Really?!

"No way!" I shout out loud,  as I sit here and realize I have free time on my hands now! That deserves a whoop-whoop! I'm excited because now I can get going on my next project and write again. I didn't expect to miss it this much. But I have and cannot wait to get started. So without further adieu....

Thankful

Well long overdue but... I wanted to take the time to say how grateful I am to have met some remarkable people on this incredible journey called "trying to be a writer".  Most of them have only been via the wonders of twitter and facebook and email, but nonetheless, a wonder to me that such great people are so receptive and encouraging. 

From the likes of painters such Irene Hardwicke Olivieri, who offered insight into the world of painting and whose work now graces the walls of my home because I think she is brilliant and kind and couldn't see my house without her work in it! Please visit her website -  I promise you will fall in love with it, too. http://www.irenehardwickeolivieri.com/new/index.html

And on to actors, directors and many others who in some way adorn the film industry with incredible talent!  Each have given hope to what I want to achieve with my story -Stuart Lawson, Antony Lane, Marianna Palka, Gigi Garner, Shekhar Kapur, Rochelle Siemienowicz, Mark Romanek, Hybrid Vigor Films, Mike Schoonveld, IFC, Gale Anne Hurd, and Wendy Shepherd. 

Lastly, to all fellow writers I have met as well.  The list is beyond immense but I thank you all for answering my questions, giving great advice, promoting my work and offering encouragement as we are all in this together!

Settling in...

What a crazy few months I have had! Currently, I'm trying to get settled in a new city, wait - a new STATE! And it's not easy, but I keep my head up and a smile on my face as I "hurdle through all the obstacles". (Olympics on the brain - sorry!)
On top of this, I'm hoping to start the screenplay version of Six Feet in the next month or so. So many changes in the story line are rolling around in my head...things that I think will really make an impact in a script version as opposed to the book. I'm very excited to see how it comes together!

Planning to post a chapter or so in the next few days again of Six Feet as there seems to be a spike in interest lately!

I would also like to mention, since I previously commented on Christian Bale in a blog post, that he never ceases to amaze me. Making the effort to come to Colorado to visit the victims of the shooting in Aurora was beyond words, except one...human.

Transition

Nine cities in two months! Phew! I know it sounds like a book tour or something but it's nothing of the sort. Instead, it's moving and travelling and all the wonderful things that go along with that! Yes, living out of a suitcase has its advantages, but it will be good to get settled down in the near future.

I (hopefully) have a new and exciting project coming up in the fall. Of course it will involve writing but on a different scale. I'm really looking forward to it though and can't wait to get started. Patience...


So while I'm living in transition land, I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with family and friends and enjoy every minute! Just praying that my sanity and energy keep coursing through body in high numbers!


Don't forget to watch "Casanova" on Ovation tonight. They will be airing it back-to-back. It's a funny movie that I think really shows a fantastic side of Heath. I know that as the premiere of the latest Dark Knight film approaches, he will be in the thoughts of many as they remember one of his greatest performance of all time.

Touched

I know it's all over the news today, but I really wanted to say how touched I was in watching Christian Bale on the MTV Movie Awards last night. He is such the strong and silent type (not to mention very private) and for him to get emotional over seeing shared clips of a dear friend and colleague, whom he obviously enjoyed working with and misses terribly, was extremely moving to me. He let us in to a little part of his soul last night and the world was in awe. And still is today...

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1686426/christian-bale-heath-ledger-dark-knight-mtv-movie-awards.jhtml

Shady Grove on the BRAIN!

MAN, with Shady Grove on my brain because of wanting to get to an unplugged session so badly it hurts, I decided I just HAD to post the chapter from my book that takes place there! So here you go... Georgia and Heath sharing a meal together at Shady Grove...can't you just feel the magnetic force between them? oooo....yeah!

Chapter Eight-Six Feet from the Ledge

Since it was only going to get warmer as the morning hours went on, I decided to show him the trail that runs alongside the lake for now.  We stepped down onto the trail around Lady Bird Lake and walked for quite a while amongst the continuous flow of people passing by on foot and mountain bikes.  Not one person looked at Heath differently than they did me.  I found this very strange but I was so at ease in his presence, it didn’t seem to matter. 

