Review. No Spoilers.

We walked over to our local Laemmle theater the other day (holy shit, was it only yesterday? wtf! Yes, "the other day" WAS, in fact, only yesterday!), to buy a "Laemmle Premiere Card" (prepaid "debit" card for a hundred bucks), which got us an immediate discount on both our tickets and our popcorn/drinks combo, and to see...

Black Panther!

Kids, as Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies go, this one is Ah. Maze. Ing. As fantasy movies (ya know, fictional characters in fictional places with extraordinary superhuman skilz, etc.) go, this one is Top Fucking Notch. You Should See It.

I'm honestly not sure, if you haven't been following the MCU, whether this movie works as a standalone. I mean, I think it does. We who've been following the MCU were previously introduced to the title character and his dad. Everyone Else is "new" to us, which means the entire plot is brand new, and therefore, works as a standalone movie. So go see it.

It touches on all of the current social issues. It covers racism, feminism, warmongering, weapons and tech, and general badassery. Okay, fine, general badassery is not a current social issue. But it's pretty damn awesome that the Royal Guard are entirely female, hitting both the feminism and general badassery buttons.

If any of the above is shit you care about, how is it possible you haven't yet seen this movie? Doooo. Eeeeeeeet.

Are you happy for me, or feeling neglected?

I can't believe that my last post was urging me to post more regularly, and here I am, nearly an entire month later, just getting back to you. What a dolt I am! So Sorry!

I've been busy. Lemme just check the ol' Android calendar real quick, so I can tell you what kind of nonsense I've been up to...

• I finished my training at the pet supply store
• I networked with like-minded people (I thought I was getting an agent. Apparently, I am not)
• I learned about New Media actor contracts
• I worked on set! (BG on a show that's been created from a film, or possibly vice-versa. I don't remember. When it finally sees the light of day, I'm not the target audience, so I probably won't look for myself in it, or even look for it)
• I celebrated my volunteerism with other volunteers... also, we memorialized a fallen member, a dude who'd volunteered a LOT and then, for whatever reason, dropped dead of a heart attack, much too young.
• I worked on set for a full week! (Craft Services, which I have said numerous times I'll never do again, only my buddy knew I was reliable and could handle it and was willing to pay me a reasonable wage... I'll work for him Every Time he needs me. I just hope he never needs me for Craft Services EVER again!)
• I went to another workshop to learn my VO software, now that I have the appropriate microphone and headphones (yes, kids. I bought the hardware. Yay, me!)
• I worked on set, two consecutive days! (BG on two different shows. I could easily get recalled on the regular for the first one; I could easily get lots of "focused" screen time on the second one - not that I care one whit about screen time)
• I worked at the pet supply store, and have put in notice to no longer work there. I failed my "Secret Shop" and there are grumblings at corporate that my boss is playing favorites with me. I don't want to jeopardize her career, and I was only ever really hired to help her out, so I'm stepping down. I have one more weekend, and then Stephen will just have to bring home all of the retail pet supply store bacon (and supplies bought on his employee discount).

But also, Stephen Got A Promotion! Woo Hoo and W00t W00t! He is now, officially, as of today, the "Bench" Assistant Store Manager at his branch in Burbank. We're both awfully pleased. He totally deserves this promotion, and it will definitely ease the "burden" that I've just placed on our finances by stepping down, just in case my industry doesn't keep me steadily employed. Not that I'm the least bit worried about that. I think I'm planning to put an application in at two of my local TJ's this week, just to feel those waters out.

So. Are you happy for me, or still feeling neglected? I have a buncha blogs to catch up on this week, but I'm pretty psyched about life in general, these days.

I have GOT to get back to a "schedule"

I miss you guys when I'm not here. I wonder if you're here, wondering where the hell I am? Or don't you miss me back?

Wait. Now I haz a sad (as the kids say, or maybe as the kids said. I'm sure that one's so last year, which is kinda so five minutes ago, which is really to say that ... don't mind me.)

*I am not hip, nor a hipster. I just sometimes play one on tv.*

("My" show will premiere on Tuesday, March 6th. On NBC. Or some NBC affiliate. I dunno. I have no idea where it will premiere. I also have no idea how clearly or how often you'll actually see ME, either.)

So ennyhoo. I needed a check-in, so this post is like the entire series of Seinfeld. If you never watched Seinfeld, CONGRATULATIONS! I wish I hadn't. Not that I watched it on purpose, or anything.

Um, back to checking in!

In the last week, I've walked somewhere in the 'hood of 40,000 steps. I've been to my retail pet supply store for work. I've been to a W&W (wages and working {conditions}) Caucus at the SAG-AFTRA offices. I've finalized which microphone and headphones I'm ordering. I've completed my taxes but not yet filed. I've requested an address change and a re-printed w-2 from Sony, for the residuals I earned last year for that one episode of that one show I got upgraded on. I've shredded 3 years of old files. I've been grocery shopping. I've done a little cooking. I've run the dishwasher a few times. I've taken some trash out and checked the mail on more than one occasion. I've caught up on the blogs that I read. I've watched movies and shows that we watch. I've spent some time on Twitter. I've played plenty of Sudoku and Magic (Jigsaw) Puzzles on my phone, and Mahjohnng and Solitaire on my computer. I've paid bills. I've contemplated Life, the Universe, and Everything. I've continued to feed the cats something better. I've started building a new kitten from Smokey's fur (okay, no, I just used the FurminatorTM on him).

