Dream Script

I had a surreal dream this morning. I was watching a rough cut of a movie with my favorite actor and we were going to edit the film. He starred in the film as well. (Pretty sure this doesn't happen stretched out on the carpet in front of an old tv from the 80's with knobs and a VHS machine, but hey, dream rules). We talked about one of the scenes, which was dialogue heavy and a bit awkward.

GirlZoot showed up (but had always been there, dream rules again) with the script and I looked at the opening sequence of images, which had explanations in the script. The entire opening sequence suddenly made sense and I wasn't sure if that was a film thing or a me thing. I suddenly had a burning question. "Is there a final version of the script that matches what the final edited version of the film is?" Never got an answer. I was thinking there's always the deleted or extended scenes, they're part of the original script. Do they stay part of the script or are they marked or removed from the 'final' version? It's different from books, where the final version is it; a screenplay isn't necessarily the last word, editing and at times ad lib play such a big role. (Thank you GirlZoot and Shaych for your film commune / school rubbing off on me).

Around this time, his girlfriend showed up (but had always been there) and the four of us began discussing the film and current events and such. She had an accent, French I think, and was very sweet. They started horsing around together, doing this one leg wrapping thing that I'm pretty sure is physically impossible. They were so cute and madly happy together, my tiny pang of jealousy seemed petty. There was a bit more talking about the script but no more movie watching, just hanging out and enjoying it.

So can anyone tell me, is there a final version of the script that matches the edited film? Is it always that way? Does it depend on the screenwriter? My curiosity is piqued.

Easter Musings

Easter certainly came early this year. The official designation of when Easter occurs is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. Well, the equinox was on 3/20, the full moon on 3/21, which makes today, 3/23, Easter 2008.

Yesterday I spent a throughly enjoyable afternoon and evening with GirlZoot and her beau playing MTG and Scene-It Disney version and Dominoes. We chatted, discussed writing, and ate the most splendid nachos and strawberry shortcake (there went my diet). Must needs I get my house in a semblance of order to host the next gaming Saturday at my humble abode.

Next week is pretty busy with the Wits End Comedy on Wednesday (comedy mid week, nothing better!) and Mia's Game Night in Boulder Friday night. I love game nights, fun is had by all.

I just finished (just in the last hour or so) Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. I'm still thinking about the themes and the presentation. What price happiness?

Random event last night, it snowed. I'm not certain we were expecting snow and it certainly didn't last that long, but wet white stuff fell from the sky and got all over my car and the porch (which I dutifully shoveled last night when I got home) and has now mostly melted. Bright and sunny outside here at noontime, but I imagine still rather cold.

Enough randomness for now. Catch you later!

Leap Day

Happy Leap Day, everyone!

As usual, I took today off. I only get one leap day every four years and I'm not giving it to corporate America or anyone else.

I spent most of the day in the company of the lovely and talented Girlzoot. We did some art store shopping, bought elephant journals (happy coincidence, not a planned occurrence), got some jewelry (earrings for GZ, ring for me), and had some tasty nachos at Good Friends down on Colfax.

After a brief stop at home to unload the car and paint my nails, I headed out to Wits End Comedy Club with Glenda. We ran into a group of other folks from the office and friends. The comedians, Scott Derenger and Ron Feingold were quite funny. Ron did a combination of standup and A Capella, which was originally a bit odd, but turned out to be hilarious. I bought his cd, and can't wait to listen to it.

All in all, a good Leap Day.

Weekend Stuff

Friday was Kerri's birthday. I took the day off and spent the evening with GirlZoot and Mitch at the Gothic Theatre down on Broadway. We went to the Bowling for Soup concert, and they played all sorts of great stuff. The Gothic has got a great upstairs, with different levels all looking out over the stage. The room has an intimate feel, and I didn't feel crowed, which is a nice change for a rock concert.

Saturday, I went to the library for a bitsy, with all the best intentions to do some writing. I actually spent most of the time chatting with Shaych and GZ, catching up on current events and politics. Valium joined us at the library and we all went by the Apple store at Cherry Creek (shiny new computers and iPods and accessories... oh my). After declining to eat at the food court for quite unreasonable prices, we retired to Hops where we were joined by Shadowowl. Hops changed their glasses - I guess it had been a while since I had been there. Lunch was quite tasty. I decided that after lunch I'd go home. Honestly, I hadn't been feeling well most of the day and I didn't want to drag the rest of the group down. I napped quietly in my green chair with the fan on.

