
Last night got weird.
Only in Hollywood can you sit at a cafe, drowning yourself in coffee while working on a pitch package for a film project you’ve been dying to do for years, all while trying desperately not to listen in on the conversation a couple guys are having at the table next to yours because upon them arriving at the cafe, you realized one of them happens to be one of your favorite actors. The same actor who weeks ago, while checking out a last minute screening of an indie movie at a small theatre with one prime aisle seat left, we grabbed the seats before recognizing him two seats away, and listened to his giggling throughout the movie, including when a former co-star popped up briefly on screen.
Hollywood is both ridiculously fake and absurdly real at the same time.
Also, entirely inappropriate, but the actor’s lunch companion asked where he was staying at the moment, and right when the actor went to answer, a huge truck turned the corner and made so much noise everything was drowned out for a couple of seconds and it was so token movie moment I started laughing while attempting to take a sip of coffee and ended up choking and well, you know, if you’re ever trying to appear cool with life in front of someone you essentially grew up watching on television, you will always, always make an ass out of yourself. Always.
Everyone carried on as usual. So I didn’t say anything, either.
Mostly so Kyle couldn’t snark, “Really Jas? One margarita in and you’re already feeling the earth move? Lightweight.”
Saturday morning.
Script Frenzy starts at midnight. Cleaning, decorating, outlining, and prepping for the 100pg goal.
“Why are we choosing to play Lord of the Flies? I read the book, I know how it ends. They kill Piggy with the conch and eat the twins.” - Franny, rewriting books while hiking.
Updating here has been pretty non-existent over the past several weeks and I almost wish I could say it was due to jetsetting all over the world, hob-nobbing with the greats, feigning interest in caviar, and so forth of whatever is included in the new American Dream.
Instead, I’ve been here in Los Angeles, writing, casting, and finally: entering pre-production of my new internet series. I have my own version of the Dream.
You know that feeling when you wake up one morning and think, I just can’t continue doing what I’ve been doing. I can’t. I could, physically, but mentally, I need to grow. I need to do something else. So that’s what direction I’ve been turning in. And it’s scary, forging ahead on a new path when you were pretty comfortable on the one already well traveled. But ‘comfortable’ is for when I’m eighty with grandchildren sitting around my rocker asking for stories.
In the past month or so, I’ve been working on casting several new internet series and other projects, headed up to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival with the NewFilmmakers LA crew, saw Van Halen live in concert for the very first time (and can’t forget Kool & the Gang!), worked on a pretty disturbing short film with the wonderful actor Clint Howard, and have continued my exploration of Los Angeles. I now understand why people love Runyon Canyon. On a clear day, there’s no better place then at the top, sitting peacefully and taking in the Pacific Ocean to Downtown LA and everything in between. I love this city. Always will.
Now I must be off. I may not be sipping mimosas with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast, but I do have a pretty exciting shoot this afternoon. Followed by writing, casting, writing, casting… If I ever, ever complain, smack me.

Greetings from Santa Barbara! Headed up last night with the wonderful NewFilmmakers LA crew to attend the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Currently hanging on the outside patio of a Mexican restaurant, watching our director dance away to every one-hit wonder that blasts out of the speakers, and working away in gorgeous sunshine weather with the beach less than a mile away, free chips & salsa, and super quick wi-fi. I love winter.

January screening / NewFilmmakers Los Angeles.
Real talk: how great does the color of Aromee’s shirt look on her?
In the past week, I’ve… hiked to the Hollywood sign and found the DeLorean along the way (and the day before the body parts were discovered along our hiking route), watched the sunset from the Griffith Observatory, taken the requisite Beverly Hills tourist shot, thought my neighbor was dead (could have been instead of just tanning, death by scooter seemed plausible), visited New York (if only via studio backlot), learned my calico cat is too much of a princess to share a litterbox, enjoyed another successful sold-out NewFilmmakers LA screening, caught a wonderful performance by Mayer Hawthorne, and had brunch with a couple of lovely ladies.
Also hesitated writing a short film script that came to mind during our NFMLA screening. It’s guaranteed to bum me out the moment I start fleshing out one of the main characters, hits far too close to home. Aromee, after hearing a quick pitch, told me the idea was “depressing as f—-“. So I’ve avoided starting the first draft by watching marathons of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Chopped, and unpacking my new residence. The idea is still nagging at me. It’s something I need to get out.
It’s supposed to rain the whole weekend. Might be the perfect time to sit back, write, and wonder what happened to the one I’m writing about.
really old vintage photos of homosexual couples
See the rest, they’re all amazing.
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via a friend who just visited him in prison.
This is so fucking powerful. It shows how someone can be suicidal right in front of everyone and everyone’s too blind to see...
My youngest is developing an interest in Star Wars and already loved Angry Birds, so he found there’s a crossover and drew this. In ballpoint pen.