The Last Four Days

Friday: Woonsocket, MEGAN!, The Art of Traffic, 4 Nurses and John

It says on the Woonsocket, RI town sign that it’s “A city on the Move”. I don’t know what that means really. It’s more like a city on the move out of town. Like a store closing at it’s changing locations. Woonsocket in its hay day probably once was a great small city. You can tell by the crafted buildings downtown and the huge New England homes on the outskirts. But now it’s all run down, broken windows, overgrown weeds. It’s a shame really.



I looked over my map before I left and drove the 1-hour scenic drive down here. The trees are all pretty much a spectrum of color. Beautiful. I enter Woonsocket and find a town sign and achieve my task for today. I drive towards the address on the map and realize it’s a Catholic Church. So I go around the church and see old men carrying a coffin out of the front doors down long stairs. I quickly learn this is not the right place. So I dash out of there before I get stuck in the funeral precession. I stop at a Dunkin Donuts getting a coffee and call the office. I have Estephany confirm the address. Of course the website I looked up gave me the wrong address and the school website was further downtown. So I drive into town and do not see the school at all. So I drive out of town and turn around. I stop at the beginning of town and park. I walk around Woonsocket because I have some time to kill, perhaps thinking I will spot it better on the walk. Nothing. So I go back to my car and enter the town’s visitor center. The kind lady gives me directions and still I can’t find it. So I end circling again and finally see it. It’s a small brick building with a very small sign in the window. Beacon Charter High School. Yeah, smaller than this 12point font. I finally found a place to park with 50 minutes to kill. So here I am in “Big Blue” as the sky has opened up watching it pour down rain as I reach out to you my dry readers.

It was that annoying rain where it drizzles, pours and then stops, like the weather couldn’t make up its mind what to do. My new plan was to head down to Pawtucket, RI. I’m curious what a socket or tucket is? I’ll have to look it up, is it like a ville? I was invited to a Jack-O-Lantern festival.

Megan

A couple of years ago Megan and I hung out in Los Angeles the day before Valentines. We met up at the Normandie Room and ended up running all over West Hollywood ending at the Abby. We were instant partners in crime. Her energy and uncensored personality drew me to her at a much-needed time. I believe I was currently working on Eight Below. After having so much fun we decided to be pseudo dates on Valentines. We went to see Pride and Prejudice and went to a restaurant/bar across the street. We ended up getting to know each other more in between the waiter constantly hitting on her. We were able to just talk about everything. It was a great Valentine’s “date”. We maintained a strong friendship in L.A. until she moved back to Worcester, MA. We’ve tried to stay in touch, but it’s hard sometimes, but I wanted to make sure, no matter where she was I was going to see her on this trip.

Her and her boyfriend work for this Jack-O-Lantern festival where they carve hundreds or thousands of pumpkins, I’ll have to show you the link it looked amazing. Unfortunately after my presentation she called and told me the festival was cancelled because the unseasonably warm weather and rain destroyed the pumpkins. So I decided to drive up to Worcester to at least spend an hour or two with her and quickly catch up.

I met her at Starbucks and she hadn’t changed a bit. Although, we were both exhausted we sipped on our coffee drinks and caught up wishing we had more time. For me it was nice to see a familiar face finally on this trip. I absolutely think the world of her and so happy we finally got to see each other once again. Oh, Megan, remind your parents they still owe me a trip to Cape Cod!





The Art of Traffic

Leaving Worcester it was prime rush hour traffic. Knowing that when I get into Boston I’m going to be stuck for hours. On the MA Turnpike I mentally prepare myself for I95 and settle in to “Big Blue”. I finally hit I95 with 22miles until my exit I am sardine canned in. You all know by now that I hate traffic. It’s my biggest pet peeve and yes I am aware that when I am stuck in traffic I am traffic. Sitting quietly in “Big Blue” no radio, my windows down I just take this time to think and relax, because I know I’m not going anywhere for a long time. Projecting movie ideas on the back of semi’s trailer door in front of me. Trying to figure out how to reduce traffic, and trying to tame this monster. When people exit the same amount of people enter merging onto the highway. I give up trying to fix it and sit back looking into the red and white lights feeling the breeze coming through my windows.

4 Nurses and John

I decide to go down to hotel bar. To the right of me are four nurses and on the left is John. John overhears the nurses are from Ohio instantly exclaiming he’s also from Ohio. The nurses and John sing the Ohio State school song and talk locations. The nurse next to me brings me into the conversation; I also talk to John about my family in Cleveland and Toledo. The Nurses talk about how they were thrown out of a bar downtown during the baseball game because they were yelling O-H-I-O. which I thought was hilarious. Never mess with Boston baseball!

I find out the four nurses on having a girl’s weekend in Boston. Two are married, one has children and the other attached to her phone texting her boyfriend. Out of respect for the ladies I will not divulge any of their secrets because the quote is (stolen from Vegas) “What happens in Wakefield stays in Wakefield.” John was trying to get to her alma mater Ohio State for the homecoming game, but because of the downpour his flight was cancelled and ended up in Wakefield. We were all six lost souls in Wakefield on a rainy night made the best of a night in a hotel outside of Wakefield on a stormy night. It was a lovely end to a week in Boston. Thank you ladies and John, I wish you all the best and had safe travels. Perhaps we’ll meet again in O-H-I-O.

Saturday

I slept in. I got up and cleaned out “Big Blue” I checked out of my hotel room and hit the road. I made it safely to Enterprise and said my good byes to Big Blue. I took the van to the airport and waited.

