The Merry Merry Month Of May.

While strolling through the park one day
In the merry merry month of May
I was taken by surprise
By a pair of roguish eyes
In a moment my poor heart was stole away

A smile was all she gave to me

Of course we were as happy as can be

Ah! I immediately raised my hat
And finally she remarked
I never shall forget
That lovely afternoon
I met her at the fountain in the park
-----------------------------------

Ugh...I started this draft on 5/10 and it is currently 7/22. A testament to how busy I've been. In fact this update is going to be kind of weird because...well it was stuff that happened about two months ago. The following is my attempt to remember...

ANP. Amercia's Next Producer.

That was the month of May. Ta Da!

...um...basically it turned out that I was a "Tech. Assist." on that show, not an "AC." Key differences being that I got paid more to...do...less?
I dunno where to start really. The show consumed a complete month of my life, which was a new experience to me, but not so much to those around me.

Or...something.

Ugh. My brain is fried right now, this is going to be so freaking painful to write.

Ok, well. By the end of the show every day had a similar routine. Typically it would involve getting up at some given time, driving to set, make sure the camera crews were organized and equipment was where it needed to be. Then I just kinda hung around. And. Stuff.
That kinda mixed in with going places...like the beach...

So here's some pictures I took during the shoot (4 weeks), unfortunately a lot of the good ones involved full views of the set, etc. which I don't think can be posted due to the non-disclosure act I signed. So the following are just some random ones of the crew and such.


Your run-of-the-mill Menudo...


Zak, Kendall and Luke...working hard.


Eeeeyyyy! Iz Don fruhm Nuh Juhseeey!


Menudo taking pictures for a project he's working on:


Menudo's finished project.


Goddamnit Menudo! Get out of all my pictures! The older fellow is our lighting dude, Chris. Chris was awesome, he treated me like a son.
A son he likes to pat...and occasionally hit in the gut.


Luke (Camera Op.) and Ryan (Sound Guy). Ryan was pretty awesome, he reminded me of an older version of my friend Steve G.


Barber Shop or Video Village? I vote, BOTH.


Ok Menudo. We see you.


The ladder to the rafters above set.


I'm too sexy for my shirt...on the catwalk. On the catwalk.


The stage doors. They are big.


The tech. room, in all it's tech. glory.


Pretty self-explanatory.


I chose the spot above the green camera.


Um...other wall of stuff? (See Menudo's project?)


Kendall! On the jib guitar!


After half a month with no sleep I started to go a little art fag. (I hesitated to post this picture but since the show has already premiered the logo isn't that much of a secret any more)


Ryan being Ryan.


Jeff in full stride while Moe apple boxes it.


Kendall being Kendall, while Moe...still apple boxes it.


A portion of "Team Hogan" (where's Yvette!?!)- Kent, Jessey, Rich, Belinda, Paul.


The epitome of Dave.


Paul down on one knee either saying "Cameras are up! Quiet on set! If it makes noise kill it! If you have something to say then you may be better suited for video village. We are ROLLING and SPEEDING! I'm moving forward, if anyone has any objections speak up!"
or
"I smell an Emmy!"


Paul's routine speech also includes a prior "Kill the AC," which would signal a mad dash of the whole AD team to turn off the switches on this box- which was often placed under my feet.
One time I attempted to bend down and turn it off myself...I almost lost a limb to a knife-wielding V (Yvette).


So, in the midst of the production, Zak had asked me if I wanted to work with him on "Project Runway" (A somewhat "hit" series on Bravo!) in NYC. So I waited to hear on that for a week or so, and most of you already know at this point it ended up happening.

Once I got the green light on that I called up Erik (and Emily!) to see if they wanted a couch guy for the month of June, along with specific dates. It was a brief phone call, because I was in the midst of going to work, but when the conversation was about to come to a close Erik awkwardly said, "Hold up a sec., I have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"I was wondering if you would be my best man."

Wow. What do you even say to a question like that? I'm pretty sure I paused for a second or two, and then proceeded to just clammer on with "Yeah! Yeah! It'd be an honor man!" etc., etc. Trying to somehow express how appreciated it was with words was neigh impossible.

I also specifically remember getting off work late that night, around 2am, and being awakened at 4am from a dead sleep. It was Saul, an audio guy, who had accidentally locked his car keys in the tech. room. The room that...I had the keys too.
So I threw on some clothes and hauled ass down to the sound stage in a record 15 minutes. A few days later Saul re payed me with a bottle of Sapphire Gin.


