from B'ham come and visit LA this past weekend for her birthday. She stayed with Danielle Broome, and we had such a great time! Of course we hit all the usual Los Angeles hot spots (Hollywood and Highland, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica pier, Venice Beach, etc.), which is always fun. However, the best part about the weekend besides spending time with great friends was the celebrity siting. Yep. We saw a few this weekend... and I saw some today. This is the best picture we had from the weekend:

First, we went to the House of Blues to see Matt Wertz perform on Friday night, and he was great! Honestly, though, the band that opened for Matt was my favorite part of the night (The Alternate Routes). The lead singer was unbelievable, and the music was really fun. Seeing Matt was kind of like seeing a celebrity. Kind of. Anyway... after the concert we headed over to Kitchen 24, which was awesome by-the-way, and as we were sitting there who walks in? David "Freakin'" Moscow. Ok, so I didn't really know his name right when I saw him, but I knew he was famous. Then it finally hit me... "Newsies!" He was the main kid in "Newsies" besides Christian "Anger Management" Bale. Awesome. You have no idea how excited I was unless you know how much I love "Newsies."

Saturday was spent doing some touristy stuff, which was fun. The next day I went to church at Bel Air Presbyterian, and who was sitting in front of me? Billy Bush (Another celebrity that I wouldn't have been able to name without some help). You probably know Billy from his work on Access Hollywood as a news anchor. He seemed like a really nice guy.

After church we went to Sprinkles to get some famous cupcakes and then heading over to Malibu for dinner at the Malibu Seafood Cafe. So good, but I felt so sick afterwards cause I ate so much. I had to go to sleep pretty early cause I had an 8:00am call for the show "Chuck" where I played a wedding guest. It was a long day, for sure, but I really enjoyed the cast and crew of "Chuck." They were really nice and appreciative of us (which is sometimes not the case when you're doing extra work), so it's always nice to work in that kind of environment. Plus, I was able to see the star of "Chuck," Zack Levi, and Chevy Chase stopped by for some reason. Random. It's always so funny to see these people out here, cause you feel like you know them, but you don't. And they'll probably never know who you are. Although, some of my friends here are good friends with Zack, so maybe he will know me someday. We shall see.

Oh. And please keep praying about the job search. I'm planning on spending time tomorrow applying to different places in hopes of finding a way to financially support myself while I'm out here. I wish doing extra work full time would provide me with enough money to cover the bills, but it just won't. I know the Lord has something for me, so now I've just got to be patient for Him to open the door.

Alright. This is long. I'm sure I left out something exciting. Oh! I did! We had a new roommate move in this weekend. The old guy (who was really nice and cool), Ben is his name, ended up moving out, but this awesome guy Josh moved into his place! I'm really pumped cause he seems like a really chill, great guy that will mesh well. God has been so faithful to take care of situations like that so far. He's incredible.

Oh my gosh! I don't know if I've talked about the "Garden of Oz" that we found in the Hollywood Hills, but Dwight, Danielle, and I found it the first Sunday I got here. The garden is right off of a road in the Hollywood Hills, and it's made of winding paths of brightly colored tiles and glass stones, jewels and random toys/ statues. I can't even begin to describe it. Anyway, the first time we found it, I put a note in the "Garden of Oz" mailbox requesting entry to the garden, but never heard anything. Well... watch the video below and you'll see what happened this time around.

Also, I miss my family and friends a whole lot. The newness and excitement of the move is beginning to fade away and the reality of the situation is hitting. It's tough. I have no doubt that this is still where I'm supposed to be, but that doesn't mean it's easy at all. I just hope they all know how much I love them.

OH! And I freaking missed the snow in Birmingham. That really does make me mad. Lord... you really are hilarious. I love snow so much, and it hasn't snowed in B'ham ONCE since I've lived there (No. I don't count tiny slivers of ice falling out of the sky as snow), and then right when I move it snows like crazy! What the heck?! I'm glad all my family and friends got to enjoy it for me, though. It really did make me sad to miss it.

I think thats it. Yeah... thats it.

I'll check in again soon,
Robby

And I'm humbled...

2009-02-24T22:50:00.000-08:00

I was DESTROYED in an open hip hop class at Millenium Dance Complex tonight! Hilarious! Apparently an "open" class in Los Angeles means anyone can come... including ridiculously good people. And "open" also means really hard choreography learned at an extremely fast pace. I think the fast-paced part is what killed me. I could learn the moves if we just did it a little slower. I'm so glad no one was recording it! Actually. I kind of wish I could see how ridiculous I looked! I will definitely be going back, though, but I might start out with a beginner class. I'm just hoping that wasn't their idea of a "beginner" class. No. It couldn't have been.

Anyway... all that to say that I was humbled and probably needed it. It's always good to fall flat on your face occasionally and learn to get back up. And I face planted big time tonight! Loved it... but definitely face planted.

In other news... I was on the set of "Cold Case" again today. I really love doing that show. The crew is so nice, and being a character from another time is really fun. Today I was a "railbird" from 1963. A railbird is a person who watches pool. Therefore, we were sitting around in a pool hall watching two guys play pool. Most of your time spent doing background work consists of sitting around in a holding area until they need you and then repeating scenes over and over again once you are on set. Strangely enough... I love it. It's just really great being right there in the action, and there's so much to learn! I mean, you're standing there right beside these actors who have been in the business and you get to watch them act right in front of you. So great. I really hope I never take for granted the opportunity to do this sort of thing and get paid for it. Please punch me if I do. In the face. Hard.

Oh. And if you watch "Cold Case" and happen to see me (which you should on the episode we filmed today, which was episode 21, because I was right behind the two main guys for most of the scene) you will notice that I have some of the most amazing glasses ever created. I can't believe I'm going to be wearing them on national television. You're gonna laugh. A lot. And to top it off, my hair was slicked down and parted to the side. Wow. Yeah... I'm not gonna tell you when it's airing.

So, apparently today was the day of humbling from the Lord. Lets hope tomorrow is the day of building up because I have an interview at Houston's restaurant to become a server! I really need this job, so please pray that it will happen if it's what I'm supposed to do. And if it's not, pray the Lord will show me what I AM supposed to do.

Feeling 2 feet tall (and ok with that),
Robby

Is it a blanket?

