Antarctic Wave - Cont'd

Antarctic Wave

The water froze the instant the wave broke the surface.

Polar Bear vs. Sled Dog - Cont'd

Polar Bear vs. Sled Dog

Stuart Brown describes Norbert Rosing's striking images of a wild polar bear coming upon tethered sled dogs in the wilds of Canada's Hudson Bay. The photographer was sure that he was going to see the end of his dogs when the polar bear wandered in. The polar bear returned every night that week to play with the dogs.

Storm Over Greenland

Sofie Uninterested - cont'd 3

Sofie at Cedar Breaks National Park.

Sofie Uninterested - cont'd 2

Sofie at Field of Dreams.

Sofie Uninterested - cont'd 1

Sofie at Niagra Falls.

Pre-Birthday

I know I haven't posted in a while but I blame the relative lack of drama on this show - everyone working on it is basically nice and decent and normal. The only thing that has happened that was even the slightest bit exciting was the director getting sick and hallucinating last Friday. We wrapped early, he got sent home, and that was that. No one needs a helicopter to fly their clothes around, no one is taking home a fresh pair of cashmere socks every day, no one is demanding to make more money ('cause $9 million isn't enough). It's kind of nice to make my regular salary and not have to deal with all the crap. But I do miss the hoopla at times - it makes for good posts.

Now that the actors aren't going to strike, it'll probably pick up a bit. I'm hoping to be off until mid-April but I'm willing to haggle if the right project comes along.

The husband took me out today for my birthday. We went to an estate sale that was totally over-hyped and over-priced. Then we stopped by a used book store so he could use his credit. Then off to the mall in Arcadia for some shopping, where I picked up some makeup at Sephora and a calendar at Borders. We had lunch and played some games at Dave and Buster's (I now have 2000 points to buy some crap but I'm saving them up for something really good). We came home and got the Sof and went to the dog park, but since it's 85 degrees out it was too hot for all of us. Sofie was either standing in the puddle of water or lying in her dad's shade so we came home. Now I'm going to nap and the day will be complete!

Beautiful

The husband sent me flowers. No, he didn't do anything wrong. I was having a bad day and he thought I needed them. He's a keeper.

Resolutions

I'm not that big on making resolutions - too much pressure. But this year I've decided on a few that I think will make a difference but not be too hard to accomplish.

#1 - I resolve to give up all carbonated beverages. I'm going to stick to water and decaf tea, with the occasional bit of alcohol or fancy coffee drink.

#2 - I'm only going to eat dark chocolate. If someone makes something with milk chocolate, I'll have a bite, but if it comes down to store-bought with milk, not for me.

#3 - I'm going to continue to have ice cream every night, but only 1 scoop. Maybe I'll buy some of those tiny cups (demitasse?) to serve it in...

Aloha (Possible)

I got a lead yesterday on a show going to Hawaii in March. It's episodic TV so I'm not sure how interested I am, but the thought of Hawaii for 5-6 months is very tempting.

Social Networking

Ok, the cat walkway is done. I went to the hardware store this morning and got some metal braces that force the planks to come together evenly. I may get some nice trim for the front edge, but really all I need to do is paint the brackets to match the walls and then maybe paint the top of the planks a bright color so the cats can see it better. I think right now it just blends in and they are wary. It's not the best job, but it's not terrible. We'll leave it up and see if it gets any use besides when the husband or I force a cat onto it.

I don't have a MySpace account or a Facebook account and I've never really wanted one. I'm crap at keeping in touch with people and didn't really want the added pressure. Or is it a cop-out? Can I justify not talking/writing to people by simply updating a page? Is that what society has become? I'm not complaining, I'm just not up on all of it. So this weekend I set Sofie up with a Facebook account so I could check it out. I've done a bit of surfing and it all seems kind of fun and interesting, but not very personal. I think I should just do better at writing letters or calling.

Oh, the reason I was messing around with the Facebook: my uncle set up a site for the extended family so we can all connect and chat. It's a great idea and I'm kind of hoping to find some relatives out in my part of the country.

OK, now I have to start packing the decorations. I took down the ones outside (and was complimented on them by the neighbor). Got to get the rest of them going.

Shoddy

I've been putting up the cat walkway and sometimes I just don't know why I bother. The walls aren't even or straight so the planks are all wonky. Darby's already nearly plummeted to the floor and it's not even done. I have to saw about 4 inches off the last plank before I can put it up.

I have such high hopes for my projects, remembering what I used to be able to accomplish. Maybe I don't have the patience or the tools, or maybe I'm just not that good anymore. What's happened to me?

I was never sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't it.

2009

I'm sitting on the couch with a Food Network Cake Challenge on in the background. I really enjoy the challenges and would like to try my hand at some of the fantastic designs. Maybe I should take a class or something...

Anyway, I finally got the rest of the living room painted. It looks nice and I realized it's the first time I've managed to paint an entire room in any place I've ever lived. It's rainy and cold so I can't stain the media center and I do still have to paint the trim by the staircase, but that's going to be a different color so it doesn't count.

I'm also getting the cat walkway planks painted and plan on installing them tomorrow. There will be a 6 inch wide walkway 7 feet up stretching from the stairs to the cat tower (about 15'). I think the kitties will love it.

We were thinking about going over to Pasadena to see the Rose Parade floats but if it's as cold and rainy as it's supposed to be, then probably not. I tried to watch the parade on tv by the inane chatter of the hosts drove me nuts and I turned the channel.

So, we'll be shooting until Feb 10th in LA then in NY until Feb 21st. I won't be going to NY but I will probably have to continue paying the crew that travels from LA. I'm looking forward to this thing being over - as usual.

