Friday, June 30, 2006

Back to work, for a moment

As I was leaving the dentist's office Thursday, after getting a lecture on using too much force while brusing my teeth and damaging my gums (statistically speaking, I'm a bit less than halfway through my lifespan so my teeth have got to last another 40 years at the very least. Who knew one could actually cause damage with what's turned out to be overzealous dental hygene), I finally got a call to go to work - for one day only.

Very few shows are shooting Monday as Tuesday's a holiday, and a lot of folks don't like one day calls as it messes up one's unemployment, but I don't mind. It's pension hours, heath insurance qualification hours and gets me out of the house. Plus, one day here and there helps me ease back into the swing of things before I go back to 70 hour weeks.

My offered choices were wrapping cable in the almost 100 degree heat or working on the lamp dock.

I didn't hesitate for a second. "Lamp dock, please." My momma didn't raise a fool.

Lamp dock work is mostly warehouse-style stuff. Putting things away, fetching things, checking orders, flashing* returned lamps to make sure they work.

I had a fun day working with a great group of people, even if I did spend too much in the studio store (discounted DVDs qualify as an occupational hazard).

I had a six am call, which was good. It means I got to go through the security checkpoint before it became a complete cluster fuck (about 7 am), and working an eight hour day meant that I got released to go home at 2:30 pm. I put my extra time to good use by going to the gym and then checked my garden to discover that someone had stolen two of my tomato plants - dug them right out of the ground. Asshole. Sometimes I really wish it were legal to beat people with a golf club.

Couch of the day:

Couch


*Get your mind out of the gutter. "Flashing" is turning a tungsten lamp on and off very quickly to make sure it's working without having it heat up.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Two words: Sonicare toothbrush.

Anonymous said...

Such nice furniture...just sitting there on the steet,...discarded and unwanted. Truly we live in a rich country.

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, the studio store...the last time I was on the Fox lot, I spent more on DVDs there than I had all year elsewhere. But got a LOT for my money.

Writeprocrastinator said...

"then checked my garden to discover that someone had stolen two of my tomato plants - dug them right out of the ground. Asshole. Sometimes I really wish it were legal to beat people with a golf club."

Have someone in the makeup department go buck wild with the prosthetics and do you up like Jack Nicholson. Just say "wait 'til they get a load of me" or "heeerrrreee's Johnny!" before you tee off on the plant heisters.

You'll get probation at worst and good Laker's seats at best. Though the one drawback is Lara Flynn Boyle stalking you from Malibu to Manhattan Beach.

Anonymous said...

I'll second the first poster, though my weapon of choice is the Oral-B (in the 100 € range: there are cheaper ones, but seemed sensible to spend a bit in order to save more). Don't know if they sell those over there - though something about the brand name suggests that they don't.

You'd want something with the rpm being in the tens of thousands, and a soft brush.

Anonymous said...

Commenter Meg seems to assume it was the Fox lot you were talking about even though you didn't say. Funny but I assumed the same thing. Some of the other studios have discounted DVDs for employees (Warner Brothers comes to mind) but the store at Fox seems to have the widest variety. I actually really like the calzones at the Commissary there too.

Um, who the hell steals someone's tomato plants? That's just wrong. Any chance it was a hungry coyote?

Anonymous said...

I 2nd the Sonicare toothbrush.

You really need to get in the commercial loop so that you can work more.

Sal said...

someone once stole nasturtiums from my front garden. They weren't even that spectacular. But the golf club option seems reasonable

FrancesDanger said...

I'll third the Sonicare and go a little Ot.
Since you'll be working again soon does this mean no more couches? Because I'm really digging cthe couches.

Anonymous said...

Stealing plants is bad enough, but a young man who did some yard work for my mother about a decade ago took things another step. He was arrested for stealing a yard from one of his customers (not my mother). After spending the day installing, if that's the word, rolls of turf in the customer's front yard, he returned that night with a couple of confederates and de-installed the turf with the hope of selling it.
As for today's couch, I thought at first it didn't deserve to be thrown away but on closer look its right legs seem to be damaged, maybe a broken frame.

Peter
Iron Rails & Iron Weights

CHARLI said...

Attack of the tomato stealers!

Sorry 'bout that girl. Nowadays, you have to keep everything locked inside, I say that, but they stole some guy's bike by braking a window in his garage, unbelievable.

I feel you on the long hours and how it's hazardous to the crew. I read about a guy (might be the same one in the documentary) falling asleep at the wheel after a 20 hour day. That's criminal.

Charli

Anonymous said...

I'm on life's back 9 and I use my Sonicare every day. If Sonicare had been available when I was your age I'd have no excuses.

And wear ear protection. And don't smoke!

:-)