Blog Archive
January 25, 2012
Wow! Well, episode 10 is out! I can’t believe Season 3 is coming to an end. Didn’t we just start this? LOL I hope you’ve enjoyed the story so far. It was a hard but rewarding season! It’s funny but when some of you ask me to give a hint at what’s next, I can’t for the life of me remember! I have to go back and re-watch the episode. I see them so many times at different stages I lose track. I’d like to say it’s just an overworked brain but I’d also have to admit that my grey matter is aging. Or maybe it’s just pickled after all these years. ; )
(This just in–my 8 year old wants to make me a bowl of Ramen but wants me to let it cool off because “Old people get hurt when they eat things that are too hot”) Very on topic….impressive!
Ani/Gina, Richard/Gina….and Lara and Sami? The next two episodes send many characters in different and unexpected directions. No, nobody who is gay this season will switch teams…maybe players. 
I’ve appreciated ALL the feedback. I may not always agree but I still listen and think very hard on it. It’s been such an interesting experience to put this show out every week. There’s a half dozen of us that don’t stop. Whether it’s getting the show up, pulling a presentation together or retooling the site….it NEVER ends! lol Thank God for this amazing, dedicated team and for you fans. You’ve made this possible. Oh, and thank you (fill in respective adult beverage choice).
I’ll be brief as I must eat my Ramen and then color the grays out of my hair.
As a soap fan, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to produce Venice. For all you great soap fans, keep with it. There is a place for this genre….a reworked version of it. Keep an open mind to ALL people who want to see the shows continue. It’s a very expensive undertaking. At the end of the day….we want our soaps!
OK…Ramen Time….
XO
CC
January 18, 2012
Who doesn’t love a good funeral? Well, really it was a memorial but whatever! Hope you enjoyed episode 9 of Venice. It’s one of my favorites. I know that some of the folks I work with told me I’m insane when I suggested this episode. They’re not wrong…but, if I’m going to be crazy, I might as well enjoy myself! LOL. Thanks to Desiree and all the other wonderful funeral guests! You were amazing! Mr. Harrison White for his beautiful self and vocals. Maria Webster for her wonderful guitar and backup. Kelly Moneymaker’s touching music. The cast. I’m blown away every week. So proud of all of you! And I mean all of you…every episode has been a revelation. I continue to learn every week. Mr. Sabatino…. I didn’t know when I went off to work that I’d come home to such fun lyrics…xoxo. You made all the professional whores out there feel special…even if for just a few minutes. ; )
It’s been a potpourri of work this week. I’m rewriting a section of a proposal…story related. Also, a few words about One Life To Live for someone. Looking at Emmy possibilities for Days and Venice. It’s a head spinner! Also, met with someone about my book….Interesting talking about yourself for two hours. You realized afterwards how desperately you want a break from yourself LOL. Maybe I’ll use it as a form of therapy. I hope it all ends well. ; )
Its wasn’t a good end for me on Friday. I sat in my living room…and I’ll admit, it’s the first time in a long time I’ve sat and watched a soap in real time. The days seem full of that work stuff. One Life should be very proud. They exited with integrity. What a great show! Congrats to Frank and Ron and the whole cast. I cried. I remembered. I wished it wouldn’t end. I still hold out hope that these shows are not lost to us. We just need to restructure a bit and I think that’s doable. I, for one, will do all that I can to support. I hope you do too.
Saw the adorable and talented Jen Foster Saturday night! God, she’s good. Such a talented musician and song writer! We talked for a bit afterwards….I didn’t remember how much she giggled! Really….adorable. Shawn Christian, Christa and I went to a wine bar and talked till it closed. I love Shawn. Smart, creative and a go getter. And not too bad to look at! Yeah, cheese moment. LOL Sunday I had brunch with friends Molly B and Nadia B and Nelson B. And Christa. The three B’s and Christa. Yep. It was like church. We were quiet, contrite and sober. And nobody dared Gossip! At least, that’s what I remember after 3 mimosas! Wink. It was great seeing everybody. I’m lucky to have such great friends. Smart, funny…and able to run up a bar tab!
I’m off to see what the rattling in my brain is. I’ll try to be much more interesting next week! Keep telling your friends about Venice! I have a magic number of subscriptions I want to make! And I know it’s down to three but take comfort in knowing that V4 is underway!
As Jamie said at the end of Paid to Get Laid (The ballad of Amber Preston)….Amen!
