It's been a crazy couple of weeks lately as I made an attempt to balance work stuff, personal stuff, and upcoming holiday stuff. And if my current schedule is any indication, I can expect the same kind of chaos as we head into December, only kicked up a few notches.
Yikes.*
Which means that I'm going to be lazy and re-post something I wrote a few years ago.
But hey, at least it's (kind of) Thanksgiving related! With an update at the end!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Already Thinking About Thanksgiving...
My mom called me today.
"So you'll be home on Tuesday, right? Because I just made a dentist appointment for you for the 26th."
Yeah, that was how the convo started. Mom's not big on pretext.
Meanwhile, I was caught off guard and didn't even know what to say. Probably because I hadn't even thought about when I'd be making the trek back home and was trying to figure out if she had gotten the date from something I've said or if she just made it up.
Anyway, after the conversation ended and I hung up the phone, I started thinking and counting back the months. I haven't been home since last January for New Years, making this the longest I've been away for. I usually at least pop in for a visit once or twice a year but I guess this year's been harder because of the lack of work.
It used to be that I'll have a month or two booked up and I'd drive up and spend some time with the folks before things got super busy. But now that I no longer have the luxury of knowing when I'll get my next paycheck, I'm pretty much stuck staying in town since most of my money these days have been from random last minute gigs, which can be kind of a bummer.
And now, for the first time that I can remember, I'm actually looking forward to going home. I mean really looking forward to it. And that is what I'll be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
Three measly years later, and oh my, how times have changed...
This year is the longest I've gone without popping in to visit the parentals. Nearly a year will have gone by before I see my old stomping ground again, only this time, the lack of work isn't to blame.
Rather, it's the opposite. I've been working rather steadily this year (for a change!), which means that whatever time off I got between gigs was only long enough for me to catch up on all the stuff that I couldn't get to when I was busy. Not a bad problem to have, I suppose, but it's definitely a far cry from the situation I was in back in 2008.
I'm still never sure when I'll get my next paycheck, but I at least have somewhat of an idea of where it'll come from these days. And that's a big difference. And when I do get a check in the mail, it's definitely more than what I was getting paid back then. I guess that means I'm moving up in the world?
Anyway, I wanted to take this time to wish you all a
Happy Thanksgiving!
May it be filled with turkey induced comas and a side of pie.
* I hope you enjoy this post because it might be a little while before I around to writing another one.
2 comments :
What this means is that you've finally arrived. No longer living on the crumbling edge of the abyss, you've achieved what I think of as orbital velocity -- all that hard work over the past few years has turned you into an industry pro with a solid reputation. You've earned it, and as a result, are finally able to make a decent living working steadily when so many people all over the country can't find a job. That's definitely something to be thankful for.
It's not easy to do what you've done, particularly for a female in what has long been considered the man's world of grip/electric. For better or worse -- and like it or not -- you are now a free-lance veteran like the rest of us.
Congratulations, and welcome to the club...
Michael - Thanks for the warm welcome into your club!
While I don't dispute the fact that I have grown tremendously over the past couple years in terms of my work experience and reputation, I think my employment drought of 2008 was in part due to The Great WGA/SAG/AFTRA/IA Negotiation Fiascos that halted the town during that time, making it hard for anyone to earn a paycheck, let alone a new comer like me.
But you're right; it's not easy to do what I've done and I'm damn proud of my acomplishments.
I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving. :)
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