I have no title for tonight's post. Bloody Hell.

First day off after nine consecutive days of work, and I Slept. In. I had cancelled my alarm so I wouldn't have to snooze it, and when Stephen got up, he was very quiet, and I never heard him. I'd had a rough go of it when I went to bed last night, because my sinuses were just so damned congested; it took a long time for me to finally fall asleep.

Getting up, the congestion and/or coughing did start back up, and since I had no breakfast foods in the house, I just started with two cups of hot tea, cough drops, and a roll of toilet paper to catch my running nose. Fun!

We eventually built ourselves a grocery list and headed out to Costco for the walking, sampling lunch, and then continued our shopping at Smart-n-Final. Got home, filled the fridge and freezer, and while my breathing had improved while we were out in the world, the congestion returned in the apartment. I must be allergic to this place, which is actually pretty weird, considering we've got no carpeting harboring anyone's old yuckinesses.

Watched some episodic television from the queue (Dead Like Me, Agent Carter, Grimm, and Mom) to get us to the next-to-last episode of Downton Abbey. All that other stuff was just our holding viewing for the big event. Seriously, Downton Abbey is such a great show, but tonight's episode was just phenomenal all the way around. And only one episode left, forever! Bloody Hell!

I did put myself on the Rush Call Availability list over the weekend, so I'll leave my alarm set for 7:30, just in case there's a post for something first thing that I can run out for. Which means I've just got to wind myself down enough to get to bed soon. Sure hope it doesn't take as long as last night!

How was your weekend?

Just. Can't. Breathe.

Had a GOOD last day at the Bros today.

First tour full of estrogen (I feel so sorry for Ray from Chile, the lone testosterone on the cart full of women), having a great time seeing all the great stuff I got to show them. Throughout the tour, there was one lady who took so many photos of everything, that I know she ended up with a handful of just me, or me with one of her friends. Thanked them at the end for being the first tour of my Last Day, and they were bittersweet happy/sad for me, as I was feeling bittersweet when I first clocked in (as I posted on Facebook).

Second tour a good mix of families from all over the US, plus one lone guy from South Korea. Again with the "having a great time seeing all the great stuff I got to show them". Lots of really good participation and feedback throughout. Helen, a local actress who was touring with her visiting parents from Washington, has an audition for Gilmore Girls on Monday! Break a leg, Helen! Thanked them all at the end for being my next-to-last tour ("ever"), and had some of the same bittersweet happy/sad.

Third tour I traded, so that my absolute "final" tour would be the absolute final tour of the day. Had Davy and Laura from France, and Maria from Japan (really? Maria? from Japan?) who spoke and understood English better than her local friends, Isao and Erika (who often had Maria translating into Japanese for them). That was it. Had a blast seeing all the great stuff I got to show them. Asked lots of clarifying questions; participated freely in what I was asking them to do. Arrived at the final attraction a teensy bit late, and they didn't want to leave me without Group Pictures, which we had to ask the attendant to take for us. She's a good sort, and I felt badly about putting her out, but what could I do? She took the pictures, and my guests finally separated themselves from me.

I got back to my origination point in time to clock out and return all of my Warner Bros. uniforms, keys, badges, and whatnots (it's a lot of stuff). Got my final paycheck (which I'm sure I'm going to have to research and possibly contest) before hugging the last two managers "so long". No one else around to hug, so I came home. We all walked over to Taco Bell to try their latest potential "guilty pleasure" and stuck with our faves; came back home to watch Kingsman, which was in our "free HBO/Cinemax weekend". Fun flick; very bloody and stylistically intense, what with all the "bullet-time" fight scenes. Also, great turn by this man. Check out his filmography. In his early days, mostly likeable but somewhat victimized characters. Then he starts playing a bit more despicable. He's got a long list, particularly of late, but he's such a "great" that I was very pleasantly surprised to discover him here.

