Day Seven Hundred and Fifty Eight of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Early Morning Run Downtown

I woke up early to do my usual Sunday run to yoga downtown. Last Sunday was the half-marathon, so it’s been two weeks since my last yoga class. I wasn’t sure what I should wear because the weather has been really mixed lately.

Yesterday, it rained on and off during the day and then the sun came out for the evening. Today, it’s supposed to be more of the same. None of the forecasters want to commit. I took a jacket just in case.

It was ideal running weather during this run. It was not yet sunny and a little cool. I ran across the same bridge I had one week before during my half-marathon but this time, today, I would be going straight instead of along the seawall to the finish line. I felt good.

I encountered some fellow runners along the route. There were also a few pedestrians as well. I could tell that they were tourists, probably in town for the day before their cruise ship leaves. I ran a pretty good pace this morning. By the time I got to class, I was dripping sweat.

Free Yoga Class at Robson Lululemon

I got to class quite early. The class wasn’t as crowded as it usually is. It’s probably because it’s like a long weekend with a lot of people taking Monday off in addition to the Canada Day Tuesday. I was glad to have more space today.

We had a good teacher today. The last few classes have been new teachers. I can definitely tell when it’s a beginner teacher versus a more experienced one. This class felt a lot smoother. I was happy to get a good stretch out today.

Free Nooner Yoga Coming Up

I had been looking at the chalkboard and was delighted to see the announcement of the return of summer nooner yoga classes starting this week! I had noticed from my 2013 calendar that the free classes had started around this time but couldn’t find any information. So I was happy to see the news today!

I went to 7 out of the 8 classes last year and they were really fun. These classes attracted hundreds of yogis, practicing their poses right beside the olympic flame cauldron. It’s always nice to do a class outside, too.

DTES Flea Market

I walked over to the downtown east side flea market after class. It was a little early, so a lot of vendors were just in the process of setting up. I didn’t really want to buy much, I was trying to kill time before my friend finished her yoga class and we’d meet up.

There had been some big accident not too far from the flea market. There were several ambulances and fire trucks. I couldn’t see anything. I asked a vendor what had happened but he didn’t have a clue. The flea market was continuing as if nothing had happened.

Afternoon at the Movies

I met up with my friend and we went for lunch and then a movie, the latest X-Men one. I haven’t watched the latest one, so I wondered if I would be lost but I wasn’t. I was, however, a little tired and I had to fight myself from falling asleep.

Once it finished, we came out to pouring down rain. The jacket that I had brought didn’t help much. I considered staying put but I was quite tired. I just wanted to get home to a hot shower. Any thought so running home quickly disappeared. I felt a little guilty, but at least I had run earlier this morning.

 

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty Seven of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Early Morning Drive to Friend’s Charity Garage Sale

I got up early to go to my friend’s charity garage sale. It’s far, that is, too far to run to but I figured that I would combine it with a visit with my Aunt who lives in the same neighborhood. The weather looked like it was threatening to rain but was okay while I was there.

I was glad that I got to chat with my friend. We met on the set of a movie years ago and have been friends ever since. She has been on strike recently, a high school guidance counsellor. She is close to my age, in her early fifties. She has been helpful in listening to me about my later-in-life career concerns lately, too.

Errands with my Aunt

I drove my Aunt to her hairdressers’ this morning. She has been going to the same person for the last 23 years since she moved here. After that, we went to the market and bought produce and then to the grocery store I usually take her.

Now that she is 82 years old, I am noticing that she is slowing down. She is still in really good shape for her age but she’s exhibiting more of a fragility than she had before. She finally confessed that she had fallen in the shower and has had to hire somebody to install safety bars. I worry about her because she does live alone and is getting older.

My Dad, a little younger than her, is going through the same thing, and has had to get other aids like walkers, higher toilet seats and shower seats. I worry about him, too, so far away, but at least he will soon be moving in with my brother. A lot of other people I know in their 50s, are facing the same anxiety about their aging parents and family.

Fan Festival at UBC

I ran to the Northwest Fan Festival at UBC. I had discovered it by accident last year when I was doing my usual run to UBC and stopped for water in the student’s union. It was a mix this year of anime, cosplay and gaming, a world I have little knowledge about.

