Ramblings

Tonight as I sat on my balcony and enjoyed an evening without rain, I actually heard a man who could only be described as having a conversation with his many personalities. It was quite a complex conversation about how the other personalities didn't care about him and then how they defended themselves. I felt sad for him, but it is an unfortunate reality here in Venice. We have a "yeller" that frequents our alley whom I have not seen or heard in quite a while. He also talks to himself. He thinks the CIA is after him and they broadcast it through TV antennas. Hell, at least when this new guy climbed into the dumpster during an argument with himself he pulled out an old milk carton and peed into it instead of peeing in the carport. That has to say something good about him right?

Ooops!

I guess the weather effected more than just MY crew!

Goodbye my love...

...I will miss you. As a woman, it is strange to say this, but if I could drive a condor every day, I would be happy. Maybe not in the rain and the cold and the mud, but it would make me smile regardless.
We are finally wrapped and it will take us at least until the weekend and a lot of alcohol to warm up and dry off, but we did it and we have officially left the mud bowl. Many thanks to my crew who stuck it out until the end except for Gordo who was sunning himself in Mexico and drinking Mai Tais while we got drenched. I am looking for a nice warm stage show for the next gig.

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Not! It seems that the term "Luxury" needed to be taken to another low on this last week of ours in hell. Don't even try to use the bathroom if you aren't in boots and rain gear.

Of course that poses an interesting issue once inside the tiny, smelly, muddy box, when trying to pee, but it's better than trying to squat behind a tree and getting a muddy butt. One more day in the "Luxury Loo" and its sweet porcelain flushing for me from now on... well at least until the next gig.

(The pic. above actually makes me look clean. My hand is in it to show the depth of the mud in my finger nails, but that didn't register... in case you were wondering.)

IT'S FINALLY OVER!!!!!!

I got out of bed today at 1pm this morning and I ache all over, but I am not at work for the first time in 13 days, so I am happy. Our last day of this show started at 7am at 33F running ragged at full speed to get the last of the additions put up before a 9:30am camera rehearsal and ended up at 11:30pm at 40F with 30 mile an hour gusting winds. Fun, eh! It seems that one of the producers 1st comments every time he saw me or called me on the radio was "Uhhh, could we add __________." It was never an easy add although he liked to make it sound like it would just take 2 people a few minutes to "throw it up there and attach it with some zip ties." He owes me 3 bottles of Captain Morgan's at this point. I have to say that I could not have asked for a better crew. Hysterical, hard working, reliable, and great personalities. They kicked ass beyond belief and deserved 10x what they got paid. Pilot or not, they deserved more money. At least we got a "shout out" and a big "thank you" from the Supervising Producer in front of the whole crew at the safety meeting yesterday morning. It doesn't pay the rent, but it was nice. Jess was there all day with me as well saying hi to old friends and recruiting for his new job so the day was so much better because of it. So although I can't show any pictures of the job, this is one of my Swing guys with me up in a condor at 40 ft in the air at about 9pm with gusting winds. Only 2 wrap days to go and I can finally kiss this whole job goodbye. Of course, that is until the show gets picked up and I tell them they have to offer me more money than the national deficit to make me do it all over again.

Day 11...

...of 13 straight days of work. Need I explain more why I have not posted?

Who knew...

...you could take a weather related day off in Southern California! Kinda like our own "snow day!" Only this day off was due to 40 mph winds and sideways rain. That white thing blowing in the wind is my office and about an hour after that picture was taken, the tent company came and took it down and the contents that hadn't been blown away yet were stashed in a big metal storage container. Maybe the Port O Potties blew away too!!! One can dream.

**Update**

We currently have 3 "Luxury" bathrooms on set now spaced at 3 corners of the set. However, I am still limited to using the one in the picture which is closest to my work area and is also located near the bottled water stash and the small amount of craft service we have. Perfect. Oh Joy!

Happy New Year...Cab Rides Are Overrated!

We decided to be the responsible adults that we are and start drinking at home and then cab it to our New Year's party about 4 miles away. Party starts at 9 so we'll call the cab at 8:30 and have some cocktails while we wait. We were told after 5 minutes of trying to get through to the cab company that it would be 5-35 minutes until one came and that they'd call when they got there. Normal cab lingo and we were not bothered by the little extra wait. I mean, hell, it was New Years! So about 45 minutes and 2 more cocktails passes and we decide to wait out front. I mean they have to be here any second. Cab after cab passes us but none of them ours. 5 more minutes of trying to get back through to the cab company and the next dispatch we speak to says that no one should have ever told us a wait time and a cab would be there as soon as possible. (funny) It's now about an hour and a half since we originally called and we are good and toasted and getting hungry. We decide to call again. 5 more minutes of busy signals and the 3rd dispatch we've now spoken to says that they aren't doing "arrival calls" and that our cab has come and gone. So let me get this straight... you wanted us to sit outside for an unknown amount of time and wait for a cab that may or may not come. Ass hole. He tells us a cab should be there in about 30 minutes! It's 10:30 at this point. We decide to be adventurous. As long as we are together having fun, who cares what we do, so we hop on our bikes and head off to our party. 30 minutes later of what seemed like an all uphill bike-ride (mind you, we are well on our way to being drunk at this point so everything is an effort) we are arrive at the front gate of our party's building and the phone rings. Independent Cab is at our apartment ready to pick us up.

Link To Above Image