Antique Roadshow is on now - it's the highlight show and everybody's making a tonb of money off the old stuff they've brought in. I wonder how many people sell their item as soon as they find out the value? Not something they talk about, I guess.

I guess it's about time to start taking down the Xmas decorations. Isn't that just about the saddest part of the holidays? The weather has turned cold and rainy and the leaves are finally falling and now the sparkles and baubles have to be packed up and put back in the closet. Such a pain in the ass.

Ok, I'm pretty much done with this update. Not much is really going on. I'm not going to talk about the state of the world since I have trouble putting feelings into words. Suffice to say that although I'm doing ok, I feel like the world is still on a downward spiral. It will end and it will get better. It always does.

Happy Christmas!

Well, the husband and I had a very nice, mellow holiday this year. We did the traditional British Christmas, with crackers and ghost stories. I really didn't realize that ghost stories are a British tradition on Christmas, but they are. Consider "A Christmas Carol" by Dickens - totally a ghost story. And just this morning I realized there's a carol that has the line "there'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmas' long long ago". So that had to come from somewhere, right? I'd never thought about it before. Anyway, it was nice.

It did rain, so we couldn't take Sofie to the park but she seemed ok curled up on the couch with her pack. I did manage to take her over there today but it's windy and cold and we didn't stay as long as she would have liked. But then we never do.

I'll have to post pics of our gifts, since we only did a small exchange. I got a jewelry box, the husband got an Alex Ross print of Captain Marvel, and the family got a Halloween Cat and a new Dept 56 building.

Anyway, I've got off until Monday and I'm hoping to get the rest of the living room painted. I packed up all the dvd's and video tapes and moved the shelving away from the wall. I have to defrost the paint brushes and we're all set.

Star Sighting

I went to set today to hand out paychecks and got to chat with Kelsey Grammer. One of the hair stylists was reading a book and hula-hooping and we decided it was a bit showy and made the rest of us look bad. KG seems like a very nice guy - nicer then a lot of the stars I've met.

Other than that the show is going well. The crew is well-behaved and the shooting is still on time. We go on a 2 week hiatus starting next week and even though I still have to work a few days to pay for this week, I should get some extra time off and I'm looking forward to it.

Sofie's still coming to work a couple of days a week and people ask after her when she not there. They want me to bring her to set but we've been at a school for 2 weeks and I don't think they'd appreciate it. I'm going to get her a Santa suit for the Christmas party tomorrow - I'm sure she'll be a hit.

Shoot Day 1

We started shooting today and the DP is trying to renegotiate his contract. What a bastard. He waits until the 1st day of shooting, when he has us over a barrel, to comment that he wants overtime and meal penalties on top of his $8k per week.

Frankly, he's one of the lowest paid DP's I've ever worked with so I'd already asked the question about meal penalties - just figured he'd want them to supplement his income. The answer was an unequivocal "no way!" I guess someone should have asked him first... We've wasted a lot of time trying to deal with the whole thing and the worst part is he's so small-time, he doesn't even know what he IS entitled to get under the union contract.

Another lovely bit of news - we may be shooting over Christmas instead of taking a 2 week hiatus. They'd probably give off the 25th and 26th, and Jan 1st, but work the rest of the time. I hope people haven't booked plane tickets yet. Not that it really matters to me. I was going to have to work anyway. The burden of payroll...

Sad

My Uncle Mark died after a car accident on Monday night. My cousin was driving him and my Aunt Pat to a basketball game when they got t-boned on an icy road. A passenger in the other car was ejected and died at the scene. My cousin is fine, my aunt has 2 broken legs and minor whiplash.

The whole thing just totally sucks but my aunt won't be able to make it to my uncle's funeral and that makes me saddest.

Correction

When I said the easternmost point, I meant in the contiguous US. If I ever make it to Alaska I'll be sure to note the difference!

Even so, you can't drive to Semisopochnoi Island and it doesn't have a lighthouse.

Red Stripes

Ok, some car company (I think) has an ad going where these guys drive out to the easternmost point in the US on December 31st in order to be the first to watch the New Year arrive. They do not indicate where that point is, only that they go every year...

If you've been reading this blog, you know I have been to that point, and it's near Lubec Maine - West Quoddy Lighthouse to be precise. It's an easy Google search to suss this fact out. As a matter of fact, there's a picture on the internet of the West Quoddy Lighthouse in all its easternmost glory. I take great pride in the fact I've been there and I think the people who have made the trek probably feel the same.

So what bugs me, to the point I don't recall what product the commercial is trying to sell me, is that the West Quoddy Lighthouse has vivid red and white horizontal stripes and the one in the commercial DOES NOT! How hard would it have been for these people to look up on the internet and say "well, the real one is striped, maybe we ought to do some post production work and give ours stripes, too?" I mean, really... it's just sad and lazy for them to not do some homework.

The husband thinks I'm a loon for caring, since Jack Bauer drives across LA county in 20 minutes on 24 when the reality is more like 2+ hours and other shows/movies make changes that only locals would know about. But these people are touting the fact that their product can get to a specific point on Dec 31st for an important, emotionally charged moment, then they don't even get the most basic details right. I just can't trust someone who can't look up a lighthouse in Wiki. How do I even know they knew there's a lighthouse there? For all I know they just used one because it looked pretty or some such bullshit.

It makes me crazy.

