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November 30, 2005
Sum of All Years: Who's Next?
So, it seems a few peeps are eager to become a part of the Sum of all Years project, founded by Cliff (AKA "London"--but don't call him that).
Check back to see Hal's, Chip's, BrYan's... and others as they become available.
And do say hello to folks when you stop by. Too many hits to the blog without a "hello" can be unsettling. You'll see, when you're in "the thickest years" of your project.
Posted by bonnie at 11:51 PM | Comments (5)
The Sum of All Years: 10
Brilliant teacher taps in: I begin teaching English to refugees.
Posted by bonnie at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2005
Oh, and...
Happy birthday, Liz!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!
Posted by bonnie at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)
Observation/Warning
I'm going to make an observation about the process of taking on The Sum of All Years project.
It's more like therapy than I'd anticipated it would be. And it's hard to distill each year down to its most... what? Most life-defining? Most memorable? Most exciting? Most wish I could forget it? Most still a part of me? Most what I've conquered? Most how I now see myself... events. I still don't know. And I'll save most of my postmortem for, well, after.
Just know, if you take on this challenge (as many of you have said you'll do), you'll likely find some truths about yourself that you didn't think you'd ever make public (and wonder what the agenda has been in keeping things to yourself... as well as what the agenda may be in revealing them now), and you'll learn you're both more and less broken than perhaps you thought you were.
Again, more at the end. Just wanted to get that out there, as fair warning for anyone taking on the project.
A part of me wants to stop. A part of me cannot. A part of me must. A part of me will not.
Thanks for reading, just the same.
Posted by bonnie at 10:15 PM | Comments (3)
The Sum of All Years: 09
Dad remarries.
Mom goes New Age.
I am molested.
Posted by bonnie at 9:34 PM | Comments (1)
One of these days...
I shall take some downtime.
No, really.
Posted by bonnie at 1:27 AM | Comments (1)
November 28, 2005
The Sum of All Years: 08
Dad returned... left again.
Can't afford Montessori anymore.
Posted by bonnie at 11:45 PM | Comments (0)
The Sum of All Years: 07
Starred in first play.
Move over, Barbra.
Posted by bonnie at 10:27 AM | Comments (1)
November 27, 2005
The Sum of All Years: 06
Dreamed Daddy left.
Then he did.
Posted by bonnie at 10:35 AM | Comments (6)
November 26, 2005
My First PPV Experience
Okay, so I bought my first ever Pay Per View program: Ga. vs. Ga. Tech, which we can't watch on our ABC station due to dumb ol' Stanford. Okay, fine, so I pony up the $20 and open a bottle of wine, figuring, I've paid my money, let's make it a "date night." Keith is glee-filled, watching me giggle about the Dawgs and the silly affection I have for college football... only sometimes.
Five minutes in, we're pleased with our purchase. This is going to be a good game.
And then...
What's this?
COMMERCIALS????? I'm sorry... did I not understand how PPV works?
I PAID for my VIEWING. Why should I have to be subjected to COMMERCIALS when I've already spent money for the show?
Damn Capitalism.
Posted by bonnie at 5:13 PM | Comments (1)
The Sum of All Years: 05
Momma's light. Daddy's little girl.
Posted by bonnie at 1:43 AM | Comments (1)
November 25, 2005
The Sum of All Years: 04
My brother, my hero.
Posted by bonnie at 3:59 PM | Comments (1)
November 23, 2005
The Sum of All Years: 03
Hospitals.
Phobias.
Montessori.
Posted by bonnie at 11:18 PM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2005
The Sum of All Years: 02
Blissfully busy.
Posted by bonnie at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2005
The Sum of All Years: 01
Casts.
Posted by bonnie at 8:15 PM | Comments (1)
November 18, 2005
Good Guy
I knew I always liked that Negroponte guy.
MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte started a project to give $100 laptops to millions of schoolchildren in developing countries. "In Cambodia when the kids brought the laptop home, the parents loved it because it was the brightest light source in the house," he said. "The first English word of every child in that project was 'Google.'"
Bitchin'.
Posted by bonnie at 7:17 PM | Comments (0)
Queen of Cactus Cove NEWS
Oh, I'm so excited! Just got news that my third 2005 film-I-cast screening experience has been scheduled.
Queen of Cactus Cove has been accepted to the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival.
From the site:
At 5:15pm [December 11, 2005] we feature the Teen Gumbo program, short films highlighting the modern US teen experience. We are proud to present the world premiere of the short film Queen of Cactus Cove, directed by Anna Christopher. In attendance will be the star of the film, Alia Shawkat, co-star of the popular television series Arrested Development, along with co-star Alex Frost, who appeared in the Gus Van Sant film Elephant.