2009-02-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

My friend Danielle is currently house and dog sitting for a friend of hers who lives in the Hollywood Hills. Since we're continuing our LOST marathon and the house she's at has a HUGE tv and surround sound, we've had quite a time watching the show. On Friday night we were at the house, and we saw two blankets. These "blankets" turned out to be Snuggies. Yeah. The ridiculous blankets with sleeves that are really just robes you wear backwards. Hilarious. It's moments like these that I'm so glad I carry around my camera.

You can't tell me this isn't a backwards robe.

Snuggies do make everyday tasks so much more simple... while keeping you cuddly warm!

If this hasn't convinced you to go buy a bathrobe and wear it around backwards, then I'm not sure what will.

Robby

Starting at Zero

2009-02-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

I'm now done with all the detail work that comes with moving (dealing with insurance, getting a new license/ registration, furniture, etc), and I'm hoping to now take the steps to get into the whole entertainment business! I signed up with Central Casting, and they handle a lot of the extra/background work in LA. I actually booked extra work for the show "Cold Case" this past Friday night where I played a "party-goer" from 1958. It was awesome. I loved being on set and seeing how the whole production thing works! Even though I was pretty much just standing around/walking around for the majority of the night, I really did love it.

I'm hoping I'll be able to book enough extra work to live off of, but I'm not sure that'll work out. Extra work doesn't really pay the big bucks. Haha! It's a difficult place to be, though, because while I need to make money to actually stay out here, I also need to have the freedom to book auditions and extra work. It's frustrating. I'm just praying that the Lord will either provide me with a job that allows for flexibility in scheduling or that I'll start booking some bigger things to help out financially and provide some great experience. Oh. And you can definitely pray that I'll get my 3 SAG vouchers as quickly as possible. In short... getting into SAG will mean I get 2x's more money and have a lot more opportunities. Which would be HUGE.

Today I actually booked another "Cold Case" background actor spot, so I'm excited about that! I'm not sure if getting booked multiple times on the same show will help to get my SAG vouchers, but I feel like it definitely couldn't hurt. Anyway... I'm just excited to finally be getting paid for doing something that I love. It's fun.

Oh! And Danielle Broome (a friend of mine from Samford who's lived out here for a while) and I started watching the "LOST" series, and we're trying to catch up to the current season. It's been a good distraction so that I'm not sitting around thinking about how far away from home I am. However, the realization that I'm away from family kind of started to hit when I thought about how my family is gonna be at our lake house this weekend, and I won't be there. Thats gonna be weird.

Alright. I'm off to a weekly Bible study now, but I'll keep you updated! As always, thank you for your prayers! Miss you all.

Robby

My Apartment

2009-02-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

I was told that it would be good for everyone back home to see pictures of where I'll be living so that they can imagine me there in day to day life and feel more secure about me being away from home. I thought that was a pretty great idea that made sense to me, so here's some pics of the new place!

The outside of our building.

View down the my street. It's a really safe, residential area. Such a blessing.

View from right inside the glass, front doors of the building.

View from the front door of our apartment.

Living room

Living room again.

Kitchen

This is the upstairs bathroom that I use. There's another half bath downstairs and a full bath in the master bedroom upstairs.

My bedroom (It's tiny, but I love it)

My IKEA dresser. Not quite big enough, but it'll do.

I got this bookcase for $10. Booya.

If you know me well, then this picture will make you laugh. Hopefully there'll be a desk right in this spot soon to put this stuff on.

View from my bedroom window. I wish it were a prettier day, but it gives you an idea.

So... there you have it. The new place. It really has been such a blessing having a place to call home right when I got here. And the fact that I have great roommates and love the area is unbelievable. God really has been so good.

Hope to have some fun stories soon!
Robby

Wow... the big city.

2009-02-11T23:49:00.000-08:00

It's been a while! I think Los Angeles makes time go faster. Seriously. I can't believe I've already been here a week! And I haven't made one dime! In fact... I've spent quite a few dimes instead. Hopefully that'll change soon. Actually, it has to, or I'll be coming home much sooner than I would like.

Hmmm. How to sum up this past week... overwhelming? I think that'd be an appropriate word. Overwhelmingly crowded/ huge/ difficult/ emotional/ fast-paced/ exciting/ interesting/ humbling/ etc. I think I've gone through more emotions this week than I've gone through in a long, long time. I've had to remind myself 100 times that the Lord brought me out here, so I'm supposed to be out here. That He's in control and is completely sovereign in this situation. That He's going to take care of me as long as I follow and stay grounded in Him.

Dwight was so great in helping me adjust to the city. He helped me get furniture for my room, encouraged me when I got overwhelmed, and accompanied me to all the cliche LA sites. With the help of our incredible friend from Samford, Danielle Broom, who lives out here, we visited the Kodak Theater, Chinese Theater (As the picture shows, my hands and feet are the same size as Mr. Brad Pitt's. Booya), hiked up near the HOLLYWOOD sign, went to Pinkberry and In-And-Out Burger, Beverly Hills, etc. It really was fun to see all of the places you've grown up hearing about. Dwight and I kept on having the realization that we were in Los Angeles, and we would just laugh. It was bizarre. Still is.

We had our first celebrity citing while we were walking down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Right there on the sidewalk in front of us was Elizabeth Berkley (also known as Jessie Spannow from Saved By The Bell). It was awesome. We actually saw her again at a cafe. She sat right in the front window probably hoping someone would see her. No one did... except us. Apparently Saved By The Bell isn't a big deal in today's society. Sad, huh?

The HOLLYWOOD sign was fun to see. I was sad that you can no longer go right up to the sign, though. Apparently an actress hung herself from one of the "O's" a while ago, and they don't let people near the sign anymore. Sorry for the downer. Oh! And did you know the sign used to say "HOLLYWOODLAND?" I'm still not sure why they took the "LAND" part down, but I guess that was a little long. I wonder where those letters are...

The reality that I was now living in LA slowly sank in throughout the week. I still think it's sinking in and will continue to, and I'll have to remind myself that the Lord brought me out here. He's teaching me something, for sure. A big part is just to completely trust Him. The whole entertainment business here in Los Angeles has been really eye-opening. I'm going to have to trust the Lord more than I've ever had to before regarding where He's leading me. It's a rough business. Very rough. I have to maintain faith that Christ is able to use Christians and impact lives in a field that is extremely opposed to Christianity. He's so much bigger than anything here, and I have to remember that.

Please continue to pray that the Lord will lead me where He desires, and that He'll provide for me emotionally, relationally, and financially. I'm so excited to see what He teaches me in this time of uncertainty. He's so good.

