The Line Is Dead

The factory ramps up for the return of many workers who have been on vacation.  There will be meetings about everything from budget cuts to safety provisions.  The bosses want more product at better quality for the same pay.  For the workers, not the bosses.  Their bonuses depend, of course, upon worker performance.  But the workers have formed a union however weak.  It was a symbolic move more than a practical one, and now after two years of negotiations and no raises, some of the loyal are beginning to stray.  There is infighting and jockeying for position.  Now that I am a foreman, I can't be part of the union I helped to foster.  And on Thursday, I must address the general assembly of workers to boot.  I hate public speaking.  I hate most things public.  I certainly don't look forward to dealing with a factory full of people again.

And as usual, when one thing goes bad, others follow.  I had two models cancel this week, one because she had her baby and the other because her son got hit by a car.  That is what they say, at least, though I have high suspicions that they are lying.  O.K., O.K, but they could be.

I can't be happy.  I'm stressed when I have too many models and blue when I don't have enough.  I don't need to shoot this week, though, as I have enough to do during the day.  I was actually relieved when the model cancelled tonight.

But home is not as fun now that the premium channels are all on break and their on demand channels are only showing season two or three of a series when I have yet to see season one.  And before I went to California, lightning struck the cable and blew out my HDMI connections and burned up my Apple TV, so I can't even pull up Netflix.  Pitiful.  My life, I mean.  I have come to lack inner resources as they used to say.

And worse, just the minute I think my social life is picking up. . . the line goes dead.  I want to be home alone with no one to bother me except when I am home alone for a couple of days.  No, I cannot be happy.

And now it is the following morning before sunrise, and I must get ready for the daily beating.  There are clouds.  Storms are brewing.  Something threatening lies out there over the horizon.