The Eclectic Brew: Adventures with Food

Parking Routines and Books by the Pound...

2011-02-25T13:52:00.000-05:00

Right, so we're not even going to go into how long it's been since I've written a blog. In the manner of tv shows everywhere:

Here's what you missed last time on: The Eclectic Brew

Sarah made it through grad school. She even got a diploma! She designed some shows, worked some shows, and now being over-qualified and under-employed with her MFA she's living back at the family homestead and doing about a million and one different odd jobs. TADA! Look at Sarah multitask!

Okay, so I didn't actually blog about any of that, but maybe someday-stay on your toes, you never know when it might hit!

In other news:

While in Evanston, IL for the week doing The Magic Flute for Northwestern I have encountered several interesting quandaries. For one, WHERE do people park in this city? Are they all so wealthy that they simply are chauffeured from point A to B daily? I mean there are parking garages, and parking meters, and possibly parking lots (though I don't know of any that are "free" to the point where you can park for long periods of time without some sort of sticker denoting either your allegiance to the university or the city itself- without the dread of getting towed.

Getting towed. An act that I live in near-mortal fear of on a daily basis here. The last thing I want to do with my hard-earned payment for this gig is spending it on getting my car out of some forsaken impound, complete with requisite guard dogs.... I'll have to walk back to Indiana.

In other fun notes, if it hasn't been mentioned here before I am a great lover and advocate of used book stores. Now, I realize (and have been politely corrected by informed friends) that although I consider the Kindle (and related devices) to be close to the source of all evil; they're probably quite useful and handy. They may even prompt people who would not normally read voraciously, begin to do so. But for the tactile, old fashioned person that I am, I cannot get over my love of the physical object. The feel of the paper under my fingertips as I turn a page, the variety and creativity (whether or not it was successful) of the cover art, the heft of the book in my hands. I love lining them up on my bookshelves (and every other available flat surface), categorizing them, their spines, gleaming and dull, leather and cheap paper keeping company next to each other.

See I am a collector. That's probably half the problem. I walk into a used bookstore like the Scarlet Pimpernel strides into France, to rescue the poor commended souls who will will eventually be used as kindling, paperweights, craft projects, or window proppers. I long to read to my children the stories my parents and grandparents read to me, all the better if from the same tome. I walk out of a store with a treasured childhood classic, an obscure manual, or out of print cookbook as though I'd made off with the crown jewels.

All this to say that in Evanston, they are certainly not wanting for bookstores. There is of course, the large and spacious Barnes and Nobles which I appreciate for their sales, the fact I dont' have to pay through the nose for regular copy of a trade paperback (as I would in a highly selective used bookstore. Case in point: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets at B & N- eh about $12-14 for a paperback. At the rare books place around the corner, $25, for a worn, slightly stained hardcover with no dust jacket.) There is the aforementioned rare books store, which what it lacks in economical pricing for starving artists, in makes up in character and the 1st edition leather and gilt copy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" under the glass in the front room. There are a couple of yet unexplored used bookstores and collegiate bookstores and then, there's the "Market Fresh" bookstore- which sells everything by the pound. The Pound!! It's worth the extra exclamation marks!

In all my years of traveling (ok, that's not a lot of years), I've never heard of such a thing! Now granted, if you buy heavy books, you're sorely losing out, but if you buy a stack of lightweight, well read paperbacks (which seem to somehow get lighter with use), you've hit the jackpot. So, needless to say, several enjoyable hours were spent browsing.

The find of the day? A pristine replica of my Mother's Betty Crocker cookbook from the early '70's resplendent in the orange-red binder. Hers has died the death of too many happy uses and now I can present her with another as a surprise. Which I am not really giving away via the world-wide-web, as she has little patience with said web, and hardly checks her email, much less knows I "blog."

See, it all came back around to travel and food and theatre somehow. Now, off to maintain some wigs!

Oh, and to my car... again.

Green Eggs and Ham... Literally

2010-04-25T14:19:00.000-04:00

A Few Shots from the last couple weeks when I've been M.I.A.