It was fascinating to see this group of enthusiastic people all dressed up in costumes of their favorite characters. For the most part, I did not who they were dressed up as. I was just in awe of this group of elaborately dressed, enthusiastic people.

I came to visit my friend, who is a vendor here. She owns an anime, Japanese comic book, and collectibles store. When I’ve visited her in her store, I admit that I am not familiar with most of what she sells. I was impressed that she knew so much about what these fans were inquiring about. There were lots of vendors here selling the wares of this specialized world I knew little about.

Voice Over Seminars

As I looked at the program for the festival, I was surprised to see that there were several voice over seminars. A big part of the voice over work in Vancouver is of supplying the voices for animation. I was not really aware of that. The voice over agent that I know had presented a lecture about what is necessary to do well in that area, saying that you have to be fans or aware of all of these different shows/games/characters.

I knew that there was a lot of work on cartoon and animation shows but I didn’t realize that there is a large market in gaming, too. There were to be special guests who were the voice actors of different characters. There was a big fan base that attended these festivals hoping to meet their characters.

I was disappointed that I only became aware of these voice over seminars on the day of the festival. If I had known, I would have registered and attended. Since I have become interested in pursuing voice acting, this would have been informative. I’ll have to keep it in mind for next time.

Pacific Spirit Park Trail Run

By the time I was finished at UBC and started my trail run, it was raining. Now that my trail run is coming up soon, in one month, I have to take every opportunity that I have to do some trail running. I have to try to get as much experience running trails, that are unlike the nice smooth surfaces that I usually run on.

At UBC, I was closest to the Wreck Beach, clothing optional beach, which is also a trail in Pacific Spirit Park. There were a couple of other runners on the trail. Both were older, around my age. I could tell that one of them was quite fit, running energetically up the steep trail.

When I arrived at the beach area, there was one lone nude person. Everybody else, myself included, was bundled up because of the cold rainy weather. I tried to run as long as I could before I gave up because of the weather. I ran back to my car, satisfied that I had gotten at least some trail running in today.

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty Six of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Early Morning Run in the Rain

I woke up to a rainy morning. It had been raining quite heavily last night and this rain was forecasted to continue all day. I reluctantly brought out my rain running jacket. It wasn’t raining too heavily but it was still annoying. It’s almost July–it shouldn’t be raining!

After my long run yesterday, I decided to do only a short run this morning. I would concentrate just on speed and form. When I do that, I try to remember all the elite runners that I have seen and try to imitate them. I concentrated on remembering the winners I had seen at last weekend’s half-marathon.

Even if I am nowhere near as fast and I don’t really do a good job of imitating them, it is fun to dream. For more fun, sometimes I remember the old TV shows featuring the bionic man and woman and make exaggerated strides. In any case, I did feel good after the run.

Thrift Store Shopping

It was the Salvation Army Thrift stores one dollar and two dollar sale today. I went with my friend to the different stores. I helped her look for clothing for her grand kids, all of those pieces were only one dollar each.

This isn’t really the best place for a clutter challenged person like me to be. But I did manage to find some pieces for my retail blog as well. Since it was so cheap, I rationalized that it was okay all in my mind, too.

$2 Suits for the Non-Existent Job Interviews

I did end up buying two really nice suits today. It’s been so long since I’ve had a job interview. I guess I was dreaming that one day, that day would come where either I’d have a job interview or I’d have a job again where I’d need suits.

Lately, the only times I’ve worn a suit is when I played a business person on a TV or movie as an extra. So I guess I can use those suits for that. I can’t resist at that price. Even if I wear it once, it’ll be well worth it.

Retail Blog Work

When I got home, I did take time today to work on my retail blog. I was sorting and getting things ready to take pictures of. I have managed to accumulate about a month’s worth of photos which is good. I have been editing them little by little.

Not Much Luck with Craigslist Ads

I have a few ads on Craigslist right now, trying to sell some things. I had hoped that I’d be able to make a few dollars but so far, I haven’t had much interest. I know that I have to be patient though. I have to also decide if I should re-post the ads, too. If the ads are too old and people aren’t specifically searching for something, then it is buried at the back. I hope I’ll sell something soon!