Sunday was quiet. I went out and bought some new nail polish and painted my nails Russian Navy. I love OPI color names. The other two are Vodka & Caviar and An Affair in Red Square. I'm thinking about getting Boris & Natasha. Russian theme...

Good weekend, much needed rest and relaxation. Still, I'm not quite ready for this week at work. I suppose that will get better tomorrow.

Weekend over

The weekend has officially ended, and on a good note.

Friday evening, I had a good time at my nephew's birthday party. He looked very happy and had a good time with family and friends. We all whipped out our cell phones and called his new phone so he could add the numbers in his address book.

Saturday was extremely quiet, I did a lot of stuff around the house, projects I needed to start or finish, stuff like that. Both kitties enjoyed me being home, and I spent time playing with or petting on them on and off. Watched Labyrinth and Arabian Nights in the background.

Sunday, quiet again, until I got myself going around 2. Made my way to Mom's, where we ended up playing cribbage and watching part of Meet the Fockers (which was much funnier than I expected, all the hype notwithstanding).

After the movie watching, I went over to GirlZoot's and got my game fix for a couple days. We played a quick and dirty hand of Magic, then 3 rounds of Mexican Dominoes (also called Train Dominoes among others). The Boy joined us and we had a rousing time of wit and banter as well as game-y goodness. Three hands of Hearts followed where I got to take the Queen at least once (after I gave it away no less). I always enjoy playing games at GirlZoot's or my kitchen table. I think it's my turn next (whenever they can make it up in my neighborhood).

Today (well, yesterday now) I did some more around the house, with the added benefit of a partner in crime. We managed two meals out, the laundry, the bills, the sheets, and the carpets. Whew!

Overall, a very relaxing weekend, with lots of down time (which I needed more than I realized). I may have to take another day off sometime this month (before my weeklong vacation in October for which I will need to be forgiven). And next weekend, we're off to see the wee one for a few hours at least. We didn't make it to see her this weekend, but since she just got home Friday, I'm sure her parents are looking forward to having some time to adjust.

See you in the world.

Looking into a long weekend

I think I'm all caught up on the major events and activities of the last few weeks.

Here's where I am today.

We are going to go see my baby cousin (I've got to come up with a better descriptor than that, she's nearly 2!) at Children's Hospital later today. She had surgery to correct hip dysplasia, and will be in a cast from the waist down for 6 weeks, then another half cast for another 6 weeks. The good things here are that it was caught early (imagine 12 weeks in a cast as an active 6 or 8 year old), she probably won't remember this with stunning detail, and even the doctor said it will be harder on the adults than on her. She's an amazingly adaptive and sweet little girl, and I know she'll come though this and still be a sweet, happy little girl.

I took today off, so I have a nice 4 day weekend ahead of me... where I will endeavor to keep my mind off my job. With all that is going on, it sometimes creeps into my thoughts on my time off, and I try not to let it bother me. The other day, tho, I woke up in a start and called myself at work to cancel something I had scheduled by mistake... Fun times!

After visiting the wee one, I will be going to celebrate my nephew's birthday. He just started high school and is now 15 years old (as of Wednesday). He is taller than me (and his mother, and I believe his father as well) and I can still remember him spitting up on me when he wasn't much bigger than a football. I had just started college when he was born and all sorts of memories are swirling around in my noggin, of his previous birthdays, of when he and his mother visited me in my college dorm, of playing video games, and board games and laughing and watching this incredible boy grow into the young man he is now. And I am honored to be one of the privileged few friends invited to the family dinner tonight.

One last thing, I had a very strange dream last night. Girlzoot and I were mudding on the old HLII MUD. Somehow, instead of just colorful text, it was live action as well, some sort of combination that may have been just part of the dream. Anyway, one of the elder gods was helping Girlzoot and me gain in the attributes of our class, which for my part involved me being humiliated but remaining true to my honesty. Once I was humiliated to death (in the game) I raised my attribute and resurrected in a room called Up on Altia's Rooftop. I tried to read the text of the room (it was created for and by Altia when she attained godhood back in the day) because I wanted to save it. Well, things started happening, as they do on the mud, and the text either never showed or it scrolled by too fast to read. When I was recalled (by the same elder god) I met Girlzoot (in the live action part of the game) and told her what happened.

Ok, I'm off to shower and dress to go see the wee one. Enjoy your holiday weekend, everyone!

