A New Year

My life is pretty easy, if I think about it. Things are simple. I don’t have a lot of responsibilities or expenses. So I figured it was time to put a stop to all that, and go back to school.

I’ve been having a career identity crisis in recent years. What am I? A comedian who doesn’t perform much. An actor who works mostly as an extra, and books a “real” part maybe once a year. A banquet server who’s getting tired of this shit. A writer who never writes anything. During the height of the pandemic I worked at COVID vaccination clinic, which felt like I was making a difference in the world. But I’m glad it’s a job that isn’t needed anymore.

We’ll Fast Forward to a Few Years Later

It’s amazing how fast the years zoom by, the older you get. I remember when one grade of school felt ages away from the last one. Hang out with someone who’s in a different grade than you? That’s practically a whole other generation.

Just some quick numbers-related reality checks to bring you along with me. First of all, I had no idea how long it had been since I last updated this blog: Two and a half years (2021).

No Touching

This is a gig I did in 2019, and it was released a year later during the pandemic. I thought the message was timely.

Ambassadors Wanted

More memories from the early pandemic, continued from my previous post.

I have a few part-time jobs, and when the pandemic started, I lost all of them. Nothing I do can be converted to a work-from-home set-up. I used to be a graphic designer, but I’ve been out of that industry for over 10 years. A while ago I had signed up with a creative services job agency, so I let them know that I was available… like everyone else in the world.

People on Facebook were also scrambling for work: “Does anyone need me to tutor their kids? Can I walk any dogs for you?” Someone I knew through banquet serving had a lead on hospital screening jobs; where you intercept people at the door, take their temperature, ask all the COVID safety questions, etc. It sounded perfect for unemployed serving staff. Ultimately, the jobs were filled with newly unemployed hospital staff.

The Long Spring

We’ve been into the pandemic for over a year now. I wanted to leave a snapshot for my future self, so I can look back and say, “Yep, those were some crazy times. Remember when we had to wear masks everywhere?”

March 13, 2020. A tattoo shop in my neighbourhood was having a “Friday the 13th” special. I saw the line down the block and thought, “Oh no! The apocalypse has begun!” until I figured out what was going on. No worries, we’re still cool in this neck of the woods. Little did I know those line-ups would become a regular part of life.