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty Five of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Early Morning Run

I woke up early to do my usual weekly run to UBC. This would be the first longer run that I would be doing this week, a few days after running the half-marathon on Sunday. I was curious to see how I would do. I haven’t been at all tired following the race but maybe I will be at a longer distance.

It was a nice sunny morning, not too warm. The roads were quiet because school is out for the summer. Aside from the occasional walker, I had the route to myself. I kept waiting for the pain to start but I was fine. Even as the grade went up, I was fine. I managed to do a pretty brisk pace, too.

First Trail Run

After volunteering, I set off for the run home. It became warmer and the sun was stronger so I applied sunscreen before leaving. I was looking forward to this run home because it is only one month before I do my first trail race at a local mountain so I’m going a different route.

I went through Pacific Spirit Park on the way home. I don’t usually like to go through the trails but since the trail race is coming up, I do need the practice. I did go through them briefly when I was training for the full-marathon in May.

It was a little shaded inside. The trail itself is pretty developed compared to others I’ve been on. I felt a little wary because of the isolation. I was a little jumpy when I encountered a couple of hikers, I wasn’t expecting them. I wasn’t sure how much traffic this particular trail would get at this time, the middle of the day.

I did like the gentle rolling of the trail. I suspect that the trail for the race will be more extreme than what I had experienced today, but I think this was good for the beginning of my trail running training. I went back to the regular route and finished off my run in the blazing sun. It had been nice to run in the shade of the trail for a while.

Last Hoarders’ Class

I was feeling a little sentimental as I entered my last hoarders’ class today. This clutter workshop went by fairly quickly and here it was now the last class. I had been with three others of this class in my previous program. All of us in this group became closer than I had felt with the last class.

Am I cured? No. I still have difficulty discarding things but I’m not crazy cat lady with newspapers stacked up to the ceiling! This class helped me to understand more of why it is difficult for me to get rid of things.

This will continue to be a work in progress. There will be a monthly check in class that I think I will try to attend. Maybe I’ll find another group. In the meantime, I can only hope I can use what I have learned to try to minimize and organize my life.

Museum Exhibit Opening

I went to a museum exhibit opening tonight. I had an offer to go see a free movie preview, but I opted to go to the museum instead. I signed up for the Maritime museum newsletter and whenever there is a new exhibit, I get an invitation.

I used to work at a museum when I was in university so I enjoy going to them. This opening also had refreshments, nice appetizers! I really found the exhibit interesting and liked having this free preview.

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty Four of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Frustrating Morning with Call Centers

I grit my teeth and started to call my different financial institutions this morning. There were a number of issues I needed to take care of that I couldn’t do with the online system. I didn’t want to call but it was better than going to the bank.

The first person I talked to was truly clueless. I asked about why I was being charged interest when I always pay off the card completely. One month it was 81 cents, last month it was one cent. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to how it is calculated.

I don’t buy much with this credit card. I only use it for groceries at one store and gas there. I have tried to use the card in other places but the pin is blocked. I got distracted with the interest charges issues, I forgot to ask them to unblock my pin! After I spent so much time with the representative without getting any answers (that, after being put on hold twice so she could check with her supervisor), I asked her to transfer me to somebody else.

She didn’t want to give a name and said she didn’t know who her supervisor would be. I asked her if there was an email address where I could send a complaint and she said no. For all the help she gave me, I’m surprised that she didn’t just ‘accidentally’ hang up on me.

I talked with two other banks and one was good and one was bad. One was so good, that I asked to talk to his supervisor so I could give him a commendation. He transferred me to her voice mail which cut me off! So I ended up tweeting a compliment. I did get a reply from the bank but I’m not sure if he’ll get credit.

Depressed

After all of the aggravation dealing with all the different call center reps, I felt especially depressed. How come such people like these were working and I was not? I felt like I was such a loser after all, I don’t even have a reviled job like a call center rep.

I wonder how much lower can I go at this stage of my career. After all, I’m already doing extra work. I’ve done cleaning, mystery shopping and packing work. Gee, I’m so glad that I spent all those years and tuition money for university.

Maybe I’m not depressed. Maybe I’m just bitter and cynical. And angry and frustrated. Which all leads back to depression. With no particular optimistic prospects in the future. I’m not the only one. There are a lot of us out there. How are we coping?

