F U Non-Disclosure Agreements!

Repercussions

I had a sweet job offer the other day and I really wanted to take it. I had it all set where I would work my current show through the end of December and then go onto the new show. We finish shooting on the 16th so that would give me 2 weeks to get things cleaned up instead of the 6 weeks they have planned.

I went into my boss' office last night and told her about my offer and it didn't go well. I can't even remember all the things she said to me but I can remember she told me that while she couldn't stop me from leaving, I would have to know there would be repercussions for my actions.

Wow. That stopped me pretty cold.

So I told the new show that it wasn't going to work out (unless they hired a friend of mine to start and I would come on at the beginning of February). It's an option but it's not ideal for anyone.

But the repercussions have already begun. I don't think my boss said 2 words to me today, including walking past my door on her way out with out saying goodbye. I can't believe I worked so hard for this result. Makes me think I should just leave anyway...

Roses from Sunday

My Sunday

I can't vent on FB anymore so I thought I'd keep a running commentary on my day to help get through it.

I really don't want to be here.

People are really sloppy with paperwork that gets them paid.

If we had 4 animal trainers working on Tuesday, why is there no mention of an animal being needed on the call sheet?

My assistant took payroll to set last Thursday and said it was the most uncomfortable set she'd ever been on and that the director wasn't happy. I asked how she knew - she said the yelling gave it away. Apparently he didn't like the stunt double they brought in.

I had to write an email to the guy in charge of the production reports. He's supposedly giving me the most up-to-date reports for Sunday's work but they never are. It's very frustrating having to look at several sources to get my info.

I overpaid mileage - hard to keep track when it's not the same for everybody.

Eh, it's the same old crap every week. I'm tired of it. But I did buy myself flowers today! Too bad I can't get them to post...

6th Day

I'm at work on my 6th day because I couldn't get everything done in 5 days. I'm not getting paid for it so you'd better believe I'm not doing anything more than the minimum. I'm not taking phone calls or dealing with anything else. I did initial the vouchers because I would have been taking them home otherwise. And it's a way to kill time until the payroll company finishes with my stuff.

I don't even really have any good stories from this show. The main actors are kids and aren't doing much. One of the adult stars was overheard having a phone conversation where it sounded as if was hooking up with two women at once. That sent us on a hunt to find out if we had twins working as extras in WV but we couldn't confirm it.

Fucking Teamsters

Those fucktard Teamsters out of Pittsburgh are grieving the show over the most ridiculous bullshit. I hope they all fail the next dmv test and have to find work doing something else. Damn, I hate them.

Baxter

When I got home last night and saw Baxter I knew his time had come. He's very thin and frail but seems to be alert and pain-free. He knew who I was and let me scratch him under the chin awhile. But it's time. I'm glad I got to see him and I'm glad I'll be there to hold him while he goes. My handsome Boo.

Done

I hate this job and I would quit in a heartbeat if it wasn't for my boss. I know she's trying to find help for me and I know it's just not out there. I also think if I left her high and dry she'd blacklist me.

Tanks

We have a bunch of tanks and stuff in this movie (military moving something out of Area 51 and all). I've been asking since I found out for a ride. Today, I'm going for a ride in a tank. Doesn't quite make up for these past few weeks but damn, I'm going and I'm going to enjoy it.

Rough Week

I've had a really rough couple of weeks. This job has been nothing but 12-14 hour days, 6 and 7 days a week, bad paperwork, and unpleasant people. Nobody is happy to be here anymore and it's showing. I've been accused of not being able to do my job (which will be another post), of being at fault for people getting paid late, and I'm dealing with some psycho local who is on disability and worked too much and wants me to pull of some kind of miracle for her (which in the end would be illegal). My cat is dying, my husband has to deal with him all alone, I miss him and my furry family, and going home seems to be a long way off.

Then I hear from E and realize there are still worse things in the world than what I'm going through.

Facebook

I canceled my Facebook account. I'll set up a new one but I'm only allowing friends and family on it - no more coworkers.

Failure

I can no longer do my job to the standard to which I aspire (sounds pretentious when it's grammatically correct, doesn't it?). But the truth is I feel like I'm having a slow-speed meltdown trying to be perfect. I've been told I'm better than other payroll accountants but at what cost? I get so frustrated with the stupidity I have to deal with on every show, thinking that if I did my job the way they do theirs I'd never work again. But the truth is I could probably do 75% of what I'm doing now and still be fine. I could get it all done if I worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week but that's contributing to the stress, not alleviating it. Smaller shows - I'm on my own. Bigger shows get more help but never enough or not the right kind. I just don't see a way out. I want to do a good job without it being so damn hard.

Okay, vent over...

Time for bed. Got to get up and do it all again tomorrow. 

Oh, check YouTube - there's video of the explosions from the other night. So much for secrecy, huh?

How Much Longer?

The VFX producer came by to give me some info and let slip that she thinks we're going to be here longer than originally planned. Not sure how long but probably a week... She said she was supposed to have the cemetery scene (a big VFX scene) on Friday but it's Tuesday and they're just now shooting it.

I really want to go to home. I miss the husband and I want to see Baxter before he gets too sick. And I'm tired of working 12+ hour days 6 and 7 days a week. The money is good but it's exhausting.

They've been trying to find someone to do the CA payroll but no one is available. The 1st offered to do it on a 6th day, which would be cheaper than hiring a new body, but it hasn't been approved yet. At this point I just want to stop having to ship paperwork back and forth across the country.

In other news, I'm planning on going to the Warhol Museum this Saturday. Not that I was ever a big fan but I don't dislike his work and it might be interesting. If nothing else it's not Weirton for the day.

Sometimes...

my job really sucks. I probably had 200 start cards last week and another 75 this week. I don't know why we're hiring so many people but I don't like it. I guess if they were hiring us some more help I'd be ok but they are only throwing bodies on the set, not into the office. I'd better get to ride in a damn tank this week or I'm going to be pissed.

Tales From WV

Our show is obsessed with secrecy - changing the name several times and not posting any of them in public. But the husband knows more about what's going on here than I do just by checking the internet. I don't think there's much secrecy in the world anymore...

