Shaking the veil off

Shaking the veil off

Greetings friends and foes. So Sorry for not writing more consistently. I have been burning the candle at both ends, and this is the first weekend I’ve had at home in a while.

A few weeks ago my car finally died. It had been a slow death, but the car was payed for and I rather enjoy not giving up my money. To this point, I had been climbing over the passenger seat for the better part of a year as the driver door was busted and not worth repairing. In a way I count that as a humbling experience, and on the other hand I count it as a true pain in the ass. So when I heard the engine make its death curdle while driving the girls to school I saw it as a bit of a blessing, as well as a curse. I had just spent all the money I had been saving on a Mole Richardson Light Kit, and the cupboard was about as bare as could be.

For those that don’t know, I still hold down a day job at a record store here in Nashville. Its pretty much the only thing I’m qualified for other than film making, that doesn’t make me want to kill myself. My brain has a knack to sponge up information about mundane things, and its allowed me to soak up all kinds of knowledge. It has also provided me a living wage while pursuing different avenues in film making. I really have enjoyed it, as I am able to set my own schedules, their lack of dress code, and not having to work for a group of faceless suits somewhere in Minnesota (I’m looking at you Musicland).

This is only important in the fact that I rarely talk about it, as there hasn’t been much to tell. But upon the car dying I decided the best way to not regain a car payment (and stay on my plan of getting my movie made), would be to just work all the time. I have not taken this approach as my tenure with Musicland kept me far away from my family, and nearly wrecked me as a man. I enjoy being home with my family, but I felt I needed to make a move. I got extremely sick the weekend of Easter while working. I put in 65 hours that week, as well as coming home and doing prep work on some other projects. But it was just nose to the grindstone.

Low and behold a saviour came in the form of my wife's wonderful parents who gifted us the money to buy a 1986 station wagon. Jessicas parents have a knack for helping us find a way in times of crisis. I thank God I’ve never had a cynical relationship with them. So now I have inherited the cruiser, and Jessica is cruising in a Wagon Queen Family Truckster that would make Clark Griswold jealous. We’re on our way again, though we do have a few things to catch up on due to taxes.

But what I realized in all this, is that it hasn’t killed me to put in some super long hours. I’m taking the extra money and putting it into some of the things i need to get my movie made. And while I dont plan to keep up this pace, It should give me the means to take a step forward in the things I want to do, and stories I want to tell. For the next few weeks, I’m putting in long hours, and not hanging out much on the weekend.

Other going ons include...Roxie will celebrate birthday number 2 this week. I hung out with her this weekend as Jessica and Marie were in Louisville with their Rabbits. Times been flying since she got here.

I haven’t been as steadfast with my diet. Not really putting on weight, as much as just not taking more off at this point. I’ve stuck with the Diet Soda for the most part. Pepsi Throwback with real sugar can be hard to resist, and I’ve been breathing Gatorade this past week due to my ills. Just kind of putting this out there, as I don’t want to get my weight back up again, and it helps to just say it.

I have had little time to watch anything. I saw Hot Tub Time Machine and thoroughly enjoyed it. Its very self aware, and I probably won’t see it again for years, but I got some hearty gut laughs from it. I stayed up way late last night and watch John Cassavettes Shadows. I’m a bit torn with the idea of strictly Improvised movies, and even more perplexed with this one, as I know he shot the film two years earlier and was disappointed in the response. How do you re-improvise something? How do you set things in motion as a director, and when do you pull it back? Its a landmark in Independent cinema for sure, I just wish i could see the other version.

I do hope this finds you all well. I hope to have better news next time, and some things to show. Until then...

Cameron McCasland