I no longer remember when this was taken. It must have been sometime when Laird Barron was doing something amazing (which doesn't narrow it down at all.)
My best guess on where is the Old Town Bar here in NYC.
The desperadoes are (left to right) Brooks Sherman, agent to the stars; Jeff Somers writer provocateur; Sean Ferrell, writer extraordinaire.
My role in this group: audience. All I do is laugh so hard I have to be careful not to blow whisky out the schnoz.
One of the great percs of this job is hanging out with these guys.
What's one of the percs of your job?
41 comments:
I get to find out about a lot of amazing history books and learn many fascinating stories of the past. I've really been lucky to have gotten into my preferred profession.
Hangin' out here. I can't think who I'd trade this group for.
The job I enjoyed most was officially titled "babysitter". I got to know mares who were about to foal so they'd be relaxed around me when they foaled and trust me with their babies. I messed with the babies from the time they hit the ground nearly until they went to the sale or track.
If I didn't have to put up with stupid people, it would have been the perfect job forever and a day. What's not to love about playing with a hundred plus colts and fillies? We did get some work done, but it's good to turn it into play.
Right now, I love reading and getting lost in the lives of those who went before. What could be better? Well, aside from writing, of course. There's nothing better when you have a good day writing.
Sometimes it even earns me an invitation to neat places like this.
I am a full time trial attorney, in court at least 3-4 days per week, who rarely works more than 40-45 hours per week. This is rare for an attorney, especially in CA. I enjoy my job, also rare in CA.
I almost didn't recognize Jeff Somers because his head is in focus.
I like the writing parts of my job, and love the getting-up-in-front-of-a-group parts. I don't like the when-it-rains-it-pours part, or the when-it-doesn't-rain-your-bank-account-is-dry part.
What I've really been loving lately is volunteering with my daughter at an equine therapy center. Beautiful horses, lovely volunteers, and the bravest riders you'll ever meet.
I get to watch movies and get paid for it. That's a pretty good perk in my book!
I get to honor my father by carrying on a family tradition and do something I love.
Watching the grandchildren grow up. One got married yesterday and another is just learning to ski and riding the ski lift with the help of her big brother.
I love pruning my vines. One mile of clipping off the unneeded shoots, and attaching the two shoots to the trellis for this years grapes. It takes about five days. (We added another three miles last year...it was the least enjoyable aspect, digging 5000 small holes for the babies.) The beauty is being able to think of dialogue for whichever m/s I'm working on at the time.
cheers
(John, well put.)
Love me some Jeff Somers. I’ve been reading his work since he used to send zines made on a home printer and stapled together. Funny, funny man.
Being encouraged to daydream - that's a pretty awesome perk! But after reading Kate Larkindale's comment, now I have perk envy :-)
The only thing I like about my life now is watching movies in my spare time and studying how they work. Most of them don't work, of course, but I just saw an oldie someone might find interesting.
It is called AS GOOD AS IT GETS. I got it on DVD from Netflix. Jack Bicholson, who is now retired from acting, much to the loss of our culture, plays a writer named Melvin Udall. It is true to life inasmuch as Melvin is both writer and curmudgeon, and it is a great study in how to use humor to disclose character as well as entertain the audience/reader. Keep 'em laughing and they'll keep reading/watching in the hope you'll tell them another one. The humor is sometimes pretty dark.
"You are a disgrace to depression," Melvin says to another character. "But don't worry. You'll be back on your knees in no time."
Helen Hunt, who is always good, plays a love interest to Melvin who does not even like Melvin. I was laughing so hard I didn't care whether I liked him or not. Fortunately, Nicholson left an awesome body of work before he retired.
Good movie. To quote an erstwhile local movie critic, "Joe Bob says, 'Check it out.'"
Grateful for a peaceful Sunday afternoon off!
John - amen, friend!
Happy writing, folks.
I work in Behavioral Health, which can be pretty intense. One perk of my job is we have a great team, I have the perfect boss, and we all work well together. Another is getting letters that say "Because of the treatment I got at your place I didn't kill myself and am doing well now."
Perks of my acting job - nothing develops dialogue skills better. You get very good at "why does this character do what he does?" Both come in handy for writing.
Last November I committed to make writing a priority (second only to family and day job). It's paying off. I've turned down several acting jobs, which is freaking people out (including me). I'm treating writing as a career this year and having a blast. For Nano last November I decided to write this monster project I've been wanting to write but was afraid to tackle. It's coming together better than I imagined. I hope it sells so I can retire to a beach house, but even if it doesn't, I love this project, I love these characters, and it stretches me.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
My boss and my next cubicle neighbor laugh at my jokes.
My boss (female, younger than me) takes me out for sushi lunches and charges it to her company credit card.
Sweet, ain't it? Though I think I would rather have Kate Larkindale's perk:)
Happy Sunday, all!
