JEEZ.
My last post was in 2013. And it took me a few minutes to figure out what the term was for once every three years-- well, I actually made it up after I found out what "biennial" meant.
Anyway, here's a Facebook status from Thursday, Nov. 26:
Without really expecting it (other than Thanksgiving being on the calendar), this has quietly turned out to be a rather amazing week.
A former student of my wife's came to visit from out of town and it's always neat to see him for a variety of reasons, one of them being he draws and he's also a comic book geek. But that's not why it was amazing to see him. Some of the stories he was sharing about being married and being at work were quite wonderful to hear and also touched with some melancholy. I guess what touched me about his visit was that all of us on the planet are living human beings just living our lives, but sometimes you meet some people who are living a little more and connecting with other people more as a matter of habit. So, upon further reflection of his visit, just talking with him was inspirational in terms of being a better and more connected human being. That may not be the most eloquent or even comprehensible way of putting it, but uh, I'm still waking up. And, even though I haven't heard the song "Cough Syrup" before, I'm already talking about it (at least the first line) to other people. It was great seeing you, Daniel, happy holidays and safe travels!
Then, I get home last night and there's a package on the dining room table and 1) it's awesome I can immediately see this package because 2) we cleaned up the house in preparation for Daniel's visit so the house is kind of civilized looking, but 3), mysteriously the package was from my best friend in high school, Steve. What the..? A package was unexpected so I was a little confused. I open it up and holy crap! There's no letter of explanation, it's simply... a screenplay he wrote. An awesome looking 106 page script he wrote and that he mentioned as an idea when he was in town for a friend's wedding in the summer of 2014 (which, coincidentally, a social event my wife happened to reference obliquely in a story that occurred at the reception and which she told during Daniel's visit). So, holy crap, he finished the damn thing! Steve's always writing, so this isn't the first thing he's finished, so this is his latest. He's one of my favorite screenwriting inspirations because 1) well, I know him, 2) he's very "old school" about his standards for what he wants to achieve in a story and 3) his concepts are always exceptionally accessible on a plot level but then deepened on a thematic, character level. Plus, his use of adjectives in his script are very entertaining because he's articulate and very specific. I was cracking up at page one over some of his descriptions. My dad keeps pointing out (more or less) that I'm kind of blessed to be living in an active community of creative people (filmmakers and theater people, just to mention two groups) (and actually, my dad puts it this way: "I'm glad you know people who like the same things you do, even if it's crazy, bloody movies"), and I wonder what Steve would think about the filmmakers here if he lived here. Actually, I think it would drive him f***ing nuts on a variety of levels. I think his ambitions are more Hollywood, while I'm kind of comfortable in our micro-micro-micro-budgeted independent film community. But his high personal creative standards and goals are worth aiming for in terms of writing, even when they don't seem lofty in a quick description (his ideas aren't necessarily high-minded art films, but it's his execution of an idea that's important and distinctive). Anyway, if I wasn't being eloquent before, I'm being more blah blah blah now, sorry. More to the point: I'm looking very much to sitting down and reading this damn thing of his.
Finally, it's a PAID HOLIDAY today!
Hope everyone has a terrific day and safe travels. My best to everyone I know on Facebook, all who read this and all you know. Take time to be thankful for what you have and to appreciate what you enjoy and share.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
Well, let's see if I can post something else before 2018...
