Days Like Today...

make me hate my job. Actually, I still like my job but I hate not being able to do it well. I struggled with the friggin' payroll for over 22 hours and I'm still not done, but the stuff that's left is late or problem stuff and I'm not as worried about it.

Basically, it took me forever to do my job and it bothers me. I mentioned the difficulty I had to the accountant and he acknowledged that coming into a show midstream is much harder than one would think, as there's so much that's just stuck in your head from doing it week after week that a newby has to look up. I'm glad he's aware of it and not just thinking I'm a slacker or something.

Anyway, I'm about to head out. I'll probably come in tomorrow and finish up the animal wranglers, but there's not that many and I can clean that up in about an hour. I have to go be nice to the husband for taking care of me yesterday. I know I was a bitch to him, but he stuck by me and helped me more than he'll know. It may have seemed like nothing, but it meant a lot to me.

DH4

I got a call on Friday about DH4. I'm going to have an interview, even though they're not sure if the movie will be in LA or in Canada (payroll isn't allowed to work in Canada). They're just trying to be proactive. This coming week is screwed up with the holiday, so I probably won't interview until next week. We'll see.

EA

I'm sitting at my desk, preparing to do the payroll for EA. I'm not looking forward to it because it's been since February/March and SoaP since I did real payroll, not just prep and wrap stuff. Plus, I don't see the timecards from set. I think they're in the production office which is in the next trailer. I'm going to do the stuff on my desk first, then I'll have to call security to come down and open the prod office for me.

I have heard some interesting stories on this one...
- there was a bike shop going out of business in the town in Virginia where they were shooting and the director decided to buy everyone on the crew a bike. Everyone.
- a baboon freaked out one day and knocked down one of the child actors - they think it may have seen it as either a playmate or a threat, since it was the same size.
- a transpo van hit a bear.
- some teenagers thought it would be cool to light up a joint while checking out the set. They decided the police officer working security was a fake (all cops on movie sets are fakes, apparently) - they got arrested.

If I hear more I'll pass them along.

Job "Search"

A friend of mine from Snakes im'd me yesterday to see what I was up to. I told her about my job at EA and she said she's working on Die Hard 4 and they're looking for payroll. The accountant has a reputation for being a real hard-ass, but I sent my resume anyway. Actually, she doesn't just have a reputation, she's on the "list" of accountants you shouldn't work for unless you're desperate. But I've only ever had a problem with one acct so far and she wasn't on that list... I'm willing to give it a chance. (After reading over my shoulder, the husband pointed out at least 2 more than I've had issues with that I had apparently blocked from memory.)

Why am I sending out resumes? Because all the 2nd unit work on EA was cancelled last Monday. I am no longer guaranteed employment until September. It seems the 2nd unit crew that was hired was doing crap work and they can't use most of the footage. So the director is going to put together a rough edit and see what's needed. No one knows how long that will take so no one is making any plans beyond a regular wrap, which is usually 4 weeks for me. So 1st unit is done July 11th, a stunt unit is done July 12th, and I should be done about 4 weeks after (no calendar at hand...).

Flag Burning

I'm relieved the flag burning ban didn't pass because if it does I'm going to be forced to burn a flag in protest. I think it's just ludicris to try to criminalize flag burning when there are millions of people in the good ol' US of A doing things to the flag that are just plain wrong. Those tatty car flags that should be retired, flag decals, flag clothing, flags flying unlit at night or in the rain... all of those are the result of ignorance while burning is usually a statement of some sort, with some kind of intent behind it.

So if it comes up, I'll be there with my matches protesting the loss of freedom to protest.

Star Sighting

We had dinner at Daily Grill before the movie last night and Cheryl Tiegs and her family sat at the table across from us. She's aging very well.

Probably Best Left Unsaid...

Th 1st Asst Acct just showed me a gift she got from one of her assistants - a carrot-shaped vibrator. Then 3 minutes later, she walked from her office to the kitchen to reheat her lunch and commented how she didn't understand how anyone could make veggies taste like fish...

Umm, carrot-shaped vibrator?

Sorry, had to.

Superman

While waiting to get my car smogged this morning, I was watching one of the morning "news" shows. They mentioned a review of Superman Returns and commented that there were some late night showings tonight since it opens tomorrow. When I got to work, I got online and bought 2 tix for the 10pm show up at Universal Citywalk. It's a surprise for the husband, but I had to email him so he wouldn't make other plans... so SURPRISE!

When the first Christopher Reeve Superman came out, my husband made his mother come and get him out of school so he could go to the first showing. He was a strong-willed little boy.

Only in LA?

There's a small plane flying over the studio today, dragging a banner for a new tv show. Do they do this stuff in other cities? I can't imagine. Of course, they also have some of the biggest billboards (advertising movies and tv shows) I've ever seen here. Maybe the ones in NYC are bigger, but I haven't been there to see them.

Santa Barbara

The husband, Sofie, and I spent the weekend in Santa Barbara. I left work early on Friday and we drove up around 4 o'clock. Traffic wasn't great, but I'm sure it could have been worse. We ended up staying the the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort because they were just about the only place that took dogs with a vacancy. We got upgraded to a suite, which was very swank.

The city was hosting it's Summer Solstice Parade on Saturday. Apparently it's the biggest parade of the year in Santa Barbara. It looked like a lot of fun and Sofie did pretty well in the crowds. She's such a sweet looking dog she always gets attention from strangers.

We ended up staying to Sunday and when we left we drove thru Ojai on the way back. We'd never been there before and they had a used bookstore we wanted to check out. It was a nice drive in and the bookstore was ok, but it's open air and even though the shelves are covered in case of rain, a lot were sun-damaged and dirty. I opened one up to look at it and there was a little bug crawling inside it. Even so, I'd like to go back to Ojai sometime and stay for a day or two, see what it's really like. It seems like a nice mountain town, but the husband said it seemed manufactured to him, like too many people from LA had moved in...

I think my favorite thing from the trip was eating lunch on Saturday out on the greenway by the beach. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach itself, but the city has a nice wide strip of grass between the beach and the road. The 3 of us ate and laid in the sun and just had a nice time doing nothing.

Book List #15

I started reading Alice Hoffman's The River King. I've read several of her books, but stopped after they butchered Practial Magic by making it into that dreadful movie.

Anyway, this one is as good as I remember her work being. She has an interesting style that
flows so well, you read and read and read and don't even realize how much time has passed.

Pics As Promised

This is Coco, Sped's new dog. He has a few health issues and I'm sure some abandonment issues, but he's found himself a good home.

Sped, for some reason he reminds me of your dad. No offense meant to either party. Maybe it's the tilt of the head and the suggestion of a mustache.

Hopefully he and Sofie will get along.

Coco

Sped got a dog, but not the little white poodle mix (the finders took her home). No, this one is a 4 year old Shih Tzu that was given up by its elderly owner who was going into a nursing home. Pics to follow when Sped sends them along...

Morning...

I haven't heard from Sped whether or not they got the dog. Hopefully she'll let all of us know pretty soon.

I had a contractor come in this morning and take a look at our bathrooms. I want to have them redone and needed to find out what kind of money we're looking at. He seemed like a nice guy and he was recommended by N&J, so that's good. I realized talking to him that although I know what I want to accomplish, I have no idea what I want the final outcome to look like. Bit of an issue, there. For the guest bath, I want to hide the litter box and for the master bath, I want a soaking tub. That's about as far as I get...

I got my invite for the cast and crew screening of Dupree. It's on July 11th and I think I can make it - it's right around the corner at Universal Citywalk. The billboards are going up all over town and while it's a nice picture, it makes Hudson's nose look very pointy.

Another Puppy

This is Trooper. He belongs to my cousin Lou who has just recently moved to LA.

Lou didn't say what kind of dog Trooper is, but he looks a bit like a Rottie...

I'm very glad my life is full of people with dogs.

Sped's Dog (Hopefully)

This is the dog Sped and her man are hoping to adopt. She's about a year and a half old and was found and taken to the pound. The people who found her said they wanted her, but Sped is hoping they change their mind.

They have to be there at 11:30am on Wednesday and if the finders don't show, the pup is theirs. I hope they get her. I'm not really into this kind of dog, the poodle mix, but she looks pretty dang cute from the pic.

Good luck guys! Fingers crossed.

Day 1 On Evan Almighty

Welcome back to Universal! I've got to say it's nice to be working in LA. The commute was so nice and tomorrow I'm going to be able to ride the Plum to work (had to bring in my kit today - needed the car). I have my own office for now, but when the payroll clerk comes back, I'll be sharing. Everybody seems nice and it should work out fine.

I've been chatting with the payroll guy from Virginia, J, and he seems to be nice as well. We're both replacements and luckily neither of us is all that thrilled with the paprwork that began this show. When he finally got the chance to send me the crew list, I couldn't believe how useless it was - ok, not totally useless but not great, either. He didn't take the time to fix it because he thought the woman who started the show would be coming back and he was so damn busy. But I'm very unhappy with it after only 1 day. If I had taken over when he did, I think I would have done some revising.

