Recently I had an emergency internet need and was in the middle of nowhere Texas. I had to think fast and find a place with wireless. There was a Starbuck's an hour away, so I drove there to use the internet only to find out the service is provided by T-Mobile and costs $9.99 for a one time access (or you can subscribe for a monthly charge). I'm so used to every coffee shop in Austin offering free wireless that I was really shocked and irritated. Starbuck's has a high enough profit margin that they can well afford to offer this service free as well. I actually went so far as to write Starbuck's a letter of complaint (yes, I'm that woman) and they gave me a non-response.
Then I had heard about this coffee region thing in Ethiopia when NPR did a story on it. Basically, Ethiopia is trying to assign a system
similar to French Appelacians for wine to their coffee, in essence copyrighting their coffee and entitling them to a larger share of the profits (they currently make about 3 CENTS per cup of coffee sold).
Here's a link to the petetion to get Starbuck's attention. Until they can get their acts together, if you must have a frozen latte please visit a locally owned coffee shop. I guarantee you can find one just as tasty and they are often quicker and less expensive. In Austin, I love Epoch coffee on North Loop and in Houston Cafe Brazil is always a good bet.
I guess if you personally have stock in Starbuck's you might not agree with this. But then again, if you have stock in Starbuck's you're probably not reading this...
I have to say I'm getting pretty sick of my generation and their apathetic ways. The older generations are creating a huge mess for us that we're going to spend the rest of our lives cleaning up and dealing with, all because we are too busy shopping to vote or get involved in our communities. I have a friend who has been volunteering with me recently and all she can talk about is how her involvement with the organization has not resulted in a return on investment. I tried in vain to explain to her that wasn't quite the point.
I guess all I can do is keep trying to care for all of us and hope that it catches on.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
House Hunting Continued
After deciding to stick with my current apartment and investing a small but pretty penny into improvements, I realize that ultimately the reason I may have such a hard time feeling satisfied and settled in the home that I have is because it is not my home, it is a space I rent from someone else and which ultimately I do not own. It is not permanent and I can not posses it.
Sadly, this is the plight of myself and so many other people I know. I've spent a lot of time researching purchasing a home and can find no way in which it is a viable option based on my current means. A friend of mine found a place a few blocks away from her that is in the $130,000 range. Its affordable because the backyard backs up to some train tracks that, although not a busy thoroughfare, is still in use. Even at that extremely low price, a 30 year mortgage would be something like $900 per month and would end up costing more like $330,000. Not to mention maintenance and property taxes. How do I get away from renting when the hard numbers prevent me from even entertaining the idea of this being a possibility for me? My current rental payment is a little over half of that amount, and it's essentially my comfortable ceiling. Add a car payment and student loans to that and even my *good* income gets stretched very thin.
I guess all I can do is continue to focus on my goals and also continue to research alternatives to the traditional mortgage path. Maybe I'll get really lucky and a relative I don't even know will leave me enough to buy whatever house I want. Ahhh, a girl can dream.
Sadly, this is the plight of myself and so many other people I know. I've spent a lot of time researching purchasing a home and can find no way in which it is a viable option based on my current means. A friend of mine found a place a few blocks away from her that is in the $130,000 range. Its affordable because the backyard backs up to some train tracks that, although not a busy thoroughfare, is still in use. Even at that extremely low price, a 30 year mortgage would be something like $900 per month and would end up costing more like $330,000. Not to mention maintenance and property taxes. How do I get away from renting when the hard numbers prevent me from even entertaining the idea of this being a possibility for me? My current rental payment is a little over half of that amount, and it's essentially my comfortable ceiling. Add a car payment and student loans to that and even my *good* income gets stretched very thin.
I guess all I can do is continue to focus on my goals and also continue to research alternatives to the traditional mortgage path. Maybe I'll get really lucky and a relative I don't even know will leave me enough to buy whatever house I want. Ahhh, a girl can dream.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Trying to Be Professional
Okay, seriously, I get sick to death of all the actors out there who don't know how to be professional. This is the Entertainment INDUSTRY and being an actor is a JOB, it is not a right or a priviledge. I guess I was lucky in that when I was a model and an actor I received training on the business side of things from my agency, Page.713, which used to be Page Parkes Talent and I think has changed its name again. Now that I'm on the other side of the casting table, I see people come through with the most ridiculous attitudes and behaviors and everytime I want to just yell at them and tell them to stop and then throw them out on their ears. Our most recent project featured someone who not only was high maintenance, rude, and often late, but this person also tried to steal wardrobe from production and rolled their eyes at the director when he gave direction claiming "I know the character better than you do". Oh really? Because last time I checked the directors created the character, not you. Oh, and their performance, well, lets just say it wasn't star material.
