A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 100~ 20th And Lexington: The Sequel

"What if nothing exists, and we are all in somebody's dream?"

I had a great time yesterday, and today, watching the process of what it takes to make a film. Well, at least as much as I could see from across the street! LOL. Actually, I got to see a lot about how things are done, and I knew before I went that for at least a part of the time I would be there, it would be like watching paint dry. :) I have been an extra in two movies, Angel's In The Outfield, and Moneyball, and both experiences were somewhat mind numbing. I say somewhat because as 11 hour days go, it could have been worse, but it was 11 hours. 11 hours of pretending to do a fictitious wave as if actually at a baseball game. 11 hours of alternating between booing and cheering. 11 hours of waiting for the sun to move around the ball park. But in the end, as the extras liaison put it, now I could call myself an ACTOR. Yes, well no, not really. LOL.

Both of my days as an actor working on the baseball movies were long, and the pay consisted of some free snacks and sodas, but where else did I have to be? I could sit at home, or I could go out and have an adventure. If given a choice, I will almost always choose the adventure over same old... same old. And besides, I learned about how hard folks work both in front, and behind the scenes to bring us movie magic. Just like with Danny Glover, in Angels In The Outfield, and Brad Pitt in Moneyball, I have a whole new respect for Woody Allen! I have always appreciated his work, but now I have a clearer idea about what it takes to achieve it! When the movie he is currently working on comes out, and I am in the theater watching it, I will remember the last couple days, and smile because I was there.

Awesome!

 

 

"In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better ever day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!"

~Woody Allen


~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 99~ 20th And Lexington

"You can't live to be a hundred if you give up all that makes you want to live to be a hundred."

~Woody Allen

It was a successful day. And odd. And completely nerve-racking. And... AWESOME. I did it, I found Woody Allen in San Francisco, and got the shot. Alan and I got to the location where they were shooting, the corner of 20th and Lexington, in the Mission district. There was only a small crowd of about 20, and that varied from time to time as folks either gave up, or simply lost interest. I wasn't about to do either. It all paid off a couple hours later when I got to see Woody Allen come down the red stairway, climb into his town car and leave for a lunch break.

It was worth it? It was the best 2 hours I have ever spent in San Francisco. I got to watch them film scenes. I got to people watch, and believe me that was interesting, and the weather couldn't have been better. Warm, but not hot. Just perfect. When we first turned onto Lexington, I felt a little nervous. Then as we parked around the corner and began to walk back to the location of the shooting, I started to babble, and sweat. Why was I getting so flummoxed out over this? Well, you know, it was that New York minute that I always wanted to have. Would it live up to how I imagined it being? Would I be disappointed should he fart in front of me? Would it be boring?

None of the above. It was exactly how I thought it would be. The only thing missing was a corned beef sandwich from the Carnegie Deli. But now I know... it wasn't really needed at all.

Scenes From An Untitled Woody Allen  Movie ...











:)

~Me :)

Today's Link...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/08/apadf6-93-97.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months ~ Day 98 A Day Late And A Woody Allen Short

"Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem."

~ Woody Allen

Okay, so I found out where in San Francisco Woody Allen is doing the filming for his latest project. I know it is at the corner of 14th st and South Van Ness avenue. If you click here, you will see many wonderful photos of the shoot that took place over the last couple days. Not a single one was taken by me, but I assure you, they are first rate! You will even see average citizens with their cameras, more than likely local neighborhood folk, all snapping away... but not me. No, I was a day late, and a Woody Allen short. But hey, it wasn't a total loss... nope... I think my photo of the corner of 14th and South Van Ness avenue is excellent, and I will never forget the excitement of taking it and besides, it was exciting to know I only missed him by hours... and hours... and... sigh... hours.

All is not lost, however, I am going back over to the city tomorrow, and I am hoping to only miss him by minutes... not hours. It's a lofty goal, but it's mine.

~ :) Me

Demotix: Woody Allen Directs Latest Film With Cate Blanchett In San Francisco

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: ~Day 97 In A Moment

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

~Albert Einstein

Not bad for a picture, taken on my Android, in a moving car. If I have a camera, I will find the picture. After I get the picture, I like writing the opening or closing paragraph to a new story. Just the opening, or just the closing, the middle part doesn't matter all that much. Like any given day. It's a wonderful change-up on county sheep, and a wonderful way to rethink the photos you get when you have done a big photo jaunt. Try it sometime. Just take your best photo from the group, and write a short story, not only will you sleep better, you will look at scenes in front of you differently.

-Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 96~ If It Makes You Happy

"It is the hour of pearl... the interval between day and night when time stops and examines itself."

~John Steinbeck

Photo: Bixby Creek Bridge, Monterey, Ca.

This is the second time in a very short time that I find myself quoting John Steinbeck. I think there is someone telling me to do a lot more photos in the Monterey/Carmel area. I think I will l listen to that someone, because lets face it, I love it there. But then again, speaking truthfully... I love all of Northern California. 