The schedule and stuff is up in the air. Nobody really knows yet when the crew is coming back to LA. I'm very glad that J is planning on doing the payroll for this week and just having me cut the checks. It'll make the transition much easier.

Book List #14

Death Train to Boston by Dianne Day is my current read (it's the next in the Fremont Jones series). The format of this one is a bit different from the others but I'm enjoying it and will continue to read the series as I can find the books. This one has a lot to do with Mormons - an interesting group of people, to be sure. Not being very religious, I find people who are devout fascinating in a "sleeps-on-a-bed-of-nails" kind of way. I'll let you know if it ends well. That really is my biggest complaint about anything - they hook you and pull you along, then just drop you at the end. So far DD hasn't done this to me, but I'm always wary.

Book List #13

I read Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella: Curiouser and Curiouser Adventures in History by Michael Olmert. I actually finished it before I left Santa Fe, but I didn't have the time to blog about it. Basically it's the history of various things that we take for granted like playing cards and umbrellas. It was an ok book - some of the topics were interesting and some were not...there were some entries that had better info in the endnotes.

Back To Work

I start EA tomorrow. We're in a trailer in the Muddy Waters lot. They don't travel back until the 24th, so I'm not exactly sure what they'll have me do this week, but I'm grateful for the paycheck. I'm also grateful this job is so close to home. I rode my Vespa to the store this morning and I'm looking forward to commuting on it.

And Sped, the last post wasn't about you. I know you're working on it and I also know it's not easy. But I do appreciate it.

Stupid Cows and Lying Bastards

I hate people who don't do what they say they're going to do. I can't go into it more here, but believe me when I say there's a reason and it's a good one.

Home

I made it home about 3:30 yesterday afternoon. It was so nice to finally pull into the garage and just be home...

The drive from Santa Fe went fairly well. Because the furniture guys came early, I got to hit the road about 3:15. We made it to Flagstaff and I got checked into the hotel and got the cats and Hamilton unloaded, ate some dinner, and went to bed.

While getting ready to leave the hotel, I spent about 15 minutes rounding up cats - Darby being the easiest to catch as she walked up to me while I was sitting in front of the carriers. Quincy I scared from under the bed to under the desk where I was able to scoop him up. Baxter was more difficult. I ended up having to pick up the bed to get him to come out. He tried hiding behind the trash can in the bathroom, but I unhooked his claws from the carpeting and got him loaded, too. I did find a brand new issue of Hustler between the mattress and the box springs while I was shifting the bed. Makes you not want to think too hard about sleeping in a hotel bed.

Anyway, there were a lot of deer and elk crossing signs around Flagstaff and I do believe I saw the remnants of something of that nature trying to cross the road. There was a DOT service truck on the left shoulder, and I saw the biggest roadkill I'd ever seen in my life, along with a huge bloodstain. I'd hate to see the vehicle that got hit, considering the condition of the animal (I think elk by the size and color).

Anyway, I listened to an audio book for most of the trip - Fluke by Christopher Moore. It was pretty funny and the constant sound of a voice kept the kitties quiet most of the time.

Today I get to unpack the car and try to get the suitcases and boxes unpacked, too. That's always the hardest part for me, getting everything back into it's place. I have to stay focused, though, because when that's doen I'm going to do my spring cleaning and try and weed out at least 30% of the crap I own.

Yippee!!!

This is it, my last day in Santa Fe. I'm so happy to be going home that I woke up all thru the night, but couldn't go back to sleep after about 6:30am, even though I had my alarm set for 8. I'm washing my sheets and my last dirty clothes. I've gotten cash and a tank of gas. I'm about to take my cable stuff back and drop off the last of the Goodwill. I still need to find out about my microwave and gate cards, but those aren't a big deal. When the laundry's done, I can load up everything but the cats into the car. Then I'll play freecell until the furniture guys show up, when I'll drop my keys off and vamoose!

My next blog will be from home.

Bandelier

I made it to my final Santa Fe destination - Bandelier National Monument. It's a canyon surrounded by mesas that has been visited/occupied by humans for 10,000 years. I enjoyed the scenery, being on the canyon floor with a creek and all the greenery, but I have to say I prefer Mesa Verde for the cliff dwellings. The ones at Bandelier are mostly gone, so you only get a hint of what it must have been like. Still, seeing all the caves in the cliffs and knowing that a good portion of them were someone's home is surreal.

The geology around here is one of the most fascinating things. When you drive thru on the interstate, it looks like nothing but barren desert with the occasional tumbleweed. But if you get off that path and out into the country, you find almost-alien landscapes everywhere. I would love to know what it was like to be the first white man to find Slot Canyon or to look down into Frijoles Canyon at Bandelier - and then to try and explain to others what it was you'd found. Then again, with the West being new, maybe fantastic discoveries were the norm. Either way, it would truly suck to come up to one of those canyons in your covered wagon and have to find your way to the other side.

Packing

I got up early this morning to wait for the UPS guy. I had left my 2nd apaprtment key with the husband and realized on Saturday that I'll probably have to turn it in when I leave tomorrow. So he took it to UPS for delivery today. They're supposed to be here by 10:30am, so we'll see.

In the meantime, I decided to drag most of my stuff down to the car to see what would fit. I think I can get everything necessary in, but I won't be able to see very well out the back. And in the end, it's going to be a game of shoving stuff in wherever there's a space.

I won't be taking the cat tower or the litter boxes. Nor will I be able to take the sweet little table we got at the Abq flea market. Now that I think about it, I also probably won't be able to fit the little stick-vac, either. Oh well. Me and the kitties fit and that's what counts.

Santa Fe Train

When I got to the train station, they told me they were sold out. If I had known then what I knew now, I would have left immediately. Instead, I stopped to look at the postcards and was still there when someone new came in and said they had a few seats left.

Riding a train like that is really more of a social event. Since we were on the "hotshot" we only went to the Galisteo Basin overlook instead of all the way to Lamy. Turns out we went right thru town then down thru El Dorado, which is where AJ lives. I'd already seen that scenery.

I sat behind a woman who had 2 little girls with her (3 & 4) - her granddaughters or nieces or something. She kept telling the one to stop touching her mouth because of some germ she had in it. Then the conductor warned us that there was a potential for the windows to come down unexpectedly if we hit a rough patch - this nearly caused hysterics as the woman yelled at the younger one that she was going to get her hands and/or head chopped off if she didn't stay away from the window. At that point I got up and went to stand on the flat car (with railings). That was nice - until I realized I was going to have one helluva sun burn. I tried going back in, but the woman was by then yelling at one of the girls to move out of the sun coming in the window and when she didn't move fast enough, grabbed her and bodily moved her about 8 inches to the left. I went back out... I did spend the return trip inside the car, but on the opposite end and practically asleep - I know I dozed off for at least 20 minutes. Might have had something to do with the Corona.

So all-in-all, the train ride was a bit of a bust. Afterwards, I got some dinner on the plaza and wandered the shops, then went home and took a little nap. Now it's time for bed.

Tomorrow is Bandelier and more cleaning.

Pics of Tent Rocks

Tent Rocks

Fark the plan, I got up and went to Tent Rocks this morning. Beautiful! But the 5 miles of gravel road sure sucked.

Anyway, I left about 7 and got to the trailhead by 8. Decided to do the Canyon Trail, which is 1.5 miles in and out and goes thru Slot Canyon then up to the top of the mesa. I was the only person around and it was so quiet - really just amazing. You walk along the canyon floor and the sides go up above your head and there are trees growing out of the rock. The sky was blue and the sun was low enough that a lot of the trail was still in shade. Then the view from the top was 360 degrees. There was a hawk or something soaring above the canyon catching the thermals. They've had a fire, but not too recently - there were a lot of burned trees in fantastic shapes but a lot of green, too. The signs warned about rattlesnakes, but all I saw were birds, lizards, and a couple of chipmunks. I also saw jack rabbits, but that was on the gravel road on the way in...

When I went back down I passed a few people, but mostly I was alone. I hit the Cave Loop Trail at the junction and basically took the long way back. I'm so glad I went and I'm super-glad I went first thing in the morning!

Pics to be posted soon!

Last Days in Santa Fe

So I've made some plans for myself for my last days in town. Yesterday I killed time with K before she left, which meant having lunch, shopping on the plaza, buying pottery and shoes, and having gelato (man, that stuff's good!). I then went home and had dinner and watched Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...

Today I got up and started the laundry and packed up all my clothes, books, and non-essentials. I also packed up everything that needed to go to Goodwill. Then I went to the aformentioned lunch. I came home, did more laundry, surfed the net, then loaded up the car and took the stuff to Goodwill. Then I got a mani-pedi with French tips on both fingers and toes.

Tomorrow I'm getting up early and going to Bandelier National Monument. They open at 8 and I plan on being the 1st one in - I heard it gets crowded. I don't think I'll be there more than an hour or so, but I'm leaving it open. I do want to try and catch the train ride at 2pm. It's the short route that goes to a scenic overlook, but it's a restored train and it might be fun.

Monday I was going to go to Tent Rocks, but I have to wait for a package and it may be too hot later in the day. Then again, sweating would be good for me. I suppose I could go to Tent Rocks tomorrow and the monument on Monday...

