10:21 PM - Mon 12.13.21
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Well, I'm happy to say I made a profit today.

In news I haven't reported yet, I recently sold one of my drawings (For those keeping score, that's three now).

And today I took the drawing in question to UPS to ship it off to its new owner (I have to say, while I don't want the Post Office to go away, particularly because it's cheaper than the alternatives, I've had pretty happy experiences my last two times with UPS - I've basically gone in, drawing in hand, said, "I'm new at this and need your help" and they were indeed very helpful. I'm not completely convinced I would have gotten the same response at my local PO).

And before that, I'd done a Cameo, where they just wanted me to talk about Shameless. Which was sort of easy-peasy (It's nice, when people ask about the show, to be able to honestly report that it was a very happy set and everybody was really cool). But with that vague of a task, it was hard to know when I was "done".

But I think the recipient will be happy (I'm not nearly a big enough deal to just coast on my "celebrity" and hope that'll be exciting enough. I really feel like I have to "do something" to earn my fee).

So all that money-making put me in a good mood (As did going to Rite Aid for a prescription and discovering they had two - They had called my Doctor to renew a prescription I'd tried to call in but had expired. So I had a "profitable" day and I also had a nice "receiving good customer service" day).

Funny thing about starting to sell some of my drawings (Beyond just the wildness of people wanting to buy my drawings)? Even as I'm excited and amazed that it's happening...there's a part of me that's like, "But if I sell you that drawing, it won't be mine anymore...".

(But I think I'll get used to it.)

Another thing I've noticed? Suddenly drawings I don't typically worry too much about - when I finish a drawing, I either leave it in the sketchbook, put it in a portfolio, or stick it on the wall - are going to rip in half at my touch, or burst into flame if I just look at them.

It's a little nerve-wracking, getting them from my place to the UPS store.

But it's pretty cool (I swear, if I'd ever imagined people would actually buy my drawings someday, I'd have put in a lot more time and effort a lot sooner!).

Well, this day definitely didn't go as planned.

But that's all right.

In the morning, I was supposed to do a podcast I'd been invited on a few weeks ago.

But 10 or 15 minutes before showtime - and not having gotten the Zoom link - I connected with the podcaster, he told me they'd been having technical problems, and asked if we could postpone till tomorrow.

(Being an agreeable sort, I said yes.)

Then, after the podcast-that-wasn't, I was supposed to have my second session with my new therapist.

But that didn't happen either - The therapist had gotten in a (happily minor) car accident, so we were well into our appointed time before I was finally able to connect with her.

That's when she told me that, due to the vagaries of my insurance coverage - Anthem is my provider, which is fine...except mental health care is sub-contracted out to Beacon, which is less fine - My first session hadn't gotten paid for, and I'd have to go back on the "waiting list" till they struck a deal with Beacon.

(She did say she'd try to finangle something so I wouldn't be stuck with a potential $175 bill, so we'll see how that pans out.)

What's weird about all this is that I had to be cajoled into seeking therapy again in the first place (By both the Doctor who prescibed my "happy pills" and by Jane R), because I was really burned-out on therapy (I've been in-and-out of therapy most of my life).

But after talking to the therapist last week, I was starting to warm to the idea.

(Oh well...)

And these activities-that-didn't-activate had been all that was on the schedule today...at least till 4:00 am this morning, when I got an audition notice (for a commercial audition due by 5:00 pm today).

Now typically I'm pretty big on auditions (At least now that I've resigned myself to frequent self-tapes) - because they lead to gigs, and gigs lead to getting paid, and getting paid leads to money, which I then use to buy goods and services - but I'm not a big fan of same-day auditions (I find them stressful and disrespectful - the way I see it, I'm an actor, not a fucking volunteer fireman).

Adding to my displeasure was the fact that it's been a gray, rainy day in LA town, so I didn't know 1. If there would be enough natural light to work with (I recently ordered lights for self-taping purposes...but was so unenthusiastic about the purchase that I've had them for the better part of a week without even opening the box), and, 2. Whether the rain would politely stop long enough for me to get the audition in, or whether Casting would end up distracted from my brilliance by the sound of rain falling on the tin roof of my hut.

(Oh - And I don't like having to bother people to read with me, period. So I certainly don't like asking, then having to add, "Oh, and it has to be today...because it's due by five o'clock". Really don't like making my problem their problem.)

But happily, it all came off - Mike M. was able to help me in a timely fashion, the rain let up long enough for us to do the thing, and there was enough natural light on the subject that I didn't need the lights I didn't want to buy in the first place (Though I did finally break them out today - there are two - and I put one together "just in case").

As for the audition itself, I thought I did well (And for the second time recently, I made a little joke during my slate - Don't know if it matters one-way-or-the-other, but I enjoy it, so I'm going to do it whenever I see an opening, until/unless I read somewhere that "Casting Directors absolutely hate when you do that...").

And that was my day.

....at least all of my day that I'm going to write about in this entry.

Till next time...

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