Checklist.

Arrowflight - Northern Empires sourcebook: done.  As soon as Gavin gives the pdf a pass, I'll be putting it up for sale online, and arranging the POD run through dtrpg.com and Amazon.  Next up, Shriek X, Star Legion XPG and The Mystic East supplement for Arrowflight.  I also have gear splatbooks for Arrowflight and RADZ started, but they're victims of work-on-'em-when-I-can syndrome.

Airship Daedalus: is it in you?  Are you following it?  Are you decoding the ciphers?  For a secondary learn-as-we-go webcomic project, this thing is proving to be a blast and a half, and has led to a few expansions of the property.  Firstly, we've been given ten pages in the next edition of Mash Tun.  So that's cool.  Then I have the script for a ten-page one-shot story in the following issue.  We also are happy to count actress/singer/producer Wonder Russell (Rogue in the "On and On" film I directed for Kirby Krackle), who has put in a bid to play the character of Doc in any screen venture we attempt with Daedalus.  Although I'm a bit gun shy to go all out on a Daedalus film just yet, Ms. Russell did indeed encourage a teaser/trailer/proof-of-concept project which we could showcase at ECCC next year, as well as using as the basis for a Kickstarter campaign to fund a web serial.  In the meantime, I've already translated Chapter 1 of the webcomic into an old-time radio drama.  We'll set that up this summer and post it to the website.  There's also an RPG of the property in the works (with plenty of legwork already done from the first time I tinkered with the setting back in the late '80s).

Ordinary Angels: We got some incredibly helpful feedback from an old high school filmmaker buddy who now works at Disney.  I'm adjusting the pitch this week.

Spent Raechelle's birthday being sick.  Possible ulcer and a sinus infection.  Recovered enough to co-host our combined birthday bash at the Mop & Bucket, and promptly relapsed.  Spent my own birthday in the doctor's office, but bucked up enough to go see opening night of Thor with the fam and some friends.  Finally went on antibiotics and both issues seem to be clearing up just fine.  But now Raechelle and Kayleigh are both sick with what I've termed The Snot Monster - so much so that we had to skip the trip to Bellingham for May Birthdays.  We're rescheduling for June.

Tyler turns 17 tomorrow.  I don't feel old enough to have a 17 year-old son.  Hopefully I never will feel old enough. I will say that Tyler has undergone an evolution, emotionally as well as physically.  It's such a far cry from where we were just last year (and especially 2008-2009).  We're all breathing a huge sigh off relief and are very hopeful about his future.

It's amazing that I found the time to put up this post, but now I need to get back to the checklist...

TGI(F)F

That stands for Thank God It's (Finally) Friday.

It's been a long, busy, exhausting week. So far, I've been able to keep the tickle at the back of my throat at bay, but last night I got really congested around bedtime. It was nice to hole up with the girl and watch Thursday night TV in bed, regardless of my snottiness. I think I kept the disgusting-factor to a minimum. Neither one of us got much sleep, as we had middle-of-the-night kid issues. But we pushed through, and Rae managed to get off to work more or less on time, and I got both kids off to school. Well, to be fair, Tyler got himself on Metro and was out of the house shortly after 7AM.

I got a couple scenes written for the Ordinary Angels pilot, and we had Dan & Trish over for a script meeting last night. The concepts are quickly solidifying, and for the first time in the process, I'm really seeing the finished item. It's not writing-by-committee, but Dan, Trish and Raechelle all toss out ideas and we bat them around. Then I can take them or not. It's a huge help in getting me past all the little blocks that have held me up over the course of writing this thing.

I'm in full-on writing mode today, which will make movie night all the more rewarding. We've got a few things going on this weekend: the wedding, the Hawks/Skins game, and a photo reshoot with Ron. Other than that, just more cleaning and organizing. Thanks to Ryan for the 1x4 solution to my closet rod dilemma. It shall be done.

I'll leave you with the coolest little viral video I've seen in some time. Even if you've never played Guitar Hero, you've got to admire the creativity and painstaking prep work this had to take (and how many times did they have to do it to get it perfect?).

Grab Bag!

Feeling bunches better today. The headaches are still a pain in the cranium, but they're manageable now.

I'm bouncing around in my office chair to my '80s playlist while working on the Bullshot Crummond poster for Twelfth Night Productions. Let's just say I make good use of the Union Jack. I worked on the show in high school, and can't wait to see what Rick Springer does with it at Youngstown. I think having a graphics project and deadline in front of me helps to re-focus the creative side of my brain - which in turn will benefit the OA pilot screenplay. We have a production meeting tonight that will focus on the pitch. Looking forward to hammering out the strategy.

I'm feeling re-energized, creatively. This is a good thing.

Last night I was Facebooking and took a peek at my friend Mark Mezadourian's friend list to see if we had any mutual friends beyond Palo Alto High School alumni, and lo and behold, I stumbled upon an old friend from my days at LACT (now apparently called The Bus Barn Theater... ugh), April Stewart. We were in Once Upon a Mattress together, and she was the lead in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon-Marigolds, which was directed by my roommate at the time, Bill Quinlan. Turns out she's the voice talent behind several of the female characters on South Park. So I've been enjoying her work for years without knowing it. Anyway, it was good to get back in touch. Hi, April! Congratulations on your recent maternity!

Finally, a shout out to TBGE, who sent me the pic below this morning. I usually don't go hyper-political on this forum, but I gotta say, I find it very, very funny.