Retro Blogging: The Omnivore's Hundred

2010-04-01T17:43:00.001-04:00

The Omnivore’s Hundred: Sarah's checklist thanks to Beth and a link to

www.verygoodtaste.co.uk

Beth sent me this GENUIS!! link to a unknown food blogger's site. (Which isn't all that unusual considering that I don't often read food blogs when I don't have a computer...wait...)

Anyhow, go to the link to read the article and corresponding responses, but since Beth challenged me with "where are you on this list?" I thought I'd respond for all of facebook to see. Now granted, there a lot of wonderful (and strange things) I've eaten that are not on this list, but I suppose I could always start my own except... (see below comment). To find out what some of these strange and wonderful items are, go to the link for the blog, where there is yet another link, to the ever-handy wikipedia.

I'd love to hear anyone's responses, provided this does not become a hokey "facebook 20 question fad." Gag me with an entire place setting....

With no further Ado:

(Starred are the items I have tasted Xed are things I have no desire to try)

1. Venison*
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros*
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue*
8. Carp
9. Borscht*
10. Baba ghanoush*
11. Calamari*
12. Pho*
13. PB&J sandwich*
14. Aloo gobi*
15. Hot dog from a street cart*
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes*
19. Steamed pork buns*
20. Pistachio ice cream*
21. Heirloom tomatoes*
22. Fresh wild berries*
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans*
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche*
28. Oysters*
29. Baklava*
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas*
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl*
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut*
35. Root beer float*
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O*
39. Gumbo*
40. Oxtail*
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk*
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala*
48. Eel*
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut*
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi*
53. Abalone*
54. Paneer*
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal*
56. Spaetzle*
57. Dirty gin martini*
58. Beer above 8% ABV*
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips*
61. S’mores*
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian*
66. Frogs’ legs*
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake*
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain*
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette*
71. Gazpacho*
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill XXXXXXX
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie*
78. Snail*
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict*
83. Pocky*
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash*
88. Flowers*
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam*
92. Soft shell crab*
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish*
95. Mole poblano*
96. Bagel and lox*
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta*
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee*
100. Snake

The Spread at the "Filipino St. Patrick's Day Party" . Note to self-next time cook less food. Or spend less time cooking food...

Booksale!

2010-04-01T02:10:00.006-04:00

Cookbooks ½ price at Duttenhofer’s Used Bookstore!!!!

Delectable titles for my own bookshelf and to leave behind for when I desert my post…

Beautiful Day in Cincy- almost 70 degrees, an early day- so I spent time in the sunshine, talking garden with the housemates, eating stirfry and reading cookbooks…mmmmhm.
Made me hungry for the lazy summer days (albeit, occasionally un-employed summer days) when I spent time digging in the dirt and playing with plants- I'm going to miss the full garden summer this year!

Meg plants mustard greens with one of the neighborhood kids in our "community garden" (i.e. our backyard) two summers ago.

Split Peas! from the Mediterranean Imports store at Findlay Market.

Some plants have enough gumption to grow just about anywhere. This sweet potato hung out in a dresser drawer all winter, until we planted it in a bed, where it thrived all summer!

Can the Brits Save Us?

2010-03-25T14:43:00.001-04:00

This last weekend I was once again channel surfing to find a background soundtrack to accompany my thesis writing. (Yes that's right- those of us who play with paint and hair actually have to do academic things to graduate...)

I came across a much advertised show featuring a chef that I knew a little of- but hadn't followed lately. Since it piqued my curiosity I tuned in- and found that it covered a lot of discussions had lately between housemates, colleagues, friends and I about where our food comes from- and why we eat what we do.

Honestly, my biggest beef (pun un-intended) about the show is that it's on Primetime ABC. Instead of say a documentary. Because as I am all too increasingly aware, it's a fact of the business that the company has to bring in viewers. And how better to do so than by creating drama and inflating any situation to the most dire of crisis? From what little I have gleaned about Jamie Oliver, he's a chef who grew up in his family’s kitchen, a guy not much older than me with a family, who really honestly cares about people around him learning about food and learning to eat well. His whole philosophy of “teach a man to fish, feed him for life” is pretty spot on- it just runs up against artificial television drama and cultural differences. I don’t like to be told I’m wrong and that I need to change, and I certainly don’t want some stranger who doesn’t understand me to do so. On the other hand, it wouldn’t hurt to listen to some guy who’s trying to help (and sticking around for more than one episode to do so)- especially when the cold hard statistics are staring you in the face.