But now that the movie's over and things are winding down and I don't have to get up to an alarm tomorrow morning (what?), I would really like to be able to breathe freely again before bedtime. Damn freakin' weather changes. Great breathing during last week's heat wave. Got cold enough again to need layers of long sleeves, and because I've been working every day, I haven't necessarily paid attention to dressing for the end of the day (especially today, when I had to turn in my jacket, and hadn't brought an additional layer to wear home). So I'm sitting here with my head held over a cup of warm tea, alternatively with tissue just shoved up my nose to catch the drips. Of course, I'll feel Much Better tomorrow morning!

Here are the Three Good Things I listed on my (final) tour report today:

1. Good Tours
2. Good Day
3. Good Gig

And now, to kickstart my next adventure!

Happy Birthday, Inner Hippie!

Yeah, I probably should have blogged this This Morning, but I was a little busy, what with trying to get to the Bros early enough to work out my scheduling issue, do tours, and then get to set on time for my "double shift". Cheryl probably doesn't mind, since she got plenty of Facebook love and in-person accolades from co-workers, plus emails and phone calls and probably Instagrams, Snapchats, and Tweets she's completely unaware of. I called her; we had a nice chat. She's my big sister, and I love her. I hope she had a great birthday, since they only come once a year.

In other news, It Is Official. I had my "exit interview", which went pretty well. I'll have three tours tomorrow, and then I'll collect my pay for my final week, once I drop off all my uniforms, badges, and keys (lotsa stuff to return). It has definitely been a good run, and I will definitely miss my peeps. I'm grateful for the training, the job, the experience, the friendships, and the pay. It was very much a Good Thing, right when I really needed it. And because I'm leaving on Good Terms, I can always reapply when the industry slows enough for me to need another full-time gig, even if it's just for a "season". Next go 'round, though, I'll probably claim Single Zero on my tax forms to make sure they take enough out of both Federal and State. For whatever reason, we're just not getting back as much refund as we'd hoped, and we'll actually owe a ten-spot or so to California. What the what?

Ennyhoo. On to the Next Chapter!

Three Good Things:

1. Warner Bros.
2. Central Casting
3. Inner Hippie
4. Stephen
5. Family
6. Friends
7. Work, in general
8. Nice weather
9. Time to watch movies
10. Knitting and crochet
11. Sleeping in
12. Hot baths
13. Hot tea
14. Waking up breathing

I think that's enough, don't you? What did I miss?

Irony? I think so, maybe. I have trouble with it. (So do you, ya know!)

When I first started working for the Bros, I was very happy to work forty hours a week, or more, when possible. All throughout the summer, forty, forty-eight, even more hours, talking about the industry, having a great time and making a good living. Good Times!

Then things in the industry start to pick up, and I need more time away from the Bros. They figure out a new thing, and I get to slow down my schedule there so I can increase my schedule out in the rest of the world. ... and then the holidays arrive, and the schedule reverses again ... and then after the holidays, I slow down my Bros schedule but the industry doesn't pick up. What the what?

Fast forward to approximately this week. I think I've already told you that my temp "assignment" is coming to an end, this Saturday. As of Sunday, I will no longer have any kind of regular work schedule at the Bros. Probably, tomorrow or Saturday, they'll find time for me to get an "exit interview". Really not sure when that's supposed to happen, but it doesn't matter.

Here's the ironic part, if there is irony in this story. This week, my "final" week as a Warner Bros. Studio Tour Guide (Hollywood) (TM), I was scheduled for five eight-hour shifts. On Monday afternoon, I got word that I'd been requested for a late call time on Tuesday, so I made arrangements with management to do both a tour shift and my "requested" gig. I was scheduled off for yesterday and today, so when I called in, I picked up an extra 5.5 hours yesterday. Today I was on set again. I'm scheduled for eight hours of tours tomorrow, but I also got recalled for today's gig tomorrow, which means that once again, I get to try to make those arrangements with management. Then I'll work my "final" eight hours on Saturday and turn in all my uniforms at the end of the day.

