Sometimes I'm Too Much Of A Softie

The last few days have not been as horrible as I thought they would be.  I was able to get naps in every day, and most of the time I remembered to eat.  Yesterdays goals were not accomplished well at all.  I called R&R around 11a to place my gel orders for SSS and RMT.  They close at 530p, and since I leave work at 4p, I shouldn't have any trouble getting there before they close.

I left work right on time.  It's 14 miles from my office, to R&R. Taking the beltway is the quickest way, and I avoid the traffic lights, so that's how I went.  It took me an hour and twenty minutes to get from my office, to the exit I needed.  KILL ME NOW.  Yes, it was nice outside and I had the top down.  That was a definite bonus.  But my left knee is PISSED off.  I didn't get out of first gear until I was a mile from the exit I needed.  INSANE.  There was a tractor trailer behind me, and the sound of his engine drowned out any hope of listening to music unless I put the top up, which I wasn't willing to do.
 
As soon as I exited the beltway, I called R&R.  The guy was kind enough to wait for me - thank you!!   I take my gel, and go get food.  Ihop.  It ain't classy, but it's cheap, yummy, and since I didn't get a nap it was a nice break.

Once at the theater I started cutting gel.  The lights are all rough focused - all I needed to do was switch out the gel and write basic cues.  I was almost done cutting the first color when a very nice gentleman who was probably in his mid to late 80's arrived.  He'd been helping earlier in the day with a set for either the same show I was working on, or the one acts... not sure which.  Anyway, he'd lost his date book.  This date book is his life.  I appreciate this, as my Crackberry has attempted data suicide a number of times.

I stopped what I was doing and helped him look for it.  As we are looking, he mentions that he has an appointment to take his cat to the vet the next day and isn't sure of the time.  Since the phone number to the place is also in this book, it really needed to be found.  The whole time we were looking we were swapping kitty baby stories.  After about a half hour of searching, we finally found it.  He was thrilled, and I could get back to work.

He sat down and we kept talking while I finished cutting gel.  (I only tried to take my fingertip off once, and I didn't even draw blood.  WAHOO!)  Then I grabbed the rolling step ladder stool thing and started swapping gel.  He sat there and we talked the entire time.  I'm almost done with all the gel when he gets into this really deep story about a cat he had a long time ago.  I'm looking at the clock - it's 9p.  I've got to get these cues written, and the only way to do that is to desert this guy for the booth.

Next thing I know, he's getting physically upset about this previous cat and the fact that his current cat now is older and is going in for a large number of tests to make sure she's okay.  He tells me how he's on a fixed income (which I figured...) and how he made an arrangement with the bank that if he gets over-drawn they'll give him a cushion.  The approximate costs of these tests were upwards of $500.  He was going to spend the money to make sure his baby was okay, no question there... but it was going to take him a while to get caught up with the bank.

By now he's in tears.  Um yeah, that's great - I have cues to write...  No, I can't just walk away.  So I keep talking to him trying to calm him down.  After he's gone thru half a roll of paper towels, he decides that it's late and he should get going.  He bids his farewell, and mentions he'll be back the next morning to help again.

I feel so bad for this guy, but at the same time I'm relieved.  I can get some work done!  Then my phone beeps.  It's 1030p.  I have gotten almost nothing accomplished, and if I don't go home now, there's no way I'll be getting up for work the next morning.  CRAP!

I'm not supposed to be back to SSS for another week and a half, since I have the RMT show opening in a week.  I told the director & producer I'd have rough cues done.  I don't have JACK done.  So tonight I head to RMT to get as much work done as possible.  Depending upon what my schedule is like for Sat and Sun, I may be able to squeeze some SSS time in.  I'm praying now that I can get a very good handle on the RMT show tonight, have a super smooth Q2Q on Sunday eve, and spend some time Monday eve at SSS.  If all else fails, I'll open RMT's show next Friday and spend Saturday during the day at SSS - which I was hoping to avoid.  Only time will tell.

Some days I wish I could say no.  Some days I wish I could just walk away in the middle of a non-evil conversation.  Other days I'm glad to be busy and happy that I have a heart.  Now if I can just keep it all going...