Below are some pictures from our time spent in Malibu. We went there last Thursday to meet our friends Jeremiah and Sarah Wolf Sizemore who are driving their RV all around the country. It was so good to see them and just spend some time relaxing with friends I love. It helps to be in a place like Malibu, too. Such a beautiful place. The last picture is from the Santa Monica pier. I want to go back there when the weather is better and the rides are open.

Appreciating your prayers and encouragement,
Robby

LA Roadtrip, Day 3 (Delux Version)

2009-02-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

So, we left our hotel in Albuquerque, NM at around 7am to head off to the Grand Canyon. We were so excited to get there and have the chance to get out of the car for a while and get a little exercise. Of course, when we crossed the line into Arizona another video had to be made. And here it is:

After making that incredible video, we continued on our way to the Grand Canyon. We stopped for gas in Flagstaff, which I think I'll have to go back to someday to stay for a bit. It looked incredible. It was just the perfect little mountain town right at the bottom of a beautiful, snow-covered mountain. While at the gas station I noticed that a fairly large line was forming at a drive-thru restaurant adjacent to us... so, of course, I had to go there for lunch to see what the big deal was. The big deal was their burgers and fries. They really were so good. I love random restaurants. You never know what you're gonna get.

After lunch, we continued on to the Grand Canyon. My GPS ended up taking us through two awesome national parks before we got to the canyon, which I loved. One of the parks was up in the mountains, and snow from a storm in December was still covering the ground. I have a slight obsession with snow, so I had to pull over and play in it for a bit. It was amazing.

After my snow stop, we headed down the mountain and arrived at the canyon. Words and even pictures and videos can't describe how incredible the Grand Canyon is. But I'll try...

We left the Grand Canyon at sundown so that we wouldn't die there. It was so cold. We were just going to drive a few hours toward Los Angeles and stop at a hotel for the night, but I was feeling pretty good and really didn't want to spend anymore money on a hotel, so we just drove the entire 7 hours that night and made it to LA at about 2 am.

LA is huge. Incomprehensibly huge. I'm still not sure I understand quite how large it is, and I drove through it. Well... part of it. I thought I would be completely overwhelmed and somewhat terrified when we actually arrived in the city, but all I really felt was excitement. I really think I'm going to like it here. I know, I know. I just got here. But I know I'm here for a reason, and God has been so faithful to affirm the decision to move here. I know I'm right where He wants me, and thats all I need to know!

I'm currently posting this blog from Malibu where I'm visiting my friends Jeremiah and Sarah Wolf Sizemore. They're incredible, and Malibu is incredible... so, needless to say, it's been a great time! I'll post some pictures from here tomorrow. I don't want to overload you with beauty.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement! Please keep them coming as the most difficult part of my move is probably yet to come. I'll keep the blog updated with any exciting news!

Robby

LA Roadtrip, Day 3

2009-02-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

I don't really have time right now to write a post that can explain how incredible today was. All I can say is... the Grand Canyon. Unreal. I'll write a good post in the next couple days complete with pictures and videos.

Oh yeah. And we went ahead and drove to Los Angeles tonight! Got here around 2:00 am! Really strange to actually be here.

I'll write a better post soon. Just wanted you to know I'm here safe and sound!

Robby

LA Roadtrip, Day 2

2009-02-03T22:21:00.001-08:00

So, Texas is HUGE. Yeah. I didn't understand that until I had to drive across it. And I didn't even go from one end to the other, really. We missed the "panhandle" by going up through what I've deemed the "chimney." Figure that one out.

Now we're at the Holiday Inn Express here in Albuquerque, NM ready for a good night's sleep before we head to the Grand Canyon tomorrow! We're so excited about that! I've been to the canyon once before when I was in 6th grade or so, and it was unbelievable. I imagine I'll have an even greater appreciation for it now, so I'm really excited to see it again.

Today was the longest leg of our trip, so we spent most of the day driving. We did, however, make a random stop at an incredible antique shop. It was enormous and filled with pretty much anything you could think of! The pictures below should give you an idea of what it was like. So bizarre.

Here's a shot out of the front windshield of the sun setting in New Mexico. I can't wait for the sunset at the Grand Canyon!

And, of course... the "welcome to a new state" video.

New Mexico Line:

LA Roadtrip, Day 1

2009-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

The trip began with an excitement that lasted all the way to Dallas, TX where we stopped for the night. The drive was definitely long, but we filled the time with music, singing, listening to the "Through Painted Deserts" audiobook, and solving riddles provided by my incredible family friend Britney (Dwight and I are quickly becoming riddle masters). At about hour 6 into the trip, I began to realize just how far away Los Angeles actually is from the home and people that I love. It's far. Really, really far. Even though this fact is beginning to hit me, I still have no doubt that I'm supposed to go! Only the Lord could give me that kind of confidence in the face of over 2,000 miles between me and the comforts of home.

Once we arrived in Dallas, we met up with Danielle Greenwade (our wonderful friend from Samford University) who is now attending Dallas Theological Seminary. We went to a delicious restaurant called "Chuy's" and then headed back to her house and hung out with her friends from school. We're excited to continue on our journey tomorrow as we head to Albuquerque, NM (our longest leg of the roadtrip), but we'll be sad to leave Danwade. This just means we'll have to come back to visit her and her hilarious friends in Dallas again soon! Check out a few of our videos from the day below!

Leaving B'ham:

Mississippi Line:

Louisiana Line:

Texas Line:

I'm sure we'll have more videos to come (hopefully some that don't take place in the car). Keep on praying!

Robby

Last day at A Bryan Photo

2009-01-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

So, today is my last day at my place of employment... the one and only A Bryan Photo. It's definitely bitter sweet to leave this job because it really has been the most incredible job I've ever had. I love the guys I work with and enjoy the position I have (client relations), but I still feel like I need to make the move to LA. Gotta chase the dream! You can preview a bit of the ridiculousness that I contributed to while working here by checking out the videos posted below and those on the ABP Vimeo site:

A Bryan Zombie from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

The SW IT LIST Scooter Tricks from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

Josh is Engaged!!! from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

See what I mean. I promise we got real work done... occasionally.

Hopefully my move to LA will result in an even larger number of videos like this. However, it'll be hard to find a cast quite like the one I had at ABP. Bryan, Josh, Branden, Jeremy, Rob, Caleb, Jeremiah, Chase (and even intern Patrick)... you're all incredible. Come see me out in Cali. I'll miss you all.

Robby

Just One Week

2009-01-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

A week. I only have a week left before I move to Los Angeles, CA. I'm not sure I can really process that.

