And now we're nearing the end of April. First quarter 09 was a blur - some set backs and not exactly where we'd like to be right now, but things are turning back on course and we hop to have principle photography for our doc done at the end of this month. Realistically, as funding is still not in, we're looking at mid May. I'd hoped for end of Feb - such is life. It will be good when it's done and progress has been made.

Helped with a wedding for two 72 yr old people(introduced by a grand child), hosted a same sex wedding here for two Trekkie's (so glad we reno'd the house and made it all pretty), and am currently trying to work out the legalities of a couple who wants to twitter their vows. I'll try to make anything happen, but that's going to be a tough one. I take the officiant thing very seriously, would never want to do anything that called into question the legality of anyone's marriage.

I find I've lost a lot of blogging (and other) time to Facebook and it's not so good. I've used the blog in the past to get writing started for a day and then continued offline on a story or article or book. Facebook is more of an ADD social site where I get to hear about the lives of friends that due to scheduling or distance I don't actually get to see, but doesn't actually help me get any work done. I may be refocusing more on the blog. Facebook does, on the one hand, help me keep up with family and also couples I've married over the years.

The dark side of that is when things are going on with family I'm sometimes powerless, and occasionally I've watched a marriage dissolve online through status updates. That's weird and unpleasant and very sad. I can listen and recommend counseling (not being a counselor I wouldn't even try to help there) but that's about it. I guess it's good in that it's sobering - although I normally see people at their most hopeful, all are subject to the shadowy hours of doubt.

So far: hosted and survived a baby shower, booked first external fictional film shoot, took on/over casting for a main project, made some headway on a secondary one, got hired and then ignored for a transcription position (no huge tears except for the money), attended the best book launch in the history of book launches (Wonderous Strange by Lesley Livingston, highly readable, release at the Dominion on Queen with 150 or so people, 2 TV stations and Magners on tap) made some new friends, drafted (finally) a proposal for a YouTube series I'd be interested in doing which will serve my interest/promote the video company I have/save the world (more on that when episode one airs, I promise) and received a notification from the 3 Day Novel contest I completed last year. Seems I was not only one of 428 people who finished their novels, but I was in the top 20 and received an honourable mention. Years have started off better and worse and stranger, I think, but this one has potential and I'm going to do all I can with it.

Did I mention about the honourable mention? So. Bloody. Pleased with that. I've reopened the story for the first time since submitting it and the first four sentences are terrible, the judges are to be commended for reading that far. There are ludicrous plot turns and holes you could drive a small truck through and more than a comfortable sprinkling of cliches. What the hell, it was written in three caffeine enhanced days. Still - the characters are still charming to me and I like the basic story, elder god chic lit though it may be, so amongst the filming and the trying to make money to pay for trivial things like hydro and food I'm going to start this year by re-writing portions of St. George and the Dragon - and trying to come up with a less stupid name. Open to suggestions there.

One thing freaking me out? Turning 38 next week. Thirty eight. Three o eight eep. I can see it in the mirror and it vexes me somewhat. Then I remember that I've lived on sugar, bread and red wine for the last two decades and it doesn't look so bad anymore. (sigh)