Heeeeeeee! I'm just pleased as punch. *beaming, happy casting director*
Posted by bonnie at 1:30 AM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2005
Oh, and...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHIP!
Posted by bonnie at 8:22 PM | Comments (2)
Thwok's Favorite Toy
Thwok's new favorite toy is my padded emery board.
She stole it from my desk yesterday and began picking it up (Yes, she stands on her back paws and uses her front paws like a squirrel does.), tossing it into the air, and then chasing it down as it landed. Then she would grab it between her two front paws and begin kicking at it with her back paws until she flipped it across the room with one too-swift kick, running again to chase it down and punish it for getting away from her.
We've seen her walking around the house with it between her teeth, watched her wrestle with it, and enjoyed the giggles as she tosses it into a wall from which it bounces back and sails right back at her like a boomerang.
She is easily amused (as are we).
*sigh*
Animals are cool.
Posted by bonnie at 8:14 PM | Comments (2)
November 16, 2005
"Casting Qs" Event Tonight!
Brentano's November 2005 Book Signing Events
Stop By Brentano's in November to meet your favorite authors:
Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 7:00PM - Bonnie Gillespie Casting Workshop with casting director discussing Casting Qs (bring your headshots) (Performing Arts)
For further information, please contact Brentano's at (310) 785-0204
Brentano's Century City
10250 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles CA, 90067
Posted by bonnie at 11:44 AM | Comments (1)
November 15, 2005
How To Fix a Sucky Mood
Step one: Go to bed way early and sleep as long as possible before you have to get up to start your exhaustingly long day.
Step two: Check email before dashing out the door and read all of the awesome, brilliant, loving, funny, and supportive comments left at your blog from when you bitched about being rubbed the wrong way so much you feel like a new hooker's practice dildo.
Step four: Baby-talk kitties and have them show bellies off as if to say, "If you wanted to stay home all day and play with us, that would be okay too."
Step five: Ask hubby to print out directions to the two locations for the day's casting activities and don't notice 'til you're in the car that he used the little memo field that MapQuest provides to type love-notes.
Step six: Drive your kick-ass sixteen-year-old car really fast and zippy-like, showing all of the SUVs and Beemers how the twists and turns on Sunset west of The 405 are *really* done.
Step seven: Find a run of like five great songs in a row on various morning radio stations, all worth singing along to. Loudly.
Step eight: Have a good day of casting in which everything runs (mostly) without a hitch and after which your taste is praised and all of the BS that looked like it might go another way has washed down the RIGHT pipe after all.
Step nine: Stop by Whole Foods on the way home and pick up a salmon steak and grilled asparagus for $10.
Step ten: Blog it all up while digitizing and uploading video files of the day's sessions (and sipping a really neat little wine you found before leaving the store).
There you have it! Blood no longer boiling (for now... ). Gotta love those emotional roller coasters. Good thing to know they continue well into your 30s and sometimes it's just a matter of having a few big ol' sucky days.
Followed by a great one.
Cheers!
Posted by bonnie at 8:17 PM | Comments (4)
November 14, 2005
Um, hi... yeah.
Remember me?
Well, you're lucky. I sure as hell don't!
Didja ever notice there are certain people who just really rub you the wrong way?
Do you sometimes notice there are more-than-the-average-number of people rubbing you the wrong way for a bunch of days in a row?
And do you begin to wonder if maybe it's you who is turned the wrong way, which is why all of the rubbing FEELS like it's going on in the wrong direction?
And then do you think, "Hey! Who are you and why are you rubbing me?!?"
Dammit. I should really be liking all of this manhandling a LOT more.
Ugh.
Stop bothering me, people. And if it's ME and not YOU... then dangit, Bon, STOP BEING SO BOTHERED! Really. This is getting way old.
Posted by bonnie at 7:18 PM | Comments (6)
November 12, 2005
Here's What's Funny to Me
(and, yes, this has something to do with my upbringing and personal connection to numerology and astrology):
Personal Year 8: Attainment and capital gainsSo, what's the funny?
2006 is a number 8 personal year for you. This is your power year, a period when you can make important strides in you life. Coming after a very slow and introspective period (the personal year 7), you may start feeling some stirrings of ambitions. This is a year of big decisions and major achievements. Activity is your keynote now, and you will find yourself very much involved and occupied. Opportunities for advancement and recognition for past and current work is likely to come about during this year. You have things going for you so long as you take advantage and act. It is easy for you to branch out and expand in a businesslike manner. If you are at all inclined, this is the time to exude self-confidence and authority, because others will tend to be receptive to your leadership and control. Your power and status potential is at a peak of the nine years personal epicycle that concludes at the end of the next year.
