i've been away

It feels so good to spend time in my neighborhood again. I've been crazy busy lately, but it slowed down a little this week. I was working on two commercials back to back and the producer overlapped shooting and wrapping the last commercial with prepping for the film I just wrapped. We shot all over Los Angeles, but also shot at several downtown locations. Several times during the last month I would come home from a long day of shooting to find another film crew shooting a commercial, music video, or film. I wish I could get work on a project that filmed in my building, I hate commuting.

I was determined to not let a 14-hour shoot day interfere with my life but it did. When I wasn't at the production office or on the set I could be found with my sister, being there for two friends experiencing dire marital woes, attending an awkward command performance lunch with my parents, celebrating my brother landing a college professor gig, trying out new restaurants, and showing a small group of friends my new favorite super-secret late-night hangout. No wonder I'm still exhausted.

I was able to spend more time with Laura this past week, which was nice. She was having some good days where she was very lucid and not in too much pain. But this past Thursday she was admitted to the hospital. She was coughing up blood, but the doctors say it's just an infection but they're keeping her there until Monday, just to be safe. BTW, if you haven't already, please make an appointment to donate blood for Laura, she really needs our help.

I had a very good meeting with a prodco on the WB lot earlier this week re a writer/producer gig. They called Friday afternoon and requested another meeting this Tuesday. Of course I said I was available. Then as he ran down the list of executives I'd be meeting on Tuesday, I had what felt like a mild stroke. It was actually an anxiety attack, but I have a low threshold for pain, so the confusion is understandable. I hope my synapses don't misfire during the meeting. That would be bad.

Speaking of pain and misfiring synapses, I have a first date set for this Thursday with one of the producers of this last film I worked on. So Friday's post could be a hilarious recounting of the debacle that was my date. I have such a schoolgirl crush on this guy. Whenever he tried to flirt with me on the set, I froze up. No witty repartee, no fun and flirty exchanges - not from me. I was stunned into a stony silence, like one of those statues on Easter Island. He called me on Thursday while I was at the hospital and I just stared at his name on my caller ID, paralyzed with disbelief that he was calling me and unable to press the "accept" button. My mom was in the hospital room sitting next to my sister. She asked why I was just staring at the phone instead of answering it. I didn't want to take the call in front of her, show her just how socially retarded I've become and dash any lingering hopes she may have for grandchildren. Not that there's any hope, but I saw no point in rubbing it in. So our date is set for Thursday and I have nothing to wear, I hate my hair, and I'm fairly sure you can see my pores from outer space. Maybe I should reschedule.