Love or hate- it's definitely worth checking out- if nothing else, it'll make most of the veterans of public school lunches (yours truly included) shudder to think of what exactly WAS in our Salisbury steak....

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution

"Springing Foward..." or so they say.

2010-03-20T01:57:00.005-04:00

Things I love about impending spring in Cincinnati:

The allure of Findlay Market- even though I haven’t been since bitter wind threatened to eat me alive sometime in February, I know that right about now, local vendors are risking the return of cold and putting out their open-air stands under the “shed” and along the edges of the year-around building. It’ll only be a matter of time before the first sprouts and young veggies appear on the carts and spring blooms will be for sale by the armful. This, with sunshine and the ever present wafting of cured sausages, fine cheese, and a mélange from the spice place (Herbs & Spice) makes my toes curl in happiness. If I’m lucky, the new guy who sells “exotic” (read generally tropical) plants will have something distinctly Filipino on sale when the season opens.

Barbeque smoke rolling down the hill: What I love about living in Mt. Auburn, as opposed to the congested collegiate domain of Clifton, is that its really a neighborhood. Granted, it’s not the safest of places after dark-but neither is Wheeler St. I know more people who’ve gotten mugged walking from CCM to their apartments in Clifton than in my neighborhood (knock on wood). Sure, it means a trek up the hill to get to the shuttle, but on nice days, like today- not a problem. And your neighbors, despite their incessant barking dogs, public arguments, and obscene bass stereo, still look out for you in a general sort of way. And the second that it warms up, the grill comes out. My next door neighbors (two historical preservationists) are notorious for this. And they like to share!

Bubble Tea at “Tea and Bowl”: It’s my favorite sort of Asian, the sort yours truly excels at: “Fusion.” And you can get bubble tea in a slew of flavors… ahh, childhood in a glass- need I say more?

Rohs St. Café:

It’s no secret that I’m biased about my favorite café in… basically the whole world. Besides the general “awesomeness” of their fair trade, grass roots, homemade nature- I’ve found a place in which I fit, comfortably. Even though the cycle of baristas and volunteers is ever changing in the three years I’ve been in Cincinnati for grad school, I still feel at home when I walk through the door. It probably doesn’t hurt that most of my housemates have worked or volunteered there at one time or another (myself included). There’s just something about the oil off of perfectly roasted beans that hangs in the air, it makes you not mind so much coming in out of the sunshine.

Yes, I realize it’s only March and we may get yet another cold snap (I have yet to check the Farmer’s Almanac), but a girl can hope the warmth is here to stay. Until then, however; I shall keep my hibiscus tree in the safe and warm.

Freshly Scrubbed Counter...

2010-03-18T18:32:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why I've assumed that my ramblings are worthy of the great and almighty internet audience (although, honestly, considering the variety of reading material available, I'm sure the average browser could do much worse), but perhaps I've gotten tired of scribbling things down on napkins and adding to my never ending "document" that was supposed to be a book but can't quite seem to commit.

So here you are gentle readers, in no particular rhyme or reason- thoughts from my scattered brain:

Flat Tires and Crafty Schemes.

2007-05-11T05:53:00.000-04:00

So, I obviously never got around to updating my previous post concerning various terms we use on set, and I’m little inclined to do so at the moment. I will however; be more than happy to tell you that on the way home from the set, our executive producer’s ML blew a tire on the 20 bypass coming from Goshen...ish... (I never seem to know exactly where it is that we’re going to end up.) And even though I have changed (or helped change) a tire on several occasion, (in a skirt and heels no less) I still felt like a useless girl. There was a very nice highway transport worker that did pull over and offer us assistance by way of a log and a piece of metal to brace the SUV on the gravel while we changed the tire.

