The Way Things Are

08 November, 2012

First, you *must* say that like the mice from the movie BABE. Had the darnedest time trying to find a clip, and could only manage this one; it's at the beginning, though, so that's something, at least:


The Way Things Are!

This blog is only about today. And you'll have to forgive my tenses. I go from past to present way too often, but I'm too tired to edit and proofread. Only have energy enough to add in this little warning and an apology: I'm sorry for my atrocious grammar and writing tonight.

Here's my day:




My alarm's set for 3.30 (yes, I work ungodly hours), but I always wake up at least 15 minutes before. On top of that, Ella's not accustomed to the time change, so she gets up and starts wandering about, which can only mean one thing: time to go potty. But it's 3.15 in the morning and I'm not having it. She's got bloomers on for a reason, now, so I roll over and hope to catch a quick cat nap, knowing full well I won't see sleep again until at least 10:00 tonight. *sigh*

I finally crawl out of bed, feel Ella's bloomers...not wet, but heavy. So it didn't soak through the pad--that's good. Won't have to wash the bloomers. Wrap her pad in a plastic bag to dispose of in a bit.

Then normal morning stuff--which mostly consists of taking care of Ella: breakfast, water, meds, potty, etc. But today also includes actually doing hair & make-up before work. Pack a touch-up bag of make-up, make sure I have headshots/resumes, script, grab my breakfast shake, pop it in the microwave to unfreeze, grab the lunch shake and healthy snacks (mostly prepared the night before), put it all in my lunchbag, which goes in my work bag...decide I might need a cardigan...run to grab that....discover it's 4.18 and I'm going to be late!

Drive the 30 miles to work while sipping my shake and grumbling at the red lights. Run up the three flights of stairs...log in by 4.55...put my lunchbag in the fridge and get my tea...back to the desk where I pop on my stupid headset and get going. Lots happened in between, but there's no need to bore you completely with my job minutia.

7.45 am: first break of the day, which means I hole myself up in a dark office to do a quick workout with Sworkit. I usually also do another one at lunch and my last break, but I'm going to be gone for a good part of the day, so this is it for today's workout.

9:17am: Lunch is usually at 9.30, but I'm leaving then for my audition. I get out of the queue, because if I get on a phone call, it could be 15 minutes or 45...you never know. And I know my luck. So I got out of the queue! Left at 9.30...every map and GPS said it would take about 55 minutes to get to Santa Monica from where I work, so I left an hour and a half before my scheduled time. Should get there with 20 minutes to spare, with any luck. It's raining today, though...so maybe just 10 minutes.

I decide to take the PCH route, because it's just a *tad* faster...and certainly prettier. Plus, I avoid the 405 mess.

I drink my shake, enjoy the scenery, and get to Malibu in record time--yay!--and then...stop. No moving. My Waze tells me there's an accident. Ooooo-kay, fine. People here don't know how to drive on the best of days...in the rain, it's to be expected. But then we continue travelling 5 mph...or are just stopped completely. Time keeps ticking, ticking...I call the  contact at Sony and leave a message for her, hoping she gets it. I'm still okay on time. This is why I left early. But then it gets later and later...and finally, we get to what seems to be the end of it, only to have someone going car to car, explaining that there's a gas leak and they're evacuating everyone from the area, and forcing us to turn around.

Many expletives happened here.

If I could have continued the way I was going, I still would have been late. But I had to turn around, go back the way I came, and continue on down the 101 to the 405 monstrosity. Even more late. Waaaaay later. (For those who don't live here, there's constant construction on the 405 and it's a nightmare in the best of times. This is a rainy LA day. NOT the best of times.)

So I call Dylan and leave another message...and then fifteen minutes later decide to try her cell. Left a message. Hoped for the best. Thought to myself, once again, that Dylan's a cool name for a girl.

