DevinRitchie.com

I’ve always been a bad new first kind of guy…

Court did not go my way, and I owe a lot of money…. A LOT OF MONEY. Full story about this whole ordeal soon. Its really quite funny an educational cautionary tale.

But… moving on, good news! Got cast in slaughterhouse 5! Feel good now that I held out for this show. Great right? well…

Here’s the thing, (and yeah I’m gonna bitch for a minute, so if you’re not interested yall can leave devinritchie.com. Directly). I studied for this play so hard. I read the play like 4 times, broke it down, read into characters, I even read the fuckin novel for this show. And I don’t read books. I need to prepare like this for every audition because I apparently don’t have the natural panache others have to just walk in to any audition and get cast on mere talent. But I got cast so what am I bitching about? Well, I’m playing a smaller role than I had hoped for. That’s fine. I really don’t mind doing ensemble roles, especially in a show like this. If you are familiar with Slaughterhouse, I am playing the British soldier named Reggie. The guy who puts on a production of Cinderella for the other soldiers, and stars as Cinderella. …That’s right. Somehow in a play about time travel, war, and the DRESDEN BOMBING I got cast as the ONE man who wears a dress. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the only fag in the play is in drag. I’m a fucking walking talking gay joke. I’m nearly offended. I’m just tired of this gay joke thing. It will be funny and I will do it well. But, ugh. This sort of thing has been happening to me a lot. Its not acting, its a fucking perpetuation of a stereotype. Most my friends got the roles they wanted, bad ass army guys who fight, or characters with real

depth. I’m the fag in the dress. Moreover, the person who got a role I wanted and literally cues my entrance, and has a more pivotal part than I, is the same person who missed his god damn entrance in Philadelphia Story (my last play), leaving me to have to improvise and cover for him. I was a fish out of god damn water in front of an audience. Twice. Yes TWICE. we only performed it seven times. Why we rehearse for 2 months to not even bother going on stage is beyond me. But I guess that’s how to prove yourself as a dedicated actor. So I feel a bit slapped in the face being a gay joke, and being cast under someone who has done this to me on stage. That is my rant. And now its over.

Let’s put 2 and 2 together… I am no longer excited about this play due to casting and the fact that there is 20 people in it. AND I need money BAD. Do I drop the play? For my own sake and sanity and so I can be an adult paying off my fines. Or should I go gay it up and play dress up?

New Subject.

I’m headed to the bay in the morning. Kyle is having me take a train out there and were going to the Scottish Games in Pleasanton tomorrow, and the wine festival in Livermore on Sunday. Good. I need some space and clarity. And thank god Ruth is home tonight, I’m going out for the first time in a while. I have been taking it easy recently. But now its time to go celebrate my Scottish roots and wine taste. Watch pipers and get food from Clan McKintosh. Cant wait.

I dunno what to do I’m all lost and confused yall.

peace.

Back to brown hair. Ho hum. Summer is over and so is my being blonde for awhile. Taking a wee while off from drinkin. Have too much on my plate right now, and frankly last weekend I got drunk too much. I have auditions tonight for Slaughter House 5 (wish me to break a leg) and then I have my day in court tomorrow (…yayyyy) and hopefully callbacks tomorrow night. I’m only in one class and I feel prepared to kick its ass and do well at auditions. This week is either going to really suck or be really awesome.

I’m headed to the Bay Area this weekend to go stay with my brother. Were going to go to the Scottish games in Pleasanton and the Wine Harvest festival in Livermore. Oh and I might be pouring for Lavious Laines winery at Concannon

This is really all I had to say. Really just wanted to show off my sexy new hair ;D

peace

I wish I had more optimistic and joyful blogs as of late, but alas, I do not. The universe has been telling me loud and clear that I should have left this year. SPOILER ALERT*** This will be an emo complainy blog. But it gets slightly optimistic/cocky near the end.

To begin, a great deal of my close friends moved away. I knew it was coming but it has really hit me when I sit at home alone and wonder what I used to do. Ruth lives in Chico, Colleen and Adie live in Humboldt, Victoria Louisville, My friend big black gay Corey moved to Laramie, Wyoming.  Even people like Mike Holcombe have moved to LA. After Matt Marr’s house burnt down he has been traveling and he is now sure he will move to L.A. Needless to say, my social life has taken a hit. I stay in a lot more evenings by myself reading, writing, or watching various marathons of House, Law and Order SVU, or something. I have just been lonely I guess.

