8:34 am - Mon 10/18/04
Doing It, Then Forgetting About It

Sat 10/16/04 (12:36 p.m.)
Listening to Led Zeppelin (Early Days and Latter Days), purchased with my recent book credit (This weekend's one of the semi-annual, 40% "Employee Appreciation Weekends", so the $30 book credit went a little further than usual this month; I bought this, the Thelma And Louise dvd�There's only 20% off on dvds--and Call It Sleep, and only spent about $8.50 of my own money).
Got six new pictures scanned onto the LA Casting website (The girl who did it said they'd be up on Monday). It was more than JS thought�$75, instead of 50 or $60�but hopefully, it'll be worth it. And I appreciated JS telling me not to have them switch my new headshot photo with the one that's already up (The picture at the top of this page), since they charge an extra $50 for that, and he doesn't really need it.
(Once the pictures are up, I'll copy them from the website, since they're the right size to post here in D-land. Hopefully, you'll see them here by mid-week or so.)
I also don't have to worry about getting new headshots printed up for awhile, at least not for JS (Though I'll probably want to do it, sooner rather than later, for things I submit myself for): Most commercial submissions are done through LA Casting now, and he said it's fine with him if I use the current pictures until they run out (for the handful of places he submits to that still require a physical headshot).
I bet this is really boring, huh?
Moving on...
Yesterday's lunch with John O., at the Soup Plantation (Across the street from the bookstore) was great fun.
I'm always nervous going into these things�Will we run out of things to talk about? Will I make the time all about "The Wonder of Jim"? Etc.�but I think we were fine.
We talked for the better part of two hours, and it wasn't all about me, and it wasn't all about Borders, either. (Another concern of mine). And when we were back on the street, about to part company, John said we'd have to do this again, and suggested a movie next week (I had originally suggested getting together for lunch and a cheap matinee, when I thought we might be able to get together on one of my days off).
During lunch, John did say one thing about Borders that gave me pause: While he was still there, David, the new GM, was going on about "fairness" in regards to the schedule.
Now in this context, "fairness" doesn't really mean what it means in the real world. It means, amongst other things, that "No one will get, or can ever expect to get, a regular schedule"..
In my humble opinion, that's crazy talk: You're going to pay people shit, then expect them to make their whole life about Borders? People in school, people with families, people with other jobs, people who are trying to make something happen in their lives? It's hard enough to have a life here in L.A.: It goes from "hard" to "impossible" when you don't know what your schedule's going to be from week-to-week.
But more on this later. It's off to work I go...
Sat 10/17/04 (12:44 a.m.)
Now where was I...?
Whenever there are managerial rumblings at work about getting more strict with the schedule, I tend to tense up. The Borders thing is working out for me as well as it is, in terms of not conflicting with commercial stuff, because, after paying my dues with openings, closings, and mid-shifts, 1) I now have a regular schedule (working nights), 2) I now have two weekdays off (I was thinking the other day how often auditions fall on one of my days off, which is great for me and the bookstore), and 3) I've had sympathetic managers, who when I've had to be late for a shift (Because of an audition), and called in to let them know�Usually the day before--have simply altered my schedule accordingly (Technically, I should be getting an "occurrence" most of the time when that happens).
Well, I could go on about this, but I don't want to spazz out before anything's really happened. But my hope is that common sense and just plain decency will prevail here.
(8:20 a.m.)
No time to really do this...
Looks like Mandy's doing Friday and Saturday evenings at the store. At the register, so I really don't have that much contact with her (As I figured, my little email had no effect)
So I'll say "hello" when I see her, she'll ignore me, and it'll just be "our little routine". No biggie, really. I've got way bigger concerns than whether Mandy Page likes me or not.
But I've gotta dash�I have to get some gas, then I'm off to Cary and Kay's, to have breakfast with them and Cary's parents, who are visiting from Virginia.
(2:14 p.m.)
Once again, no real time to write...
Back from Cary and Kay's, and just about to head off to work.
Wonderful time with C and K, and C's parents, Bruce and Janet (And of course, my buddy "Little D", as I like to call him, who's getting cuter each time I visit).
But more on the visit when I have more time...
I was thinking about my two auditions this past week, and I think the hardest thing for me out here will be to let go of the results.
After I finished the Old Navy audition, I thought to myself, as I was having a couple slices of pizza in the food court at the Beverly Center, "I really did my job this week". And my "job" is simply to do my best at every audition. It's not "To get the gig", because I can't control that.
It was something Brian K. often said to me, when he was still at the bookstore�Basically, you have to do each audition, do your best, then forget about it.
Anyway...I'm off to work.

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