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.