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...

Payday!

I've gotten my first paycheck for UG - it's official. Not that they couldn't fire me, but I've gotten paid and I can keep it on my resume. Thinking about that, not sure I would want to - couldn't possibly get a good reference out of someone who fires you... must be the allergies making me loopy.

It's supposed to be in the 80s here tomorrow, but it sounds like there's a hurricane outside my office right now. I guess it's the way the building is laid out that I get all the wind back here and the other accounting offices say the trees outside their windows aren't even moving. If it was night, I'd be concerned. Growing up in Tn, I always did love a good thunderstorm with the wind whipping the trees around and the thunder shaking the house. Not sure how I'd feel about that here - too exposed.

Darby seems to be getting over her allergies. We vacuumed the carpet and all the rental furniture Monday night. We haven't heard any sneezing since then. I think we're going to keep her in SF, but if Sofie gets lonely back home, I may bring her with me later in April. OMG - Darby on a plane! If she was to get loose, it would take Samuel L. Jackson to wrangle her! Love that cat but I'll never forget how mean she was when we got her...

Turns out Wednesday nights are going to be the group-dinner-outing-night. Of course, I didn't find that out until this morning and that's a little too late in my book. I like a little advance notice, thanks. I'll probably join in after the husband goes home, but we don't have a whole lot of time together here and I'm not wasting any of it.

Actually, tomorrow is payday and since we're on location, it really should be Friday. But WTF, I cut the checks! 0-o

Animals

Saw a prairie dog while sitting at a stop light on my way to work this morning. At least, I think it was a prairie dog. I've never seen one in the wild and the ones in the zoo are usually sitting on their haunches looking around. This one was moving along, sniffing the ground. My first thought was to go get Sofie so she could have at it, then I felt guilty. Besides, she wouldn't be able to catch it anyway.

There are several areas around the apartment complex where the ground has all these holes. I'm pretty sure something is living in them and of course Sofie wants to stick her snout down each and every last one of them. Great. Find the hole with the snake in it - there's a good dog! Good thing she's going home this weekend.

We're taking Darby back to SoCal, too. The allergies are just too much for her and it's not fair to make her sneeze and suffer when it's not necessary. We tried vacuuming last night and we'll do it again today, but I think it's just something in the air. When she gets home she'll have to go in for a bath so we can get whatever it is out of her fur.

I'm driving back to SoCal with the husband this weekend. It's a bit far to go it alone, especially with a wigged out dog and a sick cat. We'll leave on Friday and I'll fly back to SF on Sunday. Got to book the car service before I forget...

Why Bad Movies/TV Shows Get Made

I came up with this theory this weekend after hearing the story of the TV show The Inside. This was supposed to be 21 Jump Street for the 21st century, a group of FBI agents who looked young enough to pass for college/high school. Well, they shot the pilot and everyone hated it. They hired a new show runner who came in and changed everything around and they shot a new pilot. The pilot got picked up, but the show didn't last long.

Anyway, my theory is that a lot of really bad stuff gets made because of pay-or-play deals. The studios sign a big name person to star/write/direct a project and promise to pay them whether or not the project actually gets made. I haven't worked on a show yet that didn't have a producer walk into the accountant's office and ask for the cost of shutting down. At some point, it's in their best financial interest to just keep going, even if all indications say to pull the plug on the piece of crap. So even though everybody knows it's doomed, the money's spent and there's no point in not trying to get some of it back thru ticket-sales and dvd releases. Sad, but that's my theory.

Drivin' to Abq

I refuse to type out the city's name. I know it's not that hard to spell, but it's long, I don't wanna, and you can't make me.

Anyway, the husband and I spent Saturday in Abq going to book stores and comic book shops. It was a nice drive on a nice day and we found some other stuff in-between. We got a very nice piece of artwork - a picture of a cat that looks like the husband's cat Elroy. We also stopped in at a bread shop and got a delicious pumpkin-cream cheese bar and a slice of a sunflower-seed honey wheat bread - yummy.

We got back to the apartment and took the dog out to the dog park. It's about 70 acres but it's not fenced, so we were a little leery. Sofie seemd to have a good time, but she got tired of us calling to her to heel when she just wanted to run run run. That dog loves to run and it's a joy to see, but we worry she's not obedient enough to come back every time. After it started getting dark we walked down to the car and headed home, stopping at a media shop for the husband to have a look around. I sat in the car with Sofie and she was so intent on the store, waiting for her dad to come out. When she couldn't take it any longer, I got us out and she made a bee-line right to the door. We couldn't go in and she was upset but the dad came out soon after and all was right with the world again.

We went for Indian for dinner and although it was good, it wasn't as good as Curry House at home. They are my second favorite Indian place, with number one being in London.

On Sunday, we got up early to go to the flea market at Tesuque. The guide book said it opened at 7:30 but when we pulled up at 8:20, the sign said they opened at 8 and there were only about 6 booths open. It looked like it could have been a good market, but with nothing really open I was disappointed. The husband then suggested we drive to Abq again and go to the market at the state fair grounds. We hopped back in the car and off we went.

The Abq market was pretty good, better than the one in Honolulu. They had some repeat vendors, but there were a lot of people selling yard-sale type stuff, which I like. We got a fake stone lion that I'm going to try and make look more like granite and the husband bought some books. Then we got me a cowboy hat, which I really like, and a table for the apartment. We also bought some Indian sweet bread that was a bit on the stale side.

On our way home, we went back by the used book store and got some audio books for the drive home and some more bread from the bakery.

All in all, a pretty good weekend.

New People & Sick Kitties

Sometimes, the best part about this job is getting to meet and work with new people every 6 months or so. It can also make it difficult until you get to know them and find out how they operate. I'm in that uncomfortable phase right now where I'm trying to fit in, but don't know the players. It'll get better - it always does.

The husband took Darby to the vet this morning. She's been sneezing and wheezing for a few days now and we weren't sure if it was a cold or what. The vet thinks it's just allergies and gave her a cortisone shot and an antibiotic shot. Not a happy kitty - apparently the vet tech commented that they should stretch Darby out before giving her the shots because she was feisty and strong. Good catch, lady! But we'll have to see how she does and if it doesn't get better, she'll have to go home with Sofie and her dad.