I imagine the reality that I'm moving to California will eventually hit, but right now I'm mostly excited. Not that saying bye to my sisters and mom this morning was easy at all. My sister Rebecca, her son Luke, and my mom drove over from Atlanta, GA last night to see me sing with the praise team at Brook Hills and spend some time with me before I head off. My incredible dad would have come if he could, but I don't think First Baptist Church Jonesboro would have had a very good time of worship at their Sunday night service if their Minister of Music hadn't been there! We all met up this morning with my other sister Rachel and her daughter Faith to eat breakfast before saying our goodbyes.

I hate goodbyes. They always make me wonder why I'm leaving the people I love most and going off somewhere that they won't be. But I have to remember that the Lord takes us to the places that will bring Him the most glory, not the places where we're always most comfortable. How can I be challenged to truly have faith in Christ and rely on Him when I'm constantly surrounded by things that make my life easy and comfortable. This experience has already opened my eyes to the sovereignty of the Lord and His power and desire to take care of us, and I'm sure I'm just seeing the beginning of what He's going to teach me. That's why I'm going. There's so much for Him to show me and so much knowledge to gain that I might never learn from the comfort of where I am right now. Will it be hard? Of course. Will I get lonely? Definitely. But, will Christ become more real to me than He's ever been before? I have no doubt that He will!

I don't know how this move to LA will pan out, but I know that I can make the move in confidence that the Lord is leading the way. His hand is COMPLETELY in this, and I just have to trust His leading. I'm excited about the road ahead. The long, long road. Haha! Keep me in your prayers!

Robby

The Journey Will Be Long

2009-01-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

Dwight and I went over the route we're planning to take on our now 4 day drive out to Los Angeles, and we're really excited! We were gonna try and make it to LA in 3 days, but decided that if you're gonna be driving literally right by the Grand Canyon you're pretty much required to go a bit out of the way and see it. The planning has, however, made me realize how expensive traveling can be. The Lord will provide as He always has. Already He's placed an incredible friend (Danielle Greenwade, aka "Danewad") in Dallas for us to stay with, but the two other stops on the way are looking like hotel stays. I'm also praying that gas continues to stay low since we'll be using quite a bit of it.

It looks like our three stops will be Dallas, TX, Albuquerque, NM (home of the East High Wildcats. Yeah... High School Musical. I'm a complete loser), and Grand Canyon Village, AZ. If anyone knows somewhere we could crash for the night in the 2nd two locations, that would be amazing. You can also help to fund my move to the big city by sending any amount of money (nothings too small and nothings too big) to my house here in Birmingham:

Robby Stone
1108 Iredell Circle
Birmingham, AL 35209

Shameless begging. How did that happen?

Seriously, though, the main thing we'll need are your prayers. They're much more valuable to me than money. I can't wait to see what this trip out there has in store! I'll definitely keep you updated with photos and descriptions of everything we come across! I need to settle down. I still have 3 weeks before I leave.

Robby

God is so incredible.

2009-01-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

One of my worries with moving to LA is that I don't have anywhere to live. I've been checking Craigslist everyday for various possibilities, and I can't tell you how discouraging that can be (look at "rooms and shares" on Craigslist in LA, and you'll see what I mean). I've also been looking through the listings on a site that Bel Air Presbyterian Church has for people looking for roommates. I had seen a couple potential possibilities that could work, but nothing really seemed right.

I was checking it out today, and a listing popped up for 2 guys who need a roommate in Studio City (the main area I was wanting to live). Rent looked good, location looked great, the place seemed nice. So, I emailed the guy and let him know I was interested right before I checked to see if he was on facebook. Of course, he was on facebook, and I noticed that we had a mutual friend. My friend Ian Smith had lived out in LA for a while and then moved to B'ham and worked with Booster Enterprises with me. He's an awesome guy, and I thought it was incredibly ironic (or just God being amazing) that out of everyone in LA this guy looking for a roommate knew Ian. I called Ian and he told me the guy renting out the room was awesome and he'd let him know we were friends. I then decided that I didn't want to miss this opportunity, so I called the number that was listed on the website, and ended up talking to the guy for about 20 minutes. Ends up he's an incredible Christian from Nashville, TN who's been out in LA for about 5 years. He leads a Bible study every Wednesday night. He's going to be a youth pastor out in LA. And the set up in the apartment he's living in is perfect for me. Unreal. I told him I'd take some time to pray about it and maybe have my friends come look at the place, but I had such a peace about living there that I immediately emailed him to let him know I wanted the spot if his roommate was ok with it. So... I have a place to live! And not just that, but a solid, Christian friend to live with!

I cannot express how unbelievably blessed I feel right now. Not only because God has placed this awesome living situation in my lap, but also because I really feel like He's confirming this decision to move to LA. I've been trying to keep my desire to pursue performance from clouding my views as to whether or not the Lord is leading me to move to LA, and this really has encouraged me that I'm moving in HIS direction. I'm just so humbled by how Christ is working through this situation and so excited about the faith that He's building in me!

God is so good. I don't deserve it, but He's so good.

Keep praying! I know there will be struggles ahead, but I'm confident that Christ is in control.
Robby

Life is funny...

2009-01-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

I figured it was time to tell all of our faithful blog readers... yes, all none of you... that I will be moving to Los Angeles, CA in February. This decision has come after a lifelong struggle with my dreams of pursuing a career in the entertainment business. And I'm being serious when I say lifelong struggle. Since I can remember, I've always wanted to do something in performance, so I figured now is as good a time as any.

Though the idea of moving approximately 2,000 miles across the country, far from my incredible family, friends, and familiarity, terrifies me at times, I really do feel like the Lord is leading me to take this leap of faith. I just feel like He has so much to teach me and so many new ways to mold me into His image. I'm sure I can't even imagine how challenging this journey will be for me emotionally, physically (driving to LA will definitely have it's effects), and spiritually, but I trust that Christ will sustain and guide me... even if He guides me right back to B'ham in a few months.

I could definitely go into my list of fears and concerns, but I'm trying to remind myself of the power and sovereignty of Christ and not dwell on worries. However, I do think it's healthy to have a realistic view of what life will be like for me out there and the kinds of struggles I will face. There are many, but God is good. I just ask that anyone who reads this pray for a few things:

- That, by the grace of the Lord, I would be given strength to withstand the temptations to compromise or be weakened in my faith (Everyone, no matter how strong, is susceptible to sin. I realize that God alone can save me from that).
- That I would truly be a light in the lives of the people I meet in LA, and they would see something different in me.
- That I will find a solid church that will help me to grow in my relationship with Christ and allow me to have uplifting fellowship with other believers.
- That God will reveal His plan for my life and how He wants me to serve Him in order to bring Him glory.
- That I will have so much fun just getting out there and trying something new!
- That if I'm supposed to let go of my "dreams" and come back home, I would do it.

