Thursday, May 04, 2006

Let's hear it for seasonal unemployment

All the TV shows are on hiatus, pilot season is over, and the movies won't start up again until June or July, so I've got some idle time facing me.

If I'm very lucky, I'll get one day a week on a music video or infomercial (cheesy, but they pay well) this time of year, and it's fine.

I have a list of projects around the house (fix the running toilet, re-do the grout in the kitchen, clean out the closets, write a magazine article that I committed to months ago and haven't finished yet, replace the hard drive on the laptop if I can find the hard drive I bought and then put, well, somewhere), and the cat's alternately appreciating the company and wishing I'd go away and stop tripping over her (the crazy beast insists on napping in the middle of the floor, but I'll fix her. I'll run the vacuum).

I also rented the DVD of the Penn & Teller show Bullshit. I love those guys, and that show's great fun to watch. I may have to rent it again.

I also invariably gain a few pounds when I'm working a lot - I can't go to the gym, and when I'm standing on set I'm eating and not getting any kind of exercise that melts off pounds (wrapping cable is not an aerobic workout), so I suppose I should add "going to the gym at least once a day" to that list.

I've been riding the bicycle everywhere since gas is way over $3 per gallon out here, so hopefully that will help me drop some lard (okay, it's only five pounds, but why does it have to live on my ass?) quick.

The problem is that I like to eat things that aren't so good for dieting, but I've got nothing but time on my hands so I can go to the gym in the morning, and then spend three hours on my bike every day.

Speaking of fattening food, I'm off to a friend's house to cook Italian, watch Fellini films and drink wine. It's okay, though. I'm going to walk.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't know that the movies took a break from filming. TV has a network schedule to stick to, so I can understand that, but I always thought movie filming was a twelve month a year business. Do they do it simply to give their people a break or is there some other reason? How long has this been the custom?

CHARLI said...

You should come up to Santa Cruz and spend a couple of days just sitting around, staring at the beach, doing nothing. Bring a friend. Once I get busy, right before Memorial day, offer won't come around again until November...

Peggy Archer said...

John - I'll agree it's a good show! I enjoyed it!

Anon - I don't know why, and I don't know if it's a scheduled thing, but all production seems to dry up a few times a year. If you're planning on shooting a low-budget, you can take advantage of the down time because when it's not busy, folks are more likely to work for less than scale.

Charli - thanks for the offer, and I'll certainly consider it!

Anonymous said...

Hi-
I'm an actor, I really enjoy your site. Listen, the Penn and Teller Bullshit DVD has been sent out to all Emmy voters -- so if you know any Emmy voters, ask 'em to give you theirs.
You could have mine...but I don't know how we'd exactly do this...
Keep up the great writing.
Eve