It seems like I haven't been able to get anything done these past few days. It's been hot as hell; over 100 degrees daily....yesterday, Opal and I got a ride into town to look at a car to buy....that was a wasted trip, going to look at that piece of shit...and that took most of the afternoon.
I think the only thing I got done yesterday was checking a few emails out here in the country on this dial-up.
I've got so much to do....so much filmmaking shit....
I'm trying to make plans for a trip to Atlanta in August for our screening of THE OUTHOUSE....trying to work out the Short Film Market screening of OUTHOUSE for a week in August in Palm Springs....got so many things I'm trying to do....I can't think straight.
This social networking is a job....especially if you have dial-up internet....it takes a long time for the screens to come up, and work these different sites....
This weekend, I've been working our channels on Youtube....Metacafe....Revver...Indiegogo...Indiewire....Tribe Hollywood...Myspace....Twitter...Blog websites....and others....it takes time. There's communities that we're members of, that I just don't have the time to visit and network. We're members of about 30 sites, and I've got the time to work about 5 or 6 different ones each week. I wish I had about 4 or 5 people working for us online social networking. It's just gonna take time to get these things done. You can only do what you can do.
Yesterday, we got our new YouTube episode of THE X-RATED GRANDMA up on our YouTube channel. And last night, our new hit documentary short film THE OUTHOUSE played in Santa Barbara at the Santa Barbara Arts Forum. Wish I could have been there!
I've loved my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything. The things I've done...the places I've been...the things I've seen, people I've known....this has been one great life. If I died tomorrow, I'd have no regrets.
Every once in a while, I think about when I was a kid, growing up on the burlesque circuit in the 1970's. Man, those were fun times. I loved traveling with Mother in the summer on the road. I wish home schooling would have been legal back then.
There's so many stories to tell....of growing up, since I've been an adult...I need to start writing some more of those stories.
It really means a lot to me personally to know that the beginning films I'm making are of my Mother...an old stripper....these films of mine right now couldn't be any more personal...
I'm hung over today. Yesterday, I had some beer. The first I've drank in a month. I've only drank twice in the 3 months I've been stuck out here. And I'm feeling it today....
I'm going crazy trying to figure out all of this social networking. I know that Mother and I have a gold mine just waiting to explode with all her stuff....the PHONE SEX GRANDMA, OLD STRIPPER and X-RATED GRANDMA stuff....films....books....blogs....Youtube V-logs....and more. I've just got to figure out a way to work all of these social networks, to let the internet world know what we've got here....
My medication ended yesterday for the wisdom tooth I got pulled last week, along with the oral surgery done with drilling in the bone underneath the wisdom tooth...but it seems since I've been off the medication, I have my senses about me more...so that's good....
Mother and I was able to get a ride into town today...I was able to use the high speed internet at the Lamar Library for about 20 minutes to get a couple of things done. While I was working that, Opal went and checked our mail at the P.O. Box...and got a ride out to Wal-Mart to buy us a case of beer. It's the first liquor I've drank in over a month...and I have to be honest...it feels pretty good....
It's funny how we get depressed...things could be a lot worse...I was sitting with Mother about an hour ago talking, and told her how it would feel if I was paralyzed from the neck down; unable to do anything; just move my head around....and at that instant, it made me realize that even though I'm poor...and broke....and living off scraps....I've got my life. We don't realize how much worse life could be.
It's almost 100 degrees here today....my frozen shoulder bone is killing me....my mouth is in pain from the wisdom tooth oral surgery last week....what a day....
It's days like this that I get in states of depression, and can't seem to get anything done.
It's hard to remember and focus on all of the great things that have happened and are happening in my life...
I've been trying to think of where to start with writing about my childhood memories of being the son of a stripper....where do I start? There's years of memories....from the 70's and 80's....so much to tell. I guess I'll start at the beginning.
My Mother started stripping on the burlesque circuit when I was 6 years old. Thinking back, that would have been in 1971 when she started dancing. She had just divorced, and was on her own raising me and my sister. I remember her agent booking her at different burlesque theaters around the country. She was just starting to dance on the burlesque circuit when she sent me to military school.
I went to military school the first 5 years of grade school. It was a boy's military school in Bloomington Springs, Tennessee. The school I went to took boys from the first to the 5th grade. I remember the first day she took me there. I did not want to go. I loved traveling on the road with Mother, and wanted to travel with her on the burlesque circuit. Now, looking back, I can see why she couldn't take me with her; home schooling was illegal back in the 1970's. And she wanted me in a safe environment.
I remember watching her drive off after taking me to the school. It was the end of summer, and I wouldn't get to see her again until Thanksgiving. I can't explain how it felt watching her drive away. Words can't explain it. That first day, I couldn't stop crying. And I cried myself to sleep that night on the bunk bed.
