Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Fading cognizance

I had a client tell me once that I took too much time off for vacation. He was sort of joking, but I could tell there was an underlying truth to his feelings. I told him how I had actually not taken that much time at all, that I was dedicated to being in the studio consistently for my clients, and that if he just watched for the next 6 months, he would see that I don't take much vacation at all.

I hadn't hung up the phone for ten seconds when I realized I had just paid for a trip to Mexico, and it was coming up in three weeks. After I had told my client how little vacation time I took, I had to write an email memo to all my clients, telling them I was taking a week off. Copulate a mallard!

Do I really take too much vacation time? No, probably not. But I told him I hardly ever take time off, then took a week. It was a coincidence, sure... but my client chose not to renew my contract when it came time.

Moral of the story? There is none, except that a person's perception is their reality... sometimes we inadvertently reinforce that perception... and timing sucks.
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What's with the whole "ice and fuel" thing? I've heard of several businesses called _____ Ice & Fuel, but they sell neither ice, nor fuel. One is a restaurant, and the other is a siding and window company. I just don't get it. It would be akin to renaming my blog "Dave's Dignity and Self Respect Page."

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When you're on a float trip down a shallow river with sharp rocks, it's never good if you lose your creek shoes. Ask me how I know.
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There are few lonelier feelings than when your MSN Messenger says none of your friends or family are online and you are listening to old Frankie Laine music on a Tuesday night in St. Louis. And that's why god made scotch.
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Dedicated to my representation, the William Morris Agency of New York.

And to my friend Dr. Mike. And my friend Gary. Oh, and Ron. And Blogaritaville, Nowhere Girl, Lightning Bug's Butt, Weary Hag, Steve Mays, everyone else linked on my side bar, and quite possibly, you.

11 comments:

Lee Ann said...

You are so right....timing does suck, when you don't want it to!

Amandarama said...

The important thing is did you have fun in Mexico? If so, then it was worth it.

Blogarita said...

Maybe you could get that client back by taking him along on your next vacation. Next week, right?

... said...

Seems like to me, that if you were able to complete the requirements the particular client had of you regardless of how much time you had off, they shouldn't have fired you just because they think you are off too much.

People think we are off too much, at least this year....I say, one two family reunion and the equivalent of two weekends at the beach is not too much for a whole year...

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

"Copulate a mallard"

Love it!

Violet said...

You could have cut your pain in half by wearing the one creek shoe that you didn't lose on the float trip.... But, then you probably would have had back pain from limping all day with only one shoe.

mckay said...

isn't that supposed to be one of the perks of being a 'talent'? you have more freedom to work odd hours and somewhat choose your gigs and/or clients?

WMA? i'm jealous. I'd love to get into voiceover work. ...oh, you should check out 'the comic' on my blog sidebar. he does lots of LA voiceover work, but his blog is all about touring standup for the troops. hellofaguy.

Anonymous said...

Okay, Dave, it's time for a trip down memory lane. Mooohahahahaha.

Folks, I still have in my possession cassette and quarter-track reel to reel tapes Dave and I made when we were no more than 13; yes, he was already learning the joys of recording his voice, though both of us were still painfully squeaky.

One of our precious few sound effects was a small Morse code beeper, which he had apparently assembled from a kit. We used it to "bleep out" potential profanities. Dave would portray an interviewer, asking celebrities rather unlikely questions... "Dorothy Hamill, do you cuss?"

"No!", I would reply, in an even more painfully squeaky falsetto...

(Hm. Maybe I'm sharin' too much with you people...)

..."I would never say words like... [beeeep] and... [beeeeep] and you son of a... [beeeeeeeeep]!", projecting the long beeps much further than would actually be required to censor a word, because that was even funnier. To us at the time, anyway.

Now I learn the answer to the question "What would happen to a kid who was once strangely concerned about censoring naughty words?"

He grows up to concoct phrases like "Copulate a mallard!"

Any minute now, simians shall take flight from my sphincter. :)

Nobody said...

Bullshit? Moi? Never ;)

By the way, Dave... NO SUCH THING as too much vacation?!

What part of Mexico???

Dave Morris said...

Um. Ned. You don't have to tell everything you know. Nobody wants to hear those bull-(bleeeeeeeeep) stories.

Oh, and burn those (bleeeeeeeeep)-ing tapes.

Maven said...

You can never go wrong with the addition of a Maxine cartoon:)