Hi hi hi hi! Hope you girls are doing well! Welcome to my first blog. This is exciting! I apologize in advance for my run-on sentences and off the wall comments. I started my day today on 5 hours of sleep and have now had like 3 cups of coffee. WHOOOPEEEE!!
I'm having one of those days that really aggravate me in the film industry. I came in to work at 6:30 and have done no work since 11:30 this morning. I have to sit here until 6:30 tonight. With no work. This is why I'm broke. I turn to internet shopping in these dire times.
I've recently gotten into the oil cleansing method. (Look it up, its like a spa facial at home.) I've bought castor oil, almond oil, jojoba, lavender and peppermint oil. And that was right after I bought $85 worth of Murad cleanser and various potions for my adult acne. That's right, folks. It's back. It's so unfair to get pimples AND wrinkles. I mean, c'mon! I would like all of you to take the time now to thank your parents, their genes, and the powers that be that you all have lovely skin. I'm fighting a losing battle down here. It makes me want to copy Kiki and detox my life. I wish I could just start from scratch. No caffeine addiction, no gluten, no dairy (no cellulite!), and taste buds that only crave fruits and leafy greens.
Now, on that note I will say that I'm quite happy about my overall health. I went to the lady doctor last week and guess what! I have gained 10 lbs in a year! That's pretty good for me! I haven't gained 10 lbs since I was like 12. I don't really know how it happened either. I've outgrown 4 pairs of pants, and I couldn't be happier about it. Maybe the puberty fairy finally found my home!! (My boobs are bigger too! YES.) I'll be a totally different fat old hag by the time you girls see me again. Ha!
Speaking of which, when will we all see each other again? I miss you! Do you girls feel like all of our lives are finally starting to shape into something? Jen, you were the first to take the big step, and then Kiki and Haley... I just remember thinking how scary it seemed. I've thought about how brave you girls are quite a bit and also how unhappy I've been with my career choices, so I'm making the choice to do something different and maybe just plain crazy. Big breath here. I'm moving back home. ......Not nearly as exciting as NYC or LA, but I don't think that big city life is for me. My dad and I have been in serious talks since One Tree Hill ended about me moving home and working for him. It started as a joke. And then it just wasn't. Recently, he's had some difficulty with his business plan for the future. He had several different employees that were in the "plan" to take over when my dad retired, and gradually he lost one (that guy actually moved to Wilmington) and then slowly my dad realized that the dependable people that were left to take over are only 10 years younger than him! So, when he retires, they would take over and then 10 years go by, and then what? Then, there's me.
So, I know you girls might think I've gone crazy. But, when I really started to think it over it made sense. I would work 40 hours/week instead of 60 and make around about the same money that I make doing this crap in the film industry just starting off and not have to worry about finding employment every few months and saving money vs. paying bills. I keep getting stuck on these low budget shows where they don't pay enough and my living expenses just keep going up while I'm not making any more money. I'm a ladder climber, people! And I just cannot climb fast enough in this industry. I should be making more money! Maybe that sounds cocky, but I'm damn good at my job (I should be, I've done it long enough.) but I made the mistake of settling on that bottom rung on One Tree Hill for FAR too long. I can't be 29 and still be a secretary. I just won't do it.
Whew.
SO, anyway, off my soap box. I'm moving home. To take over my dad's business in 20 years. Ha! I really do sound crazy..... I'm trying to focus on the pros which are:
- Being closer to my family....my grandparents won't be around forever.
- More time for myself. What will I do with 20 extra hours a week??? The real question is what WON'T I do with that extra time!? (Gym, video games, more play time with Bailey, volunteering (eh?), gardening! It's so exciting!)
- More money in a faster amount of time. At least that's the plan....
- Stock options
- BENEFITS. Sick days, paid days off, VACATION TIME, 401K, need I go on?
- My dad's office closes at noon on Fridays! 2 and a half day weekend every weekend....more time for trips to NY and LA!
- A chance to redo my living expenses. Smaller house, smaller yard, less maintenance, more chances to save money.
- Working for my dad. Cool.
And now for the Cons:
- Working for my dad. Not always cool.
- I know next to no one under the age of 50 in Hickory, NC. Hmmm...there are ways to remedy that. I just have to talk to people. Jen, where are you when I need you!?
- The whole thing with Jeff is up in the air. He graduates from SCAD in August, so his career might take him somewhere far far away, and then again, maybe it won't.
- STEPFAMILY. *groan*
- STEPFAMILY (hey, there are a LOT of them. They deserve 2 bullet points.)
- I have to live in Hickory, NC. Possibly until I'm 65. This, to me, is the worst part of the whole deal. If only I could work for my dad and live in.....well, anywhere but Hickory. Port Isaac, for example. I'm obsessed with this place, must take a trip there in the future! Anyone in?
So, right now, I think the Pros outweigh the Cons. There are a lot of things that are undecided. Like I mentioned, I have no idea what Jeff and I are doing. I don't know where I'll live, but that's fixable as soon as this show ends and I can make some trips home to look. I don't know if I'll sell my house in Wilmington or try to rent it. My dad wants me to sell, but I've always wanted to be a landlord. (THE LAWD.) The plan is to move in July, so I'll get a little bit of a summer in Wilmington, and I'll have time to take a small vacation to Grand Cayman with Jeff from June 6-13th, hell yeah. I should have enough time to look for a house in Hickory and manage to get my house on the market or find a rental company to look after it and get some tenants in place.
All of that being unloaded, do you think I'm crazy? It's ok, be honest. I kind of think I'm crazy. But, I'm so bored with Wilmington. Don't get me wrong. I love this place and I always will, but I've outgrown it, and I know you girls will understand that. So, let me know what you think. I really could use any advice you want to give.
Love you! xoxo!
--Leigh