Here's an odd coincidence - the vet is going out of town today to visit his son, who is an agent at CAA and his other son is the assistant to a director. Small world. You never know who you're going to meet.

If it's Tuesday,

There are a couple of things from the drive out here that I forgot to mention:
When you get on I-40 at Barstow, there's a sign that says it's 2554(?) miles to Wilmington North Carolina. I tried to remember the exact mileage, but it's been since Saturday for Pete's sake!
There are supposedly a lot of elk in northern Arizona and New Mexico. We saw sign after sign for elk crossing area, but no actual elk. Wonder what it'd be like to be barrelling down the interstate at 75 miles an hour and have an elk pop out in front of you?

Moving on to actually being in Santa Fe, it's friggin' cold here. It spat snow all day Sunday after we got here and then it snowed Sunday night. The roads got covered pretty quickly but by Monday morning, they were clear. The cars had a good inch on them, but I got to work on time.

The apartment is nice enough - a 1 bed/1 bath affair. The furniture got in today. I haven't seen it yet, but the husband says it's functional. As long as it's clean...

We did a bit of driving around on Sunday, picking up necessities and seeing where things were. This place is a bit ugly up close. Don't get me wrong, the vistas are beautiful and I'm sure there are some nice parts of town. But where I am and the drive to work ain't pretty. The husband says SF "out uglys" LA and that's saying a lot!

The production office is within walking distance of the downtown historic area (which is the nicest area we've seen so far). I have my own office with a window - it looks out over the parking lot, but there are some trees and it's nice.

It's about time to go, I just wanted to catch up a bit. I will blog more as I get caught up with work as well. There's always stuff to clean up when you start later - non-payroll people really don't care about the details...

Driving to Santa Fe

For some reason, I always manage to pick some kind of fight before a trip and last night was no exception. I felt totally justified in what I was trying to do, but I went about it in a bad way. Didn't go to bed until after 10:30 and got up at 5am. Didn't apologize until later but the husband was ok with it. I was surprised last night to hear him say he was looking forward to this trip - the change of scenery and all.

So now we're in Gallup, NM after driving for 10 hours. The dog wasn't happy for most of it - shaking and panting until the husband let her sit in his lap. They followed me the whole time and I found it funny to see her head behind the steering wheel. Sofie the driving dog!

The cats were with me and they weren't that happy, either. It would be quiet for a time, then one would start meowing and set the other 2 off. They're out of the cages now and roaming the hotel room. It sucks to have them stuck in a little box all day, but I'd be trying to dig them out from under the seat or something.

The drive from LA to Gallup was pretty uneventful. We stopped for lunch at Lake Havasu City and debated driving up to see London Bridge, but it was 21 miles each way and I didn't want to take the time. It snowed just outside of Flagstaff and we stopped to let Sofie romp in it. She seemed to enjoy it but we didn't stay long - too cold. There's a billboard in Winslow Arizona that actually says "'Stand on the corner' Winslow Arizona exit here. " I wonder how many people actually do...

We have about 200 miles to go tomorrow and we don't have to be there until noon so we can sleep in a bit. We are going to need some time to pry the kitties out of the mattress (there's not a space under the bed, but there's a hole in one of the box springs and somebody crawled up into it).

Lucky Dog Day (again)

Well, it's all over but the lugging of boxes out to the car. My office is packed up and I'm just waiting for the UPM to sign the last of the payroll so I can get it ready to go. He's eating lunch right now, so it may take a while...

Almost everything is ready for the trip to Santa Fe. I have to do some last minute laundry, pack up the cat and dog toys, and empty out the fridge of anything that may go nasty while we're gone. Hard to believe it's actually here.

I do still have to run by a drug store and see if I can find a new wrist brace (for my carpal tunnel). The one I have doesn't let me hold a pen very well so I haven't been using it. Not the best choice, turns out. So if I get out of here soon, I'll do that on the way home.

Have a confession to make... I read the message boards on IMDB regarding the movies I work on and the SOAP board had someone saying that Pacino had a cameo. Well, I wondered if it was true and got a cast list from the original shoot and he wasn't on it. So I wrote a reply stating that fact and got called an "effing moron" for not realizing it was a joke. Actually, I did figure it was a joke, since they had Al playing a gay flight attendant doing an homage to his Scarface character. The point I was trying to make was that I'M WORKING ON THE MOVIE AND CAN GET ACCESS TO THE CONFIDENTIAL CAST LIST AND NOW HAVE NAMES AND ADDRESSES FOR EVERY ACTOR ON THE FILM! So bite my big white @ss!

Dreams of Alias

I dreamed last night that I was an extra on the tv show Alias. The scene was a convention/seminar of some sort (maybe for teachers) and there was a group of us in a long line. We were supposed to enter from the back of the hall and go down the aisle to the front and pick up some brochures and stuff. I was at the end of the line and my picking up a certain brochure was supposed to be Jennifer Garner's cue. So we had a run thru and they decided everybody as going too fast and we were sent back out into the lobby to try again. Somehow, I got lost and wandered thru the backstage area doing random things (which I can't remember now) until I stumbled back out into the lobby. The assistant director was yelling at me to hurry up, as the line was already disappearing into the hall. I caught up, but when I got down to where the brochures were supposed to be, people were milling around and the brochures had turned into books, mainly sci-fi. So it's apparent to me that I've missed something and I started watching everybody else to see what to do. They're all whipping out cash and credit cards and buying the books. I looked around and saw that a few tables down, an older woman was selling art and another was selling crafts. Finally, I realized, while still asleep, that my dream had morphed from the Alias extra scenario to a comic book convention. Except for the fact Sidney Bristow (not Jennifer Garner, but SB) was at the convention undercover. That's when I woke up.

My Grandpa

When my dad brought my mom home to meet the family for the first time (so the story goes) my grandpa took my dad aside and asked him 2 questions.

The first was whether or not she was Catholic.

