45 Days to Go...

Somewhere between the time I wake up and deal with the delicacy of my frail body, the rigors of being a department head on set and the fleeting moment of consciousness I feel before drifting off to stressed, dreamless sleep, I enjoy moments of pure escapism that seem to be so much more necessary now more than ever. Normally, they involve having Netflix on in the background playing some wonderfully mediocre episode of Star Trek or watching my painfully mediocre Cubs play or reading Roast Beef's Achewood blog. Tonight, however, it involves an old mix CD, this blog and my thoughts. I haven't blogged much in the past few years (whether that be because of relocating, getting a career or not being  sad as much as I used to, who knows), but tonight it just felt right.

I am getting married in a little over a month and a half to a wonderfully optimistic, life-loving, caring and beautiful woman, Vicky Chan. This is something that has been a known fact for over a year and an unknown fact for many years prior to that. I will be sharing my life with her. Not that I haven't been sharing my life with her in one way or another for nearly seven years, but... you know. This is a great thing, but it also means the end/transition of other, older great things. I have been wrestling with the loss of my youth for as long as I can remember, but this, it seems is the final frontier of youth. I can still have it in my life if I want it (and with Vick, this isn't really an option, she will be forever young), but youth is entering it's definitive twilight.

That being said, what has made me come back here might be the adult things that have been hell of stressing me out lately. Career, money, wedding, etc... I had an idea float in the other day while I was confessing to Vick that I may be done with this industry. This past week has been more stressful and unfulfilling than any other in recent memory. In the last 10 days, I've had to deal with producers that call me unprofessional and incompetent in front of an entire crew via email, running back and forth between locations where construction hadn't even been started yet, gathering equipment 120 miles (round trip) away, losing key crew members and being put on the spot last minute to replace them and being forced to hear my email explode every 3 minutes with another message in a long string of pointless messages...

And this was all leading up to a tiny, two day short that almost no one was getting paid on. All of this stress, work and sweat for a short. Oh, by the way, I was also getting into the nitty-gritty of wedding planning AT THE SAME TIME. This all led me to reveal to Vick that I was done being a department head in the film industry. Too many people who don't know what they're doing for my tastes. Of course, the crew (that stayed with me) and I made it look pretty good and the producers and director were pleased as beans. This isn't the first time shit like this has happened for me and it always ends the same. I give them what they need under terrible circumstances and they assume that's what should always be accomplished. Well, fuck it. I'm done.

Telling her this made me think to that little moment in the future while my kids and I are playing in a living room and one of them asks about movies or work and I, looking for a 'Wow! Really, Dad?!' moment, tell them their ol' Dad used to be a cinematographer in Los Angeles. However, he wanted to make your life not suck and provide a real human father to bring them up, and decided to leave it behind in favor of a profession that let me stress about my family rather than how I make the money to support that family. I would hope it to be a little cooler than my Dad telling me he used to be a cabbie for a while, but the sentiment is still the same. They will know me as something, and one day they'll find out, as I did, that I had been other things as well. Momentary jumps to the future. They can be... detailed.

Back to the wedding, invites are almost all out and now it's on to planning the ceremony in detail. The first thing is that we now know what we want to walk down the isle to. Radio Ballet by Eluvium. We would love someone to play it live for us, as it is a simple, beautiful tune, but we'll be fine with it over the P.A. Also, getting the final touch sent to my cousin for the wedding video. The mood has changed since I started this post. I have shit to do!

Now Playing: Eluvium - "Leaves Eclipse the Light"

FTW! (From The Wynn)

In Vegas this week for a brutal install of a Chanel exhibition at the Wynn Resort. Been here once before on work last year on the Big Red race. Got to sit in a canyon 4 hours away from Vegas for 12 hours before the rest of race was cancelled due to a car that flipped, exploded and killed both it's driver and passenger. Sad times, indeed. However, it did mean an almost labor-free stay in a luxury suite at the Wynn. Fuckin' insane how pampered my ass was (relatively speaking, being that the most pampering my ass usually gets is my fiancee not leaving me at any given moment). Anywho... it was a pretty nice stay and I am working at the Wynn again (although staying at the ancient Riviera this time).

