Greetings from Savannah, GA!

Walla² went well (St. Paddy’s is a great parish and my hosts, Roger and Anita Treis are lovely people!) I zipped home at 8 AM Sunday morning, went to Mass with the fambly for the last time in a month, blasted off to the rifle range with Sean, rushed over the Lynnwood pool for the birthday party, zoomed home for the cake and ice cream and presents, finished packing and getting ready, prayed with the fambly for the last time in a month, snuggled in with Jan for the last time in a month, slept in my own bed for the last time in a month, and then, very suddenly, awoke at 4 AM and blasted off for Seatac with Jan. I kissed her for the last time in a month and walked into the airport, already feeling homesick.

On the other hand, wow! How fun to be going off to shoot “Manalive”! It’s a fun story and I get to play a character who is, hands down, one of the most delightful character Chesterton ever created. So my natural hobbit-like tendency to miss the Hobbit Hole is counter-balanced by something Tookish in my nature that loves new adventures.

The flight was just the way I like it: boring. The way I figure it, any flight I don’t remember for the rest of my life is a good one. I got into Savannah around 4:30 in the afternoon yesterday and Joey Odendahl (writer/director/producer) picked me up at the airport. Alan the camera guy, he and I drove back to Galloway House, unloaded the U Haul with the various camera stuff (It’s a low budget film: everybody helps with crew stuff).

My room is in the carriage house out back. It’s really quite lovely. I hung around and talked with Chuck the DOP (Director of Photography). He’s a “Jaws” zealot who went into filmmaking because of that movie (which he first saw when he was nine), Which reminds me, I’m the oldest guy here!

Joey ran some errands for food and such and eventually Jerry, the PA (Production Assistant) and Kirk the AD (Assistant Director) turned up for a 7 PM meeting. Also Katherine Harrington, who plays Mary Grey and is acting as Script Supervisor) arrived. Most of the conversation revolved around technical stuff, not character stuff. Plus, after having pizza, I was assailed by a condition that can only be described as “having gotten up at 4 AM” so much of the meeting was a bit of blur. Eventually, everybody seemed satisfied that whatever needed to have happened had, so they all wandered off and I sought the much-needed bliss of the pillow, where I remained until 10 AM. Have I ever mentioned the miraculous healing properties of sleep?

Got up this morning and took a shower before trooping off to breakfast at the main house. Walked in and found myself face-to-face with Alan walking very deliberately toward me with a camera pointed right at my face. He was trying out the new steadycam. Odd way to start the day. Now I’ve finished lunch/extremely late breakfast and thought I’d check in and send my first report–which is basically that there’s nothing to report. People are running about ordering weird things like police uniforms and pianos–stuff you don’t think about normally, but when you are in charge of creating a world, you suddenly have to think about how you furnish it. Anyway, Innocent Smith goes before the cameras starting on Thursday. The movie will, as is typical, be shot out of order, so the first big challenge will be a pivotal scene we shoot on Saturday out in the garden. God willing, the weather will cooperate and I will remember my lines! Meanwhile, I need to get together with Joey and work out Innocent’s somewhat curious sartorial choices. He doesn’t think the rest of us (Innocent, I mean, not Joey–though come to think of it…..)

Now I think I will go walk about a bit and get to know this place that will be my *new* hobbit hole for the next month! I will write again when I have something else to report!

Ciao, as we show folk say.