A couple weeks ago, or so, I shared about the stars of the Bravo series, The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, having visited Half Moon Bay, on their vacation on the way to Napa. The show was filmed late last summer or early fall, which would have been an absolutely ideal time to have seen the best of the Pacific coastline, but alas it all seems to have gotten lost in their own egos and backstabbing snobbery.

I once heard a description of what reality TV really is. The opinion was that it all amounted to... Human Cockfighting. I have never thought about it that way, because reality TV has many different versions of life and whats real. It might all be about finding the perfect recipe. But it might also be about who gets kicked off the island first. But then again it might just be about all centered around beating out 25 other humans to find the love of your life by getting the last rose.

Barf. I would rather get a hemorrhoid.

But I can't say I am totally immune to the reality TV phenomena. Nope. I watch. I am not always sure why I watch. I had been a huge fan of the Real Housewives of... and I enjoyed watching the ladies interactions, well until last year, when I woke up to find the picture of Russel Armstrong all over the Internet, with the caption, Russell Armstrong, husband of Real Housewife of Beverly Hills star, Taylor Armstrong, commits suicide.

Suddenly there wasn't much joy in watching the weekly train wrecks. As a matter of fact, I felt a bit responsible. No, I didn't drive Russell to suicide, but I felt a small bit of shame for having formed the opinion I had of him. I didn't know him. I knew what Bravo showed us of him, and everything else was provided by Taylor. It wasn't pretty. Their life wasn't what anyone dreams of growing up becoming. 

It was sad. And it was a strange thing to know that Russell had hung himself, rather then live with the pain. I've been there.

No suicides on the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Bankruptcies. Friendship Betrayal. Gossip. And yes... Cheating. In fact the big story arc this year, is about whether or not Teresa's husband, Joe, is cheating on her, as he awaits trial on fraud charges. A lot is supposed to be revealed in the coming weeks, as the preview shows Joe stepping away from dinner at a vineyard in Napa, to take a phone call from work. But when his wife follows him, he can be heard calling someone... "honey" and tells the person on the phone that he has to hang up, because his "bitch" wife is coming, and "what a cunt" she is.

Disgusting.

Alan would never speak about me that way.

I don't get it. They were filming their vacation in one of the most beautiful parts of the county, certainly the state of California, and the didn't see a bit of it. Not one bit. I know I am anything but impartial about the Bay Area, but really, they saw nothing to appreciate along the way? They didn't know why the Golden Gate Bridge wasn't gold. They had NO idea the history behind it, or why it was special right from it's start. They were all a little busy comparing dick sizes, peeing outside, and pointing out how just uninteresting everything in California was. 

I am not all that amazed, or even insulted by their remarks and attitudes, I expect all of them miss a lot of beautiful things in life. 

That's the part that makes me sad.

And I watch this show, again, because????

Hmmmm. 

~:(

I am really looking forward to our vacation in October. And yes, Napa is on our list. There is a wonderful Botanic garden there, with a lot of trees, that should be in full autumn leaf mode. I can't wait to hug Alan amongst those trees.

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 95~ Godzilla Has Been Up To No Good!

"Do not trouble the trouble, if you trouble the trouble, the trouble will trouble you."

~Prof. Elizabeth Santos

The Treasure...

 

 Every year Alan and I plant a vegetable garden, and every year our mascots... Godzilla and his brother Godzilla sit at oposite ends of the garden and watch over it. They scare the birds, and the aphids, and most importantly, the make us smile. Alan is quite the prankster, so sometimes I will go out the garden and find Godzilla, or his brother Godzilla, propped up in some rude fashion. LOL. Honestly, when I purchased the brothers all those years ago, I did so because I thought they were so funny. I don't know, they just ticked my funny bone one day, and I couldn't resist buying them. Call it an impulse. But it was definitely one of my better impulses, because Alan and I have had a lot of fun posing them for photos, or putting them in unusual places like the cat box. 

Don't worry... the cat box had been freshly cleaned and replaced with unused kitty litter.

The Evidence...



They are fun to have around, but in the last few years it seems they have been up to no good, and yesterday, I came up with the photographic evidence. See that guy up there at the top, he is in charge of watching over the northern side of the garden. He usually does a pretty good job, but yesterday afternoon I went out to do some photos for the garden diary, and what did I see? I saw a BIG chunk missing from the pride and joy of my Mr. Stripey Heirloom tomato plant. It seems Mr. Stripey #Une had been assaulted in the middle of the previous night!

Curses! Curses! Drat!

Okay. Not the end of the Heirloom Tomato world... right? No. It's not. But I had big plans for Mr. Stripey #Une. He was going to be the featured addition to a fabulous Heirloom and French Feta homemade pizza. I love tomato and cheese pizzas. I love cooking and creating new recipes. Not that what I just mentioned was all that creative, but the point is, I was looking forward to tasting that tomato. And yes, I am disappointed.

