Best Year Ever!!!

Those are awfully strong words I know. Emerging from the pits of despair and rebounding so poetically made the emotional elation all the more sweeter. Its kind of like when you go on a fast and the first meal you have is so delectable. I have said this a few times before but it bears repeating. It was July 09 and I was visiting my boys in Texas. It was a bittersweet visit. When I visit my boys it fills me with so much joy but also reminds me of the family that I lost. So I was somewhat melancholy when I was praying when I heard the Lord’s voice tell me very clearly that I’d be married within a year. I have heard this voice before so I could recognize it. I didn’t really believe it though. But just to make sure I told my good friend Darren in Bahrain, David my roommate in Texas and Isa in Bahrain. They all said…to who? I said, I don’t know. I wasn’t dating anyone so it was a complete mystery to me. Then last year right about this time I got matched on eharmony (hey its hard to find a pretty Christian girl when you are living in the Middle East) with some blonde girl from North Carolina. Neither one of us were too enthusiastic about the match at first, but once we started the short and long answers both sensed there was something different about each other. Then in our first email on Jan. 3, 2010 we became convinced. I was absolutely intrigued by this girl. But I had to see her first. I had met several girls online some were not representative of their photos (which is a vast understatement). But when I first saw Jennifer on the webcam, God spoke “She’s the one I have for you.” Of course it doesn’t take a genius to realize how wonderful she is. But what is amazing is how perfect we fit together, like the last two missing pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle. We make each other complete. I knew that I would marry her. Jennifer knew almost as quickly as I did. In fact, I told her on our second phone conversation that I loved her. I wanted to wait til I met her face to face, but I just couldn’t help myself. Really it was love at first sight. Since my life was so dramatic I wanted to finish with a flourish. Or actually start part 2 with a flourish. I know my life will be made into a TV movie someday so I wanted to emotionally punch it up. So when Jennifer flew out to Bahrain and I was to meet her face to face for the first time. I wanted the “happily ever after part” to be memorable. So my first words to her were “Will you Marry me?” Fortunately she said yes. And the rest of the year as we traveled across the world 6 times to see each other is what made 2010 the best year ever. Jennifer is with me in Dubai right now as we ring in 2011 and look for places to live. I took her to church today and our pastor John Folmar after the introduction said…I’ve seen you before. Jennifer was dumbstruck…then he said…on Youtube. I was touched that pastor of a large church would take the time to learn so much about one of his members. I think it says a lot for his character. If you missed the “Will you marry me?” Here is the link to view it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsGigrwnXAM

I am so grateful to God and his faithfulness for all these blessings. Since I got divorced it absolutely emotionally devastated me. I was so defined by my family and instantly I lacked an identity. But I re-identified myself as a child of the King. I clung to God for hope. God kept reassuring me for four years that he was in control, and that he would get me through this. 2010 was the culmination of His faithfulness. How many people do you know (other than the ones who live in Hollywood) Have met someone and the next month they get engaged, and the next month they get married. I know it might seem impulsive. Hey Jennifer and I both know its impulsive. To me its more about being faithful to God’s calling than to question my emotional sanity. Really Jennifer and I got married then started to date. Each and every day that goes by I am more and more convinced that she not only is the perfect partner for me, but my best friend and lover. I wish everyone could experience the exhilaration that I feel when I am with her. So Jennifer, my love, thank you for making 2010 the best year of my life. Can we possibly top it in 2011?

A Parking Ticket on Christmas Day

Its Christmas day and I just can’t help from admitting that it doesn’t feel like Christmas. Last night I was walking on the JBR promenade and I saw a stand for Santa that was going to be up from Dec. 23-Jan. 1. I thought, don’t they realize that Santa pictures are supposed to start in November? And what is the point of Santa after Dec. 25? It shouldn’t be a big surprise that they have Santa or that they celebrate Christmas. I heard the song “Away in a Manger” being blasted through the loudspeakers. That is a very Christian song. I have said this before but it bears repeating. Muslims believe in Christ, they think he was a great prophet. Only they don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God. But strangely enough they do believe that Jesus is coming back someday for the rapture.

Really the place it only feels a little like Christmas here is the malls. But when I think of Christmas in the US, I think of red and green everywhere. Here there are just not the prominent colors. Another reason it doesn’t feel like Christmas is that Im working today. Im in the edit bay our post facility. We have a Jan. 2 deadline so its important that I make as much progress towards that as possible. Most everyone here is working today. I even got a parking ticket. Who gets a parking ticket on Christmas Day? Apparently me. Im writing this blog because I don’t want to keep directing our editor. Everytime I make a comment it slows down his flow. That is why I don’t like Executive Producers to view Assemble or Rough cuts as they make too many changes. So Im going to let Mobeil our editor do his thing then I’ll step in. Jennifer is presently getting on a plane in London and she’ll be here in 6 hours. I think just having her here will make it feel a whole lot more Christmassy. (I can’t believe Christmassy is a word. My spell check is accepting it). I was invited over to a Christmas Dinner with friends so that will help with the festive spirit as well. I hope to speak with my kids today too…but that might just be an unrealistic dream. Isn’t it sad when I have to make it a prayer request to speak to my own children on Christmas Day? I love them dearly and I miss them so. I try not to think about all the great Christmas’ that we’ve had in the past because that would just depress me too much. I just need to focus on the present and what I have now and will have in the future. Its like Joel Osteen admonishes “Don’t focus on what you don’t have, focus on what you have.” I am incredibly blessed really beyond measure. I am so blessed to have someone in my life that loves me like Jennifer and a family that supports me. It was just a few years ago when I felt so alone. If you are one of those people that don’t have anyone special in your life, I grieve if you are grieving. Some people choose to be alone while for others its forced upon them. I empathize because I walked in your shoes. Not having anyone to share the holidays with can be an incredibly painful experience. More suicides happen in the holidays than any other time of year. God did sustain me through those painfully alone years. It was an amazing experience. I was alone but rarely was I lonely. I should have been lonely but I had God’s spirit sustaining me. Everyone kept encouraging me to hang in there and things will get better. They were right, Im experiencing that this very moment.

