the 80's flu

Sometimes I want to write, but the days pass because there are so many thoughts jumbling around in my head that I can't believe I could actually organize them into any reasonable piece that would be worth reading.  In an effort to get past it, please excuse the brief ramble of random thoughts which I will blame on post-flu-syndrome since that is what truly rendered me useless for an entire 24 hours (which is equivalent to 4 days for any other member of the family).  I got up on Saturday morning ready for the usual routine - dressed in my running clothes and headed to drop Jonathan off at basketball practice where I run while he practices.  After parking the car and trying to talk myself out the door, which is usually never an issue, I had the strangest sensation that I should just stay put and there I sat for an hour, turning the car on every 15 minutes to warm it up while I beat myself up for being lazy.   I was too cold.  I was too tired.  I had too many excuses, but I knew I had to just go with it because it's never that way.  I sat and I sat like the cat in the hat or something like that.  By the time we stopped for the routine post-practice scratch-off lottery tickets and made it home, I made a bee-line for my unmade bed (also a clue that something was amiss this particular morning) and I was so paralyzed that I did not bother to change out of the constricting uncomfortable running bra and lululemon insulated shirt because I was freezing from a fever (confusing).  I stayed in bed all day.  I literally didn't move, or more accurately I couldn't move.  I have to mention that about a year ago when Juli was sick and I told her I'd sit with her while I worked, she admitted to me that the sound of me typing on my laptop was soothing to her.  Funny enough how it all comes full circle because she came up while I was in bed and brought her laptop to do her homework.  As I dozed in and out of feverish delirium,  the sound of her speedy little fingers typing away was, in fact, very soothing!  I put that moment right in the helen-vault because it was special.  After complaining enough about the chest-squeezing undergarment, the little presto-change-artist talked me through how to get out of the running bra without taking off my shirt.  (Daughter becomes mother.. another vault moment.)  Sleeping it off all day and then night, by the morning I was achy but regrouped enough to get back to motherhood in time for the sunday events, and just in time because Tom had left that morning for a business trip, so the races were mine alone to run.  A birthday party at 12:00, following by a basketball game at 2:00, a quick grocery store run and off to meet the HS girls for dinner and a night out to see the 80's heartthrob Rick Springfield in concert!  Good times!  Ha. I learned that sometimes it's best to leave those heartthrobs in the past because this was a big yawn for me as he sang only 3 songs that were even remotely familiar and proceeded to pump himself up so much I wanted to vomit without the flu - and oddly HE had a head cold flu thing and every time he blew his nose on stage, he held up the disgusting tissue and said "ebay"... really Rick????  c'mon.   Humility and connecting on a somewhat more real level would have been a better strategy for him as he looked pretty good, but his 'teen heartthrob' routine was so lost on me and (I hope) most of the crowd.  Unbelievably, there were some screamers and die-hard FANS and I put that word in caps because  there was a woman in front of us with a japanese-style fan and she was fanning away her hot flashes throughout the entire concert!!  (explains alot about the crowd - see photo below) And the real show was off to the right where a very happy couple, clearly older relations to snookie and the situation, were fist-pumping and singing every word to every song!  Very impressive!  One of my friends looked at them and then said to me "I cannot imagine for a minute that my husband and I could have a connection on this on any level what-so-ever" and I would have to agree with her!  So yes, there was some entertainment to be found in the whole thing after all.  Then to finish off the throwback weekend, today in my office, another production company was renting the space for a wardrobe meeting and the guy they were fitting looked vaguely familiar.  I met him briefly and we chatted, and then after he left, I googled his name only to find out he was one of MTV's famous early VJ's - Alan Hunter!  I guess there is a recurring 80's theme going on here... what will tomorrow bring?  Fingers crossed for Bon Jovi.

My Best Nurse

Rick-get-over-yourself-Springfield

Rick's biggest FAN!!  Literally.

the crew

After watching the Golden Globes the other night and listening to all the thank you speeches, I get especially touched when the actors thank their crew.  It really hits home for me, having been in production for so many years.  Here's the thing:  when you spend days on end with people on a set or on location, it's inevitable that you become like a little 'family' of sorts in a different way than if you are working side by side in an office setting.   Even in the commercial world, when the shoots are often only a few days long, you somehow get to know these people really well really fast, even though some of them are complete strangers when you start the job!  It would not make sense to say it's like going to war, but I used to work with a creative guy who used the word "triage" alot when talking about prioritizing the crazy things that would go wrong and what to fix first, so maybe there is the slightest parallel in a much less horrific way.  We are all in it together, committed to accomplishing the bigger project at hand and it is probably better compared to playing a team sport where any one person can't succeed without the other players.  Each person brings their own special something to the party for example:

Brandy and Sean, the production team extraordinaire, making any little request happen with a smile, even when I email them at 1:00 am to ask for 'wedding style place cards' to be set up in the client area the following morning as a little joke for the last day.  (was I SERIOUS?  oh yes I was)

Michael, the extremely quiet production coordinator who makes ME a cup of tea after I spend the bulk of my time running around taking care of everyone else's needs.  and I am speechless and then find the words to thank him so much for that simple act of kindness.

Peter, the DP (camera and lighting guy) who manages to keep me laughing all day even when I try to rush him along, pointing at my watch and insisting we stay on schedule.

