Not quite my shortest day on set, but in the running...

My gig was changed.  I told y'all that. Got in last night after giving a lift across the hill to a fellow (? what's the feminine form of "compatriot"?) BG artist so she could catch a VALLEY-based train or bus instead of from set, and got the details for today's gig.  2:48 p.m. call time meant I could sleep in (not that I ever really do), and the location being the Universal Studios lot meant that I could take my time getting ready, and leave here around 2 to have time to spare (for walking from the parking deck to the soundstage).  So I got up early-ish, as I'm wont to do, felt a bit sniffly from "holding" in an outdoor tent for the previous two days and went back to bed.  Stephen got up and did what he had to do to get to work by 1.  After he left, I did what I had to do to be on set by 2:48.

Got checked in and approved by wardrobe and hair; went to "holding".  Got taken with our small group to get "propped" and went back to holding after a pit stop at Craft Services.  Around 4:30-ish, we were taken to the soundstage.  The actors did a blocking rehearsal, and then our P.A. read us the scene.  Then two BG artists were taken into the set, and the rest of us waited.  Then those two were brought back out, and we could hear them shooting the scene without us.  Then we got "de-propped". Then we heard, "Cut! Print! Wrap!" and clapping, and then they sent us all home.  I love my job. :)

BACK in my nightgown before six o'clock p.m.!

Amazon, yesterday in "holding".
Reclined on the ground behind her is the new friend I gave a lift to.
The three of us had FUN TIMES loading her mountain bike into the trunk
of my Honda Civic at wrap, and then Alison and I had MORE FUN TIMES
unloading it at the Universal Train Station! Yes, we ALL love our jobs.

In other exciting news from the world of a Background Artist, my friend Amazon was given a LINE on the set of the other show I worked yesterday and the day before!  You go, girl!

"Long" Day today; likely a "short" day tomorrow

Not that "long or short" even matters when we're talking about days on set.  Any day on set is a good day, and so far, I'm having a good week of good days.  Yesterday was an eight-and-a-half-hour day and today was eleven hours on location, in a bar a good distance away, portraying a "lesbian", among 80 or so "lesbians", enjoying a night in "our local bar". Most of the 80 get to enjoy another night in the local bar tomorrow, but apparently I was a bit too "visible" or possibly "recognizable" or whatever, so they found me another gig.  I don't get to return to the gay bar.  Alas, I've had to leave my "lover" behind.  Altho the young lady who was my "lover" appears to have not been recalled tomorrow either, which is fine by her, since her sister's in labor, and she'd like to be present for the birth of her newest niece.  I'll miss her, as I'll miss the rest of the gang.  It's okay, though.  I'll see most of them on some other set, and we'll have fun reunions as "someone else".  I love my job.

TOMORROW, I'm back to my "type", playing an A.D.A. on a much closer set for what is likely to be a much shorter day.  I already know exactly which business suit I'll be wearing, and I know my route, and I know it'll be a great day (because any day on set is at least a good day). I love my job.

Oh, and you remember that "other" job I have, the restaurant gig that I was so stressed about on Sunday when I was trying to find someone to cover my shift for yesterday so I could do the film gig? Today, I got a text message from the guy I covered for last week, asking if I could cover his shift this afternoon. It felt really good to be able to reply "Sorry, nope, can't do it 'cuz I'm on set."  I'm sure he found someone else to cover for him, but I was happy to both be his first option and be in a position to decline.

Currently telling you what today/this week have been while I catch up on the DVR queue (Gotham then maybe Selfie then maybe Once Upon a Time or something else).  Did I mention that I love my job?  I think maybe I love my life.

Hope your job/life is/are as blessed as mine.

New "Lingo" we determined today for the Professional Background Actor (and others, maybe)

When acting in the background of a bar or restaurant (or other semi-crowded environment) scene, you don't actually speak or make vocal noise, EVER... but you do LOOK like you're conversing/having a conversation, meaning your silent lips are moving and forming words.  You're not whispering, you're "nonversing".

When the female server walks over and looks completely wasted, but you have no way to know for sure, you assume that "that chick is totally waitressed".

If, during a take, something makes you laugh so hard that you cry but you're trying to make no noise, you're "craffing" (probably should be spelled "craugh"/"craughter"/"craughing" but we weren't looking to add these words to any official lexicon, as yet).

