5
 
 
 
8:43 AM, Wednesday, October 19th, 2011:
 
Guy Walks Into a Starbucks
October 19th, 2010
 
Spinning from the insanity of "Palmolive" today was the day I was finally gonna get some answers from my agent and an ex-client of "Palmolive". As my manager/girlfriend she had me sign with the agency she worked with and while I was with her she dropped a client and said:  "the agency will drop her too, they always do when I drop them." I sat kind of stunned. Clearly I was in a shitty situation as mixing business with pleasure is always an extreme risk... but as bad a year as 2010 was for me? I was happy just to have something else to focus on besides depression.
 
As readers know, within days of meeting "Palmolive" things were dramatic to a Donna degree and in the infamous final IM she lost her shit because I gave her cat worms. Yes, the feral cat she got from the humane society days before got worms and her first conclusion is that a flea from CeBe rode MY ass to her house, the cat ate it (a legitimate way for a cat to get worms) thus, I gave her cat worms. It's fun just to type that sentence. Goddamn that's funny. She blocked me, defriended, de-Managered, etc. So in the aftermath, a week or two later I decided to meet with the agent and try to figure out what was going on. That same day, I had also contacted the girl "Palmolive" dropped when we were together to meet at Starbucks and compare notes. I was stunned that a woman this unprofessional could do as well as she had in the industry and was anxious to compare stories with this girl. We decided to meet at the Starbucks closest to my agent when her improv class was over at 2 pm. To which I replied:
 
"Yeah I live in North Hollywood... our agent is actually on Ventura Blvd. near woodman... 13535 Ventura Blvd is the closest starbucks between fulton and woodman... I'll be there at 2-2:15"
 
So at 2:15 pm, Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 - I walked into Starbucks and sat down at one of the two comfy leather chairs. That would be my path to a Starbucks I had never been to before that moment.
 
Talya was across the street at Panne Dolce (where we saw Jon Hamm earlier this year) having coffee with a friend. When he left she was trying to waste time before she went to tutor and looked across at the Starbucks and decided to get up from the coffee shop she was at and come to Starbucks 'cause she liked the Chai Tea there. Something "Best in Show" about the coffee shop across from the coffee shop aspect of this. Ha. She had an hour to kill, sits down at one of the comfy leather chairs and proceeds to see me walk in and take the other one.
 
So the stage is set. And Talya spills her tea.
 
I noticed her before that, particularly her fall clothing (goddamn I love this season), but was noticeably antsy and concentrating on all that was about to be talked about with the ex-client. When Talya spilled her tea, I noticed a ring on her ring finger that just made me wince. Not because she might have been married, but because it was just... the saddest excuse for a wedding ring if that's what it was. It was a long cylinder type silver jobbie that just looked really cheap and I remember just feelin' bad for her if she accepted that. LOL. So I said:  "Is that a wedding ring?" in a tone that dripped with exhaustion. As if to say, "For your sake, I hope it's not." She replied that it wasn't and I said, "Good, that would've been a really pathetic wedding ring."
 
Small talk ensued and I mentioned who I was meeting, she mentioned she was just wasting some time before her next appointment. She also mentioned she had just come from an audition that would have her being flown to South Africa if she got it. I bet you can see where this is going...
 
"No shit? I married a woman from South Africa... but it was more for the greencard."
 
"I married someone for a greencard too."
 
Dumbfounded shock on my face and I instantly asked for her number. Not even as a romantic play... as a "HOLY SHIT, I've never known anyone who has been in that same situation! I would LOVE to talk to you about it." Kinda like the situation with the ex-client. You just want to share so much pent up shit that you dealt with with someone that understands. She gave me her SAG card and we continued talking. What a random thing to have in common, right? I was immediately interested and right then... the girl I was meeting walked in. We went and sat outside. When Talya left she walked past us outside and then turned back to look at me and did the hair over the ear thing. I waved goodbye and knew exactly what that meant. So I met with my agent right after coffee, then ran home and emailed her within an hour.
 
 

TO: Talya

RE: funny how...
DATE: Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 3:53 PM
 
...a chance encounter can feel INTERRUPTED by the person I was supposed to meet anyway (which was a fascinating conversation by the way). Would love to continue our conversation...
 
:)
 
-A
 
***-***-**** - Verizon (though I misplaced my friggin' phone and have been calling people from gmail)
 
3 Hours Later...
 
 

TO: Adam

RE: Re: funny how...
DATE: Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 6:45 PM
 
Yes, we should. It was good to meet you!
 
Talya Erdy
 
Nice non-commital there. 5 Minutes later I respond...
 