The second was whether or not she drank beer.

Mom obviously passed.


My parents were very tolerant of alcohol while we were growing up. We were allowed sips of beer and liquor from a fairly young age. I believe that as a result, nobody in my family has a problem with alcohol. Apparently this attitude stems from something my grandpa said to my dad when he was young.

"Don't go out drinking. Bring it home so I can have some."

New Mexico Gossip

Not even there and I already have stories...

There's a movie shooting in Santa Fe/Abq starring a buxom blond. The crew of the film is bored by the small town and is spending time in bars and strip clubs. Apparently, they have recognized a stripper as the stand-in for the buxom blond. Must be nice to know the only person they could find with your physical attributes takes her clothes off for money. Nice genes.

Speaking of strippers... when I worked at McD's during high school, we were around the corner from a strip club. The ladies would come thru the drive-thru each night with their Crown Royal bags stuffed with dollar bills. What a life.

Cologne

Blame Fark for this one - they have a link to pet peeves at the office...

I did a show for Disney a couple of years ago that remade an old Jodie Foster movie. It had a teenage lead whose parents were always coming in and out of the office.

I happened to have a cubicle on that show and it was at the end closest to the elevators. Everybody who came in went right past me. One day, there was this horrendous stink and I was the first one to notice it. Without thinking about it, I blurted out "what's that horrible smell?"

Turns out it was teenage lead's dad. Her parents were nice enough people - I had no complaints about their behavior, but he wore a cologne that stank up the entire floor. If he hugged you, it smelled up your clothes for the rest of the day. It didn't just smell bad, it got into your mouth and nose like and felt like you'd eaten an unripe banana.

The rest of the office heard my outburst and saw his entry and most of them were able to contain their fits of laughter until the offender headed back outside. I wonder now if he's allowed to wear that much cologne in jail...

Credit Cards

I got a forwarded email that talks about what to do if your wallet is stolen. It's got some good suggestions, some of which I already employ. For example, I don't sign my credit cards. Instead I write "Ask For ID" on them in sharpie. It usually works pretty well. The problem I have with that is the Post Office. Every time I go in, they tell me I can use my credit or debit card instead of paying cash and I have to tell them that since I won't sign my credit card, they won't accept it. I'm not sure why, but they really won't accept an unsigned credit card even with a photo id. Whatever. Usually I try to use the kiosk in the lobby anyway - it doesn't care if I haven't signed...

But I do need to take advantage of the photocopier at work and make front and back copies of all of my cards. Just in case.

Over on Warren Ellis' site, I linked to an article about pro-life women who have abortions. It was fascinating. Seems they can justify their own abortion but not anybody else's. I have even less respect for pro-lifers now than I ever did, and it was never very much. I used to admire the conviction they showed in their belief, which is something I feel I lack. But to be able to turn it on and off like that is not conviction. I'm not sure what it is, but it's not admirable.

Random

Not taking the Vespa to Santa Fe - decided there was too much that could go wrong and it was too much hassle. I think I may buy a bike instead, since I'm only 4 miles from the office and the exercise will be good for me.

Got my 9 month LASIK check-up this morning. I'm nearly 20/20 and that's as good as it's going to get. I'm pretty happy about that, since I started out at 20/400. I just need to use my eye drops more often.

Nancy was at the eye doctor too this morning. Quite a pleasant shock to see her there. She's thinking of finally getting contacts, which I think is a great idea. She says she has trouble putting things in her eye, but it's a lot different putting contacts in than say, a tree branch. Even I would have a problem with that!

Got to go back to work now - I have to call the hair and makeup ladies and try to find out why their timecards don't match the production reports... divas.

To Scooter Or Not To Scooter...

The prop master from Snakes, who I also worked with on Dupree, has agreed to let me put my Vespa on his truck since he's doing the Disney show in Santa Fe. It may take 3 weeks for it to make it over there, but I'll have it without having to drive or tow it on the freeway. Now I'm not as sure it's a good idea but I don't know why.
I have to find out if the apartment complex has secure parking or if I'm going to be on the ground floor (in which case I roll it inside). If neither is the case, then what? I could always lock it to my car at night...
Then I was thinking I wouldn't take my car, but I'd be stuck if it rained or I needed cat litter. I hate feeling like this, but I just can't figure out what to do.

Sunday Morning

Took the Sof out for her walk this morning and there was frost on the grass! Haven't seen that before. Last night, they said there were snow flurries in Malibu and there was thunder and lightning on Friday. Not the apocalypse, but different from the norm.

We ran into Chester and his mom and walked with them for a bit. Chester is a big bull terrier whose mouth is so wide it seems as if his head is hinged and he could flop it all the way open if he wanted to... but he's super sweet and he and Sofie get along well. She commented on the building's new lawn and asked if I knew that David Hasselhof owned our complex. What? Cool! Apparently he owns a lot of property in LA and has come out to check on us with all of our renovating.

She also told me that a developer bought three houses around the corner and was going to tear them down and put up apartments or condos, not sure which. That kind of sucks, but they're doing that a lot here. Home prices are out of control and almost every spare bit of land is gone - the only way to pack more in is to tear stuff down. It makes me think we'll never be able to get a house because there just won't be any left!

I started packing for Santa Fe, which is kind of surreal for me. I'm used to pulling out clothes for a couple of weeks at most, not putting everything I own into suitcases. I have the feeling that I won't be coming home with some of the stuff I'm taking, but I can't sort right now - I can only pack. A week from today and we'll be there. Wow.

Blog Updates

Mark Evanier (www.newsfromme.com) has been running some video clips that have been superb. The Oklahoma police chase, the cat and the rooster, and the clip of William Shatner performing "Rocket Man" are my favorites so far. If you check out his site, you'll learn some fun things about Hollywood and he has pictures of the "wild" animals that frequent the cat food dish in his back yard.

Girl-fiend (www.girl-fiend.blogspot.com) had her baby on 3/8 - a little boy-fiend!

Dollie (www.cocktaildoll.com) hasn't posted anything in a bit, but her site is totally worth reading from beginning to end.

