time flies...

My flight's delayed.

How 'bout that?  Yet another example of the simple truth that--if a bad thing is going to happen to you--it's probably going to happen when you least want it to.

Meaning, this trip away from home has been one of the longest yet.  My typical trip is four to five days max.  Once last year I was away for ten days.  Both the wife and I nearly jumped off the nearest bridge.  Vowed to never do that again.  This last trip has been seven days.

Too long.

And too busy.  Holy smokes but we worked hard.

We're in the last push to finish out season one on the two main TV series I've been producing this year and, as is often the case, the money gets thinner and thinner as the season unwinds. So, we're in the difficult position of having to do a lot more with a lot less.

That means working in more concentrated bursts than is really humanly possible.

One thing about hard work though is that it can focus your thinking.  When I'm in the midst of a real grind I often find myself asking myself 'why'.  "Why am I doing this again?"  "Is this really worth all the effort?"  "What's this unto again?"

Those kinds of questions.

And being forced to take stock is very helpful because you either decide to find a way to stop doing what you're doing or you decide to stop whining and get back to doing your job.

The other thing is that your mind starts stretching--provided you've decided to stick with it--as you try to imagine other ways to do what you're doing.  Other ways that will, hopefully, be a little easier on the mind, the body and the pocketbook.  

Some cool things happening in the midst of the madness...

-My movie is close to getting its domestic deal done and has an international one pending. 'Course the whole thing is likely to come crashing down at any minute but you never know. Just to have a deal pending is pretty cool, and has been a long time comin'.

-My TV work for this year is also in flux, meaning we've got (at the present time) two deals pending, and two more in the early stages of consideration.  What's interesting about the TV side of things is that 1) we have more momentum than ever which means we have opportunity to get through some previously closed doors and 2) because we have more to gain we have more to lose.  Nice.

And on the personal side...

-My wife wants me to get my bareboat charter certification done.  Yes, she's the coolest wife EVER, and no, that's not a license to get naked (although I do have that ticket to ride...) but rather a certification that allows you to rent (or charter) big sailboats in the tropics that you can take your kids and your friends on.  And then you can get naked.  Warm water...sunshine...c'mon, you telling me you're going to keep your clothes on?  Your loss friend. As for me and mine?  We're strippin' then we're swimmin' yo'.

-My kids are getting so big it's scary.  My eldest son Jordan and I skyped routinely on this trip and he's talking like a mini me.  My daughter Sarah is--I'm very afraid--a budding artist and there's nothing we can do to stop it.  My son Sam, in addition to being a dedicated motorhead, is just this sweet complicated, wonderful anachronism of a child and Zoe (the baby) is just plain crazy and FILLED with attitude, like her mother...

Ahem.

-Our house is too small, but we're holding out.  Our sense is we'd like to renovate but that depends on whether or not we can get approved for a new mortgage.  With spring coming, we're dedicated to finally (five years later) really getting a handle on the jungle otherwise known as our backyard--and adding a hot tub...

-And on the Church side, we've gone back to where we started.  St. George's Anglican Church is where I had my first job as a preacher.  I started there back in the summer of 2004.  All these years later, we've headed back, and have found it to be just as lovely as ever it was.  And my kids love it.  Who knew?  They've had a real hard time with the eight or so Churches we've hopped to and from since leaving our Church in January 2006 so to see them loving the experience of Sunday's has been great news.

The goal this year is to:

1) love the wife and babies

2) do more talk TV

3) do narrative TV

4) get my first movie out there

5) get my next movie going

6) do some acting...just for fun

7) renovate our house 

8) start preaching again once in a while

9) go sailing more

10) see Jess and Erica and Rob and Kate and Aaron and Katie and Tam and Derek and Chris and Cate and Sam and Jen and Tore and Julie and Karl and Niki more and if you're not on that list you really need to be...

So the plane's still delayed.  A first-ever experience for me with WestJet.  Think I'll go for a walk now.

May your day(s) be merry and bright...

T