 

TO: Talya

RE: Re: funny how...
DATE: Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 6:50 PM
 
<Uhm, well now what the hell do I do. She said we should... and then didn't tell me a place or genre of meeting... clearly she believes in proper protocol? Wants me to decide? I think? God I'm horrible at this.>
 
Would you care to have coffee/tea tomorrow?
 
<hope that was right>
 
Adam
 
And then nothing the rest of the night! Was sure I seemed over-anxious. Right before midnight...
 
 

TO: Adam

RE: Re: funny how...
DATE: Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 11:32 PM
 
Sorry it took me so long to respond...my phone has the battery life of a mayfly, and I just got home from a long day. I really did enjoy our conversation today, but I must be honest with you...I literally just got my heart totally broken, and I'm not in a place to date. I'd love to have coffee/tea with you as long as it's without any sort of romantic intentions. You're not horrible at this, you seem like a very interesting guy, and I would love to get to know you, but I'm really not ready for any sort of real dating. If you still want to have coffee/tea with me, that'd be great, if not, I understand and apologize for any sort of leading on.
 
Talya
 
p.s. Actually I think I'm the one that's horrible at this :)
 
Saw her on G-Chat a few minutes later and this conversation rounded out the day...
 
 
Adam: :)
Adam: only intention is to keep talking. :)
Talya: Ok, sounds good to me
Adam: it was fun, right?
Adam: clearly romance is not fun to you at the moment.
Adam: boy do i understand that...
Adam: wait'll you hear all my fun. :)
Talya: Yeah, that's the truth
Talya: Lol
Adam: and you know damn well
Adam: that last smile was coy
Adam: HAHAHAHAHA
Adam: so it's in there somewhere
Adam: but i totally respect how you feel
Adam: (i was referring to your smile as you walked past us at the table)
Talya: Relationships suck
Adam: they are the most infuriating thing ever made
Talya: Oh. See I must be crazy because I didn't even realize I did that
Adam: you're not crazy, just a little more awake than you feel right now...
Adam: are you typing on your phone?
Talya: Yes it's very difficult
Adam: well shit let's stop typing :)
Talya: I hate this phone
Adam: what's your schedule like?
Talya: just switched to my computer
Talya: much easier
Adam: wheeeeeeeeeeeeeew
Talya: yeah, i know
Talya: um, tomorrow i have an audition, then work, then kung fu
Adam: NICE
Adam: kung fucking fu?
Adam: who does that?
Adam: <you>
Talya: yeah, i do kung fu
Adam: that's badass
Adam: i am totally intimidated
Talya: hehe
Adam: alrighty... how's bout thursday?
Talya: Thursday is good, any time before 2:30
Adam: oh and btw - i just have to tell you, when you didn't respond to that last email?
Adam: i was like "really? really."
Adam: LMAO
Adam: just when you think you understand how your gender works...
Adam: i'm all rereading the email, thinking - huh?
Talya: what do you mean?
Adam: : well you didnt respond...
Adam: so i figured i said something wrong
Adam: i'm a bit hypersensitive to crazy unfortunately
Adam: so i parse my words
Talya: oh, no, sorry
Adam: thinking i've upset some fragile issue that has yet to be revealed
Talya: no
Adam: good, good
Talya: soon after I sent you an email, my phone died
Adam: alright - thursday morningish, same starbucks is fine by me
Adam: no that makes sense
Talya: i was working, and then i went to the gym and just got home :)
Adam: really, i'm just excited someone may understand the greencard thing
Adam: there's an isolation there
Adam: that...
Adam: hard to explain
Talya: yeah, i know
Adam: and people look at you like an idiot
Talya: totally
Talya: been there
Adam: however, my entire life has been online and public for 11 years
Adam: (world's first and longest running video blog)
Adam: so it's helped to just kind of laugh at all
Adam: and realize... it's all just life
Talya: very impressive
Adam: dont lie
Adam: there is nothing impressive about that title
Adam: lol
Adam: the geekiest title ever
Talya: yeah, i find life much easier when you're just straightforward and honest
Adam: well being presently honest is easy
Adam: being PAST honest?
Adam: hard.
Adam: in fact.. how funny that should come up
Talya: ah, true
Adam:
 
 
Adam: "to everyone who runs from their past, you're not that fast"
Adam: :)
Talya: hahaha.
Talya: that was great!
Adam: just did that yesterday
Adam: looooooooooooong story
Adam: thank you!
Adam: or as my mother would say "dear, you forgot your shirt"
Adam: seriously - my failures are about the greatest things to ever happen
Talya: the only way to learn
Adam: well the only way to show you've TRIED
Talya: true
Adam: man the ***-*** thing is spooky isn't it?
 