When I've been very very busy, I've had to juggle many things in order to make it all work out to stay very very busy doing everything I love doing. Once I've got the schedule worked out to not be very very busy, it's been incredibly slow, and I've been very very not busy. Is that irony?

Three Good Things:

1. Very Very Busy this week
2. Being requested or recalled on set this week
3. Makin' the big bucks (ca-ching!)
4. Knowing that no matter what I do, it will all work out. I just gotta keep showin' up!

On the other hand, the weather has definitely changed, and my breathing sucks again. Can't have everything, can I? ;) Whassup witchoo?

Three Good Things (Day Eleven)

I had stopped counting, but after publishing with the title "(Day Whatever)", I decided to do a quick perusal of recent posts to get the number right. My tenure at the Bros is winding down, and it would appear that things on the other side of the industry are picking up. Good Things.

1. I called in today to see if I was needed for tours. I got called back for a 5 1/2 hour shift, all at overtime pay, because it's my sixth consecutive tour shift. Overtime pay is a lovely thing.
2. First tour was part of a group of high school students who happen to be studying film. Great interactions with them, and I definitely got to contribute to their education. Yay, me!
3. Second tour had a family from Argentina who happen to currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia. They had lots of questions about getting started in the film industry there, and while I didn't have any definitive answers for them, I'm fairly certain I was able to steer them in the right direction. Everyone else on the tour had a good time, too, and seemed to enjoy learning about one family's interest in the industry (and what I could contribute from my own experiences). Another success!
4. I got booked for more background work tomorrow, on another show I've never heard of. Having heard of a project before you show up for your first booking is never really important. If it is something I've heard of and I have time to watch an episode or two, that's great. This one I didn't even bother Googling. The info on the line didn't indicate that it would be too difficult to choose appropriate wardrobe, so I'm not too concerned I've never heard of it. If tomorrow is a roaring success and there's even remotely a chance of any kind of recall situation, I'll take some time to look it up. If not, no big.
5. I had had an unemployment insurance claim open, but the last weeks I filed never made it into the system, so I reopened my claim. If they backdate my filing to the last weeks I should have filed, then they'll end up (eventually) paying me a little in UI benefits up to this point. If the reopening starts me over with this week, well, then, my "bank" will just last a little longer. I'm grateful to be eligible to collect unemployment benefits; I'm also grateful to have enough work to be ineligible to collect in some weeks. It's ALL good.
6. The latest heat wave broke, and we had some rain today, which also brought my coughing fits. I don't necessarily love the rain, and I certainly prefer heat to the cooler temps we're in for in the coming week, but I know Southern California can definitely do for a little unexpected rain. While I'm not loving these coughing fits, they were "productive" awhile ago, and I'm currently breathing all right. Also, my tours were not negatively impacted, so. Good.

It's not even 11 yet tonight, and I'm done for the night. Once I hit "publish" on this post, I can go to bed. That's a pretty good feeling, right there. I may have some time tomorrow to catch up on some of the blogs I read, as well, and I'm grateful for that, too.

Any Good Things going on in your life?

I think? it was a good day today

Unable to find anyone to take my shift today, I worked with the guys in scheduling to make sure I could be done with my tour shift in time to make it to my second "shift" on set. Got in this morning and made sure again (because what got done yesterday somehow didn't "stick" this morning), so I was all set. Last tour was supposed to leave right at 1:30, so my half-hour lunch that ended right at 1:30 would cover the more than six hour shift I'd end up working so there'd be no "meal penalty", AND that last tour would be done with time to spare for me to get to set.

Except that, during my second tour, I missed a phone call. At lunch, I listened to the message. My call time was "pulled" half an hour, which meant that the 1:30 tour would return Just In Time for me to get to set. Okay, no worries.

