*Plays off stumbling like she did it on purpose*

Okay, I need to make an admission here. I knew Wes wasn't right for me and wasn't what I wanted in the long run, but I was still totally bummed when I left him. After I got my own place the next day, I moped around for a few days, feeling a bit aimless and NYC seemed lonelier without someone to come home to.

I almost got over it when I got back to working. I tried ghost writing screenplays for people, and even collaborating a bit, but found that I like having input from the very beginning, or being able to see a whole section of the product through by myself. So that wasn't quite working out for me either.

Finally, I *as my grandmother says* "got the stink blowed off me" and decided that I need to work on my own ideas and do my own thing. I made great progress on my book series, wrote a few articles for comedic magazines that were accepted for publication and rocked out some serious dance moves on a few night club outings. I think my confidence made people think I was famous because after a few songs, I suspect I had groupies. Oh, and I even had a letter of mine read on The Ricky Gervais Show by bowling ball headed Karl Pilkington--how rad is that? (feel free to read this paragraph as a montage, and you can even play eye of the tiger in the background, or just see video below for the score to this blog)

In perfect timing with my life, as soon as I get back on my feet, amazing opportunities present themselves. I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but seriously why can't good things happen when we're down and need a lift? I guess the saying "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" has merit, but damn it's annoying as hell to always have to dig yourself out of a ditch, isn't it?

Anyway, amazing opportunity... Turns out that word of my editing on Wes's film got out and also of my writing. (I think this blog may have even been involved *gives herself permission to internet squeal since she never would in real life*) I've been formally invited out to L.A. to potentially write for one of my favorite shows on television... that's right ladies and gentlemen... TRUE BLOOD!!! Normally it doesn't work this way, being invited out and all, but I guess if any place was capable of working in mysterious ways, it'd be Hollywood.

Alan Ball and his team know I write vampire/werewolf fiction (Urban Fantasy is the genre, for those not hip to the lingo), like my style of writing, know I'm familiar with Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series and would like a fresh perspective on their team of writers for the show. Fan-fucking-tabulous! I go out there next week to see if I'll mesh with the team, so wish me luck!

A great scene from a wonderful film version of the Iranian comic book, Persepolis:



If you want to hear a nicer version of the song, a cover that I actually like, take a listen here (not much to look at)

An inbetweenie!

Some of you may be aware of my brief stardom from Mighty Ducks 2, despite not being listed in the credits and my scenes having hit the cutting room floor. I do appreciate all the support and fan letters from you! To show that I actually read and respond to all of them, I'm posting one here.

Dear Sandra,

Oh geez, I hope it's okay that I called you by your first name. It's probably pretty presumptuous of me, but I just feel like I know you so well. I watched the outtakes on the super rare DVD version of Mighty Ducks 2 and I must say that the director made a grievous error in cutting your scene(s)! (Was there more than one? I just bet that director cut you from the deleted scenes too!)

I mean seriously, it was so transparent when they took that figure skater chick and had her rough up that one guy, that scene didn't even fit in the movie at all and was totally NOT in character for her. Unlike your scene, which, frankly, was amazing. I don't know how you showed so much depth from one scene, in which you didn't even speak! But I felt like I got your whole back story from the look between you and the cute guy with the curly hair. It's obvious that you were troubled and that's why you were violent, despite being short and cute. I was so evident that you and curly hair dude had A LOT of chemistry. I wish they would've pursued it in the film!

Anyway, just sending my love and fandom your way. Let me know if you are in anything else coming up (even the deleted scenes!) I will be sure to pick it up!

Much love!
(name left out for privacy reasons)

P.S. I heard you are dating Joshua Jackson now... any truth to that?!

Thanks for the letter anonymous! (you know who you are *sly grin*) I, too, felt that I could've done the film some justice, but alas that is Hollywood! I just roll with the punches and accept the director's decisions. Thanks for the love and right back atcha! As far as Josh Jackson is concerned. We've stayed friends over the years since D2 and we have been hanging out quite a bit lately. ;)

Lots o Love,
Sandra

I saw Royal Tenenbaums and decided to marry Wes Anderson: The finale.

