Burn Out!

[Gemini Cricket]

It's been a year since my last vacation started 7/17/05 (DL's 50th). And now, I'm officially burned out.

Hawai'i visit, cross country trip, looking for an apt, looking for a job, working since December without a break, 2 plays that take up 2-4 hours a day with rehearsals or performances...

I
need
a
vacation!

Ralphie wants to take a 3 day jaunt to New York City. I love NYC, but that doesn't sound relaxing to me...

The theatre I'm working with is great, the people are wonderful but they want me to audition and/or work on the next play which starts up on the 1st of Aug. I think I'm going to have to pass on it. It's flattering that they want me to help out, but I don't think I can physically do it.

AND do you know how hard it is to be funny when you're dead tired or drained? It's hard... And the scary thing is that I'm realizing that I'm not 20 any more and have the energy to go from play to play while being the life of the party. It's exhausting...

The next time I can take any long vacation time is in Sept. I will be going to my friend's wedding in CA. I plan to take it easy then and drive leisurely to the park. I've got to catch up on all the refurb madness.

Now I sit here at work and I am so tired and wicked bored. I had a lot of sleep last night (7 hrs) but I still feel drained. It didn't help that I went to a antique fair in Brimfield, MA this weekend that featured 1000 vendors and about a couple of miles of fairgrounds to walk... in the hot sun.

Been applying for new jobs and nothing's biting.

Urgh...

Anyone else feel as burned out as me? Ever feel totally burned out?

I wish I had a hammock. I'd sit in for a whole week doing nothing.

:)

[Gn2Dlnd]

Vacation?

I'd like to try one of those sometime.

(psst, my show goes until August 19th, maybe you could squeeze in a quick 3 day jaunt?)

[Gemini Cricket]

(psst, my show goes until August 19th, maybe you could squeeze in a quick 3 day jaunt?)
I wish I could! Sounds like it's a good one. Unfortunately, money's tight and so is the amount of vacation time I have accumulated.
:)

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Yep, I can relate, especially after playing 3 shows in 4 days, none of which were in temperatures under 90 degrees. The playing part is never work, it is the fun part. The work involves hauling two truckloads of equipment to each show and the setting up/tearing down of this equipment. Nothing like moving a 120 pound amplifier up a flight of stairs at 3 in the morning after playing for 4 hours in a hot club. I can't even fathom how much water I have consumed in the last 4 days. And there are no signs of slowing down. Each week, more dates get added to the calendar and I watch all hopes of a future free weekend vanish.

Then there is my business. After almost a year of being slow, things started picking up last October. They have yet to slow down and everytime I think I am close to being caught up, another wave of work comes in. This isn't a bad thing from a financial standpoint, but I'm really starting to get burned out on the whole industry. I've been doing this for 11 years now and I would so welcome a career change, just to alleviate the monotony.

So I spend most of my life going from work to gig, gig to work, with a little time squeezed in for food and sleep and even less time for Matthew and I to enjoy together. He works afternoons and evenings, I work mornings and evenings and our paths are crossing much less frequently. We both need a vacation but haven't figured out quite how to make that happen yet.

So yeah, I'm very burned out at the moment. :)

[Gemini Cricket]

Yep, I can relate, especially after playing 3 shows in 4 days,...

We both need a vacation but haven't figured out quite how to make that happen yet.
See, it's harder for me. You have actual talent. I'm faking it. It's not easy! :D

90 degree weather. Ugh. The theatre has a pretty good air conditioner in the green room, so that's nice. But the stage is hot hot hot.

I'm thinking that maybe I should talk Ralphie into taking a vacation somewhere calmer. Not as stressful as the Big Apple. Do people still call it that? Am I dating myself?


Derail:
Last night I had a dream that they revamped the Haunted Mansion. They took out the DoomBuggy track and gave each car a steering wheel. You could drive anywhere you wanted to in the Mansion and discover rooms that you never saw before. It was like the Pooh ride in Disneyland Tokyo. I thought that was so cool. I drove down the endless hallway to see what was at the end of it. It ended in an outdoor courtyard with stone statues and a crypt with stained glass windows. The dream ended there. It was cool. :)

[Gn2Dlnd]

See, it's harder for me. You have actual talent. I'm faking it.

Hardy-har-har.

[Moonliner]

need
a
vacation!
:)

Humm, New York City eh? I see your point. How about a nice quiet weekend with Captian Jack? (http://www.capnjacks.com) It looks quit relaxing and not too far away....

[Not Afraid]

I'm burnt out - emphasis on the burnt part. However, I can't be too grumpy because we leave Friday for San Francisco for 4 days and it's always cooler there.

After that, there are NO travel plans, which means I need to get something in motion. So many ideas, so little cash.

[scaeagles]

I am not currently burned ou, but fear I will be very soon.