In other news...I’ve decided that if they want to add “baby wrangler*” to my ever varied list of on-set duties I will not complain. Alicia and Michael (Mikey)’s young son, Jack is simply the most adorable child ever. And now that he’s no longer scared of me, it’s amazing! I’ve regressed to the most un-intelligible of baby talk, silly songs, and collection of baby slobber over my fingers from feeding him pears. There’s basically a intense competition on set to be Jack’s favorite, and after today, I may have a chance, although he adores Lydia (our production manager) who played momma bird over the camping weekend, and Isaac, (our alternate A.D.)-they both fell asleep on the couch today. And come on girls, as embarrassing as this statement might be (to guys)-is it not too adorable to see guys who love kids?

*wrangler: someone who is charge of overseeing a group of items, job often includes careful maintainence, a watchful eye, and troubleshooting. (ie. Children and animals)

Moving on: Crafty (i.e. Beth and I) is really becoming something of an art form. We have personal culinary allergies and preferences memorized, we’re garnishing sandwiches, and today we realized the true reason. We’re destined for food service. Both of us keep ending up in jobs where, even inadvertently (such as this one) we’re serving food. However, as much as we love to complain that we’re only fit for manual labor- I know we both really find joy in preparing and serving food. And on that note, I can’t say enough about our amazing catering staff, which consists of the wives of the director and executive producer (and a few other volunteers), who between them are caring for at least...8 children, various “real life” issues and preparing food for 25 to 30 people every single day! It’s mind boggling!

I’m beginning to realize just a little of how much everyone, especially has learned doing this project. The majority of the crew is pretty new to the business of film making, on this scale, and so often we’re flying blind in every department. Despite some glitches, some bumps in the road, we’ve had surprising little trauma. We’re all pretty dead on our feet, but morale is high, tempers are checked, and some people even *T Money, cough, cough* find time for cartwheels. In some ways, coming to the last two days of filming is a bittersweet experience. These are the sorts of people whom I would always love to work with- and yet I think we all realize that what we’ve experienced this last month and some is the exception rather than the norm in the world of film-making. If only everyone could be so lucky.

I realize we’re not all perfect, and there are plenty of things we could improve on-and I think we will, people are already talking about the next project with enthusiasm- and not in the manner of someone who’s just ready to leave this experience behind or put it on the shelf. Sadly, you, the reader, doesn’t seem the simply brilliant process that I get to witness for some 12 odd hours of the day. Everything from the now-almost seamless way the crew functions as a mobile unit, to the sheer talent and artistry that these people are blessed with- from quality acting, excellent writing and directing, to the stunning photography of DP Dave, our cinematographer! And it’s a pity that when the masses finally watch the credits roll that titles like : “Script Continuity” “Production Assistant” and “Assistant Camera” will go by without most of the audience realizing the hours and hours of dedication and hard work that went into those jobs. And why? Because those are the jobs that no one notices unless you screw up, when you realize that the chair was on the other side of the room, or that someone forgot to take down the sign “Bathroom this way”out of view of the camera. And yet our crew is made of so many of these people, who hands down are often the most chipper people on the set.

At the risk of sounding mushy, I’ll miss this experience partially, because I don’t know when I’ll have the particular privilege of making art with people like this, in this particular way, again.

Flying In

2007-05-09T23:23:00.000-04:00

No, despite appearances, we’re not running a charter service, although it sometimes feels like we should on the long treks from the RV to the set. But “flying in” is when someone brings an item or person, as the case may be from wherever they are to the set. Why we call it “flying in” I’ll probably find out several months after we wrap.
And on that note, I’ve realized that while I’ve picked up the various lingo that we use around the set, it’s often rather confusing to the average person I’m regaling with my exciting and glamorous tales of movie making (read slogging through cold swamps, nodding off on a golf chart in a nauseating chemical garage, and navigating dubious plumbing in the various spots that are labeled “bathroom.”). It does amuse me what we call various things on the set, for instance:
C-47s (clothespins used to hold lighting gels* onto the 2K’*s, 5K’*s, par cans*, and other lights.)

* pieces of clear or opaque colored plastic that are held over lights to fake effects like sunset, midnight, and scary green swamps

* Various types of large and powerful lights that usually take up an insane of electrical power.

Picture’s Up! (We’re ready and in position to shoot the scene)
Mark it! (Hey Caleb, get in front of the camera with the clapper* and call out the scene information.)