Tuesday will be spent washing the sheets and loading up the car. After the furniture is gone, I'll pack up the kitties and we'll be off. I think I'll drive at least as far as Gallup, maybe Flagstaff. I'm kind of glad I have some free time to get everything together and still do some sight-seeing, but now that it's so close, I want to go home.

(I brought Hamilton home with me on Friday and to keep him safe from the cats, I put him on top of the fridge. Didn't realize until today that it's cold up there. I went to feed him and he barely moved, much less went after the pellets. Now he's sitting on the shelf in the closet.)

Hypocrite

I met with B for lunch today. She spent quite a bit of time telling me about all the crew who agreed to do WH then jumped ship for one of the other shows coming into town. I couldn't help but think it's exactly what she wanted me to do.

But the Rueben and potato salad were very good.

So, What's Really In It?

The husband called me today to tell me Sofie will no longer be eating her regular brand of dog food. Of course, I immediately think he's heard some news report that it's been tainted or contains horse. No, he's just found a better brand for her - Old Yeller dog food.

I couldn't believe it, figured it had to be some kind of joke. But apparently it's for real and it's made by Disney. Some exec was even quoted as saying they didn't think there'd be a problem since most people wouldn't remember Old Yeller. Yeah, right. I've never seen the movie and I know what happened at the end.

So I just had to ask if you got a free cartridge in every bag. Or if Sofie, upon hearing the news, got so excited she foamed at the mouth. Or if there's a little message on the bag that says the food has nothing to do with what happened to the dog in the movie and that your dog won't need to be put down after eating it.

Why on earth would anyone think naming a dog food after a dog that gets rabies and has to be shot by its young owner is a good marketing ploy?

This Couldn't Have Happened Last Week?

I got a call from B this morning - her payroll person gave notice and she wanted me to come over and finish for her. I tried telling her no, that I had taken another gig, but she kind of brushed me off, saying I hadn't started yet and they'd understand. I told her I had to talk to the husband. I had no intention of backing out on EA, but as I told the husband I could offer to help B next week (only) since I was here anyway. He said not to, that B had never gone out of her way to help me. But I didn't want to burn any bridges so I ended up making the offer. We'll see what happens. When I asked my UG boss if she knew of available payroll people, she said she'd ask around. I casually mentioned B asking me to take over and having to say no because of the other gig and my boss commented that I shouldn't flake on EA, that B should understand because she wouldn't want me doing that to her. That pretty much crystalized it for me. I didn't realize until then that I was mad at B for asking me to go back on my word to EA.

Of course, that didn't stop me from colluding with my boss from Dupree - she sent an email to my EA boss, telling her she'd gotten me to jump ship for her new show, claiming not to know who I was bailing on... luckily they're very good friends. I don't know if the EA boss will fall for it, especially since we fooled her while on Dupree into believing I'd become a heavy drinker who couldn't do my job anymore...

Sad News

My boss told me today that Ralph's mom had to put him down on Saturday. We all knew it was just a matter of time - I could overhear her tell people the vet had said his brain just wasn't communicating with the lower part of his body anymore. I'm not sure if he took a turn for the worse or if she just decided not to let him suffer anymore. At least, as she said, he got to go home and he got to go to the beach one last time. That was his favorite.

When the husband came to visit the last time, he would spend time petting and scratching Ralph. We were all surprised by the noises Ralph was making, a kind of deep-in-the-chest grunt of pleasure. He really enjoyed the attention, that's for sure. And he liked having Sofie around, even if she was too scared to really play with him.

Ralph, you good dog.

Book List #12

I picked up the next Fremont Jones mystery Emperor Norton's Ghost while I was at home this weekend. Since my trip back to Abq was so time-consuming, I managed to read the whole thing. If I'd known, I'd have brought the one after that as well.

Baby Birds

The eggs in our hanging lantern hatched. I don't know how many chicks there are, if all 4 made it, but there seem to be at least 2. It's funny to watch and listen to them, because it's very quiet when mom and dad aren't around. Then one of them shows up, probably with food, and the little ones go nuts with all the chirping! As soon as the food is gone and the parent flies off, it's totally quiet again. I'd love to take another peek, but not if it's going to cause problems.

Huh?

This is an email conversation I had with a friend of mine who's a 1st assistant accountant. I had sent out a general email to a bunch of people to let them know I was looking for work.

>So you totally flaked out on the Accountant I'm working for now. LOL. How are you guys? Everything going well? I talked to PG. yesterday. RB

I wrote back to ask wtf he was talking about.

>I'm finishing up a show with DD (the email offer). She is heading to Portland to work on another show. She got your resume and said you wanted time off. Then she said you took another job. PG is being considered for the Portland job, if she wants it. RB

This is my response:

>Oh my god, I can't believe she said that. Here's what happened: I got this email late Wednesday night:

"I got your resume from my friend DA. I am a production accountant prepping a $20 mil feature to be shot on location, and am looking to hire a payroll person. Are you available to interview next week? The job would start July 10th for payroll, with non-affiliate benefits, airfare, housing and per diem. The rate is $xx00 plus vac/hol for 5 or 6 days (5 day shooting schedule). The BTL is not massive. Let me know if you are interested in getting together, DD."

I wrote back to her on Thursday morning and told her I was out of town until the 16th of June (on a show that is shutting down), that I needed to know where the location was, and that I had previous plans for the week of July 17th but that otherwise it sounded like a good offer. I never heard anything back until after I wrote to her today to let her know I had taken a show. She wrote back:

"Hi there. That's fine, the week off was problematic, DD."

Now, who sounds flaky? I tried to get more info from her and didn't hear jack. I can't wait around for someone and if she thinks I don't get more than one phone call at a time, she doesn't know anything about me. It's too bad because Portland would have been cool.

I haven't heard back from RB, but N had this to say:
"What a bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm totally putting her name on my list"

I'm right there with you N! No way will I work for this woman - calling ME flaky...

Job Hunt #2 - Over!

I got the call this morning from EA - I've got the job and I start sometime the week of June 19th. Should be a nice gig, since they only have 11 or 12 days of shooting on 1st unit when they get back to LA and then a couple of months of 2nd unit - which is all on stage with animals and trainers and a small crew. Plus I'm just down the street at Universal so I'll get to ride my Vespa to work everyday and only have a 15 minute commute.

I never did hear back from the acct who sent the email. Too late now.

Book List #11

I finished Fire and Fog and moved right into The Bohemian Murders. I realized why I like Dianne Day so much - her characters have the usual sorts of miscommunications and misunderstandings, but she doesn't drag them out. Fremont, the main character, is a very reasonable woman and usually confronts the issue at the first possible opportunity. Not like every sitcom made today. Damn, I hate watching the convolutions people go thru because they misheard a conversation or something. So even though I have other stuff to read, I'll probably plow thru these in short order.

EA - Who Needs 'Em?

I got an email today from an accountant I've never worked with before. She got my resume from a friend of hers, who I have worked with...

She's doing a $20 million show on location and needs someone to start July 10th. The rate is good, the benefits are good, and the timing is good. Now all I need to know is where the show is before I can say if I'm interested. Plus, I told her I needed to have July 19-23 off for Comic-Con. Well, I didn't actually say it was for Comic-Con, I just said I had previous plans.

We'll see.

And EA better get off their bums if they think I'm doing the show without even being made an offer.

Well, Do I Have a Job or Not?

I emailed N today that I still hadn't heard if I was going to get EA when it came back to LA. She said one of the accountants in her office talked as if it was a done deal and had been for a few weeks. Not sure if it's true, but I wish someone would clue me in.

I've managed to hit a between-shows lull. I've only gotten the 1 cold call off my resume and that's pretty unusual. But things will be picking up soon and in the meantime I've got stuff to do around the house.

Book List #10

The husband and I went to the Iliad bookstore while I was home and we got the rest of the Dianne Day series about Fremont Jones. So I've started Fire and Fog, which begins with the earthquake of 1906. Seems appropriate with it being the centennial and all.

Long Weekend

I went home for the long weekend - had a great time with the husband and the dog. We saw X3, which was good, but not great. The husband is much better at critiquing movies than I am and sometimes I even agree with what he says. Sometimes, though, he goes into the structuring of the script and I can't follow. But I do feel like I'm learning something. Since I've been in Santa Fe, I've been contemplating doing a thorough cleaning when I get home. I had a really hard time not getting started this weekend, but I didn't want to waste our time together. But when I get back, I'm going thru the place and getting rid of all the junk I don't need anymore. I'm thinking I'll get a table at the Rose Bowl Flea Market and sell off cheap.

I was wiped out by the time I got home yesterday and I still had a gym appt at 6:30. I made it, but I have to admit it wasn't my most strenuous workout. Then after I got home, I got a phone call from my mom that my brother was in the hospital. He's been running a fever off and on for over 2 weeks and they haven't been able to find out what's wrong. He's been tested for pneumonia, meningitis, you name it. So when his fever returned yesterday, they decided he needed hospital care.

