Bay Area Sojourn

Home away from home

Lovely few days in the Bay Area.  Weather. Not too hot. Not too cold. Perfect. Giants won the game in the 10th inning with an inside the park home run from Angel Pagan.  Our ballpark seats were wonderful. View box just past third base. Everyone in good health.  Nice to sit, chat, and laugh together. Ate wonderful food.  Bought some great garlic infused olive oil AND some blueberry balsamic vinegar at Amphora Nueva in Berkeley. Yummy. Flights up and back, easy peasy although another Navy pilot landing in Burbank.  Oddest thing just before wheels touched he pushed he throttled up.  Interesting. Love the Bay Area. Nice to share with friends.

The Ramp

View for our seats

A Fan

Cali

Da Mayor

                             

                    Didn't vote. Didn't care. Sad but true.

Cooling Trend

Weather has gone from hotter than H, to lovely, to a bit of a cooling trend. Yeah. I like it when there's a bit of a variety.  Will still be dressing with the red sandals today though. Out the door to document schools for the FilmLA Locoscout website. Always like to help my friends at FilmLA. Am also dropping off a framed photo I took of the LA Times Clock Tower.  Donating it to a silent auction fund raising benefit. http://www.artfromtheashes.org  Pleased to have been asked and happy to share.  

Thursday

Awoke only because a ten pound fur ball had the nerve to meow in my face. Heaven forbid Emma not be treated to her Pounces first thing every morning. Geez. For years she's been quiet and demure but recently a more vocal gate has emerged.  She's always let me know when the litter box hasn't been clean enough to her liking but like her brother Copper, who began more vocalizing a year ago, she's become quite the conversationalist.  Kitty dementia I think.  Cooper especially.  A bit annoying when he sits on the floor by the bed and starts his crying. Have to ask "what do you want" and then he leaps onto the bed, still talking as he takes his place near my shoulder to watch TV with me.  It's not like he can't leap up there on his own and does but for whatever reason has to talk about it first.  He also has developed a habit of awaking from a deep sleep and letting out a loud cry of "where the hell am I, what, huh." They're 10 years old this year but it was only yesterday when they hadn't grown into their ears. 

Great cup of coffee this morning to clear out the cobwebs. Swear having my coffee shipped to me from SLO Roasting (San Luis Obispo) is the best investment I've ever made. This last shipment they were gracious enough to surprise me with 2 free sample bags of new coffee blends. Godfather and Walker Hopp. Both nice mellow combos. Thinking I'll remain true to Big Sky Blend though. Consistently good beans that creates a tasty cuppa Joe.  It's the simple pleasures isn't it?!?

The heat wave has dissipated.  Ugly to have 90-100's anytime but when you live in a third floor apartment that gets late afternoon sun and heat rises. Need I say more. No matter of AC and fans can cool the place down.  It's over now but will undoubtedly return as Summer arrives. 

Enjoying a few more followers on my Tumblr website. What's pleasing is that many are photographers. Encouraging that others appreciate my work.

Off next weekend to the City by The Bay.  Time for Giants baseball!  Cant' wait.   

Like Kissing Your Sister

The game didn't live up to hype or should I state it this way, Golden State stank.  Something was missing. Energy. Swagger.  The kids looked their young age and San Antonio reminded everyone how great of a team they are.  Well coached, decisive, unflappable.  Golden State looked unsure and lost.  We'll see what happens on Mother's Day. 1pm game time.  GS will either return to form or SA will shut the door.   

In Bed With Tall Men

Alright I have never been a big fan of Pro Basketball.  There were moments when I was hot for the Golden State Warriors when Don Nelson was the coach. Actually, I was hot for Don but that's a subject for a different day. Living in LA and refusing to pay for ridiculously high priced pro sports cable packages means I only get to see Bay Area teams when they are on a national feed.  NEVER got to see the Warriors this year but would read about them or hear broadcasters talk about their youth, Steph Curry's play making and coach Mark Jackson. The Warriors are in the first round of the playoffs. Barely beat the Denver Nuggets to get there. Literally had it in the bag, then nerves took over. Ugly last 6 minutes but they held on to win and advance. The first two games against San Antonio have been blood pumpers. Exciting, nerve racking playoff ball. Edge-of-your-seat, scream-at-the-TV-screen-basketball.  Tonight is game 3 in Oakland.  Will probably mute the sound. Oracle will be loud and proud. Fans will be pumped up with the series tied 1-1. Watching it in comfort, splayed on my bed.  Popcorn at the ready. GO WARRIORS!!!!

