DevinRitchie.com

Cute baby Ash!

The Devin Ritchie Comeback Tour kicked off a few days ago! the Golden Girls(My mom, Grandma, and I)picked up Aunt Liz and headed down to SoCal. We have just been going out to eat, catching up with family, and celebrating my Uncle Jim’s birthday. Which mean lots of wine, food, and gossip. This trip so far has been good because I got a better picture with my baby cousin Ash. (thats the best we could do.)

On Saturday night Dustin York came over and had Chinese food with us. He is doing good, graduated from CSULB and working on short indie movies.

Later that night I met up with Bryce Marck and Matt Marr and Brandon Boone. The boys have an improv troupe called “The Gentlemen Improvisers” and they had a show that night in Fullerton and they invited me to monologue for them. After a couple pitchers of beer and some beer in the show (they just let you bring open containers into the theatre!) I was ready to monologue. They guys did great and it great hanging out with my them again. I wish I could have actually partied with them and hung out for a few days, but schedule didn’t permit.

I had originally planned on staying out here for a few days hanging out with people, but my mom planned this awesome wine tasting road trip that was hard to pass up, also a ride home.

Next on the Schedule is to go to Temecula to visit my aunt Claire and uncle Jim’s new place and to go wine tasting. Heres a quick overview

Wilson Creek- Beautiful Winery, most famous for the Almond Champagne which was just ok. I like the blends here. Good Syrah and Viognier

Van Roeckel- Come for the Champagne and the baked brie in a sourdough roll. Not the reds… Nice guys though

South Coast- Ridiculously huge winery/gift shop/spa/ whatevathefuck. I didnt taste here because it was so crowded and expensive.

Monte Del Oro- Gorgeous property and views. Glass floor with a barrel room under it! Awesome. Loved the zin and the cab franc. Not so much the whites. Someone gave me the rest of there tastings… so I wanna say I had like 12 tastings here…

Robert Renzoni- I was getting a little drunk by this point…. but they had music. The rest of the places had slips of paper to mark off how many tastings you have had. Which was weird, I’ve never had that, its a little rude right? But Renzoni had poker chips. Bonus point. I tweeted that this was my favorite but I honestly couldn’t tell you why. Tomorrow I will take notes.

Afterwards we all had dinner and I finally got to meet my cousin Jeff’s two little girls Isabel and Sabrina

Yeah, adorable.

Then back to a new hotel and I spent some time in the hot tub by myself while it was storming. But I moved the patio umbrellas around the hot tub so I wouldn’t get rained on too much

Peace out, next stop Santa Barbara

Thanksgiving came and went. Pretty Typical Ritchie Holiday, drink mimosas, have eggs Benedict, eat snack and watch movies all day.

The only difference was the night before thanksgiving, my brother, sister, mom, and I had all stayed up. We began having real conversations, which eventually lead to them confronting me that its time to shape up. Which aggravated me because I feel like I have been making strides to, and I am doing better. But its a little too late in their minds I guess. Then we (I) rehashed old issues that we hadn’t discussed ever, and things a little heated. This wasn’t all bad mind you, I’m glad we can rationally speak about serious topics and confront each other. And still be fine the next day. The fact is they want better for me. They need me to do a lot better. They have given me grace periods, and they wont kick me out, but they want to stop putting up with bull shit. That is slightly disheartening since I felt like I was doing pretty good recently.

Slaughterhouse has been going great, full audiences, good responses. It feels worth it. but I’m going to do something tonight I’m a bit unsure about, I’m going to audition for Blithe Spirit here at ARC. Why? It’s Noel Coward, its right up my alley, I have never done a lead, and this is a great show for me. Why not? Because I want to leave! because this conflicts with ACTF, and what if slaughterhouse goes to competition.

I fantasize about leaving everyday. Bryce has an extra room in LA and offered it to me, Michael Sunshine has an extra room in Seattle. I really really want to leave, but I’m so scared. I have no money and honestly don’t even do my own laundry. (yes, I am ashamed about that).

So here’s what I’m going to do tonight. I’m going to audition and only accept the lead. If I get it (history proves I wont, so this is pretty pointless…) , I will do it.

I hate when I blog like this. I really do. It’s bitch bitch bitch, I have been complaining about the same things for years and am doing nothing about it.

I have been writing a lot. On my typewriter. Just stories, my stories. I guess its a half assed attempt at a memoir. It’s probably terrible. I realized one of my talents is for story telling, and I’m hoping it translates to paper. Mostly it is just therapeutic though. I really doubt anyone would read it. But maybe, it’s far more honest than I am on here. I am honest on here, but that has several more secrets. Things that the public consumption of a blog wouldn’t be good for. I secretly pretend I’m writing the next great American novel, I will get crazy rich from my publisher, and Oprah will tell everyone to buy it. Then it will be turned into a movie where I would be undoubtedly played by Lou Taylor Pucci. Yup, that’s how interesting I am. (that last bit was sarcastic if you couldn’t tell).

I guess I want to do this play to show my family and friends that I can. I honestly believe they think I have failed, and they want me to man up and get a real jobby job and stop wasting time being bit parts continually holding out for the next one.

I watched a documentary on SNL in 90s and in the 00s. Going the comedy route might be my best option. As ridiculous of a pipe dream that sounds like, its far more realistic than my hopes in becoming a serious actor? or a performance artist? or a celebrated author lol. I need to take a moment to realize what I do best, and it is comedy(debatable). I would be fulfilled if that were what I did for money. This is a stupid ass blog rant today….

I AM doing good. I’m in a good play and (still expecting to be…) getting paid by the winery. learning a lot about graphic design, a lot about theatre, and fuck my play might go to ACTF. And I have pretty much been only drinking on the weekends, big improvement. Surprise surprise I have been reading a fuck ton too, social commentaries, memoirs of drug addicts and drag queens, and books on acting. Who am I? I totally don’t read books. Good for me.

oh and that picture is of me and Corey Frou playing Wizard Sticks, an amazing drinking game where you stack beers and duck tape them into a staff and pretend to be wizards. When you have 11 you get a wizard hat

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

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.