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.   

Last Night in New York

Total Black: $3,287.11
Total Red: $241,487.55

What a night.  New York certainly made sure I paid my final dues before cutting out. 

Curtain Down

Total Black: $109.51
Total Red: $238,469.56

Today was my last day as an usher at New World Stages.  Curtain down on my ushering career.  It was sad night.  In many ways actually, a few more that I expected. 

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.

Saying Good-Byes

Total Black: $683.31
Total Red: $236,874.29

So, it’s begun.  I’ve started the process of saying good-byes. 

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

Total Black: $1,055.46
Total Red: $235,259.75

Today I signed the lease for the new apartment and sent in three cashier’s checks, each for nine hundred dollars.  My new apartment is adorable.  And comes with an amazing view.  This will be my back yard. 

A Nice Afternoon

Total Black: $3,054.16
Total Red: $235,268.81

Work today brought a pleasant surprise that led to a very nice afternoon.  The firm took everyone out to lunch, including the contract attorneys.  Something unheard of in the temp attorney world.

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. 

The Entertainer

Total Black: $2,621.22
Total Red: $235,585.30

Another Friday night with Naked Boys Singing.  Naked Boys Singing only performs on Friday and Saturday night whereas most of the other shows at New World Stages run the regular Broadway course: two shows on Saturday, two on Sundays, then every week night except one.  At least at New World Stages, the ushers get to work different shows.  I’ve wondered how ushers at other theaters, those who see the same show each night, like The Phantom of the Opera for example, how they handle it.  That same music over and over eight times a week.  Songs from Naked Boys has already begun to earworm (yeah, I’m turning it into a verb).  I wake with songs playing in my head.  Occupational hazard, I suppose.  That said, though, I was intrigued tonight when I found myself actually listening to the lyrics of one of the songs.

Working & Moving

Total Black: $741.32
Total Red: $235,224.00

Since I started working at the theatre, and then even more so once my hours at the contract attorney position increased, I’ve not spent much time applying for, or even looking for, other gigs.  But last night while head ushering my usual Friday night shift—Naked Boys Singing—I overhead the stage manager mention that he needed people to help him move.  And that he’d pay.  So I offered to help. 

Another Late Night

Total Black: $1,880.41
Total Red: $229,689.21

So I worked both jobs today.  It’s nearly midnight and it doesn’t look like I’m leaving any time soon. 

Ninth Day of Accounting

Total Black: $1,942.16

Here’s the Breakdown:

Primary Checking: $1,400.09
Secondary Checking: $539.00
Savings: $2.36
PayPal Account (Personal): $0.71
PayPal Account (Blog): $0.00
Amazon Payments Account: $0.005
Mutual Funds Account: $0.00

FICO Score 506

Total Red: $229,689.31

Here’s the breakdown:

Credit Card Debt:

MasterCard: $5,588.01     [Minimum payment for April = $214.00.  APR 27.24%]
Visa: $7,689.56     [Minimum payment for April = $292.00.  APR 27.24%]
Visa: $5,039.00     [Card closed.  Minimum payment for April = $206.00.  APR 27.24%]
American Express: $2,400.23     [Minimum payment for April = $48.00.  APR 27.24%]
Raymour & Flanagan Credit Line: $6,340.68     [Account closed.  Entire balance due]
Saks Fifth Avenue Credit Card: $0.00

Student Loan Debt:

Federal Stafford Loans: $94,504.20
Private Student Loans: $31,940.56

Back Taxes:

IRS (2007): $1,438.11
IRS (2008): $28,275.80
NY State (2008): $0.00

Other Loans:

My mother: $46,473.16

Already my ninth day of accounting.  And, as requested in a comment by Anon, this month I’ve broken out my APR and minimum payments for the month for my credit cards. 

The Replacement

Total Black: $1,947.16
Total Red: $229,689.21

Another Friday night with my Naked Boys.  Well . . . they’re not mine, of course.  And I’m not with them at all.  But you get the picture.  But tonight I wasn’t head usher.  My sub was.  And I took the occasion to let her know that in a few months she’d have to assume the mantel for good. 

Overactive Imagination

Total Black: $1,066.43
Total Red: $229,755.52

Today was a very long day.  And it started with a headache.  I woke about four times this morning, hitting snooze each time.  I had intended to get to the contract attorney position early—before a 10am shift at the theatre.  But that just didn’t happen.  It’s odd too because, as I noted in Bubbles Galore, the same thing happened last week: waking with a headache.  I wonder what the connection is between weekends and headaches.  This one was a doozy and didn’t get better until quite late.

Round and Round

Total Black: $508.96
Total Red: $230,325.12

Both total black and total red are down a bit.  Total red should come down under $229K by tomorrow once payments post and all.  I worked from 8am until 11:30pm today at both jobs.  Since I’ve become head usher for Naked Boys Singing, every Friday and Saturday night will have me watching men singing in the nude—and all the people who pay to see them.  Quite the interesting end to the formal work week and start of the weekend.

Almost Forgot

Total Black: $237.43
Total Red: $227,317.62

Today was a long but productive day.  I had put in eleven hours at the contract attorney position and then another three at the theatre job.  Found myself nestled in bed, ready to settle down for the night.  And then remembered that I hadn’t posted today’s entry.  So out of bed I hopped to at least get today’s numbers posted.  Today was a good day for a few reasons.  One, because I finally was able to pay rent for February and March.  It felt good to get that weight off my back.  But the landlord’s attorney still got his slap in.

Defeat the Debt

Total Black: $66.95
Total Red: $229,387.70

As I was walking to the contract attorney position this morning, I saw an awesome billboard in Times Square: Uncle Sam, broke and penniless, begging for $12 Trillion dollars.  Defeat the Debt.com posted the ad.  I definitely feel where they’re coming from.  As a nation we have a debt problem.  But more so I think we have a shame problem.  We don’t talk about our debt.  And everyone else is in perfect, pristine financial health.  They’ve never paid a bill late, never bounced a check or overdrew their accounts, and they’ve got a whole year’s worth of savings stocked away in the bank.  If only that were true, eh?