My first clinical hours were spent with SFFD Station #29. Medic 29's ambulance was stationed there for its last week, since now the ambulances are to become rovers and be based off of Evans St, and not so much the Stations. I was sooo nervous! Not only had I never stepped inside a firehouse before, I'd heard horror stories about the hazing of ridealongs. I showed up in my spiffy medic uniform and introduced myself to the lone fireman that was there waiting to get off of shift. The rest of the house was out on a call. I watched the news for a little while and sports I could care less about. I didn't dare ask to change the channel.
When the crew returned, I met the paramedics and they were awesome. The whole house was very welcoming and it put my nerves at ease. I hopped in the ambulance to go get coffee with the paramedics. On the way, we clipped a guy's side-mirror on his Ford Ranger. The next hour or so we spent waiting for the Battalion Chief, and the PD to show so we could take care of the BS paperwork that goes along with accidents. The owner of the Ranger was totally cool, apparently his father was a fireman and invented an apparatus on the fire hoses for the trucks. He didn't want to file a claim, and after an hour of bureaucracy, we finally got coffee at Philz. Philz Coffee is liquid crack made an individual cup at a time.
After that we headed back to the Station and had lunch. Let me just say, firemen can cook! We sat on a long table with china dishes and proper silverware settings, pitchers of water, and a fabulous spread of bbq hamburgers, veggies, fruit, and chips. I was impressed. I mean, I had heard they can cook, but all the manners to go with? Awwwesome. After lunch we watched 300 and waited for a call. We actually finished the entire film before we got a call for a minor car accident a single block away. Civic vs. FJ. Both drivers OK, just shaken up. I was told it was the curse of the ridealong, that as soon as I went home, they'd get blown up with calls. It was just a Monday...
The entire house was really generous and showed my around (but not upstairs) and gave me the rundown of the firetruck and the ambulance. SF is one of the last cities to still use wood ladders, for tradition. The ladders are damn heavy.
Tests, tests, tests. That's what I've been up to lately, both sides of the camera. The shoot in Fremont went ok, I don't think the photographer liked me at all. First, my hair wasn't as "blonde" as she wanted it, then, she told the makeup artist to put extra foundation on me (my skin isn't that bad), and then wished my hair was longer. She even put an awful wig on me for some of the shots. I looked like a drag-queen (with little feet). She saw my most recent headshots. So there should have been no suprises. Anyway, I saw how even with awesome studio lighting, one can make a model look really bloody boring.
I've shot five girls in the past couple weeks. It's interesting using only strobes and no hot-lights. We've also picked uo two sweeeet 4' Kinoflow banks that I've yet to use. It's hard navigating all the equipment, and wrangling a PA is even harder.
Dana posed for me at the W, and I had my first real experience matching different light sources in color and exposure. I don't care too much for the first set, and my favorites are the ones of her on the bed. She looks angelic and naughty at the same time. That Monday, I went to Janice's house to shoot. OMG, I hadn't been to a college student's house in a long time. The place was fucked up. It was dark, dirty, small, and by far the strangest layed-out house I've been to in San Francisco. The landlords did some seriously flaggable things on the lower floor. We shot upstairs in the living room, and the shots of her at the cat were my favorites. Kitty was very playful and found a way to get into my light box when I set it up (I held my breath in fear that she might scratch inside).
On Wednesday I headed down to my friend Lisa's apartment, which has AWESOME views. So, of course we played to the windows. The first shots in white I'm not that crazy for. They could have been better, and especially so if she didn't take so long getting her face on. If a model is doing her own makeup, I ask that they at least have a base on before I get there! The sun moved quickly and I was bummed out a little. Buuut, I did like all the shots in the bedroom. The wine glass wasn't my idea :) The mardi-gras setup was...
Last week I shot portraits for my EMT class, since we have IDs for our ridealongs. They were a lot of fun, those who chickened out and left after lunch, sorely missed out. We were all jazzed up after doing our scenarious in vehicles, and did our best to break each other while posing.
Then I went to Sacramento to shoot two close girlfriends of mine. They were both and blast to see and shoot, and I learned more after shooting them. Out of the 36 each I posted, I really only like 2-3 or each. Jessica was interesting too, since she was posing in lingerie and she's never modeled at all before (except for me). She loosened up and then became a little tense again. During the last set, her arse was out the window and she was a little afraid that the teenage boys at the pool would see her. The boys didn't look up the entire time - strobes going off out the window, half-naked hottie on the balcony. So oblivious!
I also had an awesome dinner with my Mum and saw my Father for a moment before I headed back home. I feel so idle this week. I can't wait to get back to work (and no, not the weekend gigs).
We ended up having our holiday party at the Clift instead of Supperclub, which is fine...we've been there before. I guess I had just hoped for the new venue, but I think "the walk" is ultimately why the Clift stayed top choice. After mingling, eating, drinking for a few hours, everyone heads back up Geary to Slide/Ruby, we turn on the music, and it stays open bar until the last person standing. There's a lot of "lettin' loose" since after everyone works in a nightclub and has to watch everyone else party all year, this is our time to do what we want.