Warren Ellis (www.warrenellis.com) has a link to a site about having sex with dolphins. Weird. But it is amazing what people will post on the internet.

And thanks to Sped and the Dan for introducing me to www.fark.com - a total time-waster and I love it.

The Job Market

This is a recent posting on a job site for accountants:

ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR/PRODUCER WANTED

The COMPANY: "Not It's Real Name", Inc. is a commercial production company. We also have two sister companies; "Also Not It's Real Name" Entertainment which specializes in feature film production and "Still Not It's Real Name" Studios which specializes in high definition editorial and camera rental. We are located in Marina Del Ray, California. We currently have 12 employees and hire freelance production personnel as needed. See our site at: (not going there - don't wanna get in trouble)

DUTIES: Duties include phones, project coordinating, research, filing, managing calendar, managing phone-log, setting meetings and conference calls, light accounting/expense reports, managing interns, making travel arrangements and script coverage.

QUALIFICATIONS: Must be familiar with WORD/ EXCEL/ FINAL DRAFT/ ENTOURAGE/ OUTLOOK. NOW CONTACT.

Ideal candidate is a college grad with any degree, no entertainment experience is necessary, great communication skills a must, “Can do” attitude a must, good on phone, good with client interaction. This position will give you great potential to move up within the company. Pay $450-$500/week depending on experience.

Hours 9:30am – 6:00pm M-F

E.O.E.

While $450/week may seem like a lot of money to people in the "real" world, in the industry it's less than what the lowest production assistant makes. And look at the qualifications! You have to practically walk on water to even be considered for the job, which seems to be little more than babysitting someone who probably makes upwards of $5000 a week. And the "potential to move up" sounds like bait. Welcome to the movie biz.

If anyone is interested in this job, let me know and I'll give you the real info...

Butt-In-Ski

I hate when people stick their noses into my job.

More later...

It's later.

R just has to put his 2 cents in on stuff he doesn't know anything about. We have Canadian cast and I sent their paperwork around for signature knowing I didn't have all of the necessary documents on hand. He asks to look at one for L and gets all concerned about it and starts talking to me as if I didn't know that even non-citizens have to fill out I9's. I'm not stupid. I get paid a lot of money to do this job. And frankly, most actors end up finishing up their paperwork via fax because by the time I get it and see what's missing, they're long gone.

So do your job and let me do mine. I will ask if I have questions or need help.

Lotto Check

Got home tonight and found my Arizona Lottery check waiting. My grand hopes for $100 turned into a $7 check. That's right, $7. There go my plans for the moolah...

On the bright side, I did come out ahead, even if it was only by $2.

Good Week/Bad Week

I'm trying to eat more healthy and I've been managing to do 1 week on, 1 week off with my WW. I was hoping to start doing 2 weeks on, 1 week off but today has not been an on day so far. We're shooting on the stage and the catering is Asian. I know I should have just hunkered down with my can of soup and carrots, but I didn't. I guess the question now is whether or not I accept that I ate too many points and move on, or call myself a failure and give it up for the day and/or week.

Seeing it in writing makes it super-clear. I'm not a failure - I enjoyed the lunch and now need to drink lots of water and not eat too many more points today. And tomorrow I need to go with the soup...

Behind the Scenes @ Oscar

The husband and I had to go down to Hollywood Blvd yesterday to pick up some stuff for Erdedo's daughter's birthday party. She's having a movie theme and I offered to pick up something that said "Hollywood" that came from Hollywood. The really cheesy souvenir shops are down there.

Anyway, we took the subway and emerged in the midst of all the Oscar hoopla. They have the street blocked off and a pedestrian detour to get you from one side of the theatre to the other. You can't see much, as the barricade walls are 8 feet high, but every now and again there's a break in the wall and you can see the red carpet and the Oscar statues.

The detour routes you thru the Hollywood & Highland complex that houses the Kodak theatre and there's a spot where you can look down at the red carpet entryway. Everybody was stopping there to take pictures and it was causing a huge logjam.

I'm not usually that interested in the Oscars, but I'm going to watch this year. I'm not interested in who's going to win, I just think Jon Stewart is going to do a great job as host.

2 Weeks To Go

2 weeks from tomorrow, we leave for Santa Fe. I got the apartment set up, now I just have to fill it with furniture and arrange for electricty, cable, phone, and internet. I can see the benefits of just staying in the hotel the production provides, but I'm sure I'll be glad in the end.

My sister called me today to tell me she got an email from my cousin Lou. He's moved to LA from NY and wants to get in touch with me. She wanted to make sure it was ok to give him my info. Of course it is! I haven't seen him for probably 20 years, but he, my brother Brian, and I were like the 3 Musketeers when we were little. We were all within 17 months in age and got along pretty well. Lou was a child prodigy at the piano and always smart, but I don't really know what he's up to now. We're supposed to get together next week so I'll find out all about him. Figures he'd move here right when I'm leaving for 5 months! I hope he lives somewhere near - traffic sux in this town.

The Little Title That Could

I nearly died laughing when I got the call to work on Snakes on a Plane - it sounded so stupid. But man am I glad I took this job! Everywhere you look, online and in print, people are talking this thing up. It's going to be huge, even if it is a bad movie. And you know what? It may turn out to be so bad it's good. I got some of the pages for the aditional photography and it's good clean cheesy fun. As Nancy said, it'll look good on my resume and I may get to meet Samuel L. Jackson on Monday. What's not to like about that?

Just have to hope New Line keeps the name and stops calling it S.O.A.P.

Willis

Rick and I walked over to stage 5 to hand out paychecks and see how the plane reconstruction was going. It looks a lot better than it did last time, but we're not sure they're going to be ready to shoot on Monday.

