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Hi Mark,

I recently caught up with a guy that I grew up next door to in Ohio. He lived in the house on the block where all the kids showed up to play. They had a pool table in the basement, a basketball hoop in the driveway and a huge yard where we played red rover and the like. His mom was my blue bird troop leader and I was friends with his little sister. He asked me what I had been up to and what follows is my response.

Hi Mark,

I would love to get caught up with you guys. I have talked to your sister here and there over the years, but you’re right, it has been at least 25 years since I saw you or your brother. So here goes.

The day after high school, I pretty much didn’t do anything. Just sat around and wondered “uh, ok now what?” The next day the same and the day after that Mom said “… if you’re not going to college you gotta get a job and pay rent”

A reasonable request don’t you think?

Not too long after that I got an apartment with a friend. Spent my twenties and thirties:

moving to apartments, back to Mom’s, new apartments, changing roommates, changing jobs, losing weight, gaining weight, gaining and losing boyfriends, had a dog I still love, (his ashes are in a box in the garage, can’t bring myself to deal with them and he has been dead 10 years), had two cats I loved but have passed, a couple of fish but the cat ate the beta, kept a job working with retarded adults for nine years, spent my retirement savings from that job to open an art shop in German Village, (the last time I saw your mom was when your parents came to the grand opening, pretty cool of them I thought), drove my mom to California to see the Price is Right, had a tee shirt made that read “Bob Barker is the Sexiest Man Alive” still didn’t get picked to be on stage, moved in with my sister stayed there 5 years, met Wayne, my husband and the one I was waiting for all those years, moved to Florida with him after only 6 months of dating, sometimes you just know, we knew and we went for it, 2 and half years later we got engaged, I had a hard time convincing him that if we got married I would not turn into his ex-wife, she really beat him up, 11 months after getting engaged we got married in Ohio, your sister and your dad were there, I got so drunk we did not consummate the marriage for 2 days. (is that tooooo much info?) one day after quitting my 3rd job in banking, ( I was the assistant manager of a bank, only the branch was inside of a Wal-Mart so can you blame me?) Wayne says to me, why don’t you quit taking jobs you hate and do what you love? “But I like writing and I have only one year of college from Columbus State when I was like 29 years old...” “ So?” he says. So, I started writing, it took a year of experimenting before settling on writing screenplays. (Did several children’s books and worked on an auto biography and a sitcom pilot) I have completed one script and Wayne and I are working on an Oscar winner together. Wayne’s job sent him to Seattle for four months and I went with him.

So this year I have worked harder than ever but haven’t been paid a dime yet. I forgot to stop spending money when I quit working so I am going to have to get a little something that pays till we sell a screenplay.

Wayne: He is the best man I have ever known, he totally believes in me and encourages me to be my best. We were introduced by a good friend of mine who was also a great friend of his; she was Wayne’s best “man” when we married. (I was old when I married my prince charming but that kinda beats settling for less just so you could get married while you’re still young enough to drink at your reception and not be sick for two days)

He has 2 daughters 17 and 19 that live with their mother in NY. Beautiful girls that are as smart as he is.

So we are in our home now and working on whatever is next. We are sort of maybe considering moving to LA area but only for a few years. If Wayne had his way we would live in Sonoma, I really liked Seattle, but am not sure where I want the forever house to be. We do know that we want to have a cabin in Ohio for summers and holidays visits with the herd back there. No matter where we live, as long as we are together we are home.

So… what’s up with you?

Don't Stop Believin'

The night before the 15Th anniversary of my 29Th birthday, Wayne took me to Snoqualmie Casino in Washington. On Sunday nights they have Rockaraoke. You get to sing with a real live band, complete with backup singers, long haired guitar players, beret sporting key board player and a rockin drummer.

It was a far far greater thing than I have ever done.

Since sometime in the seventies I have been singing Journey songs; badly. Yet I dreamed of the day when I could sing one with a real live band. I also dreamed many many naughty things about Steve Perry, but that is not for today.

And then on the eve of my 44Th birthday, Wayne, the real man of my dreams made my rock and roll fantasy come true, by waiting through two hours of singers, some worse than me, till it was my turn.

I sang “Don’t Stop Believin’”, badly, live on stage with a rock and roll band, and a karaoke prompter. Though I have been singing these songs forever, it took seven Mac & Jacks to work up the nerve to go on stage, and I may have sneaked a peak or two at the words.

Irregardless…

It was so much fun; I don’t think I can ever karaoke again, because it would be such a letdown after that. I didn’t sing well, but I sang loud and I sold it all the way home. The crowd cheered when they heard the opening of the song and they danced and sang along and applauded when I was done. It was awesome.

You may be wondering if my rock and roll dream of singing with a band was somewhat sullied because it was karaoke. I mean in a way you're paying the band to back you up and isn't that kind of like having sex with a prostitute?

Well... same thing, it would be better if you didn't have to pay for it, but it's still good.

So if you ever sang into your hairbrush, even just once, find a place with live band karaoke and go for it. You will not regret it, I promise.

Sweating With the Oldies

Excerpt from the screenplay, THREE TWO ONE, by Gail E Moss. Emma, Gwynne and Mandy are at the gym, when Gwynne encounters an old flame.

Mandy's Big Loss

Excerpt from the screenplay, THREE TWO ONE, by Gail E. Moss.
Emma, Gwynne and Mandy are at their weekly weight loss club, "Flab U Less", when it's Mandy's turn to weigh in. Turns out her friends aren't as excited about her big loss as Mandy is.

The Strip Tease

Excerpt from Gail E. Moss' screenplay, THREE TWO ONE. Emma, Gwynne and Mandy are at their weekly weight loss club, "Flab U Less", when Emma is shocked to learn she may have gained wieght this week despite her efforts at the gym. But Emma is determined to show a loss and will stop at nothing till she gets the results she is looking for.

PINE-ING FOR KIRK

Stop what you are doing and go see Star Trek. I am not playing, STOP and go see it now!

Remember when I told you about how I was Crushin on Captain Kirk?

Well I still am, only now it has been bumped up a notch or ten. Thanks to great writing, (Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) directing, (J.J. Abrams) and not to mention acting.

What can I say; thanks to Chris, I am now Pine-ing for Kirk.

I first mentioned Chris here when I reviewed Bottle Shock, which was a good movie about our favorite thing, wine. Now that he has portrayed one of my favorite childhood loves, and done it well, I like him even more.

Other preformances included Zachary Quinto as Spock. You may reconize him from the TV show Heroes, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and John Cho as Sulu. It's like a nerdy smorgasboard of yummy.

I don't know if Wayne has brought out the nerd lover in me, or if it was always there hiding, waiting for me to quit trying to be kool, but out it has come, my closet desire for all things nerdy, and it is making up for lost time. (This week we also saw Wolverine, and then rented the first X-Men movie again so we could check out continuity.)

However, nerd or no, if you like action, hot guys, or pretty girls, (Lt. Uhura), you'll like Star Trek.

For those of you who don't like the film, check out this report.