My Mom’s car is gold sebring convertible, the symbol of summer, and the car I learned how to drive on. There have been so many times where Ruth, John Farns, and I are hung over and we roll out of bed and drive with the top down to theriver. And drink some 4 Locos. My brother needed a car so we decided to give that one to him. Now my mom and I share the Scion, she needs it more of course having a real job and all… back to the bike for me. :-/

It seems lately that love has been in the air (cheesy yes, but hear me out). So many of my friends are involved with someone and so happy. Max and Amanda, John Farns, Kelsey, Ruth, etc etc. Momentarily I was kinda seeing someone and happy, and for just a moment it seemed everyone was happy. But then of course I found out that I had simply got swept up in ideas of being in a relationship and misinterpreted some things and ended up putting myself in a situation that allowed me to get hurt by others actions. Whatevs, I’m done. I’m single and unattached completely. Time gave me clarity to realize I was being stupid, and I really don’t care. I AM happy for all my friends, I am happy being single Devin, and I am a better person for not dating people who are bad for me. But I do always seem to be the odd man out in these situations. It wears on me a bit.

The cherry on top of my delightful banana shit sundae of a situation I have been in… The one job I have babysitting at a church every Sunday That I have had for 4 years. Such an easy job that I LOVE that is easy money in my pocket….. Well, they laid me off on Sunday. Not because of me at all, they can just not afford child care at all anymore. I have one more

Sunday and that’s it. FUCK. My one source of income. Fuck. My. Life. This is effective September 1st. Why does that day sound familiar? Oh, cause its the day of my court date. (Yes, I have a court date. I got into a little trouble. Hopefully it will be nothing, but it might be. I will disclose the full story after its all said and done. Nothing crazy don’t worry)

My brother looked at my situation like this “so you’re basically back to where you started when you moved to Sacramento, no car, no job, no relationship, few friends” Somehow that is oddly comforting. Something of a new beginning happening right now. Life has dealt me some rotten ass lemons right now, and I am powering through but its hard. I can deal with the no job, no car, no money thing. But it just really sucks that everything has been taken away at the same time. The time I need friends. Who aren’t here.

At the moment, I am not attending school. I would probably set myself back further if I went. I need a job(and I have been applying!)

Right now I am living day at a time with very short term achievable goals. apply for jobs, work out everyday, drink less, and get cast in a play next week. So far so good. I do work out everyday I have a new gym membership and I have been going hard. If nothing else in life I will look good without my shirt on.

I chose the cute apocalypse gif at the top because its really cute and the general complete change of everything in my life recently, and because of Mike Wise’s Post Apocalypse Party he had. Which was awesome. Pictures at the bottom. There is always a lot of parties, this last weekend was Mady Wrights 36 hour birthday party which was fun and…. eventful.

This is a reminder to the world and myself that I am fucking awesome. I do good things and have fun. There are great

people in my life, and I know now more than ever who they are. I have come upon some rough times recently and ya know what? It might get worse, it could always. But I have dealt with way more problems in my life than some little bull shit like this. I’m a baller with some of the best friends, and the BEST family anyone could ask for. Don’t give me your pity, today ain’t nothing but a hair flip. It might be just like this for a long time, but there is peace and some success at the end of this trail. It shouldn’t be easy and its not. Never has been. I have been blessed in many ways that I am quietly thankful for and find myself to sometimes be the luckiest person alive. Lately has just been a string of losses that have warn me down, I have to admit I am down and move on though. I’m not blaming fate or the world for my problems, many of them are direct results of my actions and I know that. I’m down but I’m not out. I’m ready for new shit and prepared to take on whatever I need to. Oh yeah, and I’m hot.

I leave you with another new Eminem song, featuring Pink (whom I fuckin love)

WONT. BACK. DOWN.

Peace.

It has been a pretty great week. I went to the California State fair with the Golden Girls (Mom, Grandma, and Myself). Got drunk and bet on horse racing. My new favorite thing. Then off to San Francisco to celebrate my Mum’s birthday. My family was all going to see Peter Pan at the 360 theatre, but a rule of growing up is that we all need to pay our own way. And I could afford going out to the fancy dinner at Sinbads (the view of the bay bridge is awesome frome there!) But I thought it selfish of myself to buy an expensive theatre ticket for me. So I let the rest of them go to the show and I would meet them after. Turns out drinking too much at a gay bar in the Castro while the rest of your family enjoys Peter Pan with each other makes you feel like a huge fucking douche bag. Oh well, nothing we can do about that. We met up afterward and went for more drinks at Danny Coyle’s. Next day the Golden Girls went out to breakfast at Buena Vista, my fav place for Irish coffee and eggs benedict. Then back to warm and wonderful Sacramento. huzzah :/

Bettin on the ponys with Jenny!