So, to anyone out their in the talent field who may be wondering what it means to be a PROFESSIONAL actor, here's a few words of advice:
There's a lot of other things that bug me about the talent pool here in Austin, and it probably reads true for many other areas, but ultimately I really wanted to get this off my chest and was specifically asked not to write anything like the Lohan Letter so this is what I chose instead.
So, to anyone out their in the talent field who may be wondering what it means to be a PROFESSIONAL actor, here's a few words of advice:
- Be On Time...In fact, be early.
- Be Polite...Those are not the 'little people' helping you put on your clothes, makeup, telling you where to stand, etc, those are your coworkers and without them you wouldn't have a role to fill. Also, you never know when that PA you snubbed is going to be the next huge director or producer who will never hire you because of your attitude.
- Know your lines. I myself am guilty of this one and can tell you from experience that it is disruptive to production and other actors and is something of which to be ashamed. Planning on improvising to be a more natural character is selfish and unrealistic. Know your lines first, be able to deliver them in the way the director desires and improvisation may fit later.
- Be Flexible...Things don't always go as planned. Don't throw a hissy if a schedule or location changes. Always have your cell phone on so you can be reached in the event of a change. (Side Note, if you want to be an actor you absolutely must have a cell phone)
- Take Direction...If you don't know how to take direction without getting line readings every five seconds, try another profession.
- And Finally: Don't make demands or expect special treatment...until you are an established star upon whom the movie is "banked" you have no leverage. Don't be an asshole. This includes thinking you will be able to keep wardrobe, props, jewelry, etc from production. Just because they belong to your character does not mean they belong to you. Often, production will need to keep those items in storage to ensure continuity in any possible reshoots. In low budget productions, lots of items will be returned to the store or to the person from whom they were borrowed. They are not yours unless someone offers them to you, and you shouldn't ask either. Its tacky.
There's a lot of other things that bug me about the talent pool here in Austin, and it probably reads true for many other areas, but ultimately I really wanted to get this off my chest and was specifically asked not to write anything like the Lohan Letter so this is what I chose instead.
When Technology Works...Life Can Be Easier :)
I'm the type of person who geeks out over lots of things, especially technology. I get really excited when something works the way its supposed to and beside myself when somebody combines a series of steps into one simple thing that works. Case in Point: Google. Not only do they offer a good email system (gmail), but they incorporate that system with photo sharing and calendar creation through google calendar's and Picasa.
I'm jazzed today because I discovered that Picasa's web photos feature hosts your photos for myspace and blogs, so no more logging onto photobucket or kodak or hello or any of those other album sharing websites because you can invite anyone to view albums on your Picasa Web Album and it uses software you already have installed. Yay!
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| From Production St... |
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Housing Woes - Joys
I spent the beginning of this week looking for a new home as my friend Shannon and I were planning on moving in together at the end of November. Then, night before last, Shannon called me and said she was going to continue living with her ex(?) boyfriend Keith. I'm not sure if she is considering him still in the boyfriend light or just in the roommate light but either way I'm glad this came up now and not after we had already moved. Fortunately, my landlord had not received my move out notice yet and so I was able to rescind it.
This, however, brings me to an interesting conundrum. I have wanted to move out of my apartment for several months for the following reasons:
The foundation settled over the summer and there are now cracks in the walls and around the floorboards.
The air conditioner is not a very efficient model and so it stays very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.
The dishwasher is an older model and it is somehow broken because it gets clogged up with food particles and these food particles get moldy and smelly.
There are now roaches living in my apartment. The dirty, nasty European kind. They hang out mostly in the dishwasher.
And perhaps the strongest reason to move...I live in the Ghetto and sometimes I worry about my safety.
The reasons I have not been able to move before and why I won't be able to move now boil down to one simple thing:
I can't afford anything else.
Sure, I could get a dinky little efficiency in a nice neighborhood somewhere, but then I'd be unhappy to be in such a cramped space. I could move into a huge apartment complex in the Arboretum area, but then I'd be annoyed by my hundreds of neighbors, the commute, and the boring floorplan.