(The first 6 digits of our phone numbers are identical)
 
Adam: i'm so proud of that being my number too
Adam: seems so cool to say it
Adam: ha
 
(There's a cool rhythm/pattern to our shared numbers)
 
Adam: and **** for you? totally pimp
Talya: yeah
Talya: i got lucky
Adam: that so beats my ****
Talya: when you dial it, it's diagonal line
Adam: GET OUT
Talya: totally awesome
me: WOW!
Talya: well, except for the *** part
Adam: right right
Adam: i mean, you're kind of a geek for mentioning it?
Adam: but i dig that
Adam: so... nice.
Adam: :)
Talya: yeah, well i'm a geek
Talya: i've already come to terms with that
Adam: i play one on TV every once and awhile
Adam: :)
Talya: i never had a chance at being cool
Adam: my "real" facebook page
Adam: is one of my egos
Adam: i did a bit on cbs called adam and the egos
Adam: and my "brother" is a geek named cameron
Adam: (who is really me) and the Adam is this arrogant metro douche
Adam: :)
Adam: who wears douchebag hats like i wore today
Adam: HAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
Talya: lol
Adam: alright i won't bug you anymore... is 10:30 cool for thursday?
Talya: can we do a bit later?
Adam: yup
Talya: I'll have my morning things to do...um
Talya: is 1 ok?
Adam: indeed
Talya: sweet, ok, see you then!
Adam: sweet.
Adam: ha
Adam: hello 8th grade
Adam: how are you?
Adam: :)
Adam: k - see you then.
Talya: i work with kids
Talya: their lingo rubs off on me
Adam: suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure
Adam: :)
 
10 Minutes later..
 
Talya: alrighty
Talya: i must be getting to bed now
Adam: night
Adam: see you thursday :)
Adam: nice to meet you
Talya: nice to meet you too
Talya: till thursday
Talya: goodnight
 
And there you have it. Rereading everything I sure seemed overly-anxious, but it honestly wasn't because I wanted a romantic relationship... it had EVERYTHING to do with wanting to compare notes about the stress of helping someone get a greencard. In both of our cases we really did love the person, wanted it to work out, but when it didn't? Felt completely used. All your friends and family think you're nuts... and you just feel isolated. It was so fortunate for me to have met someone who had gone through the same thing.
 
That Thursday lasted 3 hours and continued next door at Subway. Where, remarkably, when asked what her two favorite movies were... she responded with my two favorite movies (Eternal Sunshine & Lost in Translation) which has never, ever, ever happened to me. So spooky. We were also both born premature around 6 weeks... there was most definately a bond on a several levels early on. However, true to our word we did not commit to anything with each other. I mean, we "dated" as they say, but we were both uber-commited to being non-commital. A couple weeks later she went to Peru, then a few days after she got back I went to Columbus for 3 weeks. And although I enjoyed the time we spent together? She was so quiet at times I honestly started losing interest. Told several friends at the time there was nothing there. Then when I got back from Columbus on December 10th, she picked me up, spent the night, and the following morning when I asked her why she is so quiet she replied:
 
"No man I've ever known has ever really cared what I had to say..."
 
Well I did. And from that point on, we were together everyday. She never left my house and two weeks later we looked at each other, smiled and said: "We're in a relationship aren't we?". December 28th we made it official and what a year it has been since. It's been as effortless a relationship as I've ever known. We just kinda work. We just kinda fit. It allows us to fight the battles outside our home... and there are always tons of those. Inside? It's a bubble. A kind of sanctuary where we refuel for the next fight. We both feel so fortunate to have found that peace and are always eager to share it with others. It has angered a few of her friends who are decidedly not peaceful (funny thing about showing your light, it can act like a mirror to those who are unhappy), but we are who we are. Incredibly fortunate, incredibly giving people that can't wait to spend our lives together.
 
So tonight (yes, this entry took me all day to write) we went back to the scene of the crime which sadly was totally rennovated last month so we couldn't sit in the seats we met in, but that's kind of our life. The world changing and swirling around us while we float downstream. It's kinda cool to have a coffee anniversary and a dinner anniversary in the future. We're fortunate to have a cool story like this.
 

And wouldn't you know? Starbucks was selling their "Anniversary Coffee" for 2011. I looked over at it and shook my head. I guess they were selling that the day we met, but it never would've registered to us then. I guess it's their anniversary too, but let's just act like they started it for us. :)

 

In fact, that'll kinda be a cool tradition to buy a bag and save the labels each year. As "corporate" as it feels to surround so much of our history with Starbucks, the truth is? Fuckin really good coffee. You know? Hopefully there isn't some horrendous corporate scandal with them someday that taints all our memories. They seem to be one of the better run companies. <shrugs> They just shouldn't be considered "people".

 
Alright, time to upload this monstrosity of an entry and the video. Love it.
 
 
 
Talya & Adam