Casey Worthington had his “Not 4th of July Party”, it’s exactly what you think it is. It was real fun, but one of those times when being drunk during the day gets away from you… On a similar note; I have had anger and patience issues recently. It is well documented that Ritchies can have a bit of a temper problem, and they may be catching up with me. I just need to chill more. I’m sure the hotel concierge and the “deck supervisor” at the pool at my gym aren’t really as stupid as they seem, and even if they are, no sense in being mean to them. Oh yeah! I joined a gym! Sexy DURING summer. hell yeah, I have been working out like everyday ^_^

John Farnsworth’s parents were out of town this week so I hung out there a lot this week. It’s good to just have a place where friends can gather like that with no agenda. We go to the river. We drink. We swim at someones pool. We smoke. We hang out. We go out. I live a very relaxed life. I should not have the stress to lash out at fat gingers who are apparently just paid to sit by a pool and tell people not to run and not help people if they are in need. also he has blonde eyebrows. wierd. people who don’t deserve it.

I have been doing a lot of odd jobs making money, and it keeps me afloat more than usual. but its not enough to save or contribute quite enough. Still job hunting.

Yesterday was another friends going away party, the 3rd in the last week. Times are changing and people are moving. and still a few more are moving including Ruth. But I have known that people were going to leave me. What hurt, was hearing that Michael Sunshine and his girlfriend Ella up and moved from Davis to Seattle. I found this out when I texted him about partying. Michael is one of my core friends from Livermore and we don’t see each other too often, but I have always liked having him so close just in case. I have always had the feeling that everyone else is growing up and I’m not. Most my friends from high school have real good jobs and are in serious relationships. It’s that moment in life when you realize there are a bunch of grown ups at your party. And that’s what they have become. I have always felt belittled by living my type of life. I don’t judge them, and really I’m not even mad. The reality is I feel like I lost a cornerstone of my building. In other words, shit just got real.

To add to this dejected feeling, I went and hung out with Tim and Maggie Muldoon who’s older brother got married in Davis last weekend. The epitome of growing up. Naturally we try to see each other as much as we can. So they invite me to all the pre-wedding shenanigans and parties and such. Problem is, I’m not invited to the wedding and just end up being kinda embarrassed being there at all. “That’s just Maggie and Tim’s friend who is here to party”. That’s reall not who I want to be. I left. Again I understand it, and am not mad. This is just the situation I am living. People are growing up and they need to, but they still like me to be their party vacation from life. Honestly it’s shit like this that motivates me more than anything.

moral of the story: Not seeing Peter Pan makes you want to grow up.

Oh yeah, and I’m BLONDE now

peace

Been an interesting couple of weeks. A lot of my friends have been out of town, Farnsy has been in Oregon for a couple weeks (and he came 3rd in a 10k race!), Colleen is officially gone to Humboldt, Matt Marr is in fuckin’ Montana or something, and generally everyone is busy. Which leaves me saying “where are my friends?”. That’s something I’m going to have to get used to as most really are leaving pretty soon. My social scene has evolved and I am significantly less involved, and that is fine. People grow up and away and at the very least everyone leaving our little nest gives me less to stay for.

Naturally I have been trying to get out of Sacramento, even if its for little trips. I did a Comedy Sportz show in Richmond (…for the free masons) and then partied in San Francisco with John Michals. Got a Beer with Steven Zupan, drank with Ryan Fiola, then ran into Paul Telford at some bars. Good to get out of town. I went again just to hang out with Maggie and Tim Muldoon. All we ever do is drink, play wii golf, and Maggie and I sing “Islands in the Stream” real loud over and over to annoy Tim. It was lovely. Then had a cute dinner party with my sister. Good relaxing few days that has me thinking about the future. Plans are being formulated and discussed with my family. I don’t want to divulge anything until I am sure. But know this: There will be a move soon in my future. A big one.

I went to an open casting call for Survivor last week. Got interviewed on camera and picture taken. It’s a long shot but we shall see Fingers crossed. That would be so Awesome!