Ran to Bank

I did my first run after doing the half marathon on Sunday. I only took two days off from running. I didn’t really need the rest because I wasn’t sore. Today, I felt good. It was a little hot by the time I started my run and after I stopped, I was absolutely dripping in sweat.

I had to go in my bank to pick up some cheques I had ordered. I was a little embarrassed because I was sweating so much but was glad because I had managed to do a good pace there. Running has been my salvation lately.

Union Meeting

I was undecided if I should attend my actor’s union meeting tonight. I had two free movie previews tonight. I won one myself and was offered one from a friend. I decided to go for the first part of the meeting and then take off.

I had counted on them starting right on time, but they didn’t. They kept waiting for more full members to arrive because we didn’t have quorum. Then, we finally got the numbers necessary. But, I couldn’t wait any longer and had to bail. I only voted once and then left.

Free Movie Screening, Begin Again

My friend picked me up from the meeting and we rushed to the theater. Even though we were late getting there, we managed to get seats and see the movie from the start. I was glad that I decided to cut the meeting short to go see this movie because it was quite good.

This was a music movie. I don’t usually necessarily care for those but this one was quite good. I think that I’d even buy the soundtrack! I heard from somebody that the other movie that I had passed on wasn’t that good, so I’m glad I came to this one. This was a good escape from my problems.

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty Three of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Rude Awakening 

I awoke to a phone ringing early this morning. I saw that it was the mystery shopper company which had called me yesterday. I took the call but wondered, why would they be calling me at 6 AM?

The guy said that he hadn’t received the credit card receipt that he had requested yesterday. I was surprised because I had sent it immediately after he had called yesterday.  I told him that I would be happy to send it once I woke up a bit.

He was confused so I told him that it was only 6 AM here on the West Coast. He felt really badly and apologized profusely for calling so early. Since I was up, I got on the computer and re-sent it. I have no idea why it wasn’t received yesterday. He finally confirmed receipt of it hours later.

Computer Problems

I was feeling cranky and groggy after being woken up unexpectedly like that. I tried to go back to sleep and managed to sleep another two hours. I am such a light sleeper and anything can wake me up and disrupt a good sleep.

When I finally got up, I went on my laptop and kept encountering so many computer problems. For some odd reason, every time I went on the mystery shopper website it would shut down. Did I hit some button that made it forbidden? It was really maddening. I wanted to check other shops available to me and I couldn’t do that today.

I’m still waiting for the back-to-school computer sales. I have to endure another month or so with a computer fraught with so many problems. Will I be able to wait it out another month?

Brother’s Interview Went Well

I emailed my brother and he said that he thought that the interview went well today. I was really happy to hear that it went well! They even requested references and told him that he was on the short list!

He was a little hesitant because it was only a part-time position. I said that he should take it if he was offered it. It could always lead to a full-time position. And it would look good on his resume. I’m excited for him!

Special Strata Council Meeting

There was a special strata council meeting tonight. I haven’t gone often to these meetings but made an effort today. We had to accept 30 pages of by-laws. I had read them over and for the most part, had no problems with them.

Unfortunately, that was not to be with my neighbors. I don’t really know any of them at all. Some of them were the detail oriented nit picker type, questioning situations that were so unlikely to occur. Sometimes you want those kinds of people so that they can run a tight ship in terms of the common areas of the building. Running the risk of sounding paranoid, these kinds of people spy on things, too.

There were also a couple of princess types who said that they should not have to follow certain rules. I kept rolling my eyes. Was she kidding? Did she really think that she shouldn’t have to be subject to the by-laws?

I couldn’t wait until this meeting was over. Generally speaking, I didn’t come away thinking that’d I want to be friendlier with my neighbors. I’ve lived in my building for over 14 years now and I don’t really know anyone, except for one lady who I’ve chatted briefly with twice. I think I’ll go back to not attending these meetings in the future.

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty Two of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Not Too Tired at All

I had a good night’s sleep last night and I’m not sure if it’s because I was tired from the race or what. In any case, I was happy. I was a little sore but not any more if I had done a usual long run. My muscles were a little tight but nothing that warranted a pain-killer or anything.

