Fort Davis, Texas, November 26-29th, 2018

For about 20 years I had the distinct displeasure of working in the movie "business" It more or less went like this: I worked on movies with terrible, average, and very occasionally OK scripts, with outrageously over-paid people who recited memorized lines while playing pretend [commonly known as actors] supported by crews comprised of folks operating on high octane cynicism, if not outright loathing, as professional support for all of the above. NEVER MIND the horribly long hours, perpetual phony BS, infighting, bickering, STRESS, and THE WORLD'S BIGGEST EGOS (assholes). As a "career", it was awful (but boy, did it pay well! And depending on how little sleep you could operate on, sex, drugs and rock and roll were to be had, too, YIKE'S!)

AND BY THE WAY, if "art" ever occurred on a movie set I was on, I missed it! (with apologies to genuinely great cinema, e.g., The Searchers, Casablanca, Psycho, Raging Bull, and the greatest movie ever made, The Godfather). In the beginning, I jumped around different crew departments (art, grip, props and editorial), but eventually settled into the glamor department - the Camera Department.

And that's how I came to meet Victoria :) The person I had driven all the way to Fort Davis to see - special! When your work camera, eventually you'll end up working with everyone in town and that's exactly what happened.

And so it was, that from a career that had been (more or less) a wholly unpleasant experience, something great had emerged - I now had a genuinely kind colleague, someone I would go on to work with closely for many years. A person who would become a cherished friend - Vicky.

The Max and Vicky story begins (surprise, surprise!) on a movie set in Bastrop (or it could have been Lockhart or Georgetown, not sure). But it was in Texas. The 1st AC had fallen ill, and Vicky came in to save the day (two days actually). I was her second (the person who hits the slate). Instantly (perhaps because we were like minded, but more likely because we genuinely got along and LIKED one other) we began, and later formed, a lasting friendship. From that point on, more or less, we worked together on lots of other "shows". We supported each other. Held on together. Gleefully, and audibly, counted the days left in a production IN STEREO. Celebrated Pay Day (also known, and universally regarded, as the most significant day of any working week - especially in the movie industry). I'm not sure who got out of the business first (mid 90s) but we got out about the same time. Vick left town to build her dream home in Fort Davis and I stayed behind in Austin, suffering through the painful doldrums of failed independent filmmaking (you can never really get it out of your system), extreme lack of money (I had quit the business!) and numerous disastrous-to-ok relationships. Altho I never made it to Fort Davis for a visit, Vick and I never lost touch!

FINALLY, about 5 years ago, while returning from Los Angeles from Hannah's (undergrad) graduation (in my then trusty Toyota Corolla) I made a detour into Fort Davis to see my longtime colleague and dear friend. It had been a short (too short) visit, not even an overnight stay. I'd had had a long trip and was anxious to get back home. When I left after only a few hours I promised Vick to return soon. And i did! It was during my previous long-assed road trip around a year and half ago. (on that trip I'd gone all the way to Oregon. I'd also spent numerous nights at rest areas sleeping in the back of my Forster, an experience, by the way, and coincedently, that inspired me to build the ATXBreeze!) That second visit with Victoria had felt just right, several days and nights and loads of fun and lots of stuff to do. When I left after a few days, I knew I'd be coming back soon.

(BTW, I'd tried to get to Fort Davis sooner on this trip. In fact, it was to be my very first stop. But a serious re-model of her home made a visit impractical at the time. I'd have to catch Vicky on the way back, which is precisely what I did :)

The trip from Albuquerque to Fort Davis felt long (6.5 hrs, 470 miles) for a couple of reasons: I was a little road weary by then (I would go on to put in over 4000 miles in 22 days in total). ALSO, I was driving into a negative time zone. I was losing time on the clock as I moved from mountain into central time. AND, I was driving away from the sunset, losing daylight faster, extending the day in feeling somehow. But I bucked up, pushed on, slapped myself into alertness once or twice when I became drowsy, and FINALLY, around 7p, drove into State Street, the main drag in the tiny town of Fort Davis. The sun had set 90 minutes before, but it's powerful, hidden rays were still providing a bare hint of illumination. I did a U-Turn and parked in front of the Drug Store. Victoria had numerous things to attend to that day, and we sort of planned to rendezvous somewhere downtown about then so she could guide me to her place (which was about 10 miles away and would require navigating dark, gravel roads that this poor bastard had no chance of figuring out). I pulled my iPhone out and dialed her number. When I raised it to my ear, someone knocked on my window and I turned to see Vicky, smiling! She'd just come into town, too. Had not been there very long. And of course, we long-hugged and greeted one another, smiling, happy, excited. We went into The Drugstore (they would be closing soon. Everything in FD closes soon) and she got something to eat and I had a coffee. Chatty chat chat, always some of that, done, we headed for the grocery store where Vick bought some dog food. There were some gas pumps there and I pulled up to fillerup, but a hand written note on the pump said OUT OF GAS. I made inquiries. ALL the gas stations in FD were out of gas. I wasn't empty, but I was on the last third of the last quarter mark on the gauge. Enough to get to Vicky's, and enough to get me back to town lateron. Vick got into her Forester and I got into mine and about twenty minutes later, we were home.

We're old pals and that's just how we behaved. Set up our laptops across from one another in the kitchen table, chatted, surfed, snacked and slid into a familiar comfort zone just like that. Vicks two high energy pooches never did warm up, I believe they enjoyed barking at me. But they're awful cute and mean the world to Vicky and by extension, to me too. I wuz tired. It was not too late before I headed for the bed in what's eventually gonna be Vicky's craft/office room. It was a small, comfy bed and I slept soundly.

November 27th

Next day, early morn, lot's of good coffee, thank you Vicky! Heavy whipping cream too, and lots of fake sugar (the kind I like!). We sat around the kitchen table and took it very easy. The remodelers, Ethan and his partner worked steadily about the house, always progressing, always moving forward. I set about taking photographs of every little thing (I like to document!). Later on we would be going into town so Vicky could get an oil change on her Forester.

AT THE GAS STATION, Vick went inside to get the oil change going, and I saw one or two things outside that I wanted to take a picture of (with the trusty selfie stick!). When I was photographing a particular patriotic painting, even posing next to it, I heard some say "And look at that guy taking pictures with one of those things!" I sorta turned to look but not all the way. But when I did turn to look, I saw the woman behind the wheel talking on the phone. And then I saw Vicky walking toward her, also on her phone. They were taking to each other. TURNS OUT, the lady talking about the stranger behaving strangely with the selfie stick was talking to Vicky. And I knew who she was! It was Missy, one of Vick's best friends. We met before and it was kinda of funny and we smiled and laughed and deciding it's never a bad time to eat and made for one of the two Mexican restaurants in town, Poco Mexico Cafe. Food was pretty good (no coffee, tho), prices were great (Vicky insisted on paying and I grumbled but I let her). We had a real nice visit, went outside to take care of some more photos (Missy did not object or comment on my liberal use of that thing this time, the ever present selfie-stick. I think maybe she was just being polite and playing along.). When I was done with the photo shoot, we went back to the house. V&M to discuss (and hopefully decide), on re-model colors, me to lounge, surf, and weigh in here and there (such as it is seeing as I don't know the first thing about colors except I'm liking shades of white a lot nowadays. On everything). Oil change never happened, btw, come back tomorrow said the guy behind the counter.

November 28th

Next day, take two! Early morn, lot's and lot's of good coffee, Vic and I visit pleasantly and leisurely kicked back around her round kitchen table, settling into a familiar, comfortable routine. Only today she had at PT appt. in Van Horn or Alpine (can't remember) and she gets ready and soon she's gone. I get to work on updating things on the blog. The remodel crew, who I never detected took even the tiniest of breaks, now seemed to be everywhere at once, with power tools and sanders and paint brushes. My updating could wait. I had two things I wanted to do today. Turn the trailer around so departure would be faster (it was aiming in the wrong direction), and fill the tank up with gas. After a few tries (backing a trailer up, especially in rough terrain, can be challenging) I turned it around. Then I unhooked The Breeze. Following Vicky home the previous day I had learned that my GPS knew all the gravel roads! I felt confident I could leave and come back. I drove the Forester into town and gassed up to the tippy top, drove back to Vicks and hooked the trailer up. I was all set for tomorrow departure where the car and the Breeze were concerned. When Vicky got back we picked up where we left off. This and that, old war stories, playing with the dogs, deciding what to eat. VERY relaxed, very comfortable, just the way I like it. Later in the evening, an old trusted friend of Vicky's, Don came by for a visit and we all took turns railing about the mad man in the white house (not that it did any of us any good but what the hey). We went longer into the evening since it would be my last night, and when I turned off the lights, I again slept soundly. But before I drifted off to sleep, I looked out the big window by my tiny bed and the stars, the stars... wow.

November 29th

Travel days always have me up early. But Vick was up before me. She had thoughtfully brewed a large pot of coffee (which I nearly finished before I left!). I'm a picture taking fool (I took over 1500 photos in 22 days!) so I snapped away, inside and out, I was gonna be leaving, soon. Then I stopped. What's the hurry? And as we chatted casually. I thought what a nice visit it had been, I told her so.. It had been the perfect length and with the perfect person, an excellent cap to my road trip. With Vicky. My longtime colleague and cherished friend. We eventually made it outside, to the car, and the tiny trailer. We had taken our time. And at just the right moment, I pulled away, and we waved goodbye. - Max