Getting Laid Off: Part 2

Our company’s NY office called us on Wednesday and, as expected, they laid off everyone in the LA office. A representative from the NY office came in that morning and started taking inventory on all the valuables in the office before they closed it down. I felt no ill will towards her. After all, she was most likely laid off yesterday! COMMERCE!!

I helped her take inventory and she sent the corresponding list and photos to the NY office. I suppose they’ll try to sell all the items to help pay off the many debts the company owes to creditors, vendors and property owners (the company still owes two months worth of rent for the LA office and, I'm told, a couple months worth of rent in the NY office). The value of the inventory might amount to about $6000, which doesn’t even come close to paying everything off. As we took inventory, we were briefly interrupted by a phone call from our building manager. She notified us that we were finally being evicted. Now, that's good timing.

This is the end, beautiful friend
Wednesday was our final day at the office. Before we left for the very last time, we all went to Hooter’s and had a lunch of beer, wings, onion rings, and sandwiches. We laughed together about the company’s lackluster leadership and poor financial decisions. We laughed about the vendors and creditors that might never see the money owed to them. We laughed at ourselves for losing our jobs. Laughter is what happens when there’s nothing left you can do to save yourself.

Getting Laid... Off

For almost two years, I've worked in a TV Production/Development company in Los Angeles. Over the past year or so, the company has suffered financial losses and has had cash-flow issues, resulting in layoffs in the company's main NY office and rumors about closing the company's doors completely.

We Saw It Coming...
As several executives in the NY offices quit over the past two weeks, the threat of layoffs at the LA office seemed more and more probable. Moments ago, I received an email from an executive in our NY office. She said she'd like to speak with everyone in the office via conference call tomorrow. I am assuming pretty safely that this phone call will be made to lay off everyone in the LA office, resulting in our office's closure. Most likely, the NY office will soon close as well.

Here's To New Beginnings!
I'm not really sure where to go from here. It's unfortunate that so many talented people will be losing their jobs at our company. But, at the same time, I'm excited for the change. What new adventures lie ahead?

Seriously, What New Adventures Lie Ahead?
Hmmm. I've been sending out resumes and speaking with former Production Coordinators and Production Managers (people who organize and lead the "legwork" of TV shows) looking for work. The industry doesn't seem too dismal. Many of the people I've worked with on TV shows that our company produced are currently working. It's just a matter of me giving those people backrubs until they give me a job!

Who Knows?
I may be completely wrong about getting laid off. Maybe the executive is calling in tomorrow to tell us we are all very special and our office will never close. More news as it comes...

Press play and read it aloud, slow and easy: Mocky - "Birds of a Feather"

You’re driving in the early evening of an easy spring. The sun paints the landscape around you a promising orange and all the traffic has disappeared, letting you zoom across the bouncing ribbon road. Home is a few slow miles ahead, but you turn to take the long way as this song plays over the radio…

Be Like the Squirrel, Girl

I'm proud to say this is my second blog post regarding squirrels. Although I do think highly of them, many would argue that they are basically doing what we pay them to do (be cute and keep old people occupied). However, you might understand my appreciation for them if you listen to this video of "Little Acorns" by The White Stripes.

The squirrel taught me
Today at work, I had a metaphorical conglomerate stone of miscellaneous projects that I needed to complete. So, I broke that stone into smaller tasks with my pickaxe of practicality. In that way, I could take them on one at a time. Guess what. It was a success! I hope that you too can "be like the squirrel, girl!" (or boy).

Weekend Theme Song Challenge: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

This week’s Weekend Theme Song Challenge was “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by The Clash. And, like the exciting confusion of the song, I too am an exciting mess! Rather than being confused, however, I am frenetic. I just drank a Red Bull. Austria!

The challenge is between little old me and Hyperbole Personified. Who won the challenge? UTELLME

This past week, my brother and sister came to visit me here in Los Angeles. A week! Can you imagine? I can. But I don’t have to because it was real. It was a fantastic time. So, in lieu of doing a “Weekend” of living out the theme of “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”, I’ll be writing about the whole week they were here as it pertains to this song! (Crowd response: “Yay. He’s going to talk about experiences that are only moderately interesting to people who didn’t experience them…”)

We did a lot of the cool things that one is supposed to do when visiting LA and the area. We went to Hollywood and Highland, MOCA, Downtown, The Grove, all that stuff. In fact there was so much stuff, we often had a hard time deciding what to do, because our time was limited – although a week in LA doesn’t seem like much of a time limit, does it?

So how does all of this crap you’re saying relate to the song, Mr. R.A.I.O.M.B.?
Well, to hell with you! That’s what I say! Exclamation points! Red Bull! Here are some examples…

Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- My internet wasn’t working, so we had to surf the web on my brother’s high tech future phone. It was slow going and we couldn’t decide which comedy show at UCB we wanted to go to on Sunday. We decided to “stay” home (rather than “go”) and played badminton with friends and neighbors all night in my tiny yard with a lemon tree and beers.

- We went to take pictures of ourselves with the Hollywood sign in the background. I parked on a winding street where I saw a sign that read “Absolutely No Stopping”. My car was taking up an entire lane and it caused two almost-car-accidents. When a middle aged man stopped his car to point out the “Absolutely No Stopping” sign to me, we decided to “stay” and finish taking pictures. I feel bad about that. But I was just living out the weekend’s theme song and I think, in hindsight, he understands.

- When we went to Six Flags at Magic Mountain, I had to heave insults and angry words of wisdom at my sister in order to get her to ride “Riddler’s Revenge”. She loved it – the ride, not the insults. She was wise in deciding to “go”.

- We went to the Getty Center and saw a plethora of great photography and paintings. I told my brother and sister that we could either “stay” a little longer at the Getty or “go” to a surprise location that could only be truly enjoyed in daylight. With the sun sinking, we hurried to South Pasadena and were delighted to see some of the houses where Back to the Future was filmed. Our timing couldn’t have been better because there was a guy in front of George McFly’s house with an exact replica of the Delorian time machine as seen in BTTF II! We got great pics and someday I will post them (when I get them from my bro-bro). I’m glad we decided to “go”!

- We spent a couple days using the subway to get around. Generally, it was pretty smooth sailing. There was a period of time, however, when we consistently made the wrong decisions about which trains to “stay” on and which to “go” on. We got tangled up in Hollywood where two lines meet and spent an hour or so getting our act together.

- Lastly, the final “stay or go” situation... On Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before my brother and sister would have to get on a plane to go back to Fargo, North Dakota, they were faced with a stone-hard decision. They could either go back home like chumps or they could continue the magical, storybook life of busking on Hollywood Blvd and sleeping in my living room. They decided that, although they enjoyed LA, they both had lives waiting for them back in Fargo.

All in all, the week was great, the badminton was intense, the subway was entertaining and the Hollywood was Holly-filled. Thanks brother and sister! Big fat love to you both!


NOTE: If you don’t know what the Weekend Theme Song Challenge is, go to the first posting about it here.

Yee Haw!

Yee Haw, indeed! I wish I knew where the phrase "yee haw" comes from...

My brother and sister recently visited me out here on the west coast. So, stay tuned for fun stories and madness.

Also, please keep yourself tuned - "stay tuned", that is - for the next installment of the "Weekend Theme Song Challenge", which is a mad, mad competition between yours truly and Hyperbole Personified. It is sure to please. And if it doesn't, that's your fault for not being receptive to radicalness.

In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful twin urinal set. Try to guess where I saw it. You WILL win a prize!*

*You will not win a prize.