hoysweetfuckinggodinhell
I hate pitiful-me stories and yes, everyone's got stress & issues. But this is my journal, so deal.
I worked from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM [essentially] for the previous two days. Today was a "light" day from 8 AM to 9 PM. Tomorrow will officially be hell; as I will be on from 9 AM to about 4 AM; with the hours of 1PM until 3AM spent OUTSIDE with fake snow and giant fans blowing on me.
The thing is (that I really don't acknowledge): I'm ill. I have a cough, the sore throat, etc. But my stress level has been so high; and the amount of things to be done (forgot to eat today until about 3PM) that it hasn't sunk in. This alone is not a big deal; people get sick and such is life. But add to that the conditions of tomorrow's shoot - and it's pneumonia time. Which also would be somewhat somewhat tolerable - except that SZ and I leave for NY then on to Istanbul about 3o hours after we wrap the job. An 11 hour flight to Turkey is essentially a petri-dish-in-the-sky type deal. I fully expect to land in Istanbul and check into ICU. Added to which, SZ is sick - and he's *never* sick. This is worrisome.
I can't begin to detail the stress of the last two weeks; but 10-16 hour days have been the rule -- with monstrous revisions, high-pressure delivery scenarios, massive chasing-down-of-BS and finally the capper: one of my crew [of 35] basically shit the bed on me tonight at 7PM [call time is 2PM tomorrow]- the guy who is supposed to drive the 10-ton grip truck from LSI to location. Took at least a year off of my life. Luckily, [hail, Satan!] I found someone who agreed to do the job 19 hours before call time. Tried to call KB [producer] but no luck. Hope she's okay with that. I guess it can't be all bad, because the EP was in from SF (Christ, I feel like I work for the Defense Department throwing these fucking acronyms around...) and sort of shrugged and said "these things happen". Then bought me a drink. After telling me about his pending purchase of a '64 Mercedes, his Ottoman that took 5 months to ship from France, and all the rest. As if it's not enough that he has GAP underwear models giving him their phone number - he's classy and outfitted with major gear and high scrilla factor. AND he lives in San Fran... jesus, I'd kill everyone I know to be that guy for 6 months. I like him.
Cope met me for drinks last night and it was really great. Totally what I needed. I must maintain a schedule of contact with that man... he's more important to me than perhaps I realized. And best of all - he's smarter than me and makes me laugh unreservedly and genuinely and often.
Have nothing packed, no plans, and know not a lick of Turkish. Not even "thank you", "pardon", or "where's the bathroom?". We leave in 60 hours.
If I'm not in the hospital.
I *did* drop nearly $150 on cold-weather gear but I think at some point, you're just in for it. And as unwell as I've been, it's difficult to imagine that I will come out unscathed.
But we shall see. The Ags loaded me up with needles and powders and magic "ear seeds" which are little metal beads that they jam into a crevice in your ear to help with anxiety.
Did it work? ;-)
I miss MBK. I confess. And I owe Buzz Magazine a column before I go. And Modern Drunkard a meeting. And Wyndham about $750. Shall I go on?
SZ graciously and generously offered to fund the entire NY leg of our journey. I can't let him; but I want to and I should. ;-)
Well, sleep is now.
I worked from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM [essentially] for the previous two days. Today was a "light" day from 8 AM to 9 PM. Tomorrow will officially be hell; as I will be on from 9 AM to about 4 AM; with the hours of 1PM until 3AM spent OUTSIDE with fake snow and giant fans blowing on me.
The thing is (that I really don't acknowledge): I'm ill. I have a cough, the sore throat, etc. But my stress level has been so high; and the amount of things to be done (forgot to eat today until about 3PM) that it hasn't sunk in. This alone is not a big deal; people get sick and such is life. But add to that the conditions of tomorrow's shoot - and it's pneumonia time. Which also would be somewhat somewhat tolerable - except that SZ and I leave for NY then on to Istanbul about 3o hours after we wrap the job. An 11 hour flight to Turkey is essentially a petri-dish-in-the-sky type deal. I fully expect to land in Istanbul and check into ICU. Added to which, SZ is sick - and he's *never* sick. This is worrisome.
I can't begin to detail the stress of the last two weeks; but 10-16 hour days have been the rule -- with monstrous revisions, high-pressure delivery scenarios, massive chasing-down-of-BS and finally the capper: one of my crew [of 35] basically shit the bed on me tonight at 7PM [call time is 2PM tomorrow]- the guy who is supposed to drive the 10-ton grip truck from LSI to location. Took at least a year off of my life. Luckily, [hail, Satan!] I found someone who agreed to do the job 19 hours before call time. Tried to call KB [producer] but no luck. Hope she's okay with that. I guess it can't be all bad, because the EP was in from SF (Christ, I feel like I work for the Defense Department throwing these fucking acronyms around...) and sort of shrugged and said "these things happen". Then bought me a drink. After telling me about his pending purchase of a '64 Mercedes, his Ottoman that took 5 months to ship from France, and all the rest. As if it's not enough that he has GAP underwear models giving him their phone number - he's classy and outfitted with major gear and high scrilla factor. AND he lives in San Fran... jesus, I'd kill everyone I know to be that guy for 6 months. I like him.
Cope met me for drinks last night and it was really great. Totally what I needed. I must maintain a schedule of contact with that man... he's more important to me than perhaps I realized. And best of all - he's smarter than me and makes me laugh unreservedly and genuinely and often.
Have nothing packed, no plans, and know not a lick of Turkish. Not even "thank you", "pardon", or "where's the bathroom?". We leave in 60 hours.
If I'm not in the hospital.
I *did* drop nearly $150 on cold-weather gear but I think at some point, you're just in for it. And as unwell as I've been, it's difficult to imagine that I will come out unscathed.
But we shall see. The Ags loaded me up with needles and powders and magic "ear seeds" which are little metal beads that they jam into a crevice in your ear to help with anxiety.
Did it work? ;-)
I miss MBK. I confess. And I owe Buzz Magazine a column before I go. And Modern Drunkard a meeting. And Wyndham about $750. Shall I go on?
SZ graciously and generously offered to fund the entire NY leg of our journey. I can't let him; but I want to and I should. ;-)
Well, sleep is now.