That being said, this is the last day of my stay and I am sitting in my bed after a fucked couple of days with no real sleep schedule and one seriously terrible 23 hour work day behind me. This has me fighting on my laptop with the Riviera's shitty free wi-fi service between bouts of depressing thoughts. While reading Achewood's attempt at a comeback, I began to get tripped up by a combination of a lack of steady Achewood for the past 2 years and wedding maladies. The wedding is coming super fast and I have not saved nearly what I wanted to. I have all these grand ideas, but when it comes down to it, whenever I want to state them, part of me just clams up because of how fuckin' poor I am, thus making me look like a disinterested and uninspired prick.

Combine all this with my weird internal clock telling me since it's the middle of January, I should be listening to this mix and you have the recipe for a long, lonely night of self deprecation and internal bruising.

Another realization I came to as I was about to call Vick but decided not to was how awesome it is that I have that... I have someone I can talk to at any given moment. Not everyone can say that. I am lucky (not something I find myself saying a lot, but in the area of love, I got it good). Granted, I didn't end up calling my beautiful little dumpling because it was late and I know she's working this weekend, but I knew I could. I also don't like to talk on the phone, so I sent her a little email telling her of my stupid little light bulb moment. It's incredible having that and it makes the worries of the wedding that much less...

Now Playing: The Rooks - "War"

Sick Porter...

Not much happening in the month since getting engaged. All work has seemingly dried up. I am getting on a flight to Vegas tomorrow morning for my first gig in... way too long. The money being lost is a big problem what with me trying to save for a wedding and all, but the bigger problem is the time. Time has been wasted for me.

I have been sitting in and around my apartment scrounging, scraping and begging for work to almost no avail. What has been my purpose the last couple months? What reason do I even have to be here? Being in this city has done me no good and I can't say I've exactly contributed much to the lives of others or even to the fabric of my craft. Being poor I can take, being useless however, I can't.

That being said, I'm trying to keep my head up for Vicky's sake. She has been very busy lately and I don't want to bring her down with me. Seeing as how I'm chronically unemployed, I decided to take on the responsibility of shooting a 48 Hour Film Festival project. That is what I'll be doing next Saturday. I get to work with a pretty talented director/writer and a bunch of other friends. Updates to come soon.

Now Playing: µ-Ziq - "Sick Porter"

Tacobell Canon...

That's the wedding song, right?

Hello.

Hi!

Hi.

Hello!

More blog lapse, I suppose. To be expected when you are not 19 anymore but I just kept it going a while longer. In any case, the story right now is that Vicky and I are engaged! Yep, that's right. That decision I've been putting off for... a long time finally came to fruition on July 25th 2011. After five and a half years of Vicky putting up with me and still sticking around, I made the decision that though she may be insane, she is my love. We have a wedding date (more or less) set of October 6th, 2012. Describing the wedding will mainly be describing this post, so I will spare you that. However, keep in mind that updates over the next year or so will most likely be centered around that event. Hoo-fucking-ray! Just thought I'd check in and make sure my readers (a.k.a. my future self) remember this development.

Aside from that, made the plunge into a second computer. Bought a new 27" i5 Core iMac a little while ago. So far I really like having a desktop again and the power and speed are excellent but there are a few kinks that I haven't figured out. Lion (OSX 10.7), on the other hand, is the future of desktop computing. A short-lived future as it's a stepping stone to complete multi-touch interface, but the future nonetheless.

On the professional side of life, I had an extremely busy July that saw a lot of AC work and me getting to DP an AFI Directing Workshop for Women short. To say I fell into that role would be an understatement, but sufficed to say it was a great experience. One that, hopefully, will propel my career forward. If not, Vicky and I have been seriously considering leaving the industry in our current capacity. L.A. is not for me and the industry as a whole just hasn't agreed with us much. Who knows.

What I do know is that I... AM GETTING FUCKING MARRIED. EL-OH-EL/SMILEYFACE! I am super stoked about this and so are our friends and family. Updates to come...

Now Playing: The Beta Band - "She's the One"

A New Year/A New Season.

Happy 2011, all. Yes. I'm still around. Los Angeles has not killed me yet. I suppose there are a few updates, and when I say 'a few,' I mean it. Not much has happened here since last we spoke. I suppose that could be construed as an excuse not to blog, but I won't use it. I remember a time when it took less than nothing to get me on here. Were those better blog-times or worse? I suppose the fact that I was once much less content made it easier to write. Whether it be poetry or prose or music or just punctuation, I once considered myself an avid writer. Well, spewer of words at the very least.