That'd be the idea that 2005 was "slow and introspective" for me. Certainly, I learned a buttload about who I am in 2005--but really, when do I NOT learn a buttload about who I am? And we're thinking 2006 will be when I have "advancement and recognition" for my work? Wow. That's just effin' rockstar launching upward, IMO.
I was emailing with someone recently and said (re: my value-added service of casting sessions being uploaded to the Cricket Feet server within 12 hours of preread sessions for producers in other cities to evaluate in near-real time), "I went from having cast 12 projects in two years to casting another six in four months, so it's definitely making me a more efficient casting director."
But man, it's a buttload of work. Point is, if we're launching into my POWER year, per numerology... well... should be interesting.
Okay, and... I've been casting my ass off this week. In case you didn't believe me when I mentioned I'd be scarce... well, I've been BUSY! And happily so. I have so many more favorite actors added to my short list.
Finally, I've been asked to "leak" the script for the next feature film I'm casting. This is a seriously wonderful script and the budget is over $2M, so I'm feeling pretty dang happy to be onboard. The goal, in the, "Hey, Bon, leak the script," idea is that folks will begin spreading the word and the pitches will begin before the breakdown goes out. Hey, have you ever doubted that Hollywood is a system? Just wonderin'. Heh heh.
BTW, there's something really really really rockstar fun about having a regular (regular = on a schedule, set your watch by it) call from the "big" agencies to check status. I swear, I don't want to be a star-f**ker and act like that stuff matters, but I've gotta say that level of interaction makes paying the bills a way innovative and different type of endeavor (puns intended).
Posted by bonnie at 1:50 AM | Comments (1)
November 8, 2005
Can't Sleep
That's what I get for commenting on how soundly I've been sleeping since going on the thyroid supplements.
| Your Birthdate: July 11 |
 You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm. Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche. Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done. Your strength: Your inner peace Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds Your power color: Emerald Your power symbol: Leaf Your power month: November |
Now I'm all up... and buzzy. Good thing I have a bunch of casting stuff to do. Damn the shiny object that is the quiz (this one, from Ames, who is having a really great week already)!
Posted by bonnie at 3:05 AM | Comments (2)
November 7, 2005
Quizzie.
Inspired by Quiz-o-Rama at Ali's blog:
| You Passed 8th Grade Math |
 |
Notice I didn't post my results to the IQ test... not much better than what gave you an "ouch," Ali. ;)
I don't even know what that means.
Ooh, but I do find this cool (and of course it's cool. It came from Nini).
PS--I'm going to be out of touch for a few days. Casting meeting tomorrow for gig number 18, prereads for gig number 17 the next two days. Busy bee. That's me!
PPS--I met the DP for the documentary of 1000 Journals at the party last night. Very very very very very cool project.
Posted by bonnie at 7:57 PM | Comments (3)
I Do Not Recommend...
Rufies.
From WiKi:
Flunitrazepam use causes several adverse effects in the user, including drowsiness, dizziness, loss of motor control, lack of coordination, slurred speech, confusion, and gastrointestinal disturbances, lasting 12 or more hours. Flunitrazepam impairs cognitive and psychomotor functions affecting reaction time and driving skill. The use of this drug in combination with alcohol is a particular concern as both substances potentiate each other's toxicity.Seems the bartender thought he was thanking me (or maybe Keith) for the big tip on our night's tab by "buying my last drink" and slipping Rufies into it.
I've been drunk before (of course) and I know what that is like. I remember NOTHING that happened after the first few sips of that drink. Not. A. Thing. And apparently the night went on long, long, long after that and I scared Keith. Quite a bit.
Today, after hearing all about the night from Keith (and hearing *his* theory, that I had been slipped something by the bartender--I would never have thought of that), not ONE little glimmer of recollection happened. Nothing seemed familiar. Total, total, total blackout. And bizarre behavior. Very bizarre. And then after a day of (some) rest... vomit. Of course, there was nothing to throw up... just water... and then blood. Lots of blood. Some from a severe nosebleed, some from my insides elsewhere.
Gotta tell ya, I don't understand how this stuff is considered recreational by ANYONE. It's scary, evil shit and I am NOT thrilled with the guy who thought it would be funny to put me through this.
Posted by bonnie at 6:27 PM | Comments (3)
November 5, 2005
Yummy!