Upon arriving in New York, I realized two things. It is amazing how so many people can make you feel lonely and my wish for wanting more 24 hour places may have been a bad idea. It's very hard to be antisocial (read: by myself) in the city that never sleeps.

However, Wes wine and dined me to all of his favorite spots in the city, and I'm not talking 5 star restaurants or premiere clubs, but hole in the wall joints that are high on culture, personality, good food and low on pretension. Wes also spent a lot of time with his friends. Fine by me. I got along wonderfully with his friends, a crude sense of humor helps, but I also understand that people need time away from their significant others. I like alone time too and when Wes had a boys night out, I had a girls night. Besides I could never tell if Jason Schwartzman was oblivious, deadpan, or a just dickhead. Although after a few meetings, I was leaning toward dickhead. Who else would wear jackets and pants that are too short for them? Not to mention that he always talks over everyone. Owen Wilson on the other hand, is a stitch. He talks a lot too, but then he'll pierce you with his intense gaze and all you can do is talk and vacillate between staring at his nose and his eyes while he nods thoughtfully at you, as if he's listening.

A high point of NYC was being in the city when my globe trotter friend, Ris, was in town. After a stint in the tropics learning how to be a latin dancer, Ris took her talents and combined them into a hot new dance style, hip hop, latin dance mixed with breaking. Ris was the world's premiere B-girl. She's developed quite a name for herself and was in town to do Saturday Night Live. She wasn't hosting it, Justin Timberlake was, but she had a dancing part for a skit and got me a ticket. The night was amazing, and on top of being an amazing dancer, Ris was a stitch on stage. I have a feeling she may have a writing gig on SNL when she's done with her world tour.

Shortly after Ris left town, Wes left as well. He's gone a lot working on a new screenplay, and divides his time between NYC and Paris--rough gig, right?

He was here a lot in the beginning, finishing up the editing for his new film, My Best Friend. I got to meet the cast and crew and have made a lot of contacts in the film world. Which is awesome, considering that's what I went to college for. A double bonus is that I found a lot of film people have good ideas, but don't have the know how to write a decent story/screenplay. Looks like I may have a job in the future. Until then however, I was helping out/logging footage for Wes's new film.

But, he left before it was complete, putting the editor and producer on hold and I didn't feel so great about that. Especially since I was still in town and had to deal with the unhappy looks in Wes's absence. So I took it upon myself to go in to the editing booth and cut my own version of the flick. Seeing all the footage from having to log the scenes really helped me get a feel for the story and how I thought it should be told. I finished my rough cut over a weekend. Granted I didn't sleep a wink, but then again I was in the correct city for that, wasn't I?

I'll be honest. It was quite presumptuous of me to cut the film. But what else could I do? No progress was being made and I wasn't doing shit in the city by myself. I had a good feeling for the script, the story and what I thought Wes's vision was, although to be honest, he talked to me less and less the more he worked on his new script. I think he was lost in thought. I know I tend to do that when I'm in the heat of a scene. What could making my own version of the film hurt? I didn't change what they'd done before he left. I was just practicing my rusty editing skills, right?

Anyway, Wes came back late Sunday night. It may have been earlier, but I didn't see him until later when he found me in the editing booth, curled up in the chair with my head nodding to and fro in slumber. Staring at a computer screen for a whole weekend nonstop causes jubilation at first, like a runner's high, you've pushed too far, but then you just crash wherever you happen to be. I happened to still be in the computer chair.

I don't really know what happened after that. I woke up, warm, cozy and on a palette of blankets in the corner of the booth. I had a very Pollyanna moment when I wandered into the viewing room and was met with hugs, smiles and people generally cheering that I was alive.

