Movie Staaaahhhs

You have to do jazz hands on either side of your face to read the title of this post properly. Or do a great big lunge and spirit fingers like Mary Katherine Gallagher from SNL...

Well, Hayden and I packed it up and headed over to the park in Acworth to be a little piece of history with Chris and about 2,000 other extras yesterday. Or at least a little bit of a big-budget movie. Whether it becomes historical for anyone other than us or not remains to be seen.

Chris spent the day over there, as I mentioned, being filmed in several shots with Bill Murray and crew, working on an old engine. Look for him during the funeral scene, which I believe will be near the end of the movie. He's there today as well, as they wrap up filming those scenes and getting our car loaded up and back home, hopefully. Hayden and I left work early yesterday and headed over there with our friends Carrie and Joel to get in on the festivities as extras.

Hayden was a perfect doll - in fact, many people were surprised to find she wasn't a prop doll, but a real baby. She slept through wardrobe and hair/makeup, and of course, decided she was hungry and ready. to. eat. RIGHT. NOW. about the time she and I arrived on set and they called "Action!". So, off we went to get her settled down, but came back in time to watch several of the scenes being shot, including some with Chris up close and in the thick of it. Very cool to see Hayden's daddy in a big-time movie, I tell ya! Once they were between scenes, we got in as background extras and were filmed a few times back there. Only time will tell if our shots make it in to the movie, but it was a fun experience and definitely something for the memory books!

Here are some photos from our time yesterday, most of them taken by Joel (I was pretty busy holding a wriggly little baby!).

Hayden and I on set. As you can see, Hayden's not too happy with the news that we're only extras and not credited actors.

Bill Murray in character as the funeral director.

Carrie, gorgeous in her period attire

One of the scenes they shot while we watched. Believe me, Hayden really enjoyed the part where they fired that rifle!

Cast chairs

Chris, Hayden and I with our 1909 Hudson, which was the reason

we all got to participate in this movie!

Joel, with his new period-appropriate mustasche! They shaved his goatee for the film -

the first time he's not had one in 15 years!

Julie, the head of wardrobe, with Robert Duvall on set.

Got Low?

So, Chris is off work today and on the set of the upcoming movie "Get Low", which is a period drama based on the true story of a man who, in the early 20th century, planned a funeral for himself while he was still alive so he'd be around to enjoy it. Because of the timeline, our car - the 1909 Hudson, was requested to be in the movie. We also were requested to be extras in some of the scenes, but as we're learning, the schedule is anything but firm. We've been on again, off again for the past week trying to coordinate people, cars, weather, etc. to make this work. Only time will tell if we even end up in any of the shots, but it's still a pretty neat experience. Chris called me Monday morning to tell me he'd just seen Bill Murray ride by in costume on an ATV.

Speaking of Mr. Murray, Chris relayed a story about a period hearse that Bill is driving as part of his role as a funeral home director. During one scene they were shooting, Bill is headed down a dirt road with Sissy Spacek in tow. What he didn't realize was that in real life the road dead-ends into some thick woods. He started trying to turn this monsterous beast of a car around amidst the tall Georgia pines, and had the owners of the car wringing their hands and apparently made Sissy so nervous she jumped out of the car and came running back up the road!

As for our car, this is old hat to it... The Hudson has already 'starred' in several movies, including Cold Sassy Tree, and The Greatest Game Ever Played, so us newbies are just trying to keep up with the pros!

Grace's 28th birthday was last Saturday the 28th, and we took her out for dinner at Pappasitos. As I was headed to the bathroom, I passed a woman wearing a "Get Low" extras jacket (hi, Judy!). I stopped her and found out she was an extra in the movie as well, and in fact was eating there at the restaurant with the director's parents and family! They were all in town from Illinois and going to be extras in the film as well. It was a happy coincidence to run into them all, and they were as excited as we were about the film. Hopefully we'll run into them again on the set sometime this week.

So, I guess we'll see sometime in the next few months if we got Low or no Low...

In like a lion...

Well, this month has certainly had a ferocious start. A day of sleet and slow, followed by one of bitter cold and wind. Today has started out chilly, but sunny with the promise of warmer weather to follow. Whee!

I am excited by the possibilities of a fresh, new month ahead. The possibility of completing our house project (finally), of getting to move in, of Hayden maybe learning to laugh this month. The possibility that our dogs might survive this transition in our lives. That I might get my taxes done ahead of time, and might even get a return. So many hopes, and a whole glorious month to make them realities!



It amazes me what a difference a month makes these days. With Hayden in our lives, it seems sometimes we measure milestones in minutes. It is truly like watching Spring in slow motion when I watch Hayden budding with new skills, energy, awareness and learning. I love watching her unfold into this tiny, beautiful little soul. Sunday, when it was snowing and raining out, and the wind was howling, she and I spent much of our day cuddled up in bed together, just enjoying one another's company. For those that knew me BH (before Hayden), you'd know that sitting still and not doing much is not my cup of tea. I have always been go, go, go. Today, PH (post Hayden), I think I could spend a year just sitting and staring at her, delighting in each new development.

I mean, how could you not enjoy watching this little creature? I absolutely love her flirtatious little smile, where she shows that gummy grin and tucks her chin onto her shoulder, spraying drooly little bubbles? It makes my heart ooze like warm maple syrup! I swear, if she were candy, I'd weigh 1000 lbs. I just can't get enough of her. It is an absolute addiction! This morning, on our way to daycare and work, she was in a great humor, and just cooing and "aaahh"ing, and "eehhhaaa"ing, and "oooOOhh"ing to herself in the rearview mirror, and I could catch glimpses of sweet, pudgy little hands swinging in the air at some imaginary orchestra. I could have driven around all morning, just listening to that beautiful symphony of baby sounds. Or, I could have driven around until she suddenly decided that she had had enough. of. this. car. and. let. me. out. NOW. Thankfully, we didn't hit that point this morning, and I brought her still slightly sleepy self into daycare and left her happily in the arms of Ms. Amy.

Now, I'm just counting the hours (time does become hours and days again when she's not with me) until I can scoop up that little wriggly, smooshy baby girl into my arms again.