Been Sick

I went home sick on Thursday and spent most of the weekend in bed sleeping. I feel better but I had to come into work today and catch up on the payroll since it's a short week with the holiday. I've gotten done what I have to do at the office and now I'm going to take the rest home with me. I shall sit on the couch with Sofie and the kitties and process timecards until I'm done or until I'm wiped out, whichever happens first.

Be nice to your payroll person.

Ocean Of Feathers

When the husband went out to get the mail on Tuesday, he said he opened the patio door and there was an ocean of feathers in the walkway. He looked to the left and there was a hawk with a destroyed pigeon in its beak. He said it looked at him and flew away with the pigeon.

I noticed the feathers and blood stains when I took Sofie out for her walk. I kind of thought maybe a bird had hit a window and crashed. It didn't really explain all the blood, but I would never have guessed a hawk/pigeon battle.

Probably not much of a battle.

And kind of awkward coming after the preggers post.

BIG NEWS!

DEBBY IS PREGNANT!!!

She's due April 5th, 2009 and is having a girl.

They haven't settled on a name yet.

Whew, I feel better.

Tuesday

I have something I want to blog about but I can't spill the beans. If a certain person is reading this, please let me know if it's ok or not. I'm dying over here!

Anyways, I share my current office with the 1st (R) and the clerk (S). S got R to sign up for Facebook and she's trying to get me to join. I've always been against having a Facebook or MySpace account, mostly because I'm 37 and it seems like something for the younger generation. But after listening to them talk about it I'm kind of intrigued. Not that I really want to connect with random people from high school, but because there are a couple of people I want to find. But I'm not sure it's the right thing for me and the whole debate seems a bit stupid.

Sofie went in and had a bath today. She really needed it after rolling around in the fertilizer that's been spread on several lawns in the neighborhood. Man that stuff is nasty, but it does grow the grass. She'll be coming in to work tomorrow. M actually came in yesterday and said "there's nothing good about today that wouldn't be better with Sofie here." The husband doesn't believe me but it's true. There's something about having a dog in the office that makes everybody smile.

Sunday

The fires aren't really near us, but the smoke is affecting the whole valley to the point we didn't take Sofie to the dog park today. The air quality is just bad enough to be uncomfortable and having her running around in it probably wasn't a good idea.

I did go out to a Clean House yard sale. They've started listing them on their website and it shows. There was a crowd of people waiting to get in and once you did, you could barely turn around. If I go to anymore I'll wait and go later in the day. It's not like they had anything I wanted anyway. I've got a pretty specific list of stuff that I want and I don't see the point in wasting money on stop-gap stuff.

How cool is it that Obama is going on YouTube? I finally got a chance to watch his address and I really feel like it's an opportunity to bring the country together in a new way. I know Presidents have always done radio addresses, but I couldn't tell you one person I know of who's ever listened to one. I just hope he uses them for more than just flag-waving and dishing out the party line.

The only other thing I managed today was painting another portion of the living room before I ran out of paint. All that's left is the wall right behind the tv and dvd's, which will have to be packed up and moved before I can paint there. I'm debating staining the shelving before putting it back up. It would look less college-dorm if I did. Either way, I need more paint before anything else.

Updates

Well, I went with dying and cutting. My hair is short again, at least in the back. I've gotten a lot of compliments on how cute it is and I do like it better short than long. It was a nice experiment and I'm glad I tried it, but short is it for me. As for the color, it's going to take a bit of work to make that happen and still look good and there wasn't enough warning on Saturday for D to do it. I'm going to continue thinking about that and we'll see what I decide in 6 weeks.

Other than that I got another wall in the living room painted and the cat window perches put up. I did screw up the paint already by putting the tension curtain rod back in. When I went to adjust it it peeled the paint off. I'm going to have to take it down, fix the spots, then wait for it to get really dry before I put the rod back in.

Work is damn boring. We probably have 75 people on the crew and about 20 of them are being paid by the construction accountant. The dancers are only rehearsing so they aren't that hard to pay, even though there are 20 of them. Basically I sit in front of my computer surfing and watching Heroes (still). It's blatant but no one cares. It's not like they're all that busy either.

I did tell the 1st asst that I was burned out and wanted to quit, but I'm not going to. With the economy like it is and all the stuff I want to do/buy, it'd be stupid. I'll try and take some time off when this one is done. I was hoping to have 2 weeks at Christmas but now it seems people will be working and everyone else has plans so I have to cover. Eh, not like that's anything new...

Hair Choice

Tomorrow I'm going to get my hair done. The plan is to get the roots touched up and maybe a trim but I'm seriously considering getting it all chopped off and going back to my natural color. I just don't look good with long hair and the color upkeep is too expensive - there are other things I'd rather be spending that money on... I'm also kind of interested to see how gray I am under all that dye.

In other news, not much going on here in CA. The husband and I are thinking about going away for Thanksgiving but our first choice is booked. We may end up going to our standby up in Big Bear but we haven't decided.

Tonight we have a birthday bowling party to go to for the guy who owns the comic shop/frame shop we frequent. I'm hoping they have an arcade since I can't bowl that much.

Waiting For Change

I voted this morning before coming in to work and all day I've been antsy to get some sort of word as to how it's going. I'm not a political person, meaning I believe what I believe but I don't really want to discuss it, but I find myself increasingly concerned the wrong man will win and that will be the end of our country.

All of the great societies of the past eventually declined and came to an end. There's no reason to think America will be any different. But did the people of those societies know it was happening or was it just over one day? Are we in the decline? It's a scary thought and one that makes me worry for the children I know.

Whatever happens today, I can only hope that things change for the better and soon.