I've talked to Daddy on the daily. I've BLOGGED (well, today)!

Tomorrow and into next week, I'll (hopefully) complete some of the above-listed incompletes, I'll repeat some of the repeatables, and maybe I'll do some new stuff, too. Like, Get Back On Set. I've been away far too long. It is TIME.

How was your January? Did you make resolutions? Are you keeping them? Doing anything new, or SSDD? Tell me. I wanna know!

*Same Shit, Different Day

Did you know you could be PRODUCTIVE even on "just farting around" days?

I've only just fired the old service and signed up for the new one, so I had no expectations I'd be working today. I will have my weekend pet supply store days, and then, next Wednesday, I'll finish up my training there, so my weekday schedule is mostly open for industry gigs. And I'll probably order the mic and headphones soon, so that'll give me another industry kick-in-the-pants boost.

But what to do on days like today, when nothing's actually scheduled?

Go adventuring with your boss-lady, of course!

Normally, she'll come to me and park in our garage, and then the two of us will venture out to Costco or IKEA, and eventually, a slice of pie and a cuppa. Today, we didn't want to spend much money, because I'd paid for a new camera for her, and she wanted to focus her fundage on repaying me, so she could start using it.

So when she got here, we decided to take the camera out for a little walk. We found lots of interesting things to photograph, and she was really enjoying her compositions. We knew we'd need to swing by her bank, and my phone told me it was only a coupla miles away, so we decided to just walk and take more pictures.

By the time we reached the bank, the beverages we'd consumed at the start of our adventure were ready to flush, so we packed the camera up and started looking for facilities. Took care of that business, and then she took care of her banking business, and for the walk home, we detoured into the nearby electronics store, for shits and giggles.

By the time we were back to the apartment, we'd decided we were too hot and sweaty to detour via Republic of Pie. We got in, cooled off, took my car to my bank and a local grocer (she needed walnuts IN THE SHELL for her birds), and once parked, walked over to Pie. The sun was no longer burny and directly overhead, so at that point, I was actually getting cold. So we enjoyed our warm beverages, walked back to where I'd parked, and came back home.

Remember when I said I'm going to try to walk 5k steps a day again? Did you NOT read yesterday's post? Sheesh! Keep up!

Three Good Things:

1. the camera is amazing, and just "shits and giggles" pics are really phenomenal. I'm so happy and grateful to have had the available credit to be able to cover the cost, as a loan. She loves it, and I love my contribution to her creative spark.
2. we walked in excess of 17k steps today! >7.5 miles covered on foot! I am so happy and grateful to have had a good "breathing" day, giving me the strength to cover so much ground on foot. I tripled a goal!
3. we spent very little money today, and we're both tired enough to sleep early. I am so happy and grateful for all the little things I was able to manifest in my life today. I was productive, just farting around!

Are you able to find productive ways of farting around? Or do you have so little downtime that you just relish in non-productive farting around days (I'm not judging you - I have too much downtime, as you know)? Tell me!

Weekly(-ish) check-in

Here's where I stand on the #CheckThatBox list:

• email being crafted right now... in my head... I don't really want to call, because #reasons. But when Stephen gets home from work, I'm hoping he doesn't have to rush straight off to bed, so he can help me be CLEAR without being passive-aggressive (the email I'm currently crafting is sooooo passive-aggressive!)
• #CheckThatBox! Done, today! Here's a couple of the photos we took:

"formal"

"hipster"

• #UnCheckThatBox. According to new/old calling service, there's only ONE additional casting company on the list that needs my registration. ALL of the rest of them book based on what the service offers, meaning, they peruse the service's database and load who/what they're looking for "into the cart". So I'll register with the ONE company, and keep putting #GoodVibes out there that the rest will want to add me to the cart! A Lot! (I could use your #GoodVibes for that, too)
• #Done. They only seem to have time for a chat on weekends, and as you all know, I'm currently #BookedSolid for my weekends, until further notice
• #SemiChecked. I was over at the SAG-AFTRA offices today, and I was able to get the director of the VO Lab to #JustTellMeWhatIWantAlready. He gave me his top 3 picks for "best bang for my buck" mics and only one choice for headphones. No, the noise-cancelling Sonys I found for 50 bux at Best Buy won't do. However, the headphones aren't much more expensive than that, and the mics are all quite reasonable. And it's all available on Amazon Prime. I'll be placing that order in the coming week, I expect, so definitely, "within a month", I will have #CheckedThatBox
• #SemiChecked. I've looked at tablets at Costco and Best Buy, and Stephen has looked at appropriate software and sent me the link to do that. Probably "within a month". Yeah.
• Well, I would've done, but there haven't been quite as many opportunities as there were before the SAG Awards. I forgot to vote, y'all. Not that any of the winners would've been unwon by my choices (I actually picked all of the winners, I think). There've been a few opportunities that I have said "yes" to, but the only one I scheduled got cancelled by me because it was supposed to have been yesterday, and I got called in to the pet supply store for more training, so there's that.
• #CheckThatBox, I think. There were one or two pretty chilly days where I only went to the mailbox or the dumpster or both, but I still managed to get off the couch. I realized yesterday that I actually enjoy hitting 10k steps in a day, and since I'm still wearing the non-Fitbit thingy, I think I'll change this challenge to Take At Least 5000 steps. Somewhere. Anywhere. Doesn't Matter. Get off the couch and go for a little walk. Push yourself, ya lazy bum! (That's me, not you. I mean, you might be a lazy bum, but I wouldn't know it)