But the good news is, despite the evidence, Godzilla and his brother Godzilla, were both innocent of the crime of Felony Heirloom Tomato Pilfering. No, the real culprit is one... Hornworm Worm.

Ugg. Alan is off work for the next 5 days, so he and I will go through the garden and make sure we take care of the suspect. There are a couple other garden pests that we want to make sure haven't moved in with the current riff-raff. It is a simple fix, and it won't harm other outdoor creatures. That is a must. I wouldn't be after Mr. Horny... but what's a gardener to do? Alan has put a lot of work, and time and love into those tomatoes. And we have a lot of cooking to do. And eating. And enjoying fresh veggies right from the garden.

And now for some good news. As it turns out, I haven't missed my chance to stalk... I mean happen upon a casual meeting...of... Woody Allen. He will be in the city until the end of the month. From what I understand he has been seen all over the city, so my chances of running into him are pretty good I think. Of all the celebrities I have had the chance to photograph, photographing Woody Allen would be.. well... sigh... A-MAZ-ING! Hell, even if I don't get a chance to take a photograph, just being able to see him across Market st. or the Embarcadero would mean my bucket list would have an empty space way up at the top, and I would smile for a very long time.

:) Imagine having a New York minute, in San Francisco. 

"Everybody loves a thing more, if it has cost him trouble."

~Steve Berry, The Venetian Betrayal

Tuesday is the day! Wish me luck!

~ME :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 94~ What The Duck?

"With a rubber duck, one's never alone."

~Unknown

"She's a few feathers short of a full duck."

~Unknown 

The presumptive GOP nominee, Williard "Mitt" Romney has chosen Paul Ryan for his V.P. pick. So? So, I thought I would care more than I do. Paul Ryan, who is plenty polarizing mind you, just doesn't bring out the same kind of ire Sarah Palin did in me. I know. I know. Give it time. It's not like Ryan hasn't pissed me off from time to time. YES HE DID, and while it's there, there is also a strange kind of ... of... competence that he exudes that makes me at least a little less frightened that if Mitt Romney is elected, and God forbid should pass away in office, that we would be thrust into an apocalyptic mood swing of a crazy person. Ummm... woman. Ummm... person.

Is it possible for women to be sexist against her own gender?

Hmmm.

I wish I knew what to think. In August, 4 years ago, I was still smarting from Hillary Clinton's primary loss to Barack Obama, when along came Simple Sarah. I believe I described John McCain's choosing her as...any old vagina in a wind storm... or something to that effect. I didn't come to that conclusion on the first day of her introduction to the national political stage, it wasn't even after the interview she did with Charlie Gibson of ABC News. No, it came somewhere around her disastrous interview with Katie Couric. Who knew Katie Couric would be the one to ask the toughest question of the presidential campaign...

Katie Couric..."And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this — to stay informed and to understand the world?"

Sarah Palin... "I’ve read most of them again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media, coming f—"

Katie Couric... "But like which ones specifically? I’m curious that you—"

Sarah Palin... "Um, all of 'em, any of 'em that, um, have, have been in front of me over all these years. Um, I have a va—"

Katie Couric... "Can you name a few?"

Sarah Palin... "I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news too. Alaska isn't a foreign country, where, it's kind of suggested and it seems like, 'Wow, how could you keep in touch with what the rest of Washington, D.C. may be thinking and doing when you live up there in Alaska?' Believe me, Alaska is like a microcosm of America."

That was it. Right there. Sigh.

"Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow."

~Chinese Proverb 

Barack Obama was spreading HOPE. Who couldn't use a little hope after enduring 8 years of the Bush presidency?

Barack Obama was spreading CHANGE. Who didn't want that, after the incompetence of 8 years of the Bush presidency?

Barack Obama was spreading the possibility of the country being whole again, and who didn't want that after 8 years of the Bush presidency?

Obama had a lot to spread. And while it felt like a huge stone was being lifted off my shoulders, I wasn't ever particularly impressed with him. Our house had solidly supported Hillary Clinton, but when Hillary lost the nomination to Obama, she asked her supporters to get behind Obama... and we did. Hope sounded good. Change sounded especially good. And competency would have been especially good... if only it would have actually happened.

Don't get me wrong. No one in the Obama administration is Bush level incompetent, but I have some serious questions about how Obama arrives at the decisions he does. Shrug. Honestly, I don't know why anyone on the republican side of politics would want anyone else in the White House. Obama has caved so often, I don't know how he can still say he is a democrat. Not much of what he promised as candidate Obama has materialized. And he still seems obsessed with pursuing the fantasy of bi-partisan politics.

"Always behave like a duck... keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath."

~Jacob Braude

It's pretty telling that the current Obama/Biden campaign slogan is... "Barack Obama... Are you in?" "Stand With Barack And Joe." "Forward."

In 2008 it was all about YES WE CAN.

4 years later it seems... NO WE COULDN'T.

What the DUCK?

~ME :(