Good things...

I love a good thunderstorm.  This was not all that bad but could use some extra oomph.  A few rumbles and some rain a thunderstorm does not make.  It is nice to listen to the rain through open windows for a change now that the year has taken a turn toward nicer weather.  In truth, after this harsh winter that just wouldn't relent, this particular change in the weather comes as so much more of a relief.  Sitting outside with my lunch today felt so amazing.  Just to bask in the sun and put my feet up on a chair outside in the park on 10th ave and 15th Street was such an amazing feeling. I had forgotten how nice nice weather can be. To be able to spend some time enjoying it made the night spent inside at work that much more bearable.  And this is only the beginning.  I finally understand why it is that New York summers are something so beautiful.  It's the shit we have to put up with in winter time that makes the first sunny 70 degree day so incredible you wanna cry.  And the childlike anticipation of what's to come is something that could only be borne of completely shitty weather for 6 straight months.     

That said, ironically, as soon as it improves here, I'm flying away to even warmer climes in the south.  Touching down in Greensboro for a hot second and then on to Raleigh Saturday night.  I had originally bought the ticket for Greensboro when I was planning on spending time in the mountains with my brother... one last bro's weekend before he has a kid this summer.  But now, two other friends that are expecting planned a shower for that weekend in Raleigh.  The change is all good with me. Just means a slightly longer trip.  But there's a pool waiting for me in Raleigh, one filled with 70 degree water according to my dad.  I should be so lucky.

On the plane ride down, I plan on working on some edits to my voice over reel.  Polishing them all off really.  I've wanted to put together a promo demo for quite a long time but have taken the opportunity provided by a lapse in my membership to Voice123.com to really spend some time honing the others as well (narration, documentary and commercial).  And I've spent most of my time so far focusing on those three.  I think I'm almost done. I just need to come up with some music cues and do some compression and EQ on a few of them.  The name of the game is making them sound as professional as possible before I submit them to agents.  The promo demo is really the one that needs the most work.  But that's just because I only have one actual spot done for it.  The rest I have to produce on my own and that includes music and sound effects.  A monumental task to be sure.  It's going to consist of the promo I did for the novel, "Scarlet" from the Lunar Chronicles and a bunch of "stay tuned for scenes from next week's episode, starts Tuesday 9/8 central, Rated R, In theaters and IMAX this Friday," type tags that I have yet to record.

Everything else though: sounding good.  Hopefully I'll get a lot done while I'm in Raleigh.  Because that was the other half of the reason I took this vacation I'm taking next week.  To get this all done.  Now, though, the second freelance job, TruTV, (which was actually the first one I got hired for) will start on Thursday the 18th, one day after I come back to NYC.  And I'm working both Thursday and Friday.  So there goes that.  But this is good money, even better than CNN, though probably not quite as consistent.

I won't say much more about the freelance gigs, except that I have a guaranteed 10 weeks of Monday, Tuesday and Thursday shifts at CNN and who knows what at TruTV.  Other than that I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.  And in fact, I actually want to sleep.  Let's just say though, for now, that I feel there are good things on the horizon.  Good things.