I ended up really loving being at military school. But I still wish I could have travelled with her on the road all those years. I did get to travel with her in the summers. But it never was enough....
My Mother, the Old Stripper, aka PHONE SEX GRANDMA:
This is some great news: tomorrow, our new hit Slamdance short THE OUTHOUSE will be having its New York City premiere! It'll be playing the Rooftop Film Festival in Brooklyn. I don't know who'll be in NYC, but if you're there tomorrow night, here's the Rooftop link for details about the screening:
OUTHOUSE will be playing NYC again in September, at the ACE Film Festival in Manhattan; but tomorrow night's Rooftop screening is the film's first screening in NYC.
I love that town....and they seem to love my films. PHONE SEX GRANDMA played there at 6 different film festivals over the last 2 years; and now THE OUTHOUSE is starting there....
This morning, I was sitting, drinking a cup of coffee, thinking about the life I've had. It's been full; unlike anyone else's. I've never met anyone else who is a son of a stripper from the 1970's and 80's.
When I think about the different times of my life, it amazes me; everything I've done; everywhere I've been.
When I just think about my childhood; if I try to remember a time in the 70's when Mother was dancing, and I was on the road with her during a summer off of military school....man....those were great times. A lot of that time seems like a blur, but when I try to focus on certain cities or events, more come to mind....
I need to start writing more about my childhood. The places Mother danced. The military school I was at. Being on the road with her in the summers. The gypsy life we had, starting when I was 6 years old. Those were the days.
I don't know why, but yesterday, I was really craving a beer.
I don't get the cravings that much....since May 9th (67 days ago), I've only had a drink one day. This is the first time in my adult life that I've got this long of a period without drinking. I know this rehab's good for my body.
I'll be 43 next month....and for the last 25 years, I've been drinking regularly. I don't know how I lived through some of those drinking, partying years in college, living in Dallas, Chicago, Kansas City....man....those years are a blur. But I guess I'm not a true alcoholic, or I couldn't go without it. I'd find a way to be drinking.
I think it's good for my body being stuck out here in the country right now, without transportation or an income....or I'd still be getting drunk like a fish every day. I think about my rehab days I'm going through out here....and about how much money people spend to go to a rehab center. I guess when it comes down to it, I'm better financially and health wise being stuck out here.
Thank god I'm vegan....
Tomorrow I go to the dentist to get 2 teeth pulled. Mother and I will be paying my neighbor to drive us 50 miles so I can go to the free dental clinic to get these teeth pulled. I'm not looking forward to it. It'll be the first teeth I've had pulled as an adult. I don't think that's too bad for 43 years....
THE X-RATED GRANDMA aka my Mother: Talking about Shit
This has been one busy week out here in the middle of nowhere, to say the least.....
Last night was the World Premiere of our new documentary short THE ACCEPTABLE SIN in New Mexico. And tomorrow, is the West Coast premiere of our new hit short film THE OUTHOUSE!
THE OUTHOUSE will be playing San Francisco's Frozen Film Festival. I'm so glad an audience in California is going to have a chance to see this film.
And I just got word today that THE OUTHOUSE will be playing again this summer in California in Santa Barbara!
All of this....plus these other projects....it's a busy time out here in farm country....
Well...we now have a new website for our film project THE X-RATED GRANDMA....
INDIEGOGO!
Indiegogo has partnered with us to help us raise money to make our new feature film. It took me over 2 years, but I finally filmed the movie, and got that done...7 different short films of my Mother Opal, aka PHONE SEX GRANDMA!
We've got to raise just a little more money to get the editing done for this film, so we can start getting it out on the film festival circuit. Indiegogo is going to try to help us make this happen.
PHONE SEX GRANDMA, THE OUTHOUSE, THE 60 YEAR OLD STRIPPER, THE ACCEPTABLE SIN....these little short films I've made have played over 60 festivals worldwide....now we just need to finish editing our first feature...and we'll already have a worldwide film market for THE X-RATED GRANDMA to play!
I just received word that our new documentary short film, THE ACCEPTABLE SIN, will have its official World Premiere next week!
THE ACCEPTABLE SIN will screen next week, July 10th, and the Animal Rights Film Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I can't wait to see the audience reaction to this film. We got great word of mouth from our advance screenings on Current TV...now this new film about Obesity, Religion and Animal Rights will begin to have a festival audience!
It's a crazy time out here in the boonies...July's going to be one busy month. Next week, is this World Premiere of THE ACCEPTABLE SIN. Next week, July 12th, THE OUTHOUSE will have its California premiere in San Francisco to close the Frozen Film Festival, and the next week, on the 18th, THE OUTHOUSE will have its NYC premiere at Rooftop! The screenings are piling up...we've already got bookings at fests in August and September, with more to come...the times are crazy!