So, I've decided to stay put and instead invest a little time, effort, and money into making my current home better. I think its the healthiest solution available at this time.
Not sure what all I'm going to do yet, but I'm sure it will be fabulous.
This, however, brings me to an interesting conundrum. I have wanted to move out of my apartment for several months for the following reasons:
The foundation settled over the summer and there are now cracks in the walls and around the floorboards.
The air conditioner is not a very efficient model and so it stays very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.
The dishwasher is an older model and it is somehow broken because it gets clogged up with food particles and these food particles get moldy and smelly.
There are now roaches living in my apartment. The dirty, nasty European kind. They hang out mostly in the dishwasher.
And perhaps the strongest reason to move...I live in the Ghetto and sometimes I worry about my safety.
The reasons I have not been able to move before and why I won't be able to move now boil down to one simple thing:
I can't afford anything else.
Sure, I could get a dinky little efficiency in a nice neighborhood somewhere, but then I'd be unhappy to be in such a cramped space. I could move into a huge apartment complex in the Arboretum area, but then I'd be annoyed by my hundreds of neighbors, the commute, and the boring floorplan.
So, I've decided to stay put and instead invest a little time, effort, and money into making my current home better. I think its the healthiest solution available at this time.
Not sure what all I'm going to do yet, but I'm sure it will be fabulous.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Post Production: Alright, Already
I think that it's Friday. I'm not sure and its hard to tell because when I'm not working its really hard for me to keep track of dates. I didn't even get out of bed until 6:30pm today which means my schedule will be wacked out for the next three days. The worst part of that is I missed early voting today which means I'll have to go next Tuesday with everyone else. I'm programming my phone to remind me or else I'll miss that too.
I've spent a lot of time this week trying to decide what the next steps are for me as a producer. We finished shooting the short last Friday and managed to get everything in those five days except for one little scene that will be picked up next Tuesday. I still can't believe how well the whole production went. I've wanted to produce a short and have tried twice unsuccessfully over the last two years, so when I began this project I assumed I would face a lot of the same problems I dealt with on previous attempts. I think it speaks loads about the merit of this project that none of the problems that have become hurdles in the past reared their heads.
We were able to raise almost enough money with minimul effort on our part. We've recently discovered a website called Revver which hosts content we provide (in our case, outtakes) and shares a portion of the revenue generated when viewers click on the advertisements at the end of the clip. Here's one of the outtakes:
This is a great discovery for us and has got Josh and Craig really excited about creating more content for the revver site. I've been trying to encourage them to submit Soft Shoe for a few smaller festivals as well in attempt to generate interest in our upcoming, as yet untitled, short. Since its already been available for viewing online for a few months, I don't see any point in premiering it at South By Southwest, which I think is their plan. I think it will detract from the excitement for the untitled short.
Aside from that, I'm having a hard time figuring out what my role as producer now entails. I'm working on thank you stuff for the various people who helped make the movie possible. Adrienne is working on the press kit. I guess I should just continue researching festivals and marketing/distribution opportunities. Oh, and I need to start planning our spring fundraiser.
I guess that's enough to keep me busy for now. I'm looking forward to going back to work already, I don't realy operate that well without some sort of structure to my day. Tonight I'm going to really push myself and try to finish cleaning my apartment.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one
Craig hasn't been blogging much lately either, and I know its because he's too busy working on the short, and I'm too busy working period, so that gives me my excuse. Finally got the dishes done last night, but then I cooked dinner tonight and made another mess...oh well.
I'm looking forward to this weekend. I've contacted several of my friends to really light the fires under their bums to get their garage sale donations to me asap. I'm going to spend Sat and Sun doing pickups and running other errands. I'm also looking forward to spending some time with my bud Shannon on Saturday morning. Its been too long since I've been able to hang out with her and she's always such a solid and inspiring person to be around so I'm hoping she'll give me that little nudge of creativity I need to figure out how to keep producing this short.
Truth be told, I'm really an ancillary member of this production team. With my current work status, unfortunately most of the work is falling on Josh, Craig, and Kimberly's shoulders. It seems like every time I take 15 minutes from my day to make phone calls and check emails, it turns into 45min to an hour, and then I've used up my lunch break and I'm stuck chowing down my soup at my desk, spilling it all over my papers. I'm starting to leave a little earlier each night, which I feel bad about, but I actually think its somewhat expected and that people are a little suprised I'm there as late as I am. I am super bummed I'm not able to be more involved. This is something I want to make a career of and if I can't get any experience then I'll never go anywhere with it. I did spend some time on this festival website tonight scoping out potential festivals to submit to, but I don't really understand the process yet and shit, we're not even 1/4 of the way done with our press kit materials and the movie isn't made and I need to go to sleep.