Honestly nothing really happened on Saturday. I started to feel my body slowly shutting down. The last thing I wanted to do was getting on another airplane and drive an hour to Long Island. The flight was bumpy and when we landed there was some frustrating excitement. We had to be towed in but the tow drunk was broke so we had to wait on the tarmac for a new truck to tow us in. Then the platform broke trying to connect to the plane and so we had to wait longer. Then a yelling match broke out between three passengers. Then finally we were let off. I waited for over a half hour for the luggage belt to start delivering our luggage. I then jumped on the Air train to get to the rental car shuttle area. I got on the wrong train then got off and then onto another train all while lugging all this equipment. I found the shuttle bus and ended up at Enterprise. I waited in line for a while and finally checked in. As we were walking out to the cars I saw my old friend Big Blue parked out front. I don’t know how he does it. The enterprise guy asks what car do you want? I say anything but a P.T. Cruiser. He responds what about a Jeep Patriot? Deal! I named him the White Lion after a car with the same name I had several years ago.

We drove to an hour to Long Island. It turned out to be a nice easy ride. Finding the hotel was easy and I pull in. I check into the hotel and get my room. Alas, I can relax. I end up going to the hotel restaurant and have a horrible dinner. Back to the room I cuddle up in the super comfy bed and fall asleep. It was 8:30pm

Sunday

I woke up at 7am. Well rested and but still jet lagged. I took my time getting showered and dressed. Drank coffee and sat in my room. I looked over maps on my computer until venturing downstairs to the lobby. I requested the shuttle to the train station and waited. The shuttle dropped me off at the train I purchased my roundtrip ticket into the city. I boarded the train finding a seat and settling in. The train ride went fairly quick. It didn’t seem like an hour. We entered Penn Station and I walked up the stairs and there I was. New York City.

I’ve always liked the vibe of NYC. A rich cultural city, building towering over you and crowds of people from all over the world walking the streets, there’s so much to see that it overwhelms me. I head up north to the 43rd street where I am going to see a show. I’m early so I walk a few blocks and try to find a diner. Of course there’s plenty of commercial restaurants but I want to find a true NYC diner. So a couple blocks west here in the theater district I discover the Theater District Diner. It was perfect. I order eggs and a waffle. The coffee was great and service really good. I just sit back and enjoy. Then I walk up to Times Square and 42nd street. Again, I am truly overwhelmed. I feel something on my shoulder and see that a bird made a dead aim letting go its doo doo on my shirt. Sigh. I find a Starbucks and clean off my shirt. I head back towards the theater and relax in the park. I forgot to mention last week that when I was hiking I twisted or pulled a muscle in my foot. It has been really hurting while I walk so that’s why I went to the park to rest my foot. It’s feeling better now so please don’t worry.

J.T. Patton

Back in junior high and the first few years of high school J.T. and I were inseparable. We were on the Speech team, in all the plays and outside of school constantly making classic films like: “Bob the Dog”, “Death of a Hero”, 454 Theater and many more. After high school we lost touched. While I was living in L.A. we somehow found each other’s email. I ended up in NY a few years ago and had breakfast with him for like an hour. This time we have a few hours. I’m going to see his Off Off Broadway show “They House of Yes”.

The show was well done and being able to see J.T. truly act after all these years was the best. The kid is brilliant. I’m very happy he stuck with acting and still is. He’s really good. After the show we stood around and talked. This was the last show for the cast so they all wanted to celebrate. A block away we entered a restaurant bar and all nine of us sat down.

I don’t know what it is about actors. I just love being around them. Sure they can be a bit dramatic at times but who isn’t? If you look at most of my friends they are artists in their own way. I just love being around creative people. I guess that’s why I love the NYC culture is that they aren’t pretentious as some of the people in L.A. Of course in L.A. my friends were not pretentious. It just seems like the people the artists in NY are aware they are in the same boat as each other. I could be completely wrong by generalizing but that’s been my experience. I like being around that. So we sat and we all talked about everything. So I need to give some shout outs:

Jason: Thanks for stepping outside with me and talking movies and ideas.
Alicia: Thanks for being so much fun and staying with us until the end.
Matt: Thanks for sharing your Across the Universe set experience; I still need to watch that movie.
Anne: It was so lovely to meet you especially someone has done some much as an actress.
Margaret: Thanks for being a good sport as I constantly insulted you ;)
Linnea: Thank you for your inspiring words and sticking with us also until the end even when you had a headache. I adore you.
And last but not least:
J.T.: Thank you for sticking with me after all these years. I’m so proud of you and I can’t wait until we are able to work together on our own projects.

I wish you all the best with all your adventures!

On the train I sat back and just thought. The hotel shuttle picked me up at the train station and I jumped into bed.





Monday
Ten hours later I woke up. Feeling refreshed. I did some work and decided to get some lunch. I went to Applebee’s and sat at the bar. I always feel bad taking up a table so I usually go to the bar. No one was there except for me. Christina my bartender instantly became my best friend in Long Island. We were able to talk a bit and we made snowman at the bar with ice that I have no idea where it came from. She told me about how her husband and her just bought the house she grew up in. I thought that was pretty neat. We joked around and laughed. She told me where the movie theater was etc. It was just really nice. As more customers came in I finally am able to write this blog. Now I am back at the hotel doing my laundry. After this I think I’m just going to chill out. This is a perfect day to just STOP, and relax. As far as work, it’s going to be an interesting week. So today, is Pete time.