Shoes

Not much going on today. In fact, the highlight was seeing one of the pairs of shoes Douglas is going to be wearing in the movie - tan suede Ferragamo's to be exact. Costumes had forgotten them at the hotel and a PA was taking them out to set. He came by to pick up some other stuff and I really wanted to see them, but only to find out how big Douglas' feet are. I think they were a size 10, so that's respectable. But they looked expensive and each one was in it's own cloth bag inside the box. Fancy shoes. We dared the PA to show up wearing them and although he found the idea funny, we knew he wouldn't have for a million dollars.

My boss went home tonight on the red-eye. She misses her son and couldn't wait until tomorrow. I don't blame her in the least. I want to go home, too, but there's no point going until Sunday. It'll be easier to do the payroll here on Saturday than to fly home and be exhausted and try to do it there. I'm hoping to have it ready to go so I'll be able to leave early on Monday. We'll see. Most of the time it's not me that makes it run late. It's getting all the problems resolved and having it all approved.

I wish I had some gossip to share, but nothing much going on yet. I did hear at the kick-off party that one of our stars is a prick, but I may have mentioned that already. Oh yeah, I found out that our publicist is Hudson's aunt - sister to G. I can't say I would've picked up on the resemblance without having known beforehand, but it's there. Small world.

Braids

Just got back from having dinner with my boss - we went to the Thai place the husband and I went to for our anniversary. I got the Panang curry with shrimp and scallops and she got the Thai garlic chicken. Luckily, we're both splitters. I love going to dinner with a splitter. You get to try 2 dishes instead of just one. Both were good, but mine was better.

After eating, we walked down to Xtreme Hair and asked the woman if my hair was too short for braiding. She said no and 30 minutes later, I walked out with cornrows. I'm not sure yet if I like them or not - it's not awful, but it is quite a change. Donna said they looked good and I don't think she'd lie to me - she seems too frank for that. I didn't spend a lot and at least I can say I tried it. I'm glad we went, since the woman at the other place said my hair was too short - I think she just wasn't that good. Never go to a white woman for cornrows.

Donna went over to Macy's while I was in the chair and bought a nice bathing suit - brown with blue trim. She's coming back here in January so it'll be put to good use.

I really should get back to work. I know I'm going to get a lot of stuff dumped on me in the morning and I really want a clean desk before I leave for the night. Back to work.

Diamond Head

I got up this morning and walked over to Diamond Head. The crater itself isn't that far from the hotel, but the road up to the national monument and trailhead is on the far side. I wondered if I would be able to make it up to the top after walking all that way, but I did just fine.

It's a pretty steep climb and the two sets of stairs are killer. Plus I was surrounded by a lot of people who weren't in as good a shape as I am and they were going so slow I had to keep passing them so I wouldn't lose my momentum. Where the trail was too narrow, I had to take tiny steps to keep from catching people's heels.

The view from the top was beautiful. A 360 degree panorama of ocean, mountains, city, and sky. I'm so glad I went. The husband called while I was up there, which was perfect timing. It was nice to hear his voice and share what I could with him.

I walked back to Waikiki and checked out an art show, then went and took a shower. I just finished my laundry and plan to get some lunch. I didn't realize it was so late and I'm starving. Don't know what I'm going to do tonight - my big plans are pretty much over with Diamond Head.

I should mention that we ate at Alan Wong's last night. It's supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Hawaii and I'd have to say it was pretty damn good. I got to taste a bit of everybody else's fish and everything was good. It was nice to get out to a fancier place for a change, but it's not something I would want to do too often.

That's it - off to lunch before my head falls off.

Day 1 of 53

We started shooting today and I went to set to deliver paychecks. Location was on the other side of the island, on a ranch that' been used for Lost, Godzilla, Krippendorf's Tribe, you name it. It's beautiful, a lush green valley between very impressive mountains with a view down onto the ocean (if you overlook the cows...)

Anyway, the map was bad and we went about 20 miles out of our way and took way too long to get there. And contrary to popular belief, being on a movie set is BORING. I was done fairly quickly with my stuff and waited for K to finish handing out per diem. The last person left was Dillon and K was going to let me do it. Not that I was thrilled, since I don't find him particulary attractive, but I knew it would make Nancy jealous. It took forever. They kep reshooting the same scene over and over and I wasn't allowed to bother him until they were done. So we stood there for at least half an hour. When they finally broke, it turned out that he didn't want to take his money - he wanted it when he got back to the hotel. Figures. At least I was wearing shorts and got some sun.

Have to tell you about the blessing ceremony. Last night we had a kick-off party and traditional Hawaiian blessing. Some woman/priestess came and said a prayer. Then she had the cast, the directors, and the producers stick their right hands in a bowl of water and she said another prayer. Then she flipped water off of some huge leaves onto the crowd and blessed each of the main people individually. I was looking forward to it, but it turned out to be very excluding. We left early.

Aloha

I'm blogging today from my office on the island of Oahu. It's on the second floor of the Marriott Waikiki and has a view of the lobby, which is open to the outside and filled with greenery. It's a nice view, better than the one in my office in LA (no windows at all).

The plane ride was uneventful but it was dark and raining when we got in - kind of a bummer that. Have to say our first impressions were not that great. Honolulu looked like Ft. Lauderdale and Waikiki looked like Pigeon Forge. The hotel is nice, but our first room overlooked the parking garage and had only a queen bed. I had asked when we checked in for the "P" tower (names are way too long to type) that Kirby recommended, but was told they didn't have anything. When I saw the small bed in the "K" tower, I called and asked to be switched to any room w/ a king size. Surprise! They had a king size in the "P" tower available! It's a nicer room with a better view, if you go out on the balcony. The view straight out is buildings, but from the balcony you can see down the street to the beach.

Anyway, tropical depression Kenneth was moving across the islands and the weather report called for rain on Friday and Saturday, so I went into the office Friday and got a bunch of stuff done. Afterward, we drove around the east side of Oahu and saw the sights. It got dark, but we finally made it to a section of coast that looked like what we thought Hawaii would look like. Desolate and lush, with the ocean beating against the rocky shore. Can't wait to get back out there.

In movie news, we got Douglas. He's making a fairly modest salary for a mega-star, but his living allowance would make you choke. Let's just say that what he's going to make in one week would buy most cars. And this is on top of his salary. It's like making $50 a day for your job, but getting $35 to use as you see fit (these numbers in no way reflect his actual payments - I don't wanna lose my job).

Anyway, gotta get to work. The LA timecards are here and I want to get as much done while the husband is still asleep. We want to drive around some more, hit some book shops, maybe see Pearl Harbor today. Depends on the weather...

Don't Meet People in Bars

I heard the story today of how our construction foreman (Bob) in Hawaii wanted to hire a certain medic (Joe). Bob received a phone call from another medic's father (Dave) stating if Bob hired Joe, then all of the equipment and crew would not show up for work. Sure enough, the next day came and all of the stuff was gone and nobody showed up.

Bob got another call from Dave stating Bob should meet Dave at a bar. Bob shows up and there are half a dozen huge Samoans waiting for him. Bob buys everybody a beer and Dave tells him he needs to hire this other medic (who's sitting off to the side and isn't even Dave's son; turns out the son just doesn't like Joe). If Bob does as "asked", all of the equipment and crew would be back to work. Bob agrees, the Samoans leave (without drinking the beers) and the next day everybody and everything is back on track.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? If anybody wonders where organized crime went, try the movies.

Can Molly Have 2 Moms?

They're having a hard time finding someone big shot enough to play Mr. Thompson. So far Bridges, Douglas, and Baldwin have all passed on the part. I'm not sure why; it seems like easy money and the role is juicy - a backstabbing dad out to break up his daughter's marriage. Who wouldn't want that on their resume? Douglas is the hot choice, so they've decided to go back to him with even more money. Cause that what a mega-rich mega-star who doesn't want to be in the movie needs: more money. And the supervisor in Hawaii is worried the accounting office is going to spend too much on long distance...

Maybe they should have it be Ms. Thompson instead and get Goldie to do it. That would be funny.

Guilty: Part 2

This is Darby, our #3 cat. We got her from the pound in North Hollywood. She was about 2 years old at the time. The pound sent her to a crappy vet to be spayed and she got an infection. She was so sick after we picked her up, the one time she got out of the cat bed was to piddle in the corner, after which she promptly fell over. We had to take her to our regular vet and they kept her over the weekend and fixed her right up. But she was so mean when we brought her back home we almost took her back to the pound. She hissed and clawed and bit - she had no idea what "play" meant. We gave her 4 weeks to adjust and she finally came around. Not that she still isn't the meanest little kitty. She's just not always mean. You can't tell from this pic, but she has spots - we think she's a specially bred cat who either got out or wasn't perfect. In our world, Darby is Russian and has dreams of organizing the other animals into a communist utopia. Either that or putting them up against the wall. Could go either way. She seems to like the dog, but only because the dog is big and strong and stupid, which may be useful in the new regime.

Guilty: Part 1

The husband made me feel guilty last night for only posting a photo of Quincy, who's the #2 cat. He says I must like Quincy best since I haven't posted #1 and #3. This will fix that.
This is Baxter - he's the #1 cat. He's about 7 years old and a scaredy. He used to have little-bitty-kitty-head, because his body was so out of proportion to his head, but he's grown into a handsome boy. We were told he was a tortoise shell due to his markings, but others have said he's not. Whatever. I think he's a cutie pie. He used to be addicted to Nutrical, but that stopped when he got his pouch. We call it the "Pouch of Power." In our world, Baxter is a Bubba from Georgia who likes Nascar and wants to be a vampire slayer because of the cool dusters, like on tv.

No Bombs Here

There's no way a terrorist is going to get a bomb onto the Universal Lot unless they can hack into the parking pass computer. Those guards at the gates are strict. Even a misspelled name can keep you out.