XO
CC
1-11-12 (or I don’t relate to this number)
I have to admit, I’m exhausted. As I go on all 12 cylinders…we all have 12, right?….I found myself knee deep yesterday in the thick of a production meeting for Welcome, Matt lead by the wildly talented and organized Ms. Susan Flannery. I love this show. Written and neatly typed, as she put on the script cover, by Ms. Lindsey Harrison. Welcome Matt is a story of a widower with an 11 year old daughter living in Manhattan, unhappy and in need of salvation. He finds himself home…..a small town where his lovely deranged father runs….or should I say doesn’t run ….a funeral home. He needs his son’s help. Matt’s daughter, Abbie, is beyond precocious and needs to be planted somewhere where a hijacked subway train to Cuba isn’t the norm. It’s quirky and funny…at least to my warped, disturbed sensibilities….lol
I love the collaborative nature of this company. I’m lucky to be knee deep in the very thing that at the same time intrigues me and reminds me of how much I have to learn…but, oh, I get to learn from some of the best! We went through the script. Talked about possible locations and just the reality of shooting on a very low budget. Susan asks, “Do we have the budget to build a South Pacific set?”. I reply, “I was thinking a blow up palm tree.” We all agreed this could work. I would like to thank the adorable Rebecca Budig, Susan’s friend, for the use of her beautiful home for this meeting. Ya never know where the journey will take you. Hey, Rebecca….wanna come to Venice?
My day went on to try to figure out a counter proposal for a Big Auto Co. I realized I’m looking at bullet points and numbers that I’m…uh, unfamiliar with and, at the same time, trying to think outside the box and formulate a new way of integrating product…good product by the way…I’m not just kissing tailpipe…using new means….online content…Venice. What am I doing again? lol I got home at 12 30 AM from a night of debauchery with friends Paul, MK and Miss Thang….Judi Evans. That’s a whole other blog….let’s just say….When Irish mouths are drinking…you know the tune. I sat with my co exec. Talking among other things….The Proposal. We were up until 530 and her alarm clock rang and she had to shower for work… Sorry Christa! We managed to pull something together that I think is pretty cool (and I have to continue working on after I finish this blog lol). BTW, Christa, I ate all your ham….Next hams on me!
Did I mention Michael and I celebrated our 15th anniversary on Sunday? I so adore him. He wished me a happy anni on Saturday. I just looked at him and said Oh honey; you were so close this year! I can’t blame him. For some reason, it’s a hard date to remember….even for me. Post holidays. So much work put into the end of the previous year. I think we just both want to settle down for a warm winters nap…wait….We had a beautiful day. We took the boys to dinner and they both toasted us. Happy Anniversary….and then, at my request before leaving the house, Dylan said, “Mom, we are both going to…uh, what’s that word you said?….Participate. Yes, Participate!…in making this a nice dinner out. It was pretty cool!
Biz….Got our ad spots out there. So cool to see. Thanks for supporting our zany efforts! I might have just peed a little when I saw Venice and then a Dr. Phil follow. This Saturday we will be launching our movie poster contest. Good fun. I let you know more as we go. The Grove is now being delicately looked at by the incredible Jill Lorie Hurst. I love my phone calls with Jill. She’s opened her mind to possibility….young grasshopper. That just seemed odd and appropriate at the same time so I typed it. Spoke to my bud Michael O Leary. He’s dreamy and whacked. Two of my fave qualities in a person. Doing well. Reminiscing. Have I mentioned the immense sadness that One Life to Live is leaving us? I grew up wanting to be a Buchanan. Didn’t matter if I was Vicki and Clint’s daughter or Bo’s love interest…I used to imagine the back of my hand was Bob Woods face. Dear God….I’m sharing, ppl!
I’m sure I could keep going here but work calls. And, as I no longer am capable of staying up all night and having a thought the next day I don’t giggle at, I must focus and put some other words together on my pretty MAC.
Epi 8 sets up 9! It’s fun! And we have an original song debuting written by our own Maria Webster and Michael Sabatino. Ha!
Thanks for the love! Visit our site!
XO
CC
January 4, 2012
Yeah, I almost wrote 2011….WOW! What happened? LOL Years come and go so quickly these days! I know because it seems every year some other part of my body loses it’s…um, youthful spring?! I officially need readers…which are ok. If it’s worth reading, they’re worth wearing. My back has always been an issue even back in my twenties. I’m training for my third half marathon so I’m feeling my knees….and my ass falls asleep when I sit for too long! That last one doesn’t really hurt. It’s just feels funny. I’m ok with the idea of getting older, but the actual getting older part can really suck! LOL! Hey, thank God for hair dye and a boob lift…Remember, I can’t see that well so I don’t wanna be trippin over those puppies! Now, putting the physical part aside…What the Hell happened to my patience? I’m normally very even keeled….to the point where some of my friends want to check me for a pulse. But something interesting occurred over my kids holiday break.
We spent Christmas in Orange County with Michael’s family. I love his family but it had been a long year. I had just finished taxes, shopping for the holidays and then just dealing with the day ins, day outs. I think I really just wanted to feel my ass fall asleep while watch lamb testicles be sliced, diced and fried. But…we had made plans and a commitment and I’m all about the follow through so….off we went! Now, normally it takes about 3 hours to get to LA but, depending on traffic, especially on a holiday, it could be much longer. And to get to Orange County….fagetaboutit! It’s during this leg of the vacation that my beautiful boys decided to verbally kick each other’s asses! One of the traits both boys share is the ability to intensely focus on a task. So, when they get into it, it takes an act of God….or Satan to turn it off. I’ve mentioned my little one has the ability to bleep himself when he’s frustrated. What I hear is God BLEEP Jake, what the BLEEP is wrong with you!? Stop BLEEPING doing that! Meanwhile, my older boy has perfected the art of covert digs at a decibel level that’s hard for the two old people in the front seat to hear. But one too many BLEEPS and he’s in the game! What ensues is me trying to calmly get them to stop, followed by a slightly louder and firmer request for lower voices, followed by a three level drop in my voice, reddened face and a triple head spin. I’m accused of pulling a Linda Blair from the Exorcist. I tell them I played Olivia Freakin Spencer on GL…Linda who? I know. It happens. We are in the middle of Winter Break and when structure is gone….people can lose their minds!! That reminds me, I need to put The Shining in my queue.