Of course, I wigged out after talking to my mom, thinking the worst. I called the husband crying and he managed to calm me down. He asked me if I wanted to go home - I didn't. I know I should have wanted to, but I just couldn't deal with it. Thing is, my mom told me that she had told my brother to "fight it" and hang in there. I feel just the opposite. I feel if he's ready to go, he should go. That's not something they want to hear and I shouldn't even be writing it, but I don't think anybody but my sister even reads this and I don't think she reads it on a regular basis.

The only other thing going on is my continued annoyance at the payroll company. When we got shut down, I sent an email asking about layoff provisions - I didn't have my own copy of the union contract. They wrote back and I paid people accordingly. Turns out they were wrong and I got a phone call from the studio's labor dept. Now, I'm the first to admit if I made a mistake and more than willing to apologize and correct it. But this time I went to the experts and now I look like an idiot. Hate them, hate them, hate them.

Wusses

My boss came into my office last night and said something about bringing me back the vanilla candle I had given her as people didn't like the smell. I figured ok, it's a cheapo candle and vanilla is a tricky flavor, I'll just toss it...

Since she was going to be w/o a candle, I put my candle (Caramel Pecan Pie) in her in-basket this morning. Not long after she gets to work, she brings me both candles and after a tricky bit of discussion, I realize people don't like my caramel candle and she's giving me the vanilla one to replace it!

WTF? Who doesn't like it and why can't they tell me themselves? Why go to my boss with it? It's not like I care that much; Donna from Dupree came into my office one day and said she couldn't stand the candle I was burning and I blew it out, took it home, and found one she did like. Not a big deal, unless you're a wuss...

So I've got another one going today, Blueberry Cheesecake, and if someone doesn't like it they can tell me about it or take a flying leap - bastards.

Job Hunt - Dukes

I just turned down Dukes of Hazzard 2 (straight to dvd in 2007). The acct called and wanted me to start next week, but I can't be done here that soon. I've worked with this guy before and I have to say my skin crawled when I realized who it was. Blech. So a combo of bad movie, bad acct, and bad timing have saved me from another loser on my resume.

And the tv show is Calista's new one. Still thinking about it...

Job Hunt #2

There was a listing on the acctg job email about a tv show today. It didn't give the title, but after a little research, we figured out it's probably Calista Flockhart's new series. I really don't want to do tv; it's the same work for less pay. The only positive I could find was maybe Harrison Ford would stop by the set. But now that I've had time to think about it, I would probably regret meeting him at this point. He's no longer the ultimate symbol of manhood I once thought he was. And I know how corny that sounds, but I was young and he really was hot.

I think Hugh Jackman may be hotter. Wowza!

Arm Wrestling Champ

The Set Decorating dept picked up some very nice wicker furniture and when we got shut down, I called dibs on the bench. I'd had it in my office for a few weeks and I really liked it. There were 3 chairs as well, but I wasn't as interested in them.

Anyway, the Art Dep Coord came to my office and announced she was ready to arm wrestle me for one of the chairs. We set up for it, but didn't actually wrestle. I noticed she was stronger than she looked, but didn't think much more of it since I didn't care if she took a chair or not.

Later that night at the wake, she walked over to me and started rolling up her sleeve. Not one to let a challenge go unanswered, I rolled up my sleeve and put my elbow on the table. Krista set us up and called it. The ADC started pushing and my thought process was 'how long should I let this go on before I just finish it?' at which point I pushed her hand to the table - yes, in one easy motion.

There truly is a well-muscled body under my insulating layer of fat.

The High Cost of My Day at the Ranch

When the transpo guys invited us on Saturday, they promised the cost would be no more than $20 - they bought everything and planned on splitting the bill.

Well, I just forked over $30. I still think it was worth it, but they should have stuck to their word.

Book List #9

I forgot to mention I started a new book a couple of days ago... Jasper Fforde's "The Big Over Easy." I've read all of his Thursday Next series and the husband picked up this new one featuring Jack Spratt. I really enjoy his style and hope he comes out with more soon.

My Day at the Ranch

We had a fantastic day at the ranch yesterday. I got there a bit late but it was a beautiful drive. It gets hilly and rocky and covered with trees - just amazing.

Not long after I got there, we started saddling up our mules. It took awhile to get everything together, but it was worth it. I rode Hilary who's about 20 years old. I tried to get to know her first, holding out my hand for her to smell, but she wasn't having any of it. I was a bit worried she didn't like me and I didn't want to try and ride an animal that wasn't into it. I had tried that before on a horse ride and when the horse finally got fed up, it took off running back to the barn and nearly took my head off on the doorway. We had to curry and brush the mules before saddling them, so I tried to bond that way. When Dan, the ranch owner came over, I asked if Hilary was up for the ride because she wouldn't even sniff my hand. He said someone had broken her jaw before they got her and she was head-shy, she didn't like anyone touching her head. He suggested I scratch her bum instead, so I did. It was funny because the more I scratched, the lower her ears got. She was diggin' it and we ended up riding pretty well together.
Even though Dan said mules don't like to run, there were several times Hilary just took off for no discernable reason. I enjoyed it though, it was exciting.

During the ride, Loretta had some problems with her mule Daisy. Loretta was a novice and the mule knew it. Daisy got a little feisty and took Loretta on a little adventure. She held on like a trooper, but Daisy wouldn't calm down and they ended up tethered to Dan on his mule. Probably for the best, since L was spooked after that.

The view on the ride was gorgeous. We were out about an hour and when we got back, they were starting dinner. We just sat around and talked and had a great time. I think that's what I'm going to miss about being on location. Almost everybody's in a new place and they all want to experience new things. When you're at home, it's so easy to just go home at the end of the day and get caught up in the minutiae of everyday life.

One thing I'll never forget and that I really needed, was a comment made by Cal, who's a friend of the owners (who are fabulous people). As I was getting ready to leave, she told me she thought I was a great person, very funny, and she was glad to have met me. I was so happy to hear that I nearly cried. I told her I was going to steal one of her lines (when she tasted the boss's margartias, she said she was going to declare a "Renaissance in drinking" - I think that's brilliant.)

So all-in-all, a great day and I'm glad I went.

A Job Review...

by N (copied from an email):

"I know you already went home but I wanted to tell you about CK before I forgot the details. So I handed him your resume. And he said "what's this" and I said this is film-chick's resume, she is a payroll accountant. (This might get choppy so bear with me, there is a party starting). And he asked if I knew you and I said yes of course. And would I recommend you and I said yes. And were you any good and again yes. And I said that you were really tough, you didn't take anyone's shit and meticulous. And he turned and said "is she tough towards the accountant?" and I said god no. She treats the accountants very, very well. And then he started looking more closely and noticed that you had worked for some very, very tough accountants. Then named BG and MS. Then I told him that I had done four shows with you and that you have taught me everything that I know in payroll and if I have any issues you are the first that I call, he said that meant a lot to him. Then he mentioned Snakes on a Plane (and we talked about porn) and that F worked on it and he had worked with F before. And I said that you worked on Dupree with F and that he called you for Snakes. And he said that seals it, if F calls you to do something for him then you must be good. And he said he is always looking for a good payroll person. So there.....If I think of anything else he said I will tell you on monday. N"

Thanks N, that was super-nice of you. Of course, I'd return the favor in a heartbeat.

Here's my commentary on the exchange:
1) he sounds like he's been bullied by a payroll acct
2) MS did "Sideways"
3) every time I told someone I was working on "Snakes on a Plane," they told me it sounded like a porn title
4) F only got into the business because he knew/was related to someone and he got fired a lot when he first started

Forgot to start my Job Hunt #2:
#1 - I got an email from the 2nd unit acct on "Evan Almighty." They might be looking for someone when they come back to LA in June. Not sure about that, always hard to pick up someone else's work in the middle.
#2 - Also got a call from WB about a low-budget project (K got an offer on it, as well) - the acct is one of the few that people get warned about ("psycho bitch from hell" is one description) so I didn't even bother writing down the number, although I pretended to. Thing is, they called me at 11 am on Thursday, then when I called back today, the woman at WB told me she thought the acct had hired someone since they hadn't heard back from me - it hadn't even been 24 hours and she acted like I'd waited a week! Whatever.

Dinner Invites

I got a wild hare/hair on Wednesday and decided to see if my cow-irkers wanted to go to dinner. I went down to the 1st and Key 2nd and asked. Turns out, they were already invited to dinner by the producer. They acted like it was some big secret and they were embarrased to tell me. Whatever... K and I went to dinner on our own and had a good time.We went to Maria's, which has a margarita menu (at least 100 different kinds). We got the basic house margaritas and the were really tasty. Strong, too.

OK, I'll admit I was a bit disappointed at not being asked out by the producer, but I got over it. I'm just glad I made plans of my own rather than going home and sitting alone in front of the tv.

Thursday, a big group of us went on an evening hike, hence the photo, and then to the acct's house for dinner. We had a good time and a great salmon dinner. I played hostess with the cheese and crackers, although I managed to slice my thumb open.

Tonight, I came home and watched "Sideways." I worked with the acct who did that show, plus I've been to some of those towns (although I think Solvang is just about the worst excuse for a tourist trap I've ever been to). It was a good movie, but Paul Giamatti's character hit a little close to home. And of course, the love of a good woman saved him. Why can't I do that?

