BACK TO LIFE AS USUAL

I've been back at work for two weeks and we have the first two episodes of Mr.Young 'in the can'. It's been exhausting to say the least. After two months of relaxation, one month spent in the beautiful Caribbean, I have spoiled and softened. Thirteen hour work days with a two and a half hour daily commute are a shock to this system! It doesn't help that we started off hitting the ground at a full run... both episodes were pretty huge with lots going on.

I am still looking for a place to live. But now, I am looking with a friend from work. Her son is one of our cast members and their home is on Vancouver Island so they rent a townhouse close to the studio. But it's not big enough and they are looking to move and we have decided to get a place together. Thing is, there's not many nice 4 bedroom places for rent. The search goes on!

I have been looking for a car to buy. My old '93 Jeep Cherokee is dying a slow and painful death. I first thought I'd get a 2003 Toyota Echo as I like the way the seats are in that car - you sit more upright than low down with your legs extended out; that kills my lower back. But then I went to my mechanic to get my studded snow tires replaced with some cheap all seasons (before I got a ticket!) and he has some Suzuki Grand Vitaras for sale at a very reasonable price. I saw a 2001 for $5,000. It is a rebuild from being a write off, but all he had to replace were the headlights and the hood from it rear-ending another vehicle. He said, and it's true, that ICBC write off older vehicles for the slightest thing these days. It is a 4 wheel drive, which I like, and felt quite compact inside yet with lots of leg room. So I am saving up and hope to have it or one like it by the end of summer. I hope the old Jeep lasts that long.


My Blurb photo book arrived this week and I am really pleased with it. The upgraded paper quality and a linen cover were totally worth the extra few dollars (under $4) and the only thing I would change is the size of the font on some of the writing; the stuff on the inside of the flyleaf is kinda small. I would probably go for a bigger book next time too. I had it delivered to work, as that is where I am all of the time now, and so people got to see it and were really impressed. One of the boom operators took it home for her husband to see - he is a camera operator, and he not only liked the book itself but said I had a great eye; that the composition of the photos were really good. That made me feel pretty great. It is a really wonderful keepsake of a fabulous trip.


Speaking of which, I can't wait to go back to the sunshine of the Caribbean. The weather here is HORRIBLE. It has rained most all week and today, Saturday, it's just pissing down rain. July 16th. You'd never know it. I have decided that I need to give some serious thought to how I am going to move to a warmer climate in the future because I really can't take this weather any more. Life is far too short to spend it in the rain if you hate the rain. It's too short to spend any time doing anything you really hate doing. And if I lived somewhere warm and pretty, my kids would come and visit me and I'd actually get to see more of them... two weeks a year would add up to more than I see them in a year as it stands right now.

I need to figure out how to increase my income to make this dream a reality. I am open to any and all serious and practical suggestions (no multi-level marketing schemes please - I detest them).