I'm older. Things have gotten in the way of being young. Responsibilities. Priorities. What have you. I enjoy my day to day life because I know how to laugh and I know how to interact. I have done so little of what I want professionally that I focus on the small victories in life. I had a good day. Made some money. Enough to be able to anticipate a trip back home to the bounty of nostalgia sitting in the port of my fondest memories. Yet I often still come back to the question of whether I'm happy or not. Does that mean I'm inherently unhappy or think too much? I had a good day. Small victories.

A little over a year ago, I began a blog entry chronicling the past decade of my ever-changing young adult life. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I got about 2 years into the 2000's and gave up. Or got tired. Plenty to talk about in a small amount of blog-space. By the time I'd whittled each year down to one specific telling memory, I'd lost all interest in sharing. Perhaps I'll revisit that entry occasionally. Perhaps.

The Cubs' season starts in about 9 hours and I will be planted on a bar stool in the valley to watch it with a face ready for slight expressions and hands ready for a sturdy ale. I often think of myself as someone who would be happier in any decade but my own. The same can be said of watching my baseball team. Baseball in general. I still love watching and playing the game, but it certainly is different than what it once was. This brings me to the main reason I came aboard to blog tonight; baseball seasons starts.

Since I have lived in L.A., I have found it difficult to follow my Cubs. Granted, the last two years have been dismal and may have contributed to my general malaise in keeping tabs on them, but even if I catch a game out here once in a while, I find something is lacking. Where is the old TV in my parents' chilled basement? Where are the sounds of the broadcast reverberating off the windows that lead to the backyard? Where is my father listening to the game on the radio while wasting his afternoon in that yard in some manner? The smell of freshly cut grass. The drowning out of the cicadas by turning up the volume. The monotonous tossing of a ball between hands between innings. This is why baseball is special to me. Baseball is memory. Baseball is something that should involuntarily bring a smile to a waking moment when dreams are fleeting and the day approaches. For whatever trials and obstacles we face daily, we have at least 162 reasons to say, "Fuck it. Game is on." Small victories.

So here we are. Another opening day. For me, another one far from where I should be experiencing it. The team may or may not be better this year the the past two. Injuries, performance and chemistry, as always, will determine these things. However, what has changed for me are the tangible connections to my memories that baseball happens to be the spokesperson for in my mind. Things have changed. The coverage is over-hyped. The high definition graphics display stats across the screen that try in vain to predict things to come. The games are often seen only as condensed high-light reel worthy clips. Things have changed, but the game stays the same. It takes forever. The most exciting games are essentially a pitcher and catcher playing catch and every spring is a time for renewed excitement.

As I sit in my bar stool, far from the port of my fondest memories, I'll sip my afternoon ales and cherish the fact that because of a game on a TV in the corner of a dive I'll be happier than I've been all year. Because of this game, I'll be waist-deep in sensory memories of home. A place I can return to in my mind whenever I need to. Baseball is starting. Small victories.

Now Playing: Anthallo - "Cafetorium"

Mini Roadtrip

Just came back from a little trek out to Santa Barbara, CA with Vicky to visit a friend in for work. The drive there was dark and full of traffic, but the afternoon drive back down the 101 and CA1 was scenic and beautiful. Funny, because just yesterday I was griping about how much I hated California because of many-a-factor and then California throws this little spitball in my face as if to say, 'Ahem. You meant to say you hate Los Angeles. Because so do I.'

Anyway, I am in a pretty good mood right now watching Vick sleep and getting ready to head out to watch the Bears play the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football at a local dive called the Foxfire Room. Looking forward to adding another local haunt to my bar radar.

Been pretty much sans any physical activity for the past month and I am really beginning to feel it yet I am also not inclined to go out running or play basketball or even toss a baseball around because of how decrepit my joints feel all the time. My health insurance is about to expire again and I'm afraid I'm just going to miss an opportunity to get a complete physical again. Haven't had one since 2003 or 2004. Hmmm... I guess nothing is really stopping me right now except lethargy. Okay. By the end of this week, I will have scheduled an appointment with a doctor for a physical. You needed to know this.

Matt totally moved to Chicago this month... HOLYAWESOMEBALLS. Once my sister's destitute ass can get in gear and move back as well, seeing the siblings Stanislawski will become that much easier. Growing up, you take that shit for granted. Matt basically moved out in high school and Katherine and I never really saw eye to eye until recently so it's been my little move to Far Far Away that has really made me realize how excellent and neat my family is. Can't wait to head home for the holidays in less than a month.

