the end

 Final here.

page views oddity (and brief German cinema reference)

I don't care about  page views, and care less about being "liked" (or not) but a "just curious" glance today shows a sudden and huge jump in page views, with the majority from Germany. Like, WTH, I'm David Effing Hasselhof.

I am a Wim Wenders fan, particularly Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire. And remember being captivated when I first saw F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu. (I did not see Werner Herzog's follow-up. I did see his Aguirre, Wrath of God but don't recall anything other than Klaus Kinski.) 

Bots, maybe?  How would anybody find this place? I've never told anyone about it. 

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Honda Knot dream: a meeting

I'm with another guy in a room into which another man enters. Man One is quiet, doesn't say a word, and I don't remember much other than his presence. Man Two who enters is a little high energy, 40-ish, mayhe, maybe younger, and he asks a question re the script, but I don't recall the specifics. His vibe is more director than producer. I answer hos question with my own. Something along the lines of 'what do YOU think..."  re what he's asked. Maybe it's about what might be cut, not sure, and no matter, mostly. 

He looks at me, End dream.

Ruth and Wanda bookmark

EXT. FRONT PORCH - DAY

Wanda and Ruth on bench swing, fans in hand, facing the small front yard of the brick house on the quiet leafy street lined by similar homes. Texas plates on the old Volvo wagon in the driveway and the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in drivew3ay across the street.

Potted plants, hummingbird feeders, seashell wind chimes, two rocking chairs. Decorative thermometer at 94 degrees. 

RUTH: How's Daisy?

WANDA: Better. She continued on from the airport to stay with friends in Centennial.

RUTH: Walt and Dolores.

WANDA: That's right. Very good.  

RUTH: Do they still get to the square dance?

WANDA: Once a month. Their son passed away.

RUTH: Liver cancer.

WANDA: Yes. A month from fifty.

RUTH: So young.  

WHIR OF CICADSS. 

RUTH (CONT.) : Storm on the way from the gulf. 

WANDA: Saw that on the weather channel. Galveston battening the hatches. Early evening?

RUTH:  Or late afternoon now. I thought we'd play it by radar as far as leaving Gil's tomorrow.

WANDA: Speaking of which and up fron the gulf, I just remembered Maria and the boys are coming up.

RUTH: Got there night before last. He said the boys cried like babies when he told them about Tom.

WANDA: Do you know if he's told them about Hunter?

RUTH: He told them they'd be having a visitor who knew Tom. Gil asked me if I'd ask Hunter to introduce himself. Hunter told me he would introduce himself as Tom's son.

They stand at SOUND OF TRUCK ENGINE, wait, watch Hunter drive into view, look at them as he slows to pull into the driveway.

INT. TRUCK

HUNTER POV as he drives to the garage. Wanda and Ruth walk to the steps to the driveway. Hunter parks behind Volvo, turns off engine.

EXT. PORCH/SDRIVEWAY

Hunter out of truck, up the steps, hugs Wanda, then Ruth. Ruth takes one of his hands, Wanda the other, lead him to the door and into the house, followed by Wanda, then Ruth.

WHIR OF CICADAS. 

Gil's Den bookmark in progress

INT. DEN - NIGHT

Describe. Thunder and rain.

Gil's, his father's, his son's military dress uniform photos. Family photos, home construction photos, deer hunt photos.

Bookshelf.

Leather sofa under painting. (Ruth's?)

Turntable, albums. Wall-mounted TV.

Wall-mounted Mexico Coat of Arms.

Wall-mounted "Brown Bess" musket rifle

Gill at desk, looking at photo album. Sleeveless t-shirt shows USMC tattoo on shoulder. Bottle of tequila and half-empty glass.  

He turns a page, qwe see over his shoulder two 5x7 photos on each page, each including himself and Tom, both 19 years old, in Bangkok. 

One captures Wat Arun temple on the other side of the Chao Phraya River behind them.

Another captures Tom and Gil on late-sixties Triumph Bonneville motorcycles, each with a Thai female passenger, both of whom wear clinging, revealing dresses, and high heel shoes. Their lipstick is the same blood-red. Their expressionless faces contrast with Tom and Gil's smiles.  

The same two women are with them in another photo taken in front of the Miami Hotel.

The last photo captures Gil and Tom smiling at the camera, drinks in hand in the Patpong District at night.

to be continued.  

