Well, that was a hideous day. I got a call from Grant Wilfley Monday to go do something called The Iceman yesterday. It's about a serial killer or something, with Michael Shannon, who played the insane FBI guy in Boardwalk...got a few words with him yesterday and he's a pleasant guy.
It was a pretty scary few hours before they told me what time to report, because they were going to be out in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and my entire funds consisted of $12. The reason this was scary was because in order to get to the train out there, I had to go to the stop at Essex and Delancey. Under most circumstances this is no problem at all, because the M9 bus stops around the corner from my house and drops me at the subway. However, if it had been a 6 am call, I would have had to walk from my place to the subway...about ten blocks...in darkness, which didn't appeal to me at ALL (the bus doesn't start running until 6 am). However, all was well...the call was for 8:30, so no problem.
But sheesh. I should have known it wasn't going to be one of the better days when I saw breakfast, which was just barely adequate. A thing of scrambled eggs, some potatoes, and some bacon was it for hot food, and then energy bars and doughnuts and a little fruit for the rest. I realize this sounds picky, but even Law & Order (which is notoriously cheap) does better than that. Usually you get a manned omelet station, and quite often lots of bagels and smoked salmon, and a MUCH better selection of fruit and hot stuff.
We then got into 60s outfits and tromped over to the first set, which was right on the edge of the East River. Did I mention that the temperature was in the 40s and there was a 22 mile an hour wind? We were MISERABLE. Luckily, I met a nurse who was on set (because there was going to be a stunt at some point during the day and the union says you have to have medical personnel on hand for that sort of thing) who was somewhat disturbed by the fact that I was shivering uncontrollably, and she had her car right there...her lovely, HEATED car. God bless Deborah. Without her I would have been standing in that damn wind without a coat for two hours.
We then went back to holding, which was also unheated. We sat around there for a couple of hours or so, and they announced lunch. WALKAWAY LUNCH. All background people hate, hate, hate this. (It means you leave the set and go find a deli or restaurant and pay for your own food.) It's particularly annoying when you're in period costume, because of ill-fitting shoes and things...aside from the fact that your feet hurt, you look peculiar as hell. This was a real problem for me, because having bought my papers and a Diet Coke, I was now down to 7 dollars. I found a deli with a 5 dollar ham and cheese and brought that back to holding (still icy cold).
On to the next set! This was almost 8 friggin' blocks away...no vans, no nothing. And I was wearing 3 inch heels. And of course, no warming truck or anything like that. So we froze out there for another couple of hours.
They finally called Background to Holding, and at this point Letty (a nice gal about ten years my senior who was another background person) and I stood up on our hind legs and announced that they were going to get us some transport back to holding, because we weren't walking it. Eventually they did, but we had to wait another half hour in the cold for it.
Back to holding, they wrapped us, and then said goodnight. No vans, no cars, no nothing. By this time it was dark, and the subway was six blocks away. Luckily me and Letty and another couple of gals found a nice background guy with a car and got him to drive us...but for God's sake. If they call me back for this one, the answer is going to be a resounding NO. I finally got home via subway and bus and got into bed with every single quilt and blanket in the house on top of me. BRRRR.
Meanwhile, my check from The Bitter Pill was in the mailbox when I got home, and my social security was in the bank this morning, so I occupied a good chunk of the day buying three thousand tons of groceries and various other necessities of life. What a relief after this last couple of weeks. Naturally, I was so excited about going to the grocery store that I forgot my shopping list, but what the hell. I can shop without one...after all, I know what I eat. So now I've got chicken and pork chops and some sirloin steak and lettuce and baby carrots to snack on and the kind of cat food the cats prefer (so they'll quit gnawing on me) and toilet paper and hair dye (I really, REALLY need it) and deodorant and cigarettes without having to charge them at the deli (God bless my deli) and I am going to go to bed early. Then I'll get up, read the papers, and do the damned laundry, since I also bought laundry soap. The laundry hamper has taken on a life of its own, and I'm completely out of socks and bras and the only pair of underpants I have is a pair Sarah left here and they're one size too big for me (she's got a bottom, while I'm flat as a pancake).
Meanwhile I'm tired and still slightly chilled. And of course, without my list, I forgot to buy Tylenol and now I have a headache. I'm going to live with it because I just can't face going out again...I'm going to sleep anyhow.
To add insult to injury, after all that running around on subways and buses yesterday, when I went out for groceries and the drugstore, Law & Order had set up shop and was filming a block and a half from my house. Why the hell can't they ever call me for these shoots? Oh, no, it's always Brighton Beach or Harlem. Growl.
Love, Wendy
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