Our conversation was ongoing in some parts and in others we just walked in a rather comfortable silence.  Occasionally, our arms would touch and my heart would stop just at the warmth emanating from his skin.  He asked a lot of questions about me, like what my family was like, and did I like growing up with a big brother.  He told me he grew up with mostly girls.  He then moved onto questioning me about my most recent years, asking about my years at college and my job at the café.  Throughout our walk, I pointed out many details about Austin, attempting to be a decent tour guide.  It was mostly things we could see from the lakeside trail and then things that would pop into my head, but he would only nod and continue asking me things about myself.  I thought this was supposed to be a tour. 

“When I was growing up, Austin was very different.  It has become a pretty big place now with lots of diverse people,” I mentioned, trying again to redirect the subject away from me.  He nodded again and started another question. 

“How old were you when you started painting, Georgia?”

“I was about 12 or 13, in middle school, when I realized how much I enjoyed it.  Then people started to tell me I was actually pretty good at it.  One painting I did in 8^th grade was even entered in the school district art competition.  I won second place.”  I had forgotten about that for years until now.  I let out a small laugh. 

He also wanted to know how long Vanessa and I had been together. 

“It’s been just over two years,” I said trying to refocus because I was feeling a little guilty being here with him, especially when I remembered how it felt to touch him.  “She and I get along really well.  She is the positive and upbeat one in our relationship and always keeps me on my toes.  She is my best friend and my soul mate.”

I didn’t realize I was smiling when he remarked, “You get a very peaceful look on your face when you talk about her.” 

We had continued walking in silence for a few minutes when suddenly he stopped and lightly touched my arm with his fingertips.  I thought I was going to pass out.  “Georgia, what is your biggest dream, with regards to your art, I mean?  Because I know you want it to be your life, just like any other artist.”  I didn’t have an answer for that question.  That was more difficult than the rest. 

“I haven’t even thought about the big picture, so to speak.”  I laughed nervously, still trying to recover from my near fainting spell.  “I don’t even have one great work yet that would put me over the top, you know?  I only have nine completed works that I can think of because it usually takes me a while to do one.  I tend to get easily frustrated with them.”  I voiced my immediate hope though, “So I don’t know really, but I guess a good start would be getting to exhibit in this show.”  I looked up at him after I said this. 

“That would only be the beginning,” he said with a little wink.  “You really are very good.  I shouldn’t have to tell you that though,” he said as he kicked some dirt from the trail onto the grass.  It was a similar action that someone might do when they were nervous.  Why would he be nervous?

“Are you hungry?  I found this great place yesterday just on that road over there.  Can I buy you some lunch to thank you for being such an excellent tour guide this morning?”  I haven’t been on many tours in my life but I would imagine that most of the guides don’t spend the majority of their tours answering questions about themselves.  Plus, he seemed to only look past the sights I showed him and he didn’t comment on any of the interesting facts I was proud enough to remember.  He wasn’t a very good tourist, I thought. 

“You don’t have to buy me lunch, but we can go wherever you like.”  I am pretty hungry though.  In between my mom calling to add a nice twist to my anxieties, and trying to deduce my mirage of seeing you three times now, uh, yeah, I kind of forgot to eat breakfast this morning.  That part I kept to myself. 

“Great!  It’s just over on that road, down that way a bit.  I think it’s called Shady something-,” he laughed.  “Okay, so maybe not the best of names but I enjoyed it a lot.”  He sounded so excited that I agreed to have lunch with him.  My imagination was getting much better. 

I looked up and hadn’t even realized how far we had walked.  We were at Zilker Park now and he was pointing towards Barton Springs Road.  “Oh yeah, Shady Grove …it’s one of my brother’s favorite places to eat when he comes back to Austin.  I like it, too.  Sure, we can go there.”  It was still kind of early for lunch, but it should be open by the time we walk over there.  We had walked for a couple of hours.  How did time go by so quickly?

