targeting robert rodriguez

although i'm ready to flee and throw myself full-force into my creative endeavors, working at Precision Camera has had its perks. i should maybe be more thankful for the things i've learned there, but in all honesty i've been more excited about the fact that Robert Rodriguez orders prints from us and sometimes graces us with his presence to pick them up. once i found out this small tidbit of information, i started daydreaming about how he was going to stroll smoothly into the store (everything else becoming slow-motion), read right into my brain through my eyes that i was meant for the creative world, swoop me up, steal me away and ride off into the sunset to make beautiful movies together.

on sunday (2/20) when i met up with a new friend and potential business partner, i decided to tell him of my laughable reverie. so when i dreamt about the infamous writer/director/producer that night, one would automatically think that it's because i had just been talking about him. but when i woke, i said to myself "what if he came in to work today?" should i actually style my hair for once? slather my face with makeup just in case? of course my ambitious self said "hell, i'll get right on it!" at 7:30am right? (i like to think you can smell the sarcasm even if you've never met me.) i talked myself out of it, coming from the perspective of an outsider, saying i'm over-thinking it all.

when i arrive at work, one of the first things i do is set up jobs for the internet orders. i glanced at that list and (yeah, you know where i'm going with this) whose name did i see right after mine?

i stared at that sheet of cheap 8.5x11 printing paper like it was alive. and dancing. possibly singing.

robert rodriguez put in an order. and even though he sometimes has someone else come in and grab his work for him, dammit i knew he was coming in the flesh. so what did i do when he walked in? not a freaking thing. i handed him his order and told him to have a good day. it didn't involve any sunsets at all! how disappointing.

the next morning came around and i felt like bill murray in groundhog day. i thought the same thing as the day before. so: to makeup or not to makeup? i shake myself clean of my fantasy and come to the conclusion that i HAVE to be over-thinking things now.

nope. another order comes through that printer as if to taunt me. i spent the next few hours contemplating my plan of action. i have an opportunity laid out before me and although part of me wants to respect his privacy, the other part says that there's something behind all of this. i construct a card with my info for my 30 dates and i prep myself. i'm my own coach and cheerleader. i decided to pull out all the stops. fear is out of the equation. i can't back down. i tell myself that when he comes in, i'm slamming that card on that counter and boldly saying "BALLS". "i have no idea where you stand relationship-wise and you may not be interested in that aspect of my new project BUT- i really think this has the makings of a great documentary. so take it for what it's worth."

i have my card in my pocket. i have my attitude geared up. i have my eyes peeled and my confidence in check. time passes and i wait. i wait. i wait. we close at 6pm and it's about 5:30. by now i've had to go to the bathroom for an hour so. i finally give in.

you guessed it. you're a smart one. i walk back up to the front and my boss says that i just missed him.

lesson learned: trust my instincts.