The 1st assistant accoutant on this show is a guy, which isn't all that weird but he is younger than me. That is something to get used to...Anyway, his girlfriend is supposed to go to Hawaii with him this weekend for the start of his work over there. Well, her parents live in Houston and are having to evacuate because of Rita. She called him yesterday, crying, and was telling him all about it and how maybe she should fly down there instead of to Hawaii. Like a guy, he started in on 'what was she going to do down there?' and 'they'd just have one more person to worry about', etc. totally ignoring the fact she's CRYING and upset and just wants him to say it'll be ok. Boys.

I drove into work the other day behind a car that was crooked. I'm not sure how it could happen, but the rear end was a good 6 inches to the right of the front end. I could see the whole side of the car while I was directly behind it. What kind of bump or hole do you have to hit to make that happen? It was a total crap car but still, it's a good ton of metal that's driving down the street sideways.

Nancy got a slice of chocolate cream pie today from Marie Callender's. Not one of my favorite restaurants, btw - seems like an old person's place. She didn't think it tasted quite right, so she asked be to try it. The chocolate cream part was ok, not great, but the crust tasted like Crisco shortening. It was like eating crispy shortening. Blech. I thought she was going to heave when I told her that - it kind of made me queasy to think about it too. Anyway, she tossed the rest of the pie. I think 4 n 20 is the best for pies, hands down.

Rain in LA

It's raining today with thunder and lightning. I love a good storm. Usually a drizzle is enough for them to break out the doppler radar here and declare the "storm-tracker" is online. I guess if the land slid out from underneath you you'd be extreme about a bit of water, too. Whatever. I miss real thunderstorms. And seasons. And snow.

I didn't fell well yesterday and I don't feel that well today. The husband was good to me last night and went out and got orange juice. It helped at the time. And I felt ok when I woke up this morning, but when I started moving around I realized it wasn't over yet. I hope it doesn't last too long - going to Hawaii next week.

When I came into my office yesterday, I was convinced Hamilton was dead. He was sitting on the bottom, staring right at me and nothing was moving. I made Nancy come down and check and by the time she got here he was moving around. She said he was probably asleep. I think he's fucking with my head.

Not much going on at work right now. I promise to spread the gossip as soon as we have any.

Updates

This is Quincy, cat #2. My big task for this weekend is to get my photos off the laptop and into the desk top, and then into some format to share with everybody. I worked on this last weekend, but something glitched and all of the separate files ended up in one big file. Too much work involved in sorting them out, so I'm just going to burn each file by itself and transfer them one at a time. I do have some transferred, which is where Quincy comes in. Isn't he handsome? He has the longest whiskers I've ever seen.

The show is still going to Hawaii, but the schedule keeps changing. Looks like we'll have 8 days of shooting there instead of just 5 and there will be weekend work. Blech. At least we don't have to change the husband's ticket anymore. We're still leaving on the 29th and I know we'll have 2 days to play, but I'm hoping for 3. We'll see what happens.

I took Sofie to the groomers today. She jumped up onto my lap last night and I realized she stank. The husband, not known for his sense of smell, also told her she stank. So after an hour at the dog park running around in the mud and getting slobbered on by other dogs, off she went. I almost had them paint her nails, but I've been told that's not acceptable. She looks and smells much better, but we still have to file her nails - they're a bit ragged and scratchy.

I had to talk to the star's agent's assistant yesterday - Jordan. He seemed like a nice enough guy but I get annoyed with these assistants who take their jobs way too seriously. He wanted to "start a dialogue" about the client's payment. Whatever. It's not like I'm going to treat him differently now. The guy will get paid like everybody else - after he turns in all of his paperwork and signs his contract. Now, if he sent gifts, I may be persuaded...

The husband picked out a couple of good books for me today. I usually let him pick them out, since I'm so easily led astray but cover art. So far, there's only been one book that I can remember not liking enough to not finish. With a track record like that, I let him continue. We got one about Jim Henson and another about Vlad the Impaler and the Dracula legend (yes, it's fiction). I'm not sure which I'm going to read first.

Hamilton On The Bottom

I think I put too much dechlorinater in Hamilton's bowl yesterday. He's spent most of today sitting at the bottom, looking a little peaked. Whenever I drop food in, he struggles up to the top, then drops back down again. I changed the water as soon as I found out what the problem may be, but I hope it's not too late. We'll see if he's floating belly-up tomorrow.

Production has finally started paying for lunch. About time. I know it's a perk they don't get in the real world, but we're used to it here and we like it. Just call me Cracker.

Big Deal?

Now that we've pushed a week, I've been checking airfares and they've almost doubled. I cna't decide if it's a big deal or not. I mean, we're still flying 2-for-1 and we're still getting a free hotel room and per diem. So what if our cost has doubled. It's still a pretty good bargain.

Blog Spam

It's so hard to tell if someone has sent a real comment or just spam. I was excited yesterday to see that I had 3 comments, only to realize that 1 of them was just spam. Then I went home and the husband told me the other 2 were spam as well. I'm still not sure what to think. My ego wants to believe they are for real.

So far, the only people I know of who've written that absoluetly weren't spammers are Sped and the nice woman from Kansas. Which is fine. At least they seem to like what I'm talking about or have a question. Yes, I'd like to know more people are reading (haven't you read my bio?) besides my sister SID and the husband. But if that's the sum of my audience, so be it. I just don't want anybody's time wasted with spam.

Speaking of which, we're thinking of supplementing our income by taking Spam and peanut butter to Hawaii and selling it. We've heard the former is hugely popular and the latter is very expensive...

And Sofie ate 3 books yesterday. I took pictures of the one the husband didn't clean up. Just have to get the photos posted and we'll log Destructo's reign of terror.

Do Push!

Ignore what I said before. We are going to push. Not that it's that big a deal, more just a hassle to reschedule everything. And the change fee for the ticket.

But now we're going to be there for our 7th anniversary. And the hotel is the Marriott Waikiki Beach. Very nice, but I'd bet my paycheck that we'll be in the "city view" rooms (which still run $209 per night!). I think I'll book myself a spa treat since I'm not paying for the room.

I forgot to mention why we are pushing for a week... the actors finally got to town and did a read-thru (which is where everybody sits around a big table and literally reads through the script - I've never been to one but they always get the good craft service). Anyway, all 3 of the "stars" wanted to put their 2 cents in. Two of them are going to be "handled", but the third is also a producer so they've got to take his "questions" a little more seriously. I'm not really surprised by this, considering the version of the script I read. I just don't understand how a studio greenlights a project when the script isn't ready - this little push is going to cost us around a quarter of a million dollars.

Definition: craft service started out as a job title for the person/crew who provided cold drinks and minor snacks and picked up the trash. It's evolved to mean pretty much any food on a set that isn't provided by the caterers.

Daily Show

I keep meaning to watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but it's on at the same time as Law & Order: SVU - to which I am sadly addicted. Well, that's going to change. My boss saw last night's show and another blog I read linked to it - both raved about it. I watched a couple of clips and they were totally right. There's no way I can miss out on the opportunity to keep informed of the day's events in such a hilarious way.

It helps that I can't stand W. I think he's like anyone else who's gotten promoted above their capabilities. You know how that goes... someone is really kick ass at their job and the honchos promote them. But they can't do better than they were doing and they fall flat on their faces. W at least has powerful friends to keep him from falling too far. Too bad for us. I can only hope the Democrats can find someone people are willing to get behind to beat whoever the Republicans throw out there. As much as I'd love to see a woman President, I don't think Hilary is a good choice. Too divisive.

I made Nancy a Loaded Goat Blueberry Cheesecake for her birthday. Once again my baking skills have proved exemplary. Yes, it really is called Loaded Goat. The recipe if out of the Aunt Bea cookbook of Andy griffith fame. The name refers to a goat in an episode that ate some dynamite. I have no idea what happened to the goat in the episode, but the cheesecake is damn fine. We decided not to share it with the rest of the office, but most of us are taking a piece home for our significant others. I even brought Lock n Lock for the husband's piece.

The Governator has a bill before him that would legalize same-sex marriage in California. I hope he signs it. There are couples out there who have been together for decades who aren't allowed in an emergency room with an injured partner because they're not a member of the family. How stupid is that? You'd think with all the tragedy in the world, with Iraq and Rwanda and New Orleans, that if 2 people can come together and be happy, it could only be a good thing. Sign it, Arnold.

Don't Push!

Although it's not been officially announced, it looks like we are not going to push a week. Apparently we can't afford to. Fine by me. I've got a ticket reserved for the husband, as well as car service to and from the airport. Hate to rearrange everything.

Only a little more than 2 weeks 'til Aloha!

We still don't know where we're shooting, though. There's talk of going to Turtle Bay, which is where Lost shoots. That'd be fine - I know people on that show that I haven't seen in years. They'll figure it out eventually.

Your movie ticket dollars at work, folks.

Still Lost

Even though the husband and I managed to unpack most of the stuff over the weekend, I still haven't found my shuffle. And I can't find my chinese take-out bag, either. I can't help but wonder if they are together and if someone took them. Man, that sucks. I have to pick through the cars one more time, but I'm afraid they're just gone. Sorry husband.

Got to Make a Change

I'm thinking about rejoining Weight Watchers or going to Overeaters Anonymous. I've got to do something to lose the 25 pounds I've gained since I got back from London. I'm exercising but my eating has been terrible and something's got to change. Working in this business can wreck anyone's resolve. There's non-stop food everywhere you turn. Maybe OA will help me get what I need.

I also need to stop watching/reading atuff about New Orleans. I'm just dumbstruck by what's going on down there and I really can't handle it anymore. It's like a car wreck and I'm a looky-loo. Why have these people reverted to roaming the streets in gangs? What good is that doing anybody? It makes me believe the worst about people, that when push comes to shove, more people are bad than good. Or maybe it's just a better news story to report the bad...

New Orleans

I'm at a loss over what's going on in New Orleans. It's just a horrible situation and I'm glad I didn't end up on the Costner/Kutcher show that was prepping down there.

What I can't help thinking, though, is when are the other countries of the world going to start pledging support and cash to help us out? If we had waited this long to fork over dough to someplace that suffered such a tragedy, our flags would be burned in protest. But we're at the top of the heap and nobody thinks we need the help, I guess.

I just heard they're predicting 100,000 dead.

Husband, I'm going to need a hug when I get home.

