Thursday Recap (Part II)

Well, I'm safely back in Raleigh, N.C., now. It's delightful to blog from the comfort of my own home! Little Louie is asleep and cozy, and I'm tucked in tight under an electric blanket. The city is fairly cold, but compared to yesterday's temps in Wisconsin it feels delightfully warm! (Here is a picture of the picnic table just outside my Inn. Look at all of that snow on it. Beautiful, hey?)

It feels like so much happened over the past few days that capturing it here doesn't do it any justice.

Yesterday I tried to use my time wisely and write while in the airport, which thankfully had free wi-fi. However, I sat down to start writing and before I could get my thoughts out, that guy walked into the ladie's room, and I didn't stop him because I couldn't very well go in after him. (That would be wierd.) Then I kept writing since the airport wasn't busy, but the little old lady went in after him! I tried to focus, but over heard her kicking him out and then as he exited he giggled a little. By the time I had typed anything, they then called us through security. Oh well! You win some, you loose some. I gave up and put away my laptop as a US Air Force soldier nodded and smiled at me, "That's us! You better go through security."

So, without further ado, here is a recap of the rest of Thursday since it was tough to capture during the first attempt.

Thursday's activities weren't terribly exciting. I worked from the hotel so I didn't have to take another vacation day, and was really grateful to be able to do that. My job has taught my so many skills that I have used while making this film: prioritizing, schedule coordination, anticipating someone's reaction, looking into the future to ensure everything runs smoothly. Yes, my full time job is not something I take for granted. I really enjoy the work, flexibility and environment. It's tough to have a full time job I enjoy so much, and then have such a fun project like this to work on as well! So, I did my best to work remotely and be as available as possible even though I wasn't in the office.

Thursday night, the Plaster's took me out to show me their bowling alley and then we ate some incredibly tasty pizza. Once again, the conversation was delightful. They are such an inspiring couple, tackling so many fun projects together. It seems they champion and challenge one another very well. John called Gail beautiful at one point over the past few days, and she grinned back at him. "Can you elaborate?" she smiled. I told her I was definitely stealing that line!

When I got back to the Inn, I checked the sanner to be sure it came with everything I needed. It was missing a USB cord, and of course I didn't have an extra one on me. I semi-panicked at the thought of having to drive two hours to get the cord (one hour each way to Duluth). I spoke with a kind woman named Pat at the front desk, who helped me look through what they had on hand. No USB cords available. "We don't do much on computers at the front desk," she said.

But Wal-Mart should be open, and it was only 30-40 miles away. She thought it was 24/7, and called them to be absolutely certain. It would be about a 1/2 hour drive in each direction. And now it was after 9:30pm. I didn't want to call the Plasters that late to see if they had the cord, plus it's my responsibility to show up with everything I need to work.

I made the treck in the dark, a little nervous that should anything go wrong I wouldn't know who to call. There were few gas stations on the road, miles apart from one another and only frozen wilderness separated them. I wasn't sure anyone could come to my rescue if anything happened.

Pat, at the front desk, also confessed she was worried about me being out on the road so late at night. But, our worries were for naught. I made it to Wal-Mart, picked up the USB cord, and made it back to the Inn before 11pm. I let her know I was back, and she sighed with relief. It was a good feeling to know someone was looking out for me.

Now having everything I needed for the next day's work, I settled in for some rest. Anxious, restless, and nervous about the next day (I always get nervous before the interviews), I found myself tossing and turning. So I pulled out John's book, Secret Commandoes: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG. I felt like I had much of it fresh in my memory, but reviewing it made me sleep easier. He's a great writer, and shares details of operations that happen behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War. Having read it, I almost feel like I was there with him, knew the people he served with, and suffered through the losses with him. It's interesting to think that reading someone's writing makes you feel like you know the person.

There was no time to think about that in depth, though. I had to get some rest so I would be able to show up on time, ready to work. There would be no way I could pack the car, drive to his home, unload the 100+ lbs of equipment, set everything up, conduct the interview, and then spend hours scanning images if I didn't have a full night's rest. That meant falling asleep, and immediately. I put the book down, turned off the lights and sighed. Thankfully it wasn't long before I peacefully drifted off to sleep.

Friday was the big day.