Tomorrow we're going to the farmer's market in the morning. Then one of the drivers invited everybody out to his ranch for mule rides and bbq. I think we're supposed to ride out to a mesa to see the view, then food and drink. I'm looking forward to it, it's not something you get to do every day.

I Am Nightmare

My old boss, who's also in town working on a film (WH with the mouse) emailed me today because she heard we'd been shut down. I gave her a call and she told me her current payroll person was afraid for her job when she heard the news. She was convinced I'd switch shows and replace her! I find it interesting that I'm somebody's nightmare because of how good I am at my job rather than some less pleasant reason...

We also chatted about things that didn't involve someone losing their job and made a date to go to lunch in a couple of weeks (after the holiday). It was nice talking to her and I do hope to work with her again, but I'm not sure I want to do it now. I've become accustomed to the idea of going home.

One good thing about getting shut down is I'll be in prep on something when Comic-Con rolls around. We should be able to go this year. Good thing the husband didn't listen to me and kept the hotel reservations!

Shut Down

Well, Fox pulled the plug on us today. There are a lot of possible reasons why, but it's probably a combination of stuff. We're 5 weeks out and things just couldn't come together on the budget - I was told the director wouldn't budge in his "vision", the art department came in 1.5 million higher after being asked to cut 3 million, there's so much shooting here in Santa Fe we couldn't find enough locals to work who knew what they were doing and we had to bring in people from LA (which meant housing and per diem), and I heard that Ben and Jim were asking for too much money - something like 25 mil each plus back-end points...

So they shut us down and people are scattering like rats from a sinking ship. The art department had cleared their desks before leaving for a 3 hour lunch (where they all got tipsy). Everybody was bitching and moaning about being unemployed and getting stuck with leases, especially the transpo office (and I heard it each and every time someone called and/or came by).

I still had payroll to do so even though I was stunned when I got the news, I was too busy to really think about it. Fedex was late with my LA timecards and it took me all day to get done - I was still faxing stuff out when everybody left for a local bar for the "wake". I was bitter about it, because I felt like the only one who still had to work as hard as ever, but I got toasted for my dedication at the wake and that made me feel better.

We weren't sure if we'd be wrapping here or back in LA, but the accountant wants to stay and it finally came down that we'd be here until June 9th. I guess it's time to start Job Hunt #2. Not that I'm worried - payroll is always in demand.

Canyon Road

K and I saw Poseiden and it was just about what I expected. There weren't any Oscar-worthy performances, but it was fun - if you can call watching all but 6 people on a cruise ship die horribly violent deaths...

K didn't get her credit which disappointed her, but she said the studio rarely gives credits to anybody below the level of 1st assistant. I think that's unfair, but apparently the old woman who's in charge of the credits has a thing against accountants and they're just waiting for her to die so they can include everyone. I bet her husband left her for an accountant...

When the film was over, K told me she was going to the galleries on Canyon Road today. I mentioned the husband and I had seen some lawn art we liked and I was going to go and check on the prices at some point. She invited me to join her and I accepted. We spent about 5 hours walking up one side of the street and down the other - hitting almost every gallery that was open. We both bought some stuff, but I didn't buy any of the lawn art. The pieces are beautiful but pricey and since we don't have a lawn, not really the best investment. But I'll be hanging on to the brochure.

It's just after 9 and I'm pooped. I want to go to the gym in the morning, so I'm off to bed soon. I finished my Fremont Jones book, which was rather good, but I'm not starting another one tonight. I think I'll flip through a magazine instead.

Just Me and the Kitties

Well, the husband and the dog pulled out about 5:40 this morning. I hated to see them go but I know neither of them really like it here. Heck, I don't really like it here...

So I crawled back into bed because I figured I could go to the gym after work. I set the alarm for 7:30 and fell asleep. I heard it go off and hit the snooze. I'm certain I only hit the snooze once. I know I laid in bed for a bit listening to the music, but when I decided I'd better get up, it was 8:21! I hadn't realized how tired I was.

When I did get up, I kept calling to Quincy that it was safe to come out from under the bed. He finally appeared from the living room, so I guess he'd figured that out for himself. Poor thing spent nearly 2 weeks under the bed or in a cabinet.

I heard from the husband not long ago. He's been home for a bit, running some errands. I'm glad he made it safely. Now it's just me and the cats again. I'm going to turn into the crazy cat lady. Nobody asks me to go out or anything, unless it's a big group outing. Maybe I'm just not as appealing as I'd like to be. Can that be changed? Or am I stamped "As Is?" I am going to see Poseiden tomorrow with K, but I'm not sure if she asked me for any other reason than she didn't want to go alone and I was the only one who said yes. Maybe it matters, maybe it doesn't.

Add Another Week

There's a substantiated rumor going around that we're going to push another week. The location manager told me last night and he'd know as much as anyone else - he'd have to deal with staying a week later and juggling the schedule. We're just over 5 weeks out and not enough has been started. The Art Dept was asked to cut the budget and came back asking for even more. So it looks like another week. The location manager seems to think it may be more like a week and a half since we'd be running into the 4th of July holiday after only 1 week of shooting... We'll see.

The finale of Veronica Mars was 99% brilliant. Everything got neatly tied up and it wasn't unbelievable - although considering how much got tied up, it did have a touch of Huckleberry Finn to it (you know, you read the entire book and it's all resolved on the last page with the news that Huck's dad is dead... whatever). The 1% I'm not happy about concerns the new plot twists that were brought up in the last few minutes - ARGH!!! Hey folks, there's a good chance we're never gonna see these characters again, don't leave us hanging. And where was Cliff? I was bummed about him not making it into the finale.

Veronica Mars

Tonight is the last episode of a really great show. Actually, it's the season finale but with the merger of UPN and the WB it may not make it onto next season's schedule. Which is a damn shame. I have enjoyed VM ever since its first episode and have wished I could be that cool. I mean, who wouldn't? So many fabulous one-liners ("Flat?" "As god made me"). Genius.

When the husband and I went to the Paley Festival for VM, they were cool enough to screen a brand new episode - most shows brought the pilot or something that had already aired. Blech, waste of an hour. But not Joel Silver and Rob Thomas. Love them!

The cast, with minor exceptions, is fantastic. Highest Praise should rightly be heaped upon Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, and my personal favorite, Daran Norris as Cliff McCormack (the lawyer with "the voice" - Daran, if you read this, will you do my answering machine message?).

The only thing I worry about is the ending not living up to the rest of the season. I fear they may have to tie up too many loose ends for it to make sense. And I'm worried that Veronica and Keith could have been so wrong about Aaron killing Lily... But this is Veronica Mars. All will be brilliant.

Finally, something Stephen King and I have in common, except I'm watching VM and saving Lost for the dvd...

Beyond Spell Check

On our drive on Saturday, we passed a Sonic. Their sign said "Try Are New Teas"

Yes, it did.

Day Trip

The husband and I drove up to Los Alamos on Saturday. I didn't know what to expect since it had such an secrective founding, but I figured it would be something like Oak Ridge, TN - and I was right. Except for the fact it was built on a mesa, it's a lot like Oak Ridge - a small town with a friendly feel and government signs pointing down roads that are/were covered by guard towers.

In Oak Ridge, the hills and trees of the area are better camouflage for the labs, but the sheer isolation of Los Alamos makes up for the fact you can see a lot more buildings. It's really out in the middle of nowhere and it must have been difficult for the scientists' families to move there. Today, it's beautiful and we liked it the most out of all the towns we've been to. It's not as pretentious as Santa Fe and it's homier than ABQ. We didn't stay long enough to really see the town, but they were having an art fair that was nice - lots of dogs around.

Then we drove to Taos which was Gatlinburg with adobe. I would hate to be there during ski season because although it's probably gorgeous, it's also probably crowded and expensive. Not that it was all that cheap in the late spring. We didn't drive around much there either, but I didn't want to as much as Los Alamos. Maybe the hour-long drive up there did it for me. Pretty drive, though. A lot of it was through a valley with a river - there were kayakers even!

The Gift

I read an article today and it reminded me of something that happened when I did "The Gift" in Savannah.

Our office was downtown and there were a lot of homeless people around. Production was always after us to make sure the doors shut behind us to keep them from coming in (it was January and cold). We were in a 4 story building and the 1st floor was a dance club. They decided to have the kick-off party in the club and everyone was invited.

So I'm at the party and it's fairly crowded, but not shoulder-to-shoulder. People are dancing, drinking, eating, and chatting. This man with stringy black hair and a scruffy beard brushes past me and I really only glimpse him out of the corner of my eye. Convinced it's a homeless man who's gotten into the party somehow, I start looking for security. Then the bum turns around and it's Keanu Reeves! I felt so stupid, but thank dog I didn't get a chance to try and have him thrown out before I recognized him.

Book List #8

I started a new book last night "The Strange Files of Fremont Jones" by Dianne Day. I picked it up at a used bookstore in ABQ with the husband. I also bought the 2nd book since I thought the premise looked particulary good. It's set in 1905 in San Francisco, so I'm sure if the action continues long enough the earthquake will figure into it. The lead is female and she's one of those "ahead of her time" characters. We'll see how good it ends up being.