* The classic black and white square board that contains all the pertinent information about the film and that particular scene.

~~~~
Yeah, so honestly this was supposed to be longer, but I have to get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow to be on the set.

Life on the Set: Monday, April 23, 2007

2007-04-29T10:56:00.000-04:00

7:30pm- Wisler and I ogle at the large and impressive abode that will be our "Dr. Mallard home" location. It was fairly impressive at the onset, and then we went into the fully finished basement...

7:35pm- our location manager, Kayla, informs us that sadly no, we can’t use the state-of-the-art home entertainment system, complete with a screen the size of one of my apt. walls and the newest technology. There is a brief moment of mourning by the crew. We are reminded, despite appearances, we are here to make movies, not watch them.

7:40pm-I say hi to a couple of the crew guys, including Loren, our asst. props manager, who offers me a smoke, and in our running gag, exerts peer pressure. I tell him, I’m not starting, I’m trying to help someone quit, and besides, his argument is shoddy. He pouts, claiming it’s not fair, he’s a social smoker, and I tell him, that even I, learned to do things on my own, like going to the bathroom without my girlfriends.

7:50pm-Lydia, our production manager informs me that, our Craft services manager, our executive producer’s wife, Becky forgot to organize things before she and Mark left on a conference for several days. And also, since we won’t have our beloved RV (those of us in wardrobe, make-up, and craft have gotten quite attached.) We’ll have to haul everything out of there and into the house. Our script supervisor, Charity and I jump in Mark’s Mercedes (that he just happened to leave for all of to use, oh horrors!) And run over to their church where the RV is parked and load the SUV to the gills.

8:12pm-Charity and I realize we’re out of bottled water, chips, cheese (for the white chili that’s for dinner) clean knives and we have a bunch of dirty dishes that need washed. Over to Mark and Becky’s place it is...we pick up a bunch of key limes for kicks-and run into our director’s wife, Bethany, who’s helping out with craft- she’s got cornbread-Yippee!

9:10pm-Beth Houston, Anna Marie (our P.A./Make-up Assistant) and I play "diner" by taking orders for bagel sandwiches and making coffee. We agree we need little blue dresses, aprons, and chewing gum.

11:00pm- Our Dr. Mallard is AWOL. There is a more or less controlled panic as we figure out how to get him to the set faster. This is handled with much more aplomb that it would have been a couple weeks ago. Just one of the many signs of how much our crew has learned since the beginning.

11:30ishpm-They’re shooting upstairs and the crew downstairs has found the mud pie. Several of us have also requisitioned cushy pillows and are laying around the amazing basement reading from the family’s stellar library or watching "Lock, Stock, and two Smoking Barrels" (which they get away with by putting it on Chauncey’s IMAC instead of the bigscreen.

1:15am-Our multi-talented and dry-humored P.A. Brian helps me carry the dinner in from the workout room (careful to avoid the full-sized wrestling mat and the various Purdue paraphernalia) because Beth is hashing out the rest of the shoot with Andy, our head of wardrobe, and Anna Marie has gone...somewhere, possibly out for a smoke.

1:30am- Our crew actually gets to sit down and have a meal together. The atmosphere is jovial, for the first time in quite a while, shooting is going fairly well. We get in a lively discussion about movies that suck, and everyone agrees that the Chili is amazing.

5:20am-The crew upstairs is hard at work, the rest of us with nothing to do are collapsed all over the place like some sort of bizarre youth group lock-in. Lydia is asleep on the floor beside her printer, the call sheets for the next day still shooting out on the floor beside her. Our props couple, Erin and Eli are curled up by the bookshelves reading. Brian is on the stairs, manning any incoming requests and working through "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea", Andy is snoring away to the tune of Sunset Blvd. his chopstick to scratch his itchy skin under his cast still curled in his hand, J, Anna Marie, Loren, and Chauncey are trying now to watch Office Space with the sound off, and Beth is curled around a support post, gently snoozing. A few moments later, Brian, Bradely-our FX guy, York (Andrew), one of our PA’s who hardly ever sits down and myself amuse ourselves by coming up with nonsense games using mini-basketballs and pool balls. That lasts about 20 mins, ‘till someone upstairs calls for bottled water.

