The easiest of days

I just had what is probably the easiest set day ever.  Although to be fair, it still held pretty much the same madness that every day doing background does.  I will explain:

It's Monday, my first day back to work after a pretty long vacation.  Actually my first day back this year.  My call time was 7:30am.  I set my alarm for 6, knowing I would have to rush a little to get there at 6:30, but I had gone to bed a little late, so felt like it was worth it.  I woke up to my alarm with a "really?" and hopped out of bed.  I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower so it could warm up.  It usually takes about 5 minutes or so, so I went downstairs to have my banana.  After a few minutes I went to the bathroom.  The shower water was still ice cold.  I turned the nozzle a little less hot, which is a trick I use to get it to warm up quicker.  I got some things ready in my room and then went and ate a piece of bread.  The water was still cold.

This is the thing, I like to shower every day, it is refreshing and fun and keeps my happy and clean, however,  I actually hadn't showered since Saturday morning.  There wasn't a good excuse, just that I had been dog sitting at a friend's house and then didn't get around to it the next day.  So now it is Monday morning, I haven't shaved or showered in days and I have about ten more minutes before I have to leave for set.  What would you do?

I left the water on in hopes that something would kick in and grabbed my shaving soap.  I didn't have too much stubble, so the shave wasn't too bad.  Then, I ran downstairs and turned on my electric kettle, boiling about a liter of water.  When that was done, I brought it upstairs to the sink, dumped it in, added a little cold water so it wasn't too hot, grabbed the soap and my towel and went at myself.  I'm not saying it was the best sponge bath that I will ever have, that's going to happen around 2045, but it did the job.  I dried off, grabbed my stuff and hit the road, making it there in plenty of time of course.

The morning was pretty normal outside of me forgetting a pen and having to go back to the car for one.  I did my typical thing of not grabbing breakfast before I signed in, even though I know it is ok.  I nailed my wardrobe right away and didn't need any of the big bag of clothes I brought.  I ogled the prettiest woman in the room, who was the mom of one of the child actors of the day.  She was the kind of mom that makes you wish you had a good job and could support a family.  I didn't see a ring on her finger either, so I was extra polite all day.  :)

We got called to set holding (a park bench on a fake NYC street) and I met Ms. Venom aka crankypants.  There is always at least one (although usually more) cranky people on set.  Considering there were only 4 adults and 2 kids today, you can imagine what the percentages are like.  This woman was upset because she had been pre-chosen to be the toy store clerk and they had switched her with another woman who was initially going to be a parent.  Her gripe was that she had listened to the line and it had said to wear upscale clothing and she had and the other woman had not (she was in jeans) and so they had switched their roles and essentially that it was messed up. 

Now just saying this isn't a problem in itself, background people always gripe about little things.  It is the constant repetition of the statement that makes one venomous.  When you have told everyone within earshot the story, then stop.  Don't tell it again and again and especially don't tell it when no one is even paying attention to you. 

Since I try to be compassionate, I asked her why her original role was important to her.  She said she had never been a toy store clerk before.  *Hand to forehead*  This woman, who is getting paid the same as everyone else today, who had no more chance of getting a line or being scene than anyone else, was upset because they changed her role.  She didn't even have to change her wardrobe, which the other girl did!  This, my friends, is an example of someone who causes herself lots of unnecessary stress and then spreads it to others.  Toxic.

The actually shooting was super easy.  I stood next to the little girl background actor and pointed at toys.  It was one scene, one set up and we were done in under a half hour, which means...

New record for shortest work day!!

I was out of there in under two hours from my start time.

So now I have time to blog.  :)