My Poor Car

I drove my car to work today so I could bring Sofie (in her Underdog costume). I parked in the lot and went inside. Later, the POC came looking for me and said one of the PA's had backed the office mini-van into my car, leaving a nasty scrap down the front left side. It was an accident and the guy feels terrible about it. I don't feel too bad about it at all. It's still drivable and the production will be paying for the repairs.

Another of the guys drove it up to the shop today to have it looked at and it'll take 3 days to fix - I really haven't had to do anything about it at all. Of course, I found out the side-view mirror was broken off and is now taped on until it goes back to the shop.

So there's the bad news and the good news for the day.

At least Sofie was a hit in her costume.

Another One

Once again, I have found a blog I enjoy, read through the archives, and realized they've stopped writing. AARRGGHH! Of course, this particular blog was by a call girl and had some NSFW photos in it, so reading it at work was a bit of a hazard. But still... why does this happen?

I guess the good ones move and the rest of us plod along forever.

Office Dog

Sofie came to work with me yesterday and was a hit. Everybody thinks she's just the sweetest dog - even the director stopped and scratched her bottom. I don't think she'll be going to work with me everyday like she did in Boston, but a couple of days a week will probably work out. I'm going to bring her on Halloween in her Underdog costume.

I've been riding the Vespa almost everyday and I still love it. I just wish I could get a side-car or a rig of some sort to carry Sofie on it. Then she really could come to work every day!

Meh

I'm bored. I don't want to surf the internet anymore. I've eaten my lunch and I'm waiting for my copies of the Exhibit G's (I should have finished my work before I gave the originals back). I just got back my timecards so I suppose I can start on those. It will get busy, I know, but this part just kills me.

I'm Going To Live Forever...

Ok, it's just about the end of my first day on Fame. It's pretty much the same first day as every other show I've worked on. Get in, meet some people, unpack, set up, and start digging through the crap that's been piling up on my desk. Luckily the 1st on this show worked as my clerk so she was able to keep things under control for me. I got the payroll done, reinstalled my scanner program, and alphabetized the start cards. Tomorrow I will actually do something with them.

I only took a week off and only did about half of what I wanted to do but it was nice and relaxing. I got half of the living room painted (Apple Butter), took Sofie to the dog park every day, and napped. I even managed some cleaning and got the rest of my magnet collection up.

We start shooting Dec 3rd and should be done around Feb 20th (w/ 2 weeks off at Xmas). I've been warned the hardest part of my job will be paying all of the dancers. I guess I'd better have a closer look at the SAG contract.

Sofie and Stella

Sofie and her sister Stella when they were about 3 months old and up for adoption.

The Hotel Caper Part 2

Dear Mr. D,

Thank you for staying with us in Woburn, Ma, during the production of The Movie. I understand you had questions this morning regarding the charges to your guest room folio for the terry products.

Please know that the Hotel keeps strict records of all our guest activity, when it affects guest service, hotel product and profitability. This includes every telephone call, including the number dialed and how long the call was for. We know exactly what movies guests watch, even if the title does not show on the receipt, and what time it was watched. We know exactly what time room service orders are called, and exactly what was ordered, down to the extra hollandaise on someone’s Eggs Benedict.

We also keep diligent records of every guest call to the front desk, what they ask for and what we brought them. This could be for cleaning services, assistance with high speed internet, directions on using the telephone, or amenities. The amenities (toothpaste, comb, razor, lotion) we give to our guests with our compliments. The terrycloth items (bathrobes, towels) and bathroom carpets are expected to be returned.

The attached spreadsheet outlines the dates we brought items to room 227, during your stay, and what the items were. The first spreadsheet, entitled “Mr. D,” delineates what the hotel has not received back from 227 as of July 3, 2008. The second spreadsheet, lists the items that the Hotel witnessed were in room 227 on July 3, 2008 and are now, as of July 4, 2008, no longer in the guest room 227.

These items have been charged to the credit card that you have on file for incidentals. Of course, once all of these items have been returned in perfect condition, the Hotel will most cheerfully refund the charges.

We thank you for your kind understanding.
Sincerely,
CS
General Manager
Hotel in Woburn

The Hotel Caper Part 1

From: CS (General Manager of Hotel in Woburn)
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008
To: CM (Travel Coordinator and Heinous Bitch)
Subject: Mr. D

Dear CM,

Thank you for taking the time to hear my concerns.

To recap:
Mr. D has been staying in Room 227 for the duration of his time in Woburn. Since 4/21/2008, sporadically at first and then almost every day the past two weeks, he has been calling for 2 robes, 4 extra bath towels, 4 washcloths and 2 hand towels. These items, once sent to his room, do not return into our inventory.

Last Tuesday, Mr. D spoke to my Executive Housekeeper in the evening and asked for 2 robes. In the morning, he called her and asked for 2 more robes, which she questioned. He became very angry with her, stating that she just needed to “bring him what he asks for” and then that his “parents are in town”.

On Sunday, June 29th, Mr. D brought 7 large boxes including 2 (see through) plastic totes to the front desk. He asked that we have them shipped FedEx for him, and we agreed. As it was a Sunday, and FedEx does not pick up, we did not call them. On Monday morning, Mr. D came to the Front Desk and became quite hostile with 2 of my staff members when he was told the boxes were not called in yet. During this, it was discovered that he had called in the order himself. My Executive Assistant and my Front Office Manager went to the Front Desk to diffuse the situation, and after Mr. D calmed down and went back to his room, the FOM looked at the plastic totes and realized that they had bundles of towels and washcloths in them. One of the cloths had the tag turned up to face out, and it clearly had a “hotel trademark” on it.

