Mid-May Missive

Taking a breath on a Sunday morning to catch up more details here, since I was buried in work the last few weeks.

As mentioned in a previous post, I've begun a new adventure as a penalty box mistress (timekeeper) with the local women's roller derby league. My husband started going to games last season, and seemed to really enjoy them. This season I went with him to the opening game, and I was INSTANTLY hooked. There's no way my knee or my schedule will allow me to skate or even be a ref, but I am able to be an NSO - Non-Skating Official - to keep time in the penalty box. And yes, I do have a derby name: The Prof. Hit.

Aside from my new hobby, I am looking forward to writing morning, noon and night this summer, with the exception of my month in Korea, during which I will work on my documentary. Ah, see you'd forgotten I started to work on a film three years ago, dincha? It's still out there, but I'm closing in now for the kill, with assistance from a colleague at skool to help me edit.

My writing projects are varied: a first draft of a new screenplay, revisions of one I just got some notes for, and a novel for a small publishing company that specializes in licensed properties (TV tie-ins, IOW). I am looking forward to living the life of a writer for the next month or so.

One last thing to report - my shitty-ass neighbors have decided to abandon a 5-6 month old kitten because they're moving and won't/can't take him with them. They've stopped feeding it and let it outside so that someone will take him in. The little thing is skin and bones, and I've taken it upon myself to find him a new home, since he's taken up hanging out on our patio. I feed him a little protein every day and make sure he has some water to drink. I don't know where he goes at night. I need to find him a new home, soon, though. It incenses me that anyone would be so fucking irresponsible and ignorant.

And now, to end this on a lighter note, I have to go make part of my costume for derby this afternoon. How much fun!

Writing Retreat - Epilogue

Remember when cop shows in the 70s had "epilogues," and they'd actually say it across the screen: "Epilogue." Are you old enough to remember cop shows in the 70s?

So I'm home now, in the freezing tundra that is our apartment. When it's -4trillion degrees outside, it really doesn't matter how high you crank up the antiquated "radiant heaters." It's gonna be cold no matter what. The last couple nights Bizarro and I have been sleeping on the futon in our living room because the bedroom might as well be out in the parking lot, it's so damned cold in there. It's been fun, though, like a sleep over.

So I finished the day working on the Korea doco. Still am struggling with the script but I'm getting closer - I can feel it. My goal is to be ready for rough cutting in March when I go back to the artist colony during spring break. Which is right after we go to Splash Lagoon!

This was a remarkably productive retreat. I was in a different studio than the last few times I went up there. This one is actually called a "writer's studio" rather than the painter's studio I had before. It's warmer, for one thing, and is right next to the full kitchen. And there's carpeting. The writing desk faces the sun all day - so lovely and warm!

Know what I wish I had right now? Ondol flooring like they have in Korea. Heating THROUGH the floor. What a simple, amazing, brilliant concept. Instead we Americans slap wall-to-wall carpeting on top of concrete can call it done. Sheesh.

I am SO READY to find out who the Final Cylon is tonight! And what the frak is up with "Earth?" and when will Apollo and Starbuck just DO IT for gods' sake!

"Ghosthunting for Frat Boys" (aka Ghost Adventures) is on now. Fools. "Paranormal State" starts back up on Monday. Looks like it's another demon episode. Those folks better be careful what they're messing with.

That's all my ranting for now. Time to go curl up in a swaddle of blankets and my corn warmer.

Day 5 - Pt. II

My time here is winding down. I've had a pretty good day working on the documentary about life in Korea, but it is slow going. The script just sounds like crap to me. It lacks focus. I can't seem to get out what I want to say, and I'm worried it's going to be disjointed and inaccessible (like the film I made in Ireland ten years ago).

The good news is I've secured another 5 days here in March for spring break. I plan to bring all my footage from Korea and my hard drive to start cutting a rough cut.

Meantime I am going to get my hands on documentaries to study - but I have to find some personal films, not just explanatory "national geographic" type films.

Here is something that cheered me up, though. If you have some time, check this out:

American Hula (POV Series)

Sun in my eyes

...is preferable to rain clouds and cold damp.

Thankfully, this weekend has been beautiful, and I am enjoying my respite at home. Yesterday I performed "nesting" activities such as: putting new wheel covers on my car, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, and clearing off the patio. Also did general clean up, finished my latest Space: 1999 read (review coming soon), watched a really awful movie on Sci Fi Channel (Russel Mulcahy's Tale of the Mummy starring Jason Scott Lee, Christopher Lee, and a bunch of other people who should've known better than to be in this craptastic movie), and grilled out burgers on the hibachi. Also went to the Farmers Market and bought a cool hand-made silver hair barette, then went to Staples and printed off the latest draft of my own 1999 novella. Also talked to my nephew and made our plans to hang out for the coming week (yay!).

Today I will put away the clean laundry, pack my stuff and the car for my trip tomorrow, and run through my afore-mentioned novella with a fine-toothed comb.

Today happens to be graduation for the big school on the hill, which means I'm not going anywhere near downtown or campus. If anything, we might pop over to the Borders cafe later for a browse and a hot beverage, but that's it.