I'm hoping to provide updates on life in LA and the journey out there (Dwight Castle and I will start the drive to LA on Feb. 2, and then he'll take a one-way flight back to B'ham... yeah... it's gonna be hilarious). I'm sure there will be days of ridiculous and hilarious stories and days of loneliness and homesickness. I guess that's all part of life, though. I look forward to the journey ahead and what the Lord has in store. Your prayers and encouragement are sure to be an invaluable source of strength and comfort.

Robby

Does John have a lazy eye?

2008-12-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

Yep. I think he does.

Or maybe Jackie is so beautiful that his right eye just always migrates toward her. That must be it.

Or he's thinking... "dang, that baby is so stupid" as he's looking at it (with his right eye) in disgust. More likely than the Jackie thing.

Actually, he's probably just wondering when he can eat his ham and cheese sandwich and carrot sticks that he brought with him to the Olan Mills studio for lunch. Keeping an eye on it over there in the corner. Making sure Sue, the photographer's assistant, doesn't sneak a taste.

I'm frustrated...

2008-12-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

FedEx is expensive. The end.

Ok. I'll expound. I just sent out two packages through FedEx, and it was far too expensive. The best part about it was coming back to my computer and checking on what it would have cost to send it through USPS... about a 10th of the cost. I'm not even kidding. How the heck does FedEx get away with that?! Is there something I don't know? Oh well. It was a semi-important delivery. Well... potentially important. It will probably end up being a big waste of money, but there's always that chance. I've got you wondering what it was, don't I? Just guess. Some of you will know (that is if anyone even reads this anymore).

Anyway, I need to just get over it. Money isn't important... except that you need it. Everywhere. I hate that. I've just got to learn to be more of a bargain hunter. USPS all the way from now on! Maybe I'll get a second job...

The dictionary on my computer is awesome. How great that you can highlight a word and immediately find out what it means. Amazing. Though I was pretty positive what it meant, I wanted to make sure I used the word "expound" correctly at the beginning of this post. I did. Definition:

- Present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail (Example: "he was expounding a powerful argument" or "he declined to expound on his decision")
- Explain the meaning of (a literary or doctrinal work) (Example: "the abbess expounded the scriptures to her nuns")

I love that they used nuns in their example. I love nuns. Well... nice nuns. When I worked with Booster Enterprises, we spent 2 weeks in a private Catholic school run by nuns (Saint Rose Academy), and they were amazing. I need to go back and see them one of these days. I just tried to find a picture of them on the St. Rose website, but there weren't any. This will have to do...

I'm not saying the nuns were dogs... that picture was just too awesome to pass up. They were actually very well put-together, classy women. More like this:

Alright. I'm gonna go forget that FedEx screwed me.

Promoting USPS,
Robby

Rumors

2008-11-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

A lot of crazy information is spread through little things called rumors. The funny thing about rumors is that you can't be sure whether they're true or not. A lot of times you hope some rumors are false, but a lot of times you also hope other rumors are true. It's all very confusing. For example... I hope the rumor that Carrie Strug is now a man is false, while I hope the rumor that there are no cats in America is true. However... I'm pretty sure the one about cats isn't true. Jeremiah, Dwight, and I hit one in Jeremiah's car the other day. Both right tires. Bump, bump. Oops. It wasn't our fault. I can't help it if a cat with a brain runs underneath two large tires (well... I guess it didn't really have a choice with the second tire. But he could have avoided the first). I mean, we could have swerved and hit the oncoming car in the other lane, but I just don't feel like a little tan colored, cuddly cat with some white stripes and a nice, soft fluffy tale and a collar that said "Our Baby: Missy" was worth that. I bet it was trying to catch and kill some poor defenseless animal anyway, so technically we saved a life. Cat for a chipmunk? I'd call that a good trade.

Anyway... back to rumors. I'm thinking about starting a few of my own. I think they're pretty good. Here's a few of them.

"I heard that Janet Jackson is taking a trip to London for Christmas... and that she's an alien."
- I'm pretty sure everyone will believe this one because we all know how much the Jacksons love London... and we all know they're probably aliens.

"Dragons actually still exist. They're just really shy."
- This one is most likely true, so I don't feel bad about spreading it. Actually... it's probably important that people know this for reasons of personal safety.

"Tyra Banks is actually a parrot."
- Yeah. I'm not sure this one will take off.

So, thats about it. I remind you that rumors are typically a bad thing and shouldn't be spread... unless they're helpful rumors like mine about dragons. Seriously, people, be careful.

Keeping you safe and informed with useless news/speculation,
Robby

Oh...

2008-11-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

And I guess I was "leaving, leaving, leaving" in the post before the post I just made. Make sense? No. Oh well.

I'm gonna make a purchase...

2008-11-09T19:58:00.001-08:00

... and it's gonna be a trampoline.

Yeah. I found one for $40 on Craigslist, and I just don't think I can pass that up. It's not everyday you find a cheap tramp, and I really want to bring back some memories from my younger years when I would jump for hours and hours. Plus... I can't think of a more fun way to get in some physical activity. I could also use some improvement in my acrobatic skills if I'm actually gonna try my hand at the New York entertainment scene (Yes, that's right... I'm thinking about moving to NYC or Nashville within the next year or so to pursue my dreams of singing/ performing), and I feel like this would be a great step towards that training.

Having a trampoline behind the house that I, Dwight Castle, and John Lambuth live could be disastrous, but it's definitely worth the risk. However, I don't think Dwight has medical insurance, so we might not let him use it. Just kidding... maybe. I can only imagine what our neighbors will think when they see guys in their 20's jumping on a trampoline. Not that our perceived image to the neighborhood matters too much to us. In the first week we lived here I filmed a portion of a music video in the driveway with me and 5 of my friends dressed in full gangster attire as residents of our street drove by and wondered how their neighborhood had gone downhill so quickly. We also spent an afternoon doing stupid human tricks in the front yard. Yeah. I'm sure they think we're a bit off.

