36 hours

September 9, 2025, I was on set for a bar scene in the upcoming movie project “Carousel”, starring Chris Pine and Jenny Slate. That is all I can really say now as we had to sign NDAs for the project. I played a “rowdy bar patron”, watching a Cavs game. Both of the lead actors were there, on set and it was not a large space, so I did get to see them up close.

My call time was 7:30PM, so I stopped at a networking event prior and then reported for work (it was a paid job). We left the set at 1:30AM. I then drove home, September 10, 2025, cleaned up and got dressed for work, “slept” for about an hour and a half and headed to work at 5:00AM. I was lucky that there was little to do, so I picked up a few hours of sleep on and off while on the clock (we can often have tremendous down time on any given day).

After work, I went home and got dressed for an audition and my first night in the pickleball league you will see here for a few weeks. The audition ended up getting me a very minor speaking role in a local, indy movie, with people I have worked with before (only reason they would let me speak on camera). Then back across town again (I crisscrossed town six times in the period of time subject to this post, about 45 minutes per trip) to play pickleball. Beforehand as I had about an hour to kill, I picked up a clearance black tennis dress I want to wear to an upcoming event. My late friend Jim is having a pickleball court dedicated in his honor at a new real estate development, as he was integral in getting that project up and running before his passing. His widow invited me, and I wanted to respect his honor by wearing black, wearing a dress and doing so appropriately for the event.

Pickleball was a blast as I met my partner for the first time, and she and I crushed it! Arlyn was wonderful during the game and as a person. It was great fun doing something that is not tied to gender, per se, but feeling my breasts bounce, my necklace swing and my earrings dangle while never giving them any mind. It became very clear no one is voluntarily going to try and hit a ball near me as Arlyn had to return at least 75% of every opponent shot. The league is a 2.5+ league (if you play, you understand) and I am about a 3.5, so I tried to play “down” a little. Well, we lost the first game by a very close score as they went after Arlyn time and time again. She did a great job hanging in, but being pelted with shot after shot, one finally makes mistakes. Well, that changed my mindset, so after that it was full go! They didn’t score more that 3 points in the remaining games. I’m still pissed we let that first one get away. Won’t happen again…

As an aside, I am very competitive, but I understand that one cannot win every time. But I want to play well personally, regardless of the outcome or score. I often play pickleball in our community and sometimes it is with someone that is much less a player than I am. But I want to play well, and I will ALWAYS be supportive of my partner, always taking the blame and given them the credit. I always acknowledge a great shot by my opponent. I know my limitations, but I also know what I am capable of. I am usually the most athletic person on the court, but that means nothing against anyone that has superior paddle skills. When I compete, I simply want MY best. If I do that, I am good. I also am very self-critical as a means of learning, improving and immediately blowing off a mistake and moving forward. I am pretty much this way with anything in my life, be it a meal I make, a job I am doing, a race I am running or my presentation you see here. Flaws are noted, accepted and I do my best to improve them.

What a full 36 hours! BTW, both skirts got much love from others.

I capped things off the following day with an Eric Clapton concert (not dressed). The pickleball outing discussed here begins a full week without any Kandi time until the following week’s league games. I have nothing to ever complain about!