It’s been too long and lots of life has happened.

Some things of note:

- It’s snowing (see above picture) and I’m still at that “wow, this is kind of pretty” phase. This phase will not last much longer and I will probably have buy one of these Himalayan Crystal lamps soon.

- Some awesome people I know, and many I don’t, created the site Love Harder to raise money for multiple myeloma research. Please check it out and learn about these awesome people and the amazing things they are doing.

- I LOVE Twitter even just for the fact that as I read it this week I can pretend I’m at Sundance. This year the festival has done something AWESOME by making a handful of Sundance2010 films available for rent through Youtube for this week only! I highly, highly recommend Children of Invention because I’ve seen it and it is a beautiful film. They all look pretty great though: Youtube Sundance.

- I’ve made some good progress with my script and should probably get back to writing it now.

- This month marked five years spent with the love of my life and I’m kind of in shock. How did I get this lucky?

- Oh, and I got a grant from the city’s art department which is amazing and makes me extra happy to be here.

More to come, I’m gonna get better at all of this, I think.

After 8 years of no TV we got ourselves a 40-incher. It’s high-tech and beautiful. And although I had to be explained that you don’t magically get channels but have to pay for things - we are using it, and bought it, for the purpose of watching MOVIES! (and playing Beatles Rock Band hopefully in the near future, shhh.)

And that is exactly what I have been doing. Finally that Netflix Queue is moving and my brain is being stimulated and inspired by wonderful pieces of Cinema as well as bad, funny and low budget no-names. I’m doing what I’ve been wanting to do for awhile because I have time, space and a big screen. It feels really good.

I’d like to keep a running toll of movies I’m watching so I don’t forget. So let’s start now:

Baghead: Wanted to see it for awhile - it’s hilarious, and a bit scary. Overall an amazing low-budget indie horror

Pan’s Labyrinth: First thing I watched after bringing home the new tv. One of my all-time favorites. Haunting, beautiful, amazing.

Role Models: Uplifting comedy after getting into a car accident. Totally worked at lifting my spirits. I heart David Wain.

Encounters at the End of the World: Werner Herzog is a champion storyteller and he captures the essence of Antarctica’s society. A penguin marches off to it’s death.

Rudo Y Cursi: Totally fun and who can resist Diego Luna AND Gael Garcia Bernal playing brothers?

Sleep Dealer: Incredible Mexican Sci-Fi. Had the pleasure of meeting Alex Rivera at NYFF and he was a total sweet heart. Low-budget Sci Fi’s are rarely believable and this totally works.

Lars and the Real Girl: Third watch, still love it. Ryan Gosling is killer and the story is so simple but so effective. Very inspirational as I write a script.

Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell: One of the best documentaries I’ve seen in awhile. Arthur’s haunting and absolutely beautiful music alongside a sad and sweet story of his too-short life. Beautiful images paired with incredible music. Watched it twice in one week.

Glue: Alexis Dos Santos is a dude I met in Berlin. At an interviewed when asked how he spent his time at the Talent Campus (a workshop I was attending) years before, he responded: I was drunk most of the time. His movie has the same adolescent rock star attitude he has. It’s collage-y, fast, about a boy coming of age, exploring friendship and sexuality and rock and roll. Interesting - dying to see his follow-up Unmade Beds.

After a long summer and a road trip from Texas we have arrived in Upstate NY. My new city is filled with bombed out industrial buildings, rolling green hills and lakes for miles. Weird but nice to have a home again. More things to come.

Today is my last day at the job I’ve had for almost two years. This makes it all real. Living here has been unbelievable - this city and the people I have met and the art that I’m surrounded by has changed me and the way I view the world. But living here is also a time warp.

So after today I’m putting it all in. With all the time in the world and an awesome partner in crime, I’m excited for the future.

Those people above (and many not pictured) are what I will miss most about this place.

Tonight I chuckled a true chuckle and realized it was from something I was writing. This makes me very happy. 40 something pages may not seem like a lot but to me it’s epic.

My biggest struggle so far is control. With short films I know the story from beginning to end, climaxes, funny moments - no worries. With this [feature] script it’s different. I’m learning to trust myself - to just write, open up and be excited to fail and try again.

I think it’s finally starting to work…