you won't believe my day...

it's 10:23pm on Monday as I sit in LAX at the United terminal waiting for my redeye (overnight flight) to San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador which is a beautiful country in central America.

Working and packing on Sunday I noticed my Passport expired a few days previous.. Sunday in NYC and no passport leaving at 6am the following morning. F**ked is what I am at this moment. Many phone calls later I have a ticket to Philadelphia to renew my passport at the only place on the east coast I can walk in and take care of business. I bought that last ticket out to El Salvador in hopes I arrive before the shoot.

I stayed up late watching America's Most Smartest Model or Top something or other. I was so amused. It amazes me what people will do to get on TV. Ben Stein and the beautiful Mary Alice Stephenson, formerly the fashion Editor of Maire Claire and now Harpers Bazaar host this brainless show.Exhausted I fall asleep at 12:30am.

Crashed.. out.. sleeping soundly. I wake at 1:30am.. My little dog Iggy has become restless, I get out of bed and check on her. I go back to bed and she continues to paw at the bed on all sides. I pick her up and she starts scratching and I am like I can't take this.. I grab a pillow and go to the couch. I have a killer day starting in a few hours. I fall asleep and I am woken a half hour later by Soph telling me that there is something really wrong with Iggy. Iggy can't walk and is very listless and lays there not moving. Normally she would be the first one wanting to run around and have fun. I freak.. I think I have to leave for a job and Iggy looks like she is going to DIE. We rush to the Hospital on the west side. An amazing place. They take her right out of our hands. We wait, sign paper work and wait more. The Dr. comes and talks to us.. asks questions and such. We sign more paperwork. They suspect that she has eaten some pot of other drug. The way she acts is the way a dog wold act under the influence. Where is a DARE officer when you need them. HA.
The Dr. says run to a 24 hour pharmacy and buy a drug test. I can't believe my ears but I do as he says. I bring it back so they can test my dog for marijuana.. Somewhat humorous. They tell us to go home and sleep.
I take Sophia home and I rest for 10 minutes. I have canceled my previous train and made new a reservation at this point.

I play it close. I want to get to Philly early, but can I?? I arrive at the passport office at 8am thinking they open at 9am. To my surprise there are already 30 people ahead of me. ARGH.. Line moves and the lady says after taking $200 from me that at 10:30am, my passport will be ready.
2 hours to kill.

I go walk around and get a free ticket to see Independence Hall. It was within its walls that the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the Constitution of the United States was debated, drafted and signed.

Pretty cool to get the tour, see GW's chair and I mean the original GW, George Washington. Took in the cracked bell called the Liberty Bell. Starving I see Mom's which is proclaimed as the best Philly Steak Sandwich around. 10am and along with the rest of the tourists I dive into one of these fine sandwiches. Get the passport, get the train, visit my Iggy, shower and hop on the 4pm flight to LAX to catch the redeye to San Salvador. To be picked up and taken straight to the shoot. Out of the van into a creative meeting with the Creative Director who does not speak any English, the owner of the agency and the client. No coffee no nothing yet. I am dying at the amusement of the situation. Got a coffee and cookies at what time? 8am .. yummm cookies for breakfast. We shoot all day in the sun,clouds and the rain. Finish run to the hotel and check in for a quick shower before the traditional El Salvadorian dinner which was AMAZING!


From there off to the party for the advertising world of El Salvador. Drinks with the client and off to bed. I have been up for 36 hours straight by this point. Exhausted I pass out only to wake up in the morning to the sunlight shining in my hotel room. I look out into green jungle and blue sky with a huge volcano covered by the white puffy clouds.
What a sight after the previous day. A little breakfast, a bribe to take us shopping before our flight. In the plane off to the city. 1am roll into the house. Greeted at the door by the family. Iggy was finally home..