The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly all in one week.

This has been a fast paced week.  Whomever complains that there is nothing to do in Alaska between the seasons is lacking in imagination.  I was privileged to be chosen to be on the feature film jury for the Anchorage International Film Festival, which requires critical screening of the features that are being considered for the top prize.

It isn't easy.  I've watched all but one of the very diverse films and several are are extremely compelling.  My favorite thus far is very irritating to me.  It is a good film, reminiscent of some of my all time favorite films.  But the director chose to flip back and forth between two languages without consideration for the setting.

I totally understand a scene where a bunch of people who all speak the same language converse in that language, thats normal.  Here you find scenes where several people are in a room speaking to each other in different languages, that just doesn't make sense.  Brains don't process that way.

And they also had a inappropriate score, which can throw a movie completely off balance.  I want to go back in, reshoot two or three scenes and find someone new to rework the score.  Then, instead of a good movie, it will be a great movie.  Unfortunately, that isn't an option.

Shooter/Editor Daniel Hernandez joined us on this short

The Living Wild ~ Alaska ladies filmed our own short, a submission to the Alaska Distillery Smoked Salmon Vodka-themed short, at the Camel Rock Lounge in the Dimond Center Hotel early in the week.

It is a wonderful place to shoot, the warm reds of the walls are rich and inviting, and the sound quality in the room is nice.  If you haven't been into the Dimond Center Hotel yet, get over there.  Perfect place for a romantic getaway if you like contemporary style with an Alaskan flavor.

Discovered a new restaurant (for me) Crush, right across from Nordstroms.  Great staff, great atmosphere, and the man2woman ratio was definitely tipped in Bella and I's favor.   The portions are perfect for someone like me who wants a new flavor every ten minutes, and the prices made ordering several dishes very reasonable.  I tried the Pear & Stilton salad, Truffled White Bean Pate, a plate of cheeses, fruit, and nuts, and a buffalo steak that was cooked to perfection.  Would order all of them again in a heartbeat.  Not a fan of the decaf mocha which was bitter, heavy, and not even close to the cream with chocolate-coffee flavoring that I had asked for.

Attended the first Alaska Miners Association Legislative Oversight Committee meeting of the season, and I have to tell - I LOVE ALASKA'S MINERS.  Let me tell you why.  Their biggest focus is having the process of mining in Alaska be fair to all concerned, predictable, and reasonable.  They actively push the State of Alaska to pay their folks enough salary so that they can attract and retain the best quality staff possible for oversight.  They are professionals who have the best interests of the State close to heart, and I look around the table and there isn't one soul who seems to be in the game to grab all the dough and run not worrying about what they are leaving behind for the next generation.  I love these guys.

Got hit with some mud thrown by hopeful Lynda Zaugg at Representative Charisse Millett, that chipped me.  As if we even look like we are the "partying" kind of girls in the photo she ripped from our site.  Not that kind of party, anyway.

Had one of those golden moments God hands you getting my snow tires put on at Johnson's Tire Center and being able to visit with old friends I hadn't seen from in a million years, Brad Snowden and Sterling Grover.

Braved the business end of Kelly Whitworth's chair to get micro derma abrasion and Photo facial just before shooting Pamyua's new music video.

Bella and I represented the White Tribe, and we did our best to make all the other tribes look significantly better coordinated and cool than we were.  Wasn't difficult.