Consider this sentence my mandatory introduction.... Okay, now let's hop to it.
Rose
Very productive meetings in Vancouver. Even though the writing process sometimes feels almost endless, I know we've actually made incredible headway. I think we're both pretty pleased with the results from this week's meetings. It also helped immensely to have some fresh outside input.
Thorn
Being brutally honest requires some very hard cuts. The time has come to cut the fat, and over the course of this past week, we've lost a couple great scenes out on the battlefield. Le sigh. The funny thing is, I think we both surprised ourselves at how easily we cut out these scenes. I think Jim n' I recognize that the college scenes don't really push the story forward. Sure, they're nice... but there's no big payoff that can't be achieved in better ways.
It's too bad because we both loved a couple of those scenes. We've crafted some pretty witty dialog over the last draft or two, and now it has all been stripped to the wayside. We especially mourn the loss of our clever hotel room riddle.
So, in memory of this beloved riddle, I will share it with you now before it finds it's final resting place, buried deep within our 'Development Drafts' folder, where it shall never be read again. Poor lil' hotel room riddle.
***Argh. Never mind. Jim won't let me include the scene in case we find somewhere else in the story to shoehorn it in. Oh well, when the script is finalized and the joke is inevitably cut, I promise to tell it to you then. ;)
Rose
A safe and comfortable ride to, from and around Vancouver. The only damage done was when a stone was kicked up by a car driving past us and it chipped our windshield.
However, interestingly enough, before we left town, the gal at Budget who rented us the vehicle wrote on the damage assessment that there was already a chip in the windshield. She said to me, "I'll just put this down now in case you get one along the way. That way you won't have to fill out any paperwork when you get back."
Funny, huh?
Thorn
Getting towed wasn't exactly a highlight of our trip. Of course, it could've been much worse. We can swallow $65. A stolen vehicle would've been another story.
Rose
Olympic fever.... or at least, Olympic warmth. For a girl who normally couldn't care less... well, maybe not "couldn't care less".... how about, "not exactly bursting with excitement" over the big event, I found that being around all the pre-Olympic action in Vancouver really lifted my energy. I was wishing that we could spend another few days there just to continue soaking it all in. (Sans meetings, of course.... )
Thorn
Keeping in tune with the Olympics, I'd like someone to answer the question why the news keeps replaying the horrific scene of that young Georgian luger's death. Like really? Do people actually need to see that?! Maybe the media should ask themselves if they would want to watch one of their friends or relatives get killed on camera over and over and over again. Just because there's footage, doesn't make it right.
Rose
I got an unexpected package in the mail this week from my friend Janet. It was a belated Christmas gift which included all kinds of great goodies including her second-hand vegetarian cookbook, a package of Quebecois fudge, two free trade chocolate bars, a package of free trade coffee, a can of poutine sauce, a box with 7 bars of local goat's milk soap, and a homemade painting of a coffee cup that says "Coffee first. Then your mundane bullshit." Ha. Best of all, there was a little note describing the inspiration behind most of the gifts. So much fun! :)
Thorn
Is going to the dentist for a cleaning a thorn? I was complemented on my brushing and flossing, so that was okay. But keeping your mouth open for that whole 40 minutes is a real pain in the jaw. Oh yeah, and not having benefits anymore is kind of a pain in the ass. Long gone are the days when I only pay $30 for a cleaning.
Rose
Yesterday, I was asked by Cassandra, an old friend and co-worker of Jim's, if she could post a photo I took of our eccentric San Diego cabbie to a website she runs with her friends called, "GranPaparazzi". And oh my goodness, you MUST check this site out! It is just sooo super cute. I love it!
The site is about fashionable seniors, but I won't do it justice to describe it. You'll just have to check it out for yourself. Some of the photos are just precious. I haven't made it through the entire site yet, but my current fav is DeNiro and his flashy turban. Simply awesome.
Our neighbourhood is brimming with seniors, and I already have a couple other photogenic subjects in mind who I'd love to submit. Like the little old lady who is always dressed to the nines as she walks her poodle pup down the path. She often wears flashy jewelry (I believe her husband was a diamond carver, or something like that), and she has a wide-brimmed purple hat that is lined with colourful little "worry dolls", as they're sometimes called. I think her name might be Pearl...
Thorn
Uganda's parliament is passing a horrible new law that would punish gay people with prison or even death.
From what I've read, "The bill proposes life imprisonment for anyone convicted of having same-sex relations and proposes the death penalty for 'serial offenders'. NGOs working to prevent the spread of HIV could be imprisoned for up to 7 years for 'promoting homosexuality'. Even members of the public face up to three years in jail if they fail to report homosexuality to the police within 24 hours!"
Can you friggin' believe such a thing?!
Go here to sign the petition that will be sent to President Museveni, members of the review committee and Ugandan embassies worldwide, as well as key donor governments.
Alright... and that's it, that's all for another week.
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