Brother’s Job Interview Notes

I was happy to hear that my brother got a job interview with the school board that he had applied to a couple of weeks ago. I had written his cover letter and tailor-made his resume for this position. I always help him with this because he has problems with this kind of thing. He helps me with my IT problems and I help him with that.

By the time my brother got the call for the interview, the job listing had been removed from the Workopolis website where he had seen it. It had also disappeared from the school board website as well. I think I had tried to do the usual copy and paste but the web page was all weird and wouldn’t allow me to.

Luckily, I had jotted down some notes when I was writing his cover letter and resume. I had to sort through that and put it in an email for him to read. For every requirement, I told him how it related to his specific job experience. I also told him what to emphasize, too.

I was really glad that he got this interview. I had helped him with other applications in the past but this one looks the most promising. He is a year older so he also faces age issues. I think that it’s even worse in the IT industry, where it tends to be younger. It’s not easy to find a job the older you are.

Mystery Shop Phone Call

I got a call from the mystery shop company today. He said that I needed to upload the credit card receipt as well as the itemized bill. It’s a good thing that I had paid with a credit card then. There are times when I pay by cash and I certainly don’t ask for a receipt.

I told him that I would send it right away. Since this was my first report with this mystery shopping company I wanted to make sure and do everything correctly. So far so good. I haven’t received any other comments about my report so I guess it’s okay.

Kitchen Chores

I didn’t feel especially motivated to do any job search thinking at all. I decided to do some kitchen cleaning. I had bought some special soap when I was at Costco and I wanted to see if it would live up to its claims. I spread it on a heavily caked frying pan and then also on a large pot.

At the demonstration, they had put some of the soap on a pan and within seconds, the caked on grease came off easily. With the frying pan, the grease came off but I had to spend quite a bit of time scrubbing it off. Minutes later, it did look like a new pan.

However, with the large pot, despite much time and scrubbing, the stains did not come off. I was disappointed. I have no idea why this miracle soap had worked for one and not the other. I wonder if the soap will work on other stuff or if I’ll have to lug it back for a refund.

Next Race, Trail Run

Now that my full marathon and then half marathon is over, I have to start thinking about the trail race I’m running next month. Today, the day after the half-marathon, I feel fine. I’m a little sore, but not enough to bar me from running today if I had wanted to.

I don’t usually do much trail running. If I had not won an entry to a trail race, I’d probably not bother to learn how to train for one. I’m giving myself a few days off and then I’ll start to look for a train run to practice on.

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty One of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Good Night’s Sleep

I managed to have a pretty solid good night’s sleep last night. I can’t believe that the half marathon is finally here. It’s been around six weeks since I ran the full marathon and I can’t say that I’ve done that much training for this race. I managed to wake up before the two alarms I had set last night, so that was good.

Early Morning Transit

I was late when I ran the full-marathon in May so I vowed to get to this race early. Since it was Sunday, buses are on a limited schedule. I was well ahead of time, thinking smugly that I’d get there in plenty of time.

For some reason, the first bus did not arrive. I had been waiting fifteen minutes and getting anxious. There were five of us runners waiting for the bus to come. Once it did arrive, it was packed full of other runners and the bus driver refused to let us on. I was really frustrated!

Then, an express bus appeared! It was not even scheduled until after 7 AM so I don’t know why it was here. I was happy though. There were lots of runners on the bus. And since it was an express bus, we would pass the other bus that had driven by us.

Met Up Pre-Race with Charity Team

I followed the rest of the runners to the start area. The start area was packed but I somehow managed to meet up with my charity team. My priority was to take some photos, check my bag and then, the most important, find a restroom. I had been too late to check my bag at the full marathon and I didn’t want to lug my bag during this race.

There weren’t that many porta potties so the lines were really long. I was one of the last runners to go to the washroom, but this time, I did not pass the start line until after the washroom visit. At the full marathon, I had stupidly started the race and then gone to the washroom, wasting valuable minutes to my time.

Watch Stops

I had run a bit when I noticed that my watch had stopped! I was really upset with the timing of it all! Of all times for my watch to stop is the one time I actually use it to pace myself. I  had to think of how I was going to pace myself.

