As I was saying here, I had been keeping a journal of my big break in Hollywood. My diary keeping--er, journal keeping--is not very consistent. It was 3 days until my next entry (6/25/90) after I arrived home. I attempted to summarize the previous days:
Checked out on a Saturday. Over ate breakfast. Drove to my cousin’s. Had a big lunch there (spaghetti and meatballs). So more overeating. Returned my car, got to the airport and boarded the plane in under an hour (it was the dawn of the 90s, remember). Enjoyed first class this time, the food, the silverware, the warm towels, the movie. Cookies!
Flying home in the daylight I could see the ground now, LA being a big, spread-out city, reaching to the mountains, then desert. Then more desert. Then mesas and canyons, then the farmlands. The sights were pointed out to us (the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon) by the pilot. It got darker as we headed east. Got picked up by the ‘rents, who peppered me with questions. Home late, with everyone asleep, but with posters and banners hung for my welcome.
That weekend morning, my normal life re-engaged as the girls discover I was home and jumped in bed with us. Then came recitals, squabbles, meals and, eventually, work.
I returned to my job on Monday. My co-worker Joe was aware what was going on and had a lot of questions (none of which I recall) but with my typical luck, there had been a massive computer crash leaving the whole department in a mess. Talk about your buzz-kills.
OK, here’s the thing; I never really made mention of my hopes and dreams of writing to many, least of all my co-workers. I just couldn’t deal with the “Oh, you should write about this place,” “Oh, here’s a good idea for a story,” or “Can I be in your next movie” comments that ALWAYS got made when my freelancing came up (and of course, years later, when word at work got out, those were the remarks made). A writer friend used to say he didn’t talk about his writing at work either. He considered it his secret super-identity that only a few were aware of. But as certain things did happen that involved me needing days off (Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, stage shows, and finally the trip to LA), I started to tell Joe about stuff. So he was excited for me. But other than him, it was all on the down-low.
Calls came in from the coast to make sure I made it home OK and let me know everyone in Hollywood “loved me.” Producer Joel mentions he wishes he had someone like me to rework a comedy he just got. This is something I discovered that happens a lot; People keep saying you’d be prefect for some project or other that’s elsewhere and then simply don’t hire you.
That weekend morning, my normal life re-engaged as the girls discover I was home and jumped in bed with us. Then came recitals, squabbles, meals and, eventually, work.
I returned to my job on Monday. My co-worker Joe was aware what was going on and had a lot of questions (none of which I recall) but with my typical luck, there had been a massive computer crash leaving the whole department in a mess. Talk about your buzz-kills.
OK, here’s the thing; I never really made mention of my hopes and dreams of writing to many, least of all my co-workers. I just couldn’t deal with the “Oh, you should write about this place,” “Oh, here’s a good idea for a story,” or “Can I be in your next movie” comments that ALWAYS got made when my freelancing came up (and of course, years later, when word at work got out, those were the remarks made). A writer friend used to say he didn’t talk about his writing at work either. He considered it his secret super-identity that only a few were aware of. But as certain things did happen that involved me needing days off (Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, stage shows, and finally the trip to LA), I started to tell Joe about stuff. So he was excited for me. But other than him, it was all on the down-low.
Calls came in from the coast to make sure I made it home OK and let me know everyone in Hollywood “loved me.” Producer Joel mentions he wishes he had someone like me to rework a comedy he just got. This is something I discovered that happens a lot; People keep saying you’d be prefect for some project or other that’s elsewhere and then simply don’t hire you.
My journal entries keep skipping days. My original intent was to report on things that happened, not to keep a daily journal. The pages only note phone conversations, writing, my anxiety and the great payment wait. I had to charge everything in LA with the promise that Warners would reimburse me, so now I had to get all the paper work and receipts to submit to them. I mean, I was going from paycheck-to-paycheck here and did not have the money to spend on a swanky hotel bill and room service.
I was slow to begin the next draft. I’m a remarkable procrastinator. I’d be every better at it if I wasn’t so lazy. And to help me along, I finally did make a big decision that would affect my work for years to come…
I was slow to begin the next draft. I’m a remarkable procrastinator. I’d be every better at it if I wasn’t so lazy. And to help me along, I finally did make a big decision that would affect my work for years to come…