Our teenage female lead signs the Exhibit G every day with a different little picture: a heart, a bow, etc. Much nicer to see than the "pig fucker" and "boner pie" from that crap show in Phx (which still hasn't been released).

I was on the phone outside today and one of our actors was trying to get in to the hotel. I recognized him but didn't say anything. I did let him in with my key, though.

Anyway, not much is happening yet. I'm planning on going out to set when the tanks and flame-throwers work. I've been pestering Transpo for a ride in the tank for weeks.

Pittsburgh

My first foray to Pittsburgh was a mitigated disaster. My plan was to find a BofA and deposit my check, then go to the Warhol Museum. I thought I was lucky for getting to exit the highway before traffic backed up but my GPS told me I was going the wrong way and that way was backed up, too. I eventually got where I wanted to go but the ATM didn't have check deposit and there wasn't an open bank anywhere nearby. The ATM was in a mall though so I did a little shopping at Sephora (hence the mitigated designation). It was 1pm by then and I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. I stopped at Chick-Fil-A (also part of the mitigated designation) and got lunch then headed back to Weirton.

We're having a kick-off BBQ tomorrow afternoon and if I don't get some work done today I won't be able to go. So here I am at work. I'm going to try again next weekend - maybe I won't be so jet-lagged and I'll be able to get up an go earlier... 

Baxter

Despite what my husband says is not going to live forever. First he was diagnosed with diabetes. Then they found he had an enlarged heart and liver. Then they did an ultrasound and an echo-cardiogram and diagnosed Cushing's disease. Then he got fluid build-up in his chest, which they drained and is still leaking. He's on more meds and still on insulin shots and got so pissy with the husband that he just pooped on him. I hope he makes it until I get home.

Hang on...

Make that 3 "Gung-Ho" and 1 "Dragon" credit.

Now What?

The show in WV has changed its name again. It's a symbol, like Prince, but pronounceable. Obviously I can't say what it is but it looks like a reel of film...

And there are 2 new hires who would like to be credited as "Gung-Ho". Good luck with that, dudes. There's a lot of stupid on this movie.

To Push or Not To Push

There was a chance we were going to push a week or two because of casting issues. It would have been nice as I would have been in town to help B at the Shrine sale but it didn't happen. I don't know if they got the actor they wanted or if they gave up on him but we are on schedule.

Actually, I don't have any idea who is cast in this movie - all of the lead kid actors are unknowns and we haven't seen anything on anybody else. I have to say all of this secret-keeping is annoying. Maybe it works for them but it's a pain in the ass for the crew. I'm not going to be allowed to read the script (which you have to do at the director's production company under watch) and they are holding off on releasing shooting schedules because they have script info on them. Ugh. This movie is not what I thought it would be. It better be worth it...

I don't have too much to report on the rest of the crew. The director of photography seems pretty cool - not as arrogant as most camera people. On Friday 2 guys walked past our offices and I said to my assistant "those two were tools" just based on how they acted. Then they came into the office and turns out they were camera assistants. After they left, my boss came in and asked me "camera guys?" We all laughed at that because it's so fucking obvious sometimes.

Anyway, I leave for WV on Tuesday and will be there until October 12th or 15th - haven't decided how long I'll need to stay. I'm looking forward to it but I'm going to miss everyone and I'm worried about Boo (my oldest cat). His diabetes may be under control but he's got an enlarged heart, an enlarged liver, an infection, and he's anemic. He's getting an ultrasound today so hopefully we'll get some answers. He's staring at me balefully because he's not allowed any food and he's not happy about it. Neither are the other two cats for that matter.

Tense Tuesday

Yesterday work was a little tense. I backtracked with my assistant to paperwork and the details of who gets what and when. The studio gets certain pieces, the payroll company gets certain pieces, different things get copied and then we keep the copy or the original depending... it's a lot to remember. I don't think she took notes at the time but I checked some of her work and it was good.

But I don't know how this is going to work out. I will just have to let her do the work and figure it out. I tried talking to her about the training itself but it didn't get anywhere. She didn't have much to say and gave me nothing to work with. I'm just going to have to hope she figures it out sooner rather than later.

In other news, if you order a salad in WV it comes with french fries in it. Not with it, but IN it. 

Try Not To Freak Out

I hired my assistant and she started last Tuesday. Found out on Friday that she's "not very good with numbers and it takes her longer than normal people." I wish she had told me that before I hired her especially since we talked in the interview about how I would teach her payroll if she wanted to learn and she was enthusiastic about it. So now it looks like I have to scale it back and just limit her to pushing papers around. Not that it won't be helpful but it's sure not as much as I was hoping for... I wonder if the dog-park woman would have been better.

In other news, I took my friend C to my tattoo artist yesterday. She got an infinity symbol on her left wrist. He did a great job embellishing it and I will post a pic soon. I want to get 2 more tattoos, well 3, but the husband only knows about the 2 - a quote around my ankle and three roses on my shoulder. The 3rd is my dog and although I've mentioned it before B doesn't like the idea. I've also considered having the one on my hand extended up my arm. We'll see.

Better Be Worth It

I took this movie because I wanted to work on it - it wasn't just a paycheck on another crappy show. I had hopes that it would be a great film on my resume (for once) and that it might lead to better things. But it's turning into something of a situation. First there's the commute - an hour each way mostly just sitting in traffic going less than 20 miles an hour.  Second are the rebates. Now, rebates aren't really that difficult in and of themselves but we have 2 starting out. It's a lot of coding and shit to remember - who's working where this week. Third it's a movie about kids which would be ok if we were using 18 year olds who looked young but no, we are using kids. Lots of kids. They have very limited working hours and can't work past 10 on a school night unless you get a waiver. And even then they can only work until midnight. Again, this wouldn't be a big deal except a big chunk of the movie is set at night and outside. We may have some real issues and the only way to solve them may be to add days to the calendar. Which means more money. Which could mean shutting down. Fuck.

Sacked!

Not me but the entire costume department. They hired a designer who is working on a big show and his group has just gotten out of control. They submitted a budget that is ridiculously large for a show set in a poor rural area in the 1970's. Seriously, it's bigger than the budget for Alice in Wonderland and everything on that movie was fabricated! It's too bad because I really like the supervisor. Maybe the next designer will keep him on...

New Look

What do you think? I got bored...