Except they weren't cheering because I was alive, they were cheering because of my rough cut of the film. Wes, dear sweet, quiet Wes, came up to me, hugged me with his warm soft corduroy jacket enveloping me, then held my face in his hands and kissed me.

"You knew the story better than even I did. I didn't know how to reconcile the part toward the end, but you showed me it didn't have to be, and that was the beauty of it." He smiled at me, the man rarely shows a true smile, which is part of his charm, but it startled me.

I took a step back and decided that I needed to break up with him.

This life of wishy washiness didn't suit me. A life of hand me down stories and friends didn't fit with what I wanted for myself, and that's what I would have with Wes. I explained this to him. I explained that New York was fun, but didn't suit for my future. People in NYC didn't travel. Hell they didn't drive and had everything they needed at their fingertips.

That wasn't me. What I needed was spread all over the world, and I wasn't going to be able to find it if I stayed here.

Somehow I think that's what got through to Wes. I believe his trip to India for Darjeeling Limited had changed him and he understood that sometimes you couldn't find what you needed where you were. Sometimes the answers were outside of ourselves.

We parted on wonderful terms, with a warm corduroy hug that lasted longer than it should've for two people who have just broken up and I went off to find what I needed--wherever and whatever that may be.

An inbetweenie!

Random "fact" about me:

Everyone remember the movie Mighty Ducks 2? Okay... now how about the Bash Brothers?

Well, while it isn't well known, let me enlighten you. I was the third Bash er... Sister. While short in stature, I could sure pack a wallop. Oh and the cute one... yeah he had a crush on me.

What can I say... hormones. ;)

The 2nd Installment of: I saw Royal Tenenbaums and decided to marry Wes Anderson

You may remember that I left off with Wes and I at Denny's, a more lively and less family version of Perkins, the 24 hour place right across the street. Oh Denny's is family friendly enough, but come midnight, it is full of drunks and annoying teenagers. Whereas Perkins is only full of the staff, and occasionally me. Okay fine, I'll add the scraggly looking guy who floats in for an endless cup and coffee and smokes enough to fill the whole smoking section.

Anyway, back to Denny's. He ordered some crazy monstrosity of a breakfast platter--honestly the man is skinny, who knew he could eat so much. I had season fries, because nothing is better than fried greasiness very late at night.

As soon as he got to the hash browns portion of his meal, he eats one item at a time, he asked me to go to Chicago with him. I figured hey, this is Wes Anderson, he's awesome and famous, so if anything were to happen to me, it'd be on the news and honestly, I don't have shit else going on, so why the hell not?

I said yes and tried not to give a coy smile but I fear it popped out anyway.

When we were done eating, we went outside only to see that the roads were terrible and that the economy has affected the use of salt trucks and plows. They wouldn't be out for awhile yet, until work traffic became an issue.

With the Holiday Inn Express right around the corner, he invited me up to his room. I'll admit I felt a bit like a hussy accepting his offer, but it was genuinely made due to the snowy roads and us having sex was only a coincidence. Right?

So we headed for Chicago the next day and made in a little over two hours, good time for sure. We stayed in a nice, but mid range hotel. No flaunting of his wealth from my Wes. Although he did splurge on restaurants, but you kind of have to in Chicago, everything is more expensive in the city.

He was speaking at the Columbia film school and invited me to go along. He spoke about his films and spent an extra few hours of his time with the animation students discussing his latest, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I couldn't help but feel all girly and proud of him when he spoke. I'm sure my face was glowing and the permagrin on my face had nothing to do with the pot he invariably ended up smoking with the students when he asked to step out with them behind the building, leaving me to entertain the professor.

The next morning, after we checked out of the hotel, we went to Hot Chocolate for brunch. Both huddling over giant mugs of hot chocolate, mine a medium and his a Mexican, like they were bowls of soup he looked me in the eye and I didn't blink or flinch. A small smile played on his lips, but was most evident in his now crinkly eyes.

"Wanna go to New York with me next?"