Waiting on a fairly large paycheck to come in from a job I was doing all last week and then I'll feel better about the necessary spending I've been doing this week. That being said, I'm off to do a little unnecessary spending at the Foxfire Room. Go Bears.

Now Playing: Piano Magic - "There's No Need for Us to Be Alone"

One Post?

If you had asked me 5 years ago if there would come a day where I would see this blog be whittled down to a couple posts a year, I would have said 'Never.' However, here we are in 2010 and the last two years on this blog have been as dry as the desert I currently live in.

Speaking of the place I live in, I still find it strange that this is supposed to be my favorite time of year, and yet it was sunny and warm all day and feels more like spring than autumn. I can't help but yearn for the temperatures where a jacket and hat will still leave me chilled just enough to where I need to cling to the warm body of my girlfriend. I get to go home every Christmas and maybe once in summer, but I have missed the fall in the Midwest for two years now and it hurts.

Like I've said before, I probably don't need this blog much anymore but I still yearn for it from time to time. I also don't need the chill of a Midwestern autumn technically, either, but I still yearn for it.

Now Playing: The Shins - "A Comet Appears"

Future Imperfect...

Don't ask me what made me come back to this blog. Could it be the fact that my immediate future is being decided in the floor above me at this moment? Could it be that the possibility of moving back to Chicago has me feeling a bit nostalgic? Who knows. Maybe it's just that work has completely dried up for me out here in Los Angeles and I have absolutely nothing better to do than to talk out my frustrations via the ever-present ear that is this digital journal. Sending my textual musings through the vast web of information is a perfectly over-complicated way of venting. So, interwebs, get ready to by my screaming pillow...

Vicky is currently in the middle of the ladder-half of the interview process for a paid internship back in Chicago at a highly respected advertising agency. If she gets it, she moves back to Niles and works 50 hours a week in downtown Chicago. I originally said that I would only follow if I could find steady work in Chicago myself. Whether that be through the Camera Prep Tech position I was offered last year or continuing to work freelance, I should have seen that it was a completely empty statement. I've been fed up with this industry out here for a while now and would gladly accept a move back to a place I know I can start over. It's a pathetic realization, but at least it's an honest one. I hope she gets this job.

I have done more than survived since I got out here. I am not living in complete destitution, I am actually quite comfortable with a few luxuries that I didn't have even back home. However, gigs are so few and far between that I have not once felt as though I've contributed anything positive to the business I want so badly to be a part of. The gigs I do get are complete artistic cul-du-sacs and serve no purpose other than to keep food in my belly. I shouldn't complain. It's the time we live in. Anyone and their brother can gain access to high-end equipment and 'make movies' now and this leaves us legitimate artists in a sticky spot... Ugh.

I've enjoyed my time in L.A. mainly because I know how to have a good time around good people. Thankfully, I seem to be surrounded by a surplus of those people, just not on set. Perhaps one day, we'll all band together and create excellent, profitable contributions to the world of art...

That day can't come soon enough, unfortunately.

Now Playing: Billie Holiday - "What a Little Moonlight Can Do"

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"

A Still More Glorious Dawn Awaits...

In recent months, the concept of the remix has taken on a new meaning. From the 'Rap Chop' to the Allan Iverson 'Practice Mega Mix' to the 'Billy Mays Tribute,' artists have been using the auto-tune tool to it's full potential. However, I've been obsessively listening to 'Glorious Dawn' by Colorpulse today. So great. It is just Caral Sagan talking about what he knows best, astronomy, science, the complexity of the human brain and the fragility of something as enormous as life itself. Great song. Great video.

Anyway, I'm sitting on my back porch today back home after packing up my things and getting ready to go back to L..A. The weather here in Chicago has shifted to that oh so familiar and wonderfully nostalgic crispness that I yearn for every time I think about my favorite time of year. October is approaching which means still autumn air and the brilliant colors of the leaves as they begin to decay and set in motion the process of rebirth. I'm very happy that I was able to come home for a few weeks. No, I did not do all the things I wanted to, but I still got to be here for a while and recharge. I don't have much time before heading to the airport, so I'll keep the rest brief.

Alf, my cat for the last 14 years, was diagnosed as diabetic earlier this year. I came back this month to find that he had lost over 5 pounds since I last saw him in June and he was not well even with his medication. He took a turn for the worse this past weekend and has stopped eating. He has not eaten since last friday and can barely lift his head enough to drink any water. The noises that he rarely makes now are some of the most sad things I have ever heard and it breaks my heart. We made the decision to put him to sleep today but we could not find a vet who could do it before tomorrow so I will most likely not see him as he draws his last breath.