Punk Rock 101

Before the Get Happy Tour concert tonight, I met Girlzoot at Brothers BBQ on Washington and 6th Avenue. My KC Brisket tickled my tastebuds greatly, and the sweet bbq sauce tasted just fine. We talked, and listened as we finished our tasty meals.

After finding a good spot to park by Charlie's, we wandered across the street to get our tickets at will call and stand in line. While getting the tickets, we watched some of the members of the various bands (mostly the folks from Bowling for Soup) cross Colfax with a darling french bulldog named Sherman (which GZ found out later). At previous concerts, I have always delighted in seeing part or all of the band before the show.

While we waited in line, Mitch joined us. It really made me happy that the three of us could get together for the concert. While we have kept up in various ways over the last year since Kerri's funeral, it felt good to all be together.

Once inside the Ogden, I noticed that the upstairs had expanded quite a bit, and had wings coming out toward the stage along the walls. It took a few minutes to register this, seeing as I hadn't been in the theatre for a couple of years.

Since this was a 16+ show, we had to prove our age to get up to the balcony where the drinks were. Our tight neon orange bracelets made quite a fashion statement, going very well with our Batgirl and Tinkerbell t-shirts (can you guess which was mine?)

We had a few drinks and I made some impromptu earplugs (so out of practice). Before the show we got in some chatting and talking and laughed quite a bit.

Four bands performed, Army of Freshman, Punchline, Lucky Boys Confusion, and Bowling for Soup. Though I didn't know anything of the first 3 bands but Girlzoot's good word, after they finished, I discovered I definitely like their music. We bought a Lucky Boys Confusion EP for $5, and I now have three albums in my iTunes shopping cart. And I'm looking forward to the new BFS album coming in November *whoot*

The Bowling for Soup set had a total of one song I didn't know, which in itself was awesome, but they also played every song I wanted to hear (Surf Colorado, Ohio, 1985, Two Seater, Girl All the Bad Guys Want, Punk Rock 101, The Last Rock Show, Get Happy). I'm going to be buzzing on this for a while.

Thanks Mitch and Girlzoot for coming out! I had a great time and we should do it again soon (or something like it).

Whooo hooo!

Bubbles on the wind

It is now the end of March, and Spring has begun, for the most part, with temperatures in the 60’s and beautiful blue skies and lots and lots of wind. I was driving home the other day, thinking of a quick note I had sent a friend of mine, and I started having a bit of a little girl daydream, thinking about what my wedding would be like someday (if I were getting married, having found the person and made the commitment and all those lovely things that haven’t quite happened yet).

I wandered in and out of this musing as I drove down to Aurora through an incredibly dull and drab industrial complex over long and somewhat bumpy highways and overpasses. The best parts of this drive are that one, I’m not driving into the sun, and two, when it’s over I get to have dinner with my mom. So my daydream was a pleasant diversion, giving my usually overactive imagination something to grab and shake a bit.

I had visions of a poufy (but not meringue) white dress with lace and tiny buttons, a thinner, healthier me, a handsome groom (somewhere in the distance and a bit out of focus), and my friends and family. In the past I had thought about who would give me away and the friend who graciously accepted the honor stood beside me, looking quite dapper in his tux. As I looked around to see the rest of the wedding party, my daydream burst into tiny bubbles and drifted away into the bright blue windswept sky. The image left in my mind was both comforting and sad.

I had always imagined I would have my two best friends stand up for me when the day finally arrived. I could see them in whatever puffy sleeved, sateen dress in some shade of blue the bridal party were forced to wear, one brunette with warm dark eyes filled with love and laughter, and one blonde with bright blue eyes filled with joy and mischief. For the first time, it struck me; one of my best friends won’t be there at my wedding.

I know she is gone, and I have accepted it with as much grace as I can. On the trip down to her funeral we had discussed needing more road trips for glad tidings, weddings, successes, vacations. It was not to be in those hot August days where you could hear the heat reflecting off the pavement drowning out all other sound. She has passed beyond us and nothing I say or do change that simple and final fact.

After the daydream disintegrated, I had this vision of her there, at my wedding, watching over it and smiling. The ones you love never really leave you; they live on in your memory. I only wish that I had more than my memories of her to share with me those milestones I have yet to reach.