A few of the people I were working with were from Rochester, Syracuse, and Binghamton. That was kind of odd...considering you don't hear a lot about people moving from central New York to Hollywood.


My 3rd Xbox 360 broke, so I had to ship that back and got a replacement unit. Putting me at mighty Xbox #4.
Just the past week Microsoft announced a 3-year replacement warranty for all 360 consoles. I think I'm not alone.


June 21
---------
ANP had wrapped yesterday- overall it was an awesome first big production to be on. Everyone was friendly, there weren't too many assholes, and...I guess I did a good enough job to justify getting more work on Runway.
The big lesson learned was- I already knew what I needed to know (if not more), and learned what I needed too quickly. And now college was seemingly a waste of time ;) (Well, I guess it serves for good resume fluff)

Drove all the equipment from ANP back to Moviola at the break of dawn. Got home at a pretty decent time, in fact just in time to help Steve P. and his lady-friend move into their new apartment down the street :)
Who'd of thunk that one of my first friends at college/roomate would end up living down the street from me in North Hollywood?

Unfortunately I had to leave that night to drive to parents (to drop Chester off), so I didn't have a chance to introduce Steve to the local stomping grounds in L.A.

Steve helped me load Chester's cage into my rented pick-up truck, and I headed off to Reno at around 11pm.

I got tired a couple times along the way and decided that drinking copious amounts of caffeine (left-over energy drinks given to me by ANP production) and stopping to take random pictures of the middle of the dessert, would keep me awake.



Trying to capture the beauty of the starry California sky without a tripod...impossible.


My fellow midnight truckers.


Sleep is for the weak.


It's hard to see it, but all that black behind my truck is SAND.

Might I add, at this point in context, that driving alone in the pitch black of night through a dessert, while listening to the audio book so of Harry Potter (of course) gives one quite the remarkable sense of independence.

It was just me. My truck. And Chester. Taking on the dark of night, with only the heavens above us to witness our epic travels.



And...Aliens?


I took a moment to recklessly drive a half mile into the dessert...at 3am according to my reliable truck dashboard.
Then I was back on my way to my parents, which involves driving through Donner Pass.

Where the famous Donner cannibalisms incident occurred.

Oh! Remember that last trip where I got trapped in a snow storm and had to get tire chains!? That was IN Donner Pass.
I should have ate myself to survive.


June 22
----------
Made it to my parents by around 7am. By this point it is set in my mind that I NEED a Harry Potter "Slytherin" patch to put on one of my hoodies.


I'll just toss the link out there, ya' know...in case you ever need a gift idea ;) (Hell! My Birthday is tomorrow! ((as of the time I'm posting this)) )
http://starland.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=155&osCsid=08db7a832e8f20caedaea6b96fb0b662


June 23
---------
Drove back to L.A. so I could pack for my trip to NYC. The Reno area was having some pretty nasty forest-fires, so the ride how was somewhat smokey.


It doesn't carry well in the picture, but that was a SHIT-TON of smoke.




Watch for snow removal equipment...'cough'...yeeeeeah...










Sometimes I'm impressed by how NOT BLURRY these pictures are, considering I'm usually moving at around 75mph.


I LOOOOOVE driving alone. LOVE IT!




Old wooden covered train track. (That still has trains running through it)


I'm pretty sure bottled water comes from lakes like that. Or...from a pipe in a factory.






In the pictures from my last trip these hills were GREEN.


Creepy trees.

I wish I could have spent more time with my parents :(
Little do I know that the next time I see them will probably be when I return from my adventures in Nippon.

The evening I got back I went out and had a coffee with Jessey (who I had met on ANP). We talked until the restaurant kicked us out.
Of their patio.


June 24-25
--------------
Prepped equipment for Runway with Tiffany (even though she isn't going to be working on it...?) and had lunch with her and Alex (who will be a camera Op on it).


June 26
----------
BBQ-d at Russels, played some boccie (ball) and went to V's for a cider party :)

A damn fine day if I say so myself!

Especially since Jessey was at said party...I think she likes me. (It's weird to type this all now, because I know how it's going to end ;) )


June 27-28
--------------
Gave Steve a grand tour of L.A. then met up with Jessey for dinner. Afterwards she came over and we watched some movies- ultimately we both fell asleep. Yay un-intended sleep overs!

The next day involved some sort of BBQ and kissing.

Not in any particular order.