Except that, during lunch, I got another call. This one was to tell me that my new call time was actually... TWO p.m. Rut-roh. There was No. Way. I'd be able to take a 1:30 tour at all and make it to set in time. I told the person on the phone I was actually at my other job and would have to try to finagle something, so if I wasn't going to make it by 2, I'd be calling them back. She seemed okay with that answer, considering it was already after 1 when I got that call.

So I had to talk to a manager. Sucks to have to talk to a manager, when you've gone to such lengths to make a situation work for all parties. She looked into the system, saw that there were unsold tickets that she could just "cancel", and that would essentially just take ONE tour guide out of the system for ONE tour. She appreciated that I'd gone to such lengths to make it work, so she made it work for me, too.

I clocked back in from lunch and then clocked out for the day (just so the timecard wouldn't reflect that I had never returned from lunch when I return to the Bros. on Friday, forgoodnesssake!). Then I changed my clothes and zipped over to Crew Parking. Arrived with ten minutes to spare, and when I checked in, ran into my friend the bartender, who had also been requested by the 2nd AD. When we eventually made it through the initial wardrobe approval process and were shuttled over to set, we discovered a rather large handful of crew from the show where we knew the 2nd AD. In fact, we found out that it was actually the 1st AD who had requested us, so if we ever have any more "dive bar" scenes for this particular show, at least two of us will likely return with some regularity. I love being requested. And again, I was complimented for my work on set by both the 1st and 2nd AD's, so I'm definitely being noticed. Very cool.

Three Good Things:

1. Two good tours
2. Management making it work for me to shorten my day
3. Short but productive, fun, friendly, lucrative shoot day with a great catered meal and the possibility of return

I. AM. BLESSED.

So, yeah, I guess it was a very good day today. How was yours?

I almost forgot to blog today!

I went to work, and I kept looking for someone with whom to trade a shift, since I'll be on set tomorrow, at the behest of the 2nd A.D. The individual tour guide I kept expecting I would offer tomorrow's shift to has called out (sick, presumably) for the past two days. That's no bueno. Finding no one with whom to trade sent me upstairs to scheduling, to see if somehow I could get rescheduled for a six-hour shift rather than my eight. It would mean two tours rather than three, but would give me time to come home before going to set, rather than having to change in the locker room after faking being sick and "needing" to leave. Three Good Things?

1. Gentleman at the desk "pre-scheduled" all three of my tours tomorrow, so they're more back-to-back than they have been, so that I can be "taillights to the wind" by 3:45, which is plenty of time to get to set. They even know why I want a shortened shift, and since I can still do three tours, they are okay with it. The dudes in scheduling understand, man.
2. Had two decent tours today and then "singled out" of my third tour. Rather than send home all the guides who were suddenly singling out after a rather crazy-busy, overbooked day, they sent everyone over to the attraction that exists at the end of the tour. I had been proactive about the possibility of singling out, and volunteered to shuttle for the rest of my shift. Shuttling is a pretty easy gig for a tour guide. You're just picking up guests from the attraction and taking them back across the lot to where they started. You can interact with them or not; entirely up to the driver. The reason some guides dislike shuttling is that it can be sweaty, especially at the end of a longish, hot day, which is what we've had lately. I didn't care. I wanted it. I welcomed it.
3. Because I had volunteered to end my shift with shuttling, I got a little overtime as well. Which is really a blessing, since tomorrow my shift will be cut short. I am So Blessed.
4. Got home and soaked in a nice hot bath, and my bag is packed for set tomorrow, and my lunch is ready to pack for my tour shift. I am ahead of the ballgame! W00T!

Now I just gotta get to sleep before 11 so I can get 7 1/2 hours in before the alarm (reset for 6:30 again, just for tomorrow) goes off. Doubt I'll be waking before it! Doesn't matter. I'm psyched for tomorrow.

How 'bout you? Did you "celebrate" President's Day today, or do you live/work in a place where it doesn't even mean a postal/bank holiday?