Maya & Lula are great

Maya can sing no more monkeys jumping on the bed. She speaks in complete sentences now although she's still got a toddler accent. "Wush id off", "I doe wan id" - Also, "My back hurts." Wonder where she learned that!

Lula can use the words confused, difficult and hilarious, correctly in a sentence.

EDMONTON: Wildlife

Yesterday we saw a whole bunch of jack rabbits running around in an empty lot, the cemetary, & the park. Also, there are many magpies.

I like the loft but it was really slapped together. They forgot the girls room door as well as to cut a whole in the wall to the closet so the closet is completely sealed and painted over. The paint is coming off where we put up the baby gate and I don't think it should do that.

EDMONTON!

We arrived today and its exciting to be in a new place. This time it is a two bedroom loft with three balconies and and upper office loft. We are the first tenants here. It's a new "luxury" loft complex sandwiched between a funeral home and a cemetary. Certainly fitting for a horror director. I just wish we were facing the beautiful cemetary and not the funeral home and its parking lot.

WINNIPEG: Lula & the Dandelions

EVICTION

About a week before the movie was shut down, the local producer was given paperwork from Capital Films showing that a wire transfer was underway so she paid everyone's salaries and before the transfer went through the funds were stopped so she was stuck footing the bill. Her company is Buffalo Gals. I think that most or all of the films made in Winnipeg are in partnership with Buffalo Gals Films.

Meanwhile many other people weren't getting paid their salaries, housing, car rentals and per diem while everyone was waiting and hoping for Capital Films to get additional financing.

So our own housing has not been paid since May 5th. Without our knowledge they were negotiating to allow us to stay a little while longer in time to pack up our stuff. So on Thursday we were informed that we had to move about by Saturday afternoon at 3pm. The realtor said there weren't places available for us so we should find a hotel. We looked around for suites and tried to pack up quickly. We offered to pay one more week out of our own pocket but they said no not unless we paid the back rent owed to them. I did some research and found out that without a court order they couldn't physically remove us. I called the police and they said that they never remove people from their homes but if anyone tried to remove us we should call them and they would try to prevent harm. Also they wouldn't be allowed to change the locks or enter the home. They would have to go to court next week (Monday is a holiday) to get paperwork that could be served to us by a sherrif. There were available court appointments on May 28th. We were asking to stay until May 24th.

I called the realtor and was told that I was wrong about that and in fact we would be removed. I stood my ground and said well we're packing, I did this two months ago and it took me a week and we will leave in a week. Two days is not enough notice to a family with toddlers. If you have a problem with that you can file for paperwork to have us leave and give that to us next week. However, I think it would be a better deal for you to accept rent from us instead of having us stay here for free. We went back and forth a few times with her insisting that we would be removed and with me asking who would remove us? Not the police, the sherrif or their friends could remove us.

They called one of the producers on the film who implored me to find other accomodations (I was spending a lot of time trying to find suitable accomodations for four). When it was clear to him that I wasn't planning to back down, he called the Residential Housing Board himself and found out that I was right they couldn't remove us that quickly. A woman named Giselle called Sue the realtor and explained it to her. Then she called me - with a pleasant voice this time, to say "Good news! You can stay and we'll accept the rent from you. I will inform the owner of this new development." Of course I'm sure that she's livid. But she is asking us to leave out of spite, we don't owe her money and we offered to pay one weeks rent for one weeks additional stay.

So now our girls can finish their time in school and we can leave on May 24th to go to Edmonton.

MOVIE OVER!

OK so everything is being wrapped up and closed out - far too quickly for my comfort level but we don't have that much choice. I think we have to move on Saturday since they won't let us stay here since the production hasn't paid them for the place beyond May 5th.

LIMBO

The project here continues to be on hold. In fact today we were told that it was being shut down now and would potentially be re-started in two months. Then at lunch a producer got an e-mail from someone in Cannes that we'd know for sure in the next four hours meaning we'd hear something at 6pm our time and I think 12PM his time. I'm not sure what deals are being finalized at midnight on the South of France but it sounds like that "guy" (this shows you how little of how I know about who's involved) has a pretty fun job. Anyway, shock of no shock, 6pm came and the word was still no news. Furthermore, our payment for the job is in escrow and its unclear if/when those funds will be released to us. Well I am not worried because everything we need we already have and then some.

Lula said "I'd like to stop taking trips to places." "Like day trips to Narcisse or to Canada and SIngapore?" I asked. "I'd like to stop taking trips to places like Vancouver and Mexico."

NARCISSE: Snake Dens

A semi-annual event - the activity of red sided garter snakes at the Snake Dens of Narcisse. They come out of their snake dens to mate and enjoy the warm weather. We had a great day looking at snakes, holding them and going for a walk with our friends Ida, John, Katie & Hannah.

WINNIPEG: Two days or two weeks

Once again a matter of finances has interrupted our future. Fortunately we have been paid in full but we may find ourselves out of this house on Monday. I think we can pay for one week just to get packed up and organized. Work stopped after Thursday, was cancelled for Friday and Monday. Unless they get another cash infusion on Monday then the production is shut down. It looks like that will be what happens but we don't know for sure. Another production financed by the same people in South Carolina was also shut down at the same time.

WINNIPEG: Lula

Lula is picking out letters in signs. She mixes up E with F and R with B. She was able to call out the rest of the letters in Walmart & Sears when we were in the parking lot.

Message to Grandpa from Lula & Maya: Thank you for our pink flashlights!

This is a photo from my Mom's visit.

WINNIPEG: Hello

Snowstorm on Sunday.
I've had a cold for over a week now and its begun to wear me out. I stopped working out only after having the cold for one week. Now for the most part I put the girls to sleep and run to bed myself. Except tonight I came back from set and picked up the girls and brought them to join Rob for dinner. We got home at 9:30, I put the girls to sleep, loaded the nightly wash, prepared Rob's late night sandwich for his return and now I'm in bed wasting time on the internet.

As I mentioned, I have started a new blog for set photos only if you're interested let me know and I can put your e-mail in the invite list.

At my request Rob got a mowhalk. Usually he shaves his head for productions and I thought this would be a little more interesting. I think he looks a little like Travis Bickle.




Lula is memorizing sections of my favorite Maurice Sendak books "In the Night Kitchen" and the Story of Pierre. We can read it together - I pause when its her part.

WINNIPEG: Living at the House

As nice as this place is it is hard to deal with people coming into our house unannounced or looking into the windows. Today AGAIN people came into the house but this time it was Lula who let them. It was two guys who walked into the living room asking for "Luce" the owner of the house and were met with Rob asking them in no uncertain terms, to leave.

I called the realtor who later called to say we should lock our doors and that they were Jewish Architects bla bla bla... I'm not sure what their religion had to do with any of it but she felt it was important for me to know. "OH! Its one of my people! The chosen people! Tell them to come back next week so I can serve them dinner on Shabbat!"

NEW BLOG

I've decided to post future photos from the film set to another blog since this one is more family oriented.

WINNIPEG: I'm starstruck

These actor dogs were great. They barked and bit on command. They said to say HI to Lucy their American sister. This was the first day that I felt very excited to watch the "actors."