The Back Story

On New Years Eve this year, December 31, 2008, when many party goers were decked out in their finest garb, women strutting their most painful of high heels and lowest of necklines,  endless bottles of champagne being popped as minutes neared midnight, looking around for the one who might be the lucky recipient of a lingering kiss to welcome in the New Year, I (Bethany Papenbrock) was wiping down a two-top table, claiming my 7% tip left by a sweet but uninformed European couple, hurriedly bussing and resetting my section in an effort to salvage what had been not only my lowest grossing night in the restaurant thus far, but also the most humbling and uneventful birthday eve to date.  As the clock struck midnight, patrons around the restaurant clinked their glasses of cheap champagne offered complimentary by my frugal bosses, a party of boisterous gay men hugged and kissed one another, and I shot down a glass of Kirsch chased with a glass of dry Riesling wallowing in the fact that I was alone in a shitty restaurant in the middle of Times Square with no one to kiss or even think about kissing as the ball dropped, hurrying to get out for the night only to take the slow train back to Brooklyn to swill a couple of whiskeys at my neighborhood pub before retiring to my sub-let studio apartment where all my personal belongings could be contained in two large rolling suitcases.  Meanwhile, my friends were gearing up for the ball drop 3 hours from now on the West Coast in Seattle, drinking at the bar across the street from the apartment that contained my lifetime possessions, but was currently occupied by someone who was nearly a complete stranger to me.   Yes, I was 30, single, unemployed and homeless.  

In this instance it's hard not to reflect back what your life was like at that same moment  just one year ago.  December 31, 2008 started with my friend Matt picking me up early in the morning to head to Crystal Mountain where we skied until our legs were Jello and the lodge had run dry of all alcohol then returned to Seattle.  That night was ushered in by dining on delicious Northwest cuisine complimented by spicy red wine providing warmth from the cold air outside, then followed by plenty of drinks and laughter with friends as we party hopped about Capitol Hill.  Not only was I joyful to be celebrating my birthday and the New Year with great friends, but also celebrating my newly announced promotion as the Lead Producer at the production/creative agency where I worked and, in just three days from then, would be flying to New York to reconnect with friends/clients and spend a week with my French lover before jet setting to China where I'd be responsible for producing a clothing launch/fashion show/documentary premiere/rock show hosted by Nike China.  

This fortune took a turn when my still newly appointed position was eliminated in August of 2008 due to the deteriorating economy and slashing of marketing budgets.  Still hopeful, and perhaps a bit ignorant as to the true current state of the economy, I soldiered on, excited to be returning to my liberating freelance lifestyle.  After all, with my success producing private celebrity birthday parties, star studded charity event, concerts, film festivals, marketing tours, and corporate conferences in New York City, how hard could it be to find freelance work in Seattle???   Ahem, cough....crickets chirping, yeah you know what comes next.

It's now been almost a year that I have been without steady work, and it's been surprisingly one of the most amazing years thus far.  I've conditioned myself to sleep without the nightly Ambien I  previously needed to get myself through the 80 hour work weeks, I own my first plant who is thriving and so green and lush I've named it Verde, and can have a phone call that takes place with me actually sitting in one place, not typing, scribbling notes or running off to catch a flight.  The intent of this blog is to chronicle the year's events (some humorous, some serious and some completely pointless) and how I've learned to keep myself from freaking out about my future; to share my advice on cost cutting dining, travel and entertainment tips to fit the new lifestyle; and to offer ways to productively spend your free days until the bars open.  Of course, since so much has already happened thus far, many of my future posts will be recounting the past, mixed with tellings of the present.  Thanks for reading and hopefully this will help those in similar circumstances relax during this stressful time, encourage those who have jobs to be thankful for their security and encourage prospective employers to HIRE ME, 'cause I'm freakishly good at what I do, know how to stretch your dime on a budget, and like to bring humor and insight to the most stressful of situations.  Enjoy!