|
2017-12-18 - 8:44 p.m. I made it through the Accounting Associate program (really well trained bookkeepers) and left feeling completely insecure in whatever knowledge I acquired while there. It's amazing what one disapproving/dismissive instructor can do. Anyhow, in the middle of the program, I discovered that my union accounting dept. pays $14/hr for the first three weeks and if they don't lay you off, your pay rises to $22/hr. They do 12-hour days, five days a week. Any how, I got through and passed, and then returned to paint while I got my bearings. I did some work, had some time off, and then was hired as a scenic on a series. The Foreman/On-set/Location person was actively sabotaging the boss and was let go - suddenly I was the Foreman. That was great - got paid for 12s every day and managed to toss $5G at the credit cards in six weeks, but it's rare (or used to be) that a person had to wear three hats - especially when one is the foreman. I pulled it off and the boss was happy. He said that he'd hire me again when he got another show but I've rather fallen apart in the meantime - haha. I had to leave that show a couple of days early because of my stomach, spent until the end of Feb sitting around on short-term disability while I waited for specialists, a colonoscopy, a finally, a surgery date (May). Meanwhile, I had developed a nagging cough in Jan. and went to the doc in Feb. Chest x-ray showed bronchitis, and then I was sent to another specialist. I returned to work for just over a week and my back kept going out from the cough, so, I went back on disability. They told me in July that I have emphysema. This kind of pisses me off because I've never been a heavy smoker and I know folks who smoke two packs a day and are "fine". The stomach thing took a few months longer than it should've to heal (it appears they pissed off a nerve at one of the incision points) but it's all good now - aside from being squishy all over from a lack of exercise during most of the last year. In Aug. I was finally sent to an orthopaedic specialist and was told my shoulder was bursitis - not frozen. This is five years into this sore shoulder. I had two injections, six months apart and it now looks as if it also involves the rotator cuff. I sold the fretless bass. My little finger on my left hand has curled and won't straighten out anymore. I'm selling the `74 P-bass and amp. I'm still smoking a bit, 5-6 a day...I know, I'll quit once I can muster up some "give a damn". I'm now waiting to hear from the disability folks about making this permanent; there are too many issues with the old carcass these days.
|