Yesterday, I came back from Post (where I was spending quality time with editor Rick Martin on my producer’s cut of The Hunt) to find a familiar red, ribboned box awaiting my return…
Yet another round of Cookies By George, this time compliments of the lovely Marjorie M. Liu, author extraordinaire (and Stargate fan – http://josephmallozzi.com/2010/10/02/october-2-2010-your-affable-host-tia-carrere-marjorie-m-liu/). What a sweetheart. I informed her that the next time she’s in town, the pig head’s on me!
Between the cookies and lunch’s poppyseed strudel, I was about ready for bed. Unfortunately, it was 1:30 p.m. and I was due back at Post to continue editing and approve some visual effects shots for episode 10, Resurgence. I was on my way down the corridor when Ashleigh suddenly popped out from the kitchen and ambushed me with this –
A cake from Safeway. The dozen or so people in attendance (curious passersby and the front office personnel who had no choice to take part because we were standing in front of their desks) sang a half-hearted rendition of happy birthday. There was a smattering of applause followed by someone shouting “Speech! Speech!”. I complied, short and sweet: “You shouldn’t have.” Really, they shouldn’t have. The cake looked horrendously unpalatable. Which is, no doubt, why Ashleigh cut me a HUGE slice and made me eat a piece –
It had the taste and textural profile of a congealed oil slick. A sickly sweet congealed oil slick.
Anyway, spent most of the day working on my producer’s cut of The Hunt. It’s timing quite long and there are still some scenes to be shot. Hate to say it, but the T.J. flashbacks may have to go (and, ideally, find their way into another episode).
Also approved a multitude of spectacular visual effects for Resurgence. This one is BIG!
AND also watched the producer’s cut of Seizure. Great performances all around but I have to put in a great word for guest stars Victor Garber, Bob Picardo, and David Hewlett. Loved having McKay and Woolsey back in the swing of things. Seeing them on screen again really made me realize how much I miss ’em!
Today, my birthday festivities kicked off with a visit from fellow foodie Denise who dropped by, looking very lavender, with a little a little something –
Once inside, I gave her a tour of the place –
Once the tour was over and I had swept up the last shards of the glass Denise had dropped in the backyard (Girl can’t hold her liquor!), we were off…to the local Greek Orthodox Church for Greek Fest!
We strolled past the church proper and into the community center where we lined up for meal tickets. I ordered us two gyros only to be told that the guy who makes the gyros was a no-show. We settled for chicken and pork skewers so I purchased the meal tickets, then went over to the food station where the guy on duty was completely overwhelmed by the three customers he had to contend with. The meat was overcooked. Too late, I noticed a completely different food station offering roast lamb but, given the quality of the other meats, I elected to skip it and head straight to sweets.
We did a dessert medley –
All in all, a bleak affair. It felt like a Greek Festival in a Palliative Care ward.
I also celebrated today by agonizing over my damn script. I’ve struggled with scripts before but this one has me truly and thoroughly mystified. In the past, whenever I reached an impasse, I’d spin my wheels for a few days and then, almost miraculously, I’d have that epiphany, that moment of true clarity that would allow me to find the missing thematic element or linchpin scene or dialogue runner. The fix. Well, it would seem my eleventh hour save fairy is on sabbatical. I lay awake in bed last night, going over each scene in my head until, at a little after one a.m., I threw off my covers, jumped out of bed, and headed downstairs to my office for a round of late-night writing. I was up until three, restructuring what I had. And still, I’m a long way off.
The festivities continue…
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