All Good Things Come to an End

Today is my last day on the job. The show is over, we're packing everything up and shipping it off to post in L.A. and we're all unemployed again.It's been a really interesting year for me. I always said that if I wasn't working and making a living in the movie industry by the time I was 25, I would give it up and get a straight job. Well, I turn 26 on the 31st of January, so I guess I made it happen. Granted, I did expect to be in front of the camera when I was younger, but I can truly say that I enjoy being behind the camera more. (And I especially enjoy being in the office, far away from the hot, dusty set with no real toilet).

Its really fortunate that this coincides with the beginning of the new year. During my unemployment I am going to do many things I've been putting off for the past 6 months. My friend Shannon and I are going to have a large garage sale, giving me the opportunity to get rid of all of the things that never really found a place when I moved into my new apartment in September. I'm going to work on some disputes I have with various corporations hell bent on screwing me, the 'unwitting' consumer. Ha, they really messed with the wrong lady.

I'm most excited about doing the Master Cleanse, a fasting diet that's been around since the 70's (or earlier, I'm not really sure). I'll start tonight by drinking the cleansing tea and then for the next ten days I consume only lemonade made with lemon juice, maple syrup, and a dash of cayenne pepper. This thing is really amazing and it really works magic on your health. The book by Stanley Burroughs(?) is kinda kooky, new agey crud but just read the main instructions and don't cheat by eating anything. Oh, and don't watch TV! This really has nothing to do with the cleanse, but the last time I did it (the cleanse) I watched a lot of TV and every single fast food/pizza commercial that came on slew me with hunger pangs. The first three days are the hardest, but I've psyched myself up and I'm ready. Some of the things I noticed the first time were:
My skin cleared up-I don't really have acne, but I get hormone pimples around my jaw line and
hair line, and all of these went away. My skin also felt more hydrated.
I felt very clear headed and focused-probably because the caffeine I consume by the bucket
started to course out of my body and my brain started working 'normily' without stimulants.
My armpits stopped stinking-I know, its really gross, but again, the amount of coffee I consume
gives my lymph nodes in my right armpit a run for their money, and even with deoderant I
always have a weird smell there. This dissappeared around the end of the 2nd day during my last fast.

So, I suspect by following the full ten day regimen, I will see more and better results than these listed above.

Other than that, I'm just going to take it easy and hope for the next movie to come along soon. I like having time off, but over the last two years I've been unemployed a couple of times and have never really 'caught up'. At this point in my life I'd like to be investing in my future...buying a house, setting up a retirment fund, building a career. Mostly I'm interested in learning more about retirement. I know I'm only 26 (almost), but everything I read says you should already be investing by the time you're 25, approximately $3000/yr, in order to retire and support yourself on your earnings. Oh, and I've given up smoking, which is a good investment in the future. I've been smoking since I was fifteen and I've been trying to quit since August. I've managed to go several days at a time without a smoke, but every time I get around my friends who smoke, I REALLY want one too. I just realized I should track how many days I go without a smoke (forever, right?) so as of today it is: Day 5 Smoke Free.