They allowed the boxes to be picked up, and Mr. D kept the tracking number slips. This morning we called FedEx and asked if they would help us to learn if the boxes were shipped and where.

They told us the boxes were delivered to a Salon in California (HD), to Mr. D’s attention.
While I know there are many items that he called for that were not logged at the front desk onto our Guest Alert Sheet (how we track guest needs and whether or not the needs are met), I do know that he currently has several items in his room, hidden in the drawers and closet (11 washcloths, 2 robes, 4 towels) over and above what is already placed in his room for normal guest usage.

What I have documentation on as far as what was brought to him is as follows (along with the price)
16 Robes ($1280.00)
9 Bath Rugs ($468.00)
36 Bath Towels ($1440.00)
22 Hand Towels ($484.00)
47 Wash Cloths ($376.00)
All Totaling $4048.00

Please let me know how to proceed.

Thank you,
CS
General Manager
Hotel in Woburn

Star Sighting & Gossip

I forgot to mention I saw Ron Rifkin riding a bicycle on the Disney lot last Friday as H and I walked out to the parking garage. He’s more handsome in real life.

Gossip From The Costume Dept:
Big Star only wears cashmere socks. Not only that, he wears them home at the end of the day, so he gets a new pair daily. Those things aren’t cheap and when you realize we shot for something like 70 days, that’s a lot of socks.

More Gossip From The Costume Dept:
Semi-Big Star got a new pair of boxer briefs every day and also wore them home at the end of the night. I think they were always CK’s. Anyway, one day the costume supervisor was picking up laundry from the trailers and realized he’d left a pair behind. She thought it was odd but picked them up anyway and threw them in the wash. It wasn’t until she was getting them out of the dryer that she realized why he’d left them behind… he’d, um, soiled them. As H put it, “like he trusted a fart he shouldn’t have”. They were sealed into a ziploc and used for the rest of the show as a nasty surprise in the trailer.

Semi-Big Star also had an issue with “guests” staying at his hotel after he wrapped and left Boston. The hotel said that his room was occupied for 2 extra days by the “friends” the star had brought in for “entertainment”. Subtle enough for you?

The Results Are In

Well.

We got in the DNA test results for Sofie and it's not at all what we thought it would be. We were thinking Beagle / Jack Russell Terrier mix with maybe a little Chihuahua thrown in.

We got back Poodle / Dachshund / German Shepherd Dog mix (nothing made up a majority).

I can almost buy Dachshund for the shape of the face and the ears and German Shepherd Dog for the coloring, but Poodle? Geez, where did that come from?

I wrote to the rescue agency to ask them to contact the family in Ojai who adopted Sofie's sister and see if they had ever had her DNA tested or to see if those 3 breeds made sense to them. It's just not what we expected at all.

Cake Wrecks

I've put up a link to a blog I found about bad cakes. It's genius - check it out.

Sofie In The Snow

People at the dog park, when finding out we just got back from Boston, ask how Sofie did in the snow. I realized I never posted this picture of her in a dog park in New Hampshire in March. That's the back rest of a park bench behind her so you can tell how deep the snow was. And yes, she's got her head down some hole...

Office Contest

The boss of a Madison Avenue advertising agency called an impromptu midweek staff meeting after a particularly stressful day. When everyone had gathered the boss, who understood the benefits of having fun, told the burnt-out staff the purpose of the meeting was to have quick contest. The theme: Viagra advertising slogans. The only rule was they had to use past ad slogans, originally written for other products that captured the essence of Viagra. Slight variations were acceptable. About 7 minutes later they turned their suggestions in and created a top ten list. With laughter and comraderie the rest of the week went very well.
The Top Ten
10. Viagra, Whaaazzz Up!
9. Viagra, The quicker pecker picker upper.
8. Viagra, Like a rock.
7. Viagra. When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
6. Viagra. Be all that you can be.
5. Viagra. Reach out and touch someone.
4. Viagra. Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.
3. Viagra. Home of the whopper.
2. Viagra. We bring good things to life.
and the #1 slogan
1. Viagra. This is your peepee, this is your peepee on drugs.

I Love This Ad

Palin Debate Flow Chart

The Maverick and the MILF

In The Bag

Big Brother

I'm working on the lot at the studio the mouse built in a 5 story building. I think they have a sensor or some kind of monitoring equipment because when you approach the elevators one almost always opens up without having to push a button. It's kind of weird to think they have that monitored. Makes me wonder what else is monitored...

Yikes

Yesterday I got a call from my sister looking for Sped's phone number to pass along to the parents of some friends from high school (follow that?). Anyway, I decided to check in with Sped before passing on her digits and her response, when finding out who wanted them, was "Oh holy fuck".

I took that as a no.

Eagles!

I got these in a forward and wanted to save them somewhere...

Back To Work

I am back at work wrapping up the robot movie. Our offices are at the studio and I really don't like it here - much too corporate-cube-hell. It's so quiet that I feel I'll go mad, but then when someone comes by making noise I want to tell them to keep it down. I can't wait to be done.

I had to turn down an M.N.S. movie today. It's in Philly, Greenland, and Viet Nam. They may call again after the first of the year - they think they'll need 2 payroll accountants but only the 1st hired will go on location. So we'll see what happens. It's a long ways away and I don't want to go out of town again that soon.

My next show actually has an office and it's in the valley as promised. I should be able to ride Da Plum to work. Not sure if the place is dog friendly but even if it is I may not take Sofie everyday.