So, thats it. My thoughts behind making a purchase that I may or may not regret. I'll try to keep you updated, and Jeremiah and I both hope to start being more consistent in our blogging. The previous post before this one was made in May. Thats pretty sad. We'll do better. Well... I'll try. I can't promise anything for Jer. He's a bit occupied with wedding plans at the moment, so he might be MIA for a while. Yes, thats right. If you haven't heard, Jeremiah Wade Sizemore is getting married.

Until next time... hopefully not next year,
Robby

Oh, yes!

2008-05-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's true. I'm back. I know, I know... it's been ridiculously long. But good things are worth the wait, right?

So, I just spent my first full day at my new job. Guess where it is. Wrong. Bryan Johnson's studio. I'm honestly still not quite sure how it all happened, but I'm so glad it did! I love being here, and I'm excited about what's ahead. I think I'm gonna be famous. Can't be sure yet, though.

Anyway. As you might be aware, there's a pretty incredible group of people that work here, so I should have some fun things to write about now. They'll most likely be pretty ridiculous things, but fun things none-the-less. Today our conversation went in an interesting direction, and we were forced to clarify a few things about a commonly used word... "Leaving." Simple though it may seem, this word has many seriously implications when used in different ways. Let me explain:

If you say "I'm leaving." What exactly does that mean? How long are you leaving for? See... confusing stuff. Therefore, I'm going to help unveil the newly developed method for deciphering exactly what one means when using the word "leaving."

If someone says "I'm leaving" using the word "leaving" only once, then that means they are simply leaving their current location for a short period of time (Example: A lunch break).

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving," then that means they are going on a short weekend trip or family vacation most likely around 5-7 days in length.

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving, leaving," then they are planning to be gone for an extended period of time lasting over 2 weeks in length.

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving," then you can be sure that they are moving from their current place of residence to a new residence in a different city. In order to use 4 "leavings" one must be moving at least 1 hour away from their current residence.

If someone says "I'm leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving," then they are planning to die. Simple as that.

I hope the explanation of a this tricky little word will benefit you in some way.

Alright. I'm leaving. Well... I might be leaving, leaving. We'll see. Have a great one, and it's good to be back!

Robby

81 - still alive

2008-03-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

Part of the reason we haven't posted in almost a month, is because Robby and I haven't been in the same place for a really long time and that tends to reduce the amount of ridiculous stuff we come up with. But even that isn't a good excuse, so here's a brief recap of my last month.

- Went to the beach with Chris Oakley, Josh, Caleb, Laura and Laura (or Jaura and Caura if that makes more sense...) to celebrate Leap Day. It was a lot of fun and Chris and I threw the football 1300 times in a row without dropping it. Spectacular, I know...

- Spent almost every night in the basement building random objects. I want to post some pictures sometime...

- Took apart my bed one day when I ran out of wood...I have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor since then.

- Went to LA to see my wonderful sister. It was so great getting to hang out with her and see the life she has been living for the last few months. It was a trip of contrasts as we experienced the highs and lows of that area.

- Got to spend a night and morning with John and Amanda Roberts in Pasadena. It was great hanging out with them fun to get a taste of what their life is like in California.

- Spent some time in Malibu with Jay and Katty Wolf last weekend. Katty was actually on "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" last night...it was pretty entertaining and kind of a crazy story. You can watch it here if you want.

- Went to Vegas to meet up with Bryan, Caleb, and Josh for a photography conference. It was a lot of fun hanging out with those guys, and we met all sorts of interesting people. That city is crazy and it tends to wear me out. Bryan's blog has some pictures from the trip.

- Had $491 dollars taken from my bank account by some car rental agency in Italy. I haven't been there in over a year but they just keep charging my account randomly...so that was fun to try and sort out.

- Now I'm back in Birmingham catching up. Caleb has a big concert tonight for his Grey Haven thing that I will likely go to in a few minutes.

And thats about it...oh yeah, and watching the tournament. Always exciting.

- j(w)s

Macaroni Grill

2008-02-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

You know the deal... whenever you go to Macaroni Grill you are immediately encouraged to draw on your table with the assortment of crayons laid before you. I'm always happy to oblige the restaurant and give them drawings of the highest calibre. Honestly, I often think it ridiculous that they don't immediately take my drawings, rip them off the table, and display them in some glass case for all to see. They have yet to do this, though, so the last time I went I took matters into my own hands. I ripped my drawing out myself and took it home with me. Here it is in three parts:

I know, I know. Amazing. If you'd like a print of the original, just send an email to robbyandjeremiah@gmail.com. If you'd like to treat me to Macaroni Grill sometime in order to further promote this artistic genius, I'm sure we could work something out.

Cause aliens are dumber than rocks,
Robby

29. really confusing contest

2008-01-29T08:56:00.000-08:00

so there is this contest that someone told robby about. apparently its a combination of modeling, singing, dancing, acting, hosting, and some other stuff. basically its really really confusing and we cant figure out how it works.

but the thing is, robby uploaded two videos last night (one of him singing in narnia from last year and one of him pretending that he's a model) and at the moment it says he is ranked 1st and 2nd locally, and 6th nationally.

i don't get it at all, but if you are bored, you can go to - www.bigshotlive.com - and try to vote for him. i think you maybe have to register, or maybe can only vote on certain days or maybe the whole thing is a hoax. not really sure.

but if you need a break from work, go for it. we still havent really figured out what he would even win. probably some free samples of toiletries.

- j(w)s

26. pictures.

2008-01-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

I posted some pictures from the trip over on facebook. here's the public link - http://samford.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2045507&l=27346&id=41801096 - hope it works.

Here's a couple of my favorites...

- j(w)s

Don't worry...

2008-01-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

I'm still here. And have I got some stories for you!!! Wait. No... no, I actually don't have anything too exciting. I've just been working again, while Jeremiah was over in Africa occasionally providing some entertainment on this little blog. I did, however, get to work at a school full of nuns. Yeah. It was incredible. Nuns are some of the nicest, most encouraging people I've ever been around. A little known fact about nuns that I learned while working is that they're all required to memorize the lyrics to the song "Tiny Dancer" and must emotionally recite it to themselves in the mirror just before going to bed each night. Strange, I know.

Oh. I got an interview with UAB Med School scheduled for Feb. 28. I'm both excited and terrified at the possibility of actually going to medical school. Still deciding if thats a good thing.

If you're ever approached by someone and they say "Hi Gretchen!" You should probably correct them, and let them know that they are unfortunately mistaken and must have you confused with someone else (apparently someone named Gretchen). That is, of course, unless your name actually is Gretchen. Then you'll just have to fend for yourself.

