A Forced Vacation

It's been a while. I just have no idea what to write about anymore. Fear not, I'm figuring it out. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

I was forced to use up my 2007 vacation days, or lose them. We were not offered money for the unused days. I bet cable employees would get money. Actually, no. Cable employees have the time to take their vacations during the year. They get to wear jeans to work in the winter and bathing suits in the summer. That's how it works at Viacom anyway. I kid, well not really, but cable and broadcast really are two separate beasts. That's the way everyone like it. So there I was forced to take days off before June 30th. As was almost everyone else I work with. A couple of people didn't have any days to carry over from last year. Around here we call them slackers. I mean really, how did they not have extra days? And no, they don't get their work done faster. Did you just call me bitter?

Forced to take vacation, but I had no desire to spend money. I'm back at my parents' house to save money not splurge on vacations. These days when I even think of spending money I get all nervous. I need to stop watching House Hunters and My First Place. I forget most people on the shows are buying homes in places I could afford to live as well, not LI or Manhattan. Eventually I'll own something. Maybe my parents will sell me the garage and I can make it an awesome apartment and then get a water bed like Mike Seaver? I decided to call up or rather e-mail some friends and see who wanted to blow some hard earned money on a "stay-cation" on the east end of Long Island. I had 3 takers, wooo. My younger sister and two friends were more than happy to take the long drive and spend too much money to stay in NY. We had a blast. And the sun blasted us. Seriously. 6 hours in the direct sun and 4 times I put on 55+ sun block with helioplex and UVA/UVB rays protection and I'm still burned! No, it doesn't tan. It will eventually peel but for now it is uncomfortable to sleep and when I shower and wash my hair I have to forgo extra conditioning and just use a 2 in 1. My arms hurt too much to lift and move around. TMI? I'll stop. You really should see my hair today. Thank God I remembered a clip to pull it back. It's not quite as bad as Monica's humidity frizz, but it's not pretty. Remember that Friends episode? "Knock that thing off her head."

I was going to write while in Montauk, but then I paid all of that money to be on the beach (okay across the street from the beach). I used the time to have fun, relax and clear my mind to get the Brothers & Sisters spec completed. It's been making me angry lately. So much so that I put it down and stopped writing. But now I'm refreshed (kinda, today is my first day back and that's always a buzzkill). Tonight I plan on attacking the script. I'm just going to write and whatever comes out comes out. If it's crap, which it will most likely be, I will be fine with that. It should be enough to make me get back into writing. It's the putting it off and scaring myself into thinking I suck at writing that is no good.

A funny note.... while in Montauk we couldn't find the Lighthouse. We kept ending up at the Harbor looking around in search of the Lighthouse. Keep in mind, I've seen it many times before but it had been a while since my last visit out that way. We finally got a map from a liquor store and found the place (we were purchasing LI wine). Confuse us with tourists, embarrassing but fine; it's better than driving around and having to fill up the damn gas tank again!