Day #5 of The Hunt found us back on the lot and in the familiar (and relatively drier) confines of Stage 4.  After three days of shooting in the cold and rain, it was nice to be walking those darkened corridors again.  I was expecting a warm reception from my co-workers.  After all, it’s been almost a week since I last saw them and I assumed they’d missed me terribly.  My writing partner Paul pretty much summed up the consensus response to my return: “Where the hell have you been?”.  I was particularly disappointed by the fact that absolutely no one noticed a change in me despite my prompting (“Do you notice anything different about me?”).  “Did you put on weight?”was Paul’s first guess. “You’re doing something new with your hair!”marveled Carl.  “I love it!”.   Surprisingly, none of them noted the trimmer, fitter me (My treadmill was finally fixed this weekend and I was able to get in my first work-out in two months last night).

Trimmer and fitter but extremely sore, I made the long trek to and from stage 4 several times before finally giving up and taking the car.  I brought in truffles for the gang in an assortment of flavors: dark chocolate amaretto-almond chili, white chocolate key lime, dark chocolate Guinness, milk chocolate root beer, and dark chocolate Malibu Rum with toasted coconut.  All much appreciated, but the milk chocolate root beer were the surprise hit.  Script Supervisor Amanda insisted I was spoiling them, buying the crew coffee last week, treating them to truffles next week.  “Wait until it’s Paul’s turn to come to set and produce his episode,”I told them.  “He’s REALLY going to spoil you guys!”

I put out my outline for episode 20, Gauntlet, and look forward to the feedback.  Paul is finishing up prep on episode 17, Common Descent.  Brad is working on his pass on episode 19, Blockade.  And Carl has promised us a first draft of episode 18, Epilogue, tomorrow.

It seems that every time I visit a bookstore, I HAVE to buy something.  That to-read list keeps piling up to the point where I have two to-read piles: the to-read pile made up of some 25 titles and the to-read reserve pile made up of about a hundred titles that move onto my to-read pile as I make headway.  Just started a book I should have read eons ago, Frank Herbert’s Dune.

The latest haul.

This weekend, while I was making truffles, Akemi was making these…

Choux (cream). Totemo oishikatta!

She was incredibly proud of her accomplishment.

And back again to the work front: today’s productionly happenings…

Apparently Jamil moonlights as a P.I. on his free time.

Hey, look! I’m a New York theater critic!

Scene 4A

Interior for Exterior.

35 thoughts on “September 27, 2010: Back in familiar territory! Production update! Pics!

  1. Yay, you’re reading Dune! Have you started to read your colleagues for ulterior motives yet? Bene Gesserit style, I mean. Seriously, though, be careful. That book can mess with your head.

  2. I share your inability to leave a bookstore without a new book. There are books I don’t know if I’ll EVER get around to reading, because the to-read pile grows faster than the read file.

    Is the hooded sweatshirt an official uniform change? And is it just the lighting or does his face look a bit beat up?

  3. You are going to love Lamb and You Suck! Christopher Moore is fantastic. You should do a Book of the Month on one of his books.

  4. I second what Grace said. PLEASE send some cold and rainy down to L.A. Today it was 113 degrees* downtown — Stepping outside felt like getting hit in the face with an oven. Thankfully my office (hooray for employment!) is air-conditioned.

    Enjoy Dune!

    – KB
    *118 degrees F. That’s 45 degrees C, for the rest of the world. 🙂

  5. Are You SERIOUS??!!! You **HAVEN’T ** READ “DUNE” YET???!!!

    And, You call Yourself a SciFi/Fantasy “Reader”..?! Dude! HERBERT is like one of the TOP 10 Commandment Classic Author reads! Hell, my COPY of DUNE is probably *OLDER* than You!!

  6. Grace and KB: I tried to bring back the rain with me from Vancouver, but it didn’t cooperate. Sorry! But I’m right there with ya suffering in this heat!

  7. I guess I’ll be the opposite here. Warm and humid weather beats Cold and rainy anyday. Especially for outside conditions or general comfort levels. For one you’re less liable to catch a Cold or the Flu. Been really unlucky myself lately with said illnesses, at least with lovely warm temps you can rest easy in the fact you won’t ever have an annoying blocked nose, or headaches due to said illness.