Shane, the Swing guy (not because he's a swinger, that is what his job is called) who got me started on instagram and became the muthership poster child sporting the beanie. 

Elysha, wardrobe stylist who blended into the fold seamlessly bringing her special personality along :)

Jenny, hair & makeup artist who cries with me about anything mildly emotional.  Sometimes we just look at each other when something is said and we have to run away because we both start to tear up.  love that about her.

Jianca, the petite set designer and pro surf photographer who works her ass off and then randomly pirouettes down the hallway making me smile.

Will, the quiet PA (production assistant) who keeps the clients happy with their starbucks orders in the morning and afternoon.... we bow to him, this is NOT as easy as it sounds.

Jose, the mysterious tech guy who drives a porsche and appears to own multiple cars, homes and boats... who are you really Jose?  

Rob, the still photographer from San Fran (or Hawaii?) who flies in for every job to wait around all day until he BIG MOMENT where he gets all of 5 minutes to take some stills of what we just spent hours and hours videotaping!  He is kind enough to provide us with awesome behind the scenes shots, some of which I have shared below.

Danny & Dean from Columbus who follow the muthership from city to city with a truck full of lights, equipment and good karma.

Dave, the sound guy whom I've known for years and announced sadly at the end of the shoot "if we start the year off with the muthership, there is no where to go but downhill".

I could write a little something about every single person, I adore them all, but you get the idea.  What was especially nice on this last shoot is that we had 'family night' where we took the whole crew out to dinner and bowling.  It was even more fun to spend some time NOT working but in a low key no pressure setting.  The guys got a little too competitive and the girls enjoyed bopping to the music and trying to keep the ball out of the gutter, but it was what I would imagine a 'team building' session would be if I had ever attended one.  The day after, it seemed that the symmetry was even better since everyone arrived at the location with a little smile on their face.  Many years ago while shooting locally, my dad stopped by the set to see me at work and after sitting pretty quietly watching most of the day, he made the most concise observation about it all.  He said that although it appeared that there were a lot of people standing around all day doing nothing, when something specific was requested or needed doing, the very person responsible would jump into action and he could clearly see that each person had a special purpose.  That about sums it up and if I ever have to make an acceptance speech, aside from my parents, my husband, and my kids, I will definitely thank the crew.

stranded biker

While out for a bike ride over a year ago, I got my first flat tire and I had no clue about how to change a bike tire but I had all the 'stuff' to do it in my little bike pouch and hey, I have an i-phone - I googled it.  I went step by step and got that *&$^& rear tire back on the bike (amazing!) ....and with my one canister of air, the tire did not inflate. I was deflated. (could not reist)  I was gearing up for a long walk home... but then a good samaritan arrived in the SMALLEST car.  Owner of a new deli in the neighborhood called MARIE'S - Carl pulled over, stuffed my bike into his trunk and with the hatch open, drove me home.  I could not thank him enough, so I told him I would tell all my friends and neighbors about his new place which I did via a massive email blast.  That weekend he was swarmed with customers telling him 'the stranded biker sent him'.  The next time I stopped in for lunch, he asked me in his comedic way 'how many friends do you have anyway???!!" because they had done 2 weeks' worth of business in a single weekend. More than a year and many Marie's meals later, Juli now works there and when we dropped by to pick her up the other night, Carl told me that he told our story to the Daily Record and they wrote about it!  Good karma gets published - yay:  Daily Record Article 

florida angel

 So the shoot is going well... the location is overall dull, meaning, not much to do after work, but I can use the time to decompress and as usual when I travel, go for a run to explore the 'city' in quotes because it is barely that and more of a village, but it is quaint. Last night, one of the sweetest girls on the crew who is from Orlando joined me for a run out in the cold.  Vicky had only seen snow once before and mentioned that she wanted to make a snow angel, so after running no more than 5 minutes, we came upon some fairly clean snow that was angel worthy and I gave her the lesson, falling back, slam, and it was a little 'crunchy' so it required more pressure to create the wings, but it was doable.  Then it was her turn and she went for it and on her second try, made a great looking angel in spite of the less-than-ideal conditions.  I have to admit that it has been quite a few years since I've made a snow angel myself and we were like 2 little kids - she was so joyous about it and I was happy to live it through her eyes.  

the 'do list' is done

The tree is down, ornaments and decorations are put away, the outside lights are stored, the laundry is done, the groceries are stocked, the meals are planned, the meds are set up for Jonathan, the lists are written (for Juli, my trusty assistant on the home front), the errands are run, the house is straightened (somewhat), Molly is at the doggy hotel, the bills are even paid (while I was on a roll), my bags are semi-packed and I'm ready for lift off tomorrow after the kids leave for school and I head out for the first shoot of 2013 in Middlebury, Connecticut.  Tom is making steady progress and can even walk a short distance without crutches!!  Such a relief, the new hip is working, but wow, the bruise and the gash on his leg look scary.  He had a minor set-back today with an intense case of vertigo which is not good timing since the dizzies could make him fall and let's face it -  falling is a bad thing normally and an even WORSE THING RIGHT NOW!  But hopefully it clears up quickly.  I'm not exactly jazzed up for a week in the courtyard marriott, but I'm hoping there will be a little bit of time to exercise in the evening and decompress.  Here's hoping for a smooth shoot with some of my favorite agency girls and most definitely the nicest client.