It's a wrap

Good news for me: Motel 6 moved Sean and me to a marginally less seedy room on Wednesday night. Bad news for me: no more WiFi in the room (we must have been tapping into someone's network from the apartment complex across the parking lot) or on location. It didn't feel too awful to be cut off from the 'net for a few days, but it's good to be home and hooked up again.

The rest of the shoot went remarkably well. Makeup problems were resolved, and all of the actors and crew members seemed to bond. On Wednesday, I didn't see any filming as I was making blubber and a weird "traditional" Antarctic necklace, as well as running various errands. One of those errands was picking up Norman from the train station; I knew he'd be busy with his scenes in the movie, but it felt so good to have my best pal there.

Thursday and Friday we filmed at Rancho Guajome, which is a small state park featuring a traditional adobe ranch house built around a central courtyard. It's a beautiful, somewhat remote location; the grounds are landscaped with native plants and wildlife (rattlesnakes, cottontail rabbits, hawks, coyotes) abounds. All of the wedding scenes and the premarital counseling scene were shot here.

On Thursday morning I was given Peanut sitting duty. That dog has boundless energy -- for a couple of hours Norman and I played tag with him, tugged on his leash as he tugged back, and tossed sticks for him to fetch, and he never tired out, though I soon became exhausted. At one point, as I was taking him for a walk, I looked down and said, "Shit."

"What's wrong?" asked Norman.

"Shit!" I said, gesturing to the pile Peanut had left at my feet. Now I know why I do not have a dog.

The chapel at Rancho Guajome. I watched as the counseling session was filmed in its sanctuary and had to keep my hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter. During one take, the bride asked the minister how long the ceremony would be, and Norman responded by asking her if such a sacred and emotional ceremony could ever be too long. "Yes," snapped the bride. "Yes, it can."

Chris, who plays the Polar American groom, freshly out of makeup.

The Right Reverend Norman, ready to smack the fear o' God into you. "It burns!"

Tony, as Aunt Gar, uses Tricia's arm to check if his nail polish has dried.

Waiting around to be called. At left is Scot, who plays Mr. Leetay, the groom's father. Of all the actors I met on this shoot, he was my favorite -- incredibly funny, kind, and self-effacing.

Rehearsing the wedding rehearsal scene. That's Ian at the right, with his back to the camera, chugging down another caffeinated beverage he doesn't need. After the assistant director announced that he had just spotted a rattlesnake, I retreated to a safer area.

The wedding cake, pre-topper. Only the bottom layer was edible -- chocolate with chocolate mousse filling; the upper two layers were styrofoam decorated with frosting. That frosting was mighty tasty. During clean-up, Ian said to toss the fake layers, so I did; Lesley later said she had promised to return them to the cake decorator, so I got to dig through a couple of bags of garbage to find them. Good times!

The makeup tent, a.k.a. the hub of the entire movie. At right, Veronica, as the sister of the groom, gets some finishing touches on her makeup.

A quick break before filming the wedding scene. That's Norman, an extra, Chris as Terry the groom, Vicki as the wedding singer, and John, her accompanist.

Norman was so convincing as the minister that, after the wedding scene was wrapped, several people asked him if he really is a man of the cloth. After hearing him exclaim, "O!" I rather wondered myself if he'd been holding out on me.

Curtis' sister and niece, Colleen and Rebecca, came all the way from Georgia to watch the filming and be extras in the wedding scene.

Jill and Josh, as the bride and the best man, take a break. Jill is a terrific actress, clearly gorgeous, funny, and loves to eat. If I were inclined that way, I'd totally be in love with her.

The power of Christ compels him.

Curtis films the wedding scene.

Sean directs the wedding scene.