It has been a rough couple of days because of this. I have spent as much time with him as possible and have realized just how much of a void there will be when he passes. I could never have asked for a better animal and I can only hope that the time I spend with him will be as much a comfort to him as it has been to me...

I'm sorry you're in pain, Alf, but I am relieved that it won't last much longer and am grateful for the 14 years we've had together...



Now Playing: Arcade Fire - "Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)"

Home Again...

Here I am. Back in my old Blogging stomping grounds. Sitting in bed, some post-rock playing in iTunes, just finished a reunion tour of some episodes of Frasier and I can't think of anything better to do than muse for a couple hours about what could be in the near future when I should probably be sleeping...

Nonetheless, I am here thinking about my latest few steps into the unknown. My trek to California has proven to be a proving grounds of sorts for me. I have weathered the first few tests with more looming overhead, I'm sure. My extended unemployment certainly has and will continue to be a litmus test for my feelings on living in Los Angeles. I don't know if it is the crisp early autumn/late summer Chicago air, but I've been pretty optimistic today and I can't help but feel that things will get better as far as my career goes. I do see Vick and me this time next year in a better apartment, work under our belts and people calling for our services consistently. Damn the economy and the down-turn it has caused in the film industry, we are going to be successful and I am going to have nice things before I move away from L.A.

The shoot this weekend in Galena went well. Gorgeous countryside provided some excellent inspiration for shooting doc-style images. We go back for the unloading of the kiln next Saturday right before I go back to Glendale. Hopefully we can make it back Saturday night in time for me to catch Leo Kottke with the family.

Dave sent me his short-feature script for a project called 'Negative Zero' and I'm going to read the rest of it in just a minute. Has real promise if it can be flushed out, grammatically edited and given just a bit more depth to the characters. I can see myself shooting it though. No problem. As do I see myself shooting something Jon wrote in a similar, yet a little more stylized fashion. Looking forward to getting back to work. I just need to keep the prizes in sight and writers/directors in my handshake and I will be in that new apartment soon enough...

Now Playing: Explosions in the Sky - "Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean"

5 Days Away...

Jonathan 'j Ro' Rosales has arrived as our final roommate here in the apartment in Glendale. We have to come up with a suitable moniker for our place of residence stat. My brother unscrupulously took 'Fuck Mountain' a couple years ago, referencing this Achewood strip. This will have to be something that appeals to the entire household, all people in the entertainment industry. 2 Screenwriters, a Production Designer, an actor, a dancer and a DP. Together, we form... *insert moniker here*! So we have a full house and it's good to be complete. As soon as my girlfriend starts talking to me again, all will be well. :P

That being said, I am FUCKING pumped to be heading home for work and catching up with all my people for 3 weeks. It is going to go by way too fast as I have been here 3 months and it feels like a couple weeks, but I will make the best of it. Some doc work the first week followed by plenty of Little Caesar's, B-Dub's, Old Style @ the Corner, gaming and a lot of 'being at home.' Hopefully I can get some work in at the White Eagle to scrape up cash for this month's bills and such. I am not worried (despite the fact I probably should be) because I am coming home... In 5 days I will see my parents and best friends, my bed and my ailing cat who I have known for 14 years. The basement where I spent both my childhood playing NES with my brother and the summer of '04 avoiding construction and depression. Having a dishwasher that actually washes dishes instead of just being a huge drying rack. The neighborhood I grew up in will be in the infancy of it's most glorious season and I will be there to enjoy it's beautiful descent into hibernation. I am hopelessly attached to home because I am one of the lucky few that have one to be hopelessly attached to. Home is the imaginary friend I go to when I am in need of one. I may be sitting on an old, uncomfortable couch in my Glendale apartment, but all I feel right now is that I'm currently going for a quiet walk around the circle on a perfect late summer day.

The Cubs. I am going to watch some Cubs games for the first time since June. Seriously. Big deal.

Now Playing: The Jesus and Mary Chain - "My Little Underground"

L.A. Updates...

Hey there. Sorry for the no blog, but it ain't 2004 anymore and I have more important things to do with my time like lament over my befucked TV or look for a job (notice my priorities there). Writing in this damn thing just ain't up there on my list of things to do...

...

Holy shit I've missed writing in this thing.

