My "easy" day.

I'm sorry about infrequent postings. I've been working. Alot.

I've been compositing at an effects house that specializes in music videos, and the production schedule is hectic. I no longer take my weekends for granted, as I often have to work at least one day of the two, on average.

This is not to complain or make excuses, but rather, to explain why getting off of work early can be is such an exciting thing to me. Thus, when my employer sent me home at four the other day, because there were simply no more shots to labor over, I was filled with a sense of hope and glee.

I went to the sunset strip. I'd been looking for a Keeley Compressor for my guitar rig, and I thought one of the shops might have it. No luck. I browse a while and begin walking to my car...

...Which is when all hell breaks loose. My phone rings. I answer. My supervisor at work wonders where the hell I've gone and if I could come back. I explain that I was let go for lack of work by HIS boss, but that I'd be willing to return. My heart sinks. Supervisor checks... tells me my early day is legit. I am relieved for a second, but as I hang up my phone and look over at my car, my stomach drops. The 2001 blue Corolla I recognize as my own is sandwiched between two white Hollywood parking enforcement vehicles. One is a tow truck, which explains why my car's front end is rising slowly into the air.

I run across the street and plead with the cop for a break. I'm here. Give me the fine, okay, but don't tow my car. To no avail, however. I suppose I'm lucky they offer to give me a ride in the tow truck to the impound place. How humiliating.

The damage, all told? $200. Lovely. A half hour later, I'm heading over to TrueTone in Santa Monica, hoping to get lucky on the Compressor pedal. It's a long drive, made longer by the beginning rush hour.

The guys at TrueTone are nice enough. They give me a few pedals for comparison. And sit me right in the middle of the store to try them out. Now, this bugs me. A little secret I'm gonna let you in on here is that I'm very insecure about my guitar playing skills. I'm a singer/songwriter. I only really play well enough to operate in conjunction with the other two. I'm a strummy, rhythm kinda guy, and I'm well aware that every one of the jaded sales staff and customers can play circles around me. It only makes me more nervous as the sales guy keeps giving me cheaper pedals to try. As I sit there hacking away at the strings, all I can think is "he doesn't think I'm worthy of a nice pedal like that." I'm sure he was just being helpful, but what can I say? I'm paranoid and fragile. Hold me.

So I buy the Keeley, because it's what I wanted in the first place. It sounds great. I head home, again fighting rush hour traffic, and decide to take surface streets to save some time. I get lost instead.

I finally roll in to my apartment at 8:30, exhausted. I have to cancel a dinner with some friends just because the thought of driving any more makes me ill.

Thus my easy day ends with a few hours of DVDs and some time on the computer working on my band's record. Not a bad way to finish it off, but not at all the break I'd been hoping for. Oh well. Wake me in November.