Man vs. Wild is so much better than Survivorman. But you probably already knew that.

This weekend I'm hoping to make yet another video for an online competition. I'm sure we'll post something ridiculous about it, and it should be really fun. There's many different categories for video submission including modeling, acting, singing, dancing, tv hosting/ broadcasting, comedy, and sports tricks (everybody loves those sports tricks!). I'll be attempting to enter videos for every category. Why not go for it all? YOU! Yes, YOU have the opportunity to help me win! Excited? We'll send more details soon.

Ok. I'm done. You're all great.

Getting more and more random with each post,
Robby

23. I'm Back

2008-01-22T23:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a week or so cause internet was nearly impossible to get over there...especially once I started traveling. But I made it back safely and I'm back in Birmingham. The flight back from Frankfurt took 11.5 hours and it only took 9 on the way over. The only difference was which way the wind was blowing. Just thought that was interesting for some reason.

Here's a picture I took while over there. I have a few decent ones but haven't had the chance to edit any of them yet (including this one...I left it tilted just for Bryan and Josh and Caleb), but I should put more up soon.

glad to be back.

- j(w)s

17. The Lake

2008-01-16T23:27:00.001-08:00

Got up early this morning and took a boat out on the lake to see one
of the island monasteries. It was relatively unexciting, but we did
get to see some hippos and that was pretty sweet. then we (we being me
and two canadians i met yesterday...they are really cool) got these
mango, papaya, pineapple fruit drinks and sat in a sidewalk cafe in
the middle of the city with phil collins' 'said i love you but i lied'
(i think that was phil collins) blaring in the background. it made me
really happy.

I fly to Addis Friday morning and then the plan is to fly back home
late that night. if things work out i should be back saturday
evening. guess we will see.

Also, I watched the movie Montana Sky yesterday and i dont recommend
it. just a little tip.

Oh yeah, and I have been here for about 9 days now and the first day i
took 400 birr ($40) out of an atm and i still have 80 birr left. That
means that the entire trip has only cost about $30...plus flights
which were almost 100 times more. its so cheap over here.

15. Mud huts

2008-01-15T08:49:00.001-08:00

Things are still going well where i am. spent most of today sitting
in a mud hut where a family was having some sort of gathering that i
never really understood. i still think injera is terrible. if you
ever get the chance to eat it, dont. between the fear of getting fed
more food and the hard wooden bench i spent 5 hours on, i finally went
ouside and threw lemons at the little kids for the last couple hours.
i was already so out of place there, that i dont think it would have
mattered what i had done.

oh yeah, and i took a bunch of pictures which i will post in the next
couple of weeks. uploading a picture with this internet is not an
option.

hope all is well.

- j(w)s

14. up north

2008-01-14T04:33:00.001-08:00

got up at 4.30 yesterday to head north towards lake tana. went to sleep about 2 the 'night' before and amazingly didnt fall asleep the entire 10 hour drive. my right leg almost had to be amputated but besides that the ride wasnt too bad. it was actually really beautiful driving through the african countryside. at one point, we crossed the nile river gorge and dropped from 10,000 ft to 3,500 before climbing right back up. probably the steepest roads ive ever been on. the kind of roads you would not dare ride on with drew roberts. your chances of surviving that would be 3-4% at the most.

once i finally got here, i had dinner and then sat down to read around 3.30. next thing i knew it was 9.30 and i had a book laying on me and the people i was staying with had already gone to sleep. so i basically slept for about 15 hours last night in my sweet mosquito net. i think im gonna get one for birmingham when i get back.

still not sure about my plans for the future (the 'future' being tomorrow) but thats not really a surprise. might get to hike out to some village where they are having some festival. could be pretty cool. im just worried i wont be able to get out of eating the food. guess we will see.

i'll write more later, and send out the longer post from this weekend. this keyboard is really hard to type on.

- j(w)s

12ish. Heading North

2008-01-12T11:17:00.001-08:00

I'm headed out in a few hours. Going north to the Lake Tana area for a week or so. I'm excited about it except for the 10 hour drive. It's always good to see different parts of the world though...

Today has been a really interesting day and a wonderful opportunity to spend hours and hours alone with the Lord. Feel so blessed to have a chance to slow down, avoid distractions and listen for Him. It's been really special and I would write more, I just dont want to write personal stuff on here anymore...so, if anyone wants to hear my rant about some of the things that I have been thinking about and learning the last few days, as well as more about my plans for the next week, send me a blank email (you can write stuff if you want...) at jeremiahsizemore@gmail.com and i will forward you the long/personal version next time i am online.

hope all is well back home.

oh yeah, and here's the coordinates of where i am tonight (just for you Dad) - N 08 59.774' - E038 44.160 - elevation here is 7686' and i almost passout everytime i climb the 82 stairs to the apartment here. the view is worth it though.

- j(w)s

11. Strange Day in Ethiopia

2008-01-11T10:48:00.001-08:00

The internet here still refuses to pull up the blog which is kind of frustrating because without seeing it, it's hard to imagine that other people can see what you have written and it always ends up getting far too personal. so i will try to get less and less personal but still update enough for people to know what i'm up to.

Today did not end up at all how I planned...7 or 8 ethiopians spent the night at the apartment where i am staying last night and they convinced me to go with them the next day to some hot springs/swimming pool that was a couple hours south. they said we would leave at 8, stay for a couple hours and be back by 2 or 3. well, i just got back at about 9:15 and spent 8 or 9 hours in the back seat of a 20-year old toyota corolla with two random guys. thankfully, i was in the empty car, the other corolla had 4 guys in the back seat. it was quite the endurance test. i measured my leg room and it equalled my fist...that was pretty comfy.

Over all it was good, just a long drive to swim for a few minutes. Especially considering none of the 8 Ethiopians we took could swim even a little. they didnt leave the kiddie pool the entire time. Apparently this is a common scenario in Ethiopia and that had a giant kiddie pool with 30 or 40 people packed in it while the Olympic-sized main pool never had more than 6...with a max of 2 ever letting go of the side at the same time. It was kind of funny to look at this huge empty pool, and then to look closer and realize there were actually 50 people in it.

Anyways, I am still trying to figure out my plans...Someone offered to take me up North with them on Sunday and that may be an option. The other thing I'm still thinking about is Zanzibar. Of course, I'm pretty much always thinking about Zanzibar so that doesnt mean too much.