My Assistant

I did not chose the woman from the dog park. I'm not sure what made the decision for me; I just knew when I had decided on the other one it felt right. I really hope she ends up with something and I kind of feel bad about not being able to help her but I just didn't feel right about it. I did send her resume to the payroll company so maybe someone who needs a clerk will hire her. People are always looking for clerks...

We spent a good portion of the day rearranging the office to fit her desk in it. I think it turned out ok but I had to give up my printer stand which is a bummer. I think I'm going to ask construction if they'll build me a smaller one. S was happy, though. She's going to take it home at the end of the show and use it as a sewing table.

After the interior decorating was done I cleaned files and talked to her about union rules and payroll. I almost lost my voice and wished I had lozenges! I hope she can pick this stuff up and really be an assistant rather than just a paper-pusher. We'll see.

Oh, we started a lotto pool and got 20 people entered at $5 each. 100 chances at $115 million. I don't think that would be enough to retire on (considering the tax) but it sure would be nice.

Assistant

My assistant starts today. I really hope I picked the right one. I need someone smart who is willing to learn but is also willing to do the paper-pushing. I just don't want to have to spend time I don't have checking someone else's work. Yes, I'll have to do it at the beginning but hopefully not forever. This show is too complicated to add that to the mix. Plus I have to totally rearrange my office to fit her in and I'm kind of bummed about that. I don't ususally have the best luck with assistants...

The Hollywood Reporter was kind enough to publish our CA code name. I hope we don't have to change all of the paperwork again.

Baxter's Diabetes

Baxter doesn't seem to be doing very well with his diabetes. He's not gaining much weight and he's having "accidents" on the bathmats as revenge for the shots. I hate putting him through all of this and it's not a picnic for us either. But he's happy and doesn't seem to be in pain so there's nothing more to be done.

The Crew So Far

The prop master looks like one of those guys you wouldn't pick up hitchhiking.

The office pa tends to wear bandanas and a lot of cologne.

The UPM has terrible teeth and a thick accent. I have to watch his lips sometimes to figure out what he's saying.

The art dept coordinator is super-fashionable but still nice.

One of the assistant accountants makes gourmet ice cream as a side job.

(Another post I started then apparently forgot about. I've reread what I've written and it's still true so I'll post it now.)

Please Just Pick A Name...

So, the movie I'm currently on has gone through about 5 different names. There's one for the trailer, 3 secret code names, and one period where it was just "Untitled Paramount Project". Now we are one code name in CA and another code name on location. I have had to recreate a booklet's worth of start paperwork to send to the other location. I wish they would just make up their minds already.

Besides, I'm not sure the payroll company can process checks under 2 different names. Everyone's check may come out with the CA code name on it anyway...

Assistant Decisions

Since I'm traveling to West Virginia for this show I get to have an assistant here and an assistant there. I interviewed 2 people yesterday for the job in LA - both interviews went well and I don't know who to hire. One of them is someone I know from the dog park. She's nice and I think she can do the work but I'm wondering if I'm leaning towards her because I know her and know she REALLY needs the job. The other woman is very nice and upbeat and seems sharp - no doubt about her abilities at all. I think she could get work in a heartbeat if I didn't hire her. But the dog park woman... I don't think she'd get this opportunity from just anyone. I really feel like I'm making a life-altering decision for her. This is why I don't want to be a 1st asst. I don't want to be responsible for people like this.

It's Been Awhile...

I stopped posting when I started really using my Facebook account. It's been fun but there are too many people from work on there for me to really vent about stuff. So I think I'm going to start posting here again.

I'm working, as usual. I finished the show in Nashville, came home, and started right away on the next one. The original title of that was Fuck Buddy but they're changing it - not sure what the final title will be but I'm sure it won't be R rated. Both the shows were fine - nothing too exciting happened that I can remember at the moment.

We remodeled the bathrooms and they are gorgeous but expensive. Hopefully it will help when we finally decide to sell. Nothing else on my list has gotten done and probably won't until after this current show is over. Well, maybe I could do some painting but that's about it. I really just need to clean the frickin' house.

But that's it for now. I need to get some sleep.

Nashville is ok, this movie has let me down.

I just saw that I had started this post while in Nashville. I don't know why I didn't finish it but I still feel this way so I think I'll let the title say it all for me.

Pig Dog Says Howdy!

Sunday Roundup

The dog is asleep next to me having puppy dreams and making her blerp sound. So damn cute.

The husband came to Boston for Thanksgiving and we had a very nice time. It rained every day he was here and of course it stopped not long after he got on the plane to go home - I wish he could have seen the beautiful weekend. At least we finally made it to The House of the Seven Gables in Salem (I feel I should read the book now). We had a nice dinner although I couldn't find the turkey roast I wanted so we had turkey sausage instead. Yum!

We've got a lot of renovations we want to do on the townhouse. In no particular order:
1) fix the fireplace (includes making it work and putting up tile)
2) redo both of the upstairs bathrooms (all the way down to the studs and possibly move a wall)
3) install a tankless water heater (there's a rebate on that!)
4) redo the kitchen (also all the way down to the studs)
5) redo the patio
6) finish painting

I think the water heater may have to happen sooner rather than later, though. The husband says the current one just isn't doing the job anymore.

S is coming into town on Wednesday night. She's going to drive down to TN with me over the weekend. I'll drop her off in K-ville and head off to N-ville on my own. I don't know what she's going to do with herself on Thursday but I hope she goes shopping or sightseeing. I'm going to take her to dinner Wednesday and Thursday nights - probably to Legal Seafood one night and Top of the Hub another. Or maybe to the North End... we'll see what she's in the mood to eat.

I have to get all my packing done before she gets here - that's not why I asked her to come up. A big chunk is done - all of my clothes are in the suitcase (except for what I pulled for the week). I've cleaned out the fridge and the cabinets and gotten rid of some of the stuff from the bathroom - it's just not worth it to drag cotton balls and nail polish remover with me. They have that in N-ville! I have to start on my office tomorrow but I'm going to ship all of that so it's not going to add to the headache. Actually, I can probably pack and send a couple of boxes this week instead of waiting to send it all on Friday. It can sit in the new office as easily as in the current one...

Hard to believe that a week from today I will be in TN, dragging my suitcase into my "home-away-from-home". Blech.

