Had lunch with a fellow assistant the other day and he asked how the pond project turned out at my boss’s other house. I have written extensively about the project, which began last August (check out the archives here for the whole story).

Anyway, long story short, the pond is finished. In fact it looks lovely, has waterfalls and now some fish.

But the conversation with my friend got me to thinking about another project involving water we did years ago. The boss had a different house at the time that overlooked a canyon and the city was far far in the distance. Especially pretty at night. So he decided he needed a hot tub built. We got a pool guy we knew to construct it. Continue Reading…

When Shelley asked me to write something about this Valentine’s Day for her Dealing with Divas website, my thoughts turned to V-Day 2008. Now, 2007 was not a great year for our family. I’ll try to keep the whining to a minimum, but here is what the situation was on 2/14/08: My father died in 2007 and the process of settling his estate dragged into 2008, making 2008 into an even worse year. I got so fed up with dealing with the legal complications of the estate, by the end of 2007, I had quit my job after nearly nine years. Continue Reading…

Happy belated new years everyone.

Haven’t had anything earth shattering to report, so, sorry I’ve been away from the site so long.

A little tidbit for today: why are celebrities so cheap????

My boss is a multi-millionaire, and yet he loves a sale or a deal more than life itself. I know these are tough economic times for people, and I think getting something on sale or having a coupon is fun…up to a point. Continue Reading…

“Looking on the Bright Side”

Like Gayle, I have had the experience of realizing what is right about my employer with full realization that like everyone else on that planet, she is not perfect.  No one is.

But  knowing that unlike other famous people who I’ve worked for in situations similar to hers–in terms of wealth, privilege, talent and access to the good life–she refuses to squander it. Continue Reading…

Good afternoon all.

For those who have been following my blog, I am responsible for my boss’s new pond (understatement of the year!!!).. scroll down to find all my blogs about this beginning this past August…

Anyway the latest is that the pond has developed string algae, whatever the heck that is. Of course this is discovered just as I am taking off for two weeks vacation and so is the boss man. Neither one of us will be around to handle said pond as we will both be out of the state. Continue Reading…

My last blog entry, Top 5 Worst Job Interviews, highlighted the absurd and often funny things that may come along as we pursue our careers as personal assistants.  These extreme circumstances are by no means the norm, but as cited, really do happen.

In contrast I feel obligated to write about the extreme good stuff, the warm fuzzy moments you don’t often hear about unless you are in the “in.”  Sure there have been stories swirling around about celebrities buying cars and even homes for their career assistants, and many of us have been in the SWAG suites with our celebrity bosses and received thousands of dollars worth of stuff.  Continue Reading…

In Business You Don’t Get What You Deserve, You Get What You Ask For Part Two
By Joey R.

A while back, I wrote a blog about a common personal assistant dilemma—getting what you want from a job. Specifically, getting what you want from your employer’s business managers. When I was starting out with a new client (Tracey, an up-and-coming actress,) I encountered obstacles in my dealings with her financial advisors. They were initially very skeptical about personal assistants in general and wary about Tracey getting ripped off, presumably by a personal assistant (i.e., me). Since I already have a good track record with other celebrities as a trustworthy and reliable employee, I was offended by this, but kept my feelings to myself. I was also annoyed that they were reluctant to provide me with the bare essentials to do the job—a cell phone, a computer, perhaps even a desk. Continue Reading…

Re: The Pond Project (see posts down this thread to get the whole story)

The approval from the architectural committee arrived today.

I framed it. I wrapped. I put a bow on it. I handed it to my boss.

Let the games begin…now the real fun starts. Building this sucker.

[insert expletive here.]

It rained today!  If I had an emoticon for jumping up and down I would put it here.

Those who have been reading my blogs, know that I’ve been put in charge of a “pond” project at my boss’s house. Well, I laughingly mentioned he could have his frigging pond finished a lot faster if it rained, and it did!!!!

Ah, That felt good. Now back to reality. Yes it rained. Yes, we have hole in the ground that is now a WET hole in the ground. This does not a pond make. How I wish it did. Continue Reading…

Hello all. I am back from my trip to New York City.  Hard to get myself back on the ground and my head back into my work life. That’s what vacation is suppose to be all about, right? You feel transported….

Anyway, I met someone on my trip who has read my blog and commented that I did a nice job, especially with pretending to be all the different mystery bloggers. What? WHOA! Back up. Continue Reading…