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2:39 pm - Weds 10.29.2008
The Good News, The Bad News, And The Indifferent News

The Good News, The Bad News, And The Indifferent News

In my ongoing effort to be a more positive, "upbeat" kind-of-guy, I'm trying to start entries off with good news whenever possible.

And happily, today I have some.

JS emailed me yesterday - or was it the day before...? - to let me know that someone from Cold Stone Creamery contacted him (Regarding the commercial that ran on their website for a month after my contract expired); a check for one year's internet usage (3X the $567 session fee) has been sent to SAG.

(Since I filed a claim with SAG, they have to get the check, mark the case "closed", then send the check on to me.
So it could be awhile yet till I see the money, but the money is coming.)

I've felt vaguely guilty about the whole thing from time to time - like I should just "be a good guy" and "let bygones be bygones" - but I need that money.

And this is business, after all; I didn't write the contract,and I didn't break the contract - They did.

(And while I was writing all that, I got a call from JS - I have a callback tomorrow for the Time Warner Cable commercial I went in for last week. Yay!)

In lower-case good news, I also received a small residual check for my Nip/Tuck episode yesterday (I promptly took it down to the bank and deposited it - I'm working on depositing every penny I make, instead of just cashing those little double-digit residual checks for "walking-around money").

What else...?

I have another "fill" for a WW receptionist shift in West LA Monday night (That makes three meetings on Monday, all at the West LA Center).

I've had three meetings since that first solo outing last Thursday (Two in West LA and one last night in Culver City), and I'm happy to report that the terror of that first meeting is already a thing-of-the-past.

I just hate feeling like I don't know what I'm doing - And I really hate screwing up - so it was very tough for me that first night, being so unsure of what followed what, and what to do next.

But basically, in closing the meetings and doing the "tally" (Which I didn't have to do last night - through a snafu that wasn't my fault, there were two receptionists at last night's meeting, and the other receptionist handled it), once you do "the money stuff" (Count the money, do the settlement for the credit card slips, fill out the deposit slip, etc.), the computer pretty much takes you down the list of what you need to do next.

There are forms, and copies of forms, that have to go to the meeting leader, to the New York office, and that are filed at the center. Which seemed daunting at first, but which I now have under control.

So my concern shifts from "Can I do this job?" - I can - to "Can I possibly make enough money from this job?".

In addition to concerns about getting enough meetings/finding time to do enough meetings (While intruding as little as possible on auditions and whatnot), there's now a concern about how much meetings are going to pay.

At WW, you get a "base rate" of $20 per meeting (Which is officially "chump change", since a "meeting" represents at least a two-hour-and-fifteen-minute commitment); beyond that, what you make for meetings depends on attendance and product sales.

And from what I'm hearing - from pretty much everyone I've worked with so far - attendance and product sales are way down.

Sad to say, but it makes sense - In this economy, a lot of people are going to see Weight Watchers (And Weight Watchers products) as a luxury they can't afford.

Which has a "double-whammy" effect on my income as a Weight Watchers employee (Particularly as an employee with only one regular meeting so far); the fewer people who attend meetings, and the less product they buy, the less you make as an employee, but it gets even worse - staffing levels are also dependent on attendance, so the fewer people who attend meetings, the fewer receptionists are needed (Which is why I just started and I'm doing meetings by myself - It's not actually supposed to work that way).

So I don't know...Like I've said before, I'm torn - I don't really want WW to be the predominant thing in my life (If I had my druthers, I wouldn't have to do it at all), but by the same token, if/when acting isn't happening, I've gotta do something to make money, and working at WW is way more palatable than the night shift at McDonalds.

(Well, hopefully I'll book this commercial tomorrow and it won't be so much of an issue...)

_________________________

I have another appointment with Dr Waxler, tomorrow morning, to address the ongoing issue of my cranky bowels.

I'm trying not to worry - As Javier said at one point, there's not much point in worrying till I know what I'm worrying about - but I just hope it isn't something that puts me in the hospital/requires surgery
(Till a few days ago, I wasn't worrying about anything beyond the inconvenience and financial burden of another surgery/hospital stint. But wouldn't you just know it - I happened to read about the "Poltergeist Curse" recently, and I found out that Heather O'Rourke - the little girl in the movie - died, in part, of complications from a bowel obstruction; apparently, being unable to poop can be pretty serious business).

_________________________

Well, I don't want to end another entry on my recent difficulties in taking a dump, so what else is going on...?

Well, turns out I would suck as a tv programmer; I thought The Mentalist wouldn't make it ("A straight version of Psych? What genius thought that up?"), and it's a breakout hit, while I've been really enjoying The Ex-List (I think it's breezy and fun, and Elizabeth Reaser is adorable)...and it's been canceled.

Mad Men is done for the season (Have I mentioned what a great show that is?), The Shield is four episodes from its series finale, Chuck and Pushing Daisies are both foundering in the ratings...

If this keeps up, and there are fewer and fewer things for me to watch on tv, I may have no choice but to start reading books again.

(Perish the thought...!)

At least I still have the Internet...

 

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