The whole time, I'm thinking..."I've been a year in this town and haven't had one audition. This is my very first and I'm screwing it up." This whole year, I've been telling myself that I'll be super-prepared for that audition when it comes...I'll leave extra-extra early so I don't get flustered by traffic...and now, here I am...flustered to the point of tears and cursing...planning on getting a vanity plate that says, "LASUX" with a picture of an ass right after that.

This year's theme song ("Cough Syrup," Young the Giant) comes on, and I cry a little bit while trying to sing along. I love this song. It says so much to me, you have no idea.

I should mention that by this time, my bladder is about to BURST. (Is anyone surprised?)

Anyway. I get there half an hour late...park...run in.

 Everything's chill.

I explain what happened, and they tell me that Dylan was out sick, but she got my message and sent them a text. (Thank God I called her cell!) I asked to use the restroom, where I wanted to cry out in ecstasy from the relief!!! Oh--also discovered that I'm not pregnant (sarcastic "yay"). (That's the nicest way I could think of to put that. Sorry.)

They weren't quite ready, so I had a few minutes to sit, breathe, go over the script...and then in walks my new friend Manjit, who got me the audition in the first place. I didn't know he was going to be there, so it was a nice surprise!

The audition was just the two of us...very relaxing...very chill...fun...I thought I did well, but probably wouldn't get this one. And I was okay with that. I knew that this one audition would lead to something, somewhere down the road. And that's how it works sometimes.

So...in a much better mood, I got back in the car, hit the gas station, headed the 30 miles back to work...hit lots of traffic on the 405, of course, and the 101, naturally... munched on almonds, wasabi peas, and Goldfish pretzels...and got back to work at 1.30. And work was blissfully quiet. Not the constant phone calls...one right after the other...no break...no breathing...no nothing but wanting to stand up and strangle the first thing you see. Nope. None of that. I got to look at the interwebs and find out there's a nor'easter headed to my beloved New England...(I'm so sorry, friends. Thoughts and prayers are with you, always.)

I stayed a little later than usual. Wanted to stay till 5 (I usually leave at 3 or a little after, depending on the phone call I'm on)...but then I started worrying about Ella. I didn't think my roommate was going to be home all day, so  I know she's going to need to go potty. Plus, her dinner time's usually around 4ish these days. So I decide to leave at 3.45. Still managed to put in almost 7 hours of work, even being gone for 4.

It's sprinkling, so the usual bad traffic is horrendous...I get home after 5...take care of Ella...check a few messages...get good news (more later)...announce said news to a few people...try and figure out what to do about Ella while I'll be gone next week, since the roomie's out of town...decide to take a shower...strip, put my clothes in the hamper, discover Ella puked on the bedspread today...take that off the bed...run out into the living room to start a load...find a cricket...all of this while completely nude...spray the bedspread, put that in the wash with a few other things...get a shower...get out and then run to put some softener in the wash, discover that the cricket's no longer in the kitchen...try to find him...he's hiding in the carpet in the living room...try and capture him, but the li'l bugger isn't making it easy...try to turn on a light, but the bulb dies on me...go wrap a towel around myself...finally get the bugger, open the front door with my towel just barely hanging on at this point, hoping nobody walks by as I'm letting the cricket out into the hallway ( no one does)...change the lightbulb...run back to the bathroom to finish my after-shower routine.

Put the load in the dryer and began this blog.

Ahhh...but the Good News.

The Good News makes up for all of it.

I booked the Sony PlayStation gig.

Yes, the one from today...the first one since I've been in town.

I. Booked. It.

We shoot in San Diego over a couple days next week!

Yeah, I'm a little stressed about finding someone to help with Ella, but I *think* I've found someone, and I'm going to try not to worry too much, as I'm so accustomed to doing.

Because I booked the gig. I got the job.

This is the whole reason I'm here. The ONLY reason I'm here.

To wear spandex with ping pong balls all over it.

:D

And that's the way things are for me.

In case anyone ever wonders.