One Week Later

Just found out there's a good chance my show may push 1 week. What that means is the script isn't ready and they need more time. Not usually a problem but we have a plane ticket and car service booked. Hopefully they'll find out soon. That's what I get for trying to be prepared.

I have a friend who was working on a show in New Orleans. The studio chartered a jet and evacuated everybody. Don't know how much notice they had, but Kirby has a friend on a show down there who got 1 hour's notice. They had to leave all of their personal stuff behind. At least they're still alive.

Confetti Angel Food Cake

My oldest brother sent me 2 boxes of Betty Crocker's confetti angel food cake. I was so excited. This is something that we had when I was a little girl and I haven't seen one in a long time - they only seem to sell them in the northeast. It's really not anything special, but it means a lot. I used to help my mom make them, stirring the little confetti pieces into the batter. And she always turn the bundt pan upside down onto a Sprite bottle. I wish I had a bundt pan like hers. It had flat sides and a flat top. Mine's more typical with its curves.

I used one box yesterday and shared a piece with the husband. He thought it was okay, but seemed to understand it transcended mere taste. I'm not sure when I'm going to make the other one. It depends on how many more boxes my brother's going to send me!

Something Fishy

I've been hesitating to write about this because I think it'll make me sound like a loon, but I've decided the hell with it.

Everybody in accounting got betta fish last week. Mine is named Hamilton and he's very pretty, all sorts of colors from red to purple to blue to green. Anyway, Hamilton sits on a table in front of my desk where I can see him and he can see me.

We haven't been too busy lately, being 6 weeks out from shooting, so I've been spending a lot of time playing Freecell and Bejeweled and other video games. They can get kind of mesmerizing. Well, a couple of times while I've been playing and been zoned out, I've had the sensation that I was underwater. I could feel the pressure of the water and everything looked slightly wavy, but I could breathe just fine. It was weird, but I felt as if I had connected on some level to Hamilton and was experiencing the world the way he experiences it.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's what I felt and I can't dismiss it.

No Puppy For Sped

I got the message from Sped that she and her hubby couldn't take a dog right now. I totally understand how that goes.

If you want, I'll bring Sofie down to visit!

Cursed Show

I found out this morning that the tv show I was working on has had some really bad problems. The worst one involved a driver who was killed when another driver backed a truck over him. Just a terrible accident.

Then they were doing some explosions at a hotel. Turns out the hotel hadn't been cleared of civilians and when the stuff went off, it was bigger than expected. Nobody was seriously injured, but there were some cases of smoke inhalation and they're still getting bills for damages to the hotel itself.

I am so glad I got off that mess.

Dirty Secret

You'd be surprised at how many actors in Hollywood have herpes. I'm not talking about the sexually-transmitted kind. I'm talking about the cold-sore kind. Nobody in the real world ever seems to think about the consequence of all those kissing scenes, but that virus spreads.

How do I know this? I work in the accounting office and I've seen the bills come through for the medication. Yes, the actors submit their prescription receipts to be reimbursed when they're on a show. And yes, they get paid. Because if someone has a breakout, you either spend a lot of time trying to hide it or you lose shooting days. Both of those cost money. It's easier to pay for the meds and hope for the best.

Think about that the next time the people on screen are making out. They really are kissing everybody that other person has ever kissed, be it for work or for pleasure.

Sped, Your Dog Is Looking For You!

My boss forwarded me an email from a friend of hers who rescued a dog out of traffic about 2 months ago. Twenty minutes after the friend got the dog home, it gave birth to 8 puppies. They are a mix of golden lab and a kind of Austrailian dog that I've seen before, but don't know the name...
Anyway, they are 7 weeks old now and the landlord has given them until Friday to find homes. Don't know what will happen if they don't but I just love this little girl. Her name is Wiley Rose and I think Sped should adopt her! What do you think, Sped? Wanna be a puppy mommy?

Tix

Just booked the husband's ticket for the trip to Hawaii. It's weird only booking one knowing we will both be going... I made sure to give a copy of his reservation to the APOC so she could book me on the same flight through the studio. He's only going to be there for a week but I'm getting to stay for 17 days! I love my job! I'm hoping we get the chance to go to a luau or see a volcano - something exciting. Actually, considering the trip is only costing us the price of his ticket, a rental car, the dog's boarding, and whatever we pay the cat-sitter we don't really have to do all that much to make it worthwhile. But that doens't mean I want to sit in the hotel every night!

Dogs That Hump

I took Sofie to the dog park last night. She looked so bored I just couldn't stand it anymore. Sad to say, it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped...

There were a lot of dogs there, at least 50. As soon as we got in the gate, Sofie was accosted by a Boston terrier and a brown scruffy mutt. Both of the made it their mission to hump her. I pulled them off and finally managed to pick her up, both of the boys jumping on me to try and get to her. I would walk away, then put her down and they would show up and start all over.

The owner of the scruffy finally showed up as I was once again pulling him off Sofie and actually asked me if she was going into heat. I just stood there looking at him until I managed to say she was fixed. He decided the boys were trying to "assert their dominance." Whatever. It's not like Sofie isn't the most passive, pathetic dog out there. She tends to just lay down and show her belly first thing.

So I pick her up and walk her to the other end of the park, where things go much better for a while. Then the scruffy finds us again and as I'm pulling him off of Sofie, I hear the owner yelling at me from across the park "let me do that, please let me do that." He's still saying it as he finally makes it to where we are. My comment is to say "Yeah, I couldn't wait that long." He grabs his dog by the cheeks and starts yelling at him to stop it. The dog actually yelps during this.

So, Sofie and I head off to another spot where she starts playing with scruffy's sister. At least, I think it's playing. They're running and jumping and all the other sorts of stuff dogs do. Now, I know that dogs play rougher than people do and that what we may think of as abusive is nothing to them. But when my dog jumps into my arms to get away from another dog, that's not playing.

If you take your dog to the park, keep an eye on it. If someone else's dog has to suffer while you make your way over, then maybe you should monitor more closely and gossip less.

If I see those 2 dogs again, I'm going to do whatever I need to do to keep Sofie happy. Damn the owner.

Purpose

I started this blog as a way to remember my trip to London, then as a way to disseminate the "truth" about stuff that happens during the making of a movie. Now I'm thinking I should dedicate it to the destructiveness of my dog. The husband called to tell me that by 1pm (PST) she had eaten 3 dollar bills, a dvd, and a pair of panties. I guess we'll be puppy-proofing the house this weekend...

Lost the Shuffle

I've lost my Ipod shuffle. I had been using it at work but brought it home every night. Now I can't find it anywhere. The husband said he'd have a look for it, but I'm afraid it's gone. Just my luck...

Hawaii

So this show I'm working on is going to be shooting in Hawaii for a week and I get to go! It's so cool, I've never been there before and this way, I get to go for free. The show is paying to fly me over there, put me up in a hotel, pay me per diem, and pay my regular salary. The husband is going to come for at least the first weekend and we'll play tourist for a couple of days. Sometimes I really love my job!

It's Sofie!

I finally figured out how to post photos!

This is Sofie at 3 months - it's the snap of her the animal rescue used. Who could resist this face?

Say Hello To Hamilton

Yesterday, my boss and I went to the pet store and bought bettas. I'd been thinking about getting one for the office for a while and when I got here, Kirby had one. Although by the time I saw it on my first day, it was floating tail up. I had to ask if it was a real fish, just to make sure it had died... it had. The thing didn't even last a week. Anyway, he wanted another one and Donna and I decided we wanted one, too. So off we went. We picked out a dark red one for Kirby to replace the dead one (kind of like Arnold and Abraham), Donna got one that's kind of an orange-red, and mine is mostly blue with red and purple in the fins. He's also got a touch of green in the right light - almost iridescent. We also picked up these really cute betta tanks and some fake plants. Kirby's is named Juan Dos (the dead one was Juan), Donna calls her Karby, which is what her 2 year old son calls Kirby, and mine is Hamilton. I have no idea where the name came from, it just popped into my head. I couldn't think of any reason not to name him Hamilton, so there he is. I hope he lasts longer than a week.

Sofie ate through another harness last night. She's a menace, but so cute. I showed her picture to one of the APOC's here and she wants me to smuggle her onto the lot. Maybe, but's it kind of a hassle.

When One Phone Just Won't Do...

I took the husband to T-Mobile and got him a new phone on Friday. I felt like a moron telling the guy my dog ate the phone. Imagine how stupid I felt yesterday when I had to go back and tell the guy the same thing about my own phone. Yes, the dog ate my phone as well. It was working after she got her sharp little teeth on it, but I think she punctured the battery and it eventually died Saturday night. Now the husband and I have matching phones again. And a lot of phone chargers.

Family Photo

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last Thanksgiving and the whole family was there. Unfortunately, we managed to NOT get a family portrait taken.

I wrote to the siblings a couple of months ago and suggested we try to meet up at Christmas and have one taken as a surprise. Didn't hear much back from people. I tried again this week, since I'm working now and can't make it home until New Year's. One brother said he couldn't make it then (because he had a job, too), so I wrote back that if one person wasn't going to be there, then that was that. It wasn't going to happen. Then another brother wrote and asks if we're cancelling Christmas! Sometimes they aren't the brightest. The first brother then writes to suggest that we all send him a photo of ourselves and he'll photoshop us into one picture. Moron. I didn't even respond to that one.

Destructo Strikes Again!

The dog ate the husband's cell phone yesterday. I should start posting pics of the damage she causes.

The Million $ Notepad

I was telling my new boss (DGH) about this yesterday and realized it would be a good story to post.

I was working on a show for the mouse a couple of years ago and the star of the movie didn't like the script. She requested a rewrite from a specific writer, a woman who has a lot of clout but only 1 really good credit to her name (in my opinion). The woman was paid a million dollars for this rewrite, far more than the original writer had been paid. She delivered her draft on a Friday. By Monday, another writer had been hired and the copies of the script were recycled into notepads for the production and accounting offices. Yes, it was that bad.

And the star? She ended up dropping out of the project to do something else.

Now you have some idea why ticket prices keep going up.

