puppies and toyotas

Today, Annalise and I drove to West, Texas to pick up a pretty nice used Toyota Corola, a replacement for the car the guy smashed when he ran a stop sign. It has air bags, a radio, 97K miles and was loveingly cared for by a little old lady...truly, it was, and she chaned the oil ever 3K miles.
We drove back, me in my Honda, her in the Toyota. I watched her toddle along behind me. She got in the left lane and drove under the speed limit, causing a long back up. It was raining, too. After about 7 cars had passed her and things were quiet, I called her...and quickly told her she needed to go the speed limit. She said she was. So, maybe to a little old lady car, 65 is really 60. I just need to tell Annalise to stay out of the left lane.

Someone sent a link to some puppies this week. 5 Pitbulls, purebred. Yee haw, there just aren't enough pitbull puppies. I didn't reply. I just couldn't bring myself to reply without sounding preachy or annoyed. I thought about offering to take all the pups if they got Mom and Dad pitbull fixed, but I wouldn't be willing to take on and rehome 5 puppies. I don't even know if there are 5 more people in Austin who would want a puppy. We are saturated with puppies.

February...

I just want to say that I'm happy that February has only 28 days in it. I'm looking forward to March, always a month of good, solid forward motion. Spring begins, we all March forth...all of that.
Some wonderful things have happened this month, and with them, a sense of how perilous things can be. March is coming...

Yes

When I heard the message that Rescue Me was invited to the Working Films documentary residency program, I remembered how nice it is to hear "yes.". It's a wonderful word, yes. This is an invitation to learn with remarkable people. It's a wonderful thing. It's a yes.

I won't be going, Lorie, my kick ass co-producer will go in my stead. She'll spend 5 days in the Berkshires talking with filmmakers about how to create an outreach and distribution plan for Rescue Me.

I would go, but Annalise is opening in her first musical that week, and there is no way I'll miss that. I've been listening to the musical for months. (My office is right next to her bathroom and she'll do one or two songs everytime she takes a shower.) Besides, this is right up Lorie's alley, she'll be great.

Big weeks ahead!

Rivers

So, Kat and I spent another Saturday morning looking at rivers. This reminds me of how much I love traipsing around in woods. Especially when it's rainy. We found some wonderful bridges but haven't found "the" bridge, yet. But find it we will!

Rest In Peace

I learned the person who jumped down on to the labryinth died in the hospital.

released...

I just called the hospital. Andy was released at 19:10. So, no warm bed tonight for him after all.
Got out too late to get in a shelter, so tonight he'll sleep outside as the cold front moves in.
Damn.

We did what we could, I guess.

If wheezing, Parkinsons and fatigue can't get a guy one night in a hospital so he can get a little stonger...

Perilous days...Mythic journeys

Last night, the events of the week, the deadline I missed, the strained series of days, caught up with me. I couldn't sleep, I was focused on preparing for "the future". Things like cleaning my house, washing my dogs, making final edits, preparing for out of town guests, yet another looming deadline or two...

It seems it was a hard night for a few other folks too.

Early early this morning, someone tried to kill himself by jumping from the top floor of the St. David's Episcopal church parking lot onto the labyrinth below. He jumped from a distance of about 100 feet and the guy wires caught him, held him for a bit until he fell another 10 feet, to land in the middle of the labyrinth.

I imagine looking from the top floor of the parking garage, death by labyrinth seemed like a romantic idea. Falling into the middle of the mythic journey and all. Still, I couldn't help but feel like the labyrinth did just as myth foretells. It leads, they say, to a new path, a new view on the world, a place you didn't expect. This was indeed where the jumping person landed.

Later at Trinity Center, things continued in their rickety, perilous way. It was quiet. When things are quiet at the homeless center, you can bet something big is brewing, something that will require some fortitude. I hate it when I'm right.

Andy came in (not his real name of course). He's tiny, has Parkinsons, few teeth, only possessions are a coat, a blanket and a big heart. He didn't look good. I made him some oatmeal, two servings, found him a power bar, he'd already eaten the standard issue breakfast, boiled egg, cheese stick and a pear.

