Some of you may remember that a few weeks ago, I had mentioned that my company had finally accepted that my inability to be two or three places simulaneously wasn't a personal failing and that the commonly accepted solution was to hire me an assistant. At first, they had intended to list this job at minimum wage... an amount unlikely to attract a trained sound engineer... even one who is coming in at an assistant level. I pointed this out and my boss reluctantly raised the amount, especially after I pointed out that if the assistant weren't sufficiently qualified to handle things on his/her own without supervision, it would ADD to my hours as I would still be present for all the work, supervising instead of doing, plus MORE hours because an untrained assistant isn't going to complete the work as quickly as I would and will need to be shown how to do things... all of which takes time. Of course, the amount he raised it to wasn't much higher... and that leads to today's update on the situation.

New guy didn't even show up for his first day. Called in and thanked us for the offer but he had been offered another job for better/more hours, higher pay, and benefits. So, I'm back to looking for an assistant... and more critically, a mic dresser for our production of Man of La Mancha later in the Spring. Anyone in the Sacramento area who wants 4-5 weeks of work in April to mid-May, it'll be an 8-9 show per week schedule (ie 32-36 hrs per week). Basic electronics/radio knowledge is useful but non-critical. Comfort and good demeanor in working with actors backstage a must. If you're interested in the full time assistant position, we'll probably not fill that now until the fall... with a Sept - May contract.

On the Whateley front... we've got part Two of Morpheus' most recent Bianca/Glyph story to share. Here's "Ink in Her Veins" ... enjoy! comment! dance like its 1999!

I probably should have done my taxes today. I had the time. I had the papers. I even, briefly, had some motivation to do so. And then, hours later... taxes. Not done. I'd like to say that I got something else accomplished instead. But... ya... no. Not really. On the bright side, I slept in and feel more awake and well than I have in a month. I think I've mentioned once or twice that my January and early February are mostly given over to handling sound and live mixing for our Education program's productions of musicals - one with the teens, one with the younger kids. While they aren't bad... and actually occasionally show some real talent and skill ... the process is chaotic, undersupported, and 'noisy'.

I've tried to explain to my boss that live mixing is literally the hardest mental focus work that I've ever done in my life... and I've run a nuclear reactor and studied a number of meditation and martial arts techniques. Like most people though, I think he takes it as just the joke side of it. He certainly doesn't understand that coming out of those rehearsals, I feel as though I have been battered and beaten by the inconsistant sounds and noises that I am trying to wrangle into something that will awe and amaze their families... and our staff. And it doesn't help to hear them praise each other that the kids sounded so great... when I know that they don't realize that if I weren't watching for every unexpected breath, hand motion, or footstep into a mic; there would have been an explosion of deafening sound throughout the room. At one point in rehearsals, I was running floor mics so hot that the air blowing down on them from 20 feet above the stage sounded like a storm outside... and kids... barely audible. :)

Don't get me wrong... I love the kids and am horribly jealous of the opportunities we give them. If only I'd had such things growing up. It's the Education staff and my co-workers, who pat themselves on their backs while actually not doing much more than signing the paperwork to put those kids on the stage. And definitely not being aware of the demands placed on those of us who are in there doing the shows.

Any-who... that part of the season is passed and I get to return to working with the trained professionals. Mostly.  I hired an assistant. He didn't even make it to day one before he got offered a gig with more pay, more hours, better benefits. I've told my boss that the California average for sound engineers is about twice what he pays me... again, I think he believes I'm joking. But this is the second person now that we've hired but can't really put to work because outside work it worth too much for them to work with us. 

But hey... enough of my crazy life. The story is already available, so some people are probably already reading it. It's from Morpheus, the first part of our next Bianca piece: "Ink in Her Veins".  Enjoy! and be certain to comment!

*Kristin sits quietly and watches over the site, gently stroking the fur of a long haired old white cat that is perched in her lap*

A minion in the standard lab rat uniform scurries forward and profers a stack of papers, bound with cryptic markings only to receive a look of distain. "Paper?" she asks, recoiling slightly from the scent coming from the minion... of blood and feces, the odor of biological disaster and massacres.

"Yes, Mistress. The Dark One...", it began, before pausing as her eyebrow subtly rose. "yes... um... Doc Nalley sent it over in electronic form, but it was corrupting the network. We thought it safer..."

The cat rose in her lap, imperiously jumping down to the ground and padding off. The minion took a gulp of air, more than aware that the cat was notorious precient and avoided getting blood in its fur with great selection of which scenes it chose to participate in. The folder of printer pages grew heavier in his outreached hand as the Mistress cleared her throat and brought his attention back to her piercing blue eyes.

"You know that, evil or not, electronic is the only way that we can release the forces at play in these texts. Even if we have to manipulate and contain the sheer chaos and insanity of Jade and Wondercute... we WILL work in digital format and not paper. And what are those doodles you've put on that folder?"

"Warnings, Mistress."

"Did E. E. tell you to put warnings on his story?"

"No, Mistress."

"Then why are there warnings on the story?"

"They were a test for something else he has in the pipeline, Mistress."

"He has something that is going to require warnings?"

"Yes, Mistress... something muse-driven, is the rumor. And not at all safe - for - work."

"I see. But it is not this piece?"

"No Mistress."

"Then why is THIS piece on paper and have warnings."

The minion stared blankly at her. She sighed. 

"Fine. Call it a practice run. Get it back into normal format and get it ready for release. Now that you know you CAN do it, we just need to be sure to do it for the RIGHT story. In the meantime, what IS today's content release?"

The minion, clearly relieved, rushed toward the exit. Kristin paused for a moment, guaging his pace before pressing the shiny button on the keypad mounted on the arm of her throne-chair. Three separately mounted particle beams fired overhead, tracking towards the minion as they grew in intensity, crossed streams, and sliced through him causing an explosion of superheated blood and muscle. She smiled to herself, having judged the splatter range ... then remembering the cat's departure, glanced down at her white slacks to see one small piece of brain sitting there.

"That damn cat..."

For today's release - we have E.E. Nalley's next work "The Evil That Men Do"  Enjoy... and don't forget to comment!

I have almost nothing to say today. I suppose that should be expected in January... which, for me, isn't necessarily the busiest time of the year for work but it is the most chaotic. That happens when you take a perfectly good piece of musical theatre, overly simplify it for untrained singers... plug 60 human beings in the midst of puberty into parts in that show... and then try to keep them focused on rehearsing and working on the show with an understaffed production team. And we do a couple of these in January, with a separate musical revue in the midst of it... which would otherwise be fun and simple, but has been arranged in a way to mean I go straight from closing a kids show into rehearsal for the revue without even my usual one day off a week. Not my idea of sane or fun...

But those are MY worries. For you, we've got some fun for today. Part Four of an ongoing piece from Bek D. Corbin starring a pair of our delightful young Whateley ladies, Jadis and Vamp. It's "Diamonds Are a Vamp's Best Friend".

Enjoy! Comment! Party like its 1999. 

New Year! It's 2018!

And to kick off the new year... let's go with the closest thing we have to a toast... the next Shine story from Elrod! Enjoy part one of "My Fair 'Shine"

Careful, its got a kick. :P