Moving Stress........Again

Oh my gosh. Lists and lists and plans and fears are circulating like no other today. It's Thursday, and for those of you counting, two days to my official move in. And my apartment is wrecked. Wrecked! It seems packed, kind of, but now that it's so close, I'm realizing yet again, why I hate moving. It's all the little things. Like how last night I carted my 5 gallons of emergency earthquake water, that I had forgotten I had, to the new place. How I had bought a towel rack that I want to take with me, and my shower head in the shower. The curtains hanging in my living room, and how I need to replace the white blinds that were there. Stressed out yet? It is doable in 2 days but I'm working too. So regular packing I had planned plus all these tiny things that I'm remembering, all after or before, (doubtful), work. Not to mention the sheer dirtiness that has stirred up by my moving. And everytime I think I'm making progress, I open another cabinet and sigh. And Friday is Halloween and I'm not sure if I have the time to do anything. Which means cancelling the small plans I had, which was expected. And I don't even remember when or where I'm picking up my Uhaul. Although, I must admit, I'm getting so much help this time for the actual move, I'm nearly speechless. As of right now, I have 6 definites, and 3 maybes. That's a lot of man and woman power. However, that also means that I have to have everything ready to go at 11 when everyone gets here. Including having the doughnuts and coffee I promised. I feel like I've moved lots of things to the new place, as I had this awesome 2 week overlap, but now, it seems insufficient. Which is astounding because, Geez, most people and most times I've moved, there is no overlap. Anyway, I may try to get a few things done this morning, so I should probably get to it. Just getting that off my chest. Expect a relieved and/or post-mortem on Sunday. Cross your fingers for no disaster.

This Is More Than Coincidence

I've always been paranoid that I have a strange balance between my social and work lives. When one is going great, the other one starts sucking big time. Belief to the point that when good things happen I sit and wait for the other side to fall apart. Well, now, officially, this has become more than paranoia. It is fact. And I even have proof if you're interested.

Wow.

-BCT

More Day In The Life Of---

friend: [my boss] won't let me have lunch! i have to type while she eats!

me: bitch! call BBB

friend: i hope she gets an allergic reaction to the stupid sanwich

me: yeah seriously

friend: then i can go home early

me: dont forget to close this window!
haha

friend: she is still complaing about her food

me: ugh
well im going to go to osh
and get paint or look at it

friend: have fun!

me: i have 3 hours to kill

friend: wow

me: you want me to bring you food?
at least 3 hours
i can say its a "surprise"

friend: no bc i wont have time to eat it but thank you

me: who cares
maybe it will remind her you are a person
who eats to survive
and i can give her dirty looks
and offer her a spit muffin

friend: that is very generous of you

Remember That Time...

We were walking down Hollywood Blvd, even though we never go there because I know how freaked out you get. But it seemed like a good idea at the time. The guy on the skateboard didn't know about your fears and whipped past us, wheels loud on the pavement. But I held you close, and could sense you by my side, so I didn't turn around to check on you because I felt your feet beside mine. I literally could feel you trembling in fear, but I tried to hurry through the busy streets hoping that we'd be at the next block soon. And I heard people screaming, but that's normal for Hollywood. And cars honking. And I turn and look and you have somehow escaped me and the footsteps behind mine were not yours at all, but Jack's instead. You have fled to the street, attempting to get to the other side where you may feel safer, and I see the car coming, and thinking back now I don't know if it was really going that slow or if, in an act of natural human masochism, my brain wanted me to remember every detail so that when I played the moment over and over again, I could forever picture it seamlessly. And in slow motion the car stops and you guys just stare at each other. I have no idea what I say then, but I am panicked. And you somehow make your way back to me, probably because I'm pulling you there with my words, but you are subdued, and odd, and I can't stop shaking. And when we make our way back home, you lay on the couch in peace and hopefully thankfulness, and when I attempt to hug you, you yell at me! And that's when I know that you know I wasn't looking behind me, and I totally feel like a terrible friend now.

Today has been better. I'm glad you're okay, and hope you understand, but you are never going to Hollywood Blvd again.

A Day In the Life

friend: sometimes I Like to edit with my shoes off

me: word

me: so my online editor was talking all online to me today
im like can we talk in offline terms please
and he's like, uhhh
he was trying to confuse me
im like, tell me what you want
and hes all like well this is this and this so if you are delivering like this
and im like for the thousanth time, we aren't delivering like that!
and then i threw his keyboard on the floor and stomped on his mouse hand

friend: really?
jesus
sounds a little over the top

me: it was a scene
unscripted scene that is
he asked for it
i hate when people can't answer questions directly
im like why are you still talking, that was a yes or no question!