“If you came here yesterday, we can go somewhere else around here, if you want,” I suggested as we walked into the sunlit patio entrance. 

“I really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was brilliant.  Very lively…so if you don’t mind?” 

“Sure.”  I didn’t see how anyone could ever say no to him.  There were a few people already sitting outside in the shade, working on some iced teas and Frito pies.  I wonder if anyone will recognize him here.  Surely our waiter or the other people dining here will.  The people on the trail this morning didn’t have enough time just in passing us, I reasoned to myself. 

We were sat near a big oak tree that gave us some lovely shade.  The sun was much higher now and the heat was starting to sink in.  Our waiter was named Jeff and he welcomed us in a normal manner and walked away with our drink order.  He never looked at Heath strangely.  Maybe he doesn’t recognize him. 

“What did you have here yesterday?” I asked as I looked around to see if anyone was noticing him.  He had removed his cap and didn’t have sunglasses on so it shouldn’t be too difficult. 

“I had a hippie sandwich, I think that’s what they called it…and it was really good but those Frito pie things look interesting.  I might try one of those this time…with another one of those sandwiches.  I’m hungry after all that walking!”  He looked up from the menu and winked at me.  “What about you?”  I can’t help myself from staring.  His dark eyes just burrow into mine whenever we make eye contact, like he is just as taken with me as I am with him. 

“Um, that sandwich sounds good.  I will just have that, thanks,” I answered still in a daze.  The waiter came back for our order and still nothing unusual about the way he observed my lunch companion.  I looked around as he departed and noticed the place was much fuller now.  I noticed a couple of diners look over at us, mainly at Heath, for a little longer than they should have maybe.  There!  Someone is going to recognize him now for sure!  Nothing…they all just went back to their own conversations.  I started to feel a little frustrated even though I wasn’t sure what to expect if someone did recognize him.  I could tell my face was giving my thoughts away. 

“You seem to be a bit tense all of sudden, Georgia,” he said with concern.  “We don’t have to eat here if there is somewhere else you want to go.”  So eager to make sure I was happy. 

“It’s not that.  This place is fine.  I was just wondering about something,” I said this as our eyes met again, but then I quickly looked away.  I won’t be able to ask him one word or care what the answer is, if I get lost in those eyes again. 

“You can ask me anything.  It seems only fair after the interrogation I put you through this morning,” he joked.  Would he answer any question I asked though?  I can at least try, for my sanity’s sake. 

“You said you came here yesterday.  Did anyone look at you…strangely…when you were here?”  I still kept my eyes on the table when I asked this. 

“No,” he responded.  “Should people be looking at me strangely, Georgia?”  Just then our lunch arrived but suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore. 

“Well, it’s just that…how do I say this?  Well, it’s just that you are Heath Ledger.”  That was all that I could manage to spit out, as I realized he had never told me his last name. 

“Yes, well, I know that and you know that, but does it really matter if anyone else figures that out?” he asked convincingly as he started to eat his food.  I thought about that for a minute.  It did matter because I was counting on some overly inquisitive bystander to notice that a supposedly deceased actor was sitting across from me.  However, he doesn’t seem to be worried about my sanity at all. 

“That doesn’t seem very fair to me though.”  I can’t believe I said that out loud!  He looked at me sadly and put his sandwich down. 

“Are you unhappy being here with me, Georgia?” he sounded disappointed. 

“No,” I said quietly. 

“I’ve had a really good time with you today.  You have been kind enough to walk with me and let me buy you lunch in appreciation,” he said sincerely.  “I know I asked you a lot of questions, simply because I wanted to get to know you better.  But I don’t want to upset you.  That is not what I came here for.”  Those last few words struck me very hard.  He has come here for something. 

After a long pause in which he kept his eyes on mine, I attempted to apologize, “No, I’m so sorry, Heath.  You are right.  It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”  I was ruining everything, even though his tone before didn’t imply anger.  He has only been nice to me and I have been rude to him on two occasions now.  I started to eat my sandwich and he met my gaze with a smile.  “It’s getting pretty hot out here now,” I said with hopes of forgetting the last few minutes ever happened. 