I'm looking forward to this weekend. I've contacted several of my friends to really light the fires under their bums to get their garage sale donations to me asap. I'm going to spend Sat and Sun doing pickups and running other errands. I'm also looking forward to spending some time with my bud Shannon on Saturday morning. Its been too long since I've been able to hang out with her and she's always such a solid and inspiring person to be around so I'm hoping she'll give me that little nudge of creativity I need to figure out how to keep producing this short.
Truth be told, I'm really an ancillary member of this production team. With my current work status, unfortunately most of the work is falling on Josh, Craig, and Kimberly's shoulders. It seems like every time I take 15 minutes from my day to make phone calls and check emails, it turns into 45min to an hour, and then I've used up my lunch break and I'm stuck chowing down my soup at my desk, spilling it all over my papers. I'm starting to leave a little earlier each night, which I feel bad about, but I actually think its somewhat expected and that people are a little suprised I'm there as late as I am. I am super bummed I'm not able to be more involved. This is something I want to make a career of and if I can't get any experience then I'll never go anywhere with it. I did spend some time on this festival website tonight scoping out potential festivals to submit to, but I don't really understand the process yet and shit, we're not even 1/4 of the way done with our press kit materials and the movie isn't made and I need to go to sleep.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Cramming a week into a day
Its Monday today and I'm already wishing it was Friday. Thank goodness we brought a production coordinator, Kimberly, on to the project to do all the things I keep thinking "I need to do that" and just don't have time for. I came to the realization today that I'm probably not going to be around for the shooting of this short as I don't think I will be finished with my job by then. If I didn't need to sock some cash away for the upcoming dry months I wouldn't do it, and I'm really bummed I won't be there for the action, but...
At least things seem to be coming together more and more smoothly each day. We've raised some money and have secured our principal location. Kimberly found a casting space today that will let us use the place for free so casting will be next week. We're still trying to find a sound guy, and I have few more locations to find. Also, the amazing Caroline Karlen is coming on to do wardrobe and be our buyer and I couldn't be more thrilled because she is one of the few people I unconditionally trust to get the job done and on or underbudget to boot.
There just aren't enough hours in the day, and already I'm feeling the need to go to sleep.
But the dishes have been sitting dirty in the sink for over a week it seems and I fear they'll have to sit there a few days more. Oh well, someday there will be housekeepers. Keep hope alive.
At least things seem to be coming together more and more smoothly each day. We've raised some money and have secured our principal location. Kimberly found a casting space today that will let us use the place for free so casting will be next week. We're still trying to find a sound guy, and I have few more locations to find. Also, the amazing Caroline Karlen is coming on to do wardrobe and be our buyer and I couldn't be more thrilled because she is one of the few people I unconditionally trust to get the job done and on or underbudget to boot.
There just aren't enough hours in the day, and already I'm feeling the need to go to sleep.
But the dishes have been sitting dirty in the sink for over a week it seems and I fear they'll have to sit there a few days more. Oh well, someday there will be housekeepers. Keep hope alive.
Monday, September 18, 2006
The Joy of Production
First let me say that it is such a sweet luxury to have internet in my apartment now. Since my new job doesn't give me much time to do anything else (and I don't even sit at a desk with a computer...hell, I don't even sit at a real desk) its a great convenience to be able to come home and do all of my work from my kitchen table. That being said, I'm a little sad that I'm not able to complete more of my producer duties due to my work schedule. I just don't have the privacy to be making all the phone calls and do all the research I need to do. I'm afraid its going to put us behind schedule, but since we don't have a firm schedule yet, I guess that would be kinda hard to do.
Speaking of, I realized I need to update our PIF calendar and also my own calendar to reflect some appointments and engagements I recently made. Better do that now before I get completely fired!
Speaking of, I realized I need to update our PIF calendar and also my own calendar to reflect some appointments and engagements I recently made. Better do that now before I get completely fired!
First Official PIF Fundraiser
HELP US MAKE MOVIES!