6:30am-We’re wrapped early and everything gets carried out of the house in record time-and without damaging the house, shocking! We stand in the early morning dark, a warm wind blowing and talk shop. While we’re loading up, two large deer wander through the backyard, Teresa and Caleb have a backboard-jumping contest, and we discuss a couple of New York moron actors that have broken our copyright by re-enacting a scene from our movie and putting it on youtube. Apparently, they tried out and didn’t make it, and now we’re worried it’ll create bad press, so we’re gonna try and put our own PR and ask them nicely (at first) to take their stuff down. Wisler and I turn down an invite to hang out at the Goshen Steak N’ Shake wanting neither to spend money, eat, or have to drive that far home, for that matter.

7:00am-Wisler drops me off after a fairly involved and coherent conversation about writing classes at Bethel, I dump my stuff in the corner and crawl into bed. Now if I can just sleep a decent solid amount of hours until I have to go again at 6:45pm.

Life on the Set: Saturday, April 07, 2007

2007-04-29T10:49:00.000-04:00

5:15am- I duck back into my considerably warmer apartment to grab a scarf. It's actually snowing outside. IN APRIL. This should not surprise me, but at this hour I'm quite displeased with the thought of shooting the alley scene in this freezing weather. If only the windchill won't be so bad. Not to mention, there goes all the lovely spring flowers. ARGH.

7:22am Bagel in hand, I take Mikel Wisler's car and Anna Marie, my assistant and trek over two blocks to the director's house where his wife and the two leads are babysitting a plethora of small children. Alicia, in the first stages of pregnancy warns us she may have to run and puke in between make-ups. The director's daughter nearly maims herself on my hot curling iron. I realize I haven't yet had coffee. We finally finish making the ladies beautiful and run them around to the bar/restaurant set. I drop everyone off and go fill up the car with gas.

10:00am. I realize that it's only ten a.m. Do I have time for a nap? I make some calls, only to realize that not only is everyone on Easter Break- they're probably all still in bed at this time on a Saturday Morning.

12:35. The crew realizes they're not getting lunch 'till 3pm so we can finish all the shots we need to before the bar opens up for the evening crowd. Beth Houston and I (Assist. wardrobe and make-up respectively) have now also put on craft services (i.e. food detail) duty in light of the fact that our craft services chic is needed more urgently as a Grip on our badly understaffed crew. (I forgot what a grip does, but it has something to do with lighting...right?) Beth and I make a massive amount of sandwiches. There's a brief panic as we realize that Jed, our director is allergic to peanuts and we try to make sure we don't contaminate the knives.

12:55 . In boredom I make some phone calls. No one's really home AGAIN, including the actor who's tattoos I need pictures of- I research some more tattoos and for the umpteenth time this week try to locate my missing airbrush.

3pm: During the lunch hour Jed holds an impromptu meeting with the three actors who will be in the alley ambush scene, Bradley the FX guy, Mikel our AD, David our amazing DP (Director of Photography) and me. We watch them go through the stunts and we talk make-up. I'm finally feeling like I have a purpose, and that I'm possibly alive.

6:37pm. We've gone through the scene a dozen times already- and the temperature is dropping in the alley by the minute. Not to mention the wind tunnel effect we're getting down the street. Next door a punk/worship band is practicing their set (they refused to leave) and we've given up and are just filming sound right over it. I'm currently cold and displeased as the blood make-up has gone from my usual subtle style to something more akin to Tarentino...this may have something to do with lack of communication with my assistant. I have SO much to learn. The boss likes it anyways and uses the opportunity to give the actors a chance to really wail on the poor business man-victim walking through the alley. It's currently so cold I have to recruit P.A.'s (production assistants) with warm hands to hold my make-up as I work because it's starting to congeal and freeze in the containers.

7:22pm. I have ceased to feel my fingers and I can't stop shaking- I can't imagine what the poor businessman is feeling, out in the cold in only a light jacket and no gloves or hat-covered in sticky fake blood and being shoved against brick walls. We've called for the "martini shot" (the last shot of the day) so many times we're starting to refer to it as the "bloody mary morning after shot." By the time Mikel our A.D. (Assistant Director) yells "It's a wrap!" I ready to drag the actors back to the warm RV to peel off their make-up.

9pm. I'm finally in my warm apt, clad inPJ's with leftovers in my tummy. THANK GOD. And now to do it over again.