I Sequester In Framingham At The End Of A Long Day

Live travelogue
up to the half hour accuracy!
Check this out
if the title hasn't revealed all...
I'm literally down the street
from where we shot "AERO" principal photo.
Heck, I'm even wearing my official McAuliffe Center hat.
Last night of shooting there back in early early early
Sep '05,
Ray Griffin, the then Center Director,
the man I really owe everything to
& super gratious/super patient
(who else would've put up w/ cast & crew 4+ hrs over?)
escorts us out as we wrap cable, stuff van.
We are shuffling, stumbling pieces of clay & stupor.
Ray is suddenly a parade gypsy,
but instead of confetti & tickertape...
he hands us hats & T-shirts & buttons.
He's raided the Center Promo Dept. it seems.
We are recipricants of aero-space merch.
I feel like the scenario is topsy-turvy,
we should be providing him the booty--
Gold bullion or popsicles or newly minted fifty dollar bills.
But no.

To think, all it could've taken was that one "no".
The Center was a long-shot some PA half-heartedly mentioned,
as we trashed the original Lowell set.
A mumbled anecdote in the right ear,
that got to my ear,
that got to my flagging hope.
I was frightful to approach Ray,
but he immediately put me at ease.
For some reason he reminded me of The Peanuts creator,
Charles Schultz.
Not exactly a look-alike, just something shared in good nature.
And although that first meeting lead to many more,
over a three year period,
and although there was some Nervous Nelly's on the tech end of things
and although there was a proper amount of paperwork & expense,
I lucked out.
It could've been "no".
It could've been less than cost-effective.
But it wasn't.
And when I look back at it all now,
I marvel.
Wow. That happened. We shot there.

So I'm in Framingham, on Route 9...
& the coffee folk working this fine establishment want to leave,
because it's Friday night & summer final happened.
& I am tired.
But as I sit here,
w/ my hat...
& I watch the full-length "AERO" trailer Colby just forwarded
(VERY close to lock)
I am pleased.
I don't know where all this is leading,
but I did it.

No one can take that from me.
Years passed like car horns,
& I stuck my finger in a bubble...
but damn it.
Something from nothing.
Thanks, McAuliffe Center!