As a fulltime homemaker, my biggest perk is getting to hang with my littles all day.
I love it that people are able to say they enjoy their job. It's probably something really special and makes life good.
Congratulations on your grandchild's wedding yesterday, Kitty. You must be so proud :).
I don't have a job. Sadly. But I am hopeful to find something that I can do. My OCD has eaten me during most of my life until I finally became able to start fighting it back a few years ago. I've slowly made progress (what's the English saying again? "Slowly but surely"? Or steadily?)
I'm a happy person now, that's good enough for me and as a perk :) (writing about it has also been good). Only that I have no family because they've let me down and never really understood what my mental illness is.
And, I have a big financial worry because I won't have a pension due to it. Damn.
CynthiaMc, I get that lump in my throat and a shower of goosebumps when reading that your perk is getting letters from your patients saying "Because of the treatment I got at your place, I didn't kill myself and am doing well now"!
Love to you!
Steve Stubbs, I agree that AS GOOD AS IT GETS is kind of funny. Even I had to laugh when Melvin's dog steps over the threshold in the OCD-way. I'm not sure, though, if I'd really, really call it a good movie because it doesn't portray correctly what OCD (Marvin's condition) is. It's not funny at all :(.
But I understand why/that you like it :).
I get to work from home and say no to projects I don't really want to work on--at least for periods of time. I recently got approved for my LLC, and I now wish I'd done it years ago. I feel so much more invested.
*hopeful of finding (not "to find")
*eaten me UP(!)
Sorry for my English ;) ;)
The best perk(curse) in my job is I'm the boss.
I haven't had either an employer or paycheck for nearly thirty years.
My next big decision will be...when am I going to fire my ass.
I don't know if I'll see it coming.
Hank, there's small, craft wineries in northern Ohio, I may have to hit you up for advice. That is if "the man" ever gives me a break.
Kregger
Kregger, I would be more than happy to offer any advice you need.
My boss (Ma Chef, as I call my wife in French) gave me today off...
Perks?
This place.
AND
Discount where I work, especially for kid's stuff.
OMG. The perks - IMO, too many to name.
I recently got to hang out with Radney Foster - actually it was the second time. He's about as down to earth as they come.
And! How many of you would ever think you'd get to know the "model" for your book cover? You know all those stock photos they take - I mean how many are there - a bazillion at least. I was contacted by the mother of the model, and the photographer who took the stock photo that is used for THE ROAD TO BITTERSWEET. If anyone cares to read about it, I just posted about how that happened today on my website.
I could go on! But I'll stop. Hilarious pic of that "crew" in NYC entertaining Janet.
I earned my living as a firefighter/medic (the first female to make it through the academy way back when - YAY!). Aside from the humbling joy of saving a life now and then, it sure was fun to drive big shiny red trucks super fast.
Now I get to tend a herd of precious horses who live in freedom at our sanctuary. The perks of that are infinite, but one of the best is inhaling their scent.
John, Yep. I concur.
The joy of creation is one of the ultimate perks.
At the top of that pile of..., above seeing something you designed being used in the Olympics, above seeing someone find joy in using something else you designed, is working with Adaptive paddlers. Giving them back something thought lost or adding something to their new life resume is very satisfying, on several levels.
I love my job at the library, but not because I get to "sit around and read all day" (alas, a myth). I was on the circulation desk for nearly 10 years (running the Interlibrary Loan for part of it) so I'm very familiar with both my library's collection but also with the system resources as a whole. Now, though, I'm in tech services and I get to order the books the director has selected (and make recommendations), and that is great fun, going through Kirkus and Booklist and Publisher's Weekly.
Also, and this is a huge perk, I run a writing workshop there now as well. We've grown to a fairly regular cycle of regulars (between 8-18 people!) and hearing everybody grow as writers has just been such a pleasure and a privilege. In addition to getting to write at work one day a week, mais oui. Also, just last week, one of my workshoppers (who honestly is a completely capable writer and has a book out) got an acceptance on a story she wrote for one of our workshop prompts!
Blogger ate me...As a fulltime homemaker, my biggest job perk is getting to stay home all day with my littles.
Oneofus-thank you. OCD is not the easiest thing to live with. Best wishes to you.
Craig - how awesome!
Melanie - would love to visit you and your horses sometime.
Donnaeve - the next time you see Radney Foster, tell him Angel Flight is one of my favorite songs.
I am always amazed at the talent and sheer goodness in this wonderful reef. I am crazy about every single one who swims here.
Thank you, Janet.
My perks are on my wall - a bunch of senior pics, thank-you notes, miscellaneous memorabilia. They're a reminder of why I drag myself out of bed way...too...early on a Monday.
That, and being able to read cool stuff. Student work and published books. And my lunch period is fantastic. I'll bet you never knew that your high school teachers were partaking in some pretty raunchy humor when the door was closed to the teachers' lounge.
