My new monitor is beautiful. I don't think I realized how frustrated my old toaster-sized screen really was. The new ones a 19-incher, though, and I can already feel some of the stress that accompanies design work melting away. Thanks, Dad, and a very Merry Christmas to you too.
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Apparently, Heather Maxwell is going to produce a me-penned, Preston Sturges-inspired short film called Sweet Charlie's Big Idea and it should be available for viewing by the end of January. Gulp! Now that's turn-around time, baby. It also looks as if she may be enlisting the aid of my old high-school chum Jon Floyd Schweitzer to perform in this little opus. I've never met Heather, so I don't know what her casting-couch policy is... but, Jon, if you're reading this... guard your virtue, young man.
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Yesterday, I received my business cards. Cripes... I love business cards! I think everyone's familiar with the Monster.com commercial where the newly-employed gent has business cards delivered to his office... he immediately opens the pack, takes a look around, and smells them. I can relate. It's that freshly-printed aroma of professionalism. Kind of like affirmation that, indeed, I have a place in society. "Look, ma, I'm a round peg."
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Remember when Billy Crystal was funny?
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Hope this is okay to post... yesterday, Carey was asked to be in my sister Lauren's wedding, which thrilled her to no end. The wedding plans are a-rollin'.

Man, if there was one thing I hated about the whole getting-married process, it was the choosing of the wedding party. (First, let me get the PC hoohah out of the way... I deeply treasure every single person that was in ours and I don't regret their participation in any way. Lovely gents and lasses. There.) But, dude, it's the only time in your life where you not only need to make up a list of people that you consider your "best" or "closest" friends and family. (You married guys out there with 1 brother and 4 cousins-that-are-all-great-friends to fill the best man and groomsmen spots, don't even talk to me. You've got it easy.) Not only that, but you're then forced to PUT THEM IN NUMBERED ORDER. Who came up with this dignity-destroying tradition?!

"Joe, Mary and I would really like you to be in our wedding..."

"Aw, Fred! What an honor! Of course!"

"Thanks, bro. You'll be standing between John and Pete."

"Okay, sounds good. Is John the best man?"

"No, Bill's the best man."

"Ah. Then it's John, then me, then Pete?"

"Well, actually, Frank is next to Bill. The order goes: Bill, Frank, John, you, Pete."

"Oh. So, I'm fourth."

"Yeah."

"Fourth. Huh. Well, at least I beat out Pete..."
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Then, there's the obligatory speech you have to give to everyone in the party... the 'Please-Don't-Think-I-Consider-The-Guy-You're-Standing-Behind-A-Better-Friend-Than-You' discourse, assuring them that this order was chosen because of "what will look good height-wise and who matches up best with what bridesmaid and blueeeghhhh". And of course no one ever believes this speech, even if it's true.

And don't get me started on ushering.

And THEN there's the whole issue of people who aren't in the wedding. I actually had a guy in my wedding party take me out to dinner several months before his own wedding to let me know that I wouldn't be in his wedding, but he still valued me as a friend. People, THIS MADNESS MUST END.

Anyhow, Carey said yes, she'll be in Lauren's wedding. I'm sure it'll be a beautiful affair.

posted by Jeremy Bear 11:48 AM

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Tuesday, December 03, 2002

For some reason, blogger's been down. Who knows when this post'll show up...

Let's see... Thanksgiving turned out to be very nice after all. It was a very surreal day, though. For starters, we awoke at around 4AM to some sort of unholy caterwaul outside the bedroom window. When we looked out to see what was going on, sure enough, the building across the street was ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I’ve never been that close to an honest-to-goodness blaze before and I have to say that it was a little frightening. People running around in their PJs, screaming, cursing… finally, the fire department came and put it out. We assumed that somebody had gotten up early to pop their turkey into the oven or something and an accident occurred. Of course, we have no idea, but… in the end, it was an apartment building and the windows are boarded up and the place has huge scorch-marks on the outside. What a lousy way to spend a Thanksgiving… homeless, with all of your possessions burnt to a crisp.

Carey had to work, also. Yeah, she has one of those jobs. Apparently, a lot of people like to golf on Thanksgiving. (You know, so far this isn’t sounding all that lovely… well, it improves… really).

Anyhow, she was off by 3:00, so she dropped by the natural food grocery store and picked up Thanksgiving vittles… a feast for two. Honestly, it was very impressive. Cranberry sauce, rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, yams, green beans almandine, pumpkin pie… and a whole turkey. A WHOLE turkey.

Now, granted, it was a… well, not a baby turkey, but more a like a pre-teen turkey. (you know, that crucial age where the turkey starts to grow rebellious and becomes embarrassed of his parents…) Whatever, it was a little smaller than your run-of-the-mill gobbler. Since Carey is still, last I checked, a vegan, this bird was all for me. After a couple of hours in the oven, it was utterly delish. Needless to say, it’s been turkey sandwiches for every meal since and it looks to stay that way well into February.

The night before, our new DVD player arrived. So the day, for me anyhow, mostly consisted of feasting and rediscovering the delights of DVD. I even went out and purchased a couple of new discs for the occasion. (Monsters Inc. and The Royal Tenenbaums, if you were wondering. Excellent films and very cool DVDs… I know, my tastes are a little strange. I must be the only guy in the country that has A Bug’s Life sitting next to Natural Born Killers in my collection.)
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So, I guess it’s officially the Christmas season. Normally, I’d consider posts about the weather to be maddeningly dull, but I can’t help but point out that it’s a somewhat brisk (yet sunny) day here in Long Beach, temperatures in the 60s. However, a quick check to weather.com tells me that, back home, they’re enjoying temps in the very snowy teens. Oh, yes. It’s good to be in So-Cal.
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And be sure to check out the latest script, by the way. Mike McFarland of West Jefferson, Ohio supplied the title to this instant perennial: Cheese Graters and Hand Grenades.

I’m beginning to over-think some of these scripts a bit too much, I think. I’d like to get back to the ease and brevity of the first ones, but it’s difficult when I remember that I actually have a bit of an audience.

Well, whatever, I received a very nice slew of suggestions this week from some folks who had never suggested before. Big fun!

posted by Jeremy Bear 11:35 AM

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