Thursday, July 24th, 2008...

Today began like a lot of them do. Alarm at 4:45 AM. Vague dreams that I can't remember now. My blackberry alarm, the setting on "Antelope" and "high" doing its 6 beat jingle. I forced myself down to the gym with my IPOD and ran on the treadmill, slowly waking, then sweating, and at the end, doing pirouettes in front of the mirror. When I exercise to music, I end up thinking about film and a movie I am making or am in, or about dancing. How I would dance to that music. I need to write a show about a woman who dances, so I can film it like Kitty, and dance.

Taking the new route to work these days that I committed to memory when I drove Marco for a couple days last week (when he avoided death on Highway 1 after his car broke down). Right on Davie, Left on Homer, Right on Nelson, left of the bridge and then hard left, curve around, left on Terminal, which becomes 1st Avenue...all the way to the highway. And then exit on Sprott instead of Galardi. I save 5 minutes if not 10 if there's absolutely no traffic and I don't hit red lights. I blackberry Rattler around 6:30 no matter where I am for the breakfast order. Today it was oatmeal. I Sail in, flashing my ID badge to the woman who sits at the lower parking lot and then enter the catering tent. I grab a turkey sausage link and a cup of coffee (Marco stays behind to grab the food from the truck when it's ready) and I head to into the stages down the cement corridor. I pass someone in the Art Dept., a camera guy, Bob on his scooter, and hang my first left. There are some night crew guys just getting off work and I say HELLO as I walk past mannequins and archive set dressings, sawhorses and a stagecoach. I come out the other side through one of 3 sets of bay doors and speed-walk to the trailer, knowing I have about 3-4 minutes before the Rattler gets dropped off right there - at the circus. The "circus," unlike the "set," is a parking lot at the BACK of Mammoth where the trailers for the actors and director reside along with the food truck and the coffee truck (I'm cheap and don't buy the fancy coffee drinks) -- and finally the shiny escalades and SUV's that drive the actors and the director. Life would be so much easier if I could park at "the circus," but then again, I wouldn't have the goodfellas walk that gets my social repartee cooking.

And so it goes. Rattler arrives, I put out his 4 vitamins, his water and a napkin with silverware as we wait for Marco to bring up the rear. Zulu comes to the trailer and he and Rattler talk movie, talk Fox, talk 40th birthdays, talk family. I listen while making the cappuccino as Marco stands on the steps of the trailer, still inside -- seemingly preoccupied, but also listening the the conversation unfold. They need Rattler inside to look at the shot. I follow with his capp and think about what I need to get done on the computer. Present to the injured stunt-guy. Email to music guy for Kitty. Activate new production cell phone since old one no longer has an LCD screen display..

Fast forward to...Zulu's been dying to see Grind footage. I bring my comptuer on set and cue up a couple of the clips. Before I know it, THE MOVIE STAR is standing next to me in his blue uniform and says: "I want to see this Grind." So of course, I'm trying to play the 'best' one, all the while I keep hitting takes that just has my face, cut off at the chin, talking to the camera Blair Witch Style -- Blair Witch meets Les Shroud from SURVIVORMAN. BS says: "you sure like taping yourself, don't you?" I smile and sort of groan, but do not respond. The woulda/coulda witty remarks only come later, upon reflection and contemplation. Don't they always?

After lunch, outside Rattler's office, Dean hands me 2 dvd's for the express purpose of making Shawn watch one of them -- and preventing it from getting lost. I nod and promise Marker (Dean's nickname) that I'm ALL OVER IT. Cut to me, 10 minutes later, walking Rattler through the dark corridors and into the slate floor Castle Commons. I hold just the cd with birthday pics from yesterday on it, ready to bring to the trailer with rattler dishes, when he asks to see the revised cut. I look around. It's not in my kangaroo pouch, not on the Rattler table, not in the side pockets, not on top of Zulu monitor. HOW COULD I HAVE LOST IT WITHIN 10 minutes?? And then I remember, as we arrived Shawn asked for the disc knowing I'd be going to the trailer. I retrace his footsteps (this is mainly guesswork) and scour the set. But it doesn't materialize. I think about asking him where I walked to, where he may have put it down to rest. But he's got 10 people standing around with questions and comments. Editorial must make another one.

When Dwight arrives, I tell him I know how lame my entry was the previous night, and moreover, how sorry that they've had to burn yet another identical dvd after the first one got lost. He tells me it's no big deal. He leaves but less than five minutes later and after 2 phone calls with the studio, Rattler needs Dwight back on set. I phone and email editorial but they're making their way BACK UP to the offices. Rattler gets impatient. WHEN WILL HE BE HERE; KEEP TRYING HIM!!

Dwight comes back and talks to Rattler about what he needs exported. Somewhere in here Dwight slips me his gig drive to throw my GRIND clips on. When I have the cut footage of my trek up Grouse Mountain -- it's going up here.

Also to note: KAHMUNRAH is really good and really professional. CORKY is legendary and FRENCH MOVIE STAR is sweet and a real pro. Seeing them all in the frame today, watching the camera push in on the dramatic beat...it's a very cool place to be standing. Caught Rattler smiling more than a couple times today, watching the actors performances, trying not to laugh.

So much more to say, but eyelids are heavy. TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!!!!!