The bad part about this is alcohol. I don't really drink that much, if not at all as of late, and when I do, it's always nasty the next day.
Seriously nasty. The last time I drank was at the Mansion party back in November. I had six shots of Patrón in four hours. Sunday night I had two vodka-crans, two shots of Jäger, and a shot of chilled Ketel in about five hours. I don't know what I was thinking...but I spent the entire next day in bed and it totally sucked-ass. I can't imagine how people drink every weekend. When I worked at Ruby we'd sneak a shot or two in over the weekend, but since working at Slide I don't drink a drop. No particular reason why...I could if I wanted to, just don't. Maybe it's the fear of slipping on the wooden floor in my stilleto boots. "Moderation is key", I tell myself, and apparently since I don't know how to imply it, hence just going for it like I'm fucking invicible. That's how I think of it, too, "I am super-woman, bring it ON!". I remember the last time I actually threw up was years ago in Vancouver on NYE, where I had one-too-many leeche martinis and a shot of fucking hypnotic that the cocktail waitress gave us. I still hate her for that. While Ford and our friends were off shopping the next day, I was in bed watching bad Canadian television and eating whatever I could muster from room service. I felt really bad, forcibly anti-social.
All in all, the party on Sunday was a blast, but I'm sticking to weed next time. I've never had a hangover from that.
For more photos, see my drunkeness, and more awesome shots from the Clift by Daniel Kokin.
Last night I left Slide early and headed upstairs to see Kung-Fu Vampire hit the stage at Ruby. We shared the dressing room while I was getting ready, they were characters, and I just had to see them perform. They were awesome. I liked their sound a lot. I also shot three videos, but I am working on the audio...I was right next to the monitors and the sound is way destorted. Shamoo, silly point-n-shoot!
I seriously thought this thing was going to attack me.
Last night we finally got together again for another installment of Girls Night Out. We were much more mellow this time, partly because of our seating placement, and I think we were all still a little worn out from the holidays.
Many of the other girls had been traveling home to see family, and I've been getting over a monstrous sickness. Janice and I attempted another pillow fight, but both gave up after just a couple of blows. I got a 20 minute massage and nearly fell asleep!
The talent was awesome, three shows with an acrobat, a man suspended in water, and a burlesque performer. The food was amazing again and we were well taken care of. We started with arugula salads with spicy croutons, fresh-grated parmesan, and warm candied apples. Next we had seared ahi-tuna followed by cauliflower soup with browned butter and capers. My main course (since I don't eat red meat) was a portebello mushrooms and carmelized onion tartlette. I don't remember exactly what dessert was, but it was damn good, too. Some sort of warm mousse with peaches and cinammon.
Janice and manager Brian had a dance-off toward the end of the night that I caught on video. I really dig Supperclub.
Ford and I have spent the past day watching 24 Season 5. It's so bad it's good. Some things they get right on the money, many they don't. Yet, it's still so damn entertaining.
First of all, being that it's 2007, this year will mark ten years since my best friend was murdered, ten years since I graduated high school (2 weeks after her murder), and ten years that I've lived on my own. I've moved to three different cities and have started an extensive education in film and photography. I am excited to move forward into the next ten years. This March will be my 6th anniversary with Ford, and hopefully hopefully hopefully this will be the year we actually get this goddamned house finished.
The week building up to NYE was pretty weak, actually. Work was slow since everyone was holding out for Sunday. Jamie Foxx came in with a small entourage on Saturday night. He wasn't in my section (darn!) but I still went by to meet and greet. He didn't want any photos taken, so I had to respect his wishes (dammit!). I really wanted to sneak one in somehow, but didn't want to risk getting caught and make the club look bad. He was really sweet and even sung along a little to "Gold Digger". He also took care of his hostess out of his own pocket and I respect that. Usually celebrities have their manager do it and they are fuggin' cheapskates.
I've been sick going on three weeks with really nothing more than an annoying cough, that just comes and goes. I really should have taken a day off. Sometimes I wheeze, sometimes I want to cry because whenever I want to sleep, I keep myself (and probably Ford) up coughing. On Sunday morning I drank a couple shots of Robitussin to knock myself out, and it worked for about three hours. I woke up to pupils the size of dimes and was so looped out I couldn't even leave the house until I had to go on autopilot to get to work at 8pm. NYE at Slide is worlds different from NYE at Ruby Skye. I knew it would be. I did run into a dozen circus performers who were using our backhalls to get back and forth in the building. I miss the acrobats. I miss GoGo Pro. I don't miss 1500+ people trashed.
Ford was out with Jay and Jen. My girlfriend Sara came from Sacramento to see me at Slide. I ended up kissing her and her boyfriend at midnight. They were adorable. I ended up getting a little tipsy, and ended up at Bob's Donuts at 4am with my friend Mookey. I was so mezmerized by this humongous 12" donut that I didn't even buy any for myself. I ate a couple of his donut holes and ended up back at home somewhere around 5. I waited up for Ford, who came in a couple hours later. The sun rise was all the sun I saw for the day.