Sick

My boss, who unintentionally took us on an 8 hour hike last weekend, has been sick since yesterday - digestion related. She's not sure if it's bad salmon or a bug from drinking the rio water while hiking. I feel fine, but the symptoms have from 7 to 10 days to appear so I'm not out of the water yet - pun intended. I really don't want to get sick, especially with the husband coming into town tonight. It would suck for him to say hi then have to take care of me. Apparently it's not pleasant... think good thoughts for me.

Sped

Sped came to visit me this weekend and we had a great time. She got in late Friday and we sat up talking. When we finally rolled out of bed Saturday, we went to Chocolate Maven for brunch (pancakes and an omelet - yummy). Then we went down to the Plaza and walked around, did some shopping. We both bought some tops and Sped got 2 pairs of shoes. I would have bought a pair but they didn't have my size in stock. I'm checking online for them...

I took her to Coyote Cafe for dinner and it was really good. I ordered halibut this time and enjoyed it, but the steak was better. Then we got some Cold Stone (which Sped had never had before) and walked around a bit more.

On Sunday, we went to the Tesuque flea market and bought more stuff. They had some bead suppliers there with some good deals and Sped makes jewelry. We also found a vendor with handmade Christmas ornaments made of sterling silver. Sped got a snowman and I got a tree, then I got Sped a Kokopelli for her birthday.

We went to Cloud Cliff for lunch on Sunday, but I wasn't that impressed with it. The bread's been good, but I didn't care for my roasted poblano.

I drove Sped back to Abq for her flight and we stopped at Great Harvest so I could get some stuff for the husband - he's coming into town today!

So, looking back on the weekend, we ate and we shopped. But we also spent a lot of time talking and that was the best part. We've known each other since 1982 and we don't have to say much for the other to understand. She truly is my bestest buddy.

Ralph

This is Ralph, the transpo dog. I'm not sure how old he is, but old enough to have some problems with his back legs. He's a real sweetheart, but he does drool. The transpo office is across the hall from mine, next to locations. They'd been letting him hang out in the office, but for some reason they stuck him outside on Friday - chained him to one of the posts. The poor boy cried and stared in the door most of the day. I lost what respect I had for his owner because of that. He's has the habit of walking up to me and putting his head against my knees so I can scratch behind his ears. It must have felt particularly good one day because he nearly toppled over when I stopped. He's a good boy and I'm going to sneak him treats. I'm hoping he'll get along with Sofie and that she's not too rambunctious for him.

Book List #7

"You Are a Dog" by Terry Bain is my current read. I saw it on Daily Candy and went out and bought it. It's life from the dog's point of view and it made me laugh out loud. I can just imagine the same thoughts running through Sofie's head. Of course, it also has some moments where I hope Sofie doesn't feel that way because it breaks my heart. It's a fast read and I'll finish it tonight. Gonna make the husband read this one...

Jinx?

Worked out this morning with a trainer for the first time since my last trainer had a nervous breakdown (sometime in October?). I seem to be a jinx on trainers but I'm not sure why. I show up on time and pay in advance. My first trainer just disappeared on me. He'd been having personal and financial problems and just stopped showing up. Then I had a great bootcamp that lost it's lease. Then I had a trainer who was fine, but I wanted another bootcamp, so I left him. I guess he's not really part of my jinx... Anyway, my next bootcamp instructor had the gym sold out from under her at the same time her mom got really sick. She just kind of disappeared as well, but she's popped back up now that I'm out of town. We'll see what happens when I get back to LA.

The workout was good, a bit on the easy get-to-know-you side, but I can tell it'll get harder once she's figured out how hard she can push me. Which is a good thing.

I have a lot of cleaning and laundry to do tonight. Sped is coming to visit(!) and I have to get some of the cat hair picked up. TG she's not allergic, but her hubby is and I'd hate to send her home all furry. So that's my project this evening and what little I have of tomorrow until I have to drive to Abq to pick her up. Being here would be a lot nicer if you didn't have to drive an hour to get to the airport, but it's an hour to LAX from my condo and that's due to traffic, not distance. Here it's just that far away and the speed limit is 70 or 75 most of the way.

The husband and I are trying to plan a trip for December when I'm done with this show. Right now we're looking at Disney World for a week. Probably stay in one of their better resorts and have a good time. Maybe visit some friends in the area while we're there. Definitely go to Giant Comic Book Warehouse. Other options include a coast drive up to Seattle or a stay in Colorado. Depends on what we do with Sofie. Man, I miss that dog.

I really need to bring my camera to work and take a pic of Ralph, the tranpso dog. He's a sweetheart.

Training Goals

During my meeting with my new trainer this morning, I was asked if I had any goals. Anything past or future that was driving my desire to get into shape. I've never been that interested in running marathons or doing triathalons, so I answered that I hoped to hike the Grand Canyon again. Sped and I hiked it in 1995, but we only went down and back up the same trail and didn't have time to get all the way to the river. Not to say it wasn't exhausting and thrilling, but I'd like to do something that involves staying down there overnight.

On the way back from buying cat food, I realized I do have another goal. I've always wanted to learn to ride a unicycle. I'm not sure if that's something I couldn't do right now, but it'd have to be easier if I was in better shape. So that's my goal. I'm going to get in shape and learn to ride a unicycle - maybe in a race!

Char the Trainer

I met with my new trainer this morning and went thru an "orientation". I was supposed to be attending her Core class, but no one else showed up and we decided to meet today so we could start training tomorrow instead on next Tuesday. I'm pretty excited about starting. I enjoy working out, but I don't like doing it on my own. I'm too easily distracted I guess. Now that I'm eating better and starting to exercise, I'm hopeful I'll drop the 40 pounds I gained. We'll see what I can do in the next 3 months.

Book List #6

Last night I read "It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things To Consider" a collection of quotes by and about Jim Henson. It's a sweet book and a nice reminder of the wonderful things he gave to our world. There's at least one quote in there I want to send to the husband specifically, but I'm thinking it might me nice to make a "quote of the day" from some of the rest.

Book List #5

I read the Alan Moore graphic novel "V for Vendetta." The husband and I had gone to see the movie and he was so upset with the changes they made we left fairly quickly. I figured I'd better read the source material.

It's a good story, even though I kept hoping they'd reveal V's identity, but I understand the point of not doing so. I'm not sure an audience would have liked the movie as much if they had stuck to the story more closely, but I'd have to finish watching the film to see what they did end up doing to it. V, in the graphic novel, is not a typical Hollywood hero nor is he one of those "heart of gold" type characters, either. He has a point and he's very ruthless in making it. He does some despicable things that I can't imagine they let him do in the movie. And I'm not surprised they didn't let Portman be a hooker, as the original Evey was.

FYI - I finished "Rasputin's Daughter" which wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. It attempts to dispel some of the myth surrounding the man, but I'm not sure if I should believe it anymore than I can believe the myths. I'd need to look into the research that was done to support the theories but I don't know that I care enough to bother.

Waterfall

Here's one of the waterfalls from the hike. You couldn't really see it from the trail, so I climbed over some boulders and went right up to the edge of the ravine. I love doing stuff like that, especially when I'm with people who are afraid to even try. Now, I'm not planning on plunging to my death, but I don't see the harm in climbing out a bit farther to see what's there.

Stupid Fax

I'm sitting here at work, way past time to go home, waiting for my payroll to fax through. I hate faxing payroll. It's so friggin' slow.

Anyway, I'm especially peeved since I went on an 8 hour hike yesterday. We didn't plan for it to be an 8 hour hike, but that's how it turned out. We took a wrong turn and decided to keep going and by the time we realized how far it was, it was too late. We only had a few granola bars and some trail mix and we ran out of water. We ended up filling our bottles from the stream, hoping to dog the water wasn't going to kill us or make us sick. Turns out we have 7 days to wait and see if anything's going to happen. Ugh. But part of the hike was beautiful, with waterfalls every 20 feet or so. I'll post a pic from the laptop when I get home.

I'm hoping to stop by the gym on my way home and work out a bit of the stiffness. It depends on the fax, but I really should.

Busier

Today's been busier for me than it has been, but I'm still finding time to surf and play games.

The location guys across the hall have a fart machine and a program on their computer that speaks. They've been saying some pretty rude things then farting. It's amusing to say the least. I don't know what I'd do without them there. I get so bored.

Everybody's going to see some band tomorrow night. I'm not sure if I'm going, since I'm hiking on Sunday morning. I kind of feel like I should hang out at home with the cats and do laundry. I need to get my new sheets washed before Sped comes in on Friday. I do have to go shopping, try to find some decent hiking shoes. I don't need anything fancy, but my sneakers don't cut it for working out anymore, much less walking on dirt paths strewn with rocks. So I need hiking shoes and new cross-trainers. At least I should be able to get those in one place.

The husband and I were talking about what to do when this show is over and we're thinking of going to New Zealand. If anybody has any suggestions for planning such a trip, I'd love to hear them.