Finch - 8 Weeks

This is Meagan's French Bulldog Finch. She had planned to get this one, then changed her mind and decided to get the all black one. When I asked why she went back to this one she replied "when I got there, the other one was really alert but Finch was just hanging out and his one ear wouldn't stand up straight and he's fat. I fell in love!"

Who wouldn't?

Fish

The guilty party - she knows she's guilty because she was afraid to come near me. But she's really a sweetheart and Sofie's back in the bed as I type so all's well that ends well.

Dog Issues

Fish the prop dog peed on Sofie's bed on Friday - a bit territorial or just jealous. I washed it and Sofie's curled up in it right now so I guess the smell is out. I'm glad becuase it's her new fancy one. I'll post a pic of Fish if I get the chance. She's a rescue and has some issues but she's a good girl.

Countess Sofula!

What's Next?

Did I mention I'm going to Nashville for my next job? And that I don't have any time off between? What am I thinking? Well, I'll be close to my parents and will be able to visit every weekend if I want. It's also keeping the money coming in which is important if we're going to redo both of the upstairs bathrooms and the kitchen (apparently it's still pretty slow in LA). And if the timing works out, I may get onto a Hugh Jackman movie afterward.

The only other interesting possibility I've seen is a job in Croatia and Budapest which I would consider if I hadn't been in Boston since May. I'm ready for an easy show and to go home...

I do get to go home for Christmas hiatus. I have to drive with Sofie so I won't get as much home time as I'd like, but I'm hoping to get down to see Sped and Dilly and Dan for at least a day. I have to find out if they are traveling.

Timmy

This is Timmy - a cat the husband sees on his morning walk. Timmy is very friendly and tends to run out to the husband and throw himself down on the ground at his feet waiting for a belly rub. Over and over again. I think he'd pretty cute.

Scene from a winery

I want to have a party where all my guests come and sit at a table like this and eat and drink and talk and laugh for hours until the stars go down...

Sofie - A Trilogy of Bliss

JS and I went on a wine-tasting trip and Sofie took some time out to roll in the grass. You'd think she'd been tasting, too.

Monkey Friday!

Sadly, the monkeys have wrapped but we'll always remember Monkey Fridays fondly.

Office Dog

This is Souris - a Papillon with the biggest ears I've ever seen. She belongs to a woman in Set Dec from the other show with offices on our floor.

Puppies!

These are pics of the French Bulldog puppies my friend Meagan is going to choose from... She was initially thinking of going with the one with the white on his face and chest but now she's leaning towards the all black one. She will name him Finch - a good name.

Shower and Snow and Babies that Grow.

Jenny and I hosted a bridal shower for Suzanne this afternoon. It was a total surprise and a huge success! The only problem is it made me regret not getting to have a shower of my own... yes, I am still bitter 11 years later.

Anyway, it's been raining all day but there have been periods of SNOW - actual snow on October 18th. I'm told it's pretty early for snow but it is so enchanting. It's not sticking to anything but the flakes are huge and just tumble down - that sounds kind of dumb but I don't know how else to describe it.

I'm totally missing Dilly growing up and I'm very sad about that. She's so frickin' adorable and every time I see a pic she's bigger. I think I'm actually jealous of Caitlin. I hope I can get down there in December when I go back to CA. Sometimes I wish I had a regular job that didn't take me out of town for months at a time but it is what it is. I console myself with the knowledge that she's too young to know if I'm there or not but I think of her (and her mom) all the time. Still my best friend.

Something tasty from the shower - crackers with whipped cream cheese and hot pepper jelly. Try it!

Why the Industry Doesn't Take Boston Seriously...

"Just wondering if you fixed the time on the ticket? the girl had me leaving at 12 pm when in fact it was 12 am and she rudely wrote across the ticket in bold that I left early! after 14 hours of working I dont consider that early! im also partial disable and im protected by fedral law! any retailation or denial of future work will be an act of discrimination! to add fuel to the fire im hispanic and im 42 years old, so I got you on disablity, age and race! just waiting to hear back about my time sheet being corrected! there was another day where they wrote me leaving at 8pm and Its was 8:30 pm, if you dont correct these mistakes now its going to become a big issue later so to avoid the drama you should just respond to me and do the right thing and correct my time sheet. Thanks!"

An actual email sent from a background actor. He's very emphatic in his threats, isn't he?

September Already

One of the animals on our show died unexpectedly. They did an autopsy but didn't find an immediate cause and now we're waiting for the tests to come back. It's very sad and I feel terrible for the owners/trainers. An animal-rights organization is all over us for abuse and crap and it's just ridiculous. I had gotten to meet him several weeks ago and fed him carrots. It was obvious he was cared for so to imply they would neglect or abuse him is just mean and petty.

Beyond that, the show is going well except the AD's suck as usual and I'm super busy doing my job and their paperwork. There hasn't been too much drama - just minor diva stuff from the star and some of his personal crew. Oh, and one of the producers is just over-the-top. He was on another show that's sharing our office space and when he moved over to us, everything just went nuts. He makes deals and leaves it to the "little people" to figure out how to make them happen. It's so frustrating because he obviously only cares about being perceived as a generous guy to the shooting crew - the office staff could sit and spin for all he thinks of us.

Sofie is still universally loved despite her territorialism. She guards the area outside my office pretty fiercely for 28 pounds. She gets very barky and I make her come into the office and shut the door. I really don't want to annoy people...

It's starting to cool down weather-wise. We were gone by this time last year and I'm looking forward to seeing fall in New England. I'm sure I'm going to be complaining about the cold but at least the humidity is gone. Ugh.

About 1 Month Later

New Bed

Sofie got a new bed and it's pretty swank. That's her new hedgehog she's pointing at - my boss bought it for her.

Ice Cream

Sofie and I went to an ice cream social tonight. It was at a nearby dog boutique and was for charity. Sofie really enjoyed her peanut butter dog sherbet and my chocolate chip people ice cream was good, too. She wasn't thrilled with the other dogs there since some of them were bigger but they were all pretty good. Especially the big bloodhound...

I Do Know What I'm Doing

I had another email altercation with a crew member. For your enjoyment...

Me: Did you guys really have 2 stand ins on Sunday 8/9? Because I never got vouchers...