I have been reading and being able to focus on goals recently (crazy right???). Each blog sounds like a rerun, “things are changing, blah blah blah, I need to get a job, I went to a party and drank, etc” But I’m not sorry, you’re at devinritchie.com you dont get to complain about about content.

OH!!! Speaking of DevinRitchie.com, our 5th anniversary is August 1st! What should I do for it??

Here’s some pictures Bryce took from a few weeks ago when we all went out to Lipstick at Old Ironsides

We are left with Brody Jenner sending off Kristin Cavallari in a limo with the Hollywood hills behind him… and then it rolls away and it is revealed that it is on a sound stage. Right as I was thinking about how lame it was they confirmed everything we all thought about the series all along. “And the rest is still unwritten” Brilliant. And thank god MTV had the balls to admit that it was that staged. I mean what else could we have been expecting?

I legitimately did not like The Hills for a long time, only until it became a cultural phenom I decided I needed to give it another try to care about it. Since then I have watched probably every episode at least to figure what peoples big obsession is. I totally get it now, and it IS interesting. It’s subtly. It’s not epic huge stories of death and birth. Its the drama that is interesting in all or lives. Who shows up where and political games. It’s pure escapism into a world that we all sort of envy. And what do we learn at the end? It’s Hollywood.

I have a spot spot in my heart for the stupid things that get huge in pop culture. Like Twilight, I totally wanted to read Twilight and see the movies and geek out and be on team Edward, but god damnit, that book just sucks. I could not finish it for the life of me. I love the Hills, The OC, Gossip Girl, etc. But yeah Twilight sucks.

I want to leave this hoping the best for the ladies of The Hills, especially Lauren Conrad. She is so down. And May Heidi Monag find peace, and here’s hoping I don’t have to hear anything about Spencer Pratt ever again.

peace

I want to start by saying the I love Lady Gaga, truly. But lets be honest here. I cannot deal with the legions of people who praise the ground she walks on and thinks she is an artistic genius. Yes, she does make good music, push the envelope, and does make people raise their eyebrows, and for that I am glad. But that’s all its doing.

Her songs are simple pop songs all with the same formula. Staccato repeating multi-syllabic chorus over a sick beat. (”da da do do just dance” “po po po poker face po po poker face” “my my my my telephone” “ally ally jondro ally ally jandro”  “papa paparazzi” and of course “rah rah ah ah ah roma roma ma ma ga ga…” you get it) I love all those songs, but lets not pretend most of them are going to stand the test of time. It’s just flash in the pan pop music. So what do they do? Crazy videos! Make it higher concept than most of your fans can comprehend. Brilliant. Oldest ways in the book to seem cool and prentencious: wear sunglasses all the time and claim that people don’t “get” you. I’m all for high concept videos, and frankly anything that makes people interested in videos again I am for, but overall that’s not what Lady Gaga is doing. The video for Telephone for example is an epic 10 minutes about breaking out of jail and going to kill Beyonce’s boyfriend. …hmmm about that, the song is about your phone ringing while you wanna party. I realize how boring a video about needing to turn your phone off might be, but this?!?!? And Alejandro, A lot of people acted like this was a great political and religious message, and with those lyrics how could it not be? Alejandro isn’t ground breaking. She dances in front of gorgeous ripped tan men who are scantily dressed. WOW, this is crazy! and she kisses them! oh wait, it’s interesting because they are wearing heels…? It’s a cheap Madonna homage rip off trying to be controversial. Kissing black Jesus in the mid 80s with a song called “like a prayer” that’s legit. The fashion can be cool, but its so you will talk about her. If she dressed like Jessica Simpson all the time, no one would fucking care.

Again, I do love Gaga. She has really only put out ONE album. 6 number one hits is nice, but talk to me when you have 6 number 1 CDs (caughBRITNEYcaugh). And we can not just overlook when she puts out legitmately terrible songs and videos…..

Inversely, I think Bad Romance is probably the best video I have seen in a long time. Hopefully my next blog about Gaga will be more positive. haha sorry, usually try to stray from the negativity round here.

P-P-P-PEACE

Just got over a ridiculous week of having the stomach flu. So bad. went 4 days without eating, 5 days without drinking, smoking, or social interaction. A well needed break. But NO ONE needs to watch as much America’s Next Top Model as I have seen. Tragic. I had to better by Friday to do my show, and I was mostly.