When we got back to the office, there was a large black Lab standing alone in the parking space across from the walkway. I started talking to it and it headed towards me, then kind of wandered off. After I saw it stumble over some parking humps, I realized the poor thing was blind.- it had cataracts in both eyes. A woman had come downstairs to smoke and said she'd seen it taking walks with a man who came out of the office at the end of the building. So I gave my extra checks to Rick to take back into the office and walked the dog back home. I had to keep talking to him to get him to stay with me and we had some issues at the dumpster (something smelled really good to him). But we made it down there and I opened the door and called out "hello." A woman answered and I asked if the dog belonged there and she said yes, that he wanders off and they don't aways know he's gone. She said his name was Willis and I suggested he wear a bell, but that'd probably drive them nuts. I'd love to bring Sofie down to meet him, since they seem to allow dogs on this lot, but she'd be too annoying for him - jumping on him without warning and all. Maybe she could play with the pug and the Jack Russell terrier we saw sniffing at the shrubbery...

The husband and I were talking last night about getting some paints and seeing if any of the cats or Sofie would be interested in them. It would be fun to see if they were artistic at all, but a disaster if all they did was take off through the house. At least we have Pergo and we could try to get a water based paint for easy cleanup. Something to think about.

Production is buying lunch and we went to a place called Ammo. I got the roasted winter squash stew for $14. It was no bigger than any regular can of soup and it was $14! I liked it but man, $14? Sorry to add to the cost of your ticket.

Boooooooooored

I am so bored at work. I've actually spent work time watching movies and playing games without having to hide it. I keep asking Rick if he wants any help with anything and he just laughs at me - he doesn't have enough to keep himself busy.

The dog is getting a bath tomorrow in anticipation of going to Santa Fe. It's a good thing, too. Ever since we picked her up from Bow Wow, I think she's smelled like cream of mushroom soup. And I hate cream of mushroom soup. It took me a couple of days to figure that out, by the way. It's not one of those scents that jumps out at you.

The kitties are going in on Saturday. All three wil be getting baths and claw trims. Quincy will probably get his mane clipped, too.

I'm getting nervous about going to NM. It seems like there's so much to do before I go. I really should make a list - that always makes it better. I like having it in writing, exactly what I need to accomplish. But it's not like I'm leaving the country. I'll be a few hours away by plane if I have to come back for something and I'm sure there will be a Target in town if I forget to pack something. I do need to let BG know that I'm coming. She offered me a Disney show in Santa Fe and I turned it down. But things have changed because of her offer and I don't want her to think it was personal.

Slick Roads

It's raining here in LA, which means the "storm watch" is on. It's sad the way a little rain is such a big story, but with run-off and erosion problems from the fires, slides can happen pretty quickly.

Anyway, I saw an accident on the way to work this morning. A small teal Ford something slid into the back of a Range Rover at a red light. There was a loud squeal followed by the equally loud thunking of metal into metal. I don't think the RR guy would have known he'd been hit at all if it wasn't for the noise...

The little teal car was kind of bad - the hood was crinkled up and the left wheel well was bent. The driver couldn't even get the door open at first. But nobody seemed to be hurt and I hope it all gets worked out ok.

They're having a little casting session this morning and the office is full of hopefuls - men in suits and women in short skirts and high boots/heels. They're set up in the kitchen right across the hall from me and it's kind of fun to watch. I could never be an actor - I have enough problems with body image without losing jobs because of how I look.

Darby One-Fang One-Eye

Darby's had a weeping/winky eye all weekend and the husband took her to see Dr Liz today. I asked him to call me if it was something serious because I worry about my kitties. He told me it was going to be nothing and I shouldn't expect to hear from him.

So when he phone rings and it's him, I'm convinced it's bad news.

"We have to get her an eye patch because she's losing vision in that eye" he says.

I start to wig out.

"It's just a scatch, she's got some drops, $75 please" he says.

I'm confused.

Turns out it's nothing but a scratch, just like we thought and he figured he'd make me panic.

Ha ha

It wouldn't be so bad except the last time something like this happened, I really did break her fang off.

1 Gallon

I donated blood yesterday and it was my 8th pint for SoCal Red Cross. I got a nifty little 1 Gallon Donor pin to commemorate it. As I figure it, I can donate 8 times a year and be a gallon donor every year until I die. I'm pretty sure that's a noble goal, just not sure how feasible it is. But since I'm O- I'll go for it. Too bad I'm going out of town for so long. Maybe I can schedule my visits home to coincide when I can donate again.

And I know I've donated more than a gallon, since I first started in high school, but I guess they only count what they get here. Too bad. I'd probably be at 2 or 3 gallons by now.

Reading List

If anyone knows how to alter the sidebar to add a reading list, please let me know. I've looked in the help guide and quickly flash back to college computer classes - which I failed miserably. It's all code and gobbledy-gook that I can't quite figure out.

Sofie the Fashionista

It's cold here in SoCal. Now, I know it's not as cold as in some parts of the country, like in East Tennessee where my parents hit 18, but when you're used to high 70's most of the year, then anything below 60 is cold.

Anyway, I take Sofie for her first walk around 5am every morning and when it got cold, I started putting a shirt on her. She doesn't like to wear her shirts and tends to chew them up, but I figured if I needed 2 jackets and gloves, she could probably use a little t-shirt. I always take it off when we get back in the house so she can't eat it.

Yesterday, I didn't take her shirt off until we had gotten back to the bedroom and I left it in the bathroom for some reason. This morning, I didn't want to go back for it so I grabbed the harness and called her over. Usually, I say "paws" and she stands up on her back legs and I take her front paws and slide the harness on. Today she just sat and looked at me. I couldn't get her to come near me, much less offer up her paws. What did it take to get Sofie out of the house this morning? A shirt - she didn't budge until I got one out for her. As soon as I came back with it, she walked to me and put one paw in the air. So it seems the shirts are a hit, but only when it's cold and dark outside.

It's Over W/ Spidey

Got a call from Spidey 3 - they still need someone to work 2 days a week for them (starting in 3 weeks). Too bad it won't be me. Not that I'm broken up about it - I need a full-time job, thank you very much.

I Won The Lottery!

It's only $100, but I did win. The guy I'm working with now has a home in Arizona and he went there over the long weekend. He offered to by lottery tix for anybody who wanted one and I had him get me 5. Turns out I matched 3 numbers and the powerball, so that's $100. Whoo Hoo! I know exactly what I'm going to do with the money, too...