I have lots of pics to post from the trip home - I actually used up all the space on my memory card while still in Zion National Park. And I don't know why, but the majority of tourists at Niagra Falls were Indian and the majority at Zion were German. Very odd.

Goin' Home

The husband, Sofie, and I left Boston Friday morning. I was a bit sad to be leaving, but excited to get back home to my regular life.

Our first stop was in Cooperstown, NY at the Baseball Hall of Fame. We enjoyed the museum and the town seemed very quaint and homey but we didn't stay long.

We went on to Niagara Falls and spent Friday night there. We went out to the American Falls that evening and then Saturday morning I got up and took the Maid of the Mist boat tour. Very cool and very wet, even with the free commemorative poncho. After we got the car packed, we drove over to Goat Island and saw the Canadian Falls. Have to say the falls are amazing but the town is run down. Must be hard living there.

The rest of the day Saturday was spent driving, ending up in Indiana. I drove the husband past my childhood home, which looked a lot smaller than I remember. I suppose that's normal. We moved away when I was 9 so the only stuff that looked familiar was the neighborhood, the strip mall where the grocery store used to be, and the high school my older siblings attended.

Sunday we got up and drove to Spring Green, Wisconsin. That was on our to-see list because of Taliesin and House on the Rock. We managed to tour Taliesin on Sunday and it was beautiful. I want to say my favorite part of the house was the courtyard - just the way the house surrounded the hill and the landscaping... I also really liked the Romeo and Juliet windmill.

The House on the Rock was Monday. It's an amazing place and I think the Infinity Room was my favorite there - I would love to go back during the winter and watch the snow fall. Some of the exhibits are dimly lit and I got a bit claustrophobic but in the end it was totally cool. My only real complaint is you can't really get a sense of the original house because the tour path is so strict. I wish we'd been able to wander at will because it seemed you could get to anywhere from anywhere.

After the House, we went over to the Cave of the Mounds. It's a limestone cave they found in 1939 after blasting in a quarry. It wasn't the greatest cave I've ever visited, but I enjoyed the tour and got a nice geode at the gift shop. Not as cool as the one they cracked open before mine, but nice nonetheless.

Then we drove around and saw the area and talked about moving to southwest Wisconsin. Not that we're going to but we both like it and it's been added to the list of possibilities.

Tomorrow we're going to hit the Field of Dreams movie site and then off to Mount Rushmore.

Last Day In Boston

Today is my last day in Boston. The husband flies in tonight and tomorrow we start our cross- country drive with Sofie. I haven't psoted much because I've been busy sightseeing - working 7 days a week for 3 months left me no time to see the area. I'm excited to be going home and can't believe this day has arrived. The only regret I have is not getting to see the fall leaves in their glory - they are just barely beginning to change. Maybe we'll see some on our way home, since we are taking the northern route.

Hard to believe there was snow on the ground when I got here and changing leaves on my way out. It's been a long 6 months.

Now I have to shut down my computer and pack up. Thanks Beantown.

Pics Part 2

Bar Harbor

Columbia Falls

Acadia (tits in the landscape everywhere!)

Lenny the 1700lb milk chocolate moose and Lilly the 350lb dark chocolate bear.

Pics Part 1

West Quoddy Lighthouse

Sunrise

Sofie's not impressed

Acadia National Park

A blueberry dome!

Maine

Three of us took a road trip to Maine over the long weekend and it was fantastic. The easternmost point of the continental US is in Lubec Maine so that's where we drove Friday night. We got up to see the dawn from the lighthouse (earlier than anyone else in the US!) and then went back to bed. When we finally made it into town, there was a pirate invasion going on (a lot of people dressed as pirates walking around having a good time). It's the prelude to a big festival coming up. We bought some handmade chocolates and some glass work then hit the road.

The premise of the trip, after reaching the eastermost point, was to take the 1 all the way down the coast, stopping in Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and any other place that caught our eye. We also ate everything that sounded good, including the best lobster roll at Red's and some damn fine blueberry pie and soft serve ice cream.

I really loved Maine and have added it to the list of places I could live. I'd have to see a winter there, 'cause that's got to be tough, but it's a beautiful place with great people. I'll post some pics soon.

So This Is What Happens

after Sofie goes home... Sonoma tries to take over the bed.

How To Play A Robot

Work Part 2

So, the show in Philly is exactly the show I thought it was but when my contact didn't respond to my request for more info I wrote it off. Turns out he was on vacation... wants to know if I'm still available. I think I'm going to get some info and see if I want to jump ship on the remake.

LolDog

Victor Webster Rocks!

Work

I sent a bunch of emails out to former bosses telling them when I would be available again. After a few nibbles, I got an offer to do the Fame remake back in LA.

Yes, I'm going home and yes, they're remaking Fame.

I had to turn down another Clooney movie due to timing and only had the possibility of a movie in Philly. Oh well. Now that I'm going home I'm a little homesick. Only 3+ weeks left and I've got lots of sightseeing planned. That should help.

2 Day Weekend

This is my first 2 day weekend in probably 4+ months. Today M and I went to Bunker Hill and climbed the 294 steps to the top of the monument. I really need to get back to the gym... The view was spectacular, even through the smallish windows. Hard to believe that as high as we were was where the hill used to be. They took all the dirt to fill in the bay and make more land -the map at the museum that shows the before and after was incredible.

Next we went to Harvard Square where I got some rain boots I'd been lusting after. I didn't get them when I first saw them because it doesn't rain much in LA, but I should have since it's rained 2 or 3 days a week here in Boston. Watch it not rain anymore...

We then drove through suburban Boston out to Lexington, Walden Pond, and Concord. It was nice to be outside on a beautiful day.