=======

me: i want that right now

friend:me too
im hungry1
!\\
so hungry i cant type

me: haha

me: (not haha like haha you're hungry, but haha to you cant type bc youre hungry)


=======

friend: ok so im getting my haircut tomorrow and its out of some woman's house. do i still need to tip her?

me: yeah im pretty sure
unless she says otherwise

friend: oh thats stupid
that just does not seem fair

me: yeah i dont know for sure though!

friend: well you are the 3rd person to say i have to
so im sure im going to be stuck with it

me: maybe it will be cheaper though

friend: ehh i thought so
she said depends on what i do but 80-100

me: ugh

friend: im sure bc i have thick hair she'll up it

me: thats pretty expensive!
she better weave in some gold

friend: i know!!!

Chilly Mornings and Other Observations

Oh my. It's so cold in LA this morning my toes are on their way to being frost-bitten. My nose is running and despite wearing a fleece and pants, I'm shivering. The real strange thing about the cold is that it's probably only 60 and I'm acting like it's in the middle of winter in NY. I'm so used to mild days, anything that strays is extreme. Also, most likely by noon today it will be 75 and sunny.

Wow, the stock market is looking quite scary, eh? That's a whole big economic discussion I'm not prepared for other than to give a Joey Lawrence, "Whoa" and move on.

Move on to.... Okay one of my biggest complaints with my dad is that he writes me emails like he is a college professor lecturing a class. The other day, I wrote him an email that was like, "Woo hoo! Check out my new apt!" He wrote me back and was like, "I'm happy to hear you are pleased with your new accommodations." It's like, "Accommodations"? Seriously? Digs, crib, apt, apartment, home, nest, anything! Accommodations is so formal. And then I'm reading some blog entries I've written and realize I'm totally starting to do that too! And I don't mean to do it! I tried to count the "quite"s in my last post and gave up. Is this pretenious talk hereditary? Eck, if so. I don't want to start emailing my friends with, "I would like to propose dinner for us tonight at the vivacious and loverly resturant located in Los Feliz on which we frequent." Or something like that.

That is all. Just a quick few things before my shower. *Pleasant day to all.

*This is purposely sophisticated.

And just for fun:



(Yes, that is "Strawberry Manilow")

Work n' Things

I just recently started a new job - one of many short-term gigs I've had in the past three months - but today I came to the realization that I've learned more about the industry in the past week with this job than the nearly 2 years I've lived here. Or maybe just became conscious of what I've learned.

It's such a small world out here in the industry.

I work in this small little office where it is me and an editor and two producers. They are rented out to us by the team of technicians next door. The editor and I started comparing companies we've worked for, and strikingly enough, they're nearly all the same. But him being in the industry longer, he has better contacts at these companies than I do. Friends. He hangs out with these people that I want to get jobs with again. Reputation follows you everywhere. You can't blow off a job or do a bad job, and not expect it to effect future employment.

Networking is so important that just calling it "important" seems not enough. This guy not only hangs out with these people, he's actually putting together his own show. To which I immediately said, "If you need an editor...".

I'm not sure my point is coming across just yet. I want to say laugh at every joke, say every idea is fantastic, but that seems so fake it's hard for me say. But that's what I would say for the mere fact that you don't know where you're next job is coming from.

Last week I was in the office by myself and became quite good friends with all the technician guys. Being as non-demanding as I could and grateful for every deck they hooked uo for me. This week I learned that these guys get calls all the time for people looking for editors. I told them I'd leave my resume with them and they said, "absolutely". An unlikely source for a job, but here I was gaining new contacts from computer technicians. Who actually, small world-y enough, know they guy who taught me about an important piece of editing hardware via phone when I lived in NY. Yet another connection that I never expected to make.

And lastly, and most importantly, in the nicest way possible, demand respect from your producers! It shows them you are worth it if you think you are worth it. This is lesson I brought with me from my last job where I was working in a cubicle and another editor told me to demand a bay. I didn't because I didn't want to be labeled "high-maintenance", and she ended up asking for me. When you make these requests and they are fulfilled, it tells you that your employer thinks keeping you happy and productive is worth the headache of rearranging an office for you. So I brought that with me to this job, and immediately on the phone, did something I never do, but said, "I'll do this job for x amount of money." Excuse the alegbra, but where x = more than the going rate for the position. By doing this I was telling them that I can get work for that amount, and that I'm worth it. A bit risky but the job in question I was quite over-qualified for. Then when an issue came up where I didn't think I was going to be making that rate, I immediately called my supervisor and said, "Am I actually going to make x with the hours that have become standard for us?" She immediately rectified the situation.

Anyway, it's been such an eye-opening week for me, successfully opening up 3 quite promising job opportunity paths. It's such a small world out here, that I almost feel like every job I apply to, I'm applying with many of my friends. Therefore it becomes all about contacts. Getting your name out there and your reputation too. Being fun to work with is almost as important as knowing the machines. Anyway, I feel like this is a jumbled heap of obviousness, but I had to get it out of my head. It's just interesting when you find yourself knowingly playing into stereotypes - stereotypes that are there for a reason.

Network, network, network!