Day 2

So far, and it's only the 2nd day, I like this new job. The people seem friendly and professional, but still able to have a good time. I got stuck in an inside office with the future clerk. No windows and the possibility of a psycho, but I've got plenty of wall space to make it homey. I managed to mess up my phone while rearranging my desk, but it seems to still be working.

We're not on the Universal lot, but we're right outside the gate and we have a golf cart to take us up to the commisary or for coffee. I've been here before, so I'm not that excited about the studio store. They don't have very good deals on DVD's, but I think the music may be better priced. There's always the Panasonic store... I may check their prices on a couple of things.

Sofie has earned her super-villain name of "Destructo." I'm amazed at the number of things she has managed to destroy with her sharp little teeth. Last night she pulled a couple of candles out of a basket and ripped the packaging to shreds. I was sure the candles would be gnawed, but she seemed to prefer the tissue paper and plastic bag. Weird dog.

Big Bear

The husband and I took Sofie up to Big Bear on Thursday. It turned out to be a great trip, although it started out badly. The Jeep sprang a leak (radiator) and started overheating pretty badly. We had to backtrack down to a gas station and buy some coolant. Everything eventually went back to normal and we made it up the mountain. It was cool and rainy up there, but that was a nice change of pace from home. Sofie seemed to enjoy it, but it could just be she was glad to get out of the car. That was the longest car ride she'd ever taken and while she did really well, she wasn't thrilled.

We took her down to the lake to see if she liked the water. She was hesitant at first, not sure what to do. But I walked out with her and she got used to it pretty quick. She even laid down in the water! Then she noticed the ducks and seemed to think barking at them would make them come closer. I think she would have tried to swim out to them if I had let her. But not gonna happen. We took her back to the cabin and tried to dry her off, but she still smells a bit like the lake.

The trip home wasn't a lot of fun. We kept stopping to put coolant in the car and since we didn't want to make it worse, we barely ran the A/C even though it was 100 degrees in the Inland Empire. Sofie was sleepy and panty almost the whole way. We took the Jeep over to the shop, but we haven't heard what the problem is or how much it'll cost to fix. Maybe we'll end up getting the new car sooner rather than later...

KB from my new show called on Friday to tell me where the office was and how to get on the lot. He seems like a nice guy - we'll see. I hope he's not one of those people who think payroll answers to the first. I hate that. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. He did ask for a recommendation for a 2nd and I gave him Nancy's info. I hope it works out - it'd be great to work with her again.

Got to go now - Target and Ralph's are calling. I have to get cat food. I ran out putting extra food down for our Big Bear trip and they ate most of it - furry little pigs. I had to put out treats last night and that always ends badly.

Luck Dog Day Part 2!

I thought yesterday was it, but my boss hates doing payroll so much she had me come back for one more day. Not that I have anything to do, but I'm trying to keep myself busy. Mostly by sorting through the miscellaneous papers that seem to appear at the end of a show.

I also found out yesterday they allow dogs here. Most studios are very strict about letting dogs onto the lot. I guess it's a fear of lawsuits if the dog bites someone. Plus, most people don't seem to understand the concept of "curbing." Anyway, I met Lola - a big, beautiful, sweet mutt. I seriously considered bringing Sofie to work today, but I realized she's much too young and hyper. She'd go crazy. So she stayed home. I am going to take her by my old job tomorrow so she can say hi to them. Have to call first and make sure the Producer isn't in - she doesn't like dogs. But I think thats about all Sofie can handle - a quick visit.

I guess I'd better email BG and let her know I've taken that Universal show. I've been putting it off but since I start Monday, she'd better find out.

Lucky Dog Day!

I'm not as glad to be leaving this job as I was the Showtime job. Man, that one sucked. But as much as I don't like the crap I've had to deal with on this reshoot because of the fast pace, I've really enjoyed the people I've been working with. Except for the PA. Now, I'm willing to cut any newbie some slack, but how many times do I have to tell him that I'm not authorized to call in a drive-on to the Disney lot? And hasn't anybody told him that the PA gets lunch? It still cracks me up to think about him giving his pad thai order to the accountant. Oh well. He'll either make it or he won't.

The husband and I are were going to take a day and go up to Santa Barbara, but I checked my dog guide and there aren't many places that allow dogs up there. Maybe we should go to Big Bear instead. It'll be cool and green and they like dogs. We'll see, since I still have to finish the unpacking. Ugh.

I did manage to finish the new Harry Potter book. I liked the ending. If it's really true, then I say about time. Harry needs to get out there and kick some ass. He's going to have to come to terms with his dark side before he can win and he can't do that with the old man around. Yep, sounds a bit like Star Wars, doesn't it? Not the new crap or the revisions. The 1977 classic.

Gotta get back to work. Still have people to call so they can get paid. I hate being a babysitter. Nobody in the real world has someone calling them to let them know they haven't filled out all of the paperwork. But what a hassle if someone doesn't get paid. Just not worth it.

Catch Up

I finally saw Jodie Foster yesterday. The PA spotted her out in the street talking to a couple of people and we all got up to look. Our office is on the second floor so she didn't see us. It's always weird to me how we can work on these things and not see the actors until some totally random time. Anyway, she looked like a regular person. No big deal.

While I was at Comic-Con, I helped Sped out with a little project. She's friends with the woman who was in charge of the Lucasfilm booth and they needed to come up with a "professional" photographer asap. Natalie Portman had agreed to come down and have her picture taken with some fans, but they didn't have anybody lined up to take the pics. So Sped called me, knowing I'm not the kind of person to get starstruck. As it turned out, the convention sent a professional, but I still got to help with the film loading and getting people out the door. It was kind of interesting to watch people whose lives don't normally intersect with celebrities. The fans weren't told she was coming, they were just given a ticket and told to come back at a certain time. Some people looked really surprised and a few people cried. I haven't been like that in a long time and I think there are only a very few actors who could make me like that... maybe Michael Caine or Sean Connery.

SSDD

I have to add reshoots and additional photography to my list of projects to try to avoid. Too much work in such a short time...

I finally got a job. Not the George Clooney project, though. I still haven't heard back from them, but that's ok because I'll be doing a Universal show that may take me to Hawaii for 3 weeks. I got a phone call on Thursday from DG, whom I've never worked with before. While we were talking, she got a phone call from a mutual friend, Terri, who raved about me to her. When she got back on the line with me, she said if Terri recommended me, she was going to offer me the job without an interview. I took a couple of hours, then called her back and accepted. I figured if the Clooney people hadn't called, they probably didn't want me. Whatever. The new show is closer to home and will star Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon, and Owen Wilson. Should be interesting. And DG has some great credits to her name. May be a good one to hook up with.

Went to the cast and crew screening of Sky High last night. It's better than I thought it was going to be, but probably won't make a lot at the box office. Maybe it'll do better on DVD. Saw a lot of people that I hadn't seen in months, which is always nice. Even saw Barbara. Told her I wasn't doing SC3 and she was so excited by that I didn't have the heart to tell her I had taken another show already. I did tell her I had interviewed, so I'll drop an email and let her know by then end of the week.

I've been having really weird dreams lately and I'm thinking of blogging them. Not sure yet, though, since I don't usually remember them for long and if I do it's because they were bad dreams.

Have I talked about Comic-Con yet? I'll have to look back and see before I write about it. Don't want to repeat myself (shut up husband).

Got to have lunch now and get back to work. I have another stack of start paperwork and timecards to process for everybody who's done wrapping.

No More Reshoots

Yes, I get to do a film with Sean Bean and Jodie Foster, but please remind me never to do reshoots again. This is way too crazy.

At least I can keep on Virginia's good side after bailing on SC3...

A Good Movie This Time?

I drove to San Diego last Wednesday for Comic-Con (more on that later). I realized that with 2pm traffic, it took me over 30 minutes to get to Downey (and that was just the freeway exit). In rush hour, it'll probably take 60-90 minutes. I was not happy.

Then Thursday morning, I got a phone call from a woman looking for a payroll accountant for a GEORGE CLOONEY movie! Woo Hoo!

I told her I didn't have anything yet (big lie), then called and bailed on the SC3 job. He wasn't happy, but I blamed it on the commute. I wasn't going to make enough money to compensate for the 2 hours added on to my normal 10-12 hour day. Besides, I never actually accepted the job. He just assumed I would take it.

Had my interview today, should know soon. Wish me luck.

How Many Clauses?

I saw the first Santa Clause movie, but not the second. Now that I'm going to work on #3, I guess I'd better Netflix it. Somebody's going to ask. But I'd have to say that if I was Tim Allen's character, I'd have looked at that contract pretty damn close after I found out there were hidden clauses in it. How many times can he be forced to do something? When will it all go straight to video? But as long as they're paying my rate...
My husband is happy to point out that my streak of working on crappy movies hasn't been broken. I have to disagree - we have different taste in movies. I liked Freaky Friday and I got a really great statue from it.

Got my hair done today - gone red again. I wish I'd been born a redhead, but no luck. Then again, they have a lot of freckles and issues with thinning. I'll just have to stick to dye. I like to get it really red, fire-engine red. My hair fades out fast, though, so it doesn't last that color for long. This time we went for a blend of the one I liked and the one I knew the husband would like. Turned out pretty well. Now if I can just get it to grow out.

I was walking Sofie yesterday and this woman on a cell phone points at me and says "mutts." I didn't quite realize what she was saying, if she was even talking to me, until I remembered I had on my Patrick McDonnell t-shirt from the comic strip. Turns out she knows him. Small world.

Going to Comic-Con this weekend in San Diego. I hope we have a good time. It can be fun, but it can also be a pain in the ass. I'm hoping to meet up with the director's assistant from Sky High, since they'll be there on Friday, but I'm sure they don't plan on staying for long. That movie looks like it's not going to break my streak, either.

That's about it. I need to go to JoAnn's and pick up a zipper for my costume. And I'll need to go to Cinema Secrets and get some spirit gum. Should have gone after getting my hair done, they're right across the street.

I'm Outta The Bath Now

I have been pretty busy these past few days. I'm still trying to get some stuff done around the condo while we have it packed up for the Pergo. I do love my Pergo, but I'm sick of the rest of it. I've put off the maid until Tuesday, so that's my deadline.

