"Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does." ~ Jane Austen
I'm taking a short break from the endless database work. One of my esteemed co-workers came by my office yesterday, seeking changes in the design. He also had a new request which I don't know how to fulfill at this moment. It's definitely do-able; it's just going to take some time for my brain to figure it out.
Hubby has a job event today. It's not an interview; he has to submit an application and allow them to take his fingerprints. It's a government job. It is a job he can get, no doubt about it. Last week, he scheduled an audition for 4:00 p.m. today and the job thing is at 5:30. I suggested perhaps he should do the audition a little earlier to ensure he makes it to the job event in time. I impressed upon him the importance of having a job and the dire ramifications to our relationship if he screws this up. Hubby assured me he'd make it in time.
Yesterday he was looking for his Social Security card or his birth certificate. All employers are legally required to verify citizenship through one of those two documents. The federal government seems to be pretty inflexible about it. Go figure. Who keeps up with their birth certificate? As for the Social Security card, I tend to lose mine pretty regularly. I mean, it's in the house somewhere and I always mean to put it in a very obvious location. Unfortunately, I can't ever remember what I thought constituted "obvious" at the time.
When I came home from lunch, I went searching for Hubby, who's usually downstairs for my arrival. I found him lying on his bed. One o'clock in the afternoon and he's lying around in bed.
"Are you okay?" I asked, thinking he'd better have something wrong with him to justify such blatant slackerdom.
"I'm feeling a little run down. Having cold chills." This is generally a hint that, like Scarlett O'Hara, Hubby is going to be taking to his bed for a couple of weeks. They used to call it "the vapors." I just call it lazy.
"Well, can you come lie down on the sofa and supervise the dogs?"
(Aside: I just got another injury report from Virginia. What is with these people, anyway?)
Hubby came downstairs and I went back to work. When I got home later in the afternoon, just absolutely dead tired, I asked him how he was feeling. He actually said he was feeling better. I believe that would be a first. (Critical note: He did not ask how I was feeling.)
Hubby finally ferreted out the birth certificate and Social Security card around 7:00 last night. Apparently the not feeling good thing was related to feeling grossly incompetent because he couldn't find either of those documents. I pointed out that it's a life rule that if you put something somewhere you're sure to find it, you may never find it again. Or it will take you hours to locate it. That's just how it goes.
In the meantime, he's trying to cast a performance/radio documentary scheduled for February (I think) about cowboy songs. It's a big niche market for recording companies, apparently. Who knew. Anyway, the lead non-singing part was supposed to be filled by an actor friend. Unfortunately, the actor friend, Jeff, is very bipolar and doesn't have the best track record in the world for staying on his meds. He's an excellent actor, though.
Jeff had another theatrical performance here in town around the same time as Hubby's. Last week he sent out an email to Hubby and the director of the other play, telling them that he was maybe going to get to audition for something in New York at that time. If the audition materialized, he would be unavailable for these two previous commitments.
As for Hubby's venture, Jeff was unhappy right from the get-go (do people say that anywhere other than in Texas?) because he felt he didn't get adequate billing in the advance publicity that was just disseminated a month ago or so. The show is about cowboy singers. Therefore, the actual cowboy singers do indeed get higher billing. You know?
Anyway, things just can't come to a screeching halt because Jeff has a more promising venture. Hubby let Jeff know that he'd be casting someone else in that part. Unfortunately, I guess that means the end of the friendship, too. They've known each other for about 20 years now, having met when he was cast in one of Hubby's plays. Hubby's a little distressed about it.
As for me, I just can't do the whole drama thing. Actors have very thin skins and tend to whine about things or have hissy fits or create personal drama where none should really exist. Or maybe it's just the actors I've known. I have no patience for that. You people are big old grownups now, so let's try and act like it. Jeez.
So that's why Hubby has an audition set for today. He found another actor whom he thinks will be a good match with the role. Do I care? Yes, I hope it works out and I hope the February event is a roaring success. I have more pressing matters on my mind right now, though. A job. Hubby will be paid for the performance, but not enough to justify sitting around on his butt for the next several months.
Well, there you have it. I've got all that going for me and a gazillion records to update. Aside from that, the sun is shining through the leaves of the trees visible outside my office window. Present moment, wonderful moment.
