Wednesday, February 20, 2008

It's The Final Countdown...

Good luck getting that tune out of your head. And you're welcome.

So the countdown is currently 7 days. Or 9 days, if you count the weekend. I don't. I'm saying 7. That's 7 working days until I'm done at my current day job. Cue the trumpets: I have officially given notice, and am out of here at the end of February. I'm taking the leap into self-employment. During a recession apparently. Oh well, I have optimism for the future.

While in this lame duck position at my current job, it definitely makes it that much harder to get up and out the door in the morning. However, I am enjoying a more casual approach to my daily grind. Don't worry, mom, I'm not totally slacking off, however I'd be lying if I said I didn't think to myself "What are they going to do, fire me?" at least a few times each day.

Things I won't miss about this place:
  • the lack of temperature control
  • micromanaging bosses (an actual email: "Try saying 'how MAY i help you, rather than how CAN i help you.")
  • talking to idiots on the phone (a caller argued with me that I was cheating him by a day because his membership this year ends on 2/29 and next year it expires on 2/28. Really.)
  • the herculean effort it takes just to take a damn day off
  • having to sign out a key to use the restroom
  • call monitoring

Things I will miss:

  • health insurance

So that's that. February 29th is my last day working for the man. As of March 1, I am a freelance artist, for reals. Living solely upon the income from performing shows, tending bar, teaching improv classes, and odds and ends work for the Chicago Comedy Company (soon to be Laugh Out Loud) theater selling corporate shows and other various business-side of the theater work. I'm living the dream!

And just as soon as I started to get nervous about dropping the steady income, I get booked for a couple corporate gigs in March with one theater company and am about to book another for this summer with my own company. All before I actually leave the day job. Yeah, this is going to work out fine.

- Corey

8 comments:

Steaming bowl o' Calderone said...

Did somebody say Final Countdown?

/cue Gob Bluth

improvclown said...

wow...congrats and good luck Corey.

Anonymous said...

Congrats Cor! That's very exciting. Good luck (and stay healthy, dammit) :)

Unknown said...

Yay! That's way cool. Another plus: You won't have to spend as much money on nice clothes. When you're not on stage, you need nothin' but sweats.

The Union said...

I should clarify: under things I'll miss it should read FREE health insurance. I'm not an idiot, I'll get health insurance. I'll just have to pay for it. I'm the guy who has broken his nose three times. I'm not going without health insurance for that reason alone.

cszponce said...

Bah - health insurance is over-rated. I've gone a whole year without it so far and haven't broken anything.

Congrats on the big move to 'starving artist' status. You will find that you'll have a ton of time to write, perform, and play a lot more Wii.

Anonymous said...

Hooray and good for you! As of this morning, only 4 more sleeps until your last day of work.

Steaming bowl o' Calderone said...

Ok, here's what I would like to see if you're up to the task. Each day I want to see a posting of one thing that you did that day or the day before to systematically extricate yourself from that living hell - one bridge burned. Isn't this the type of job that deserves the "go out in a blaze of glory" exit? Just a thought.