It has been an eventful couple weeks. As You Like It opened, it has been so fun and a good experience. My brother and sister had their traditional birthday party. They rented out Red Feather winery in Livermore and had about 70 people come. It was a real good time, got to see a lot of people from high school or people I hadn’t seen in like 5 years. It was a trip. Got tipsy and stripped whilst hula hooping. The usual.

My grandma, mom, and I went to the Alameda county fair the next day I discovered my love for betting on horse racing. or maybe just because it reminds me of The Hold Steady song Chips Ahoy. (video sucks though).

My motivation to get a job has been sullied to do my illness, going out of town, being in a play, and having so much terrible television on. I can only blame myself and I do. But I actually have been applying and interviewing for jobs. Some promising prospects.

Other than that I have been going to the river, working on my tan, and making peace with myself. I’m doing a lot better than usual. I feel great. My Mom and Grandma went away for a weekend and it gave me good time to reconnect with Bryce Marck, Matt Marr, and John Farnsworth. One of those times when you just realize why you are friends with certain people and not as much with other people. When it’s sunrise and we all need to get up to go feed horses, and we don’t mind cause were all doing it. Then we pick up a 24 pack of PBR at 7am, naturally.

Love life is what it always is. Really the EXACT SAME. Was thinking about Jeff for a second again, and than no. Again. Frank Fox made his way up here again, and that was nice. But who knows what that could be. Had a crush on someone for once but of course got passed up for a strait guy. Naturally. Back to square one. …Ladies?

I gotta go shower and get for my show tonight… jebus..

Peace

I leave you with Sufjan Steven’s cover of Joni Mitchel’s Free Man In Paris.

As You Like It is finally here! Opens this Friday June 25th. So excited about this show. It is my 2nd favorite Shakespeare show (after Macbeth), the concept is 1968 Orange County, CA with hippies exiled in an orange grove. Amazeballs. Featuring a live band which is stellar. I play Charles and Silvius, 2 good roles. And best yet, I get to work with some of the most talented people in Sacramento for this show. The set is beautiful.

Heres the info:

William Shakespeare
Directed by Christopher Cook

~~~Cast:~~~
Stephanie Zito, David Chernyavsky, Brian Watson, Ben Ismail, Mary Katherine Cobb, Owen Smith, Casey Worthington, Celena Tasabia, Steven Adkins, K.D. Beebe, Devin Ritchie, Kara Ow, Christopher Carlson, Johnny Sittisin, Ciara Ashley, and Ashlee Chimero

Performances 25 June thru 11 July
Fridays-8:00pm
Saturdays-8:00pm
Sundays-7:00pm
***No performance on July 4th.

Facebook event

Tickets $15 general, All performance at Califronia Stage 1723 25th street Midtown Sacramento.

I’m just going to say that I will be shirtless wearing a Mexican wrestler mask and a cape, using a Mexican accent.

peace.

I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty details, you will have to wait for my memoirs I guess.

Had another weekend of partying, some fun, some not. But I have had an experience that has opened my eyes to the truly horrific roads in life people who live like me could go down. I think my face in the picture to the left says a lot. I have never truly been able to hide my emotions all that well, and I’m a worse actor because of it. More than ever I need to move on. But more than ever the timing is bad. I have a plan and I am 500% sure that it is right. I just have to make it. This shouldn’t be easy and believe me, it’s not.

I apologize for being vague about plans and happenings, but I need to figure everything out before I commit. I am a Libra after all. The only thing in life that lasts is family, I am a Ritchie. Like it or not. My uncle Sandy speaks of a sort of curse that is in our blood. Now we are not quite the Kennedys but, whether or not this is true or just an excuse to drink more. I am following a wee bit of a family tradition.

There is a responsibility that me, my brother and sister, and cousins hold. Our fathers and grandparents moved here from Scotland 40 years ago to have a better life for us. My Dad and uncle both drank and did drugs etc. So it either continues with me or stops right here. There are power lines in our bloodlines. I have to do better.

That is one of my favorite bands The Hold Steady and the song The Weekenders. They have a beer soaked anthem classic rock reminiscent of times we have all had. Seems to always fit whatever mood I am in.

I am a little down and out right now, but I am more optimistic than usual. Things will get better. It’s darkest before the dawn blah blah blah. But remember this, karma is a bitch.

I need to switch into Devin Ritchie VS. the world mode for a little while.

Also I think I am gonna start blogging more about music and pop culture again. Like the good old days. Give the mood in here a little pick me up.

Peace