Strike is over?!?!

I've been getting calls over the last few days from people wondering what's the status of the strike. Well, here you go: We have a contract in place that we are going to ratify. In the meanwhile, our bylaws or constitution or whatever, say that we have 48 hours to look it over and vote on whether or not to end the strike. My vote, of course will be a resounding YES (though how to make that resounding on a little piece of paper at the WGA theater should be a challenge. I might borrow some of Audrey's glitter and Zane's spraypaint). In the meanwhile, there will be no striking until then. Thank God. Some writer figured that the average striker walked 256 miles over the last 3 months. No wonder I literally have holes in my Addidas. Then the strike will be over on Wednesday - which means everyone who can, will be going back to work. You can almost hear the wheezing sound of Agents from the various agencies gearing up to receive their usual 200 phone calls and 400 emails. Hope they enjoyed the relative respite of Reality TV. Those days are over.

Was it all worth it? Yup. But I hope that it's the only one of my career. It was really hard picketing outside of shooting locations - no fun trying to explain why this had to happen to brothers from other unions who are just trying to make ends meet. There was some support, and some anger. Hopefully it's all calm and cool now that it's finished.

I met a ton of great writers, had some thrilling conversations ranging from the fluff of latest movies to deeply spiritual matters. I imagine the rest of my life here in LA will be spent seeing people I've picketed with, looking at them and asking that familiar question: "I've met you before, right?"

I enjoyed my days with the kids. Even the sick days (which there seemed to be a ton of). Trying to figure out what to do with the kids after school - the many trips to the zoo, the park, the movies, the library, Hollywood, the mall(?), shoe stores, hikes in Mallard Canyon Falls, horse racing and even picketing with the kids. When I told Audrey that the picketing was over, she almost broke down in tears. I guess I'm gonna have a social activist on my hands, huh?

All in all, I'd like to quote Cheap Trick for how I now feel about the moguls who have such control over my writing career - "I want you to love me. I neeed you to need me. I'd love you to love me. I'm beggin' you to beg me." We'll keep you informed...

(the Kept Man)