Well, dear readers, despite the manager of the Walmart in Aurora, Colorado telling me to call at six in the morning and telling me that someone named Dena would help the two fraudulent charges made using a clone of my credit card, I actually never spoke to Dena. The night manager (who was about to leave), Michelle, spoke to me. At first she said I should file a police report because that would enable the police to come and look at the security camera footage. I asked her for the number of the police department and she never did give it to me. Instead, she asked for the credit card number and said she’d look up the transactions. This she did while I was on hold. She couldn’t find the transactions from the credit card number (why is anyone’s guess) and then she asked me to get the actual amount of the charges. By the time I did that, she’d left, but she told me she’d be back by seven-thirty. I called and gave her all the information and she said she’d get back to me – I asked her if she had my number and she said yes. I never heard back from her. My guess is she was buying time so that I’d have to just deal with the credit card company – only I’m not having any of it and I will go so far up the Walmart food chain that it will make this woman’s head spin for screwing around with me. I will call her this evening, although I may try to get another manager on the phone this morning. I will also get the number of the Aurora police department and see what they have to say. I mean, the Walmart clearly has security camera footage of the creeps that did this and it seems to me they ought to want to catch those mothers. But, I guess it’s easier to just run someone in circles until it’s too late to do anything about anything – and this I will not stand for. I probably can’t get the corporate offices on the phone until Monday, but if I don’t like what happens today, I most surely will.
I did manage to go back to sleep and get another three and a half hours, although when I awoke it sure didn’t seem like I’d gotten enough sleep. I did the four-mile jog, during which I was very creative. I hurried home and got everything written down. I’m now down to finishing the final two scripts for the LA shoot, two episodes of which will be shot on September 2. I e-mailed three potential camera people today and, as per usual, I’ve heard back from none of them. I’ll wait till Monday, then I’ll move on to the next three on my list. We can get amazing actors, John Boswell, a world-class editor, and great choreographers, but getting camera and sound seems to be the most difficult part, which is truly getting me irritated. Ironically, the two New York shooters, both of whom were really hard to lock down, had such a great time and now know how good these will potentially be, that both said they were completely available to me whenever we come back to do further episodes (maybe November, or beginning of January).
After that, I picked up a couple of packages and, shockingly, no important envelope, which had better be her on Monday or I shall raise holy hell. I then spent a little time looking for wallets that contain protection for credit cards so that they cannot be scanned by nefarious people (this is, apparently, reaching epidemic proportions here), but no stores carry them, so I guess I’ll order one online. I ate a lovelier than lovely meal at Hugo’s, then came home and began listening to several upcoming Kritzerland releases. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Another Man, Another Chance, un film de Claude Lelouch, made in both French and English, starring Mr. James Caan and Miss Genevieve Bujold. The film starts with a clunky little modern-day prologue, and then we go back in time to the story, never going back to modern-day again. It’s yet another Lelouch film (apparently based on some true incidents from his grandparents’ life) about fate, destiny, and chance. Since I believe in all three things, I never tire of seeing Mr. Lelouch’s films. There’s just something about them that, despite their slow pace and the fact that he just takes his sweet time making his points, keeps me glued to the screen and engrossed in the story and characters. The plot sneaks up on you, and you begin to get in Mr. Lelouch’s rhythm and suddenly things just make sense and you marvel at his offbeat way of storytelling and his off-the-cuff but elegant visual style. Caan and Bujold are wonderful (as is Francis Huster as Bujold’s first love), there is some gorgeous photography (the film takes place in the Old West circa 1870 – the beginning of the film crosscuts between the war in France at that time and the Old West), and a beautiful score by Francis Lai. It’s a long haul at 136 minutes, but I was never bored and I guess I’m just a sucker for about 90% of the Lelouch oeuvre – there are only a couple of films that I just couldn’t get with. What I love about Lelouch is that he’s unique and he just goes his own damn way. He’s not like anyone else, and that’s been the case since he burst on the scene with A Man and a Woman. He’s one of my favorite directors and so I always love discovering a film I hadn’t seen. The transfer on this “limited edition” DVD from MGM is pretty good.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must try to get a really good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall go my own damn way. In fact, I’ve always gone my own damn way – I don’t know that I always love going my own damn way, but that’s the way it’s worked out and I wouldn’t be who I am otherwise. I don’t have much planned – I think a nearby neighbor is coming to visit with a friend of hers, but otherwise, I’m pretty much staying put, writing, and prepping our next release. I thought I’d decided, but I’m waffling now and may try to rush something else in first. We shall see. And I’m sure I’ll watch at least two or three motion pictures. I’ll choose short ones.
Tomorrow, I’m having lunch with the wonderful fellow who’ll be editing our web series, after which I have a work session with Vicki Lewis and Joan Ryan and John Boswell. The rest of the week will be filled with work sessions, writing, finding a camera and sound person, meetings, and meals.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, perhaps have a little visit, write, prep a new release, and watch motion pictures. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland and go my own damn way.