I should be hearing from my current client as to if they wish for me to aggressively finish a project with 3 months worth of work left in 4 weeks. If so, I can maintain the pace for four weeks, but I will then be burned out right as I start a new job. Not a good thing.

[Freaky Tiki]

I'm burnt out...

I leave for college on the 20th of August, and I need to decide when to put my two weeks in at my place of employment. I need at least a week of doing nothing. The cafe where I work recently got sold, and my boss' wife (technically my boss still) is going out with a bang and is like working every shift that I am working, and she is hell to work with. I call her Scary Terri, because I enjoy pretending to be clever.

I am the senior weekend server and for some reason I'm not scheduled to work on Saturday but one of the waitresses asked me to work for her, I looked at the schedule and for the first time in my employment, I turned down a shift for no real good reason because Terri is working and some other waitress that I can't stand. I'm not going to do that to myself.

[katiesue]

I've been at this job for almost 7 years. There are only two of us here in the office (a third comes in occasionally). We're in a weird location with no neighbors etc. I've run out of things to entertain myself with. Not to mention places to order lunch from.

[Freaky Tiki]

Not to mention places to order lunch from.

That would suck...

I really wish the cafe I work at had crappy food. Everytime I work I tell myself I'll make it until the end of my shift. But I never do. I'll be bringing out peoples food and fall under the spell. It's so hard for me not to spend money at work.

[Matterhorn Fan]

Derail:
Last night I had a dream that they revamped the Haunted Mansion. They took out the DoomBuggy track and gave each car a steering wheel. You could drive anywhere you wanted to in the Mansion and discover rooms that you never saw before. It was like the Pooh ride in Disneyland Tokyo. I thought that was so cool. I drove down the endless hallway to see what was at the end of it. It ended in an outdoor courtyard with stone statues and a crypt with stained glass windows. The dream ended there. It was cool. :)Sounds like the Walt Disney World Racing game to me. I may have to get out the Playstation later.

Rerail: There are some most excellent hammocks at the Caribbean Beach Resort (among others). I'm just sayin'.

[MouseWife]

Oh GC, I am so there. And a hammock? I almost purchased one. But, we have too many spiders in our yard and I figured working too hard on taking it out and setting it up each time defeats the purpose of relaxing, right?

I've been burnt out because A} The Hubster has been working a helluva lot. B} I've been working at Target part-time {but full time hours} and at times many many days in a row. It was getting to me how the house was being run {and I don't mean cleaned, ha, not that} and I really felt my youngest {12} needed my meddling. So, I changed hours and voila! I am barely working now. :D

But, that only started today. I am burnt out and want to hit the road. At the end of 'Pirates' there was something {I can't recall exactly} but the Hubster and I saw it and turned to one another and squealed 'Road trip!'.

But, alas alack, not enough time or funds. So . We are banking up for the boys break, starting in September {when will you be at the park, GC and Matterhorn Fan???}. It will be sooooo hard.

We are sneaking in over nighters here and there. I still want to go to the Queen Mary and see the Titanic.

Do you think that causes more stress/burnout, thinking about what you want to do? Or does that help by giving hope that eventually you will be doing those things? I thought this recently. Was I torturing myself looking at all of the places on line that I want to go?

My mind is totally not rested. As you can tell by this random post.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm emerging from the opposite end of that spectrum, finally. Namely, I had nothing to do for far too long a time. All the major projects I had been working on came to an end. New projects were scheduled to start up within a month, so I wasn't exactly ready to start volunteering for anything major. But that left me with a month of nothing to do at work, which I hate. Especially since I'm sitting right next to a new guy, and it kinda looks bad for me to be sitting around doing next to nothing all day. Plus, having nothing to do tends to create its own momentum, so even when I'd be assigned small tasks here and there, I found it hard to get motivated to do them. Bleh.

But those new projects have finally hit their start date, so I'm busy once again. I'm always much happier when I've got work to do.

[JWBear]

I'm with NA... I'm not burned out, I'm just roasting! (I envy you guys going to cool San Francisco.)

[MouseWife]

I have to add, the heat makes things more miserable and when I think of hitting the road I don't think of hot places. I wouldn't mind San Simeon or Monterey.

San Francisco is also similar in temps so I am envious, too. :p

{plus way more to do in S.F.}

[Gemini Cricket]

So this is how I'm dealing with my burn out feelings right now. I'm sitting in my underwear talking to my friend on the phone eating ice cold watermelon. At this moment in time, life's good.
:)

[Matterhorn Fan]

But, alas alack, not enough time or funds. So . We are banking up for the boys break, starting in September {when will you be at the park, GC and Matterhorn Fan???}. It will be sooooo hard.Is somebody talking about me?

I'm so confused! MouseWife, I will meet you just about anytime at any of the FL parks (are you really planning a trip out here?). I haven't been to Anaheim since last December, and that was a bit of a fiasco (partially my fault, partially circumstances). Right now I have no Anaheim plans.

