Tabula Rasa

The very first things I unpacked in my new apartment.

All the boxes are finally unpacked, and my new apartment is set up pretty much as I want it. There's something so poetic about starting a new year in a new home, especially one that's a much-needed upgrade. What's even more exciting about this place is that I actually have an honest-to-goodness office space! It still needs a bit of setting up, but all the important bits are there: computer, printer/scanner, my trusty Nightmare Before Christmas block calendar.

Even with all the good changes, it's still taken some getting used to. Everything is completely different now. The new apartment is off the BART line, which means I actually have to put my new driving skills to work on a near-daily basis.

They see me rollin', they hatin'...

It's taken a bit of time and practice, but I'm finally to the point where I actually find driving fun. I know most drivers got over the thrill when they were teenagers, but I still get a rush each time I hit over 30 mph with my music on the stereo. The world feels so open to me now, even if I am just bipping around town doing errands.

So, yeah. New apartment, new driving skills, and soon, new projects. Spring will come sooner than expected, and I still have some hefty pre-production and budget building to do before I can come up with a concrete funding and production plan for my new short film, Inner Critic. After all the domestic madness, I'm really looking forward to getting back to work again.

Come to the Dark Side...we have cookies!

May slips into June, June sneaks into July, July bowls into August. Now September looms around the corner, and almost an entire season has gone by since I last shared on this blog. That's what summer vacation is about, though.

This was my first genuine summer break since high school (which was back in the dark ages of the mid-1990s). As soon as I turned 16, I worked every summer and holiday. I always had a job (or two) throughout college and my summer breaks, and then right after graduation I jumped straight into the nonprofit work force. I've been very lucky that way.

But I have to admit, being laid off was a sort of a blessing in disguise. This was the first year the Professor wasn't teaching summer school, so we were able to spend two months just relaxing together. It was bliss. We took care of home projects, spent time with friends and family, and generally enjoyed the taste of sweet freedom...

...which tastes kinda like sugar cookies.



I actually made these cookies back in May, as part of my brother's college graduation festivities. These Star Wars cookie cutters were an early birthday gift from my folks, who had come up to the Bay Area for the commencement. On the last day of their visit my brother helped me roll, stamp, and sugar, which brought back a ton of happy childhood memories. Though, I have to admit, there was an extra bit of geeky glee in decorating Star Wars characters.





I think my favorite, though, is our DIY Death Star. Since there wasn't a Death Star cutter, I made my own with a round cutter and a toothpick. As you can see, it's ready to fire on a unsuspecting cookie planet...

Writing Update

So, last I wrote, I was awaiting the results for the NYC Midnight Screenwriter's Challenge. The good news is that I won third place in my heat, which held 18 writers. The bad news is that only first and second place advanced to the next round. So, that was it for me. I made a good showing, though, and I'm genuinely please with what I entered. I received some good, solid feedback from one of the judges, so overall it was a good learning experience.

Right now, I'm actually working on a secret project with a friend of mine, which I'm really excited about. It's not ready to be unveiled, but soon I'll be able to share more details...

The Middle

I'm not a fan of the band "Jimmy Eat World," nor of their overplayed song, "The Middle." That being said, I've woken up with these lyrics stuck in my head every day this week:

"It just takes some time/Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride/Everything (everything) will be just fine, everything (everything) will be alright (alright)."

I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something.

Why do I need to be assured things will be alright? Well, my friends, I'm being laid off tomorrow. The organization I started working for 4 months ago is in a "transitional phase" of sorts, and this phase does not involve my position (or many other ones, to be fair).

There's been a lot of mixed emotions about this, from grief to optimism, from anger to relief. Today, though, it's time to stop dwelling in those feelings. I'm shaking off the haze that's engulfed me since I heard the news and sinking my teeth into the opportunities this change presents.

So, I got up with the spouse at 7:30 a.m., made some coffee, and am about to start a job hunt in earnest. Later today, I'm taking a trip to the gym (which is so very overdue).

I'm also using my newly-given free time to pursue something a little different: I've entered in the NYC Midnight 2010 Screenwriter's Challenge. I'll have eight days (April 16-24) to write a short script (15 pages or less) in an assigned genre, based off a given prompt. If I win the "heat," I'll have 24 hours to write another one (June 4-5).

I've never entered a competition like this before. I've always had excuses: I don't have the time, I don't have the experience, etc., etc. Well, now I've got nothing but time, and some real experience writing a short script that has been successfully produced. I'm out of excuses, and genuinely excited to be trying my hand at this. Even if I don't make it past the first round, at least I'll come out of this experience with another screenplay under my belt.

So, if I may ask, wish me luck as I claw my way out of this "middle" period. On to a new job, and new opportunities!

Oh, and if you know of any jobs opening up in the San Francisco Bay Area, please send 'em my way!