February is spelled funny

As February started I could feel the clock ticking. Never been away from Izzie for more than a few days. Longest I’d been away from Mel was ten days. Two or three months? I felt like a pressure fish being hoisted from the abyss. I look big and strong but I’m a sissy at heart. A wanna-be stay at home mom. Just a girl in the world.

Feb 5th The Deal closed for Billy Burke to Drive Angry.

I liked Billy Burke in the Twilight movies. In fact, I liked the Twilight movies. I got them. They captured high school thru the eyes of a teen girl. While I am not a teen girl nor a sparkly vampire, I am an adult male and therefore related to Burke’s character. As my friend, “Brian Collins”, put it, I’m Team Charlie. Therefore I saw Burke as fatherly. Human and flawed. Until he got here. The man is a camelean. An actor. And as a result his role in Drive Angry is delicious.

Feb 8th While Patrick and I assumed I would play Frank before we even started writing Drive Angry, it wasn’t official until the 8th. Deciding factor? I’m cheap. And easy. And cheap.
Feb 9th Izzie was playing with my cell phone. She loves Ice Age. Was iPhoning the Ice Age 3D App. I could hear the music. Could hear Leguizamo’s voice. Next thing I knew, the phone had vanished. Asking Izzie returned a grin and a shrug. It’s not that she was playing or being stubborn. She just didn’t remember. We spent 24 hours searching. Hour 25 we all trekked to the Apple Store and I upgraded to the 3Gs. Hour 26 we came home to find the maid had found the old cell phone and left it on the coffee table.

Izzie now has an iTouch.
Feb 12th The British made Morgan was proposed as a “special” car for use in Drive Angry.

I miss her something fierce, you know. Although I’m writing about Feb and soon March…it is, in fact, the end of April. Miss the laughter. The voice. Miss making her smile. Less than three weeks to go. It’ll all be worth it, right? Accountability. Responsibility. Doesn’t quite hold up does it? I could have built houses and been home every night. I chose this path. Was it the right path?

Mel has had no choice but be mother and father. And she’s good at it. So, I don’t worry. I’m free to concentrate on the task at hand. On the obstacles ahead. Don’t mean it hurts any less though.
Feb 15th Mark Wheaton allowed me the honor of blurbbing “Four Nails in the Coffin”, a collection of four shorts that had gone out over the Kindle. What this meant was I got to read “Night of the Scorpions” early. Awesome. Click the above link to grab the book. You won’t be sorry.

Feb 17th Izzie is awesome. She can navigate to and play her videos on a Mac. She can annoyingly change your wallpaper on the iphone as well as work most Apps. She knows her numbers, alphabet, can read small words and draws pictures like a pro. But her speech is behind. The 17th we met with a speech therapist and we had a blast.

Feb 20th I get my financial offer to play Frank. Finally. My plan to retire to Fiji is complete.

Feb 23rd Billy wonders if his character name, Jonah King, is too close to the upcoming Jonah Hex. We try out a half dozen other names, Josiah, Jeremiah, Josey… but weeks later decide to stick with Jonah.

Feb 24th I get an email with the subject line, “Drive Angry – pussy sticker”. I figure that enters the realm of “nuff said”.

Later in the day we close the deal with Tom Atkins to Drive Angry.

Feb 25th Nathan and Prop Master “Big Toe” send over a string of custom license plates to consider. ILUV BVR, PUSEATR, 69CHRGR, BRN RUBR, BURN RBR, HORNY 69, 2FAST4U, EATME, EATMYD, PNK SLIP, HELL RZR, 69FRK69, HIOFCER, STUDLEY, HELL BND, HELL BNT, BAD ASS, BAD MOFO, FUNIN71, RUNIN71, LOVUN69, MUFLUVR, BCK2ELL, MUFDIVR, 04694ME, YOULOSE, 2FINGER, BORNBAD, EY4AEYE, I4ANEYE, DAMSTRT, BIGDLER, RED ONE, SL8 CLN.

I suggest DRV AGRY.

Toward the end of Feb, Izzie got a little sick. She never complains. It’s clearly she doesn’t feel good but she always smiles. And wants to cuddle.

As I wrap up February it is Friday the 30th of April. I’m sitting on set while a ’69 Charger and State Trooper cruiser are being lit. The movie looks incredible. The crew is great. Can handle any obstacle, any challenge. Mike DeLuca is a god. Lower case g, of course, but that still makes him slightly more than human. Our stuntmen and women are simply the best. The Cast is perfect. Nic has never played a character like this. Nor Fichtner. Nor Billy. Not only are they incredible but they are having a blast. Then there’s Amber, our sexy Luke Skywalker. I could not be more thrilled with our cast and crew.

But here’s the thing. I’m conflicted. I want to present the face of unity. I want to tell you that everything is going great. And it is. From the production side. But I’ll be honest, some of the suits are starting to annoy me. Not all. Not even close. But some. Amazing how a few bad apples can leave a taste of rot in your mouth. For now I’ll cut them some slack but if they don’t pull it together I’m gonna start naming names.