Nabbed from someone I don't know who commented at one of my favorite blogs.
| You Are Coffee Ice Cream |
 |
I do loves me some coffee ice cream.
PS--13 Going on 30 is a really cute movie.
Posted by bonnie at 6:28 PM | Comments (1)
Pop Quiz
Because I have no photos to upload (dammit--they're *so* all up in my camera) in honor of Chip's Day in the Life Challenge, I give you this, stolen from PARF:
Let's find out just how clever you really are.
First Question: You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?
Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong!
If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!Try not to screw up in the next question.
Second Question: If you overtake the last person, then you are...?
Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person?You're not very good at this! Are you?
Third Question: Very tricky math! Note: This must be done in your head only. Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.
Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000 Now add 10. What is the total?Did you get 5000?
The correct answer is actually 4100.
Don't believe it? Check with your calculator! Today is definitely not your day. Maybe you will get the last question right?
Fourth Question: Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?
Answer: Nunu?
NO! Of course not. Her name is Mary. Read the question again...
Yeah. That's all good fun. Damn, I wish I'd been able to contribute good photos (read: any photos) to the cause.
Good news: had a kick-ass meeting for the film I'm casting AND a rockstar dinner with the leads in a film I cast earlier this year (yeah, they're dating now... I'd say that means I'm pretty damn good at spotting chemistry and casting romantic leads). Yippee!
Posted by bonnie at 12:06 AM | Comments (1)
November 2, 2005
So Proud of Myself
I'm seriously proud of myself. Starting at 6:30pm PST yesterday, I began my 24 hours of documentation of "A Day in the Life of Bon" per instructions at Chip's blog.
I remember the results of this challenge (which I did not take on) in February 2003 to be quite delightful and insightful. So, this time, I took it on. And I did gooooood. I took photos of my work, my kitties, my Keith, my phone calls, my headshot files, my cantaloupe-eating, and even my looking for grey hairs in the mirror-ing.
And now it's time to upload.
Guess what.
The card reader for my digital camera doesn't work on *any* version of OSX. Since I got the Chicklet in early 2003, we've been uploading photos using Keith's ancient ThinkPad and then FTPing them to me for sharing from there. That ThinkPad (Stinky) officially died a few weeks ago after a bout with chronic fried-insides-itis. Had I mentioned that? Yeah. So, Keith's on the Chicklet, I'm on the as-yet-unnamed gift from Joseph Montana, and no one can upload photos from the hand-me-down digital camera my dad and SM gave me in December of 2000.
Oh well. My photos were really good. I promise! And I was so damn proud to have finished the assignment, ready to upload, crop, and caption while watching ANTM. Grr. Suckola. Chip, I know you mentioned we could send you the photos for hosting. Does that mean I can snail mail you my 16mb media card for a six-year-old Olympus 1.3mpxl camera?
*snork*
I crack myself up.
Back to casting.
PS--Ask me to tell you all someday (in person, no papertrail) the things I've learned in casting this particular film re: submissions and pitch calls. Quite ethnographically titillating.
Posted by bonnie at 7:53 PM | Comments (0)
November 1, 2005
Two Spynotebookers Rock My World
Well, more than that many, really, but I must specifically say THANK YOU to SpyNotebook's own Hamil and BrYan, for kicking oh-so-much ass. Truly. Worshipful am I!
Oh, and I think I will rise to Chip's Day in the Life Challenge. Prepare to be bored.
Posted by bonnie at 6:10 PM | Comments (2)
New Casting Gig
Still of the Night, an ensemble dramatic SAG ULB feature film, to shoot January 2006.
Watch for breakdown later today. Woo hoo!
Posted by bonnie at 12:46 PM | Comments (1)
Losing My Touch
This is what happens when an HTML junkie begins to age...
She can't fix code on a page she's been maintaining for over six years. Yup. Something went wonky and I can't fix it. Can't. Don't even have the right headspace for the analysis. I usually can line up an old version of the code and a new version and find exactly where something went wrong and put it back in order. Or AT LEAST I can pull one of Keith's old Java Script books down and figure it out from there. This time? No way.
I'm officially getting too old to code.
Wow.
Meanwhile, still finishing edits on the book and still having a LOT more to do than I'd imagined I would, this close to Mercury going Retrograde. Looks like a new breakdown will go out this week for the first of three films to cast before year-end. And what I really need is some paid time off to get everything organized so that I can actually do all of the things stretched out before me and hire someone to help.
Oh, y'know what hurts? Microwave popcorn bag-induced papercut on the pinky. Yeah. Ow.
Happy November, all!
Posted by bonnie at 2:36 AM | Comments (3)