Sped has a LiveJournal blog that I check on every day. She doesn't update that often, but I check. Anyway, I realized yesterday that she gets a lot of comments from friends who are always there to cheer her up or give her advise and I'm jealous. Not of the comments, just the fact that she has that circle of friends who care enough about her to check up on her. Most of the people I know are from work and nobody seems to keep in touch after a show is over. N is about the only exception- I hear from her about regular stuff. The rest only write when they're looking for work or have a payroll question. Makes me feel very lonely, especially with no Sofie to go home to...

Book List #4

I started a new book last night since I didn't feel like watching TV. It's "Rasputin's Daughter" by Robert Alexander (also wrote "The Kitchen Boy"). Another Russian revolution historical fiction novel. It's pretty good and I stayed up too late reading it.

A Crappy Day

Today is the 2nd anniversary of Betty's death. Has it really been 2 years? It seems like so long ago but only yesterday. I'm not at home and I think it's making it worse for me, but probably better for the husband. I cry too easily for him.

I miss her. Every now and again, I forget and think we'd better give her a call - that it's been awhile. I know when we travel, I always think to call her when we reach our destination. She would have loved Sofie. And Sofie would have loved her, because Betty would have spoiled that dog no end.

It's just not fair and that's all there is to it.

Not Much to Tell

I haven't written much because there's nothing going on here. I'm so bored! We had that 2 week push and have just recently started hiring again, but it's still slow. I know it'll get crazy-busy soon enough, but I'm so over this.

Ok, I do have a bit of gossip. Turns out one of our stars is a big fan of motorcycles and owns quite a few. He's bringing a truckload to SF and they're going to put my Vespa in with them. I can't be more specific, because it's an insurance issue. We have to insure these actors and if they are known to engage in dangerous activities, the rates are astronomical or no one will issue a policy. So sorry, no names on this one.

The other bit of news I have is a check I got from my parents. My grandfather owned a small farm in southern Indiana and his kids finally decided to sell it. They divided the proceeds among the 4 of them, then my mom and dad decided to send each of their kids a share. The grandkids got some too, but not the spouses. It was a pretty cool thing for them to do and I'm going to have to think of something cool to do with the money. Although my current idea is to use it to join a fairly expensive gym here in SF now that my 2 week trial membership is up. Maybe I'll get a massage, too.

I enjoyed "A History if Violence" if anybody cares. It wasn't the greatest movie ever, but it kept me interested and even had some nice twists. Kind of hard to watch at the beginning, but I got thru it.

The husband tells me that Sofie is wigging out on him. She demands to be right with him at all times and goes wild when he has to leave her at home. I feel responsible, since I'm sure she's afraid he'll disappear like I did. Another reason to not take location shows, I guess. And when I got home last night, I saw Quincy on the staircase outside the apartment. I guess I didn't get the door locked and it tends to get blown open by the wind. I don't know how long it was open, but only Quincy had made it outside and he turned and ran back in when he saw me. I managed to stay calm until I was sure the other 2 were still inside, then I freaked out. Man, my worst nightmares...

Back to Reality

I figured I'd better blog now, as I'm going to go home and watch "A History of Violence" then crawl into bed.

I had a great weekend at home. I got my hair done on Friday and everybody's complimenting me on it. I think it's because it looked so bad before (inch plus roots!) The husband and I ran some errands, saw a movie, ate out, generally just took it easy. Sofie was as excited to see me as I was to see her, but as she did all the licking it may have been hard to tell.

We saw "Brick" which has been described as teen noir. I guess if I had known that going in, I might have liked it better. The plot was ok, it's just hearing noir dialogue come out of the mouths of high school students was weird. Plus, they had some Twin Peaks moments that threw me right out of the action. After all that, it is nice to see someone do something different for a change.

It's almost harder coming back to Santa Fe after that trip. I'm not sure this was the best idea I've ever had, but it's something I needed to do. The husband's planning on coming this way for the next visit and he's decided to drive and bring the dog. Yay! The cats will be pissed, but so what... man I love that dog.

The Art Department Coordinator from LA has shown up here. This is a recent development and we're not all that pleased, because she kind of a bitch - she'd been condescending and rude on the phone. So she gets here and she's got a dog, a 4 year old cutie named Owen. I think he's a black lab mix. Anyway, I decided to give her a 2nd chance when I saw the dog. Didn't take long for her to lose those dog points, though. I found out that when Loretta (the APOC) went to introduce herself and shake hands, the ADC put her hands out to her sides and said "Oh no, I'm not here until tomorrow." Now, I can understand not wanting to get a bunch of crap dumped on you just because you show up to drop off some boxes, but to so blatantly avoid shaking someone's hand in introduction is just plain RUDE!

I Hate My Payroll Company

I'm working with a payroll company for this show that I don't usually work with and I don't like them. Too many issues with stuff, a lot of which weren't issues for 3 or 4 weeks then become huge, paycheck stopping things.

My current gripe involves a woman named Linda. I called her twice and left messages indicating I needed an old invoice sent over for backup to a current one. I hear nothing back. Then this morning I get an email from here that is CC'd to the 1st Asst Acct and starts with "Thanks James." So basically, I call her for 2 days and she responds to James instead of me. I wondered why he asked me for my email yesterday...

That just really bugs me. I don't care what kind of relationship you have with any other member of the accounting office - if someone calls, you should respond to them, not go thru a third party. Damn that pisses me off the more I think about it.

Long live EP!

Diet Update

I finally came up with an eating plan that seems to be working for me. I don't have a scale and it's only been 3 days, but so far so good. I've been able to stick with it and I have to say the tattoo helps. It's on my right thumb, so I can't reach for anything without seeing it and reminding myself that overeating is never worth it, but I am. I'm aiming for a couple of pounds a week, but I'll be happy with 1 per week. Basically, as long as I'm losing, I don't care how long it takes.

It helps that I'm working out again. So far fairly basic stuff, but I'm hoping to work back up to a boot-camp. I just need Heidi to get something going again. The elevation is really hard, though. I tried to go out the other night and jump rope, but I just can't breathe. Being at 7000' and having sinus congestion sucks.

As for work, we've started hiring again. Nothing special to report, yet, but I'm keeping my ears open. Several of us are clearing out for the 3-day weekend. Gonna go home and see the husband and the Sofie - got a meat stick with her name on it!

Let's Try It Again...

There's the view shot I couldn't get to load the other day. Prettier in person, but still nice.

Pics

This is Nani in the Tesuque creek. She's my boss's dog and my Sofie substitute.

I tried to post a pic of the landscape, but it came up too small. I'll try at home later.

Hiking

A group of us from work went hiking yesterday up in the Santa Fe National Forest. It was a beautiful day, not too hot but still sunny. The trail took us to the Tesuque creek and was about 2 1/4 miles each way. We went uphill for awhile, then downhill to the creek, then back up to the top and down a different trail to the car - took about 2 1/2 hours. If I think about it at home, I'll post a photo of the view or the creek.

I was worried about participating, since I feel I'm so out of shape, but I made it. I wasn't the only one who had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath and I never felt like I was dying. I probably would have been fine if I had been able to breath thru my nose - my sinuses are all clogged from allergies - or if the elevation hadn't been as high as 8000'. All in all, I had a good time and hope to go again. I'm not even that sore today, except for my bottom.

H, S, and I went to El Farol for happy hour last night. We had tapas and sangria and chatted for about an hour. It was nice and relaxing and helps me not miss the husband so much.

Speaking of the husband, it's his birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Any more and I'll get in trouble...

I've finally noticed all 3 of my cats making the effort to drink out of the faucets at the apartment. Apparently they don't like drinking the water out of the water bowl. They have a recycling fountain at home and I guess it's spoiled them. So of course I'm going to the pet store today for a fountain. I'm such a pushover and they know it.

Book List #3

I picked up a book for the husband yesterday that he had found when he was here but hadn't bought - "Replay" by Ken Grimwood. After getting it, I went to finally have my car washed and decided to take a look at it while I was waiting. It was intriguing enough that I started reading it and now I have to have it done before I go back to LA for the 3 day Easter weekend. I'm really enjoying it and since some of it is set in Atlanta, it's a blast from the past for me. I hope he comes up with a good reason for what's happening, though. I'd hate for it to be a waste.

Late Nite

Just finished watching the new Charlie and the Choc Factory. What were they thinking? It's got some good bits, but it's nothing compared to the Gene Wilder version. Of course, it's still better than the new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. That one totally sucked - makes you wonder if they bothered to even read the book before they sat down and wrote it or if they just cribbed something together from internet chat rooms and old reviews.

Anyway, I finished The Kitchen Boy last night. It was very good. They set it up so you think you know what's going to happen, then they throw a couple of twists in that make it even better. I did kind of guess one, but the other was a shock. I'm definitely going to read the next in the series, but I think I'll put it off by one. Not sure what's next, too late to start anything tonight.