    As much as I appreciate the rain, gotta pick the Sun here.

    >Apparently Jamil moonlights as a P.I. on his free time

    Cool Jamil pic Joe, guess that will help put some peoples minds at rest as to why there wasn’t much of him in the trailer. You know when people were saying I hope you haven’t killed him off.

    > Totemo oishikatta

    Roughly translates to Very good, or delicious, for anyone randomly wondering.

    I guess you could say.

    Ame ga yamimashita.

  8. I think we’d all love to give you some feedback on that episode, Joe. How ’bout it? Please…..:)

    @Das Too funny

    I thank Canada for making Houston colder than LA. It was a chilly 86 degrees here today and it’s supposed to go down to–brrrr–56 degrees tonight.

    About an hour ago I felt a surge of butterflies running through me when I looked at the clock. One might think that it was anxiety about later this week having a 3-mm ureteral stone pulled out of me that is blocking things up and then a laser put inside my kidney to smash another 7-mm stone to pieces (and I’m not sure what they plan to do about the one on the right side yet), rather it was realization that in LESS THAN 24 HOURS, Season 2 of Stargate Universe will start. I’m such a geek. The adrenaline, the anticipation, works just as well as a Vicodin without all the side effects. Last night I got some pain relief just seeing that my local Fox 26 was carrying it in syndication and watching the magic all over again at 11 p.m. and midnight even though I own copies of it on BluRay and ITunes and could watch it anytime on there. Oh yes, I am that obsessed. It’s like Christmas morning.

  9. Christopher Moore is my favorite author right now. However, before you read “You Suck” you’re going to want to read his first vampire novel “Bloodsucking Fiends”. Its basically a trilogy of books with “Bloodsucking Fiends” as part 1, “You Suck” as part 2 and “Bite Me” (his latest novel) as part 3/conclusion.

    Lamb is a fun read though. I’d also recommend “A Dirty Job” as well if you haven’t read it yet.

  10. Dune is great. Please tell us what you think after you read it.

    Have you read the Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell? If not, I highly recommend it.

    I’m so excited about tonight. SG:U Season Two premiere. Finally.

  11. Hey. I got a question. Arent truffles expensive? : D Because i think they are… so you have to earn a lot of money to buy that much of them. Or am i wrong?

  12. Dune. Yay.

    I recently had the unpleasant experience of trying to read “Hunters of Dune” written by Frank Herbert’s son Brian, and another writer. It was supposed to continue from just after Frank’s last Dune book. It’s one of the handful of books I’ve ever stopped reading after getting over 100 pages in. I love the original series though, “Heretics of Dune” is my favorite.

  13. I didn’t think my car could read 110 degrees today, but it did. It’s a dry heat. *insert laughing here* It’s only supposed to be 98 degrees tomorrow? Yeah, right. I’d take rainy and chilly any day.

    Christopher Moore is terrific. Good reads all around. I’ve also started Jon Stewart’s “Earth” also. If some teenagers would quit stealing it from me, making me hunt all over the house for it. I think I scared the cat the other day I was laughing so hard.

  14. I’d like to third what Grace said. 113 in LA, and 109 in LB. Eh, I’m sure that people in Phoenix consider this an every day sort of occurrence.

    Dark chocolate guiness… and milk chocolate root beer… I’d like to try those.

    Cody

  15. Jamil could be Teal’c’s (I hate double apostrophes, tell me it’s wrong) assistant.

  16. Hi Joe:

    I’, looking forward to your critique of Dune because I haven’t read it yet either.

    And, as you know Joe, I’ve invited you to STARCON. Waiting on an answer . In the meantime, the great and amazing Vince Kwann, Balding Asian Guy (B.A.G) has agreed to attend. Just think, now you too can own an autograph and get a photo op with this very famous celebrity this one time only at STARCON – JUNE 24-26, 2011.

