Strike Notes: Week 5

12/3-12/7

Monday - Tried out a new place to park, courtesy of a tip from fellow picketers. It's kind of a hike, but you don't have to move your car every two hours. Turnout was good today, spirits remain high. I caught up with Bill Kelly, the writer of ENCHANTED, who I met the first week of the strike and congratulated him on the movie. I really liked it, and feel that its success is earned. It's smart but not arch, and sweet but not saccharine. At a screening tonight of JUNO (very good too, btw, sort of GHOST WORLD meets John Hughes) I saw and said hi to a number of people from the WB line. Represent!

StrikeSnacks: Some miscellaneous candy among the WGA-supplied snackies.

Pedometer: About 2.4mi


Tuesday - Whoof, was it hot today, even on the early shift. More construction disruption, this time a crew repainting the crosswalk across Olive. It was perfectly visible before, mind you. Some writers from THE OFFICE were visiting today, including the guy who also plays Toby, the put-upon and sweet HR guy. Adorable! I put in an extra hour today since I won't be able to make Friday's rally.

StrikeSnacks: Kinda light. Homemade chocolate chip cookies, and a homemade cake. Bowl of Trader Joe's madeleines at Gate 4.

Pedometer: 4.08mi! I chalk that up to the longer shift and a trek to Gate 7, which is basically Mordor. You do pass by the Barham gate of Universal and its friendly picketers, which is like Rivendell before the final stretch in the full sun to that remote place.

Maybe the Barham gate's more like Lothlorien, since that was the last real refuge before Mordor? Or maybe Meduseld, since we picketers are embattled like the Rohirim, hardly like the Galadriel and elves--

Whoa nelly. Went down a big Tolkien geek rabbit hole there.

Happy, The Boyfriend?


Wednesday - Warm again today, and I dressed all wrong since the weather guys said it was going to be cooler! The weather guys must be eating what the AMPTP is feeding, just like Variety. Yet more sidewalk painting. "Your strike is going on too long," says the construction guy when someone asks. YOU THINK? C'mon AMPTP, get with the program. Today is blogger today on my regular 8-11am shift at WB, so we're joined by John August, Jane Espenson, Josh Friedman, etc. I also have a gamer grrl geek-out moment when I meet and briefly chat with Jordan "Prince of Persia" Mechner. A bunch of fans come to chat with the bloggers, including a woman who flew all the way from Houston to attend this as well as Friday's Mutant Enemy picket.

Pedometer: Reset partway through the day when I bumped it. Argh! I'm guessing about 2.5mi

StrikeSnacks: Little boxes of raisins courtesy of Preferred Artists Agency


Thursday - YET MORE STREET WORK. This time they're tearing up the other side of the street as last week, complete with jackhammers and foul asphalt fumes. It's truly horrible, but we don't leave. And I can't believe all this construction is a coincidence. I don't mean to get all tinfoil hat, but c'mon. I spot Annabeth Gish, picketing with the creator of her show BROTHERHOOD, Blake Masters. It's Bring Your Dog To Picket Day, so we have a few visits from worthy hounds. At the check-in table they're giving away red dog bandannas that read, "Don't Make Us Beg." Stayed another extra hour day today in advance of missing the rally.

StrikeSnacks: Dog food. You know, for actual dogs.

Pedometer: 3.01mi


Friday - Was out of town today, but it sounds like the rally, targeting reality writing, was a success. I can't believe the studios haven't gotten nailed on labor practices alone for reality show writers.

I check my email after my flight to learn that the AMPTP broke off negotiations, just as many had predicted. See you in Week 6, folks!