Ordinary Extraordinary

Timing

You know that old Hollywood adage about getting your break from being in the right place at the right time? Boy was it proven true today.

There are always a fair number of motivated, young people who come to the studio on their own time to observe or train on their chosen positions. We do enough of a background check to clear them for day passes to the studio, but that's it - we don't pay them and we make it clear that we may not ever be interested in hiring them. The smart ones keep turning up anyway, hoping to catch someone's eye or make enough of an impression to score formal training or a paying job.

Today, I hired two of them on the spot because they were standing in front of me when I realized that I needed to train people in their positions.

One of them went from $0 an hour to $30 an hour in the space of 10 seconds because I told him he could only have the job if he was willing to start his formal training right that minute. I thought he was going to kiss me. When I mentioned to the other that good things happen to people who are in the right place at the right time, he responded "Yeah, this is exactly what I've been hoping for."

Let it never be said that persistance doesn't pay off.

Wednesday is Meme Day

Today's meme goodness comes courtesy of Kapgar.

Checklist Meme: Just bold the things you have accomplished in your life.
Seems a bit of an odd collection of things, but I'm game...

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid - Not yet, but soon.

Spontaneity

Voicemail #1

Me: Cunio! It's Amandarin. I really hope that the opening date comes through for Narcotica because I just bought a ticket to New York for the third weekend in September. I also hope that the offer of a place to stay is still good because, well, I'll need one! Hope you're having fun recording; talk to you soon.

Voicemail #2

He: Amandarin! It's Cunio. I was so excited when I got your message, and then I was so sad because while the offer is good, the timing is not. My mother's coming to visit that weekend and there so isn't room for three people in my apartment. I'm so sorry; next time you visit I'll try not to be poor and living in a studio. Love you, call me.

Well, it was almost a good idea.

Good thing I have lots of friends & family out there!

Open Letter

Dear Asshole Who Dented My Car,

You left two gashes on my rear passenger side door, one of which is more than a foot long and both of which include chips of your paint. There's no way you could have done that type of damage without noticing.

You could have at least left a fucking note.

Please die in a fire.

No love,
Me

P.S. What kind of urban assault vehicle were you driving that you could put a dent that big above the handle of my rear door? I drive an Escape for heaven's sake!

Hour 12 of 15

Behind those sunglasses, I'm still surprisingly bright-eyed for having been running between the red carpet and the trucks for the last twelve hours.

Mo' money, mo' money

The downside of working in my industry during Awards Season (the roughly six month span between when the Emmy nominees are announced and when the Oscar statuettes are awarded) is that almost all of my waking hours are sucked up by work.

The upside is that, thanks to the insane number of overtime hours, I can earn a week's salary in the space of a day and a half. I will clock about 70 hours by the end of this week, but I'll be paid for almost 100.

Too bad I won't have time to spend any of that money until March...

Elevator Etiquette

It has recently come to my attention that many of you were raised by wolves are unaware of the basic rules of elevator etiquette. Allow me to enlighten you:

1. It is unecessary to pound on the call button repeatedly. It doesn't make the light turn faster at a crosswalk and it won't make the elevator arrive any more quickly. Yelling and/or cursing won't help, either.
2. Please do not stand mere inches from the doors, ready to leap into the elevator at the first possible moment. It's unnerving for those who are inside the elevator to have the doors open to reveal you looming in the doorway.
3. If you see someone running to catch the elevator, or you hear someone call for you to hold it, put your finger on the "open door" button or put your arm in front of the door. Don't be a jackass and smile smugly as the doors close in that someone's face. Karma will get you for that.
4. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET PEOPLE EXIT THE ELEVATOR BEFORE YOU PUSH YOUR WAY IN. If you crowd into the elevator before people have the chance to get out you're only going to have to step out again anyway so just WAIT.
5. Some elevators (like the ones at my building, and at Keith's) require keycard access. This is because access to each floor is extremely limited. If you don't have a keycard, don't be surprised when you can't get to whatever floor you need. Don't be an asshole when those of us who have keycards are unable to / refuse to give you access to a floor other than our own.

Thank you. Your prompt adherence to these points would be appreciated.

Stress Relief

After yesterday's big nasty meeting, the Gunslinger and I needed to keep ourselves from killing anyone unwind, so we decided to head to the Arclight to see The Illusionist.

What an incredible film... dark and lush and mesmerizing. And who knew that Jessica Biel can act? I think the Village Voice says it best:

Beautifully acted and handsomely mounted, this gorgeous period piece is an intelligent and intriguing exploration of "the dark arts" -- less dependent on mere hocus-pocus than on the convincing journey of the soul undertaken by its hero.

Have seen it once, I'm now eager to see it again so that I can better appreciate the nuances in the script and directing.

(And, you know, so I can ogle Edward Norton some more.)

In other news... if you're free this evening, you must take yourself to Bar Keeper in Silverlake for the opening of Teale Hatheway's new show - this series of paintings focuses entirely on Los Angeles bar architechture. Don't worry if you can't get there tonight, though; her paintings will be on display until October 15th!

How My Week is Going So Far

Today I had a conversation with someone, in all seriousness, about whether the appropriate descriptor for our long ass meeting was Trainwreck, Goat Rodeo, Clusterfuck, or Circle Jerk.

We ultimately decided on Trainwreck caused by a goat rodeo on the tracks.

Why yes, it IS only Tuesday!

Did I mention that I started the morning getting my face shot full of novocaine so that my dentist could fill two cavities? And that the time I spent in the dentist's chair were the most peaceful moments of my day?

Yeah.

How's your week going?

Disjointed Thoughts

• I can't recall exactly when I crossed the line between awkward post-graduate and adult, but the last few weeks have made it exceedingly clear that I have, indeed, crossed it.
• Country 93.9 is now 93.9 The Move. WTF? Yesterday it was country, today it was Ace of Base followed by a Ludacris mash-up. Why oh why do radio stations change their content/programming/target market with aboslutely NO notice? Gah.
• There is no wrong that cannot be righted with the generous application of Indian food, particularly if someone else has offered to pick up the tab.
• The Oompa Loompas in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are really effing creepy.
• Today is Paul's birthday. Happy Birthday!!
• I am actually contemplating having a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for dinner. So much for that whole adulthood thing. (Then again, maybe that's one of the perks of adulthood...)
• If you're not reading Granny Gets a Vibrator yet, you must start. Start here, though, to understand the most recent posts.