HUGE GARAGE SALE
Saturday & Sunday
Oct 7-8, 8am-2pm
5210 Martin Ave 78751
We’re holding a garage sale to fund a new short film: A quirky character driven comedy about a greenhouse worker with a problematic girlfriend.
Many visual and performing arts such as ballet and theater rely on donations and fundraisers for the bulk of their operating funds.
Independent film is no different.
Money raised helps cover equipment and supply costs during our production.
No time to make the sale?
Donate online at:
www.myspace.com/PepperIslandFilms
Or by clicking
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Yay! Back to Work Dears
Time to get serious about this blog thing. I've succumbed to the need to use myspace, primarily because I've become affiliated with Pepper Island Films and we're using myspace to promote our films and document our activities.
I've been so busy since getting back to Austin a few weeks ago. I've been working on a movie called The Hitcher, just doing wrap accounting stuff. Then I'm gonna do a few weeks on the Tarantino portion of GrindHouse and in between in PIF stuff.
So much to do and so much to cram into such a tight schedule!
I've been so busy since getting back to Austin a few weeks ago. I've been working on a movie called The Hitcher, just doing wrap accounting stuff. Then I'm gonna do a few weeks on the Tarantino portion of GrindHouse and in between in PIF stuff.
So much to do and so much to cram into such a tight schedule!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Who Does GM Think They're Kidding?
Josh was telling me about this movie "Who Killed the Electric Car" and as I am obsessed with buying a hybrid/electric car (my current choice is the 2005 Toyota Prius, if only I had an extra $20,000 lying around) I decided to spend a little time looking into purely electric vehicles and came across this article. My immediate gut reaction was "You gotta be kidding me!" GM seems to be a little confused about the differences between the general public and those persons who would actually be researching electric/hybrid cars if it thinks it can print this garbage as a defense and have people swallow it hook line and sinker. The point of the program was to test the vehicle out. One would assume that feedback from the testing would then be incorporated into later, mass release ready models. If there was a fundamental flaw in the design, which it seems there was, it still doesn't make sense to destroy the cars. It would have made more sense to sell those cars "as-is" at a loss than to spend additional money in their demolition. Instead of defending itself, GM should just admit it made a mistake and then make a genuine commitment to introducing more fuel efficient/conservative, responsible vehicles ASAP. And no, I don't consider an SUV that gets 30mpg to be an improvement. We should be aiming for 75+ mpg and the development of gasoline alternatives. PS to this, Corn Ethanol is no bueno. It takes more energy to produce than it replaces and creates massive amounts of farm-runoff pollution (from presumed increased corn production).
Sure, there's a lot of attention being drawn to fuel efficient vehicles now that the reality of limited fossil fuel supplies is leaving the 7th grade science textbooks and entering the realm of public knowledge, but actually buying into hybrid/electric technology is sadly not associated with the McDonald's eating, SUV driving, 2.5 child Traditional American Family. Yes, people still love their big cars and have the (mis)conception that electric vehicles have lower performance than their gasoline powered counterparts (although I agree that a strictly charge-and-go vehicle is not a great idea if it has no way of recharging its batteries on the go). This conception is largely fueld by the special interest marketing set forth as truth (aka Commercials and "special news reports" that are really industrial promotions). Most still don't see the need to be more environmentally conscious. They still consider it a personal decision, not an ethical question. You can tell this by reading all of comments posted on various blogs on the subject of green living, hybrid/electric/alternative fuel cars, etc. The Oil industry wants our money guys. The Car industry is in their pocket. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better and the only thing we can do is keep educating ourselves so that we can discern between fact and fiction. This is not an issue of personal choice. Developing more environmentally safe transit options is our moral responsibility. To continue to ignore this problem would be a gross excercise in arrogance, and it is shameful we as a society have allowed it to go so far unchecked.