M: Yes we did I gave them a call to get there info because D didn't have any vouchers with him on Sunday and they haven't called me back yet. I will try again on Monday and see if ML can give me their info so I can fill out a voucher for them. Thanks M

D: They should have gotten to you

Me: obviously they haven't or I wouldn't be asking about them

D: Easy. I asked for them to get done and m said she would do it. The 2 standins are on g.u. and didn't have their soc for the vouchers so I know she is waiting for the info

Me to D and M: whenever you get them please forward them to me for payment

D: Absolutely Also I just want to be sure you guys know production fee gets added for all 7th days thanks again D

Me:
D,
I know this is going to sound harsh and I mean it that way but if you tell me one more time how to pay the DGA I'm going to refuse to do it and send the cards to you. It's insulting.

D: I wasn't trying to insult you in any way it was something that came to my attention that I didn't know. And since you need to check something I told you about I am not sure threatening me is the correct response Sorry if I have made you angry because that was absolutely not my intention

Me:
D,
All you have done this week is tell me how to pay the DGA. That's my job. You don't approach me with the attitude of "hey, I got this info and wanted to see if it's correct." You bring it to me as if I don't know what I'm doing. Apparently you have had some shitty payroll people in the past but I am not one of them.
You may want to think about that the next time you find a tidbit of payroll info that you think needs to be passed on.

__
I'm really looking forward to the rest of this show... his comment about me needing to "check on something he told me about" really pisses me off. What he told me was bullshit and instead of arguing about it with him at set on Friday, I just told him I'd check on it. That was my polite way of saying "you don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

Yes, I Really Did It

and while I'm glad I did it, I don't think it's all that flattering. You were right about that husband.

Morning Blog

The Set Decorator was in the office yesterday. He looks great and is getting around as if he didn't just have brain surgery last Friday. I still don't know if they have details about his tumor, but it's nice to see him up and around.

Otherwise, the show is going ok. We start shooting on Monday with actors instead of just animals so we're in a push of hiring hair, makeup, and costume people. But that's business as usual.

We haven't had too much drama beyond the usual nepotism and political hirings. One of our producers will be an issue as he tends to make deals without specifics and then it's up to us to figure out how to make it happen. That's going to be fun.

Hard to believe it's the middle of August already. Harder to believe my 20th high school reunion is next weekend. I can't go, of course, but it would have been nice to see everyone. And unlike some people, I've always been overweight so it's not like that would have been something to dread. My tattoos might have made me stand out, though.

Anyway, I'm sitting here with Sofie blogging instead of going to the gym. I was up late last night with my belly dancing class and it's raining and I just couldn't do it. I could try and go tonight when I get home but I know I probably won't. I've been considering getting roller skates or a bicycle just to have something different to do. I can make it to my classes but going to the regular gym is getting boring.

I talked to my boss yesterday about my assistant. We've decided she may be a little OCD because her main problem is she gets focused on a course of action and it takes a real effort to get her to stop and change direction. She's going to have a hard time with payroll if she can't get past that because this job is all about switching gears at a moment's notice - depending on who is on the phone or has walked in the door. I'm going to have to try and talk to her about it at some point.

Set Decorator

Our Set Decorator had been having headaches for a while and his doctor told him he should get an MRI if they didn't stop. Well, they were getting worse from the job stress and last Wednesday he went to a doctor again. Turns out he has a brain tumor and had surgery on Friday to remove it. We haven't heard any more details yet but the surgery went fine.

Just kind of stops you in your tracks.

New Camera Phone

There's my Sofie girl sitting in the passenger seat while I drove us to work this morning. I wasn't really aiming but it's a good shot. Doesn't she look thrilled?

Payroll Asst.

I am not thrilled with my assistant on this show. A woman I worked with before recommended her as being just fabulous. She's a local and really wants to learn payroll since it's almost guaranteed employment, but I don't think she has what it takes. She's eager to learn and tries hard but it just doesn't seem to be catching on.

Part of the problem is that after 3 months, she still doesn't seem to know which questions to ask. The same situations come up over and over and each time I have to tell her to go back and ask something that she should have asked already. I'm having a hard time trusting her to do stuff on her own, which makes it even harder for me.

And even though she's nice enough, she's lacking in some office etiquette that I can't put my finger on - she walks into my office and starts talking without taking the time to see if I can even pay attention to her. Or she comes in and just stands there looking at me until I say something.

My biggest peeve right now is the fact she can't separate the paychecks into the correct departments even though they are 95% sorted to begin with...

But there's still time and I'm hoping I can train her on a few more things before we get any busier. It's in my best interest to get her as far along as possible before 8/17.

Saturdays Off

It's been a while, I know. I have gmail for my work email account and I can't log out of it to get into blogger.

Never friend a coworker on Facebook - you can never gripe about them. Which says something about a coworker - namely my assistant. She's smart and eager to learn but I don't know that she has what it takes to do this job. Some days I have to jump from one project to another w/o getting to finish. I have to prioritize and come back to stuff as I can. She doesn't seem able to do that - she gets very focused and doesn't always listen when I try and change her direction. I know I'm going to need the help it's just such a hassle to train someone.

The visual effects shooting of the animals is going ok. We're behind a little bit - mostly because of the rain but also because the bears don't like having the lions around. They catch the scent or hear the noises and it freaks them out to have another predator nearby. Then a lion stepped on a screw and wouldn't work anymore. It wasn't hurt just a bit wigged out.

The zoo set is amazing. It doesn't look like a real zoo in person but I know on screen it's going to be perfect and beautiful. We did get to meet some of the animals a couple of weeks ago (not the bears yet). We met Rosie the elephant - got to pet her and had her sniff my hand with her trunk (elephant snot smells BAD). Then we met Tweet the giraffe - fed him carrots and tried to pet him, but he was only in it for the carrots. We couldn't get too close to the lions that day but 20 feet is close enough. Then we met the African vulture, the Austrailian eagles (Sydney and Darwin), and the crow (can't remember his name). They were all beautiful and kind of scary up close. Those beaks are vicious looking.

Sofie and I care relaxing at home today. We worked 6 days this past week and will work 6 days this coming week. If this get settled then we'll switch to 5 days but for now I'm taking it easy on my day off.