"What's going on there?"

"That's where I live."

"Oh." I wasn't sure exactly what he was asking of me. "I've never been there." I looked down and away, not able to hold his gaze when I was so unsure.

"Would you like to?"

"Visit? Sure." I looked at him with an easy smile and shrugged a bit, like it didn't matter one way or another.

"How about for more than a visit?" He still held my gaze and I did everything I could to hold it back.

Sure I saw Royal Tenenbaums and thought, I don't care what this dude looks like, I'm going marry him. The movie was that good. But marry him? Yeah that was a bit much. But boyfriend? I could totally do him as a boyfriend.

"Sure. Why not?"

He smiled into his hot chocolate and I smiled into mine, but I think his was bigger.

I saw Royal Tenenbaums and decided to marry Wes Anderson

I went to the doughnut place tonight. (By tonight I mean in the wee hours of the following day) It's a 24 hour place with free wifi--talk about trouble all around right? But hey, I'm in my late twenties, certainly I've learned some self control by now.

I sat with my laptop, my earbuds in and was listening to Gossip--girl power band extraordinaire.

Side note: I can feel girl power without being a lesbian right?

Anyway I was really rocking my mad writing skills thanks to my Chai Tea and Bear Claw when a man in a vintage sports jacket and a striped knit scarf walks through the door and sits in the booth next to mine. His longish blonde hair hung over a longish face and framed a pair of piercing, albeit small, eyes atop a hawkish and slightly dorky nose. You guessed it folks, Wes Anderson (although it could've been Beck too) sat in the booth next to me. Not only in the booth next to mine but he actually sat facing me, with only two bench seats between us.

Of course I played it super cool-aloof even. I looked up when he came in, then focused on my laptop. We were the only two people in the place, besides the employee who was in back making fresh doughnuts.

I focused on typing the title for my chapter--a song of course. I find it adds more pizazz to the chapter when it comes with its own theme song. Deep in thought about the song Bridge Over Troubled Water and whether or not it's a good choice for a sex scene, a shadow descends over me.

"Can I borrow a cup of sugar?" He winks.

"Sure!" I wince at my eager reaction and doubly wince as I make the Vanna White hand gesture toward the only sugar container in the building, and knock my laptop screen in the process.

"Fuck." My knuckle is red with a tiny cut. I stick it in my mouth and it tastes like burning.

"Mind if I sit down?"

Hell no I don't mind! Would you? So Wes sits down and we proceed to have a very fulfilling conversation about writing, film, music, art in general and mainly... well mainly the weather.

The snow storm hit earlier in the day and dumped a foot of snow on us already. I'm not surprised no one is at the coffee shop. I'm a seasoned Michigan driver and if no one else is on the road, slippery roads don't scare me. However, Wes was on his way to Chicago from Detroit and in a little over his head with winter driving, despite his highfalutin rental car with four wheel drive.

Anyway time passes and our conversation proceeds to be very enjoyable. I crack him up with my jokes and little idiosyncrasies that make me--well me. I pack up my laptop, its going on 4 am after all and I try to get out of the doughnut shop before work people start showing up. I'm a night owl for several reasons. Being antisocial is just one of them.

Wes and I say a cordial goodbye and I even get a lengthy hug out of it. I find the corduroy of his camel colored jacket is warm and soft.

I hop up into my van and drive away into the almost sunrise. I drive slow because... well because the roads are seriously slick and I'm not an idiot. Besides the rear wheel drive of my van isn't fun on roads like these.

I get about three stops lights down the road and when a car pulls up beside me and honks its horn. I blast the heat on high (even though is the engine isn't even warm yet) and roll down the window. Only to find Wes in the car next to me!

"I'm kind of hungry and wondered if you wanted to go to Denny's with me?"

"Sure! Follow me!" I wince at my eagerness again and doubly wince as I fishtail when making a U-ey at the light to backtrack toward the Denny's I just passed.

More to come later!!!