- j(w)s

10? made it

2008-01-10T04:00:00.001-08:00

the internet here is incredibly not fast and it wont allow me to check the blog so i can only email updates. we made it here and all is well. sarah is with her people now and they are all great so im really excited for her. still not sure what i will be up to for the next couple weeks but i would be okay just sitting and reading and writing for awhile so im not too worried.

also, they have a weird calendar here and so they just had the millienium celebration in september and everywhere you go there are signs celebrating the year 2000. its pretty sweet.

- j(w)s

9 from frankfurt

2008-01-08T23:42:00.000-08:00

well, I ended up going and she was pretty surprised. We are in Frankfurt safe and sound andwaiting for the next flight. Should be interesting from here on out.

I'll try to keep updating.

J

8...crazy day/being ridiculous

2008-01-08T14:38:00.001-08:00

Noon - Today I am continuing the theme of a random post-college life.
I often worry that I have become careless or irresponsible and that
may be a real possibility. The good news is that the Lord has plenty
of opportunities to work out His plan in my life...partly due to the
fact that I so rarely have one.

I hope to have internet access occasionally and keep you all (all the
many thousands who read this) updated on my reckless and impulsive
attempt to prove how much I care for a certain girl.

I'll be back by the end of the month. Lord willing. January seems to
be a good month to get out of town anyways.

I covet you prayers...

330 update - I just said goodbye and it was pure misery. I realized
that all along I thought I was flying over for her sake, and now all
of the sudden I realize it was completely selfish. I couldn't have
said goodbye like that, you would still be mopping me up odd the floor
as my mother would put it.

Also, I was able to have her seat changed so we will be sitting
together. That was a big relief. I'm waiting for her to go through
security right now before I can follow her through.

She just called and is through so now its my turn...

400 update - she should board pretty soon. Until then I hide. I'm so
tired of being nervous, I think I'm just ready to get on the plane.
Its hilarious to think how excited I am about a 24 hour plane ride.
I've been a wreck all week just waiting.

415 update - bad news. Really bad news. There just happen to be 3
other journeyman on the same flight to frankfurt. She just saw them
and that basically kills the whole idea of making sure she had someone
to ride over with. No fun. I may try to get bumped from the flight
now. This turned into a disaster really quickly.

445 - the flights late and I'm trying to decide if I should just bail
on the whole thing. Just a second ago I was sitting at the gate next
to hers and I saw her walk around the corner...I literally dove on the
ground and hid under a seat. It was ridiculous. The gate was
completely full too...they all thought I was crazy. As soon as she
walked past I grabbed my bag and ran the other way. This has
officially gotten stupid and I honestly don't know what to do. This
may be my last attempt at a surprise. When its time to get engaged I'm
just gonna text her.

I just looked back at the whole days posts and this has gotten way out
of hand. There she is again. I'm behind a pole now...don't worry.

Ahhhhhh. I didn't think the Lord would have to bail me out before I
left the airport.

Well. It looks I'm going what a disaster.

Time to post.

- j(w)s

--
Jeremiah Sizemore
Fifteen Projects, Inc
859.492.6152

DLP and Christie

2008-01-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if you realize this... but there is one thing that you are guaranteed to see every time you go to a movie at Rave Motion Theaters (and maybe some other theaters out there). It could be the thing I get most excited about when planning to view a newly released motion picture. It could be. Probably isn't. But there's always that possibility. Its a glorious storm of light and sound which rushes all around you preparing you for the experience ahead. An amazing introduction to two of my closest friends... DLP and Christie. Though overlooked by most, Jeremiah and I have begun ushering in these stars of the show with a rousing chant. At least we're planning to. So far its just me getting really excited and encouraging the people around me to get pumped about the arrival of these overshadowed gems. All we'd advise you to do is, right after the completion of movie previews, begin chanting "Don't Lick Potatoes" or any other phrase that is an acronym for DLP. Some suggestions:

Dried Leaves Pray
Dumb Little Puppies
Dainty Ladies Party
Dogs Love Pretzels
Dirty Laundry... Pew! (This one takes some practice)
Dead Llamas Procrastinate
Dripping Lava, Pretty (On a similar level of difficulty as "Dirty Laundry... Pew")
Die, Luke Perry
Danger: Lustful Pandas!
D@#! Left-handed People (Not recommended)
Don't Leave Papaw!!!

Feel free to use any of those.

Immediately following the appearance of DLP, begin to inform those around you of Christie's impending arrival by saying or chanting her name. Note: She really likes to be cheered for once she's fully spelled her name.

Enjoy your next movie, and remember what we've told you. DLP and Christie can get pretty angry if you don't please them.

Making movies all the more enjoyable,
Robby and Jeremiah

5

2008-01-05T20:27:00.001-08:00

so its a new year. Pretty exciting I guess. One of my goals for the year is to blog a lot more often cause this was a lot of fun when we started but it has died down a lot. So anyone who reads this at all can look forward to that.

I got a new iPod touch today since I lost the precious last month. I don't necessarily hate iPods, but the last one I had broke right after I got it and I was stuck in Italy with only an Elton john greatest hits double album (which was pretty amazing actually) for about six months. So I was skeptical about getting another one. But it seems pretty sweet.

If any of you talk to robby, pressure him into posting more often since he's the funny one.

- j(w)s

Not your average cookie cakes...

2007-12-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

So, Jeremiah and I have made a practice of getting ridiculous things put on cookie cakes, and I thought it was time to share some of them.

Today, since I had a coupon for a free Great American Cookie Company cake, we decided to make a nice Christmas cake. Here it is:

We usually go to Bruno's for our cookie cake needs and have Olga, our bakery friend from Romania or somewhere, make the perfect cake. We asked Olga to put a panda bear, some bamboo, and the statement "Panda bears are my favorite!" on the cake. Due to her misunderstanding of English, the cake turned out like this:

Of course, we thought this was hilarious, so the next time we got her to make this:

The bear was supposed to be attacking the old woman, but instead it kind of looks like the bear and the old woman are taking a family photo. Obviously, Olga was a bit confused. None the less... hilarious.

Hoping more ridiculous cakes are on the horizon,
Robby

Pens really are amazing...

2007-12-11T16:12:00.001-08:00

If you have a few minutes, please click on this link and read the "Customer Reviews" towards the bottom.

Bic Crystal

The "Comments" after the first review are hilarious as well.

Not a bad Christmas gift idea...

-j(w)s

This Made Me Laugh

2007-12-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

- j(w)s