Good day on set (but then again, any day on set is a good day, in my book).  Tomorrow, I may have more words for ya.  Or maybe a whole "dishing" on the world I live in.  Who knows?  I'm just hoping that tomorrow we manage to weed out the whiners and only the fun kids (like myself) get recalled to work Wednesday!

Today was looking like a TOTAL, Complete & Utter FAILURE. Was.

My schedule for THIS week at work is paltry: 8 hour shift as a cashier tomorrow, 6-ish hour shifts as a "floater" (someone who gets drink orders for newly seated diners) on Friday and Sunday.  And that's IT.  Before that schedule got posted, though, I had requested OFF for tomorrow through Wednesday, because I've been booked on a "possible" THREE-DAY call for some BG work on a film/television shoot.  When I asked for that time off, I indicated that I was fully available in any capacity for any number of hours Thursday through Sunday.  I was told, essentially, I'd get what I got, and any shifts I couldn't work, I'd have to find someone to cover for me.  I'm not being treated unfairly by these "rules" - they apply to ALL.  In fact, the reason I had so many shifts in this past week is because I picked up TWO from a guy who'd let them know he'd be OUT OF TOWN - for a funeral, of all things - but he got scheduled for those days anyway.

Which means, I think, that now that I'm no longer in training, but I'm the most recent hire, I'm going to always be scheduled for Monday morning cashiering and Friday and Sunday floating.  It's a long drive for 20 hours of work, and those are not great "tips" shifts.  Let's hope I manage to either pick up more shifts from my co-workers, or better yet, book more industry stuff.

In the meantime, I'd agreed to do a bit of voiceover for a friend's class assignment, TODAY, after work, and we were going to carpool this morning because it was convenient (this is the friend that helped me get the restaurant gig, Lynly).  Only, I left the apartment this morning without my phone.  And she lives in a big-ass building with a door-buzzer system that only works 1) if you know the apartment number, AND 2) the tenant has a land-line phone hooked into it.  *buzzer sound* thank you for playing, you got ZERO out of two!  I got there, found parking, and then stood outside calling her name... a neighbor across the street, who was washing his driveway and sidewalk, like an idiot, because you know, DROUGHT? let me borrow his cell phone so I could call Stephen to see if he could somehow reach Lynly.  We couldn't quite figure that out, and I could see from the borrowed phone what time it was, so I decided to just book it outta there, and go to work (I assumed that Lynly had either somehow forgotten about me, or, not reaching me by phone, taken off unseen).  Shortly after I left there, Lynly DID text my phone, so Stephen played a little "liaison" for us, and we drove separately.

When I got to work, I knew she'd either have words for me or give me the stink-eye or something, because seriously, WHO leaves their lifeline on the table at home? In Los Angeles? On a day when they KNOW they'll be using that sucker, probably ALL day? This idiot, that's who.  She did give me a bit of a chastising look, and I walked in that door explaining myself to her, but she still handed me the script, which was ironically titled "Over It." Then the restaurant exploded, and I didn't really have a moment to think about the script or anything else until it was time for me to take my :30 "lunch".

But I still hadn't gotten tomorrow's shift covered by that point, and I was getting a little desperate, and Lynly'd been cut early (which actually made the missed carpool a blessing), and she was getting a little desperate about her class, and she made me give back the script in case she needed to replace me, and I had no way to call all the folks I needed to call, and it was looking to be a nightmare :30. So I ordered some tater tots, clocked out, borrowed a cell phone, and started calling the nearest geographic link in the chain.  Eventually, after I ate some tots, I looked again at the phone list for our link, as well as the schedule for the week, and I called Michelle, who answered her phone and was happy to take my shift.  Why I hadn't seen her name or thought of her earlier is beyond me.  Ennyhoo.  Crisis averted.  So I was also able to call Lynly (who was headed home by then) to let her know it would be me, and did she want me to come straightaway or what?  Well, no, because without my cell phone, how would she know to let me in? Erp. Blech. ("You're a loser, but I love you anyway." - No, she did NOT "say" that)

Finished the shift... called Stephen to let him know I'd be coming home to change clothes and grab my phone, but would likely not be eating dinner.  No worries - he'd done something in the crock pot and had already eaten (because he has to be at his job for a two-hour store meeting, after hours).  But wait, before we hang up, did I manage to get the shift covered?  YES.  YAY.  (I initially kinda thought that he might hear the sense of relief in my voice, but I realized that he hadn't been watching me stress out over it all day, so) YES.  YAY.