I did not spot any of the pace bunnies either. I did know that I had to step up my pace a lot faster than the full marathon. I didn’t need to conserve as much energy if the race was only going to be 13.1 miles. I was surprised that there were runners who had started to walk right away. What were they doing the half marathon for? Why not just do the five K race?

I decided to pace myself comparing myself to other runners. I had a ‘butt size’ rule. If there were runners who had bigger butts than me, then I should be running faster. I also tried to follow an ‘age’ rule as well. I tried to run faster than runners who looked considerably older than me, too. I joke about this, but in a way, it did seem to make sense.

 Race Easier Than Full Marathon Race

I felt pretty good despite my lack of training this time. I pushed myself so that my fellow runners around me were younger and thinner than me. I was doggedly trying to keep up with a guy who had to have been in his 70s. Every time I ran ahead of him, he’d invariably catch up with me.

I was thrilled to see an old co-worker cheering on the route at around mile 12! I had cheered for him and another old co-worker at a half marathon a few months ago. I got my second wind and picked up the pace.

I still had no idea what my pace was or what time I would finish at because of the ‘no watch’ situation. I had asked one guy along the race what time it was but I think he gave me the wrong time. I also saw a large clock on a building toward the end of the route.

I managed to finish fairly strongly. I saw the clock and was satisfied with my time. Then I remembered that I had taken my time after the clock had started the race so my chip time would be even better! My chip time was seven minutes less than the clock time posted.

Just as I was feeling pretty good, I saw a runner who was older and much bigger than me! His waist was probably 50 inches and he was probably a good ten years older and yet he somehow beat me! Oh well. I was happy that I wasn’t too far back from my friend who is fifteen years younger than me and much thinner!

Met up Post-Race with Charity Team

The finish area was a zoo. The five K runners were finishing at around the same time. I didn’t think I’d find my friends nor my charity team but I did eventually. We took photos and watched the awards ceremony. I was glad that I was able to watch them because at the full marathon, they award the prizes far ahead of when I’d finish.

Post Race Brunch

My friend and I decided to reward ourselves with a decadent eggs Benedict brunch. I had a gift certificate I had won so I treated her. For some odd reason, we walked uphill to the restaurant. We were both so tired and yet we didn’t think to take the bus!

After brunch, I did some computer work at the library and then even did a little shopping. I was feeling fine. I did not feel too tired at all. I’m relieved that I was able to get a good time despite my taking lots of photos, too.

Day Seven Hundred and Fifty of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Mystery Shop Report Submitted

I woke up this morning so tired because I had been up until after 3 AM trying to submit my online mystery shop. I had been so frustrated because I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it and it kept coming back with an error message.

There is a 12 hour deadline for getting shop reports in so I was quite anxious about making sure that I met that, especially since this was my first time. I had sent an email to the head office which said that office hours were Monday to Friday. Despite that, somebody did get back to me and since they were three hours ahead, out east, had replied to my plea of help by the time I woke up.

The problem had been that there were two questions which only had two answers, ‘yes’ or ‘n/a’. I don’t know why they didn’t have ‘no’ as a choice because that’s what my answer had been. It frustrates me when surveys and forms aren’t written well, that is, don’t give all possible choices. I studied research study design in university decades ago so I know how to do it so I get annoyed when poorly designed forms show up in ones that I am answering.

Now that I know how to submit the report, I think I feel comfortable about doing it again. Unlike my last mystery shopping job that I did where I did get paid for my time, this was strictly being paid in trade (in this case food and drink). I think I would be willing to do it again.

Garage Sales

I was groggy when I met my friend for our Saturday garage sale hunt. Luckily, the first was a lane sale that was just around the corner from me. Neighboring condos set up tables outside along the lane. I was late but she was still looking around.

As I was looking at all of the tables, I couldn’t help thinking, gee, my neighbors have really nice stuff! One guy had the most amazing things and I couldn’t resist buying a running fuel belt and waterproof shock resistant camera for only $30! That was supposed to be my budget for the whole day.

Unexpected Meeting with Extras Casting Director

I was really surprised to spot an extras casting director I knew setting up tables with his stuff. He is a prominent extras casting director and has hired me for extra work for over twenty years. He has a reputation for running a tight ship, making sure extras arrive early.