I did sign up for a couple of classes at the gym. They have free ones that I haven't made it to, but I signed up for belly dancing on Wednesday nights and kickboxing on Saturday at noon. They just started this week and I love both of them. I'm not the most graceful dancer - having trouble with some of the steps, but I love making the belt jingle. And of course I love punching things. I just wish there were more people in the class - 2 in belly dancing and only me in kickboxing. But I'll go to all 8 and work my butt off (hopefully literally).

Ok, I think it's time to take a nice bath and either watch a movie or take a nap. It's getting late so it may be the nap.

Animals

The bear trainers invited us to come down and meet the grizzlies - Bart and Honey Bump. I met Bart while working on Evan, but I'm not going to pass up the chance to see him again. Not to mention his sister Honey Bump! Not that we can pet them or anything but we can get within 10 feet of them - plenty close.

Crystal the capuchin (not white-faced) has been back to the office a couple of times. I haven't gotten to have her sit on my shoulder yet - all I've done is shake her hand, played "tilt your head" with her, and gotten a high five - but everybody seems to think she's really taken with me. When the guys were walking her out she kept staring at me. I didn't think there was anything going on but other people mentioned it so maybe... Next time I hope to get a pic.

I think all of the animals have made it into town by now so I'm also looking forward to meeting the elephant and the wolf (hybrid, I think). And the giraffe although I'm not sure you can really meet a giraffe...

The Monkey

The monkey that's going to be in the movie was brought into the office today. The director's dog Spuz took one look at it and peed - then barked. When we heard the monkey was there, I debated going to the other side of the office to see it because it meant taking Sofie with me and I didn't know how she'd react. But I went anyway and waited to see what would happen.

I'm not sure yet what kind of monkey it was - maybe a capuchin but it wasn't the typical white-face - I'll have to ask. Anyway, Sofie didn't notice it at first. It was sitting on my assistant's shoulder eating some chocolate. It wasn't until it climbed onto Mimi's shoulder that Sofie realized there was something new in the office. She stared at it and then walked over to Mimi and started to stand up (not jump, just stand) but I told her to stop and had her sit. Then she just stared as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

The monkey was familiar with dogs, but having a strange one staring made it a bit nervous and it started making noise, which made Sofie's ears perk up. Luckily, though, Sofie never did anything aggressive towards it in the slightest. She was just super-curious and would have loved to smell this new thing. I don't know what would have happened if the monkey had started moving around - that might have been too much for her.

The rest of the time Sofie just wandered around with this look on her face of "What is that? I must try to get closer and get a good sniff."

Sofie's a good girl - much better behaved and trained then I ever thought.

Dad & Cordelia

He took her from Susan and started walking her around the restaurant. The next time we saw him he was in the bar surrounded by a group of women. Turns out Cordelia is a chick magnet!

It's kind of sad because this is probably the closest he'll get to having another grandbaby. He actually caught himself saying "come to Grandpa" when he picked her up. Maybe he can be the 3rd grandpa...

Saturday

Saturday morning we got up and tried to take Sofie to the dog park. Sadly it was closed due to the wet weather (it's not a real dog park, just a school's fenced-in baseball field that is a dog park from dawn to 1pm on the weekends). We ended up driving down to the gravel-filled dog park that Sofie doesn't really like then over to work so she could be off-leash for a bit out behind the building. When leaving we decided to do a bit of exploring and went down to Castle Island and walked around the fort. A man fishing off the pier caught a huge fish while we watched and we met some good dogs. I hope to go back soon.

The husband and I then walked over to the Museum of Fine Arts, where an old man and his wife cut the line in front of us (and yes I did call them out on it). We bought the City Pass which would have been a better deal if we'd thought about it before we went to the aquarium, but it still saved us money. Anyway, we didn't pay extra for the special exhibits but the regular museum was enough. The ancient seals were just about the coolest things, very intricately carved.

After the MFA, we drove up to doggie day care and dropped Sofie off for the afternoon so we could do some shopping. We hit the cd shop, a bookstore, Trader Joe's, a Flag Day carnival and got lunch before picking her back up.

Saturday night we walked over to the Prudential and went up to the 50th floor to the Skywalk Observatory. I had wanted to go to the restaurant on the 52nd floor but heard it wasn't very good and since it was mostly about the view and not the food and since we had tickets from the City Pass, we did that. It was cloudy out but it didn't obscure the view of the city at all. It was just getting dark and was very pretty. It's always amazing to see what a small town Boston really is. I know the suburbs go on for quite a distance, but the city itself is compact.

We decided to get some dinner on the way home and stopped off at a restaurant we'd walked past several times. It was loud but the food was good - salt and pepper calamari and lobster mac and cheese.

My Brother's Pets

Scarlet the parrot

Carmen the dog

My Sister's Car

Maybe now she'll buy a new one that doesn't beep randomly...

My Mom

I am up way too late considering I have a 5:30am flight but it's been hard to part company with my mom. I've known for a while she wouldn't be around long but since Ma died, I've been feeling it even more. My mom is going to be 85 in August and I still don't think I know her that well. I'm glad she has seen me succeed in my career, but I regret that she'll never see one of her daughters have a baby. There's a lot going through my head right now and I thought writing it down would help, but it's just making me want to cry. So I'll call it done and hope that I have enough time to learn who my mother really is.

Barbara Elizabeth Lomonaco

Ma passed away this morning around 6am. She got to meet her granddaughter and had her family around her.

I last saw her in person in March when she was in the hospital. She looked pretty good but we didn't get to talk like we both had hoped. I'll never know for sure what she wanted to talk about but I know I said what I wanted to say.

We Skyped in April after Cordelia was born and I was visiting and helping out. It felt like old times.

Ma always seemed to be about style, but she had the substance to back it up. If you got to hang out with her it always shone through.

Apparently I'm going to be responsible for helping to tell Cordelia about her Grandma Barb and making sure she knows about all the stupid things her mom did growing up.

I think I'm also going to take on the responsibility of buying Cordelia all the super-girly things Grandma Barb would have bought her. It may even be fun.

I'll miss you, Ma. I'm glad I knew you and I'm sorry you had to go so soon. I've had the privilege of having 3 moms in my life and now I've lost 2, both to ovarian cancer. I don't know what else to say. It's just not fair, which sounds childish, but it's not fair.