Lynly, BEHIND the mic stand. FUN!

Did the VO gig, obvi. Tomorrow, I get to be on set again, for day one of a possible three. As a "hip, casual lesbian in a lesbian bar."  I have no idea how to dress for that... 'sall good tho.  Everything's good.  Today was a success!

Welcome BACK, Ukraine!

Good to see ya! Kick around a bit, stay awhile!

How do YOU define "success"?

I think, for most of my life, I've been led to believe that "success" was primarily financial.  If that is the case, then the most "successful" folk we know of are the ones stalked by paparazzi, and they may or may not be happy, but "If I had that kind of money, I'd be happy..." yada yada yada blah blah blah BLECH.

Then there are those who have amazing careers, doing what they've always loved, influencing world leaders and the like with their brilliant inventions or theorems or algorithms or whatnot.  Those folk are very likely considered "successes" by us on the outside of their lives, but we have NO CLUE what struggles they went through to get there, and we also don't know if they consider themselves to be successful.

We see our parents, who, if we are lucky, managed to find love early in life and stay in love throughout our lives, and we probably strive to reach the kind of marital success that they've shown us.

But in my season of Sadiversaries, I'm drawn to individuals who find themselves successful on a daily basis, and those are the folk I strive to emulate.  I don't have a long-term definition of "success" for myself, unless it is the sum of my daily successes by the time I reach the end of my life.  I think I developed that game plan for myself when I spoke with Mommy on the phone that day and advised her to make 2006 the "Year of Lois".  At my current age, I may feel like I don't give a rat's ass what others think of me, but I know that outwardly, I need to look like I do, if I'm to succeed on a daily basis.

So I live my daily life, hoping for industry work and cheering when I get it.  I make my long drive to my not-so-bad job in the food service industry, and if I make it safely there and back, earn some tips, and have friendly conversation with my coworkers and the diners, then I count those days as successful.  If I have no work to do on any particular day, I try to accomplish something worthwhile, be it getting some bills paid, reading for enjoyment (just Entertainment Weekly, kids, don't panic), doing a bit of laundry or running the dishwasher, or getting some exercise, either by taking a short walk or getting into the cold swimming pool.  If I don't have to raise my voice or clean up cat messes, then I've probably had a successful day.  Eh, I usually have successful days even if I have to raise my voice or clean up cat messes.  I'm pretty successful.

I'm mostly a happy person.  I think this is primarily because I choose to be so.  I avoid negativity, which includes media-based news and politics, and I seek out positivity.  If I can awake feeling refreshed and go to bed at night without stresses weighing on me, then I've had a successful day.

So how 'bout you?  Do you define success differently?  Am I living a pipe dream?  Are you jealous?  Don't be; just find a way to achieve your goals and be happy.  Live my pipe dream if you want to, but be sure that it's actually YOURS instead.  I think there's room for all of us to feel successful and be happy.  Do you agree?

Interestinger and Interestinger

Got my schedule all sorted out so I could work five shifts this week, which is a good thing...

Got a request from a co-worker to try to squeeze in some voiceover work on a class project for her, which I am VERY happy to do.  Managed to squeeze it into our Sunday, after work, including a bit of CARPOOLING, which is always a blessing.  Should be fun in numerous ways.

Went to "visitation" at Central Casting this morning, which was pretty much "as expected" - it's always good, if you're not working, to put your name and your face in front of the folks who can hire you, and there were a few good points made (or reiterated, I guess) for some who may have been a teensy bit less "in the know."  As usual, I found myself in a position to help one or two newbies out, and the casting directors got to see me in action, being the "Mother Hen of BG" as I had identified myself.  All good.

Came home to check in with the internets, and discovered a new reader.  Got a phone call telling me I'm booked for the first three days of next week.  Got the email saying the same.  Had to figure out how to "ask off" or be sure to find someone to cover the shifts, if it's too late to get the request in.

... and I've been a little sleepy since I came home from Central, and since I haven't taken a nap yet today, I think that's where you'll find me, if you need me in the next hour.  Like Cocoa and Smokey, altho

NOT in the sunshine on the kitchen table!