tigertail in new york

Bus driver on intercom as it starts to rain: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey... C'mon, everybody!

Entire bus, singing: You'll never know, dear, how much I love you -- please don't take my sunshine away.

Chick: I think that was the least-New York moment of my entire life.

--M79 bus


13-year-old goth boy: Hey! You look like a hippie!
Hippie: Yeah...
13-year-old goth boy, offering hand: My name's Jason*. I thought I should introduce myself since I said you looked like a hippie and all.
Hippie: Okay...
13-year-old goth boy: You know, you look like a Tim. I've got a friend named Tim who looks just like you, only his face is mousier.
13-year-old goth girl: Oh. My. God! That's it! No snowball for you!
13-year-old goth boy: Christ! I can't play with dead squirrels, I can't talk to the hippie...! What the hell can I do?!

Snowball stand
Stewartstown, Pennsylvania

Posted by Ness at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments

Have taken a job starting tomorrow, and the work will prob see me through for a few months. Very excited, but also nervous that I am putting all my eggs in one basket.

Especially as I had to turn down other work to do it (albeit lower paid work), which always makes me nervous.

Still this is a great opportunity, and I'm excited - just nervous about that ever constant balance between working and being exhausted, and not working, but having no money.

I've lost a lot of weight through working - cos I'm constantly on the go, and come home exhausted after midnight and don't eat dinner. I do get fed though on set, so that's good. Have to go today and buy new pants, cos lots of my old ones don't fit me. Like pants I had made for me in Vietnam, that are now way too loose. Also need new work accessories cos my old ones are falling apart, but still waiting on cheques for jobs.. Hello Australian credit card

Maybe once this job starts I can actually convince the bank here that I'm not a security risk as I have only international banking history and get them to give me a credit card...

Posted by Ness at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

I've been working so hard lately that when I didn't leave the house yesterday and almost didn't leave my bed, I didn't even feel bad about it. Actually I probably worked harder on my last film, because ultimately everything rested with me. But these last few days have been really long hours, and because more money was involved in the cost of the shoot, more was expected, like blocking off an entire footpath during morning peak hour, and holding the whole block on some of the busiest streets in the city.

Saturday was 7:30am - 2am on Sunday. Then we went and had a drink, and then I came home and collapsed and didn't leave my bed until 6:30pm on Sunday afternoon.

I had some incredibly strange dreams - totally vivid and involved.. one about a detective who was murdered and I was involved and had the keys to his car.. very noir. I remember that I needed to get rid of a whole lot of evidence, move the car, make sure my prints weren't on it and somehow make it back somewhere on time without anyone knowing - and all to protect someone else, as I hadn't done the killing. Bizarre...

Today I'm slowly getting around to cleaning my room, getting my washing together to take to the laundromat, maybe getting my hair cut, going grocery shopping, going to the bank.

I haven't done a proper shop in at least a month. A few stops at the local shops for essentials, but given I get fed on set, I rarely eat at home, and so a few breakfast foods and some snacks have been all that's been required. Mind you, no-one in NY buys their groceries in a big lot once a week or once a fortnight anyway - people shop on their way home. But given that "on my way home" has usually been around midnight or 1 am, I haven't really had a chance.

So yesterday I slept all day, got up for a few hours and then went back to bed. I'd planned on going out to get some food, but it was raining, and I was tired, and so I was so glad not to leave the house.

Today is slowly slipping away from me too.. Really hoping to get the essentials done - but still have a few follow up phone calls to make. Meanwhile everyone back home is still waiting on replies to emails from a month or more ago... sigh.

I think I need a more advanced phone so I can reply to emails when I'm on set - I can do it now, but it takes me forever cos it's using the buttons like a text message and the formatting is terrible. It'll be easier to keep in touch and maintain what I need to be doing at the same time. Maybe next pay cheque..

Something exciting is in the works, but I haven't had the energy to even get excited about it yet, and I'm not talking about it till it comes thru - you already know the deal with me and jinxes ;^)

Posted by Ness at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments