Nico H's Blog

I'll probably delete this blog soon, as it's not as important as the other ones, as this deals with topics more about "me."

But here's a brief history of the time of Oct '07 to date:

First, I'm doing great.  Fatigued as hell, and been fighting off a cold or something for about 3 weeks--not quite sick, due to tons of garlic, Vit C, and zinc--but not totally healthy either...  Doomtown at Rawhide was a huge, huge success, but drained me.  Many of the 20,000ish people who came down to witness my latest realised madness said it was the best Halloween experience they'd had this year, beating high priced places like the Nest, Uncle Alice Cooper's thing, Knotts Scary Farm, etc.  Several of you came out to see this, but unfortunately most of you came on nights we were understaffed.  There were a few other nights where I was especially proud that we were able to pull off what we did, even if personal friends weren't there to see it.
  But it did come at a cost to me.  Been exhausted and sick from lack of sleep (about 3-4 hours a night on average) the past month, plus sealing up financial details on the Dark West movie, which evidently will be showing on hundreds, maybe thousands of big screens next year.
  Tired.  Sick.  Tired.  But happy overall. 

WGA strike.  It became official today.  I've been talking with some "big name" writers (and others less directly involved with it but are big players in the industry) all day about it. 
My biggest fear was that the WGA strike would lead to a SAG and DGA strike, as the past shows that when one goes, the others go soon after.
  This would really complicate The Dark West movie, as even though we have most of our actors, letters of intent, etc, we could lose them, and we're almost at the point of shooting.  We've got all kinds of investors and interested distro prospects, but are negotiating with all parties on the who-gets-whats.
  Anyway, it sounds like SAG won't strike until June, so Dark West is safe.    Dunno about the movies we have in the pipe afterward.

PC's Jeromatherapy
was awesome.  It occurred to me that I hadn't taken even a weekend, non-film-work-related break from Phoenix in two years.  Even though most of my work is also play (kind of), it has been taxing as hell.  Everything I do, say, and think is in terms of movies, writing, haunting, or music projects, present and future.  One of these days I'll find that perfect gal who understands.  Poor girl.  Poor unless she's in that .0000001 percent of the population that does at least a few of the things I do.  Ha.  So, let's see...she has to be uniquely intelligent, hot, generally selfless, sweet, make movies in some capacity, and/or haunt houses/towns, garden, make candles/soap/oils, make totally different-than-the-norm music, and write novels, kids books, or something else publishable.  And administer good footrubs while quoting Nietszche after we've both cooked something.  Yeah, she's out there. ;)  I'll keep holding my breath.  Kidding about most of this, of course. I'll take a beautiful (on the inside, mostly, followed by not-too-close-second beautiful 'on the outside') woman with at least three of the above.
  But back to Jerome.  Jasmine drove me up there and gave me the energy and companionship I'd needed after being so burned out for so long.  She and I had a great, great time, both fun and relaxed, and the whole trip only cost like $40 total in necessities (gas, food, and rum and cokes).
  It was great running into Heather (Dark West Project Coordinator, et al), Dr Carlos Santo who I hadn't seen in 5 years, and other friends I didn't expect to see in Jerome.  Loved hanging with my Tempe musical cohorts, and playing with them at the campfire at Gold King Mine all night til the sun came up.  Thanks esp. to Marsh, PC, Dave the insane drummer, the kick arse guitarist of Chocolate Fountain whose name I didn't get, for all playing with me.
  I was so wiped (and not even hungover) Sunday morning that I couldn't drive back as planned.  So the Energizer Bubbles that is Jasmine drove us back and helped me unload.  What a gal.  Gawd I'm glad she's in my life.

I'm sure there's other things/events/people I'm forgetting to mention.  That's the price of spreading ones' self so thinly, no matter how fun the jelly.

nico

5 a.m. I just get to sleep, after fixing my printer (kind of--I can now only feed each sheet manually) printing up all emails between myself and an insecure and misinformed ex, who's trying to sue me.  My first court date ever is later at 10 a.m.  About 100 pages total I'm printing up, piece by piece, to include emails, case histories, advice from lawyers and confidantes, etc.  Each page costs me a minute plus of sleep that I'll need to be sharp enough for court.

6 a.m. I'm awoken by two guys talking in the living room.  An odd sound.  It's my friend who's couchsurfing, and one of my new roommates.  Shouldn't be odd, but it dawned on me that because of all my past roommates the past 8 years here, I never heard people talking in the living room, unless I was one of them.  I go back to sleep, thinking warmly, "finally, cool and sharing, gregarious roommates who don't shut themselves in their room all day."

7 a.m.  My friend Jason Parker calls me: 
Nico: (groggy) "hey man."...
Jason: "Dennnis is dead."  
  WIDE awake now.  Dennnis Skolnick was unanimously Tempe's Most Annoying Character.  So I liked him. I was one of perhaps 9 of the 60,000 Tempe residents who did. I Liked him enough to cast him in a major role in Dante's Arizona.
Dennnis's untimely passing makes the Dante's death toll at SIX, in 4 years.
I fall back asleep somehow.  And OverFuckingSleep til 9...

9 a.m.  Because of the patchy in-out sleep the past few hours, I sleep through the alarm, and have to rush (but still exhausted) to get to court on time.  I should make it; it's only 20 minutes to Dreamy Draw Court, so I shower quick and run.

 9:45 a.m.  Line at the court clerk's desk, where I have to (I was told) sign in.  There's never been a line here.  I'll be late.  First strike against me, no doubt. Turns out I didn't have to sign in, but to just go straight in.  Like I'm an idiot.

10:03 a.m. The insecure, rich ex who's full of bad information and a bit of misdirected malice is there, sitting quietly near the judge, a cobwebbed, shaking old man who doesn't have the energy to even lift an arm to stop the other from shaking. 
Judge starts recording.  I'm prepared as HELL.  Every lawyer I've talked to said I'll win...unless one or both of two things happen: 1. she lies. 2. the judge doesn't know or like contract law.
  I'm armed to the teeth with case histories, damning emails, law research, and a slough of defenses proving that I don't have to pay back Ms. Insecure anything. 
But, logic and hard work and my being the only one with the facts straight--and the only one in the 3-person court to listen and process it--gets beaten.
  I walk away knowing that I won morally, because both of the variables had happened: she won because the judge didn't know (or accept) contract law, and because he sided with the young girl who was lying.  But also, most insultingly, because he didn't bother to read (admittedly) any of the facts I'd given in the affidavit. 
  But I walk away smiling, knowing that I won on the bigger, spiritual level.  I was right.  I proved it in the affidavit they wouldn't acknowledge.  And because I didn't lie.  I can't lie, because it would eat me up the rest of my days.
  I smile, and am even polite as hell, naturally, toward the ex, who was actually cool, and not gloating.  This is the only time I've seen her gracious and bigger than she had been. 

11 a.m.  Met with one of my producers (and a kindred spirit); we talk about the BS that just went down, and more importantly about the movies' progress.

12 pm Drive to Dave's to get the FINAL DVD of Dante's.  I can't help thinking of the irony that the very last day of Dante's production is met with news of another Dante's death, Dennnis.

12pm-3pm Burning dvds and playing director--lots of phone calls and appointments made, including getting my teeth fixed in Vegas tonight.

3pm Drive home from Dave's.  Cancel dental appointment and entire trip to Vegas--too many variables.  Which also means I can't swing by Maynard Keenan's (Tool) house to talk about The Dark West. 

4pm to present (6:40pm): Recapping the past few days' events for people who didn't know what's been happening with me.  My throat is sore, my energy is drained, but I press on, in true Dante's spirit.  I'm looking up (like there's a god above me) and smirk.  I win.  By losing so much, I win.  I feel ecstasy.  There's nothing left you can take--because you can never take my integrity or imagination. 
  Ever,
nico h

PS  Here's an AZ Republic article on Dennnis Skolnick--who plays on immortally now as Roger Bacon (a character who'd screwed me over more than any other human being in my life) in Dante's Arizona:

'Mill Ave. Food Critic' found dead in his car