Timothy,
I was briefly a high-school teacher in one of my past lives. I know what you mean about raunchy humor behind closed faculty lounge doors. I used to supply a lot of those:)
My students' thank you notes are in my special memorabilia box. They're good reminders that we tried to make our little contribution to humanity.
And very soon, your contribution to humanity will come in the form of a book. It would be your students' turn to put your notes on their walls.
I currently help entering college students pass the writing requirement at the university level. Many come from under-privileged and under-served K-12 schools, where they were the valedictorian...and then put in remedial writing classes at the UC (University of California) level. One rewarding part of my job is watching these students discover that they are not bad at writing--and slowly, surely, grow more comfortable and independent in their writing processes. The best part is seeing the relief on their faces when they surpass hurdles, and learn they are capable of much more than they thought possible.
Cecelia,
"Our little contribution to humanity" - if there's one thread that binds all these stories together, that's it. Beautifully articulated.
This has been one of my favorite blog comment threads. Each comment has been a small snapshot of the wages we're all earning. And on a Sunday to boot!
More than the work I do (which can be fun--I enjoy the creative side of programming), it's the people I work with. My boss is hands-off, let's us do our jobs without breathing down our necks. And my co-workers are fun and we all get along well. It'll be hard leaving when Janet becomes my agent, sells my books, and has to figure out her share of my multi-million-dollar royalty checks... ;)
One Of Us Has To Go:
Yes, you are right the movie does not portray OCD at all. There is merely a brief mention of the disorder in there. It struck me they could have left that out since it has nothing to do with the story. The screenwriter obviously is not DSM trained and does not know what OCD is.
Very pleased that you are fighting back against your disorder. You have the right attitude.
If it is of any consolation, you are not the only one struggling. I have been over it for more than 20 years now, but used to deal with Major Depression and intractable status asthmaticus. (It is a very faded memory now.) I have since helped others overcome both. Having become fed up with the appalling incompetence and bad faith that are par for course in the mental health field in this area, I got an advanced degree and became a counselor myself. Then I had to give it up a few years ago when my vision started failing.
OCD is treatable. Best of luck to you. Hang in there.
Hey Steve, thank you for this. It is very nice and, yes, consoling.
When I read your comment, I stumbled over your first sentence "The only thing I like about my life now is watching movies..."
If this is actually true, I hope you won't fall back into that depression you have now explained!
I am doing well (enough). Really getting this beast (I call her Sonja; not my name ;) ) under control. What I can't get back is the time it has stolen from me and it's left me with physical exhaustion, hypersensitivity, no wages and no friends (I used to live in isolation).
Getting these things sorted out is very tough now at my old age (41). It's scary :(.
But, nevertheless, I won't give up hope to get my book published and then, that way, turn the tables and make a million out of my OCD, ha ha.
I'll call that screenwriter and tell him to make a movie of MY book? Will be able to direct some acting ;).
I'll say hello from you.
I am in awe of your strength and 'anger' that made you help others. Big shame about your vision!!
Sometimes I am the first human a wild animal may ever see, while hiking in a remote area as a forestry tech.
I try to be a good representation of our species.
I'm flitting between jobs at the moment. I take whatever work lets me be a stay-at-home Mum in the eyes of the Barbarians (so my working hours can be very odd at times). Depending which of the current options I'm looking at I might end up teaching tertiary enviro science again for a while, or editing tech papers for Dept Social Services, or helping to write marketing and training material for a local business. To be honest, job flexibility is the perk. The job itself isn't such a biggy (the job I want is published author, but it's much harder to get than the others!).
I've done a lot of jobs that had perks. I had my own jewelry business which gave me independence from a boss, plenty of travel, and let me be creative.
Then I lucked into writing plays and music as part of a children's theater group. There is nothing like sitting in a full theater waiting for the curtain to go up and realizing that everyone is there to hear your work. Another upside was working with so many wonderful people, one show had about 125 involved.
The theater work gave me local credit and led to paid creative work writing for children's theme parks, then video production all over our area and around the country. It was often stressful and I'm glad to be past it but our clients are wonderful people and many became good friends. There was a great deal of satisfaction in wrapping up a project sometimes after many, many re-edits. The video work made me much more self disciplined, detail aware, and it paid really well!
I'm at the what do I want to do now stage. I have a number of unfinished writing projects but I can choose what I want to do just because I want to do it. I am lucky.
My day job is for a company whose official motto is "Cirrus Rocks". And we do. One of the many perks is that we bring in a band or musician every month for a concert. I get to hear and meet a lot of cool musicians. Perhaps the best known would be Kathy Valentine, for years the Go-Gos bassist. (One of her main projects now is the Bluebonnets, an Austin-based all-woman band whose members are each in a different life decade, bringing lots of musical influences). Very cool lady (and band).
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