Mutual Intolerance

Thankfully, have finally caught up on my sleep. I'm unemployed this week and that helps.  If I had rolled over to another gig I would have been worthless. Would have been a zombie. I've even slept to the noise of the construction taking place across the street.  It's LA, my windows never close. So exhausted never heard the hammering, nailing, or beep beep of equipment backing up.  Today hearing it like mad though. Arrrggghhhh! 

Got the iPad all set up.  Went to the Apple store. Bought a cover as well at the chord needed to upload pictures from the camera.  My Apple Genius was a condescending prick.  All about my age and his.  He wore his disdain on his sleeve. "Why do I have to deal with a woman over 60?"  Happy to get in and out of there before I asked "does it hurt to have your head up your ass?"

Cinco De Mayo

Day began at 1am. No, not a typo. 1am.  Call time for cast and crew was 4am but I needed to meet the caterer at 2:30am. Unwritten law in the location management rule book is that the caterer will always be early and needs parking instructions. They were. Thus my rational for being on location at 1:45am for the meet and greet.  Second reality of location work, coffee can only do so much when, in a span of 24 hours, you've gotten only 6 hours of sleep.  I take full responsibility for my actions. Could have gotten more shuteye but my Gboys were playing a 3 game series against the dreaded LA Blue boys. Game was televised Saturday night so I was watching it in my hotel suite. We were ahead, Dodgers came back to tie it 8-8 and it went into extra innings. We won it in the 10th. Game had started at 7pm. With my eyes half open I could hear Vinnie say, "we just passed the 4 hour mark." You do the math. Don't get to see the Giants play often in the LA TV market so when the opportunity arises I'm watching. Suffered from my faithfulness but we swept the series so it was worth it!!!! 

Here's what our crack of dawn moment looked liked.

By lunch time (which was 10am) my body clock was thinking it was cocktail hour. I'd eaten a breakfast burrito at 4am so a simple plate of salad for lunch. Otherwise my blood sugar would have plummeted me into a coma.

I was so tired even a direct Coffee IV wouldn't have helped. As we broke for lunch I was inside the faux Club Ed diner where I'd set up an "office" in one of the booths.

People were coming into the diner to get their meal. I was focused on an email I was composing. Heard the Happy Birthday refrain start and my beleaguered mind asked, "wonder whose birthday it is?" I looked up from my laptop screen and saw the cake convoy heading straight for me. Only then did my brain click into gear, "Oh it's mine!" Began turning red but no need to be embarrassed. With the desert dust, dirt and crime caked on my face no one could see the blush.  To say I was surprised by all of this is an understatement but here is the kicker. I was given an iPad Mini.  Still stunned.

Yep, this is one shoot I'll recall with great fondness.  Not solely because of the birthday tribute (although that touched my heart) but because it was a great group of people to work with.

Do hope all of our paths cross again soon!!!!

My only disappointment was on Monday, the 6th, the actual day of birth,   Clooney never called.  We share the day. Sigh.

Newsroom Promo

Off today to the lovely California high desert hamlet of Lancaster.  70 miles North it's a world away from LA. I'll see more pick ups and small sedans than Priuses and Escalades, no boutiques but Bronze Bunz tanning salons, no hip happening clubs, watering holes and restaurants but Carrows, Marie Calendars, Del Taco and biker bars. Rapture. Staying at the Oxford Inn and Suites through Monday mid day. Film day is Sunday. Predict this shoot will enter into the memorable on location adventure category. One I'll be telling stories about for years. This is where we are working. 

Predicted temps 75 with a 20 % chance of rain on Sunday. Have to love desert 

weather. Saturday is predicted to be 88 degrees and sunny.

Did I mention the possible 2am Call Time because NYC okayed a dawn shot with entire cast. The very same scene that was written and tech scouted has happening at sunset.  I'm smirking. 

Need Opinions

Am I missing something?  When one reads "capture an image through the trees, be creative," wouldn't you think my image of Jack 

would be far more interesting than everyone of these with the exception of the large unique moss covered tree.

Hey they are good shots but not GREAT shots.  I'm biased. I admit it.

 But no one can tell me Jack isn't far more innovative than the typical sunrise, sunset forest through the trees shot. I mean thousands of people have that exact snap of Yosemite Falls. How creative is that?

Also believe my Blue Moon and Joshua photos have more merit.

Have I gone mad with jealousy?