Wednesday

It's Wednesday. I don't have anything to do but wait for people on the west coast to get to work and call me back or send me stuff. It's my second week on this job and so far it's been fine. Everybody seems very nice and the director even brings his dog Spuz to work. Luckily, Spuz and Sofie get along. Sadly, Sofie does not like the director. It doesn't help that he wears a hat all the time.

We are going to look at apartments later today. We got permission to move out of the hotel last week and we've been trying to find something. It hasn't been easy, since we need to find something for only 6 months, furnished, that will take Sofie. I'm going to room with AH, who was a housemate last year. We've seen one place but it was a bit of a dump and the parking was ridiculous. $345 per month and they didn't even open until 7am. WTF?

The hotel we're staying in is very nice. Everyone seems to know Sofie by name and most of them seem to like her. I'm going to miss having her around, but I won't miss the random barking at people who walk by.

Despite the quality of the hotel, not having a kitchen is expensive. We have to get something out every night and I'm so over it. I actually want to make spaghetti again. Hopefully one of the three apartments we're seeing today will work out.

We had a great trip out here - stopped and saw so much. I'm glad we didn't have to make it in four days like last time. And since Sofie isn't staying with me, I can fly home in December and save the husband some miles.

I hope the guy from the studio calls me back soon. I need to get my computer fixed so I can print checks. I'm not sure what's wrong with it - it may have something to do with me installing my scanner or maybe something I picked up from the internet. It's not like I look at porn and crap but I do click on things that may be trouble. We'll see what happens.

I think I'll go and see if the boss' cat is in - Peewee is her name. She's about as old as Baxter and it's nice to pet her. I miss my kitties.

Last Day Driving

I'm in a Motel 6 in Sturbridge, MA this morning getting ready to go to the laundromat before finishing the trip to Boston. I don't know when I'll have time to do laundry again so I figure I'd better take care of it now. Especially since both the husband and I fell into the creek at Fallingwater.

Yes, I know you're not supposed to go down to the creek but I did anyway and took some pics. Then I slipped on the wet rocks and fell in and then husband fell trying to help me. Soaking wet jeans made for an uncomfortable tour of the grounds but since we didn't pay for the interior house tour, it was fine. We changed pants in the parking lot and continued on our way. But now we're both down to only 1 pair of jeans and that won't do. So it's off to the laundromat.

After that, I'm hoping to stop by Sturbridge Pottery. I think we'll have time since it's only an hour or so to Boston and the hotel probably won't be ready for us until 3pm.

Other than that, it's been a good trip. We are all three of us tired of being in the car but we've gotten to see a lot of sights and that's made it worthwhile. I especially liked seeing the baby kangaroo in the canvas bag at the animal park in Donegal. It was behind the register and they're having a naming contest. I went with Hamilton.

Again?

I like ABBA - I always have. I went to see Mamma Mia! in the theatre and enjoyed it, even singing along under my breath.

But now that my neighbors own the dvd and play it at least 3 times a day, I'm starting to hate them with a passion that is unholy.

If I wasn't going to Boston on Sunday, I'd probably need bail money soon.

Boston

Forgot to mention, I am going to Boston. I have to be there May 18th and we're going to start driving May 10th. We have a house sitter lined up and are getting the place sorted and cleaned. Have to get the cats groomed and Sofie needs a bath, too. She's going with us but I'm not going to be able to keep her with me. Right now I'm stuck in the hotel and while it's dog-friendly, I wouldn't be able to leave her alone in the room at all. So that's not really going to work for me if I can't even go to the fitness room or the store without her. Things may change after I get there but I'm reconciling myself to being alone until mid December.

The in-town show fell through when the actors passed so I didn't really have a decision to make.

Police Raid

The husband, Sofie, and I were taking our morning constitutional when a large group of police in helmets rounded the far corner coming towards us. We were in a very nice neighborhood of Toluca Lake, on the route we take almost every day, about four houses away from them. I asked "what is that?" and the husband replied "a raid".

We crossed the street and stopped, waiting to see what happened. The husband was all for turning around but I wanted to watch so we stood there while they approached a house and spread out around it, some at the end of the driveway, some at the side gate nearest us, and the rest going to the front door. We couldn't hear anything, but a man came out of the house and they put him in handcuffs. Then a woman came out, but I couldn't tell if they cuffed her or not. The dogs came out but they were all happy and excited to have the company so the cops didn't bother them.

When we were sure there wasn't going to be any shooting (we never saw a single gun even drawn), we continued on our walk. It was surreal, especially since the people who lived there had said hello to us the other day - nice as pie. I guess we'll find out from the news if it was drugs or something else.

Sped and Dilly

I'm sitting in Sped's living room, waiting for her to come back from her mommy support group. I came down yesterday to help out with Dilly for a week or so. She's still pretty damn cute but what a set of lungs! I'm sure it will get better for everybody when Sped can bottle-feed - at least then Dad with be able to take a shift in the middle of the night and Sped can get more sleep. Both mom and dad are super parents and I enjoy watching them interact with their little girl.

On a selfish note, I'm hoping being here will help me decide once and for all if I want a baby. I know this part may be rough but I also know it doesn't last forever. None of the phases, good or bad, last forever. What changes is the complete responsibility you have for another person for 18 years. That's a long time and shouldn't be taken lightly if you're ambiguous in the first place.

In other news, the Boston show may be back on with a different accountant. There's really not any reason to not take the show. Even if they don't give me the housing allowance there's still the possibility of making an extra $14k. Yes, I am talking to someone about a show in town, but I haven't said yes, just talked rates. I'm going to have to make this decision today because if I'm going, then I have a lot to take care of beforehand.

No Boston For Me

Well, it looks like the show in Boston has fallen through. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I do know it had nothing to do with me. Oh well. I'll make it to NYC eventually.

I do have another offer for a Disney show with an accountant and producer I've worked with before. I've told them my rate and asked where the office will be. I'll probably say yes depending on the answer.

One good thing about not having to rush out of town? I don't have to scramble to finish my to-do list.

Back To Boston?

Someone around town seems to think my vacation to Portland was actually me taking a job in Portland... no wonder I haven't been getting any calls.

