Another Monday. My husband seems to have caught the local summer flu bug -- probably from the gym. All that hot, moist air and people sweating all over the equipment. I'm spoiling him with tea and soup and movies. As much as I hate it when he's not feeling well, it's actually a nice change from the job hunt. Makes me feel useful.
Last week I went to visit a good friend who's working as an electrician on a TV show. I spent the afternoon chatting and I ran into a lot of crew people I knew. It's dawned on me that I should be visiting people and making 'the rounds' rather than relying on email and phone calls. Voicemail and email are too easy to ignore. While I was there, I ran into an old boss of mine from years ago -- I'm supposed to call him on Tuesday and see if I can set up a meeting for possible employment. I remember they had profit sharing, and that was pretty sweet.
I also got a call on my cell while I was there for another interview with a camera company on Wednesday. I don't know a whole lot about camera gear, but then ten years ago I didn't know anything about film lighting and I picked that up reasonably quickly. Maybe things are finally starting to look up -- I still don't have any solid offers, but at least I'm starting to get more bites.
I also sent in another submission to the BIG studio for something that I am WAY over-qualified for. It's in the commissary -- and everybody on the whole movie lot eats there at least once a week, from the lowest production assistant to the highest-paid actor. I figure if I can get the job, I'll either be managing the commissary within a couple of months, or I will be able to make some good contacts and get a better position by smiling a lot and networking. I hope I get a call from the recruiting people. I hope they can understand that I am willing to take a lower position just to get a job there. The BIG studio is still my big Brass Ring, and even serving lunch to film crews at the commissary is a foot in the door for bigger and better things. It might be kind of humbling after being in management, but I'm not afraid to pay my dues all over again. I hope they can see that.
11:59 pm
Minor interruption... My husband is bedbound and wanted to play Otto Matic on my iBook. I can never get past the first level on that, but it's silly and makes me laugh. My husband, on the other hand, is a computer game whiz.
A good thing happened late last week -- the unemployment people apparently couldn't find anything to refute my statement that my termination from the studio was a result of a personal vendetta and I therefore should be able to collect benefits, because my first $370 check arrived. So that's one little victory, anyway. (I wonder if I can use this as evidence in the defamation of character and wrongful termination lawsuit...?) I can at least keep up on the minimum payments on my bills without interruption. It's a small load off of my mind, although it's less than half of what I was earning before. I'll have to be especially frugal. I am not having taxes taken out of my unemployment checks, either, so I really hope I find work soon. Otherwise it will completely mess up my income taxes. More than they are already, that is.
Another good thing -- the auto accident investigator that the other guy's (the guy that hit me) insurance company sent to take a look at the damage on my poor little car mailed me a copy of his report. It arrived on Saturday. It states in black and white that I was hit from behind square on, and therefore they are liable and responsible for the repairs on my car. Not only that, but it nullifies the guy's false claim on my insurance that I was a fault and changed lanes into his car. So there. The claims adjuster from his insurance has already mentioned something about totaling my car -- it's a 1973 Superbeetle and not in the Blu-Book anymore -- but if they decide to do that, I'll just collect the money and have it fixed anyway. It's only the rear bumper and fenders... and maybe the rear apron. Cosmetic only; my mechanic says there was no damage to the engine or the frame (remember, old Bugs carried the engine in the rear). I just want it fixed and back home... it's been at the shop waiting for the insurance people to get off of their butts since the beginning of June. The accident was back in May, for Pete's sake.
I've been driving my baby for over 20 years and this is the very first time it's been hit. Broke my heart. I love my car. It has over three hundred thousand miles on the same engine and it still runs like a champ, and before this accident, it still looked like one, too. I'm not ready to retire it just yet. After all this time, it's almost like a pet, now. There were no dents before this, and no rust, either. It got regular oil changes and tune-ups. I've had the same mechanic for almost a decade. It has even been used as a "picture vehicle" on TV and in magazines. So I'm not about to let it go. It still has a few more hundred thousand miles left.
1:27 am Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Insomnia. We decided that I should sleep in the guest room tonight so as not to expose myself to my husband's bug any more than I already have. My immune system isn't what it used to be after having cancer. Although I have a lot of trouble sleeping separately from him. Lately I've been having trouble sleeping anyway... I wake up ten times a night in a panic, my heart racing and my mind whirling at a million miles an hour, thinking about what I need to do or who I should call next. Or worrying about bills, or if I will have to pay out-of-pocket to get my car fixed and then hound the insurance people for reimbursement, or if I'll get a call for an interview, or will I have to hound them, too. Or thinking about my old job and wishing there had been a way that I could have seen it coming. I miss my office. I had a fish tank. It was really nice.
Wow. I just realized that since I lost my job a month and a half ago, I've averaged about three hours of sleep a night. That can't be healthy. But then, neither is looking at an iBook screen this long.
Goodnight, all.
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