IN-dian and OUT-fest

I got up this morning and knew the temp had dropped. I put on my wool coat and brought my bag of laundry to be washed and folded. Apparently I no longer do my own laundry. Who knew? I was so exhilarated by the fresh, cold morning that I impulsively said "Good Morning" to everyone who passed me on the street. I felt like George Bailey coming back from the bridge. Just why can't it be like this every morning?

Today was my first day on the job all by myself. I got in at 8 and left at 7. Could have kept on. I really worked hard today and it felt good. I will get this down and it will amount to something.

I left my office at Times Square and met my good pal Dave who was in from LA on business. Seeing him at 7th and 28th was as if we both grew up on that corner playing stick ball. Great visit over Indian food and a good chat after with the people I cornered and art directed to take our picture. I would have kept the subway light off my head, but he meant well... Anyway Dave has been a lifesaver to me and a mentor and I think the world of him. I hope he has to come back here on business a lot!

I dumped Dave like a hot chapati and headed off to Lincoln Center to go to the after party of the "Parting Glances" screening. It was the first film restoration project for Outfest and I saw the film and heard the panel when they did it in LA. It was so good to see so many of my Outfest colleagues and see so many people I knew from New York. I had no idea. I saw Richard Ganoung who starred in the film. Nice guy. We know each other from LA. He lives in Madison, WI now and I am going to get him to go to the Sundance Channel screening of Nimrod Nation that we are doing at the Sundance Cinema in Madison.

My friend Michael is here working for an entertainment law firm and I just crashed into him at this event. So proud of that boy. He went to law school and passed both the California and New York bars. I pass them now too - I just don't go in! Yuck, yuck.

Saw a filmmaker pal Sam who I met at Outfest this year and his partner told me about Jack's 99 Cent World. I asked if they had Ziplock bags and he said yes. I have to see this with my own eyes. This town may work out yet. I showed them all my pedometer and their friend said I should walk home and so I did. A pleasant, happy stroll up Amsterdam Avenue in the cold and refreshing Autumn night.