A Milestone

July was an unusual month. I had a break from the standard suckfest that has become my day to day existence.

Okay, that's not entirely true. Lame shit did happen, as it always does, but there was some actual good things going on as well. The Ice-Crap Sundae had a liberal dose of whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry on top.

That isn't chocolate sauce.

First, I moved into a new area well away from that shithole known as Everett. Second, I finally got my work shift changed down to part time, freeing up four days a week for me to work on my other endeavors. That includes Fridays, meaning I can actually go out and possibly develop a social life.

And yes, I know what you're thinking. "Darren, you brilliant bastard, if you're constantly hard up for cash, how is reducing your hours going to improve that? Have you thought this through?"

Actually, yes, I have thought this through. You see, faceless comment-monkey, I'm still working roughly the same amount of hours per week. But rather than have a set schedule inhibiting me, I can freely pick up extra shifts whenever I feel, allowing me some much needed flexibility. And the best part is, thanks to a provision of the Affordable Care Act-- or "Obama Care," as it's commonly referred to-- I still get to keep all of my benefits while being part time.

"I'm still waiting for a 'Thank You.'"

It is this new found flexibility which allowed me to hit a milestone. Thanks to my new schedule, I was able to audition for a commercial I normally would have turned down due to it conflicting with my job. And thanks in part to my new shift, I got hired. That's right, I was cast in my very first commercial! After five long years, I can happily say that I am once again a paid actor.

It was filmed just a few days ago, on the 27th and 28th. I'm not ashamed to say that as the shoot date neared, I grew more and more apprehensive. After all, I'd never done any acting in front of a camera before, and new experiences can be nerve wracking.

But cold feet wasn't the issue. My own cynicism was.

There was a tiny, persistent voice in the back of my mind, constantly telling me that I was going to blow it, and ruin my chances of ever working as an actor again. 'Good things don't happen to me,' it whispered insidiously. And since good things don't happen, I was obviously being set up to fall down. Hard.

Pictured: Me

Clearly I need to start thinking positive.

Thankfully, I firmly told the voice to die in a fire and moved on.

The shoot was definitely an interesting experience. I was a background character in a commercial for a local casino. Myself and about twenty others were escorted onto the gaming floor, where we pretended to be having the time of our lives playing slots. I learned that during these kinds of shoots, you spend the majority of your time standing around, talking. Or sitting. The shoot lasted nine hours both days, and I'm pretty sure I only "worked" for around two hours.

Clearly I need to do more of this acting thing.

The best part, I think, was the food. By Odin's armpit, they feed you well. The buffet alone was worth the trip and the time. Between that and all the snacks, I probably gained twenty pounds. At least.