Andy ate , then he slept, and slept and slept. He wheezed. His chest rattled.

I thought about calling EMS, I called Adult Protective Services, the adult version of CPS. They had me fill out a form online. I called the social worker at the ARCH who told me to get him to the clinic when it opens at 1.
I woke Andy up and told him we were going there, he said okay and went right back to sleep.

For most of his life, Andy has had his brother, also tiny, and slightly disabled, and currently in jail for stealing a computer. ( I don't think either of these men could lift a computer, not possible, but without a lawyer....) So Andy's been alone. Mental illness, physical disability, loneliness, it's gotta be hard for a guy to keep his attitude up, but Andy mostly can do that.

Today, Andy just slept. I roused him at 12:45 and we walked down the hill to the ARCH. After an hour in the waiting room, he saw the Dr. She is a gentle, Indian woman, with a warm, smooth manner. The Dr. sent him to the E.R. for tests and labwork, but before he left she introduced Andy to the social worker who he'll meet with when he gets out.

So, tonight, instead of the cold sidewalk, or a downtown parking garage, Andy gets to sleep in a warm hospital room.

Maybe like the guy who jumped onto the labyrinth, Andy gets to start on a new journey tomorrow too.

Roses

When you're already tired, events of danger, panic, fear, have less impact. Last week was like that. Dad's surgery, Annalise's car wreck, it was a series of big adrenaline moments followed by a rather tired Thursday night screening. The screening went well, there were lots of good comments, good moments, more pruning to do, of course, but it's getting closer.

The weekend was quiet, spent scouting locations for the feature, in beautiful Bastrop, at a Boy Scout ranch and park.
Cedar, water, sunshine.

Then Valentine's Day. I'm not a big fan of Valentine's day, it's so much about buying things and love. I would like if everyday had less of the former, more of the latter. Steve makes Valentine's day special. He made one of his amazing dinners complete with pears drizzled in chocolate, and there are beautiful roses on my table in all shades from pink to red.

ambulance chasers...

I got a call this a.m. Apparently the accident report from Annalise's wreck has been filed and she is listed as not at fault. I was told that she can receive up to 20K for her injuries and emotional suffering.

I told him I checked the 'don't let them call us" box. He said, that he gets faxes everyday on these things... I got his name and told him I'm going to tell on him. I will if I find out who to tell.

I didn't tell him that he's one of the reasons so many people can't afford car insurance and he's also one of the reasons that people don't like lawyers, but I should have...

DEEP Breaths

Friday, I love you.
The week was a bit of a workout.
Last night, we invited about 30 people to a test screening of Rescue Me. It went well, though it looked terrible due to my poor interlacing filtering...but that is easily remedied. There were people who did dog rescue, people who didn't have dogs, people who have affiliations with film, people who don't...

After the events of this week, it wasn't even terrifying.

Though as I watched the project on the big screen, I saw things I want to change, things I love, things that work, things I love that have to be removed, all of that.

Onward!

Near Misses

Just returned from emergency room, and happy to say all is well.

Annalise had to say goodbye to her first car, a hulking Olds Cutlass Ciera,
92 model. Today about 5:40 p.m. A man ran a stop sign, sped right through,
hit Annalise's car, spun it a bit, and then came to rest on a corner of the
school lawn. Annalise's car is totaled, but she's just fine, except for a
few bruises. He wasn't hurt, he has insurance, and a license. A witness
told the police the whole story.

Just yesterday I was in another hospital, in Glen Rose Texas, where my Dad
was having tumors removed. They were cancerous and it looks like the Dr.
got every last bit of the bad tissue. We remain hopeful on that.

I drove away from the emergency room feeling exhausted and exceedingly
grateful. The folks in the E.R. were very kind, they were also pretty busy
and people kept coming in. They told me that it was the busiest they've been in weeks or months. I saw all these people being brought in, mostly elderly people, children, with severe flu symptoms.

I told the folks at Trinity Center, the homeless center. about my Dad and they prayed for all of us. They have powerful prayers. Their faith is strong, stronger than mine, I think.

So, dear friends, take extra caution at stop signs and red lights, be
careful out there. Things can change in the blink of an eye.