As I Lay with my Ankle Elevated...

Let's get this roflcopter off the ground by once again stating that I have sprained my right ankle ONCE AGAIN (oh, don't forget this and this). I have been so good the past couple years on that damn thing. The last time I sprained it this bad was in 2007 when that gorilla of a man barelled into me at home plate at CLC and I had a tear in my MCL...

Ugh.

Nonetheless! I am blogging from my futon in an attempt to get MUCH better by the time I head back to Chicago for the upcoming 'Breathers' shoot. I leave this coming Friday morning and will be home for 2 weeks. It will be the first narrative project I've shot since June and it was the first original shot list I've designed since February. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to getting back on the pre-production-heavy-horse and shoot something that requires time and effort to design. 2009 was the year of the documentary and doc-style shoots for this guy. When you've got a good video camera and an ENG rig, I suppose this is the type of work you get now that the RED is all the rage.

I was reading an old acquaintance's website this morning and Katie Visco's message of doing things for the sheer enjoyment of them is something that Vicky has always been a firm proponent of that I for whatever reason always lose sight of. Katie has nearly completed her 9 month run across the country (a la 'Forest Gump') and it made me think about my own year. I have done things that I am proud of and always will be - given lectures, traveled the Midwest shooting a wonderful documentary, moved across country in a new car, lived in a new city, etc - but what is it that makes me think that my long-term occupation is where my happiness must stem from? Is it society? My upbringing? My industry? Perhaps it is my own mental spin on all those things jumbled together to form a 10-headed beast of Expectation... Who knows? In any case, I was very inspired to go for a run this morning, but seeing how I am laid up in bed, I decided to just make french toast in Katie Visco's honor.

Speaking of which, if anyone ever makes french toast in the future, just add some salt and margarine to the left-over batter and make yourself some eggs. It's kind of like a breakfast chop suey.

Halloween was a couple weeks ago and in keeping with the 'Vicky-n-Me' tradition, we were determined to have another Halloween where people couldn't help but look at us. In 2005, we turned heads on the Blue Line in our costumes. Her, a woman just out of the shower and me, ICO, the main character from... well, 'ICO.' In 2007, we were the lead roles from 'Princess Mononoke' (she being the Princess and me being Ashitaka). Our party was... decent, but our costumes were top notch. Last year, 2008, she was a true original character - some sort of Acid trip court jester and I kept with the Miyazaki tradition by being No Face from 'Spirited Away.' Then came this year, 2009, our first in California. We went as Charles and Martha Old - another Vicky Chan original character expanded by our ability to stay in character throughout the party. Good times to say the least.

We're quickly coming up to the 6th year of this Blog. My, my, my what a trip it has been...

And on that truly quintessential 'MikeStanism,' I will bid adieu. See you in Chicago!

Now Playing: Sound Garden - "Fresh Tendrils"