Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Le sigh...

I'll start by saying I have a pretty sweet job. I work at a concert hall, selling tickets in the box office. If it's not busy I can go online, post blog posts, work on other projects, write plays, buy things on etsy, whatever. If I'm not at the front counter, I can read, knit, do my taxes, just about anything I want.

I've had a few jobs... and most of them weren't quite so lenient about me spending the day on facebook. Or openly writing a grant proposal at my desk. Right now I'm sitting here with two 19-year olds, who've just started here. They've spent most of their shift bitching about how you're not allowed to sit at the front desk reading a book, or how youtube is blocked, or how online games are blocked. And complaining about the essays they've known about for 3 week, yet left until today, since the assignment's due at midnight.

I mean, I try to be patient, because they are young. But seriously:
1) I have customers complaining at me all day, can you suck it up and not go on youtube for 4 hours?
2) you need to go work for some of my old bosses who will yell at you if you so much as look at the solitaire icon on your desktop
3) STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT YOUR NEW IPODS AND NEW IPHONES AND OTHER CRAP I CAN'T AFFORD.

Phew. That was a little cathartic.
I'm sporting new hair. My new hairdresser is fabulous. I have awesome red hair and leftover curls from how he styled it yesterday. I'm working on my play proposal for the fancy playwriting unit. Or, I am when I'm not listening to people's bitching and moaning about how sick they are of Tim Horton's.

I feel so old.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Good News, Everyone!


I booked a part in that independent film! It's just one small scene, but with lines and a credit, which is fabulous and will beef up my resume!
I also got another positive response from a theatre company (again, I know the AD) requesting to read my script! So I'm sending it out tomorrow. Monday I get started on the people I don't know-- eek!

Friday, September 17, 2010

I'm Back!

And badder than ever!

Well, not really. If anything, the last few days have taught me that maybe being a perfectionist isn't so great after all. You see, instead of making you feel perfect all the time, perfectionism makes you feel shitty all the time. And I have a feeling that giving up my penchant for perfection may be a little more difficult than quitting smoking (6 weeks tomorrow, go me!).

And now the good news... drum roll please... not only do I have an appointment with a NEW hair salon, but I finally got up the stones to sign up for that acting class. Even though I was having a bit of a panic attack on the phone and I think I sounded a little bit nervous and dumb, I signed up for the class! It starts a week from Monday.

And wait, there's more! I've been dilly-dallying about sending out my play, because... well, I'm not sure. Because I always feel awkward about effectively saying "You need to read this because it is awesome. Also, I am awesome and you should know who I am." Like I'm not awesome enough yet. Or there's a little bit of "Who do I think I am?" creeping in. But as another dear friend's guitar teacher told her: "Don't wait until you're Eric Clapton to get on stage and perform. Because you'll never become Eric Clapton if you don't get out there and do it." Basically, she told me not to spend my life waiting to be good enough. Because even if you're afraid the audience won't like it (or won't like YOU), you owe it to yourself to take the risk that they won't.

Long story short, I sent out the first of my list of queries for the play. It was to someone I know, which can make things easier or more awkward, depending on the person. I sent it out yesterday, and he emailed me back this morning requesting the script! I'm going to try and tackle one query a day this week. And meanwhile I'm going to research some theatres farther afield to try and send this thing out to.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Friday, September 10, 2010

I Tried To Wear A Cowboy Shirt...

But they only go with jeans. Unless, of course, you're wearing a fancier "black tie event" country shirt, and you've got a lot of sequins on it.

I work at a concert hall, which is a sweet job, and when you work concert duty (during an event), you have to wear black. It just so happens that I have a black cowboy shirt, which would have been PERFECT for tonight's country music event, but sadly, it just didn't go with my black dress pants. I am looking forward to seeing some of the outfits on tonight's audience, though.

I did get some things done. A lovely and amazing friend who is older and better connected than I suggested some theatres to send my play to, and is allowing me to drop his name with the folks that he knows (always helpful in not seeming like a random lunatic who writes plays). So I have a list of a few companies to get on.

When I called my hair salon, my decision seemed much easier all of a sudden. Being left on hold for 6 minutes, a rude receptionist, and a stylist whose schedule in no way works with mine suddenly made me think back to all the times I've walked out of there with colour spots on my forehead, or on my neck. Of how far from my house this salon is. Of how expensive it is, considering I feel unappreciated every time I go.

And that sounds incredibly entitled of me, I know. I'm actually not precious about my hair. But I suppose I am particular about how I'm treated. Not that I get all Caruso and ream people out for making eye contact. But I treat customers nicely at my job, I guess I expect that from places I go to as a customer.

I also got a last-minute editing job, which will bring a wee bit of extra cash into the household.

Once I get out of here after the concert, I have the whole weekend off! Which is a rarity. I plan to get a lot of guitar playing done, a little bit of sewing, and a shopping spree where J and I stock up on things like new socks and underwear, and other wintertime neccessities.

Have a fab weekend, everyone!

I Was Going to Write A Blog Post Later...

I have a list of things to do. Some of these things are easy, like calling my hair salon for an appointment. Others are slightly harder, like putting myself on tape for this indie film audition. Or writing cover letters to send my script out into the world. Or cleaning the basement so someone can come in and fix the %$*& bathtub faucet.

The point is, I have a list. And I like lists. Lists make me feel organized. The problem is sometimes, making lists can feel like action. Like I've actually done something and can continue to procrastinate. And that's where I am today. I don't know why calling my hairdresser would make me feel anxious (well, aside from the background anxiety of the fact that I want to switch salons and find the whole situation awkward), but I keep putting everything off.

Are there people in the world who don't procrastinate? Who have their list every day and check off everything, no problemo? Who are these people?

So I'm sitting here on my bed with the phone next to me, ready to make some calls (including registering for a film acting class), and determined to get it done today. The audition is more problematic. I feel iffy at best about my work on film (hence the class), and I feel like I'm putting together a PERMANENT RECORD OF HOW MUCH I SUCK for someone else to view. But it's a two minute scene. Two or three takes, the whole thing can be done and sent away in about a half an hour. So why not just do it rather than spend two days feeling ick about it?

In other news, I am down 3 pounds! Speaking of which, I am super hungry and going to have lunch while making phone calls.