I am looking forward to my visit to Massachussetts, of course. I'm trying to decide which writing projects to bring with me. This morning it hit me that I should bring my notes for the Korea film to start penning a proper script (which will be very helpful before I'm logging footage and editing when I get back). Plus it will help me feel less guilty about taking a week off when I have a film to make. I may give the 1999 story a rest (which is good to do going into a final draft, IMO), and work on the first draft of "Beauty Is..." (the young adult mystery set in the '50s). That's been calling to me for a couple weeks, so I think it's time.

And now it's time to make breakfast, which on Sunday morning comprises pancakes, eggs and sausage (for Bizarro).

Coming in for a landing (or, "laser joojoo")

Just a quick update on things. Mom is doing pretty well now at home, although she's still in a lot of pain. Turns out her wrist is sprained, not broken (don't ask me how the ER fucked that up; the x-ray report that the orthopedic surgeon read from yesterday clearly said nothing was broken). Mom's state of mind is pretty good, too, and she realizes now that she NEEDS assisstive devices for walking (her cane and her walker). I think she's just glad that it is all behind her - especially since one of her doctors, the dialysis guy, started talking smack bout how she can't live alone any more. That really freaked me out, but her social worker and physical therapist both agree that it's too early for that. She still has all her mental faculties and just needs a little help walking, that's all. She's got in-home health aides to help with cleaning and groceries, and her current apartment is attached to the doctors' office building and hospital, with a very attentive management staff and friends all around her. There are mechanisms for looking in on the tenants there (elderly and disabled), but everyone has an independent standard of living, which is what she wants and needs (particularly for her emotional health).

SO now I'm finally focusing on my own stuff - tending to my sprained ankle, and the last bit of grading to do for tomorrow's deadline. I'm hoping next Monday with everything behind me, I can start working on the film and get that off the ground before I leave for Boston on Memorial Day weekend.

Over all, my mood is pretty good right now. Step at a time, as they say. I am feeling more at ease with my ability to cope with the harder aspects of getting older and having an aging parent. This latest installment has helped me to further delineate what is my responsibility and what isn't, and has reminded me that I can't change everything. Mom's Karma is her own, as is mine. Sort of like the serenity prayer, I suppose, but in a Buddhist framework that resonates for me.

Okay, I have to get cracking on these essays. The last batch.

Werkin for a livin'

It's official - I will be teaching one section of screenwriting at the College on the Hill. I'm very pleased, and extremely curious as to what the situation is there that they need me. I'm nosy like that.

I'm very hopeful that I can also get a class at the Out of Town University this fall, which will put my income back to where it was last year (a little more than that, actually, as Out of Town University pays a bit better).

I have submitted a proposal to the Korean recruitment company and am now awaiting their reply. I have also managed to raise some funds from generous donors on this side of the Pacific. Family and friends, so far. I must have done something right in a past life, or must be a damn good salesperson, for my friends and fam to be so generous! Thank you to them - not that any of them read this blog - but they will be credited in the final credits.

Jack Frost Can Kiss My Ass

We're in the midst of a storm warning. We're supposed to get something like two feet of snow. Frak! Getting to campus is gonna suck ass tomorrow morning. I was cruisin' around after my Korean lesson today, stopped at Big Lots to buy some stupid shit and just as I pulled into the parking lot at home I heard on the radio about the impending snow crisis, and I then realized I should have been stocking up on groceries and making sure there was gas in the tank rather than buying plastic drawers for my computer junk.

Well at least my side of the office is organized, now. I'm forever trying to find ways to keep things from exploding. The plastic drawers do help (little ones, to hold pieces parts and all the extra USB cables that seem to have made their way to my desk).

My Korean lessons are going well. My tutor is an undergrad linguistics major at the Big Red School. Since we both speak the meta-language of linguistics, it makes learning so much easier. She's a lot of fun, too, and I think we'll hang out. I need friends here. We've been in Ithaca for a year and a half and I have one good friend, and one friend who hasn't kept in touch and who is moving away soon.

This Friday I am determined to check out the open meditation session at the local Tibetan monastary. That's Namgyal, the North American Seat of HH Dalai Lama. I've been through all this before, but essentially there are no Karma Kagyu groups in town, so it would seem the Nyingma/Gelukpas are the only game in town. That's okay. It's all good. It's not like the Buddha would care.

I also have a tuttee of my own. That is, I am tutoring a Big Red student in English. She came yesterday for her first session and it went well. I gotta pay for Korean lessons somehow!

This week is also quite busy because I'm subbing for the other screenwriting teacher at the college. She's out on family emergency, so I'm taking her Tues-Thurs class. I don't mind at all. She's been so good to me and the classes are easy enough to teach because it's another section of the class I'm already teaching.

I've started getting a demo reel put together to send to the recruiter in Korea who is interested in supporting my doco project. Unfortunately, I've already run into technical snafus, and now I remember why I'm a writer. All this technical shit drives me nuts. "Well, the miniDV tapes were dubbed on a DV deck that will record miniDV but does so at a faster rate than an actual miniDV recorder or camera, so that's why you couldn't use the footage we dubbed for you."

Tomorrow I have to go in with my camera and have them dub it directly. At least there's a way to do it so I can actually use the footage. Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick.

I need to order the Chinese food for tonight's dinner. Since I neglected to go to the grocery store and I've been too busy with my plastic drawers to cook anything, it's what's for dinner tonight.

Oh, one last thing: Bizarro and I went to see a showing of independent Korean short films on Saturday and they were mind-blowingly (is that a word? it is now) well made. I am inspired.