Christmas was nice. We had fun. I was working on Venice as was the rest of my team (ya know they love me!). But it was good. We came back to the central coast a couple of days later. I don’t know why if feels like fleeing a crime scene after visiting family, but given my head space, I was happy to be on the run. We settled in for a few days. Cleaning and working around our mostly remodeled house. Then it was off to northern Cali to visit MORE family for New Years! Fun folk! But when we arrived the dining room table was set for formal seating…name tags and all! I was hoping for a bucket of KFC and vodka…but, oh well…( If you want to know what the ride up was like refer to the above paragraph.) We had a pleasant time. Took a walk through the Redwoods. I have to say…we are all comfortable and at peace in the woods. Hmmm….maybe I need to rethink this beach life and take them to the trees! We spent a beautiful couple of days enjoying Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur. It was a wild drive on a windy road but the air was fresh and the vista….breathtaking. Ahem…and the boys fell asleep for hours so WEEEEE….
We landed home safely and are back to a more normal routine. I can’t say I’m sorry the fun and games are over. I’m ready for a new year. A new beginning. I look forward to the promise of new possibilities, new adventures! Oh, and school Monday morning!
Happy New Year!! 2011…err, 12!!!
XO
CC
December 29, 2011
TIC TOC /TRANSITIONS
Anybody else exhausted after this year? Maybe it’s just my age but it seems like so much has happened….changed…for better or worse. I can only take it all in and step back to appreciate the journey. I have children, in case you didn’t know, who are growing and, quite frankly, starting to get a little smelly. Apparently they compete with their friends to see how long they can go without washing their hair. I’ve only recently caught a whiff of this game. My kids aren’t going to win. They are busting out of their shoes and clothes on a monthly basis. And….they eat! I swear Michael and I will sit with mouth agape watching them consume large portions of some meat product wondering if we’re going to have to sell off an organ to cover our grocery bill. Nonetheless, they are wonderful, loud, magical people. Reminding me every day the value of patience, rational thinking and….the absolute need for solitude!
Now, I’m a social kind of person….tweet, tweet! But I also like to sit and contemplate….especially at the end of every year. That may sound like I’m heading into the deep end but really I’m just trying to examine the years “trip”, see what I’ve accomplished that I set out to accomplish and look at all the fucking mistakes I made as to try to learn from them and not do them again!! Sometimes that can be tricky…especially if it’s new territory for me. Thank God for the Now or Never attitude or….is it just saying….What the Hell? What have I got to lose? Sometimes ignorance IS bliss. And for what’s important in life….I’ve got that safely tucked away. So, why not take the leap?
I found myself in interesting positions this year. LOL…Dear God, my mind just went straight into the gutter. What’s new? No, really….this tiny little company has taken me to places I never thought I’d go…never thought I wanted to be. I’ve found myself in lush offices of biggie companies who have shown interest in us. I had a meeting recently in a big, fancy office building. Ya know, the suit and tie team. You should have seen the looks in the elevator with me in my keds, skinny jeans and t-shirt! Some things…are what they are.LOL! We are buying commercial spots in certain parts of the country. Our record label is growing! I’m looking at PAJAMA PANTS to put in the V shop!!! It’s a whirlwind of newness and I can’t say it’s always fun but I definitely am thrilled to have the opportunity to learn and grow! But I’m lucky. I’ve had great examples in my life. People who have struggled to create a life from very little…..like my Uncle Mike.
When I was a wee young lass, I had a favorite uncle. You know…the one that always made you feel good just by looking at you with his twinkling eyes and soft grin. Even after coming back from Vietnam, he struggled, but never made me feel I owned any less room in his heart. It was as if he knew it was his job in life to put a smile and chuckle into a person’s day. He was always supportive of me, proud of me but, like he would say, “Crys, I don’t watch soap operas.”. I would just laugh and it was truly OK. I mean, if it’s not your thing then don’t do it! He knew how he wanted to spend his time and he spent it doing wonderful things! In September, my Uncle Mike was diagnosed with brain cancer. He was told he had six months. We lost him two weeks ago. I miss him terribly but even in this moment I see his twinkling eyes and sheepish grin. He was a wonderful lesson in living truthfully with oneself. Don’t just dream…do. Don’t get lost talking something down…criticizing those who dare to try….just because you have a platform to do so. Isn’t it worth a shot? What the Hell?
XO
CC