[Disneyphile]

Anyone else feel as burned out as me? Ever feel totally burned out?

I wish I had a hammock. I'd sit in for a whole week doing nothing. Sweetie, I'm burning my candle in the middle, in addition to both ends. ;) Can I have a spot on your hammock? Let's just put it out on a tropical island somewhere, and make sure there's no phone, but plenty of nearly naked island boys to fan us with palm fronds and serve us mai tais. :cheers:

[Kevy Baby]

"It's better to burn out then fade away" - D. Leppard

[MouseWife]

Is somebody talking about me?

I'm so confused! MouseWife, I will meet you just about anytime at any of the FL parks (are you really planning a trip out here?). I haven't been to Anaheim since last December, and that was a bit of a fiasco (partially my fault, partially circumstances). Right now I have no Anaheim plans.

Yeah, I'm talking about you! But mostly hoping that you might have plans. But, I remember your occupation and it is bad timing. Wishful thinking, bad timing.

[Gemini Cricket]

I am not currently burned ou, but fear I will be very soon.
Will there be a break for you betwixt jobs?
Sweetie, I'm burning my candle in the middle, in addition to both ends. ;) Can I have a spot on your hammock? Let's just put it out on a tropical island somewhere, and make sure there's no phone, but plenty of nearly naked island boys to fan us with palm fronds and serve us mai tais. :cheers:
This is the best idea ever. :)
Humm, New York City eh? I see your point. How about a nice quiet weekend with Captian Jack? (http://www.capnjacks.com/) It looks quit relaxing and not too far away....
This sounds good. We're looking into this place, a place in Portland, ME and P-Town in MA. We'll see what we can book.
I officially nixed the NYC idea this morning with the Ralphster. During our morning walk, we decided it would be better to see the city when the Christmas lights go up...
Oh GC, I am so there. And a hammock?
There's room on the hammock for three... :)

[scaeagles]

Will there be a break for you betwixt jobs?

If you want to count Saturday and Sunday Aug 12 and 13 as a break, then yes. I'm looking at those being my only two days off between now and Aug 14. For four weeks I can maintain the pace, I'm sure, and the financial benefit of about 10 weeks of normal billing in a four week period will be nice.

[Gemini Cricket]

If you want to count Saturday and Sunday Aug 12 and 13 as a break, then yes.
I don't. ;) Too bad you couldn't get in some relaxing downtime between the two jobs. But I can understand jumping to the next thang.

[scaeagles]

I have three kids, 12, 6, and 4. Work is relaxing downtime.:)

[Gemini Cricket]

Work is relaxing downtime.:)
Heh heh.
:D

[MouseWife]

I officially nixed the NYC idea this morning with the Ralphster. During our morning walk, we decided it would be better to see the city when the Christmas lights go up...

This sounds lovely. :)

There's room on the hammock for three... :)

Time and place? ;)


Kids are a lot of work.

[Gemini Cricket]

Kids are a lot of work.
As are dogs (Frodo), spouses (Ralphie) and divas (no one in particular...) :D

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Kids are a lot of work.

My father, the Sr. DreadPirateRoberts sent me a joke email that is sort of appropriate, entitled: What do You Do All Day?

"A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found
an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink,
breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of
clothes,looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?"

"Yes," was his incredulous reply.

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it." "

[Gemini Cricket]

I say, 'Good for her.'
:)

[MouseWife]

DreadPirateRoberts~ I love it! So true. I always respond, when asked why I didn't do this or that, Did you notice all of the things I did do???

Dogs. I have to agree, dogs are a big handful. I am having issues with mine today. He thinks he is in charge. {well, he is a gigantic Shepherd, maybe he is?} Then the cat is in attack mode. Her pupils are huge and she is getting anything that moves.

So. Yes, a day home isn't really relaxing. Regardless of what anyone says. When I was working full time[part time] my days off would be laundry and cleaning. What the heck type of day off is that??? The Hubster didn't want me to change my schedule but I gave him this little birdie on my hand and did it anyways. {I do love him but when the bird must be given...}

Now diva. Hmm. Luckily I don't have one of those to deal with. Sarcastic teens, curmudgeon preteens, yes.

[innerSpaceman]

I shouldn't have read this thread. I feel a major burn-out coming on, and I also feel powerless to stop it. Nothing about the situation has changed except for my reaction to it. But burn-out is coming, and coming soon.



My heart goes out to all of you who are burning out, about to burn out, afraid of burning out or due to burn out. May something refreshing and renewing come into your life not a moment too soon.

[Prudence]

Let's see - Between work, school, law review work - and about to add moot court stuff - yeah, I'm pretty well burned out. And yet, I keep going. And adding more to my plate.