Drowning

Growing up, my family had an above ground pool. It was about 4' deep in the "shallow" end and about 6' deep in the "deep" end. I can remember a time when I didn't know how to swim and I would amuse myself by walking the perimeter of the pool, up on the 4" wide railing. When I was about 6, I was walking around while my brothers and their friends played in the water. I got to the point where the pump hose came up over the rail and as I stepped to go over it, I slipped and fell in.

I vividly remember how it felt to hang there in the water, not even trying to swim. My arms were limp but over my head and my hair was swaying with the movement of the water. I saw my brothers' friends bodies and legs, and remembr picking out Brad C - I had a crush on him. It never occurred to me that I was drowning or that I might die.

The next thing I know, I'm flying over the railing and landing in my dad's arms. Someone had spotted me and thrown me out - never did find out who... Anyway, about a week later, my dad drained the pool and we all got in to scrub it clean. Then, as they refilled it with water from the garden hose, I stayed in and learned to swim. I didn't really have any lessons, it was just a matter of letting the rising water teach me what to do. And yes, someone was keeping an eye on me.

After that, I swam like a fish. My dad taught me how to dive (by holding my feet down and tipping me over into the water) and we worked our way up to diving off a high dive that was 5 or 6' above the water. Into a 6" deep pool. I'm not saying we were smart, but it was fun. We would dive almost straight down, then skim along the bottom of the pool to the far side where we would practically bang into the wall as the made our way to the surface. It's amazing we didn't break our necks.

Dog Park

Took Sofie to the dog park today, actually we've taken her all 3 days this holiday weekend. It's a good way to wear her out... There was an Irish Setter there that the husband said looked like his old dog Sandy - really pretty.

Sofie can be a bit of a bully when it comes to dogs smaller than herself. We have to make sure whoever she's playing with is holding their own. A lot of owners don't do that - there was a puppy yesterday that must have weighed 40 lbs who wouldn't leave Sofie alone. He kept chasing her and she couldn't even stop to get a drink of water. I had to keep picking her up so she could catch her breath. I know dogs play rough and it can look worse than it is, but when one dog is playing and the other dog is running and/or hiding behind mom and dad, that's too much.

Mostly Sofie just likes to run. I'm going to have to see if I can get some video of her running in circles and post it.

Santa Fe, NM

Even though I was 30 minutes late for my interview yesterday (due to a mix-up with the city the office was in), they offered me the job. I'm going to be the payroll accountant for Used Guys starring Jim Carrey and Ben Stiller.

I'm pretty excited about it - it'll be the biggest thing I've done. It's a 90 day shoot, which is about 30 days longer that PDII - and that was over by 9 days. The only real concern I have is I have to be in Santa Fe by March 20th and I won't be back in L.A. until the end of July. The first 35 days of shooting and all of the prep are there. I'm going to miss my husband and my dog (the cats are coming with me). Don't know yet what to do about Hamilton...

This will probably be the only location show I do and I may regret taking it, but I have to find out for sure. I've met a lot of people in the industry who have done location shows and they've traveled the world, from Morocco to Dubai, Toronto to Prague. I have to make sure I don't ever resent not having the opportunity to do the same. I know Santa Fe isn't that big a deal, it's not some exotic foreign country. But it's different enough from what I'm used to yet close enough to come home on the weekends or for the husband to drive to on his own for an extended stay.

And this is going to ruin Comic-Con. We just don't think it'll work out for me to try and be gone for 4 days without any replacements available. The husband may go on his own for a day, but we'll see.

There's a lot to do before we go. It's weird to think that 4 weeks from right now we'll be in the car driving to NM. Should be fun, especially if we take Hamilton, too.

Guilty Pleasure

As much as I hate to be predictable, I like candles. My husband doesn't understand my fondness for candles and thinks it's a gender thing. He once went to an office party where so many candles were exchanged they were banned from the gift list in the future.

Anyway, I'm always looking for good ones or cheap ones or pretty ones. When I find something special, I take it to work and show it off. I also burn my candles - I have yet to find one so spectacular than I just couldn't burn it. Candles have to smell good while being burned. I've had plenty that smelled great in the container but you couldn't smell a thing when lit. And I've had candles that turned rank when lit, that made people come to my office door and ask me to blow it out (usually long after I've already done so, but the odor remains...)

Erdedo gave me a couple of candles for my birthday and they are just about the best I've had so far. She used them when she was selling her house and apparently people commented on how good her house smelled. I totally believe it. They are the sugar shaker candles from the Swan Creek Candle Co (in almond biscotti and cinammon spice). I took the almond to work and every day someone comments on how nice my office smells. I've checked out their website and they aren't that expensive, but there are so many flavors to choose from I'm going to have a tough time. Thanks E!
www.swancreekcandle.com

Job Interview

I got an email from the woman I did the Flightplan reshoots with - she had given my name to a friend of hers. So now I have an interview tomorrow morning for Used Guys, a futuristic comedy that's supposed to star Ben Stiller and Jim Carrey. Sounds pretty good, except for the fact it starts shooting in Sante Fe, NM for the first 35 days (it's a 90 day shoot, which would be my longest). I've talked to the husband about it and he seems okay with it, but I'm worried he's not really and just doesn't want to rain on my parade. I know I turned down the Disney film in Sante Fe, but this one has a much better cast. That's really the whole point of it - if I'm going to go on location, it has to be for something worthwhile. Of course, this could all be for nothing. I haven't been offered the job.

