What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been

Total Black: -$199.61
Total Red: $269,947.74

This is the end.  My only friends.  The end.  Of my elaborate plans.  The end.  Can’t you picture what could’ve been?  So limitless and free.  Desperately in need . . . of some . . . stranger’s hand.  In my desperate land.  It hurts to set you free.  But you’ll never follow me.  This is, after all, the end.   

Once Around the Sun

Total Black: $682.66
Total Red: $236,874.29

Certainly feels like this day took me once around the sun.  It started at 9:30am and lasted, once again, until late, late in the morning, 4:30am, in fact.  And once again, as mentioned in Over and Over and Over Again, I’m left having to discuss one day that actually spanned two.

Counting Down

Total Black: $2,001.41
Total Red: $235,585.54

The ensuing move is rapidly approaching.  As is my flight out to the new location to check on apartments.  Nonetheless, not much is changing in my personal nor professional lives. 

Slipped My Mind

Total Black: $73.51
Total Red: $234,846.52

Last night was the first night I somewhat voluntarily chose not to blog.  I say somewhat because it was only at roughly 2:25am that I woke up, slightly inebriated still, and remembered that I hadn’t posted.  But I was too tired to bother getting out of bed, running the numbers, and putting up a place holder.  So that means I’ll have two gaps in my year: one voluntarily and one not. 

Fine Line

Total Black: $157.36
Total Red: $225,563.13

Today was one long day at the theatre.  I worked there from 11am to 10pm.  I hawked in the morning.  Then attended a mandatory training.  Covered an event after that hosted by Boston University and finally wrapped up the night ushering at Avenue Q.  And despite having seen that show countless times, different parts of it still speak to me depending on the day.  Tonight, the final scene of Act I hit home.

A Bit Temperamental

Total Black: $389.73
Total Red: $229,121.20

I spent the entire day working at New World Stages.  I started off the day at The Gazillion Bubble Show in the morning.  Then Avenue Q for the matinée performance.  I had intended to head to the contact attorney position once I finished up at the theatre, but then I got a chance to usher a new show, The Temperamentals, in the evening.  So I took it.  I’ll put those hours in tomorrow that I would have done today.  Glad I saw the Temperamentals tonight.  Got me thinking.

Purpose

Total Black: $83.81
Total Red: $228,811.79

My day started at 7am when I was woken by my mother calling.  I haven’t been able to speak with her much lately because of the hours I’ve been pulling.  I’m also not much of a telephone person these days.  Once you and a friend or family member fall out of touch for a bit, it always seems like it’s going to require a long telephone conversation to catch back up.  So more time passes.  I mentioned this back in Never Been Further Apart.  Perhaps I need to be the one to start telephoning people.  I am good about texting though.  And to that end I created a monster in my mother.  I told her I’d send her a text message when I returned to New York.  She’s the type who invents every scenario of disaster until you’ve informed her you’ve safely arrived.  Well, in turn, my sister taught her how to text message back.  Now she’s enjoying it to the fullest and texting fairly often.  And teaching other older ladies too.  (If your moms all start texting you unexpectedly, it might be all my fault.)

Almost Unemployed . . . Again

Total Black: $748.08
Total Red: $230,715.35

Today will be my last day working at New World Stages—at least for a month or so.  Two shows will close today: The Toxic Avenger Musical and Love Child.  Altar Boyz will close on January 10, 2009.  For the next month or so, only Avenue Q and the Gazillion Bubble Show will be the primary two shows performed at the location.

Once the new season starts, management assured me they’d call me back to resume working at the theatre.  More than a few ushers and management told me that I’m one of their favorite new hires.  That really feels good to hear.  It’s not something you’d hear from lawyers. 

Schadenfreude

Total Black: $65.20
Total Red: $230,428.97

Another night ushering at Avenue Q.  I had been thinking a bit about a comment received earlier today.  The commenter criticized me for making “a spectacle of myself” and suggested I either leave the country or remain in debt till I die.

At least he or she left a suggestion!  Not sure though how fleeing the country, presumably to Canada as another of her or his comments had suggested, will solve my debt problems.  Running away might be a quick fix, but I’d be left homeless in a foreign country.  I couldn’t practice law there.  I’d have to work illegally.  I’m sure there’s some sort of treaty in place between Canada and the United States regarding debt absconders.  But besides all that, there’s the more practical question of how I’d even get to Canada with the little bit of money I have.

It’s Only For Now

Total Black: $1,243.57
Total Red: $230,820.71

I worked tonight at New World Stages.  Saw Avenue Q.  I mentioned in Cutting Costs, Corners . . . and Concerns that the last Broadway show I saw was over a year ago, and it was also Avenue Q.  I guess the show went off-Broadway at some point.  Haven’t really heard of that happening.  But at any rate, it’s a great show, but an especially pertinent one now with the economic climate where it’s at.  The show centers around a hodge-podge collection of characters (people, puppets, and monsters) living so close to skid row that they can only afford to live in Manhattan on fictitious Avenue Q.  It’s a great quarter-life crisis show with twenty- and thirtysomethings wondering what they should be doing with their lives.  The show struck me much more than it did last year.

Cutting Costs, Corners . . . and Concerns

Total Black: $435.42
Total Red: $230,977.94

I’ve received a lot of comments, questions, feedback, and suggestions over the past day or so.  Since the blog is just beginning to pick up traffic, I have the luxury of responding directly in a post to many of those responses.  First though I need to lay out my monthly expenses.  That’s something I haven’t done.