“The heat doesn’t bother me much.  It was quite hot back home in Australia.”

“I have never been there but I’ve heard it’s beautiful.  My brother went there on his honeymoon a few years back.”  Christopher could only say good things about Australia when he got back. 

“He said the beaches were the most beautiful he had ever seen and the people were all so friendly.  He promised to take me and my mom there one day.”

“You should hold him to that promise.  There are so many wonderful places to see there.  I miss it a lot,” he said in a proud, yet sad way.  He went on to enlighten me with stories about where he grew up, his very close-knit family and all the great friends he truly admired and missed.  Some of the stories made me laugh harder than I have in ages.  He was a really good storyteller and seemed to get loads of pleasure at how amused I was by them.  After a long break, in which I was letting my sore abdominal muscles rest, we finished our lunches and paid the bill.  Heath broke the comfortable silence. 

He leaned into the table and said in a much quieter voice, “Hey, do you have any plans this afternoon?” 

I looked at my watch out of habit.  Another couple of hours had passed.  Unbelievable.  “I really need to clean my apartment and probably should check my messages.  I’m sure Vanessa has called today.”  Oh shit!  “I better get home and call her!  I was supposed to have lunch with her today!”

“It’s a long walk from here.  Let me call a taxi for you.”  He went inside and had the hostess call a cab for me.  Even though I was stressing about what Vanessa might be thinking, I couldn’t keep my eyes from following him into the restaurant and hoping to God that he was going to come back. 

He did.  “They shouldn’t be too long.”

“Thanks.”  I started to wonder if this was going to be the end of our time together.  If it was, it made me incredibly sad.  But as we walked over to the parking lot to wait, I heard my name. 

“Georgia?”

“Mm, hmm?” I answered softly, still in thought. 

“Could I come back to your apartment with you and see some more of your paintings?  That is if you would want to share them with me,” he added the last part with a slight grin.  There was that charm again.  Is he asking to come back to my place?  I’m sure it’s not in the usual sense but he actually wants to spend more time with me. 

“Um, sure.  That would be fine.  I only have a few more lying around though,” I joked to hide my shock.  “My mom and Vanessa have the rest at their houses.”

The cab arrived shortly after and we both climbed in the back.  Neither one of us said a word for the few minutes it took to get back over to my street.  

Remembering Heath today...

As April 4th is already on the calendar in Australia, I would like to take a moment to mention today is a very special day to me and to many. Heath Ledger would have been 33 years old today.
My heart goes out to his loved ones and friends as they will be thinking of him today and remembering all of the wonderful birthdays they shared with him.
And I would like to say thank you. Thank you, Heath, for teaching me to see the world differently and inspiring me to write a story that gives us a little taste of the wonderful and caring person you were. I will forever be grateful.

SXSW 2012

WOW! What a great long weekend in Austin at SXSW this year! I hadn't been in a few years but knew it was a must this time around. Got to see one of my all-time favorite bands, Counting Crows on Lady Bird Lake (what could be more perfect than that?). Adam Duritz is a brilliant songwriter and vocalist. It was great to see them enjoying the unending welcome Austin offers every musiscian---local or not!
Some of my new faves did not disappoint either...Neon Trees, Keane, Graffiti6, Ingrid Michaelson, and Of Monsters and Men. And The Boss showing up at the music awards... unbelievable! And folks were out in droves but the vibe was irresistible! It would draw you in, as soon as the first note hit your ears!
My only regret...not making it to much of the film festival. My time was limited and my heart always tends to lean towards music, so I gave in to my first love. However, next year I SWEAR I will do both! I did partake in two mighty fine meals over the weekend as well... delectable late night su6shi at Kenichi and one heck of a three-course meal at Bess Bistro. I highly recommend them both!
In reflection, I'm glad I made it a point to get to SXSW this year. It gave me some definite fond memories to add to my many ones of Austin.
Sandi xoxo

Chapter Four

I hope it makes your heart beat a little faster! :)

Six Feet from the Ledge/Chapter 4:

Greta’s is my favorite little coffee shop just off the main street in downtown.  It’s far enough down a side street to be away from the hustle and bustle of daily downtown business, but still close enough to see a bit of the wonderful skyline of Austin.  They know me there pretty well.  I go in about twice a week and order the same thing, a non-fat latte in a big round mug that I load up with sugar.  Normally I either peruse the local indie newspaper for anything going on around town, or I sit and sketch some shapes of the people I see hanging around in there.  So I found my usual table in the corner, near the window and sat my case down against the window.  I decided to take it in with me since I had to park a little further away than usual that day and with this being downtown, you never know.  I take a small sip from my sugary caffeinated delight, smiling a little at the flavor but mostly at the possibility of being in a group show at the Shine Gallery soon.  I sat my cup down and decided to have a look around the room to see who was here today.  Most of the same people come in here though, and it’s never that crowded at this time of the morning.  I saw John, plugging away on his laptop at his usual table across the room.  I hear he owns a consultancy firm but does all of his work mainly from that laptop at that table.  The only reason I know his name is he sometimes has meetings with people here and I hear him introduce himself.  It’s amusing too because the folks are usually dressed in suits, and John always wears jeans and graphic tee shirts.  I guess he takes a more relaxed approach to business.  That is my kind of guy. 

I decided to open up the paper I grabbed on my way in.  I only have a short amount of time today because I need to get home by 11 so I can change and be at work by noon.  From the corner of my eye, I saw someone sit down across from John.  Out of my usual curiosity of those that make their way into the coffee shop, I looked over at this someone directly and nearly choked on my coffee.  It was Heath Ledger, or again, someone that looked a hell of a lot like him.  He wasn’t talking to John, and John wasn’t talking to him.  In fact I never saw John stand up and greet him the way he normally did with those who came to sit at his table.  This guy just sat down there, like the table was empty.  He had a coffee in one hand and the other was made into a loose fist, pressed against his mouth.  As he turned to his left and looked over at me, his thumb covered his lips and underneath they broke into a small smile.  I quickly looked down; breaking the eye contact and thought I must be losing my mind.  I couldn’t even drink my coffee right now.  I was literally freaking out.  I need to get the hell out of here.  I allowed myself another peek over at him and he was still looking at me.  No, staring at me…again.  This can’t be real.  I must be dreaming.  I closed up the paper and reached for my portfolio case.  I just need to get home and get ready for work, everything will be fine.  And as I was just about to get up out of my seat, I saw that same guy making his way over to my table.  I started to feel nauseous. 

“This isn’t happening,” I mumbled, under my breath. 

“Hello.  I’m sorry to bother you but I noticed your case sitting there… are you an artist?”  His words were a deep echo in my ears.  I closed my eyes tightly for a few seconds and opened them again.  Yep, he was still standing there. 

“Excuse me-” he began to say, maybe thinking I hadn’t heard him. 
“Yes, I’m sorry,” I interrupted, once I remembered how to make my mouth move.  “I am.  Hi…my name is Georgia.”  I offered my hand out, not sure why I didn’t run the other way.  Maybe I was thinking he might be a fellow painter.  He was mesmerizing though.  Anyway, I’m sure he is going to say his name is Michael or David or something like that because he cannot be the same person from those movies.  That was not possible. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Georgia.  I’m Heath.”  It’s official, I am losing my mind.  “I didn’t mean to pry.  I just saw it sitting there and was curious.”  This can’t be real.  I must be dreaming, I thought again.  I was taken by him though.  I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.  He has these slight yet remarkable curves that form at the sides of his mouth when he smiles.  And his eyes…they seem to glow with a great kindness to them, it was all drawing me in.  I am silently staring.  I am losing my mind. 

“May I?” he asked, indicating to sit down with me. 

“Sure.”  How could I say no to his pleasantly deep voice bounding with that accent? 

“I was going to offer to buy you another coffee but you seem to be doing just fine with that one.  Can I get you anything else?” he offered pleasantly.