Okay, off to find some lunch, then back to work...

TRAINS AS A POLITICAL METAPHOR

Why Being an Artist Sucks

Reason #2,457 (you know, after all the ones about not being able to make a living and the public perception of not having a "real" vocation): The Muse.

That bitch. After a great OA series development session with Dan & Trish, I felt like a Whedonesque writing god. The Muse was whispering ideas in my ear and massaging an ego which had been somewhat battered recently. I should have seen it coming - the insomnia that comes with any great artistic stride.

At 2:30AM I finally calmed down enough to let myself fall asleep.

This is a perfect example of what the artistic temperament is like. It's really a case of mild bipolar disorder. The waves of high energy and achievement I surf like a Hawaiian tiki god on a longboard, full of confidence and hubris and a sense of "anything is possible". Then the low energy period when I go quiet and internal - the angst that fuels the need to paddle back out into the surf.

Meh. It's not so bad. I've surfed these waves of creativity all my life, as long as I can remember (and I can go back to 2 years old). At least I'm not hacking off my own body parts and sending them to my girlfriend, unlike SOME people.

Speaking of girlfriends, reason #346 why I love mine:

As I've mentioned previously, there's a person from the painful part of Raechelle's past (which she has alluded to in general terms on her own blog) who continues to monitor both her blog and mine. It's not like he's stalking her physically - he's just quietly lurking, the virtual equivalent of the creepy guy in the bushes peering in the window (whereas the majority of our readers are more like invited houseguests).

Maybe it was the shared wine or the creative high I was on from the production meeting, but for some reason when I logged onto Sitemeter and saw his IP and the referral from Rae's blog, I let myself get pissed. I know I shouldn't - that's a really ugly, jealous aspect of my psyche I'd just as soon keep locked away. But that stuff triggers my alpha male protection instinct, as I don't like the thought of anyone hurting my woman like he did.

So I called her, and she talked me down. We agreed that any energy directed at this guy would be better used in loving each other and creating a wonderful future together. Our best revenge is in our own happiness. And some people are just not worth the bother.

And speaking of happiness, we have seven (count 'em) SEVEN houses to tour tonight. I've had at least a little time with my girl every day this week, and it's been fantastic. And this weekend is slated to be chock full of activity. Starting next weekend, we're in Cali.

* * *

Wow. I just heard a guy on the building construction kitty corner to us get injured. We get all sorts of entertainment out here. Hope he's okay. He's sure vocal about it, which is probably a good sign.

Stray Bullets

• Met Raechelle's sister Wendy last night. Due to some crossed wires on the proposed time and a cell phone left in a car, Kayleigh and I ended up going to The Swell first for happy hour appetizers because by that point we were hungry. And when TD is hungry and blood sugar is low, peasants beware the full fury of the dragon.
• So with the edge off my hunger and a pint of Manny's in me, I was in a much better mood when Raechelle and Wendy arrived. Wendy & I got along just fine, being a couple of freckled, redheaded Celts with similar opinions on alcohol, sports and sailing. And she and her husband used to live aboard a sailboat at Shilshole Marina briefly at the same dock as Volant! Curiouser and curiouser.
• Booked our trip to California. Now I just need to arrange for the housesitting.
• Today, I did the week's grocery shopping. Picked up some fresh sushi and took it to Raechelle's office for some lunch in the park (after adorning the whiteboard in her office with some dark clouds and lightning to compliment the drawing of "Raechelle's Mood Is:"). Sun, sushi and a hot chick by my side. Life is good.
• Have to replace our land line telephone. It is totally McFuggered. The cordless handset has been dropped so many times the battery cover is gone and the battery pack hangs out the back, and both the cordless and the corded desk handset deliver nothing but static.
• First OA series production meeting in a long while tonight. I'm looking forward to getting re-inspired. And I've written a few more scenes in the pilot script. It's coming together pretty well.

Last Post Today, I Swear

The OA series production meeting has been rescheduled. Bummer. But at least that gives me another week to work on the pilot script.

Just finished watching Stay during my lunch break. Amazing piece of visual skullfuckery in the vein of Jacob's Ladder, including [spoiler alert] the ending. Director Marc Forster weaves a bizarre tale of insanity and temporal distortion and makes use of every visual trick in the cinematography book. Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling are intense, ably supported by Jeanine Garofalo and Bob Hoskins. It's a bit disturbing in places, and I'm not sure I'd ever want to watch it again, but it sure was interesting to see once.

Okay, back to work.

Productivity Without Overachievement

I was much more productive yesterday than I thought I would be. That's always nice, when you can surprise yourself.

It was still bloody hot yesterday, so I set up camp in the screening room, which is the coolest room in the upstairs half of the house. The big back window was wide open. I left the artificial light off and let the sun outside do its job. And I opened the Ordinary Angels series pilot script and got some more written. Some good material, I think.

Later on I took a break from angels and fallen, and finished a piece of music I've been working on. Two, actually. My woman fell in love with this track by The Cardigans, and I'd been working on some variants to the bar chords I have no end of trouble with. The idea is that we'll actually perform an acoustic set at some point, and she wants to do that song.

Some other stuff happening on the publishing side, and I really need to talk to my brother about it. But hey - I'll have a whole week apart from Raechelle to sort out business stuff. Speaking of the girl, I'm abducting her for lunch today, and tomorrow we're having dinner at The Swell with one of her bestest buds.

Onward.