I painted the one wall in the study a really nice blue, but it came out really blotchy. I'm not sure what happened. But it's good enough because most of it will be covered by bookcases, which I finally got from Ikea today. I'm planning on putting all of the paperback books on them. All 14 boxes. Unfortunately, the cases aren't working out as I had hoped. They don't have enough shelves and the support holes aren't spaced right for paperbacks. I'm just going to have to make the best of it. Maybe I can order more shelves? Maybe I can drill extra holes? I'll figure it out. I just really want to get it done. I'm not a neat freak, but I hate living in this chaos.

I did have a job interview yesterday. It's for The Santa Clause 3. I hadn't realized the 2nd one had done that well, but who can figure out what a studio's going to do? It sounds like an ok job, not too difficult and they'll meet my rate. The biggest drawback is that it's in Downey. I'm not even sure where that is. I know it's south of downtown LA, which probably means an hour commute each way. At least. I left without an offer, but then got a phone call where the accountant said he'd talked to the studio about me and as far as he was concerned, I would be starting with him on the 25th of July. Huh. It'd be a nice long show, with 3-4 months of prep and a 60 day shoot, then 4 weeks of wrap. But the commute! I'm just not sure. You can totally believe it if somebody tells you they've turned down a job in LA solely based on where the office is located. Sometimes it's just not worth it. Then again, I've heard some stories about T.A. and I'd be interested to see if they're true! Might be good for the blog.

As for the bath, I think I've found my bootcamp. I've been twice and I am so sore. The bath helped a lot.

If We Peed Like Dogs

I've been wondering lately what it would be like if humans peed like dogs. Sofie pees for a long time, but she always has some left over to mark her territory while we're out on walks. I'm pretty sure I always empty my bladder every time, but what would it be like if I noticed someone, say at work, come out of another stall while I was washing my hands? If I didn't like that person I guess I would have to wait until she left and then go into that stall and pee into it and make it "mine." Weird.

And I was right about the guilt - didn't even come close to working. Actually I'm not sure he even knew I had been trying until he read the post.

Shoud I Be Offended?

A few weeks ago, we got the husband a new computer. It's fancy-schmancy and has a 23" monitor. I don't care for it myself - everything seems to be squashed down and stretched out, but he's happy. What this means I got the "old" computer for myself. Yeah!

Anyway, his computer was on this morning when I got back from the store, so I thought I'd use it to check my email and look at the program schedule for Thursday at Comic-Con. I'm so used to clicking on the "Favorites" that I did it on his automatically. He has a lot of bookmarks, including several for blogs that we both enjoy. But was mine marked? No. And why is that, I wonder? I think I'm going to recitify the situation. But don't think he's getting off the hook that easily. I'm going to try and guilt him. Not that I think it'll work, but it'll pass the day. And I did find a couple of panels on Thursday that I want to see, as well as an opportunity to spend money at an auction. I love auctions.

The Pergo is finally done and I really like it. We still have to put all of our stuff back into place and there are boxes stacked everywhere. With nothing on the floor or walls, though, it's kind of loud in here. But once everything's settled, the sound will get absorbed. You can really tell where the dog is now - tappity, tappity, tappity, tappity, tappity. It's enough to make me want to get those little plastic caps to put on her nails.

Gotta go - have to go pay the rest of the Pergo money and buy more cookies at Ralph's. They have a really good oatmeal-cinnamon cookie in the bakery. Yum! Unfortunately, they only seem to have them at the swank Ralph's over in Studio City. It's at the foot of Coldwater Canyon and is frequented by those who deign to come down out of the hills for sustenance.

She Knows!

Although Sped has know for 3 weeks (thanks to Ma), C has finally spilled the beans about Sped's little brother. The two of them met in Las Vegas at Sped's wedding and hit it off in a big way. It's been almost 6 weeks(?) and it's still going strong, even though he's in New York and she's in San Diego. Good for them. I kept my promise not to say anything until C talked to Sped, but someone had better have a very good reason for not saying anything to me for
3 WHOLE WEEKS!

I think it's a good story Sped, but better told in person. Suffice it to say that I went from telling Ma that he wasn't her type to suggesting they go to the pool together. Just call me a traitor.

And I fixed my blog settings so anyone can post. We'll see if that works.

Not Sure How I Feel About This

I'm recovering nicely from my LASIK on Friday. I'm not 100%, but the difference is amazing. I can actually see right from when I wake up, without the discomfort of when I would fall asleep with contacts in and they became glued to my eyeballs. But working on the computer is a bit of a strain, so I've been limiting my use.

Actually, I've been pretty busy getting the place ready for the Pergo installers. Had to pack everything up and move it to the bedroom so they could start in the living room. They were here all day yesterday and got all the carpet up and put about 8 feet down. I love it. I think I'm going to be really happy with it. It'll be nice when it's done, though. The cats get shut up in the bedroom and the dog's in the study. Not fun.

Now to the subject referenced in the title... my replacement at work did not show up. Apparently her husband broke his leg on Friday. She called my ex-boss on Saturday night and told her she wouldn't be starting. At all. So I guess the ex-boss went in and did the payroll. I didn't get a phone call until yesterday, which is when I found all this out. I felt bad, but then I realized it was her own fault. You see, I'm not sure I believe the broken-leg story. That woman didn't have the experience with paying actors or extras. I wondered why she got hired when I found out, but it wasn't up to me. I have the feeling she got in there and decided it was more work than it was worth. But who knows for sure? The husband is doing his best to make sure I don't go all soft and go back to that job. It's working, but I do know I have to go back and get my stuff. I think I'll wait until after the paychecks have gone out - maybe on Friday...

Only 2 weeks to Comic-Con! And that's another story. I tried to confirm my hotel reservation on Monday, but nobody had a record of it. Not the hotel, not the convention travel service, nothing. And I couldn't find an email record of the reservation number. I was so upset I started crying and cussing and banging the desk with my fist. The husband woke up and tried to calm me down, but I knew without a reservation we wouldn't go at all. Rooms sell out fast for this convention - some hotels have been booked for 6 months. He found rooms at one place for $310 a night and I went to see if other travel websites had anything listed. Which is when I realized that we were booked at a totally different hotel than the one I thought we were booked at. Sometimes I'm such a dumbass.

Just Curious...

Mom, are you reading this yet? You'll probably find out more about me this way than any other parent would.

Sorry to hear about Mr. R. Send me their address so I can send a card.

And SID, if Mom's not seen this yet, what's up? Do you think I would offend?

Done and Done

I was trying to be a good employee and finish up as much as I could before leaving on Thursday, which kept me there until 9:30pm. I only left then because I had LASIK at 6am the next morning. I got what I had to done, but I didn't manage to pack up any of my stuff. I have to go back sometime next week and get everything. I wouldn't have been there that long if I hadn't had to go to set to hand out checks or if I hadn't had to spend the morning teaching my replacement how to work my programs. I thought before they'd be fine, now I'm not so sure. She's never paid extras and I don't know how long it's been since she paid SAG (actors).

But I am out of there and everyone said they'd miss me and gave me very nice compliments. The Production Office Coordinator even said I was the best Payroll Accountant she'd ever worked with - she even gave examples of why she thought that way, which makes me believe she really meant it and wasn't just blowing smoke. She also subtly commented on how much the others in the office were hard to work with.

I did give everyone in the accounting office a bit of lucky bamboo as a wrap gift. My boss must have felt guilty because she went out at lunch and brought back flowers. Nice gesture but possibly the ugliest flowers I've ever seen. Not the types (tulips and Gerber daisies - the latter being my faves), but the colors. Actually the tulips were a mix of dark orange and yellow and weren't awful, but the daisies - Oh the horror. How could anyone think that color was pretty? A weird orange, yellow, peach, muted, gross color. Needless to say I acted as if I loved them and took them home and tossed the daisies in the trash. And for some reason they were sticky and looked like they had dewdrops on them. Whatever.

As for the LASIK, it went fantastic. Except for getting up at 4am, I loved it. The whole thing took less than 2 hours and most of that was having the final tests and waiting for the valium to kick in the my pupils to dilate. Nothing hurt and I could see better immediately. I spent the rest of the day napping, supposed to keep my eyes shut as much as possible. Got up today and went to my regular eye doctor for the first of many post-of check-ups and he said it looked excellent. I have a bit of the halo side-effect, which is normal and my eyes feel like they did when I fell asleep in my contacts, kind of gummy/sticky. I'd be perfect except for the fact the eye drops I have to use leave a bad taste in my mouth. Not sure how that works, but there it is. Nothing I eat or drink changes it. I really am glad I had it done and wish I'd done it sooner. Yeah for 20/20 vision!

I Had Almost Changed My Mind...

The woman who is going to replace me started today - she seems pretty nice. I've been showing her around and since I didn't really tell people I was leaving, I've been hearing a lot of nice sentiments. I was starting to regret quitting - I've never quit a job before. It kind of seems like a failure on my part, like I'm not tough enough to hack it.

Then my boss came back.

The past 2 days have benn so nice I forgot how annoying she is.

I'm so out of here.

Could I Have Been Mistaken?

My boss is in Hawaii right now. It's been very nice at work.

And people are talking to me again. The first assistant actually told me that she realized on Thursday when she got to her car that she had forgotten that it was my weekend and that she'd forgotten to say goodbye.

Whatever.

But it's a much nicer place to be without the boss. Not so friggin' annoying.

And I finally heard from my regular boss - she's arranged for me to go in-house at Disney to do post-production. Not sure if I really want to, but at least it's something. She seems to have realized that I'm not waiting for her forever.

Not A Good Morning

Yesterday, I woke up when my alarm went off. That may not seem odd, but I haven't made it to my alarm going off since we got Sofie. It took me a minute to realize she hadn't cried to be let out, but I was only half awake, so I stumbled into the bathroom and got dressed for the gym. When I came out I opened her cage, expecting the usually energetic puppy to bound out. Didn't happen. Nothing happened, as a matter of fact. I actually had to reach in and get her. When she was out, she just stood there. She seemed to have a problem with her left rear leg. I asked her if she was ok, in the way you do when you're just commenting that things don't seem ok. The husband kind of woke up and asked what was wrong; I told him I wasn't sure.

