Knock Knock

Is anybody here? It's been a long, long time. I can't say no to any project that comes along--even if it doesn't pay that well--so I haven't had much time. When that happens, my contact with the online world suffers. It's amazing that I haven't been here for months and yet I still average nine visitors a day.

Let me just fill you in on what has been keeping me so busy. My business has really picked up--strictly word-of-mouth advertising. I'm working for a local girls soccer club that has fourteen teams, some of which are highly ranked in the country (one is sixth in the whole nation). They have me shooting a lot of their games. It's a good deal for them but it's getting me some exposure and practice. On top of that I have a great relationship with two producers in town who throw work my way every once in a while. I just finished an eight minute video for a title company seminar and I'm working on a dvd production of a play I shot by myself with two cameras.

The seminar video kept me up all night last Sunday. My editing schedule was frequently interupted by soccer games and other responsibilities so I found myself working all night the night before the video was due to be proofed. I pushed on through the night, catching the late, late, late movie, Pushing Tin, (it didn't impress me much), and a Tony Robbins infomercial along the way. At one point, I turned the channel to see that the local morning show hosts were up already. I checked the clock and it was 5 am and I wasn't ready to have my work approved. I kept going until 7 am and dumped it to tape so I could bump it over to dvd at work. There wasn't enough time to author it and put it on dvd at home. I got the boys up and took them to school and I went to work. Everyone at work has waited until today, when I look alive, to tell me I looked like death warmed over on Monday. I stumbled around all day drifting in and out of consciousness. Then the incident happened.

Now, I have a special place at work where I can pull a George Costanza--you know the episode where he has a carpenter build a place to sleep under his desk. Behind my editing console is a place where I can stretch out and catch a light snooze with no one detecting me. Sometimes people will come in, but they always see the room empty and leave. At about noon, the fatigue was becoming almost painful. It was my lunchtime and my next client wasn't due until 2pm so I crawled back into my cubby and drifted off. The next thing I remember, I'm standing up and shaking hands with my client. It's now 2:10 pm. I learned later that the scheduler had been looking all over the building for me until he found the photographer who knows about my hiding place. Then he went into the bay, hurrying lest the client come in to find me snoozing. It took him almost a minute to wake me and by that time the client had come in. "Did you find it?" the scheduler asked me, hoping to cover. The client didn't buy it. "What are you doing back there?" he chuckled. Luckily, I've known him for about six years and he likes my work, so nothing I do bugs him. I made his commercials in a haze, like I was still coming off a drinking binge. I'm not pleased with the result and I took twice as long as I usually do, but he liked it and that's all that counts.

I didn't go in yesterday but I was up late again last night finishing up the project. I did get some sleep, though, and I felt a lot better today.

The title company emailed a few changes, but it looks like I can wrap that up and get paid. Now I have four days to get the play finished and send out the invoice. Things might slow down enough for me to pay more attention to this blog, but, frankly, I hope not. I need the money. I want desperately to get out of "survival mode" as a former NBA player described my financial situation a couple of weeks ago. It's what's known as living paycheck to paycheck, and I can't wait till I'm done with it.

In addition to all of this, I've been writing for a local newspaper. I'll post the articles I've written soon. I actually get to invoice for that, now. I guess till now it's been a free gig but I'm told that they're making a profit (after only their third issue!) and they want to pay me. It's not much, but so what. I really enjoy it.

Well, thanks for sticking by me, the nine of you. I really appreciate it and I appologize for not giving you something to do while you've visited.