The last time he had booked me a couple of months ago, I hadn’t confirmed my details until late on Sunday for the next day Monday’s shoot. I had been doing a long run and didn’t arrive home until after 5. With my agent, it’s no big deal, they’ve known me long enough that they know that I’ll get back to them. But for this casting director, he and his staff were leaving anxious messages for me!

I was mortified! I don’t carry a cell when I run. I confirmed as soon as I got home but I was still past the deadline. After that I hadn’t been booked from him. I assumed I had been black listed. I summoned up the courage this morning and approached him to ask him.

He told me that I wasn’t blacklisted. He said that the shows he’s been booking on have only needed younger people. He said that he had a show that I might be appropriate for next month and that he would call me. I was glad to hear that. I hope that he will book me next month.

Resting Up for Tomorrow’s Race

After a day of garage sale-ing in the sun, I was pretty tired. I did not want to run at all before tomorrow’s half marathon. I didn’t buy much else for the rest of the day but it was fun spending time with my friend.

I rested up for the remainder of the day. I had to get up early the next day, so I made sure and got everything ready. Since I didn’t get much sleep last night, I wanted to make sure and get to bed early. I haven’t trained as hard as I had for the full marathon, but I figured it would be okay.

Day Seven Hundred and Forty Nine of Unemployment-Fifty and Unemployed

Mystery Shop Studying

I spent the morning doing some last-minute studying and research for my mystery shop tonight. I’m a little anxious only because it’ll be my first time and also because it’s been over a year since I did one. I’m trying to memorize as much information as possible so that it’ll be easy to recall once I’m in the restaurant.

Picked Up Team Charity T-Shirt

I went to the charity office to pick up my t-shirt with the team’s name on it. I’ll be meeting my team members before the half-marathon race starts at 7 in the morning on Sunday. I had met a few of them this week and they seem to be nice people.

The t-shirt is not made of micro fibre but a new lighter knit. I hope that it is comfortable for at least the 13.1 miles of the half-marathon. The t-shirt screening company had made a mistake the first time and put the logo on 100 % cotton not knowing that no runner would ever wear it.

Volunteering at the Half-Marathon

I went downtown to the convention center to pick up my race bib, race shirt and bag. I did manage to go to the runner’s expo as well. It was a much smaller one than the one they have at the full marathon in May.

I rushed over to the volunteer check-in area to report for my shift. I was volunteering for five hours at package pick up. Since I had so much experience in package pick up (not that it takes much to figure it out!) they put me there with a couple of high school students and an exchange student from Korea.

We all had a really great time together! They had never volunteered for a running event before. They were eager to learn and help out. I like working with young people since I can learn what their lives are like compared to when I was their age. I think we had a lot more freedom because we were able to get our drivers licence at age 16 whereas there are a lot more obstacles to kids today. It wasn’t too busy either, so that was good.

First Mystery Shop

The six hours volunteering went by quickly but I was fairly tired. I went over my notes once more before I approached the short distance to the restaurant. Once I felt that I was ready, I walked on over.

Generally speaking, although the meal itself was nice, I had a bad first impression with the hostesses. They were young 20 somethings and they didn’t treat me very well. They were dismissive and arrogant. If I weren’t doing this shop, I would have walked out. As they were treating me like that, I was smiling, thinking, you really picked the wrong person to be a jerk to.

All of the mystery shop tricks came back to me. The meal went slower than I wanted it to since I was tired and just wanted to go home. Two and a half hours later, I had made enough notes and mental notes about the experience to write the report.

Transit Problem Coming Home

For some reason, all of the buses were re-routed and it was all a mess. I saw one bus and ran to catch it. It was unaware that the road was blocked off and was letting on passengers. Once we got to the road blocks, we were forced to walk four blocks to catch a bus. By the time I finally got home it was after 11 PM.

Technical Problems with Report

I was not thrilled that I got home so late because I still had to write my report and from what my friend had warned me, it would take a good hour. Because it was my first time, it took me twice that long! Once I finished, I couldn’t seem to submit my report.

It kept giving me an error message and I was upset because it was so late. I had to email the help department and hope that they could help me before my 12 hour deadline was up. I finally got to bed after 3 AM.