I carried Sofie into the foyer and set her down. She just stood there, kind of wobbly. I asked her if she wanted to go for "walkies" which normally sets her off on a jumping spree. She just stood there. I finally called for the husband, saying there was something wrong. He came out and sat down on the floor with us. He noticed a problem, too and we decided to take her for a walk together so we could observe her. She wasn't standing very steadily and mostly wanted to sit down.

The husband went to get dressed and I sat on the floor with my puppy in my lap, crying my eyes out. I've had a really hard time with my mother-in-law's death and I kept wondering how I could have gotten a dog and invited the opportunity for such misery into my life. I just knew something was really wrong. And then it led to losing the cats. I just didn't know how to handle it.

We finally headed out, the husband holding the leash. Sofie was not walking all that well and didn't have much energy. We made it to the street when she stopped. I was ahead of them when I heard the husband say "Oh, that explains it." I turned around and Sofie was making poopies, but it was all macadamia nuts - unchewed. The husband said he'd found an open bag on the floor the night before and she must have gotten into them. She finished and we walked about 10 feet when she stopped again - more macadamia nuts. After that, she was livelier, with a spring in her step. Not totally back to normal, but better.

We made it halfway around the block before she shat out more nuts. I couldn't believe such a little dog could hold so many. No wonder she was moving so oddly - her bottom was full! When we took her out an hour later, before I went to work, more nuts. It was mid-afternoon before her poop was just poop. And when I got home from work she went crazy and jumped on me like nothing had ever been wrong.

I have to say that I did cry again, after we got back from the first walk and we knew what the problem was. I guess I was just so relieved.

Yesterday I thought my dog was seriously ill. Today it's a pretty funny story. That's why I'm writing it today.

The Countdown Begins

This is my last Sunday at this job - last time to do payroll for these people. It'll be interesting to see how much stuff they try and dump on me in my last 4 days (luckily it's only 4 - they don't work with me on Sunday). I am sorry that it's ending this way. We had a good time on the pilot. I'm not sure what happened on this show, but it's too bad. I'm hoping for no hard feelings, so I did get everybody a wrap gift - some lucky bamboo. Not much, just a little something. We'll see.

In other news, my dog is afraid of dolls. Not all that odd, really. She's familiar with kids - sees than all the time on her walks. They move around and make noise and on rare occasions they share their cheese doodles with her. But dolls? They creep her out. Their were 3 sitting at the end of a driveway this morning; 2 in a stroller and 1 sitting on a stuffed dog like it was a horse. Anyway, she spotted them and came to a dead stop. Her ears went up, her tail dropped down, and her nose was twitching furiously. They longer she stood there with them not moving, the more wigged out she became. I tried tugging on the leash but no go. Eventually I picked her up and took her over to them, letting her sniff all around. She looked at me as if to say "that's just wrong." I walked her past them before I put her down again. Poor thing.

Proud Parent

Sofie passed her evaluation and will be allowed to board at the Bow Wow Bungalow. I feel like she's gotten into some prestigious pre-school program that will guarantee her admittance to an ivy-league college. I'm sure there must be other places that require this kind of scrutiny, but it seems like Los Angeles is the only city in the country weird enough for it. The place is cush, though. You can have a look at it at www.bowwowbungalow.net

We may consider sending her to daycare there, but they're booked up right now. We can get on the waiting list, though.

The husband and I took a couple of prints that we inherited from his mom over to be framed yesterday. I've had the same guy frame my stuff for a couple of years now (he owns House of Secrets - the comic shop the husband goes to). Usually I go in, show him the work, we chat about color ideas, matte size, etc. and I leave the details up to him. It's always worked out great. This time, though, I had a really hard time. I had planned to stick with the same color frame, but as we talked, nothing seemed right. I couldn't visualize anything he suggested. And they were good suggestions. I liked the idea of what he was saying, but I couldn't SEE it. Maybe it was because they were Betty's for so long. Did I really have the right to change them? Would she approve? I finally had to ask the husband if it was really ok. He said it was fine. I hope it is.

I have to get back to my errands. I've been to Target and Ralph's, but I still need to hit the Post Office and the bank. I hate my local Post. There are a couple of clerks there who are so slow. I was glad when they installed the self-help machine. I use it almost exclusively now. And I've got 3 weeks worth of paychecks to deposit at the bank.

I Thought Things Were Different

This morning, things at the office were almost back to normal. I told the husband when he called that everyone was speaking to me today. Not that I was enjoying it, but there was fairly normal conversation.

Then I went to set. I usually like going to set, but my boss didn't care if I went or not and it takes up so much time that I chose to send the payroll out and stay in the office and work. But last Friday the Best Boy Grip came into the office and complained about some checks. When my boss asked him why he bothered coming in on Friday, knowing I don't work on Fridays, he commented that he wasn't getting his checks until 9pm. I guess she chose to believe him, because I was informed on Monday that I would now be taking the payroll out myself. Whatever. I did finally figure out what the hell he was talking about, though, with the 9pm comment. Any week with a Monday holiday pushes payday back to Friday from Thursday. The week of Memorial Day I had checks done on Thursday, so I sent them out at the end of the day. He probably did get his check at 9pm, never mind that it was a DAY EARLY!

So I get back from set and no one says a word to me. No acknowledgement whatsoever that I had walked into the room. True, they were having a conversation about Rachel's car, but nothing. I take that back; when Rachel was done with the car talk, she did make sure I had gotten a message she left on my desk. But that's been it. And since then all I've gotten is totally work-related questions or instructions.

I am so out of here next Thursday. Thank dog they found someone to replace me. Don't know who she is, but she's supposedly "nice." She'll be in on Wednesday and Thursday so I can show her what's up. Fun.

Tomorrow's set is less than 3 blocks from my house. If I want, I could take my dog for a walk and go say "Hi" but I probably won't. Although Sofie is pretty damn cute and I should show her off.

And if you're wondering what going to set is like, today I caught them at lunch, which is when I usually try to be there. It's less disruptive that way. Actually getting on the set is fairly boring, unless they're blowing something up or doing some stunt. You have to be silent while they're shooting and it's easy to get stuck with them doing take after take of the same scene. Yawn. I'll try and remember to write about Scorpion King when I have more time. That had some cool stuff to watch!

Random Thoughts

We're going to go see Batman Begins on Friday. I hope it's good. When these comic book movies are bad, it starts the husband on a tirade. Not to say he isn't right, but I've heard it before. There's no reason a comic book movie should suck - they've got decades of history to steal from. If the actor is bad, that's one thing. But with all those great stories and characters to pull from, the plot and dialogue should excel. And if the plots and stories are bad, then the comic hasn't been out that long or hasn't been published for a long time. Who makes movies out of one of those?

We're taking the dog to her doggie-daycare interview on Friday, too. It's weird that my dog is going to be interviewed before they'll let us board her at this place. It's like kindergarten interviews for babies. Yikes! But it's a nice place and she'll be there for several days while we're at Comic-Con in San Diego. At least her future isn't going to be ruined if she doesn't get accepted.

Speaking of Comic-Con, I'm trying to get someone to make a costume for me, but she hasn't written back. She made Debby's wedding dress and a lot of other costumes - she's got a theatre background. I'm really hoping she'll do it. It's the first costume I've thought of that doesn't require me to have a size 0 body and ginormous boobs.

I still haven't been replaced at work, but that's not my problem. I really hope they don't screw around and then have to ask me to stay. I'm going to hate to say no. But I'll try to be strong.

If anyone would like to comment, I'd appreciate it. I know there are a few people who read this. Feel free to speak your mind.

Persona Non Grata

I think that's the correct phrase for what's going on at work today.

I gave my notice this morning for next Thursday. I said I had some personal stuff come up that I had to deal with. I didn't mention that it involved avoiding killing my moron boss.

Anyway, ever since they found out I've been virtually ignored. The first asst was showing pictures of her sister's dog to everyone but me. And when other people who are leaving were mentioned, comments about deserting and rudeness were tossed around.

But I'm glad I did it. I feel better already.

And I managed to quit at the same time the boss is going to Hawaii. Love that!

When You're An Idiot...

you think everyone else is an idiot, too.

Yes, I'm talking about my boss.

Last Thoughts

I told my mom to have my sister show her my blog. It'll be interesting to see if I censor myself if I think she's reading it. Probably not. I mean, she probably won't look at it more than the one time. Mom's not a big web-surfer.

I've been following Girlfiend's blog for a while and I still can't believe what happened to her. I've enjoyed her stories and I thought she sounded like a pretty good teacher. We all know that most people, no matter how prim and proper they try to appear, have done some weird, wrong, or just plain illegal stuff in their pasts. Most of the time it's not a big deal. Youthful indiscretions, ya know what I mean? That usually just adds to the charm.

I know that one of my favorite teachers was the sub we had in 7th grade who told us about voting in some South/Central American country. He explained they had to stick their finger into a dye when they voted so no one could vote twice. He also told us that he had gotten into trouble with the authorities (don't remember why), but that he had taken refuge in a "house of ill repute." I think that's when I learned what the red light was for. Anyway, some uppity girl got offended and told on him and he was escorted out of the building. But I still remember him and his stories, 20 some years later.

So I hope the guy in Philly gets his shoelace stuck in an escalator somewhere public and it pulls his shoe off and grinds to a halt and makes people stumble and starts burning and smoking and reeking of burnt nylon, which should make the sprinklers go off and call in the fire department and maybe even the counter-terrorism unit (because of the smell of burning nylon and shoe parts - that's gotta be as bad as burning hair - ugh). And I hope in the end he's found standing there with one shoe on, dripping wet, looking like the idiot he is.

So there.

Good night, Mom.

Would It Be Rude...

I'm sitting at my desk this morning, contemplating quitting. Yes, I know I'm planning on July 7th being my last day, but I'm thinking seriously about getting up, packing up my boxes and going home. Right now. Without doing the payroll. I am that over it.