In other news, I've started looking for a new trainer and the first one I contacted is a schmoron. Man, she just can't buy a clue. I made it really clear that I have to work out from 6-7 in the morning and she told me she just got a client for that time, then asked when I wanted to meet. I wrote back that I had to have that timeslot because of work, so she needed to make sure she'd be able to fit me in, then I suggested Monday night to meet. She wrote to ask what day I want to train, and I wrote that she needed to tell me her new client's schedule so I could try and work in. Turns out only Saturday is available. Then she asked me what day for the consult. I once again said Monday and she said that wouldn't work for her (she'd known since my 2nd email that I wanted to meet Monday and acted like it was a surprise). By now, I'm pretty much over her and told her my schedule was jammed up and I'd have to get back to her. She then wrote to tell me she had a training session on Wednesday at 8:30am and she'd come early for me - at 8am. I wrote one last email where I said that I had told her I had to leave by 7 to get to work on time, so 8 wasn't going to cut it. I know I'm not relating it very well - I should have saved the emails. But come on, how clueless was this woman? I spelled it all out for her several times and only one thing at a time seemed to sink in, then the second bit pushed out the first one. It was so frustrating. And I still don't have a trainer.

But I have been going to the gym!

The Truth!

Today is the first time I have ever heard a movie exec say an actor is bad. I can't really go into it anymore than that, but it is someone on my new show and it's not Jackson.

At the moment, I'm sitting in my temp office waiting to move over to the other lot. Too bad. I have a desk that looks out onto the Hollywood Hills. Not that I can see much more than a bunch of homes that'll come tumbling down the hillside in the next big quake, but the sky is blue and the trees are swaying in the breeze. If I'm not careful, though, it makes it seems as if I'm the one swaying. Hope the other office has a window...

Smoky Mountains

This is a photo I took in 2004 of the Smokies in Tennessee up near Cumberland Gap. It needs a bit of cropping, but I think it's quite pretty.

Bad Kitty

I just busted Baxter trying to eat Hamilton. I put the bowl on the lowboy right next to the front door because I thought it was too dark in the bedroom for the fish - he seemed to be sleeping all the time. I'm just a few feet away in the breakfast nook/wife-home-office catching up on blogs when I hear a noise I think is Sofie eating something. When I get up to look, Baxter jumps down from the lowboy and scurries off. I look at Hamilton's bowl and the water is sloshing around. It took me a minute to spot him in the bowl, he was hiding out at the bottom poor thing. Now that I think about it, I did wonder why the mail and stuff up there kept ending up on the floor all weekend. Baxter's been at it for a while with no success. Says a lot about his hunting prowess.

Of course, the husband almost did in the fish yesterday. We came back from walking the dog and he dropped the leash on the lowboy, not noticing the hook had dropped into the bowl. I'm sure Hamilton thought it was some sort of death coming to get him. He was hiding out under his red plant when I noticed it. Good thing I'm going back to work tomorrow. I don't know how much longer Hamilton can take this kind of abuse.

The Biggest Loser

I got up this morning with the intention of going to the casting call for The Biggest Loser. I had watched the show on Wednesday and had convinced myself that it was the perfect and only thing for me. I wanted the isolation and forced workouts in order to lose the 40 lbs I gained last year.

Casting started at 10am, but I was going to be there at 8. Well, by the time I got myself ready and got gas in the Vespa, it was 9 before I drove up to NBC studio. The line of people was down the block and around the corner. I drove down the street, looking at all the fat people standing there and just kept going. I couldn't make myself join that line and say to the world that I was too lazy or weak to do for myself what the tv show would do, or that I had already done once. Plus, it's not the real world and no matter what happens there, you still have to go back to your life and deal with all of that. I knew I wouldn't be able to maintain anything - I have to do this the right way and go step by step, knowing in the end that it was all me.

So I went to my Weight Watchers meeting instead. I weighed in, but asked the woman not to tell me what the scale said. I think I need to not focus on the numbers for a while (the husband already hid or threw out our scale at home). And I'm meeting with a trainer next week sometime. So I'm back in the saddle again. I've got to stop giving food a moral value and just think of it in terms of points. I can eat whatever I want if I stay within my points - there's no such thing as cheating anymore. Don't wish me luck, wish me good health.

Back to Work

I got the job on Snakes and I start on Monday. It'll go thru either the 17th or 24th of March, so I'm covered for a bit. Of course, I haven't gotten much of my list done... guess I'll have to spread it out over the weekends and get a little done at a time. Right now, I'm going to go see what kind of painting supplies I've got and see if I can finish the kitchen.

How Cool Is It?

I had my interview today for Snakes On A Plane. The accountant and the 1st both seemed really nice and I think I'll get the job as long as it actually gets a green light (is that one word or two?). I should know tomorrow, then start on Monday or Tuesday. Luckily they're going to shoot at The Lot (where I did the Flight Plan reshoots) instead of LA Center Studios. A much better drive for me.

Apparently, the snakes in the movie, both the real and the animatronic, don't look scary enough, so they're going to do some visual effects shots. Should make it fairly straightforward. But I know that'll never happen. It's always a ridiculous thing in the end.

And as for the title, I heard that during shooting it caused some trouble getting locations due to the very real possibility of having snakes show up. To make matters easier, they came up with a fake name - Pacific Air 121. Sam Jackson is reported to have said that they had better go back to Snakes, because it was just too cool. I have to agreee. It sounds hokey at first, but it grows on you.

Spidey 3 Not For Me

The commute to Sony totally sucked - took me an hour and 15 minutes. I've had worse commutes, but I haven't had to leave the valley for work since 2001 and I'm so not used to it. It's hard enough being at work 10-12 hours a day, but to be in my car for 2 more hours is too much.

Anyway, the interview went well, but I found out when I got there that the job description had changed. It turned out they only wanted someone for 1 or 2 days a week - they didn't think they had enough work for 4 people. I agreed, seeing as how they already had 2 payroll accountants and a payroll clerk. Turns out the 2nd payroll person had decided not to leave after all. She's a TV person and had wanted out, but then changed her mind. So I drove down there for nothing except the opportunity to meet new contacts. I really did like AR, but I told her I needed something full time. Not to say I wouldn't be interested in picking up a day a week to make some extra money and see what a big show is like... We'll see what happens.

Drove over to Pasadena for lunch with Nancy. She invited me out for my birthday. I got a tour of her new house, which is nice and with all the improvements they've made and plan to make, will be beautiful. We went to Dave & Buster's for lunch. The husband and I have a soft spot for D&B's going back to Atlanta and I was glad to hear there was one in Arcadia. We hated driving all the way out to Ontario for our fix.