After dinner we picked up the Sof from doggie day care and came home. I did some laundry, drank a beer, talked to the husband, downloaded my pics, and finished a book. Now Sofie and I are going to bed. Tomorrow I may go with M to Connecticut but then again I may nap all day.

First Date (Not Mine)

An IM conversation w/ a coworker:

SP7: things i will definitely miss about being here: lobster roll friday.

F-C: OH SO TRUE
F-C: I TOOK 2 THIS WEEK
F-C: YUMMY

SP7: i took 2 last week! then i ate full-on lunch, and was near catatonic by 2nd meal. (which i skipped, p.s.) (though it'd be a better story if i soldiered on and ate it anyway.)

F-C: i'm eating the full on lunch
F-C: unless it's crappy greek again

SP7: as well you should! i did like the falafel.

F-C: that was about the best part
F-C: then no dinner but lots of alcohol

SP7: yeeeah, wooo! are you going out, or just sitting home and getting wasted?

F-C: the latter
F-C: me and sof
F-C: plowing thru some tequila

SP7: yaaay! that's kind of my favorite...never been clubby or sceney, though i do enjoy a nice old-man bar, but if you stay HOME, you can wear jammy pants, no shoes, fall asleep where you are...and being married only makes it awesomer! if you make out with somebody, you ALREADY KNOW how cute he ACTUALLY IS!

F-C: yes, and you know his first AND last names

SP7: right? (A was mildly offended on our first date, when mid-going-at-it, i asked him his last name twice.)

F-C: ok, so you made out w/ him on the 1st date?

SP7: um, yes...made...out...

F-C: oh man - are you telling me home run?
F-C: on the first date?

SP7: dude, i was single, i was having an awesome summer, i was much thinner, i was doing late-night improv shows, i'd just finished acting in a terrible movie that was a lot of fun...plus i'm secretly kind of slutty! so our first date was fifteen hours long, and i had no pants on for like 12 of them. we ordered a pizza at some point...and the only thing that ended the date was that i had to get up, get dressed, and go on another date with another guy. (with whom i did NOT sleep, by the by. i'm only KIND of slutty. )

F-C: wow, no wonder he married you!
F-C: you go girl

SP7: woooo!

F-C: i'm going to give him a wink-wink-nudge-nudge when i see him

SP7: then our second date was going to sears to try to buy him a bed on credit, because he just had a twin-size air mattress. he was turned down. then our third date was taking me to the doctor to deal with the UTI from our first two dates.

F-C: can I post this on my blog? it's genius

SP7: aww, sure! as long as nobody would ever know that it was him. he's tres private like that.

F-C: i won't mention names

SP7: can you make me taller? and...asian?

F-C: uh, sure - although tall asians are kinda rare

SP7: sweeet!

July 31st

And today is my half-birthday. Not that I actually celebrate such a thing. It's really just an excuse to get cake if there haven't been any recent birthdays on a show. But the clerk gave me a big flower cookie in a wine glass I stole on her behalf from a local restaurant. Very nice surprise.

The Police

Did I mention I'm going to The Police concert tonight? I'm so excited! I never thought I'd get to see them live since they broke up in 1984 and I didn't even have my driver's license then...

Victor Webster

We had the pleasure of working with this man last week. Not only is he super nice and incredibly handsome, he's totally a dog-person. He got down on the floor with both Sofie and Sonoma and loved on them for a long time. I wish I had taken a picture.

Wrap Party

I've been checking out a blog called "What Would Tyler Durden Do?" and I have to say, he'd post pictures of hot chicks in skimpy clothes. Most of the time, anyway. Makes me feel kind of pervy to click on the link.

As for the show, BW is done and gone and most people are quite happy about it. We still have 7 days of shooting scheduled but that may go up to 9 - we'll see.

The wrap party is on Sunday and should be craptastic. It's going to be at a bowling alley w/ karaoke, billiards, a batting cage, an arcade, etc and I've been told it's in the "economically disadvantaged area" of Boston. Doesn't matter because with them shooting on Saturday, I have to work on Sunday and I doubt I'll be done in time. Typical.

No Autograph For You

I finally got a chance to ask for BW's autograph for a friend of my sister and the response was "Ooh, autographs on the last day?"

I had no idea today was his last day. As I told the assistant, doing payroll means I live in last week. Oh, well. Sorry 'bout that. I have to say it would have been nicer for him to come around and see if we wanted an autograph rather than send the fruit arrangment. Didn't even have chocolate-covered strawberries...

Husband, you have a point about flowers, but despite the short life-span, there's nothing like the feeling of having someone place a beautiful bouquet in your hands and the anticipation of reading the card - not to mention the thrill of telling people your husband sent flowers "just because".

Thank You's

The construction medics brought payroll 2 cases of beer and several sets of pre-mixed margaritas a couple of weekends ago as a thank you. I took a picture w/ my phone but it's too blurry to use. Anyway, when they found out M doesn't drink, they sent us an Edible Arrangement so she could benefit (one of those mixed fruit packages cut to look like flowers).

This morning, another one came into the office, this time from BW and entourage. A thoughtful gift but considering we'd already gotten one, seems kind of cheap. I mean, that group makes more in a week than twice what my house costs.

Whatever, it was nice of them and I shouldn't be picky.

Thanks guys!

Why Shave Your Head

If you've been threatened with a subpeona for your hair so it can be drug-tested, shaving it off is a good way to make that issue disappear. Of course, you should be sure to collect said hair from the floor of the salon so the owner and the paparazzi can't pick it up and sell it on ebay or turn it over for testing anyway...