Have to say, I got another tattoo tonight. It's a couple of flowers on my right thumb. Didn't hurt too bad when it was done, but it's kind of sore now with the bandage rubbing on it. I decided to get it for one reason: I needed a visual reminder of the fact that whenever I choose to go overboard with my eating (binge eating, really) it's never worth it. The food never tastes as good as I think it will and I usually get sick. But I never remembered that when the next urge to binge came on. At first I was going to get "NWI" for never worth it, but when I went in and looked around, I realized I didn't want to have to explain or avoid explaining what it meant. So I got the flowers. I'll post a pic after I take the bandage off and it heals up. It'll be my first truly visible tat. Yeah!

Naming Stuff

The accountant is having a little contest where we're supposed to come up with a caption for a photo she took of our location manager. I love that kind of stuff and of course I entered.

The point is it reminded me of the other work competitions I've entered and the 2 I won.

The first was on Freaky Friday. The writer of the final version of the script only had a couple of weeks to bang out her pages. She apparently got burned out and wanted help coming up with the title for JLC'c character's book. I worked pretty hard on that for an afternoon and came up with the winner. Of course, I can't remember what the title was, but it's in the movie, so you can just look it up (look for LL in the tv studio - she's supposed to be doing an interview on it). The book was about growing older so I found one of those obscure words that nobody's ever heard, no they don't know what it means or even how to pronounce it.

The second was on Sky High. This time, the director was looking for a name for a Chinese restaurant and for a super-hero team - the prize was $50 for each. I put in my suggestions and won for the restaurant (Paper Lantern). They ended up changing the script and not needing the super-hero team, so we never found out who "won" that one.

Now, this may not seem like a big deal and it probably isn't, but the trick to coming up with names like this is they have to pass clearance. Most studios have a department, or they hire an independent company, whose job is to take all the names used in a script and make sure there won't be any legal challenges to using them. It's probably as easy as running them through a huge database, but it's not something I'd care to do. Whatever the process, most of the really clever names for stuff are taken by somebody, somewhere. It's not easy to come up with a good name that isn't already being used.

Ok, I just got on a dictionary site and looked up the word - senescence. The title was something like "Through the Looking Glass: Senescene in Retrograde". It was supposed to be new-agey and only the last part was mine. Like I said, it's obscure and they made it's unknown pronunciation part of the dialogue.

Book List #2

I started "The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar" by Robert Alexander last night. We picked it up in ABQ at the used bookstore there. Actually, I picked up the second book ("Rasputin's Daughter"), saw that there was first and got both. I'll save the review for afterward, but so far I like it.

And I got lazy last night and watched House rather than list all of my future reading... love that show and Hugh Laurie (yes, the husband knows all about it).

Book List #1

Since I can't figure out how to modify the right-hand-side to put in a book list, I've decided to just post each time I read something.

I just finished a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury entitled "The Cat's Pajamas." I really liked Bradbury when I was younger and even managed to use his work for a lot of my English papers. I was very disappointed to find that he didn't age with me; I wasn't enjoying most of his more recent efforts. But I liked this book and I'm glad I took the chance on it.

Tonight I'm starting something new, but I'm not sure what. I brought several books with me and we bought several more in ABQ. I think I'll just put them in a pile and pull one out. When I get home I'll edit this blog and list everything I've got here in SF to read...

Credit

I finally got my internet credit listing for Snakes - I just hope I get one on the actual movie. That movie is going to be so bad and I'm proud to be a part of it.

No interesting stories to tell today. It's still pretty slow and we're on a hiring freeze. Just found out we're pushing for 2 weeks (sorry husband) because one of the stars is shooting another movie right now that pushed and he wants to have some time off between the two. So shit rolls downhill yet again...

My lonely office is across the hall from locations and I do get to hear some interesting tidbits from them every once in a while - it's not like I have to try very hard, they both talk pretty loudly. Right now, they're looking for houses for the stars to rent. You'd think the list of wants would be fairly extravagant, but it seems a pool and room for the nanny are about it. If anything weird comes up, I'll blog it.

Speaking of locations, the local guy worked on the Jessica Simpson movie that shot here not long ago (they just did some reshoots, I guess to cover some days when JS had gotten sick). He was telling someone on the phone yesterday that it seemed the paparazzi always seemed to know where she was, as if they had been tipped off. D'oh! No shit Sherlock. If I was making a movie with JS during all the drama of her impending divorce, I'd be faxing call sheets to the tabloids myself! Free publicity baby. It's all about the free publicity.

Gonna try a new font... if anybody's reading, let me know what you think.

Now the Pics!

Pretty swanky bird's nest, don't you think? I hope those babies are boys or they'll never be satisfied with a regular nest.



And Sofie just loves to rest her head in your hand...sleepy puppy. As Sped said, I'm dying from the cute!

Long Weekend

I was going to wait until I got home to post today, but I'm so bored and I'm afraid I'll forget something (which I always do). But I have pictures to add so you'll have to check back later for the visuals...

The husband and I drove home Friday night non-stop. Actually, he did most of the driving while I took a sleeping pill and passed out. That was the plan, though, because by the time I woke up he was tired and I took over. It was a long night and it was nice to finally pull into the parking garage. I had picked up some doggy downers for Sofie to help her not wig out so much and they seemed to help. She didn't spend the entire ride trembling, just some of it. And despite what the husband says, she prefers to sit in his lap while in the car. Whether or not he was driving, she wanted to be with him. So there.

Anyway, we pulled in around 4:30 am and crawled into bed. I woke up around 10:30 because the dog was making weird noises in her sleep and I was sure she was dying - some kind of reaction to the downers or something. But no, she was just making noises and when she saw I was awake, that was it for me. I got a paw to the head which is her signal that it's time to GO.

When we got back from walkies, I went thru the 2 weeks worth of mail that the neighbors had brought in for us. We get a lot of crap. Later, after the husband got up, we went shopping and stopped at the post office. Then we took S out - when I asked her if she wanted to go to the dog park, she actually got so excited she barked, twice. She's not a vocal dog so when she barked we knew it was a big thing. She had a good time and ran around a lot. Nice to not have to keep calling her back like in SF.

We came back and I did a little laundry, watched some tv, hung out... I noticed a bird had built a nest in a hanging candle holder thing on the back porch. I'd never lit a candle in there, so I guess they thought it was safe. On Sunday, I took some pics and saw that there were 4 eggs in it. Cool. I will post them later.

Saturday night we went to see V for Vendetta. I can't say much about it, it didn't make that much of an impression on me, but the husband disliked it so much we left about 30 minutes in. Maybe 40 minutes - not sure since the - previews seemd to last an hour by themselves. I'll probably Netflix it and finish it up, but it's not high on my list. Too bad. Alan Moore is a fantastic writer but they always fark up his movies. The Natalie Portman character in the graphic novel is a prostitue, which would put a different spin on things, don't you think?

Anyway, Sunday morning came and we didn't realize it was daylight savings time, which blew because we were going to take Sofie to the dog park on the way to the airport. By the time we realized the mistake, we had an hour to get there and had to dash out the door. Poor little girl was sitting by my luggage quivering and looking so sad. I tried to be cheerful and not make it seem like I was leaving for 2 weeks, but it was hard. Maybe she was just worried she's have to go on another long car ride and it had nothing to do with me. Gonna miss that dog. Gonna miss the husband, too, but I can talk to him on the phone. It's just not the same thing.

My Office

My office here in Santa Fe is pretty nice. I don't have to share it with anyone and although the window looks out onto the parking lot, there's a couple of trees that block the worst of the view. The problem with it is it's down down the hall and around the corner from everybody else and I feel left out. The only other people on this wing so far are locations. The producers and other bigwigs will be further down from me, but right now it's lonely at work. I want to go in and socialize and they've invited me to do so, but it feels forced. Not sure about this group, especially the first asst.

Anyway, the husband came over for lunch today and we went and got him his birthday present. Last time he was down here we saw some of those globes made of semi-precious stone and minerals and we both liked them. They were 50% off so I said "Birthday Present!" He picked out a nice ivory one, which wasn't my favorite, but it is pretty and different. I'm always up for different.

We have to go to the pet store and get some of the doggie-downer spray for Sofie for the ride home tomorrow. She's nervous in the car now and we tried so hard to make it so she enjoyed rides. Maybe once she's home and back into her routine she'll be better.

Ok, got a story from Saturday to tell. We went to the bank to deposit my housing check and went inside to a teller. As we headed for the bank-maze, I saw a woman step away from the little table (with the deposit slips and stuff). She saw us get into line and said something like shoot or dang or whatever. Anyway, we're standing there and she walks up, points in front of me and says "I was already there." I was in a daze and said "sure, why not" really loud and sarcastically with that sweeping arm gesture. She actually stepped in front of us. I just looked at the husband, who couldn't believe I'd let her cut. I couldn't believe I let her cut, but I was just so shocked. Anyway, when nobody moved after 5 minutes, I said to the husband "let's go to the drive thru - nobody will try and cut in front of us there." At least I said that out loud. So we left, went thru the drive-thru, and were done in just a few minutes. Man, she either had a pair or she was a entitled schmoron.

Emoticon

I tried to use an emoticon I saw on fark yesterday and I don't think I did it right.

0_o

I think it's supposed to be someone with one eyebrow raised...

Doesn't look like it did on fark, tho. Maybe it's the font...