So there ya have it. I think I'll add

• post more frequently than weekly. Find a reason to check in. Review some shit. Talk about work. Talk about my adventures. Do something here, for you, my readers
• go back to the Y. I'm paying for this gym membership, y'all. I should probably use the damn facilities, dontchathink?

I know you're wondering

... have I been doing the things I said I would? Have I checked off the boxes?

Um.

I've managed to find a reason to get out of the house every day. One week ago, I did my monthly bookkeeping thang. I went to my pet supply store job on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, I went adventuring with my boss-lady. Yesterday, I narrated a feature-length student film script at a table read (everyone else read specific characters; I read slug lines and scene descriptions and directions). Today, I went to a day-long training session at the pet supply store (I've been there five months now, and this was my first "class").

The only day "missing" is last Thursday. That must have been the day I did some grocery shopping, and electronics pricing while I was out. Tomorrow, I'll ...

Um.

I dunno what I'll do! Revisit my list, and maybe shop for a microphone and headphones! I think my gas tank is ready to be filled, so maybe I'll do a non-shopping #WalkingSamplingLunch at Costco. Get some steps in. I got/replied to an email about a potential other student filmmaker's gig. Maybe I'll book that. Be grateful. For whatever.

Something, though. I'ma do something. One of these days, all these something's are gonna add up to a big thing. I can feel it. Can you?

Grateful for Growth

Y'all remember how upset I was about missing a day of work in December? I was seriously hashtag PISSED. (I know, that's not the way hashtags work)

Flash forward to approximately a month of not working on set (yesterday), having looked into expanding my VO career; having looked into getting the appropriate hardware and software to expand my Scripty career; having been contacted by potential theatrical representation; having continued my weekend gig at the pet supply store and filed my new unemployment claim; having pushed myself (just a teensy bit) towards personal growth.

Are ya with me? In the last month, I did a lot of "personal growth" stuff, but continued to not work on set as a background actor. Yesterday was a fateful "growth" day. I received an email from Central Casting, informing me that I had Broken The Rules by missing that day. My "penalty" would be a one-month suspension, effective This Past Monday. Not effective "immediately", as of the missed day. No. The last month of not working wouldn't count in my favor. I've got a month ahead of me to not work for Central. There was an email address to which I could "appeal" my case, so I did that.

No matter the outcome of my appeal, I have some action steps to take in the upcoming month. I'm grateful for the timing of the email, and for where I am in life (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually). I may choose to check off all of these steps, or I may only check off one or two, which lead me onto a different path. Here are my options:

• Fire my calling service. They weren't really "serving" me very well, when they placed the onus of knowing I was booked on me, without getting confirmation. - I'll decide on this one in a week or so, I think. Currently leaning towards #CheckThatBox
• Find a new calling service. I had one that was slightly more costly, back in the day, but I never had problems with them, professionally. - If I fire the other one, I'll likely go back to my original
• Sign up with additional background casting companies - Why not? #CheckThatBox, at least two companies per week
• Follow up with the theatrical agent. - I lose nothing by doing this, so even though I haven't yet done it, I WILL #CheckThatBox, today (probably).
• Shop for and buy hardware for my computer to increase my VO possibilities. This means a microphone and headphones to connect to the software I already have -  I can afford this. Within a month, I WILL #CheckThatBox
• Shop for and buy the hardware and software I need to "go digital" as a Script Supervisor (a touchscreen tablet, since my laptop screen is non-functional, and probably something as simple as Adobe, so I can work inside of .pdf files) - Why not? Probably also within a month, I will #CheckThatBox
• Continue volunteering over at the SAG-AFTRA offices. I now have plenty of time on my hands, so yeah. #CheckThatBox
• Find a reason to get out of the house, daily. Even if it's just taking out trash or checking the mail, I still need to do it. It's not healthy for me to sit on the couch all day, every day. It's probably not healthy for you, either. So won't you do this as well? Let's get some steps in! #CheckThatBox