Blech

I want absolutely nothing to do with work today. So far I've managed to accomplish almost nothing and I don't really care. I know I have to pay the actors and I really need to get the adjustments done. There's also a ton of filing to do...

Eh, whatever.

Husband, I know how you feel about flowers, but you know how I feel about them. Why does it have to be your way?

Bad News

My best friend's mother, my second mom, was disgnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. It's the same thing that killed Betty, my MIL. Ma has had surgery to remove as much as possible and is recuperating for a few weeks before they begin chemo. I took time off work to go home for the weekend and hangout with Sped and Ma - who seems to be in good spirits and doing well, all thing considered.

I've only cried once about it and I was at work, so it didn't last long. Why does shit like this have to happen?

Not Time To Go

A week or so ago, our star announced at lunch (half way through the working day) that his plane was waiting for him on the tarmac and he was leaving. And he did. We finished out the day shooting around his stuff. What an asshat.

Some Drama

There's been some good drama and I have some juicy emails to share, but they're in pdf format and I have to black-out some names before I can post them.

But I can say our star decided to go to NY on Tuesday and, despite having a 9am call time, let us know he wouldn't be in until noon. Of course, we were informed slightly before noon he wouldn't be in until 3pm.

And, even though we had 3 Saturdays scheduled so we could be finished 8/4, he decided he didn't want to work on 2 of those Saturdays. Now we're shooting through 8/8 and will probably be in Boston until after Labor Day.

That's it for now, time to go home and get some sleep.

Sofie Barks

They're shooting on stage right now and since this building was originally just a warehouse, it's not soundproof in any way. When Sofie and I left last night, we went out the back hallway, as we usually do. One end of the hall goes outside and the other end dumps onto the stage - the door from the offices is in the middle.

There was someone coming in from outside and Sofie started barking at him. From the stage end of the hall, I heard a loud SHHHHH, then "cut". Turns out Sofie ruined a take and the 1st AD threw a fit yelling about who would bring a dog to a set...

I wonder if it'll make the blooper reel?

Sofie's Housemate

and admiring fan...

Stunt Money

Stunt people get paid a certain amount just for showing up. Then if they do a particularly dangerous stunt, they get a stunt adjustment. It can range anywhere from a couple hundred bucks to thousands.

The most I had ever paid was $5000 to set someone on fire.

I'm processing a timecard this week for a guy who's getting $13,750.00 in extra money. Now, I've seen the stunt he did (the 2nd unit UPM let us watch some of the footage that had been cut together) and I'd have to say it's probably worth it. If the sequence had gone wrong that stunt guy would have broken his back and then landed on his head.

Damn.

Cheap Bastages

There's a well known comedian who used to do movies. He was so cheap, at the start of every new production he would change his subscription to the LA Times to the production company. It was still delivered to his house - just paid for by the movie.

London Bridge

The husband took this pic for me while driving home from Boston. He stopped in Lake Havasu, AZ.

Darby Pictures!

7 Day Weeks

Ok, 2nd unit started and I'm slammed. I've been working 7 days a week for about 3 weeks now and will continue until after the 4th of July. The paperwork is atrocious and there's a ton of it (but that's typical on most shows).

The Best Boy Grip quit today and took one of his guys with him. I'd heard the rumor of it this morning from Transpo but then he showed up during lunch and turned in his petty cash and a timecard. Definitely not just a rumor.

I really need to get back to work. I'm procrastinating on paying the actors because the paperwork sucks (surprise) and there are about 40 of them. Ugh.

Post Already

I've been reading the archives of several differnt blogs lately, mostly while folding and stuffing checks or stapling timecards.

I have come to a realization - it seems the bloggers stop posting not long before I get to the current stuff. So I'm all caught up and there's nothing new to read. I keep checking back and nothing. Some of them have been off for months!

Now, I know I take time off between posts, but nobody but friends and family read what I write and they can always call or email if they need to reach me. It seems the ones I'm reading are popular, they pull in an audience, then they stop. Waiter Rant got a book deal and barely posts anything anymore.

Is it wrong to feel let down?

Stolen

Sped had her car stolen, again. The other time was outside our old Riverside Drive apartment in LA. This time was outside her own place further south. I hope they either find it or the insurance company coughs up some decent dough.

We'll have to get you another surfer girl sticker, Sped.

Blase

Hot and Swank

It's been in the 90's here this week and it totally sucks. I forgot how much I hate humidity. Plus our rental house doesn't have A/C and the 3rd floor is like an oven. I got a fan and it made it bearable for me, but Sofie couldn't handle it. The first night, she flip-flopped around trying to get comfy and when she ended up on the floor, I decided it was too much. We've been sleeping on the couch cushions on the 1st floor (there are ceiling fans down there).

The heat wave is supposed to break tomorrow, but I think I'm going to get myself an air mattress anyway. There's still a lot of summer left.

I have finally laid eyes on BW. We went to set on Friday for $ delivery and he was standing on the steps of his trailer talking to someone. He's not as big as I thought. Not that he's short (he was standing on a step so it was hard to tell) but I thought he'd be more solid, more muscular. Nope.

Actually, the best part about Friday was getting to see the old mansion the set was in (the Ames Mansion) and eat lunch in the Harvard Club. Both were very swank.

Stunts Look Fun

I'm sitting at my desk checking payroll edits and watching a stunt man fly through the air outside. He's rigged up to a huge crane and is practising a running leap - it makes him look superhuman. I'm a terrible judge of distance, but it looks to me like he could jump over a couple of cars.

I wanna try it.