Screen Test

Nose and throat very dry from the air conditioner but otherwise wake up very refreshed. Put on brand new outfit--new polo shirt, new pants, new socks (blue with yellow chickens around the top). Pants a touch long as noted before, but ok (reminder to self, when take to tailor to get hemmed, make sure that Tailor doesn't convince to make too short. Pant lengths styles have changed. No longer becoming for bottom of pant to hit above the top shoe.) When get to work, see Libby outside. Hi, she says, Nice haircut, I don't think its too short at all. Don't care at all for her way of putting things. Ride elevator up with Libby who says that she got a rave review for her show. Ask who gave the review? A website. Which one? OK, not exactly a website, a Blog. Feel superior but still upset about hair. Go to office and ask contessa if she thinks hair too short? No, why? Tell her about Libby. Don't listen to her if you don't want to ruin your day. I think your haircut is very cute. Cute high praise from the contessa. Screen test at 4 p.m. Decide to go swimming to bring glow to cheeks. Have been reading about Total Immersion swimming and try it out. Relax forearms and wrists, kick only enough to keep legs afloat and on the same plane as torso, look at bottom of pool instead of in front of self. Very favorable results. Legs not tired at all. Feel exactly like a Fish slipping through water. Only hitch is left cup of goggle which seems to have sprung a leak. Not comfortable for eye. Stop every couple of laps and pour out gallons water. Take Shower. Swim like Fish through the wet air back to the office. Feel very happy. The contessa says, What Happened? Don't know what she is referring to. Your Eye? Go to bathroom. Left eye extremely red. Not merely irritated but as though something has Burst. The Contessa looks at it again and says fimly, it is Nothing. It will clear itself up. Try not to panic. How do you know it is ok? It happened to me once. Really? Well, my roomate at Camp when I was thirteen--it looked awful but it went away pretty quickly. Have no choice but to believe her. Take self to screen test which is in a loft in Tribeca. Hilary says hi but seems very busy, on phone and talking in a tight voice to assistant at the same time. You can wait here, she says, pointing at row of chairs. Ask for bathroom. Check out status of eye in mirror. Eye not only problem. Not pleased. Face looks very thin and weasley. (Question: How is it possible to have a Roll and still look too skinny? Answer: Don't know, but it is.) Pants appear to have grown since the morning, bagged around ankles. Eye still frightening looking. Hair only acceptable thing. Emerge from bathroom in time to go into other room for Screen Test. Try to keep Eye out of Hilary's view (pretend to scratch eyebrow, turn to face away from her, pretend to rub eye until become scared that this will make it worse). OK she says, vigorously, let's get going. She turns on video camera and sits down in chair. Stand and pretend that there is a counter in front of me. Picture self hopped up on coffee (using own experience--the morning I was a barista I drank two espressos and a capucchino, felt very very tense and like skin made of thin glass) She says her first line and I say mine. She gasps. Are you ok? She sounds more grossed out than concerned. Say, Yes, it is just a burst blood vessel. Do not like the sound of that and neither does Hilary. Start over. Both of us very distracted for rest of screen test. Whake hands when we are done. Call office and say to Contessa, Now I am Sick. Explain. She says, I understand totally. I'll see you tomorrow.