    [url]http://www.aurorisentertainment.com/?page_id=2[/url]

    Patricia

  17. Love those pics of Jamil. More Please. : )

    Christopher Moore is hilarious. I love YOU SUCK. I believe it is the sequel tBLOODSUCKING FIEND. Both are laugh out loud funny.

    I just heard he has a third in that series BITE ME. I have to get that one too.

    Have you thought of having one of Christopher Moore’s novels as Book of the Month selection? : )

  18. I noticed Joe, but was too polite to say anything. Apart from the soreness, do you feel better? I might have felt better if I could drink that beet and ginger juice…did I tell you I killed it? I think I got the ratio wrong…I did 2 Beets: 2 Gingers..I really need water badly after sipping it. I think I should have gone easier on the Ginger.

    Anyhoo I thought I’d share with everyone the SGU poster I made for BamBam tonight.

    Looking forward to Friday night.

    I’m not sure I like the title Epilogue…it sounds final.

    Cheers, Chev

  19. Oh my gosh, Joe looks so thin in these pics! I can see that he’s been both treadmillin’ and eatin’ those veggies! Joe looks fabulous, for a minute I thought Joe was Mischa Barton! Wait, that’s not right. For a minute I thought Joe was Katie Holmes!

    The only thing that looks more fabu than Joe is those delicate looking Choux, wow, they are so pretty! Do you have some pretty boxes and little paper cup thingies to put them in? That plain plate doesn’t do them justice.

  20. >dry heat

    The best kind of heat in my opinion, even if its over 100, for one it’s more comfortable!
    Try going on vacation to a random african country like Egypt(Pyramids etc) And you’l see a great example of heat that although warm is livable.

    >(Sopranoss)(Truffles) so you have to earn a lot of money to buy that much of them. Or am i wrong?

    No, anyone can pretty much buy Truffles, the amount you have or the quality purely depends on the amount of money you’re willing to part.
    They’re not a luxury item.

  21. Ahhhh your finally reading Dune, its my all time favourite Sci-fi book. Tell us what you think.

  22. Joe, you had me at white chocolate key lime! Yummmmmm.

    I think Dune was my first foray into Sci-fi. Enjoyed it very much.

    3 hours, 43 minutes and counting!

  23. Joe, I do wish you great enjoyment of Dune. I first read that back a few decad– um, years ago. The book is so-o-o much better than the movie, despite the presence of the ever delightful Sting as Feyd and less-balding Patrick Stewart (ST:TNG) as Gurney Halleck.

    The imagery and scope of story in the book is ever so satisfying. And the worms of Arrakis are ever more horrifying when combined with your imagination, rather than forced upon you as in the poor film substitutes.
    Enjoy, enjoy! 😉

    Just over 24 hours to SGU season 2 — OH YEAH!

    My elderly, sweet boy cat goes under anesthesia tomorrow to have a skin biopsy done. May I ask for good thoughts for him as he may not handle the anesthesia well at 15+ years. I will be completely unproductive at work while I worry for him, I’m sure.

    Any updates on Jelly, Joe? Is she still tripping the light fantastic? Give them all a hug from me.

    g’night,
    2cats

  24. Woo-hoo! It was a nice 70ish today. Sorry to all the areas of 100F+. These hot temps are why ice tea is a must in the South.

    Mr. M., all those truffles sound great. It’s been a while since you made them. Did you freeze them?

    2cats: good luck with kitty!

    I’ve been telling vet friend about how great Jelly is doing after stem cell procedure. We were both wondering why they aren’t doing this procedure with people. Her guess is because of the insurance cost or chance of infection. Any thoughts on this?

    Thanks to all that recommend Christopher Moore. I might try him out soon.

    Gotta go get ready for SGU.

  25. For the first time ever, I get to chime in with the others and say DEAR GOD IT’S TOO FRACKING HOT IN LA RIGHT NOW.

    I mean, sure, it’s slightly cooler today, but that’s like saying Oldoinyo Lengai lava is cooler than Kilauea lava! Sure, it’s technically true, but does it make a difference? No!

    And worst of all, I have a cold. What the hell?

    Thank God SGU is returning tonight, or else I’d be pretty miserable right about now.

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