Okay, now that the lies are behind me, let's get on with the updates, shall we? Yes, I am in L.A. now and it is extremely hot.



There. Proof. BTW - please ignore the obvious ST:TNG obsession my dashboard screams. If you missed it, just accept that you missed it and continue thinking I'm not a nerd. Or not. Whatever.

Vick and I got here on the 20th of June and it has been an uphill battle with everything. My god. I know about the economy, the business, the whole 'that's life' thing. I know, but still I was not expecting this to be so hard. We looked at over 30 apartments to rent and not one of them approved us to live there. Credit? Not a problem. History? Nope. 4 roommates? That may be it. Either that or the fact that my luck follows whoever I'm with around like a hungry dog. We eventually, and luckily, were able to just latch on to the place we were staying at. Dave remained on the lease and added the rest of us. This was over a month into our stay in L.A. I still had no concrete job. Not for lack of hustle, no, I've been applying to 5-10 places/jobs a day for the last 2 months and still no takers. Not just in film, either. We're talking Barnes & Noble, Cheesecake Factory, the Apple Store, hell even the frickin' Movie Theater! No one wants to hire people. Or just me, anyway.

As if being unemployed and watching my bank account rapidly dwindle to nothing wasn't enough, our dipshit landlord had to go and add to our troubles by allowing us to move in without an inspection (his idea, mind you) and then demanding we move out a month after the fact until they can repaint the whole apartment and clean the carpets... WTF?

Nevertheless, we managed to get into a fight with him that lasted a whole week that we eventually won because we actually have READ the lease agreement. That aside, things are starting to get a little better because we believe (which is Polish for 'hope') our apartment issues are behind us and I actually have a paid gig coming up this weekend, my second since being here. This time, as an A.C. on a pickup weekend for a feature. It's shot on the VariCam which should be fun to pull focus on. 'Cookin' Big Stuff' was the other gig I had last month which I have not heard much on or from since wrapping. I assumed he would be doing more episodes but it was coming out of his pocket so I probably should just be patient on that one.

Speaking of being patient, I cannot WAIT to get home on the 9th. I am heading back to the midwest for Dee's doc shoot in Galena and will be in Chicago (or around it) from the 9th til the 29th. I have a lot to cram into my trip that I'm hoping to be able to do. 3 weeks sounds like a lot but it really will only be 2 since a week will be devoted to the doc and I need to find some sort of paid work while I'm home or I will have no money to pay for rent.

One thing this unemployment has given me the opportunity to do is play more video games. A LOT more video games. I've replayed or beaten Vice City, San Andreas, Bioshock, Portal, Half Life 2, Halo, and a few others since being here. We haven't had a House Warming party yet, but we're waiting on J. Ro to get out here for that. We also need to get this move-in inspection out of the way before we put our final decorative touches on. The place is perfectly suited for a sweet gathering I think. Not nearly as nice as some of the places we hoped to move into, but still...

I really have come to like my apartment in Glendale, but the street we live on is pretty maddening. There is not a single moment's rest from the ridiculous noise of loud cars and motorcycles. Yes, we live next to Glendale's 'Brand Blvd of Cars,' but I mean, satan's anus, come on, people. Setting off car alarms every minute of every day and night? Where does that get fun? Noise pollution along with the smog are the very worst things here, and this is coming from a guy who grew up a stone's throw from O'Hare.

I miss Chicago. I'm not really homesick as I have not even accomplished anything since being out here, but I do miss home. I miss varying weather and the Cartesian street grid system. I have not watched a Cubs game since June 14th and though I clearly am not missing anything aside from the '09 team trying desperately to look like the '05 team, I really want to sit in my kitchen and listen to Len and Bob and Pat and Ron. The announcers out here (the supposed 'great' Vin Scully is devoid of passion or even the most basic pronunciation skills) are absolutely maddening. Rick Monday... why?

I am doing what I can. Vicky is faring a little better than I in all aspects and I am glad I have her to look at as inspiration. I will say that going to a beach where there are actual crashing waves is pretty amazing. Check out the link below for some pics of my stay thus far in L.A. Wish me luck and it was good to blog again.

We Live Here Now.

Now Playing: Aphex Twin - "Beetles"

Just passed the 1,000 mile mark! Halfway there! Another 1,000 to go.

Now Playing: Girl Talk - "Shut the Club Down"

Just left Oklahoma City. On our way to Amarillo, TX for some mexican food!

Now playing: Stereolab - "Ping Pong"