M emailed me to ask where I was and what I was doing; she'd been told I was working in Portland. Turns out the accountant from Surrogates has an offer to do a Kevin James show in Boston and had called her. I wrote her back then immediately wrote the accountant to let her know I was still available.

I heard from the acct this morning and she's still working out her deal, but it should all be coming together soon. Looks like we may be heading back to Boston even though I said I didn't want to travel that far.

Maybe this time we can stop in Gettysburg.

To Do

I still don't have a job lined up but I am getting better at working on my to do list. I've gotten a few of the small projects crossed off and now have to buckle down for the bigger ones. I have about a week or so before I go down to Sped's house and I need to be done with as much as possible by then. I should post some pics, maybe that will help motivate me. Bragging usually does...

And to my sister, I'm sending mom a little package.

Cordelia's Nursery Part 3

Cordelia's Nursery Part 2

Cordelia's Nursery Part 1

Introducing...

Cordelia Elizabeth

7 lbs 4 oz

19.5 ins

Portland

The husband and I (and Sofie) went to Portland last week for a little vacation. We had a nice time, but it wasn't thrilling or anything.

We left on Wednesday and drove, taking 2 days so we wouldn't be exhausted. We stopped in Redding and went to a little used book store, where we got my dad some Zane Grey books. Then we tried to see the Sundial Bridge but there was a sign saying "no dogs" so we didn't bother getting out of the car.

After leaving Redding Thursday morning we stopped in Mount Shasta City to get a close-up of the mountain. I'd read about Shasta and always hoped to see it in person, but never thought I would. It's pretty impressive, even though it was shrouded in mist and clouds.

When we got to Portland, we checked in and went for a walk. The hotel was right downtown so we saw some of that area, including Pioneer Courthouse Square where we saw a man walking a cat on a leash. Sofie and it made eye contact, but nobody wigged out. Then we got some excellent Indian food from one of the carts in a parking lot and went back to the hotel to relax.

On Friday, we drove out to Powell's to drop off 12 boxes of books for trade-in, then took off to Fort Clatsop (the Lewis and Clark fort out on the coast). It was a scenic drive but it looked a lot like East Tennessee. After the fort, we drove down to Seaside and took Sofie to the beach. She was ok with it because the water must have been at low tide and was a distance away. The only thing that did bother her was a German Shepherd named Brutus who kept licking her. Then we had lunch at Bigfoot's Pub and Grub, which was probably our 2nd best meal after the Indian food.

Saturday it rained, but we went to the Saturday Market and had a look around then drove out the Columbia River Gorge and saw the waterfalls - Wayne's recommendation and totally worth it.

Sunday we drove up to Fort Vancouver just over the river in Washington. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Since it was a fort of the Hudson's Bay Company, it was pretty swank. I'm so used to the bare, stark military forts that it was a nice change. We also had lunch in Mt Tabor Park, which is an extinct volcano within the city limits. If I ever moved to Portland, I'd want to live within walking distance of that park.

Monday we took Sofie for her morning walk and went down to Voodoo Doughnut. We'd seen it on tv and had tried to go on Saturday, but there was a line. Luckily, no line on Monday and we got 3 tasty examples. Then we checked out and hit the road.

The drive back seemed to take forever, but you get a much better and longer-lasting view of Mount Shasta heading south. We stopped in Reading again and went to the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. I got my passport stamped and then we headed a bit further south before stopping. We finally got home Tuesday around 3:30pm and that was it.

When all is said and done, I liked Portland and would take a show going there, but I doubt I'll go back on my own to visit again.

Job Hunt

I haven't had a call for work for a long time, then I go on vacation and get 3 calls in 1 day. 2 were for television and the 3rd was a feature, but they needed someone to start Monday. I don't even get back home until Tuesday!

I turned them all down - I really need my time off.

Updates

Lots of little things going on:

- Last weekend, I went down to Sped's and helped her decorate the nursery (I'll upload pics soon). It took longer than I'd hoped and I didn't get to help load all the baby stuff in, but they've gotten most of it done this week. It's super-cute.

- Right now, I'm in East Tennessee visiting my parents since I didn't make it home at Christmas. I'm having a good, relaxing time and my sister took off from work so we've been shopping and stuff. I made her buy red shoes and would have bought some for myself if they'd had my size. She says she enjoys shopping with me because I make her try stuff she normally wouldn't - I like that!

- Sofie has a bladder infection to go along with the inflammation on her side. At least now they've given her anitbiotics. I'm glad I wasn't home for that because the husband said there was blood and I would have wigged out. She's totally blown our budget but she's worth it.

- I got to visit with Erika and her kids yesterday and had a great time catching up. I'm always worried we won't have anything in common anymore and end up talking about nothing but what happened in high school, but I think we like each other enough to want to know what's going on now. And her girls were a hoot. I know they were putting on a show for company but I enjoyed it. I also brought them some hats and shirts from some of the shows I've worked on. It's stuff I never use and they get to feel cool with their friends.

- I sent out emails to all of the accountants I've worked with (that I liked) letting them know I'm available. I've heard back from most of them but no one has an offer for me yet. I'm not too concerned since it's still slow around town, but I would feel better if I had something lined up. At least the unemployment is good to go.

- It's weird to realize that LA is my home. I never wanted to move there but that's where my life is right now. I just really need to start exploring it more. When I'm there, I feel all fuddy-duddy but when I'm in East TN I feel absolutely cosmopolitan.

- The husband and I gave up our cable subscription. It'll save us $50 a month and a lot of wasted time. I'm hoping to catch up on my reading and movies instead of vegging out in front of the tube. Of course, I left town the day it got shut off and you know my folks have cable! Sorry husband.

That's it for now. Everybody went to 4:30 mass and I've just been killing time waiting for them to come home with dinner. I'm sure tonight will be spent watching tv, but that's how it is here and they are happy with it. Who am I to say it's a bad thing?

Only In LA?

This has been up for about a year and I finally had to take it down and post it. I wonder if they ever found the thing...

Headhunt?

I got "friended" on Facebook by an accountant I've never worked with before but we have some mutual friends. Please Dog let this mean I'm going to start getting some job offers... I've hadn't had a lack of offers like this for a long time. Friggen' actors.