Sure, there's a lot of attention being drawn to fuel efficient vehicles now that the reality of limited fossil fuel supplies is leaving the 7th grade science textbooks and entering the realm of public knowledge, but actually buying into hybrid/electric technology is sadly not associated with the McDonald's eating, SUV driving, 2.5 child Traditional American Family. Yes, people still love their big cars and have the (mis)conception that electric vehicles have lower performance than their gasoline powered counterparts (although I agree that a strictly charge-and-go vehicle is not a great idea if it has no way of recharging its batteries on the go). This conception is largely fueld by the special interest marketing set forth as truth (aka Commercials and "special news reports" that are really industrial promotions). Most still don't see the need to be more environmentally conscious. They still consider it a personal decision, not an ethical question. You can tell this by reading all of comments posted on various blogs on the subject of green living, hybrid/electric/alternative fuel cars, etc. The Oil industry wants our money guys. The Car industry is in their pocket. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better and the only thing we can do is keep educating ourselves so that we can discern between fact and fiction. This is not an issue of personal choice. Developing more environmentally safe transit options is our moral responsibility. To continue to ignore this problem would be a gross excercise in arrogance, and it is shameful we as a society have allowed it to go so far unchecked.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Retail Therapy
Sometimes I feel so unbelievably deprived...for no reason at all. I'm not deprived in the least, I have so many blessings in my life. Somehow I can't convince myself to be satisfied with what I have. For example...this afternoon I just had to buy this $200 rug online. I've been eyeing it for weeks, then it was sold out, then it became available again and I considered it meant to be and bought it even though I'm about to be out of work again after this week and need to save my pennies.
I rationalized that I needed a rug for my house to combat the poor insulation during the upcoming winter months. Of course, winter months are still 6 months away and between now and then its going to be hot as hell, but I just had to have it otherwise I would feel that my house was so shabby, I don't have any nice things, I'm embarrased for people to see it, I won't feel comfortable at home until I improve it a little, etc. To make this even more ridiculous: I've been on location for a job for four months and haven't even been in my home!
Not 20 minutes later I got an email (I'm on the mailing list) from the company offering me a one-time 20% discount on my first purchase. But I'd already made a purchase. Luckily, I called and they graciously offered to retro discount my rug purchase. That's great customer service... I am an instant loyal shopper.
My point is that for some reason (and it may simply be the isolation) I have had an overwhelming feeling of needing to upgrade my life, on many levels, and with an unprecedented sense of urgency.
I want stuff for my house, new clothes, new makeup, new cooking supplies, a Toyota Prius (super high priority), to purchase a home, to pay off my debts (as in right now!), to have a nest egg, to go on trips, to buy my parents extra gifts that they can't afford for themselves (mom needs a new washer/dryer and a Dyson vacuum cleaner, Dad needs a new motor for his boat). Oh, and I need a new dishwasher and an ice maker. I get jazzed about working towards these goals and then get super discouraged when they don't happen (quickly). I can go from focused and firm to desparate and wasteful in the course of a day. Here I am in the middle of nowhere and I've managed to blow almost every cent I've made, and I have very little concept of how that happened. Somehow I'm still completely dissatisfied, but at least I get to go home next week and then maybe some of this will change.
Or maybe I'll just have more stores to burn my urges in.
I rationalized that I needed a rug for my house to combat the poor insulation during the upcoming winter months. Of course, winter months are still 6 months away and between now and then its going to be hot as hell, but I just had to have it otherwise I would feel that my house was so shabby, I don't have any nice things, I'm embarrased for people to see it, I won't feel comfortable at home until I improve it a little, etc. To make this even more ridiculous: I've been on location for a job for four months and haven't even been in my home!
Not 20 minutes later I got an email (I'm on the mailing list) from the company offering me a one-time 20% discount on my first purchase. But I'd already made a purchase. Luckily, I called and they graciously offered to retro discount my rug purchase. That's great customer service... I am an instant loyal shopper.
My point is that for some reason (and it may simply be the isolation) I have had an overwhelming feeling of needing to upgrade my life, on many levels, and with an unprecedented sense of urgency.
I want stuff for my house, new clothes, new makeup, new cooking supplies, a Toyota Prius (super high priority), to purchase a home, to pay off my debts (as in right now!), to have a nest egg, to go on trips, to buy my parents extra gifts that they can't afford for themselves (mom needs a new washer/dryer and a Dyson vacuum cleaner, Dad needs a new motor for his boat). Oh, and I need a new dishwasher and an ice maker. I get jazzed about working towards these goals and then get super discouraged when they don't happen (quickly). I can go from focused and firm to desparate and wasteful in the course of a day. Here I am in the middle of nowhere and I've managed to blow almost every cent I've made, and I have very little concept of how that happened. Somehow I'm still completely dissatisfied, but at least I get to go home next week and then maybe some of this will change.
Or maybe I'll just have more stores to burn my urges in.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Man, its so hard to keep up with this thing
I just simply do not have time to work on my blog. Seriously. Maybe next week, but for the last, what, two months(?) I haven't had a moment to spare. But now that I'm off myspace I guess no one will look at this anyway.