“No, thank you.  I really only have time for this one.”  We sat there in silence for a few moments just looking at each other.  Then oddly, I felt the urge to slide my portfolio along the floor towards him. 

“Would you like to have a look?”

“I don’t mind if I do.  That would be great.  Would I have seen any of your work anywhere?”

“Not yet.  Do you paint, Heath?”  There.  I said his name out loud. 

“I used to.  I haven’t in a very long time though.”  He unzipped my case and slid the front one out of the case just enough so he could see the majority of it.  He stared at it for a minute then looked up at me, without any kind of expression that I could read.  The first one was Peter.  Heath then placed it back inside and pulled out the next one.  That one was my dad’s portrait.  Heath’s face filled with a quiet sadness, I’m sure I noticed as he moved onto the next two.  When he was looking at the last one of Janine he bit his bottom lip, a similar thing I did repeatedly when I was around her.  And since I was watching his face so intensely, I saw his lips mouth the word ‘wow’ afterwards. 

“You said ‘not yet’.  Do you have a show lined up somewhere?” he asked as he closed my case back up and placed it back against the window, without once taking his eyes off mine.

“I had a meeting today with a gallery downtown.  They said they are possibly interested in me for an upcoming group show.  They have a lot more artists to meet with this week though, so I will just be waiting for a call now, I guess.”  Why am I telling him all of this?  I’m rambling and I’m sure he doesn’t care, plus, he isn’t even real.  It was as if my mind just decided it was going to go along for the ride. 

“I’m sure they will, Georgia.  You are very talented,” he said with an assuring smile.  “I’m sorry to rush off but I need to go and I’m sure you have somewhere you need to be as well.  You said before that you only had time for the one coffee.”  He was right, I needed to get home and change for work.  Not to mention, pinch myself so I can wake up. 

“Oh, yeah, sure.  I should get going, too.”  We both stood up.  He put his hand out and took mine. 

“It was a pleasure to meet you.  Thank you for sharing your paintings with me.  I will see you around, I’m sure.”  And he was gone before I could say a word.  I sat back down at the table.  I looked around.  No one seemed to be looking at me.  Surely they would have noticed if Heath Ledger, who was supposed to be dead for a few years now as Vanessa had reminded me earlier, was sitting at my table with me.  Or certainly they would have noticed me sitting here having a conversation with no one.  

Going crazy!

I have spent a lot of time on twitter in the last 24 hours trying to get #heathledger trending b/c after all, tomorrow is the four-year anniversary of his death. The sad thing is, out of all the tweets I have sent out, very few people have followed my request to please retweet it.
So a separate plea....If you are one of the many I bug this weekend, PLEASE RETWEET, if not for me, for him...he is worthy of being mentioned, time and time again. :)

I will say tho that two very remarkable men were the first to step up...Shekhar Kapur and Djimon Hounsou. I am eternally grateful!

Best,
Sandi

Exactly!

"Serious romance is always tinged with a bit of tragedy; the closer to death, 
  the more romantic  it is."

-Terry Gilliam in an interview with London Evening Standard Magazine, dated 23 Oct 2009

I love these words! Exact words to describe the love story that is Six Feet from the Ledge. 

Just wanted to share them...hit pretty close to home. 

My New Year's Resolution

why, oh why do we force ourselves to make one? because we must! it's in our nature, in our blood! so i have made mine for this grand year of 2012. wanna know what it is? yep, it's a big one...
i'm determined to get my book made into what it should have been in  the first place (broken record, i know) a movie!
now i know this will not be an easy task. however, with a rumor circulating that a film is being touted about heath's death, i feel such a sense of urgency. i would hate for someone to make such a grim movie about something so personal and painful to his family and friends. and why make one about his death, one should be made to celebrate his life and who he was a person, as a man. so i would wish, that if any movie were made in his memory that it would be my story. because my story does just that, gives us an imaginative glimpse into the compassionate and caring person he was.
so that is my goal for this year...to hopefully be given the chance to honor someone that guided me through a very unique love story that i could have never dreamed up on my own!
so i'm chasing my dream this year...but who can blame me? we all have one we want to catch, right?
take care,
sandi