Bittersweet chocolate missing the funny

Last week I had a surreal little email exchange with Girlzoot about an octegenarian named Daisy noticing that Spring was two weeks away. I got the reference to the line in The Great Gatsby (one of my all time favorite books) where Daisy Buchannan asks "Do you always wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it?" Literary bizareness, very good. Then I talked to her again today.

G: Her name was the weird thing.
J: Glory? or something?
G: No, Daisy, like in the book.
J: Ohmigod, you're kidding! I didn't get that!

And today I got a Happy Pi Day email from another friend. I saw it and smiled that she emailed me and let it go. Seems I missed something here too...

G: Did you get that email, Happy Pi Day?
J: Yah, I didn't open it because I was at work. Was it funny?
G: Um, yah, today is 3/14.
J: It is...
G: Today is 3/14...
J: OH! Hehe, I get it!
G: Ok...

I guess I'm just missing the funny in my life lately. Need to look more on the funny side. One of our later exchanges was funny, but not in the traditional sense:

J: I am on my way to writer's group.
G: Well, what are you working on?
J: Not much right now. I mostly go for the social occasion, lately.
G: I need a little less social occasions. I miss my house; I miss my bed.
J: Yah, I hear you.
G: I want to sleep in my own bed.
J: You poor baby.
G: Shut the fuck up.

Here's to enjoying the lighter side, or at least the funnier one.

He Likes the Spankin's

Mix it into conversation; it makes every chat more lively, trust me.

I found out tonight that a friend's beloved cat passed away this weekend. I'm so sorry he's gone; he was truly a friend and my heart is heavy tonight at his loss. He was a fine animal, a good friend, and a loving member of the family. My thoughts are with his family in their loss.

Fat Boy was always up for a petting, or more specifically a spanking. He would fall off the couch in an effort to get closer for some more lovin's. And then look up at you and expect love on the floor now. Over here, and scratch behind the ear, and then some more spankin's.

He was such a sweet cat, except to his sister, Midget, who he regularly chased, bit and sat upon with his large bulk. And later, sometimes moments later, you would find them curled up together licking each other and sleeping in a big furry white, black, and grey pile. Because that's what brothers and sisters are for, torture with a grooming chaser followed by a nap.

I can remember when he first came home, after flying half way across the country to live in his new home. At first that consisted of one room, mostly under the bed in that room, for upwards of two or three weeks. He was a small ghost of a cat, moving so fast you could hardly see him. The Boy and the kitten-who-would-be-Fat-Boy met each other and grew to love one another. Fat Boy would often be found sleeping with The Boy, if he wasn't laying on his mom's legs so she couldn't move in the middle of the night.

The last time I spent time at my friend's house, I watched some Food Channel while Fat Boy curled up next to me and purred. I gave him some spankin's but only when Mom came home did he get the really good lovin's. He was so happy to get his lovin's, you could almost see him smile.

Good-bye, sweet Fate, you are already much missed.

Morning Commute

This morning, as I do every morning, I turned off of the turnpike onto a state highway for the last leg of my commute. The parkway was a bit slow. I was running a bit late to work already and I knew this would just make me later. But what can I do? I continued along and then out of my rearview I saw this motorcycle zooming along in the right hand breakdown lane. Then another car saw him and decided to follow suit.

I have been in a few fender benders, had a couple speeding tickets (many years ago), and one careless driving ticket (long story about a U-turn and no turn signal). And as Girlzoot will tell you, I’ve run my share of red lights (they were PINK!)(well, except for that one on Leetsdale, it WAS red). In general, though, I take my safety and the safety of others around me seriously. Besides, I know that if I do something so flagrant, I’ll get caught, there’s no question.

Something else that has been bothering me: no one in their car is more important than me; we all have somewhere to be but that doesn’t mean you have to break the law or be a jerk. Besides, what would happen if there was an ACTUAL emergency and someone needed the lane, or everyone had to get over for an emergency vehicle? But that wouldn’t happen, not for just a moment while I’m driving over here in this completely empty lane… not to me… I’m so IMPORTANT…

So this morning I’m thinking that I would just get caught if I pulled anything that stupid. And as I pull around the final curve and make ready to pull into the right hand turn lane and what do I see but the little car, the motorcycle, and three or four other cars all pulled over to the side getting ticketed by two police officers. I felt such vindictive glee as I made my turn and went to work. Was I wrong to be happy at another’s misfortune? Well, they kind of brought it on themselves, now didn’t they?

And I’m still smiling.