I'm not sure what pushed me over the edge. It could be the note from the boss telling me to fix an error, one which was caused by her actions rather than mine. And which doesn't even cover the entire problem, only the little bit she's currently focused on.

Or it could be the phone message from the best boy grip asking what's up with the checks for the key grip and the dolly grip. He's not anymore specific than that, though, so I don't even know where to begin.

Or it could be that envelope on my desk that boldly proclaims "RUSH!" and tells me to fix the problem (one caused by the payroll company, not me).

Or it could be the other note from my boss telling me to fix the coding on a timecard that she's been sitting on for 3 days.

None of this is that big a deal. It's not that different from most of the shows I've worked on. For some reason, though, this show is different - all of it together adds up to something I don't like. Really don't like. But I can't just quit without any notice. As much as I want to, I'm not that person. But I'm so getting out of here. I just can't wreck my reputation in the process.

She's Back

She came back from her walk and got right on the phone. It's been 30 minutes and she's talking to her cell phone service because she can't get a connection. If she says she's so busy, I'm leaving.

Time For A Walk

Sofa Table

I'm building a sofa table to go behind my sectional couch. I have to have it built because I want it to be the same length as the couch section (91") and that's too big to buy.

The construction foreman offered to purchase the lumber for me, since I don't really have the means of carrying something that big home from the store. He's also going to cut the pieces to length for me. All I'll have to do is put it together.

He had a book of veneers and I looked through it today, trying to decide what kind of wood I want to use. I picked Zebrawood as my first choice, Rosewood as my second, and Mahogany as my third. It's all going to depend on what's available and what the cost is. We'll see.

And Another Thing...

This is my boss today: she complains to everybody who comes in about how much stuff she has to do. She has the piles of papers and packets on her desk to prove it. It's almost 2 o'clock and she hasn't actually done ANY work yet. True, she had to stop at the bank this morning, so that was work-related. But she came in at 11:00 and done not much else.
- She called the company she bought her cat door from and complained about how it didn't seem to be working. It took I don't know how long for her and the guy on the phone to go over every inch of the door trying to make it work, to discuss once again what she hopes to accomplish with the door, where in her house the door will go, etc.
- She then talked to the construction foreman about having a guy come by and do the work of installing the cat door. That took about 20 minutes while they discussed placement and style.
- She ordered lunch.
- She talked to her husband on the phone a couple of times (apparently he quit or got fired today).
- She talked to her loan rep and ran numbers on a refinance.
- She called 4 or 5 different places trying to find out if it was illegal to park an RV on the street in a residential area. When she found out it was, she called the police to report it. They needed an exact address, so I had to go and get my Thomas Guide out of my car for her.
- She called a BMW repair shop and discussed at length the problem with her car and made an appointment to take it in.
- Her husband called again and they talked about cake and the car.

I'm waiting for her to complain again about how much work she has to do.

Long Day

I have managed to catch up at work. Not quite sure how it happened, but there it is. I'm trying very hard to look busy, though, because I don't really want to get sucked into helping the rest of the "team." It seems I'm always helping them and they're rarely helping me. It's probably not true, but it feels that way.

Anyway, I've written to all my siblings trying to get them to agree to meet at the holidays to have a family picture taken. My mom really wanted one when we were all together at my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, but it didn't happen. You wouldn't think it would be that hard, but my brother and his wife in Florida always come up before Christmas and I can never get home until after Christmas (I'm usually working on a show and everybody has to get paid - I'm usually the only one working the week of Christmas, trying to get checks in the mail). I think since I have to travel longer, they should accommodate me, but they probably think since they have 3 kids I should accommodate them. We'll see what happens.

We got the Pergo estimate. It's about what we thought it would be. Now we just have to figure out when we want it done. It'll take 3 or 4 days, which isn't bad, but we'll have to spend the intervening nights moving stuff around. And I have my LASIK coming up on the 24th. Hmmm...

I've still got to get all the wedding pictures posted somewhere and narrate the weekend to Erdedo. I feel bad that it's taken me this long. I should let her know I haven't forgotten.

I finally warned Barbara that I have to get off this show. I want to put in my notice for July 7th, so I can have a couple weeks off and go to Comic-Con in San Diego, then head back to work around the 25th. Hopefully it'll work out, but I can't wait for her any more. This show was only tolerable because I thought I'd be out of here mid-May. Hello! It's June 7th! Time to move on.

New Computer

The husband got a new computer last weekend which means I get the old one all to myself! We spent some time this weekend getting the new one set up in the "study" and the old one moved out into the breakfast nook. The new one is wireless, so we can both be online at the same time which is good when he's playing his online game and I'm bored out of my mind. There's rarely anything good on TV. I'm hoping to blog every night (if I don't during the day - but that's not usually blogging as much as venting about my stupid job). We'll see.

We took the kitties to the groomers yesterday - man they needed it. They get baths and their claws trimmed and Quincy gets his mane cut. He gets a bit bushy after awhile. When they cut it he always looks younger. Weird, but so cute. I really do need to post pictures of them all. I pick good pets.

I'm getting LASIK surgery on the 24th! Yes, SID, you can tell mom. I'm pretty excited about it, because my contacts have always kind of given me problems. They've never been as hassle-free as they should be. The only thing that sucks is I have to wear my glasses until then. I have to give my eyeballs as much time as possible to go back to their normal shape. Don't get me wrong, I have cool glasses. It's just weird to wear them for so long. I keep treating them as if they were sunglasses, like taking them off when I go into someplace dark. It's just been so long.

The husband says he's having trouble getting back to work. He's got a new script started and we're still waiting to hear on the last one. I told him he probably needs a vacation. I know I do. I feel kind of bad saying that, since I had so much time off at the beginning of the year, but this job wears me out.

Sofie gets her stitches out tomorrow. Finally - although you wouldn't know she'd had surgery the way she acts - she's crazy dog! At least we'll be able to take her to the dog-park again. I think we're going to try the one at Mulholland and Laurel Canyon. I hear it's really big (and celebs go there, ooooh!). Nothing I like better than seeing someone who makes $5 mil a picture pick up dog poop.

Dog = Baby

I have less than 2 hours to decide if the husband and I are going to go to Disneyland tomorrow. I don't want to drive down there in the morning because of the traffic, so I was thinking we'd go tonight and stay at a hotel. And part of the reason I want to go at all is because it's the 50th anniversary and I want to see the fireworks at 9:30 tomorrow night, so we'd almost need to stay overnight again.

The only reason I'm even debating it is because of Sofie. She can't be left alone that long. There's a hotel that allows pets, but she'd have to be put in the Disney day kennel while we're at the park. I just don't know if I can do that to her.

And in all of this, I'm not really even considering the 3 cats.

Dogs are like babies that way. You can't just leave them at home all day long. Well, you can but you pay for it. Dogs need attention every 4 or 5 hours. Cats get some extra food and water, a clean litter box, and they're good for 2 or 3 days.

Maybe we should consider going down later in the day tomorrow...

I Thought You Said You Read This Blog...

My sister called to ask me how to spell Debby's name - she's sending a wedding gift and wanted to get it right on the card. She's known Deb as long as I have (about 23 years), but she still doesn't know how to spell her name, nor does she remember the big congrats I put out just a few days ago where put it in writing for all to see. Whatever... we discussed the many ways Deb could have "gone Hollywood" with the spelling of her name. I think an "ee" on the end is about it.

Anyway, I know she reads because she commented on how much I don't like my boss. It's still true - she's so annoying. And now she's found an executive over at the studio who rubs her the wrong way. She's spent the past several hours talking about it. I just sit here and keep my mouth shut.

We're getting an in-home estimate this weekend on Pergo. It's sad, but when you grow up, new flooring becomes exciting. I'm looking for the darker stains - easier to hide the dirt.

I have to say that I thought this show would provide more interesting fodder than it has. The actors are apparently all nice, no tantrums or demands. I hope to get back to features soon. Everything's a drama there.

Good For The Goose...

My boss likes to be silly and play around, but hates it when anybody else does it. I can't stand hypocrites.

It's Finally Over

The wedding festivities are over and they are married! Congratulations Debby and Dan!!!

I will tell more later but I'm still recovering from 4 days of drinking, breathing smoke-filled casino air, and getting too little sleep.

A little gossip, though - there was a set-up that actually worked. I hope it keeps going (no, it's not me, but two people I know and like).

The Talk...

My boss took me outside today and said she didn't think I was happy in my job. I so wanted to tell her that it's all about her, but I played the PC card and blamed everything else. She wants to know if I want to move on, saying I should think about it this weekend. My job is the LAST thing I plan to think about this weekend. I was planning on giving my notice today. It's weird how things work out.

Walk The Talk

I'm so sick of people in Hollywood saying they want to help you, then never following through. I have to sit here and listen to a coworker tell the same story over and over about how she's going to help a new friend, an actress, become a huge star. She's going to set her up with a producer and help her get a really good agent and tax accountant and introduce her to a famous Hispanic director... whatever.

This is the same woman who told me she would help the husband get in with a manager, who promptly asked for log lines. I don't think so. If he was an A-List agent, then yes, we'd send him whatever he wanted. But he's a manager. Big whoop.

If they really want to help, they just do it. They don't sit around talking about it. I'm learning this the hard way, but I am learning it.

I Hate My Boss

I've got impetigo. It's not fun and it's on my lip, which is now swollen and droopy. I look like I've had a stroke. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing except for the fact that Sped's wedding is THIS SATURDAY!

And my boss is the only one at work who mentioned anything about it, which would have been ok except for the fact she yelled out across the office "what's wrong with your lip?" I can't wait to get out of here. I'm going to give my 2 weeks notice tonight.

It's not been a fun day. My boss actually thinks my lip is making me feel bad, as in sick. She just doesn't get that I'm so over her.

More Of The Same

She's got people waiting for her to do her job and she's making personal phone calls. Making them, not taking them. And they just drag on. It's so rude.

But I think I know why I don't like working with her. She's so lax on stuff it makes me lazy and I don't like being that way. I usually do a really good job, not to be modest. It's just that I take my cue from above and she just doesn't set a good example.