Anyway, while we were at lunch I got a call for some reshoots on "Snakes on a Plane." The UPM from Dupree recommended me, which is nice since I wasn't sure he liked me. Although, I do remember telling him how much I hated doing reshoots, so maybe he doesn't like me that much... I emailed my resume and we'll see what happens with that. Nancy thinks I should take that one, since it would look cool on my resume, even though she said it sounds like a porno. Samuel L. Jackson stars - that is cool.

Went back to Nancy's and chatted for a bit. Her puppy girls are so sweet (Cocoa and Bailey, lab mixes and sisters). If we had a yard, I would so want a 2nd dog. But no more pets. Have to wait for the cats to kick off before we get anymore pets.

Job Interview

I have an interview today for Spider-Man 3. A couple of people have already given me recommendations, but we'll see what happens. I still have to hear the details of the job before I'm even sure I'll want it. I'd really like to get on something this big, just to see what's it's like. But I'm not going to take on something that'll just make me miserable. And I have to find out if there's any location work...JT mentioned New York and/or Cleveland. Don't know what's up with Cleveland, but that's movie making for you.

TGIH (Thank Goodness I'm Home)

I couldn't get my last blog to post when I wrote it, so I just put it thru now. Sorry about any confusion.

We got home about 3pm yesterday and went over to pick up Sofie. She wasn't as excited as we thought she would be. Actually, she seems to have picked up a little bit of something. She was really tired and her nose was warm and dry. I don't think she ate that much while we were gone - she seems to have dropped 3 or 4 pounds, but I don't know for sure. We're going to have to fatten her up a bit.

The husband and I are still tired. It sucks that it takes so long to recuperate from traveling. I crawled into bed last night to take a nap at 7pm and didn't wake up until 4:20am. I tried to take a nap this afternoon with him, but he started snoring and I didn't want to wake him up. At least I don't have to worry about going off to work tomorrow.

Have a ton of stuff I want to do while I'm off:
1) paint the study
2) paint the living room
3) finish painting the kitchen
4) finish the bookcases
5) swap out the dvd shelving
6) put in a closet organizer
7) rearrange the furniture
8) rework my desk area
9) take out the shower doors in the guest bath
10) paint the kitchen cabinets
11) paint the bedroom
12) paint the master bath
13) get a side table
14) get a mantle piece

That's all I can think of for now and I'm sure only about 1/4 of it will actually get done, especially if I only have this 1 week off...but I have to do what I can while my days are free. It's so easy though to just goof off.

Back To Atlanta

We're on our way back home. We got up this morning and went by McKay's one last time. I didn't have a credit on Mama Flora's Family so we traded it in and the husband used up everything we had left. I really do wish we could have a book store like that in L.A. Then we drove to Lenoir City and went to the cemetary to leave a lighter from Hawaii for Betty. We didn't stay long, but it was still pretty hard.

On the drive to Atlanta, I read the revisions the husband made to his old script and the first 40 or so pages of his new one. Both met with my approval and it had nothing to do with the moon pie the husband bought...

We stopped at Back Yard Burger for lunch. Love that place - totally better than In-N-Out. We took the food over to where the husband used to work - they have a lake and picnic tables. Fed the geese and the mutant duck bread and fries. Then we went around to a couple of comic shops and book stores. We were in one when the guy from the Fox pilot. He didn't say much about the project, just asked what my rate was. I told him, he told me what he had to offer and I said no. So much for the Fox pilot. Then we hooked up with some old friends for dinner at The Dwarf House, the original Chick-fil-A. I love that place, too, probably more than Back Yard Burger. The Dwarf House started in 1946 and I had always wanted to eat there. We sat under the moving artwork where the 7 dwarves go around in a circle from their house to the mine and back. It's kitschy and cute and I loved it.

Anyway, I really liked living in Atlanta, but I'm not sure I could come back here. It seems very crowded and chaotic, which seems silly to write knowing I live in Los Angeles. But that's how it feels. Maybe I'm looking for the old place from 6 years ago. Nothing stays the same though. I'm sure if we came back I'd figure out the new place and feel right at home in no time. But L.A. is my home. It's what I mean when I say I'm glad to be going home. It's where my life is, for better or for worse.

Knoxville

It's Thursday and today is our last full day in town. We've been to McKay's twice and managed to pick up as many books to take home as we brought. Which is fine since it was all in trade and we didn't spend a dime. I went out with my sister yesterday afternoon. She took off work early and we had lunch and went shoe shopping. She needed black pumps and I just like to look. I did end up getting a pair of brown loafers, though. It was nice hanging out with her. No pressure, just relaxing. We drove around and looked at the new housing going up - huge houses on big lots that cost little more than my 1400 sq ft condo. How depressing. She also took me over to the Catholic school where my dad had donated a mosaic of the saint it's named after. It's actually very nice and it's to be dedicated to my grandparents on both sides.

Today I'm having lunch with Sped's mom and Erdedo, who will probably be bringing her littlest one with her. I hope Ma doesn't mind but I wouldn't have had time to see both of them otherwise (we've been spending the evenings with my parents). I'm sure it will be fine, since Erdedo, Sped, and I all grew up together.

Part of the reason for coming home was to pack up my grandmother's china to ship back to California, but my sister said she'd take care of it. I really appreciate that because if anybody was going to do it right, it would be her. My dad told me he bought that china for his mom right after the war, right out of the factory. It's even marked "Germany US Zone" on the back. He said it was very expensive and that he'd paid a lot for it - a carton of cigarettes! Apparently, a carton of cigarettes could get you quite a lot. It's not really my style but as Sped said about her grandmother's china, that's not the point. My sister is getting my grandmother's china from mom's side of the family. It had actually passed down to my Aunt Dolores, but she was afraid her children would sell it off if she gave it to them, so she arrainged for Susan to get it. She even had my brother come over and pick it up as soon as possible - I guess to keep it safe. We figured one of the kids must have started talking about it and it worried her enough to get it moved to safety. I'm glad we have it, but how sad is the whole story?