It was just one year ago today that Jennifer and I were starting our initial contact with each other through Eharmony. That is where we met. The online dating thing really worked. Granted our courtship and engagement, and marriage was blindingly fast. So much has happened in one year. I was thinking about this earlier today. Jennifer and I broke every single rule on what you are supposed to do with traditional dating and marriage. But it has worked. Really it has about as much to do with God as it does Jennifer. God clearly told me that she was the one and I was to marry her. Who am I to argue with the almighty? Its like God saying I want to give you a million dollars…are you really going to say no? So with Jennifer and I, its like we got married then started dating. We knew the essentials about each other, faith, character, values and the rest was all details. It was an added bonus to be incredibly attractive to each other. I just have to work on keeping my belly down now. We also agreed, really in our second conversation, that when we were to be married that each of us was going to make it work no matter what. So we actually knew we would be married on our second phone conversation. That is when we started talking about it. It was never if we got married, it was when. It was more a matter of fact than conjecture. It was such an odd feeling that we both almost instantly knew that we found our mate. I remember telling my mother after Jennifer and my first conversation. “I said I met her.” Normally she discounts my enthusiasm but this time my mother said, “I can’t be surprised because this is what I had been praying for.” Our story is quite remarkable really. So at this Christmas time in the desert even though things aren’t quite ideal, Im extremely joyful. God has seen fit to give me the greatest gift in a wife that loves me like Jennifer does. I can’t think of much better gift to get that that. So as all my dreams are coming true. This Christmas I pray that yours will be coming true as well. I am delighting this season in the Lord and I can honestly say I have the desires of my heart. If you don’t have the desires of your heart please let me encourage you to Seek First God…then…you’ll have it. That’s a promise.

If you're moving less than 90, you best move out of the way

We wrapped production today and Im exhausted but satisfied. We have been shooting all over Abu Dhabi the past week. Its about an hour drive between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Sheik Zayed highway however is quite an adventure. They have traffic cams about every 10 miles and if you are going over a certain pre-determined limit you see a flash and get a sick feeling. I’ve already had one ticket. Im told that anything over 90 mph (150 kph) gets you the flash. So I try to keep it around 85. But for most arabs the speed limit is only a suggestion and the traffic cams a nuisance. Traffic in the passing lane usually moves faster than 90 mph. Arabs like to drive fast. This is especially true in Saudi Arabia. One muslim once told me there is a certain type of invincibility with Muslims (Warning stereotype approaching). They explained some Muslims feel if you get in an accident it is Allah’s will…if you don’t get in an accident its Allah’s will. For me that’s a dangerous way to live obviously. I feel that God gave us all common sense for a purpose. So, If you are in their passing lane they’ll usually start flashing their blinkers when the get to be about 50 yards behind you. They’ll come up right to your bumper and start blaring their horn if you don’t move. If you know what’s good for you, you best get out of their way. Imagine the road rage that type of driving that would elicit in Los Angeles. Here’s its just accepted as decent road etiquette.

Im very pleased that shoot turned out as well as it did. We had a number of various crises on the set. But at the end of the day we got some great stuff in the can. I was working with a good crew. I was worried because we have a Jan. 2 deadline but Im extremely comfortable with the post house we are using. So I don’t think the deadline with threaten my record. I thought I was going to have to spend 24/7 with the editor, but he has already shown me how adept he is. I just need to guide him a little. I love being a director…I think even more than being a writer. But apparently I need to say please and thank you more when I direct. I tend to become incredibly focused as I visualize the shot as it will belong in the context of the finished piece. Really all being a director is, is being a good communicator. To communicate his vision with the crew clear enough so they’ll be able to see and emulate it as well. With Indians and non-native English speakers you have to be incredibly thorough with your communication. I think we are on the road to achieving that. I still haven’t proven myself yet, so that is a bit of a challenge. I can see the entire project in my head and its coming together just like in my head. But others can’t really see into my head…not like they’d want to. So having a finished piece will go a long way in establishing trust for future projects. I am establishing a very good rapport with the general manager of the production company we are using. He is from Kerala (India) and just understands production. Indians are very skilled in the labor and creative of films because of the immense market of Bollywood. I found this info from an Article in the Sunday Times of London: “India now produces over 850 films a year – around two per day. Approximately 450 films are released in the USA. India’s Central Boards of Film Certification claim that over a period of just three months, approximately one billion Indian’s visit cinemas to catch the latest release. In 2002, Bollywood sold 3.6 billion tickets and had total revenues (including admissions, DVDs, and television sales) of $1.3 billion, whereas Hollywood films sold 2.6 billion tickets and generated total revenues of US $51 billion. So Hollywood is clearly streets ahead in the count that really matters: money, money, money.” The main difference Between Bolly and Holly is the cheese factor…Bollywood movies are so melodramatic and cheesy and the Indians just love that. Its hard for me to sit through a Bollywood film, but I’ve done it for several of them. So when I have an Indian crew I have to de-Bollywoodize them. I like my Hollywood/Western style. I was flattered earlier today as I got an offer to direct a series of industrials. I am an OneTVO employee so ethically Im not going to take any work on the side (although that is quite common here). There may be an opportunity down the road where I can outsource myself for the good of the company. Its all about relationships here. There is not a spirit of competition, but rather cooperation. That is refreshing to find especially with the ultra-competitive nature of Hollywood in my rear view mirror. Now I was flattered by the job offer in part because I know that this particular person has seen my work. But really, one of the driving factors is my skin color. Apparently (I know this is unfair but it’s a reality) that having an American director…especially one with Hollywood experience is quite prestigious. Its not like I did anything to deserve my skin color. I won the genetic lottery and just so happened to be blessed by having two loving God-fearing parents. The rest is from “I just don’t know when to quit.” I should have given up on my career long ago because I have failed thousands of times. But my over-riding faith in God helped me to continue to believe in myself. Im just so thankful for all the blessings that I have. I really didn’t do much to deserve it. All I did was….Believe. And that was enough.

Less than 48 hours until Jennifer arrives to celebrate our first Christmas together. Im pretty thrilled about that.

The Amazing Life

I just love watching the Amazing Race. Its so much more edifying than trashy favorite show #2 Mad Men. I can download the entire season on Itunes for about $20.00. As soon as it airs I can download it. I like The Amazing Race so much because I can relate to it. In many ways it mirrors my life. Take today for instance. I had to travel downtown to a place called Deira. I had only been there once before. I was meeting my DOP (Director of Photography) and we were going to meet a production company to see their computer animation. We might keep all the production and post with this company. So Saji, the DOP, tells me its near the Sheraton Deira Creek. I think I know where that is. So I head out a little bit early as I had to make another stop. I looked for the Sheraton Deira Creek map on its webpage and tried to memorize it (My printer was out of ink—Road Block). Now Im looking at my gas gauge and its on E. I was a little worried. Surprisingly enough there aren’t hardly any gas stations (they call them petrol stations) out here when compared to the US. The US there are gas stations on every street corner. Here they are few and far between. This is kind of weird considering the oil comes from this region. So I’m trying to follow the street signs, and use my intuition. I’ve only leased a car for about two weeks now so I haven’t driven around that much, and certainly not on that part of town. So I get to the Sheraton Deira Creek and the landmarks that Saji (my DOP) tells me to look for are nowhere around. It turns out there is another Sheraton. The Deira Sheraton is what I needed. (Two Sheratons both called Deira…where is the logic in that?) So I called Saji and he was kind enough to drive to me so I could follow him to the facility. Following Saji in Middle Eastern Traffic is like a game show in itself. Its slightly easier than following Lady Lebanon in Abu Dhabi but not by much. By the way if you can’t find something, which is often the case, its quite common for someone to drive to you to lead you the rest of the way. Addresses are just not used here at all, just landmarks. So we get to the facility and it was really something. Production facilities in Los Angeles, are plush, modern, and very high tech. Well some of them anyway. Its all about image in LA. Not the case here. This facility we went to does very good work. However they are crammed in a tiny three office suite with two of the offices holding editing equipment and the other had their camera equipment. All this cramped space plus there must have been 15 employees standing around because there was no place to sit. But, these guys did excellent work. The GM and I were talking. He was from India. He realizes the limitations of working in this area. He has a great animator, and editor but they don’t speak English very well. So that detracts from business. He said many clients that he has prefer to work with guys like me, simply because Im American…or my white skin. Then I joked that’s why I hired Saji, who is from India (Kerala…you’d like him Reji) but has very light skin. Indians have great senses of humor and just love life. I really felt comfortable with this crew despite the basic office. These guys did lots of Bollywood Flims (That’s how Indians prounouce Film, its Fl-ims). It was a nice meeting. They are treating me with great respect out here. Being a director carries a lot of weight. I am honored by the respect. So the game show part continued as I drove away to find my back which is a lot easier. The game continues tomorrow as I need to get my visa renewed. Im still on a 30 day visit visa so I need to leave the country every 30 days. I went to Bahrain to visit Darren one month. I went back to surprise Jennifer last month (What a surprise that turned out to be!) and now Im driving to Oman. How do you drive to Oman, not really sure, but that is part of the adventure. What’s poetic about this in a life imitating art sense is that the episode I watched today of the Amazing Race (it aired two weeks ago in the US) had all the contestants traveling through both Dubai and Oman. The producers of the Amazing Race are really doing justice to accurately representing the Middle Eastern Culture here.

Meanwhile on another course of the race, Lady Lebanon was busy trying to get all the permits, schedule the shoot, negotiate the budget, book the crew, arrange catering, and all the other details. Normally this type of production needs about one month pre-production. We have a deadline of Jan. 2. So we only have one week.

We are supposed to start shooting next Tuesday. If you can keep us in prayer it would be appreciated. This is a big production in a foreign country. There are lots of challenges, the deadline and the budget being two of the biggest. But I have an extremely good crew around me. Plus I have a secret weapon. Despite all the activity, I don’t seem to be that busy. I attribute that directly to spending time with God each day. All the details after that seem to sort themselves out.

So yes, my life at the moment does seem like a game show. With the amount of peace and joy I have, I can honestly say its An Amazing Life. That’s not say I don’t have everything perfect in my life. I can no longer speak with my children as they won’t take or return my calls. When they do respond to emails its either heavily influence or written by their mother and/or stepfather and filled with bitterness and hate. Now unfortunately I can’t do anything to fix that, and I’ve tried pretty much every approach. So Im just giving it up to God. I know the relationship is only strained temporarily. I know someday they will see the truth and realize how much I love them. My love for them is absolutely unconditional so no matter what I will love them just the same. I tell them via email and voicemail every chance I get. So how am I so joyful despite this heartbreak? Well I think that is what makes God, God. I can’t dwell on the pain. Im focusing on what I have and that is the hope that our relationship will be restored someday. I have so many other positive things to focus in my life. When I think about everything that I have done, with friends, family and loved ones cheering me on, I can honestly say, It’s an Amazing Life. Still, the best is yet to come.

National Day Part 2

What a great day it was…in so many aspects. I mentioned yesterday that it is National Day today. I just didn’t realize how many Emiratis were out celebrating it. Nearly all of them!!! I don’t think that is much of an exaggeration. We got to the Marina area in Abu Dhabi early around 2:00 PM. Already there were families setting out chairs on the side of the road and setting up picnic barbecue areas. There was a sense of anticipation in the air. What they do for revelry here is to decorate their cars. So many Mercedes, BMW’s, and Corvettes among many others were covered with Emirati flags along with pictures of the leaders. The late Sheikh Zayed, the father of the country, is usually pictured with his two sons on each side. They still hold Sheikh Zayed in such high regard. His portrait is everywhere. I guess it’s a little like how the US treats George Washington.

The atmosphere here is so incredibly festive. Its like the entire country goes to just cruise the streets. People hanging out of the windows of their cars (not very safe I know), or standing up through the sunroof. Emirati flags are being waved with horns honking, engines revving, and boat horns sounding. The big thing is that people shoot silly string and confetti at each other. People will walk up to cars with their window open and spray this confetti like foamy stuff at the people inside and the people inside just spray back. They have a lot of fun doing it. There is such an amazing sense of patriotism and camaraderie that I’ve seldom experienced before.

We got to a festival with my camera man and Lady Lebanon. Lady Lebanon is an amazing producer. She knows how to use her charm well in this region. She is very savvy too. She can get into places and get permission where I probably would not have much of chance because Im a man. Arab men are incredibly respectful of women out here. At least the ones I encountered. There was this traditional dance that we covered. This was really special. It had men with Arabic drums, chanting and dancing along with women dressed in this type of national dress uniform doing another type of dance. There was a big boat race. There were maybe 20 guys in a boat paddling to the encouragement of the captain. There were maybe 20-30 boats in the water. This race is apparently a big deal with people putting a lot of money on these boats. Lady Lebanon was able to sweet talk her way into getting our crew into a boat. So we had a perfect vantage point of the race. We also got some incredible footage of the corniche (Beach road).

Afterwards Lady Lebanon was able to talk her way into one of the nicest hotels in the World, Emirates Palace. Normally crews aren’t allowed to shoot there but we gained access. It seems like everywhere I go, I just keep getting favore thrown upon me, and Im not really doing anything special to deserve it, other than being a child of the King. Now I realize that virtually all of the favor for this shoot has been the result of Lady Lebanon’s skills at producing in this culture. However, meeting her and having her be on this crew was no accident. I believe it was a divine appointment and that is God’s way of continuing to give me favor through indirect ways.

I was able to get away from the Abu Dhabi area around 10 pm. There were still thousands (no exaggeration) of cars descending on the same corniche area. Its now about 1:15 am. As I look out my window in the trendy JBR part of Dubai, there are more cars stacked up now, than there ever were during Eid. I think they are going to be cruising to the early hours of the morning. Traffic is barely moving (It took me an extra 45 min. to get ¼ mile) But everyone stuck in the jam doesn’t seem to mind it all. It just adds to the excitement of it. There is so much unity and pride amongst the Emirati people. It is quite amazing really. Why can’t the media portray that?

Kudos to Qatar for getting the World Cup in 2022. I know a lot of people are complaining about it in the US. Well…the US already had the World Cup. Its nice seeing the Middle East get some representation. Hopefully we can start changing some perceptions and promote understanding of our differing cultures.

National Day

Tomorrow in National (Dec. 2) in the UAE. It is their fourth of July or Cinco De Mayo. As a country the UAE doesn’t have a long history. They will be celebrating their 39^th year of Unity. Before they were governed by the British (who wasn’t?) But in 1971, Sheikh Zayed, a forward thinker united the Sheikhdoms (or states). The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, (because they are ruled by Emirs) which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Dubai is the largest city and the most well known globally. The capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. It is also the country's center of political, industrial, and cultural activities. Abu Dhabi, according to CNN is also the richest city in the world. When Dubai was in trouble from the financial crisis, it was Abu Dhabi that bailed them out. Interestingly (at least to me and my father anyway) the UAE first invited Bahrain (a short 45 min. flight away) to be the centerpoint of the union. At the time of 1971, Bahrain’s economy was thriving because of oil reserves and a strong financial sector. Bahrain turned the UAE down, thinking it didn’t need them. My how things have changed. Many Bahraini’s rue that decision while others like the small island aspect.

Im pretty excited because we are going to do our first shoot tomorrow. We are going down to the corniche (waterfront) to tape some of the festivities taking place. Unfortunately I probably won’t be able to post them like I wanted to. I took my Iphone into the mall to get it unlocked so I could use it with a UAE number. After months of waiting the software was finally ready. Im not sure how legal this is but im trying not to ask too many questions. So the guy in the shop said it would be four hours. So I waited at the mall for four hours, watched a terrible Jackie Chan Movie, and had lunch. Normally I like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat and Hong Kong films. However, instead of subtitles they dub in English voices for the actors. Its horrible. It completely ruins the movies as usually the voice over artists are very sucky actors just trying to get the lip placement right. I tried to write a script a few years back for some anime project. I had to time the syllables with the lip moment. It was tedious and difficult.

We had a dinner meeting tonight with Lady Lebanon and Ali. This is the fourth or fifth type of meeting we had like this. It was over dinner at a French restaurant called Paul, Im not sure if that is a chain in the US or not. The food was fantastic. But as I was sitting their at a very trendy spot on the JBR strip it dawned on me. Im having a session/dinner with the producer, star, and Im the director. Im really a director! They are treating me with that type of professionalism and respect. This is something that I have aspired to become my entire career. I have directed plenty of projects before, but usually as a writer-producer-director, not solely as a director. Plus most of my other projects have been documentary or corporate based. This is one of the first times I’ll be able to implement my vision along with Ali’s to create entertainment programming. Its very exciting. Im not that nervous, especially having Lady Lebanon on board to handle all the details. There are tons of details on projects like this, but we have a small lean crew since we are not big budget yet. We are having to be extremely efficient and resourceful. Its an exciting day, as this is why I came over to the UAE in the first place.

It’s the dawn of a new era in my career. I couldn’t be more excited.

Mad Men

Please keep in mind I’ve only gone through the first three seasons of Mad Med. I just recently downloaded season 4. So don’t be a spoiler.

One of the things about living overseas is I don’t see broadcast television. I don’t miss it at all. Except maybe the sporting events, even then I subscribe to NFL.com, and MLB.com so I don’t miss much. When there is a particular tv series, I will go to the video store and rent the DVD. I watched LOST, most of 24, Heroes, Prison Break and a few others. I can usually go through an entire season in a week or two. I do stay abreast of the entertainment culture quite closely through the likes of Yahoo, and IMDB. So I heard about the buzz of Mad Men and have been waiting to catch up on it. I should confess enjoying Mad Men is a bit of a guilty pleasure as I will explain shortly. Those of you international readers that don’t know, Mad Men is an extremely popular TV show in the US that takes place in the early 1960’s out of an advertising agency in New York. Essentially it is just a soap opera with a really cool setting. Much similar to Dallas being a Soap Opera set amidst the backdrop of the oil fields, or Six Feet Under a soap opera set in a Mortuary, or the Soprano’s a soap opera set up within the mob. All of these shows are the same and there is nothing new under the sun. Mad Men appealed to me for a couple of reasons. I worked in and for advertising agencies for years. The writers and producers have this culture down very well. Plus I grew up in the late 60’s early 70’s so the décor brings back a lot of memories. Its also educational giving us a window to what it was like back in my parent’s era. I just really enjoy this show. That said…the show is absolute crap from a moralistic standpoint. Perhaps as a Christ-follower I shouldn’t be watching it, but like a car crash I find myself drawn to looking at it.

Im not giving anything away by saying that the show’s principal character, Don Draper, is a serial philanderer. At first I hated the guy for cheating on his beautiful, innocent, and naïve spouse. Perhaps this hit a little too close to home for me. But as the series progressed, I found myself being more sympathetic to the guy. This is difficult but important to admit. I even found myself rooting for him to get the girl (whatever affair he was after). How did this happen? How does a straight-laced, conservative to the hilt, Bible thumping, Christ crazy, jilted former spouse, guy like me actually start rooting for Don Draper? Last season ended on a cliff hanger of Don finally getting divorced from his wife. Again, Im not giving anything away since it’s a year old. Don deserved it. Still, as they discussed the issue of divorce and the feelings between the two characters cooled..I couldn’t helped but relive my own chilling divorce. The writers nailed the emotional impact of this devastating event quite well.

OK…I think Mad Men, and my view in particular is a great illustration how the media can shape the morals of our culture. If a conservative, firmly morally established Christian like me can be influenced by the media like this, what about someone else who might not have as solid of footing in place? Im not saying this to self-glorify my strengths (there but by the Grace of God go I) nor I am tempted to go out and meet a girl in hot pants, bouffant, and thigh high boots. Rather, it’s a good example of how the media can sway almost anyone. That is the main reason why I wanted to get into this line of work. If the media is that powerful, I want to use it to sway people to my particular worldview. Media is a dangerous but potentially great tool. I am starting to get opportunities to use it to express my worldview. Please pray for me, its an exciting time professionally with tons of opportunity right at my doorstep. If these two pilots Im writing/directing, take off it will lead to more opportunities. Each opportunity I have I’ll be able to express my worldview even more, a little like I do through this blog. Right now, Im just concerned about portraying Arabs, and Middle East in a positive yet realistic light. Next I’ll be able slowly but surely interweave by optimism, hope and faith in small increments. My time is coming…if its not already here.

For my children that are reading this blog…I love you very much. Im extremely proud of each one of you.

Thanksgiving in the land of Sand and Skyscrapers

I think it happened on the way home from the metro. I was walking over the bridge over the marina on my way home. I had just seen a movie and celebrated thanksgiving by sneaking in a Turkey and Cranberry sandwich into “The Next Three Days” which prompted me to immediately text Jennifer to let her know if she’s every falsely imprisoned for murder I’d help her break out too. I had called my children to leave a message telling each one that I loved them and what I was thankful for about them. Then I even said I was thankful to their mom and stepfather that I was even thankful for them because I knew they loved them and were trying to raise the kids the best way they knew how. But what really got me…was that I absolutely meant it. I know in this blog I’ve complained about their actions and choices before, but Im trying to look past that. The message was given in all sincerity without the trace bit of sarcasm. As I walked over the bridge, a sense of overwhelming peace and thankfulness swept over me. It was quite a contrast to my week. A fitting end to a very unexpected holiday.

Let me back track a bit. This week was going to the busiest week for me since I had arrived. Even though there was a lot of production and tight deadlines and shows, the week truly went flawlessly. I felt the favor of God at every turn. It all came to a head yesterday. All the productions were coming to a head with a show that night in Abu Dhabi. All of our work was pointed to this moment. Abu Dhabi is about a 90 mile drive from Dubai. Harj and I left in plenty of time to cover the event. We even stopped at Burger King on the way down. I decided not to take my insulin first because I had exercised rather vigorously before that and felt a low blood sugar coming on. We were about 75% of the way to our location. When I got in the car I went to take my insulin but to my chagrin, I had left the bottle at home. I have only done that 3 maybe 4 times in my lifetime. I had to think quick. If I drove home to get it, we might miss the show and thus potentially lose the contract. But then again I wouldn’t be home for another 8 hours, can I make it that long especially having just eaten a big meal? I figured to chance it and drive to the venue. I would be miserable but at least we would make the show. I consider that a bit like never missing a deadline. So I anticipated what would happen…at best I wouldn’t be able to eat again (missing out on the banquet.) I would have to pee a lot and probably get really weak and thirsty. I’d be miserable but I’d survive. I wouldn’t do that if I had to go 24 hours without insulin. With my severity of diabetes, I think going 24 hours would be hard and I’d be very listless, 48 I’d probably lose consciousness, and 72 hasta a la vista I think. So I figured I could make 8 hours. Then I had a thought. We were early to the venue and we passed a mall on the way. Most malls have pharmacies here and to buy prescriptions you don’t need a prescription they sell it just like an over the counter drug. Since lately Im enveloped by the favor of God I figured I might just get lucky. I dropped Harj off at the venue (Since he’s the cameraman, its essential that he’s there, less essential for me.) I had already pre-produced the piece they were going to feature at the event. So I helped him set up and sped down the highway. I finally made it to the mall. They really don’t believe in convenient off-ramps and left turns here. If you need to turn left you’ll have to head up the road a 3-5 miles to the roundabout and do a U-turn there. So I made it to the mall and just my luck/blessing there was a pharmacy there. However, they did not have my Humalog type of Insulin there. Instead they had an old version Humilin R which I took a 10 years ago. Its different but Insulin is insulin it just has a different reaction or potency time. I bought the bottle for about $12, which is stinkin cheap. Medicines are underwritten by the government here. Silly US can’t come up with Universal Healthcare and I get my Insulin for that cheap. So I took the insulin injection and was fine for the rest of the night. I made it back to the venue with 30 minutes to spare. The night went perfectly as far as we’re concerned. The problems didn’t happen til that night as I tried to sleep I had a major low blood sugar as my body reacted to the insulin it wasn’t used to. I had to take a bunch of glucose, chocolate, and Orange Juice. I mean I had to scarf it down a my sugar dropped to around 45, which is way low. I tried to fall back asleep and then the blood sugar shot in the other direction like a rubber band. So all day I tried to maintain or get to a common level. I was wiped out all day today. Finally I did get there.

Reg came back early and I happily filled him in on a very successful week. The client was very pleased with our work, especially considering the tight deadlines we hit.

There weren’t too many signs of thanksgiving around so that helped me miss it less. Most of the brits don’t celebrate it…go figure. I used to be bored with Thanksgiving as a kid. We had tons of family around and I didn’t like turkey too much then. As my mother reminded me, I filled up my plate with the rolls. It wasn’t until I had children of my own when I truly embraced the idea of Thanksgiving because I was so very thankful for them, my family and the blessing that God had bestowed on me. Then the last few years without a family, at least as I remember it, thanksgiving has been a little painful and melancholy for me.

But then I crossed the bridge tonight. Its amazing how God speaks to me while Im crossing bridges and Im not really sure why. I had a Turkey Sandwich, popcorn and butter topping (a rarity in the Middle East) and a huge Diet Coke. I was content and peaceful. While my Thanksgiving could be better…it also could have been much worse. What if I didn’t have the means to contact my children to wish them a happy Thanksgiving or be able to tell them I love them? What if they had something terminally wrong with them or tragically were not around? What if I didn’t have a beautiful new wife with whom Im going to be able to celebrate Christmas next month? What if I didn’t have my parents or siblings around? Things could be so much worse. Im filled with appreciation, peace and joy for everything I do have in my life. I say that with all sincerity and wish all of you a joyous holiday from the land of Sand and Skyscrapers. If you have family around hug them and treasure the time you have with them. Some us aren’t quite as lucky, but blessed nonetheless.

Commentary after the Water Show

Fountains at The Dubai Mall

California Pizza Kitchen and the Armani Hotel

What a great day it was. I had like four blog worthy items happen today. I knew that this was going to be a very busy week. But everything thus far has fallen together perfectly. I remember before the craziness started on Sunday (the first day of the work week) that I was so busy that it was essential that I had my time with God. So Ive been following my devotionally routine religiously (is that a pun?). So far everything has fallen together very nice.

Last night was a late night at the edit facility. We had to finish and get a video approved. So the PR guy and I went over the project to what we thought was acceptable then sent it via youtube and waited. Keep in mind this was the end of the day, 6:00PM and we were both exhausted. Finally the word came back to make two changes. In video, when you make two changes essentially you have to do the project over again, remix the music, export files, compress, reauthor the DVD, reburn the dvd, etc. We finally got it finished at around 8, which wasn’t that bad. I’ve pulled plenty of all nighters. Im glad this wasn’t one, because the next day (today) was going to be busy.

We showed up at the client’s location for two interview shoots. Since Reg is out of town, Im the fill in host for an Internet TV show for our client. So I guess Im a writer-producer-director-editor-host now. Most of the time since I’ve been in Dubai I’ve focused on the Writer-Director-Editor part. I used to do a lot of on-camera work in University and early in my career. But I looked at the Screen Actor’s Guild numbers. 85% of screen actor’s guild members make less than $5,000 a year. Then I looked in the mirror and realized…Im not Brad Pitt. So I figured I’d stick behind the camera as opposed to being in front of it. The career is finally turning out the way that I had originally designed it. Why only now? I think it’s a combination of getting my life right and having someone that believes in me. It all revolves around God’s faithfulness. So…I had two big on camera interviews with two very important clients. Both shows went flawlessly. They even remarked how well it went. I enjoy being in front of the camera. If you want to take a look at some of my work here (I also helped edit and direct) the link can be viewed here: http://www.onetvo.com/video296 Im a little rusty…but as Im doing more of these its all coming back to me. At first I wanted to be a news reporter, then I worked at an ABC affiliate my last year of college. It was quite an honor to be a paid employee of the a news station while still in school. But a proper news reporter/anchor pushes for objectivity if you are not named Bill O’Oreilly or Glenn Beck or pretty much anyone at Fox News. I want to be subjective. I want to influence people how to feel. I think that is my way of evangelism. So I got out of news and into film work. I just love my career. Even though Im not making feature films just yet, Im making short movies, and being creative. If I can inspire along the way..Im on top of the world. The feature films will come in time…that Im certain.

So after we got finished with the two interviews the client, wanted to change one graphic in the video. That means we had to do the entire thing all over again and the event for the video was the following night. So fortunately the facility we were editing at, had time available (that’s a favor of God thing) and we were able to make the change. We then headed out to the Armani Hotel at the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) to cover an event. Before the event Harj (my co-worker) and I went to the adjacent Dubai Mall (Largest mall in the world…take that Minnesota). We sat out on the patio of California Pizza Kitchen and watched a magnificent water fountain show. I think this one even bested the Bellagio Hotel’s show in Vegas. All this entertainment while I enjoyed a Barbecue Chicken Pizza in perfect…I mean perfect weather. (I’ll post a video of the show tomorrow.) After this we went to cover the event at the Armani Hotel. This is the only Armani Hotel in the world. It was like we were walking into a suit. I mean this place was beautiful and the design was stunning. I wish I could have wandered around a little bit more. The service was first class all the way. They must have had 6-7 people who’s job was to greet you when you came in and the assist anyone with anything that might need it. Its like they were all wandering concierges just hoping to find someone to help. It was truly remarkable. The event went flawlessly. I always say that If a producer has nothing to do the day of the shoot…then he/she did their job well. So I had nothing to do and that felt great. I was invited by the client to enjoy a five star buffet and just thought to myself…Im getting paid for this. So a very busy and hectic week is almost over and thus far…things haven’t gone smoother. Good thing I kept with that devotional schedule.

220 volt bulbs

It has been a very trying day. Actually it has been a really tough week. Im just filled with a deep deep sorrow today. I really miss my kids. Its tough because other than email I have no way of contacting them. I try to call, but my calls are not returned. I know they will see the truth of my heart someday, Im just not looking forward to the wait. What I can’t understand is that its been over four years since my divorce…why do they still harbor and teach so much animosity toward me over there? I have so much I can offer my children but Im just frustrated that I’ve been ostracized. I really miss being a dad. Alienation sucks.

This is going to be a big week or month for us production wise. I was able to purchase a lot of broadcast production equipment from the US when I was visiting Jennifer. I can get most electronics about 40% cheaper in the US than here. So I came back with about $7000 worth of lights, mics, and edit systems. The light kit I purchased was 110-220volts, however the bulbs were only 110v. So with as much production as there is here, I figured I could just find replacement 220v bulbs here. My colleague and I have searched all of Dubai for the last two days and haven’t been able to find anything. So we had to scramble (I always have a back up plan) and we rented a light kit from another production company. Its not ideal, but it will get the job done.

So we are going to be shooting for two days with another client both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Then its heavy into pre-production for Etihad Airlines. My target date to begin shooting is Dec. 5, so we have a lot of work to do. Our deadline for delivery is Jan. 2. Since I haven’t missed a deadline in my career this one makes me a little nervous. We need to secure a camera team out of several bids. We also need to find an animator. The one I had been counting on might take a little longer to get here. So I seldom get stressed out, hardly ever in fact. But I do get a bit uptight and nervous. I get nervous when things are out of my control. I don’t like have an unknown variable in there as well.

I think that works emotionally for me as well. With all the heartache I’ve gone through for the past few years Im strangely immune to the pain. I think that is what the Bible meant about the Peace that passes all understanding. However, when those emotional pains that I face affect my parents, Jennifer, or those I love then it really hurts me as well. Because that is out of my control and I feel partially responsible as well.

Its going to be a very active few weeks for me. As soon as we get finished with Etihad on Jan. 2 we jump straight into the production on a pilot. That one is a big one too. Your prayers…as always are appreciated.

Beemanlife Blog

I have mentioned this previously but I believe it bears repeating. I believe that God uses this blog to bless and minister to other people. I believe that God speaks through me when I write this blog as well. That said, I am pretty candid about my pain and my ex wife of course objects to how she is represented. I only speak of my feeling and her actions/choices. I have never spoke of her character in this forum. But she does read this blog every day with her husband sometimes multiple times a day. When I write something disparaging about her actions she will have the kids read it and attempt to further alienate them. Its really quite tragic. I have become numb to the rejection over the years. It breaks my heart but I can't control it.

That said, Jennifer has started a private blog. Where we can share heartfelt pain and struggles with our friends and family. The kids will tell you that I have never spoken bad about their mother. Yes I do talk about her choices and actions and how it makes me feel. But I have not spoken negatively about her character. I think sometimes people make their own valuations of her character and the character of her new husband by some of the choices she has made. So rather than have them direct the kids to read this blog, we started a private blog called Beemanlife. This blog Jennifer and I share some personal emotional pain and frustration about a broken family and what it takes to try to put it all back together. It is invitation only. Jennifer wrote a long a beautiful entry tonight. It really captures the essence of our struggle. If you would like to read it, please sent me an email to rickbeeman@mac.com I'll add you to the list. We don't write in it everyday. Just periodically. Please continue to pray for the restoration of my relationship with my children and for peace.

Eid Al-Adha outside Rick's place

Eid Al-Adha

I tried to post this video about Eid earlier, but I couldn't do it. Here's the link on Youtube if you want to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRw3Pllg9vc

Eid Mubarak

It is officially Eid now. The proper greeting is Eid Mubarak, which is similar to Merry Christmas. There are two Eids, Eid Al Fitr a three day holiday which commemorates the end of Ramadan and Eid Al-Adha which commemorates Abraham’s sacrifice of Ishmael on the altar. Its interesting to note that Jews, Christians and the Bible believe that Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac (son from Sarah) while Muslims and the Koran believe that Abraham attempted to sacrifice Ishmael. This is a festive three day holiday. While Dubai is only comprised of 12% Emiratis I think they are all out tonight. Looking out my window, I see a long trail of cars waiting to go onto the Jumeirah Beach Strip. I am going to walk down in a bit with my new roommate Harj as we’ll enjoy the spectacle of hundreds if not thousands of people all walking along the beach front. I posted the video since a picture is worth a thousand words I’ll keep this blog a little shorter tonight.

The weather here right now is absolutely perfect. It should stay this comfortable for another six months. When I went out today, I just thought how nice it was just be standing outside, doing nothing but just soaking in the perfect weather.

Yesterday could have been a very bad day for me professionally. We had a client drop a last minute assignment on us and didn’t give us all the material in order to do it. Instead of reacting, or panicking. I just soaked it all in. I did the only thing I knew to do…and that was Seek God. I kept my routine and kept my devotions. What seemed like a mountain yesterday seemed like a molehill. My situation or challenge didn’t change at all…rather my perspective of it did. That made all the difference.

The heartbreak of parental alienation

OK, I’ve been going on and on about God’s faithfulness and Im a living testimony. But now Im going to complain. Is it a sin to complain? Im not sure. Jesus got angry and there is something about righteous anger. I’ve held my tongue for the most part for the last year or so, but something happened that just got me mad. Whether or not I write about my ex-wife, the relationship with the kids just gets worse. No matter what I do, good or bad, the relationship just gets worse. Ive held out numerous olive branches only for them to come back disdainfully in my face. I have lost any and all types of relationship with my children. Im not sure if they hate me, but they intensely dislike me, well two of the three do anyway. Do I blame them? No. They are teenagers and teenagers are naturally angry to begin with. I still dearly love them. But the hostility and lack of respect they are showing not only me, but my family is inexcusable. A parent should train and model behavior for their children, not just allow them to act in any way that they choose especially when they are making bad choices. You can’t absolve yourself of responsibility and say “they are making their own choices” when the inception of the poor behavior was your manipulation to begin with. I am talking about parental alienation. I am the poster child for parental alienation. You can’t say “Im not getting in the middle of this” after you have already committed you alienating damage. Its like when you light a house on fire and then walk away. As the flames engulf the house, the arsonist says I have nothing to do with this fire, its not my responsibility.

I had to go to court to see my daughter in July. The first time I saw her in two years. The last two times I went to pick up my kids for visitation my ex-wife had hidden them from me. Finally a judge intervened and granted me my rightful visitation. But when my ex-wife can’t win legally, she will attack psychologically with her manipulative ways. She grew up with only one parent with the other being estranged, so this sort of situation is normal for her. She’s just reliving/recreating her own dysfunctional youth by manipulating the children into a destructive path that she walked down. Misery loves company. Anytime a parent causes the children to turn and hate the other parent is just plain wicked. Not only does it hurt the alienated parent, but the long term psychological effect on the children is devastating. How do I know this? I’ve studied it, and have had dozens of people contact me through this blog and other venues explaining that similar stories happened to them. Its interesting almost every single person tells me, “your story Rick is a lot worse then my story.” Its really rather tragic a father losing his children especially a father like me. I was always considered a “great” dad by everyone that ever knew me. Even my ex-wife as we were going through the divorce begrudgingly admitted my only redeeming quality (in her eyes at the time) was that I was a great dad. So what happened that turned me into a poor father? Well a lot had to do with her getting remarried. We weren’t on great terms before that, but we communicated for the best interest of the children. But as soon as the new husband entered the picture it went from difficult to nuclear. I did move to California for work, but I flew back every other weekend so I didn’t miss one week of visitation. But still the strain of the relationship with my kids was getting worse even though I maintained the effort. The alienation or brainwashing was starting to slowly take hold. First my daughter then my boys. Even when I moved overseas, I still made an extreme effort to fly back 2-4 times a year to see the kids. But still the relationship just got worse. Its almost as my ex-wife thought the kids don’t need their father any more because she had a replacement now. I have several emails from the new hubby taunting me to this effect. Again the estrangement of a birth parent this is normal for X because this is how she grew up. But it certainly is not normal for me as I have two very loving parents that have been married for 48 years. Even as the emotional distance mounted I still tried. I found out about two years ago that all the emails (my daughter wouldn’t take or return my calls) were not getting to her. I printed the emails to show my daughter that I had been trying but by that time the damage had already been done. My ex-wife had blocked me from my daughter’s email account (that is why she hadn’t been getting them). Of course she denied it as she denies anything that might negatively indicate her and came up with a lame excuse. About a year ago she encouraged my son to send his phone back to me. Again, part of the process of alienation is that the kids defend the alienating parents They insist that their choices are entirely their own not influenced by anyone but themselves. So my son will argue it was his choice and his choice alone. But someone drove him to the post office, someone paid for the postage, and someone addressed the package. I think what happens is that anytime the kids stand up and reject me they get positive affirmation from their mom. That is how my ex-wife manipulated me in our marriage and that is now being repeated through the kids. Now the latest shenanigan is I tried to call my son for his birthday. But my number is blocked (this is very illegal). How do I know this? Because my parents called him five minutes later and got through, plus they admitted it in an email. Now my kids don’t want to see me and apparently they don’t want to see my parents any more either. You see it is not just me, but the kids are being alienated from all things Beeman. You just can’t take half of who they are and pretend it didn’t exist because you have had a change of heart. If you know my parents, you will know they are very good people that don’t deserve the heartache of losing the relationship with the grandchildren whom they dearly love. They, like me would do anything for these kids. Its really ridiculous how bad this is. The bickering and fights just never seem to end. It seems as the better my life becomes as I heal, the more aggressive she becomes. I have had to defend myself from my ex-wife through the lawyer on four different occasions. I wish I got airline miles for as many times as I’ve paid to retain him. First she tried to have the kids taken from me via Child Protective Services on two occasions, shown up with a sheriff at my house on another couple of occasions, hid the kids during my visitation period, and probably worst of all encouraged them in their negative attitude towards me then tried to absolve herself of any wrong doing. I could give you dozens of other examples but you get the idea. There are only two things that get me angry, 1. When things aren’t fair, and 2. When people take advantage of others. Well, this certainly falls into the category of 1. Its so unbelievably unfair. I guess the frustrating part for me is there is nothing I can do about it. I can just wait. Wait and pray that kids will ultimately see my heart and see the truth for themselves. But unfortunately its probably going to happen when they get older and leave the toxicity (towards me) of the house which they are living.

I have mentioned in this blog over and over again how blessed I am. But being blessed happens in a lot more ways than merely financial blessing. When I compare myself to my co-workers of India, Pakistan, or the Phillipines, yes Im amazingly blessed. I heard it said once that if you have $20 in your pocket you are richer than 95% of the world. I see that truth on a first hand basis almost daily. But not only am I blessed but it is very easy to be a blessing to others as well. I feel like I have to clarify this as X is now suing me once again. I will take care of my children and my responsibility. I have never missed a child support support payment ever. Even though there were stretches of unemployment. Since my divorce I’ve been able to pay every single bill. God is meeting all my needs. Now he has given me the ultimate blessing with a beautiful, supportive, and amazing new wife. X and her new hubby read this blog everyday, sometimes multiple times a day, because I mention how blessed I am they are thinking Im making big money. So they are thinking they are in for a big payday. They are going to be quite surprised when we do go to court when they find out the truth. I do make a modest salary, its even considered average when you compare it to the rest of the U.S. but extraordinary when you compare it to my non-American co-workers. One thing I’ve learned is that no matter what I have, with God it is enough. Apparently with my ex-wife it is the opposite of that. I have spent so much money on frivolous legal fees as I have to defend myself from her petty attacks. Its like she won’t give up. She is always fighting me about something. So Ms. Ex-wife. Here is a note just for you. You decided to break our marriage vow, you sought the divorce, you got custody of my beloved children, you got remarried, you turned them against me, you had a new child, why are you still so angry? Why do you insist on fighting me still. It seems like you got everything you wanted but still you are not satisfied. You create angst and drama where there should not be any especially with the children. You can fight with me or any outside force for as long as you want. But until you can look yourself in the mirror and be objective then you will never be satisfied. Blaming other people for your problems is easy. But once you start its like you start digging a hole. With each fling of blame you dig a little deeper. Pretty soon the hole you are digging is over your head and the only way out of the hole is down. So the blame gets thicker and thicker. You are trapped blaming anyone other than yourself for your own problems.

So if you want to go back to court again…Im going to win. I have righteousness on my side, so really I can’t lose because All things work together for good for those who believe and are called according to his spirit. I know that I know that I know that I am called from the spirit of the Lord. That is a pretty good defense attorney.

Jenniferbeeman.mov

The Big Surprise

My flight landed about 4:00 on Thursday in Raleigh. It was an eight hour flight from London. I had the middle row to myself as the plane was about half full. I slept for 30 minutes at a time a few times on the leg. I was anxious to see Jennifer but I knew she wouldn’t be home from work til around 7 so there was no need to rush through customs. I got through immigration and gave myself a commuter shower which basically meant I washed my arm pits at the sink and put on a fresh shirt and deodorant. I rented a car and then I got worried. I had done such a diligent job of covering my tracks but then there was an unavoidable mistake. I had to rent a car. I couldn’t tell Jennifer to pick me up from the airport. So there was a slight chance she could look at the credit card and see Enterprise Rent a Car, Cary, NC. So that was a chance I was forced to take. Jennifer is really sneaky like that. Sometimes its too much for her own good. But she can find out anything about anybody that is out there.

After about 24 hours, I was a walking greaseball. So I went to a salon and asked if they could just give me a shampoo. I explained that I was surprising my wife from the Middle East and they were happy to help in the endeavor. Help in the fact that at least to try to get me to look presentable. I swung by the house afterwards and it was 5:30, still no Jennifer. I went to eat at Wendy’s, then came back and still no Jennifer. The good part is that the dogs were outside so I knew she wasn’t home. When they are inside, she is home. So I drove around for a bit longer. Then at around 7:00 the dogs were inside. I walked up to the door and knocked. All the lights were on so I knew she was home. I then heard the garage door open and was greeted first by her dogs. A moment later Jennifer emerged and just kind of stared at me. It wasn’t the reception I was anticipating. I think she was in a shock as she stood there for about 30 seconds. It was like a standoff, neither one of us were moving. I don’t think she thought I was real, or really there. Finally we just embraced. It took about an hour or so to finally sink into her. The dogs were going a little bit crazy but I was totally focused on her. The rest of the night was just spent celebrating being in each other’s company. We went to buy some wood from the store and made a nice fire in the fireplace. Winter is here in NC and it must have been in the 40’s or so. After being in the heat of the Middle East, a nice crisp winter feels wonderful. Sitting in front of a fire makes it even better. Its so nice to be spending this time with my best friend. Im only here for a week, but it’s a good shot in the arm to help us get through the distance and time til we’re together on a full time basis in Dec/Jan. I am very fortunate that I have the means to be able to fly back and forth to see her. Really for the last 3-4 years a majority of my income has been spent on plane fare either seeing my kids or seeing Jennifer. Its just an economic choice I have made and will continue to make.

I spent the day today ordering equipment and pork. I can get electronics about 40% cheaper here than in the Middle East. The pork is cheaper too. So I went to Costco and Trader Joes and bought a bunch of bacon, ham and salami. I’ll freeze it and then take a freezer bag and bring it back. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now. Its just a routine that I get in. I bring a little bit of Costco with me wherever I might go.

I do have some work I have to do while Im here. Lots of budgets and proposals for future television shows. I’ll be busy, but at least I’ll be by the side of the woman I love. Im very appreciative of the life that I have. I am very blessed.

I was going to post the video of surprising Jennifer, but it turned out like crap. I wasn’t the best cameraman and she just kind of stood there like a statue. Instead, here’s a video I made of Jennifer on the plane ride home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qYoNwb2PhI

Oh by the way, this blog recently surpassed the 30,000 hit mark. (Although 5,000 of those hits are from my mother and ex-spouse and her husband, so maybe I should be celebrating hitting the 25,000 mark). Im very appreciative to have this outlet where I can share my life. Hopefully you have been blessed by the wonderful tales of God’s faithfulness. I think my life is proof that God exists. This forum is an opportunity for me to share that.