I have to go to Modesto this weekend for Sped's bridal shower. This one is being thrown by the groom's family (the one I'm hosting is for her friends). It's not that I don't want to go, it's just that I feel like I'm falling behind. Every weekend seems to be jam packed. I still have laundry in the washer and dryer from last Sunday. And I want to finish painting. But it's ok. It'll all work out and I'm sure we'll have a great time. Sped's future m-i-l seems pretty cool and it'll be nice to get to know her before Vegas.

It's More Than The One

I just found out my boss's boss is worse than my boss. Maybe it's rolling downhill? Whatever, I'm out of here as soon as possible.

Still Here

No, I didn't quit my job, but I did beg my regular boss to get back to work ASAP!

The husband said it would be ok to quit, but I would have to put out a resume. I'm just not ready to do that right now. I really want to go back to B, since she knows what I'm capable of and is interested in moving me up. I just need to hang in a bit longer with this wacko.

I think wacko keeps forgetting that I've never paid a tv show before. She keeps throwing things at me like I'm supposed to know what to do with them. And when I ask questions, she gets this attitude. It's like she regrets hiring me - even though she begged me to stay.

Either way, it's not forever. I don't understand how people in regular jobs can stand it. At least the hunky Egyptian from "The Mummy" is on this show (the one with the facial tattoos).

Yum, eye candy.

Karma, Baby

She's been asking me all sorts of questions for the past 15 minutes and have I heard a single please? So I'm taking my time answering.

Stop Whining And Sign The Damn Payroll.

Have I mentioned that my boss is a moron? She's driving me frickin' nuts. She gets all pissy about crew members who "aren't doing their job," then turns around and passes the buck when I have a question about coding. She's totally not in control of her own budget. All she's doing is inputting what the UPM and producer tell her. Now, that is part of the job, but it's not usually THE job. A trained monkey could do what she does. I'm so tired of her not being able to answer my questions. And this stupid feud with the transpo coordinator is nuts. She actually told one of his drivers to find out about an amount because she didn't want to talk to him. She said that. Out loud. To his employee. She acts like a silly baby. I think she's mad at me because I called him and asked him. It's not like we didn't need to know or anything...

And she spends all her time on the phone doing personal stuff. I came in early today to make sure the payroll got done on time. It was done early, but not signed until way after she got back from going out to lunch. And just now, she's on the phone w/ her husband talking about some property they want to buy and I put my last piece of paperwork in front of her to sign. She ignored it for 5 minutes so I asked, "Could you sign that so I can send it?" and she pauses to ask me if I can say please... Whatever.

Husband, can I quit this job? Barbara said she'd have something by the end of May. Think about it.

I'm so done with her.

We Are Not That Busy

Yes, I'm a well paid payroll accountant for a Showtime series. But I have to tell you that I spent about 2 hours today, during work, shopping for stuff for the office. Not supplies, oh no. There are production assistants to do that. I mean I was at Ikea and Target buying chairs and rugs for our "sitting area." We're doing a pink, shabby chic look. This industry is too weird. I don't think the real world would believe the things we take for granted. Like Craft Service - which basically means free food all day long.

Anyway, I'm going to Petco tonight after work to pick up some gates. We're going to try limiting Sofie to the kitchen area during the day in the hopes she'll get housebroken. I figure the cats can jump over if they need to, and sit outside and taunt her if they want to. Wish us luck.

And I did get a pre-offer for the New Orleans show. It sounds really good and if it wasn't 3000 miles away, I'd have already said yes. It's going to star Kevin and Ashton, but that's always open to change. People drop out of stuff in a heartbeat. I did find out that there is a short list of people up for my position, but I've worked with the studio and 1st assistant before. I'm a known entity for them. Either way, the husband and I talked about the chance to spend 6 months in a new city on somebody else's dime. It's an interesting idea... we'll see what happens.

I need to document the cat habits Sofie is picking up from her sister and brothers. She totally thinks they're her pack and she's starting to act like them. It's really odd and I'm worried the dogs at the dog park will tease her about it...

Readers

I've already written this once, but something weird happened and here I am again.

I found out this morning that my sister reads this blog. She says it's interesting, but I've been racking my brain trying to remember if I've written anything I wish she hadn't read - don't think so...

Not that I'm going to censor myself.

I had the electrician out this morning. Trying to get some light into the second bedroom. Right now, all it has is 2 wall sconces. Useless. I want to put in a ceiling mounted light and have them change 3 other fixtures. I know I could probably change a light fixture myself, but no, too scary. Electricity is just too scary. The price was ok, not great, not awful, but I still have to buy the fixtures before anything gets done and that's the hard part. The really cool ones are so expensive!

I have a job offer headed my way that I don't really want. It's for a Disney show in New Orleans. Going on location is not my ideal, especially Louisiana in the summer. And the husband will be upset if I try to go off for months and leave him with 3 cats and Sofie. What a handful. But I'll hear the offer and politely say no thank you. Although the series I'm on is not my favorite, at least it's in town.

Comments

I read Girlfiend's blog. The husband found it and I noticed it in his bookmarks. Now I'm addicted, too. Her latest blog requests we give Mix some comments, cause he seems like a lonely guy who wants people to care about what he writes. Mix, I don't get comments either, mostly because I assume no one is reading any of this but the husband. Which is fine. Sure, it'd be nice to have a little fan base of bloggers who link in, but what if you don't blog for a while? Or if you have nothing to say? Or if you're just really frickin' boring? So, I've learned to forgo the comments. It's all about me, anyway.

Work

My boss is a moron. Nice lady and can do her job, but thick as a brick.

I Really Do Love Animals

Please don't call the ASPCA on me. I am a pet person. It's just that I occasionally have little "accidents" with my pets...

This time it's Sofie the dog. Today was our first attempt to trim nails and we did really well. The instructions said to trim a little bit off each week, which would make the vein recede. So I managed to get one paw done by myself. The second paw was harder for some reason, maybe because Sofie had figured out what was happening and didn't care for it. Anyway, I only got 1 or 2 nails done before I gave up.

After lunch, the husband held her down so I could finish, but I forgot which ones I had already done. Needless to say, I snipped, Sofie yelped, and blood flowed. Damn, did that bleed. And those stupid styptic pads were useless. And apparently tasty, since Sofie wanted nothing more than to eat them. The husband freaked out and we took off for the vet. By the time we got there, the bleeding had stopped, which was a good thing since the vet was closed.

But the dog is fine. She seems to have forgotten all about it, but I'll believe that when I try again next week. Got to keep those nails trimmed - I've got some nasty scars.

Earthquake! Cats & Dogs! Tattoos!

We had an earthquake here yesterday, a 5.1 centered about 80 miles northeast of where I live. Didn't feel a damn thing. Didn't even know we'd had one until I got online last night to check my email and saw CNN. I'm not sure if I'm glad or disappointed. Those things freak me out, because there's no warning at all. Sure, some people say "it's earthquake weather" when it's been hot and still for awhile, but it's been breezy, so that ain't it. But then when family asks if we felt it and I have to say no, then you gotta wonder what the big deal is. I've been told they have a big one every ten years and I think Northridge was is '94, so we're overdue.

I've got Darby sitting next to me while I type. I need to figure out how to post pics, as she's pretty damn cute, but mean looking. She and her new sister have a weird relationship going on. She growls at Sofie and bats at her, but seems to be encouraging Sofie's attentions. Weird. Maybe she's a masochist.

I got my tattoo yesterday. A very nice Buddhist named Cambron did it over at Graffiti Palace. Venus was late and I thought maybe she wasn't coming, so I went in on my own. He had a book of astrological stuff that had a great Aquarius symbol in it, so I had that one done. It's a bit bigger and lower on my neck than I had planned, but Cambron explained the placement as necessary to avoid the crease in my neck (when I turn my head) which would crack the tattoo. And with that symbol, if you go too small, it looks like nothing more than squiggly lines. I was looking at the stencil when Venus finally came in. She approved too, so I went ahead with it. Didn't hurt too much and only took about 5 minutes.

Venus looked through a couple of books, but ended up getting the tattoo she brought in with her, the Chinese symbols for father and daughter. Looked really cool on her lower back. I had found 2 other tattoos I really liked and seriously thought about getting, but I figured I didn't want to wig the husband out too badly, so I stopped with the one. I hoping to get the others later...I'm such white trash.

Still Not That Exciting...

Well, we're at the end of the show and nothing much happened. I never made it out to set, with my broken tailbone and all. I feel better now, but when we were shooting, it wasn't pretty. I just couldn't make myself go. And we haven't gotten to see any dailies, either. The show's getting good buzz, but who can tell? It's not like I'll be back, anyway.

I'm going on to a Showtime project next - a series. My regular boss hasn't gotten a job and I need to be employed... I was pretty unhappy with her about the whole thing. She's known for a while that we'd be available in April, but she never got anything lined up. Then she tried to guilt me when I told her I'd gotten an offer. But I gave her my word and until it's really doing me harm, I'm going to stick to it. It's actually worked out pretty well in the end. I only have to give Showtime a week's notice and it's back to "feature-land." The money is so much better there!

The dog is amazingly cute and an utter terror. I have so many scratches on my hands and arms and legs. She just gets so excited to see me (anybody). She ate "The Stand" and chewed a chunk out of the drywall in the hallway. Granted, it had been chipped when we were moving in furniture, but now it's substantially bigger. She's teething bad. And we think she actually ate the drywall...

We're going to try and really start training her. I'm getting through the book and I hope it's not too late. Man, she's cute, though. It's all worth it for those big brown eyes and the way she looks at you when you talk to her; she perks up her ears and cocks her head to one side.

Her favorite toys are (in no particular order): moose, squirrel, frog, stick, and Darby. Darby doesn't like being a favorite toy, but she does enjoy the attention, no matter how much she growls.

I'm about to leave work and get my hair dyed chocolate brown. It's only a temp color, so if it's really bad it won't last long and I'll go back to red. We'll see what happens but I hope it works out. I need something different. I'm definitely going to grow my hair out again. I'm done with short.

Maybe my next blog will be better. I'm hoping to get a tattoo this Saturday!