So I was let go from my job at FTD today; what a month this has been! On the one hand, it sucks to be unemployed yet again this year, but on the other, I really hated that job. I'm going to try and focus on getting something much better as quickly as possible, and continue enjoying my Aetna coverage up until the end of the month.
Later!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The State of Things (spoiler alert: things are good!)
So it's a lazy Sunday and I'm feeling pretty good; my health concerns are looking to be much less serious than I had initially feared, my new class at Second City is excellent and the sun is in the sky. I think I hit bottom last week, with my toes touching the bottom of the pool, but I am back, baby! Right now my main concern is getting my financial situation straightened out, but creatively and emotionally I am feeling very, very good right now, and it's nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel again.
On Saturday, I had my first day of class (sadly I missed the first official day due to work at crappy FTD), and it was so great to see everyone in my group again. Level 3 of the Conservatory is all about styles, and we practiced two yesterday, Shakespeare and Office. The first is pretty much exactly what you think it would be, but the second one was also cool. The improvisers are sat in chairs spread across the room in imaginary cubicles, and we all take turns IMing each other as though we're all coworkers in the same office (reminded me of my time working at Hewitt!). You start to develop relationships like who's your office buddy, who's your rival/enemy, who's the boss, etc, and then after a few minutes of that, you remove the chairs and to a series of interrelated scenes as a montage based on the stuff you all created during the fake IMing.
Of the two, I prefered the Shakespeare, which makes sense because I love his plays, have recently been watching them via Netflix and reading up on them, plus 30+ years of D&D also helps. I got very strong feedback from the rest of my class and instructor, especially my portrayal of Prince Andy in the tragedy 'The Winter's Chill'. I often have trouble playing high status characters (i.e. fathers, bosses, captains, etc), but folks were very impressed with my regal awesomeness. We all had fun and our teacher Jack really loved the stuff we came up with, so it's looking like we might do one of those on stage this term, which would totally rock!
I'll post again soon!
Prince Andy (aka Bob K)
On Saturday, I had my first day of class (sadly I missed the first official day due to work at crappy FTD), and it was so great to see everyone in my group again. Level 3 of the Conservatory is all about styles, and we practiced two yesterday, Shakespeare and Office. The first is pretty much exactly what you think it would be, but the second one was also cool. The improvisers are sat in chairs spread across the room in imaginary cubicles, and we all take turns IMing each other as though we're all coworkers in the same office (reminded me of my time working at Hewitt!). You start to develop relationships like who's your office buddy, who's your rival/enemy, who's the boss, etc, and then after a few minutes of that, you remove the chairs and to a series of interrelated scenes as a montage based on the stuff you all created during the fake IMing.
Of the two, I prefered the Shakespeare, which makes sense because I love his plays, have recently been watching them via Netflix and reading up on them, plus 30+ years of D&D also helps. I got very strong feedback from the rest of my class and instructor, especially my portrayal of Prince Andy in the tragedy 'The Winter's Chill'. I often have trouble playing high status characters (i.e. fathers, bosses, captains, etc), but folks were very impressed with my regal awesomeness. We all had fun and our teacher Jack really loved the stuff we came up with, so it's looking like we might do one of those on stage this term, which would totally rock!
I'll post again soon!
Prince Andy (aka Bob K)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Darkness! (aka 'This time, it's personal')
Hello again!
Well today has been an emotional rollercoaster....well, maybe more like a log flume, because it's mostly been down with just a little bit of up. My money situation is as worse as it's ever been, I've had a few health scares this week and today it all just hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had a near-complete breakdown in the shower this morning. I'm talking bawling, sobbing, screaming, cursing and railing against the heavens. I asked out loud if I'd been Josef Stalin in a past life to deserve the crap I felt piling up on my shoulders all week. For the first time in a long time I felt genuinely suicidal thoughts, only to yell out, "No! No! No! No!"
Back when I was thirteen years old, I was in a deep black funk, something I've dealt with on and off my whole life really, and I decided I was going to take my own life. I was going to swallow a handful of Dristan tablets and just end it all, make the pain stop. I was in the middle of composing my suicide note when my Mom came back from a walk with Pete Grinstead, a family friend.
The funny thing is, I was mostly embarrassed by the discovery, and endured my mom's hugs and kisses and apologized for even considering such a thing. Also she said the pills probably wouldn't even of killed me, just make me puke. That night I wrote a sort of letter to myself that I signed, vowing I would never take my own life, due to the hurt it would cause others left behind.
So yeah, this morning I was back down there again, and me shouting 'No!' was to reminder myself of my vow; despite all its many hardships, life is still worth living and a most wonderful gift that we often take for granted. I took the day off work (possibly a mistake, but I could not face those people) and logged onto the internet to chat with friends. It really helped me shift my focus to more positive things. So thank you, Mr Internet, for making my day!
Well today has been an emotional rollercoaster....well, maybe more like a log flume, because it's mostly been down with just a little bit of up. My money situation is as worse as it's ever been, I've had a few health scares this week and today it all just hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had a near-complete breakdown in the shower this morning. I'm talking bawling, sobbing, screaming, cursing and railing against the heavens. I asked out loud if I'd been Josef Stalin in a past life to deserve the crap I felt piling up on my shoulders all week. For the first time in a long time I felt genuinely suicidal thoughts, only to yell out, "No! No! No! No!"
Back when I was thirteen years old, I was in a deep black funk, something I've dealt with on and off my whole life really, and I decided I was going to take my own life. I was going to swallow a handful of Dristan tablets and just end it all, make the pain stop. I was in the middle of composing my suicide note when my Mom came back from a walk with Pete Grinstead, a family friend.
The funny thing is, I was mostly embarrassed by the discovery, and endured my mom's hugs and kisses and apologized for even considering such a thing. Also she said the pills probably wouldn't even of killed me, just make me puke. That night I wrote a sort of letter to myself that I signed, vowing I would never take my own life, due to the hurt it would cause others left behind.
So yeah, this morning I was back down there again, and me shouting 'No!' was to reminder myself of my vow; despite all its many hardships, life is still worth living and a most wonderful gift that we often take for granted. I took the day off work (possibly a mistake, but I could not face those people) and logged onto the internet to chat with friends. It really helped me shift my focus to more positive things. So thank you, Mr Internet, for making my day!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
I've been away for so long...
Greetings, world at large! So sorry I have done all of nada on this blog for a while, but my head's kinda been up my butt. During the winter months I tend to slide into a bleak seasonal depression, whioch makes me loads o9f fun to be around. I was also fired from my job back in January, which has had all sorts of life-changing ramifications.
But by and large, life is good again; I'm in the Second City Conservatory program here in Chi-town, and the number of new ideas that I've come up with for the comic is truly staggering. Due to lack of funds I was unable to attend the C2E2 this month, but I was far from ready to present anything anyway.
Look for more posts in the days to come!
But by and large, life is good again; I'm in the Second City Conservatory program here in Chi-town, and the number of new ideas that I've come up with for the comic is truly staggering. Due to lack of funds I was unable to attend the C2E2 this month, but I was far from ready to present anything anyway.
Look for more posts in the days to come!
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