By the way, myspace is evil, but golly its fun.
Kinda miss it, so I got a new pet.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Pet Peaves: Phone Calls
When someone calls me and leaves a message, or even if I just see that they are on my caller ID, I call them back. The exception to this is if:
1. I'm going to see them shortly and can talk to them then
2. I know what they're going to ask me about/talk about and I'm not ready to talk to them about it
3. I don't really care to talk to the person at all (eventually I call them back)
It peaves me when I call someone several times and they don't return my phone calls.
It indicates one of the above reasons, and when two of them are ruled out that leaves the third.
1. I'm going to see them shortly and can talk to them then
2. I know what they're going to ask me about/talk about and I'm not ready to talk to them about it
3. I don't really care to talk to the person at all (eventually I call them back)
It peaves me when I call someone several times and they don't return my phone calls.
It indicates one of the above reasons, and when two of them are ruled out that leaves the third.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Snakes are cool, bikers are not
When in West Texas, please remember to bring your bandannas in many colors, as you wouldn't want to offend the massive numbers of biker gangs who roam the roads and book up all the hotels on the weekends. Dawn exhaust pipe wake up alarm is complimentary.
As soon (that is, if) I figure out why there are so many bikers in this area I'll let you know. I assume it has something to do with the long stretches of open road and the 75 miler per hour speed limits (woohoo, 5 miles faster than ever where else ya'll). At any rate, it seems like a senseless waste of precious fossil fuels to me, so this week Bikers top my list of thoughtless idiots who needlessly pollute our environment for their personal pleasure.
PS, the next person who peels out of the hotel parking lot with their pipes blaring is going to get it...I've formed a precarious alliance with the assasin bunnies to take out the misfits.
As soon (that is, if) I figure out why there are so many bikers in this area I'll let you know. I assume it has something to do with the long stretches of open road and the 75 miler per hour speed limits (woohoo, 5 miles faster than ever where else ya'll). At any rate, it seems like a senseless waste of precious fossil fuels to me, so this week Bikers top my list of thoughtless idiots who needlessly pollute our environment for their personal pleasure.
PS, the next person who peels out of the hotel parking lot with their pipes blaring is going to get it...I've formed a precarious alliance with the assasin bunnies to take out the misfits.
How to tread water in the desert
Thank God for the Internet....otherwise how would I spend my days? Working? Pshah! To be honest, things are picking up and I spend only around 80% of my day now passing the time, with things expected to pick up even more as we reach production. But its hard to stay focused when you don't have anything to do. Yesterday myself and some of the girls in the office made South Park Characters...this is one created by Kate Poss depicting me moments after loosing it due to boredom
I'm trying to educate myself a little while I have spare time. I've been reading the leaflet handouts from Josh's producer class at UT. One of the first things it said was a list of important personality traits for a producer:
Patient
Tenacious
Dedicated
Flexible
Calm
Optimistic
Hard-Working
Self-Confident
Generous
Thorough
Detail Oriented
Oh Dear, I thought, I have a lot of work to do, as I possess maybe two of these traits consistently and all of them some of the time, except maybe 'calm'...or 'patient'. What better place to work on these than West Texas, where there's nothing much to do but self improve. I have been a little disappointed with myself for not writing in this blog more often. I think of posts and then forget about them before I have a chance to sit down and write it out. Topics include such far ranging items as politics & religion, immigration reform, mp3 players, gasoline conservation and the economy, living on a budget, and the ideas suggested by the title of this blog which primarily refer to conscientious living or being aware of our place and duties on this earth and within this society.
I figured it out! Often I have to create constructs in order for me to be motivated to complete certain tasks. As I have topics I know I want to write about, I'll create mini posts all at once, and then expand on the posts as I feel like it, finally completing and then posting them.
Now I'm setting a goal of having this initial grouping fleshed out by the end of May. With time to spare perhaps.
While I'm at it, I'd like to set a goal of not checking my email 45 times a day (if not more). I'm up to 7 times already today, and its only 10:22 am.
