SHUUUSHI

I got a job! Yay!  Well it actually happened last week, but I'm finally getting around to posting this now.  So I've been applying to multiple ads on craigslist for random jobs.  I found one that wanted a videographer for a wedding chapel (and I had to re-learn how to spell that word this week).  The guy who wrote the ad, Mike (my current boss), responded to me and asked when I could come in.  I went in the next day and checked the place out.  Now whenever I would think about people "getting married in Vegas" I always retreat to the image portrayed in movies and on tv, with Elvis as the witness, souvenir t-shirts and drive-thru vows.  But this place is actually really nice.  I got the grand tour, meeting photographers, limo drivers, wedding planners and ministers.  Then this past Saturday I had my first official day of training.  I did two videos and got paid $10 for each.  At first I stand in front, next to the minister and capture the bride walking down the aisle, the vow and the candle ceremony.  Then I have to get around them and capture the couple walking out of the venue, so I have to walk backwards.  I have this plastic contraption that lets the camera rest on my shoulder.  So now all that "roll your feet!" from marching band has come back into play, so that the camera doesn't shake while I'm walking.  After the ceremony, I'm supposed to ask the couple to give a testimonial.  I haven't done this yet, but I will now because I'm done with training.  I basically have to have the couple tell who they are, where they're from and about their experience at our chapel.  Then, I get paid $5 for each testimonial.  Now that I'm done training, I get paid $25 for each video I capture, which lasts between 8 and 15 minutes each.  Only in Vegas I guess...!  So I don't get paid per hour, just for however many weddings I do per day... which is awesome!  There's a lot of down time, so I just read my book (currently The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks*) or work on homework.  It's definitely an interesting job, and business is currently pretty slow.  But wedding season is picking up in May.  Currently Mike is taking all the videos home and editing them, but we're getting in a new computer so that he can teach me how to edit the videos too.  I'm just so ecstatic that I finally got a job and that I don't have to work in retail or clean up throw up (knock on wood).

In other good news, my loan should finally be getting here this week or next.  It's been such a constant source of stress for me these past 3 months that I really hope that it comes sooner rather than later.

Well, my 21st is creeping up on me pretty fast here.  My roommate Carly is going to take me out during the day while Kyler is in class.  *We're going to see The Last Song, so I hope I finish the book before then.  We don't have any set alcohol plans, and I think I'm just going to see how I feel about it when the day comes.  Then I have plans to hang out with Kyler all night, and then go get all you can eat sushi with Chase, Tamara, Ashley and Gordon on Friday afternoon.  Because we <3 sushi!!  I'm very excited for the day all in all.  Just one more class to go tomorrow and I'm home free...