I'm Not Dead

Here I am, blogging as if people were still reading it. This is the worst hiatus yet, on many levels. For starters, I have to confess. I just plain forgot. Yes, I should be permanently banned from cyberspace because I simply forgot about my blog. And the second transgression is that I had time to write. Isn't that horrible? All those hours hooked on solitaire and free cell, and I could have been blogging, or better yet, reading my friends' blogs! All my complaints about working too much, having no free time - none of that was true this summer. Yes, I spent a lot of time filling out applications and interviewing. And I did have a smidgeon of costume work. And I did finally get a job at a wine bar to make ends meet. But still, when I wasn't training there, I was twiddling my thumbs. Well, that's not completely true. I have been doing a lot, but that's all the more reason to write. I actually had something to write about.
In my defense, at the beginning of the summer I was spending all my online time doing wedding research. I'm still knee deep in that, especially since I keep changing my mind every few days. But then there was a bit of time where I needed a break from that and everything else, so every time I jumped on the computer I had to do the most mindless thing I could think of. That's when the solitaire addiction began. Now, when I get on the computer, it's to do a little business and wind down from a long day, and once again that translates into solitaire. But as I type these words, I remember how much more fulfilling this world is for me. It's a release, and it's communications with people outside my everyday life, which can be very helpful and comfortable in its own way. So, for my sake, I hope I get back into the blogging habit.

In the meantime, I've got so much to share, if I can remember it all! So yes, I've been working on wedding plans, which I'll devote enough blogs to in the future. And I had a minimally employed summer. I probably mentioned before that the world of costume free lance is a shaky one. The only thing you can count on is that you will always either have way too much work, or not nearly enough. Not nearly enough describes my summer situation. For quite a while now, I've known this would happen eventually. I didn't have time to deal with it previously due to too much work, so when the work ran out I got a vacation, like it or not. That's when I started to go crazy and apply for jobs. HB convinced me that I would make good money waiting tables, so I starting applying for those type jobs. But I also knew that I was ready for something more permanent - a steady day gig. I put out my resume on Monster and all those other websites. I signed up for a temp service. I desperately searched for non-profit jobs, which was what I really wanted. Most professional theatres (outside of Broadway) are non-profit, so I've been observing the state of the non-profit world for a while. It's not an easy (or lucrative) line of work, but it feels good. So that's where I was trying to find a place, preferably staying in the arts.
So eventually I got the wine bar gig, which is a really great job for the industry - it's easy money and good customers - both rare in the world of food service, and almost never found together - and I get along well with the people I work with (one happens to be a crafty night friend who got me the interview). That's great and all, and the money started coming in finally, but that still wasn't the stability I was searching for.
Then it happened - I got the call. The boss lady at the theatre where I've done most of my free lance work over the last two years offered me a salaried job. For starters, it did not just fall into my lap. When the job first came open, I edited my resume a few times and wrote several drafts of a cover letter before I was confident enough to even apply for the job. I also needed a few key people to convince me that I was even qualified in the first place. Then when I first spoke to the boss lady about the job, she told me I was OVERQUALIFIED. Then I was sure she would dismiss me right away for that reason, but she promised me an interview. I rehearsed that interview in my head so many times beforehand. I actually felt really good about it after the fact, but I still wasn't sure I had convinced her that I was the person for the job. You see, she knows me as a costumer, and she knows that I have other goals in the non-profit world, but not in the vein of this gig. This gig happens to be a combination of technical administration/coordination and show props. Yes, it is really two jobs in one job description, but welcome to the non-profit world. I love it because I get to still do crafty stuff with props, and I get the administrative experience that I've been wanting. Anyway, to get the story over with, boss lady's words when she called to hire me were "You convinced me. So if you'll let me, I'm going to exploit the hell out of you." Translation: "you got the job, but you're signing on to be the departmental slave." I'm okay with that, because it's a company I love and believe in, and I get a regular paycheck and a benefits. So I have just finished my first week of slavery, and I am a happy camper.
That's all the typing I can handle for now, but I'll write again soon. I promise.