I'm trying to educate myself a little while I have spare time. I've been reading the leaflet handouts from Josh's producer class at UT. One of the first things it said was a list of important personality traits for a producer:
Patient
Tenacious
Dedicated
Flexible
Calm
Optimistic
Hard-Working
Self-Confident
Generous
Thorough
Detail Oriented
Oh Dear, I thought, I have a lot of work to do, as I possess maybe two of these traits consistently and all of them some of the time, except maybe 'calm'...or 'patient'. What better place to work on these than West Texas, where there's nothing much to do but self improve. I have been a little disappointed with myself for not writing in this blog more often. I think of posts and then forget about them before I have a chance to sit down and write it out. Topics include such far ranging items as politics & religion, immigration reform, mp3 players, gasoline conservation and the economy, living on a budget, and the ideas suggested by the title of this blog which primarily refer to conscientious living or being aware of our place and duties on this earth and within this society.
I figured it out! Often I have to create constructs in order for me to be motivated to complete certain tasks. As I have topics I know I want to write about, I'll create mini posts all at once, and then expand on the posts as I feel like it, finally completing and then posting them.
Now I'm setting a goal of having this initial grouping fleshed out by the end of May. With time to spare perhaps.
While I'm at it, I'd like to set a goal of not checking my email 45 times a day (if not more). I'm up to 7 times already today, and its only 10:22 am.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Megan 2. Bunnies 0
Those damn bunnies. The 2nd attempt on my car was made tonight by a wee crafty bunny disguised as a leaf on the highway. He jumped up just as my car wash approaching but due to my driving in stealth mode (aka less than the speed limit) I was able to narrowly avoid him. Nice try, wee bunny.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Suicide Bunnies
I wouldn't think it was strange if an occasional bunny were to be hit by a car as it crossed the road, but on the drive from the hotel in Alpine to the production office in Marfa I noticed the highway is speckled about every ten to twenty feet with the mangled carcass of a rabbit. Turns out these guys dart out at your car, at all hours of the day, even when you're traveling at slow speeds. I assumed there were so many roadkills left on the highway because there has been no rain to wash them away, but on my first drive home I narrowly avoided killing three rabbits that hurled themselves at my car. I don't know how long my driving record can remain blood-free under these conditions. It seems these bunnies have a death wish.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
My First Time
Its my first time to be on location for a job. Well, not really, I once stayed a weekend in Lake Charles for a commercial shoot and I've traveled to Dallas for modeling jobs in the past, but this is the first time I'm away from HQ for a long period of time. Packing up and getting here was such an ordeal. I'm here for four months: I had absolutely no idea how to pack for four months! I felt like I shouldn't try to bring my whole house with me but there are so many things I use every day that I couldn't decide about bringing with me. For example, I didn't bring too many pairs of shoes mostly for space reasons but now that I'm here I wish I had brought a few more pairs. Toiletries were an entirely different dilemma as I used many of the things I needed to take on the morning I left. Even with all my diligence I forgot to bring my hairbrush and comb.
I left my house at 7:38am on Monday the 10th. Got no sleep the night before because the neighbors were throwing me their own kind of going away party, another all nighter. I'll fight that battle when I get back. I got to the freeway and had to turn around because I had forgotten to take out the trash. I tried my best to leave my apartment in such a state that it would be ok if unattended for a long time. I turned off or unplugged everything, even my refridgerator, which I spent the last week emptying of even the last beer can and mustard bottle.
7:40 I make it to the gas station and fill up. Then I realize I've forgotten my cd player. I need this to listen to all of the books on cd my loving boyfriend has sent with me for my long journey.
By 9:00am I'm in Dripping Springs. I'm about an hour behind schedule at this point but I'm also starving so I stop to get some breakfast tacos. I'm feeling really sleepy but there's nowhere to stop and take a nap. The scenery begins to change once I hit I-10 going west and my car starts to dance on the road a little. I find out why when I stop in Sonora at 11:45am to get gas. The wind is blowing so hard I have a very hard time opening my door. I'm definitely in the desert now. Everything is dusty and brown, it doesn't look like spring rains have made their way here yet if they do come at all. On the tops of the sheer rock cliffs that flank the freeway are wind mills.
Actually, I don't think they're called wind mills, but I can't think of what they're called right now. Maybe turbines. There's hundreds of them, and they accompany me all the way to Ft. Stockton, my final fuel up before I leave the safety of the interstate and head south. I'm a little nervous at this point because my transmission has been skipping intermittently as it downshifts from 3rd to 2nd gear. I'm hoping this is because of the windy conditions. At last I reach sunny, parched Alpine TX and my luxurious accomodations at the Sunday House Inn. Thank God there's wifi here. But now, a much needed nap.
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