Nacimiento bookmark rough

INT/EXT. BOAT IN LAKE COVE - DAY

LAKE NACIMIENTO RENTAL RUNABOUT

John, Jan, Barbara under shade of canopy. Chloe in bikini on her back on raft tethered by rope to boat. Blue lake beyond mouth of greenish cove.

JAN: What do we know about Ruth?

JOHN: Do we know what their parents did?

BARBARA: Ben was a carpenter, Pearl stayed home, made a little money on the side selling the dresses she made. 

JAN: The oldest.

BARBARA: Tom, by three years and two days.

JOHN: Bandera high?

BARBARA: Yep. Ruth went to and graduated from Southwest Texas State, in San Marcos. English teacher at Johnson City High School seven years. met a man, Dan Satterwhite, petroleum engineer, married and moved to Tulsa. Had a son, Chad, who died with Dan in a private plane crash on a runway on a ranch outside San Angelo, Texas. Chad's fourteenth birthday. A deer hunt. By the way, none of this anything Chlpe told me. It's Tom telling Chloe. She interviewed him and recorded it.

JAN/JOHN: I want to see that.

BARBARA: You will. And what Claire, Jackie's cousin's girlfriend, makes her movie.

JAN: So she loses her husband and son.  

BARBARA: Sells Tulsa, moves Ben and Pearl to San Antonio, stays with them a few months, goes to Europe, travels a year, comes back, buys a house on South Padre Island, starts to paint. Oil on canvas. Tom shows a picture on his phone, still life peaches in a wooden bowl that's in her dining room. It's good.

Chloe begins to reel herself in.

BARBARA (CONT.) You should watch the interview.

JOHN: Soon as we're home.

JAN: How did Ben and Pearl die?

BARBARA: Together. Drunk driver ran a red and t-boned their taxi on the way hoe from seeing the premiere of a movie called The Alamo, at the Majestic Theatre. Which is still there. 

They watch Chloe board, untie knot on floatie that connects it to boat, then the knot on the boat.

JAN: We've been informed there's an interview with Tom we hope you'll share.

CHLOE: Of course. It's pretty cool. I just want to present it as finished product. Remember that Mister Roberts what I did over summer assignment I talked about.

JAN: You weren't sure what form to go with.

CHLOE: That's no longer the case. I'm making a movie. A mini-movie. Y'all're invited to the PREEmier. In fact y'all'll be hosting it. And Brian's invited, of course.

Barbara smiles, winks at her.

CHLOE (CONT.) So gramps.

JOHN: So ladybug.

Chloe looks up, smiles.

JOHN (CONT.) Watcha got.

You've taught me the cleat and clove hitches, the bowline and the figure eight. Now I'm going to teach you a knot. I'm going to try to do it as quickly as I can and then I'll show you Tom teaching me. If you're curious, that is.

John smiles, nods.

JOHN: Can't wait.

Barbara aims phone to record.

CHLOE (in Tom-drawl): So this here's whatcha call yer Honda knot. Sometimes folks'll call it a lasso or lariat knot, which'll give y'all an idea 'bput what's comin' up.

She quickly and adroitly fashions a Honda knot, widens the loop enough to toss and land it on John's shoulders. He and Jan applaud, Barbara pockets phone, joins. John opens his arms, Chloe walks onto his embrace.

JOHN: Ready to ski?

Chloe nods, John weighs anchor, watches Chloe take selfie with Barbara and Jan, open lake behind them.

INT. ROVER - DAY bookmark

TOM: When's the last time you was on a horse?

CHLOE: Well, does a mule qualify? 

TOM: I'd say so.

CHLOE: Then last time and first two years ago at Grand Canyon. 

TOM: Good time.

Chloe nods.

TOM (CONT.): How 'bout you, Hunter.

HUNTER: Same Grand Canyon mule ride. 

TOM: Before that?

HUNTER: Pony ride at the county fair when I was seven. You?

TOM: Couple months ago. We get up a few times a year to see friends outside Cody who run a rescue program.   

CHLOE: That's cool.

TOM: Maybe your cousin's stable has a couple rescues.

JACKIE: Several. And all the horses we'll be riding today. By the way, Cecilia's girlfriend Claire will be joining us today. 

HUNTER: The more the merrier.

JACKIE: Certainly in this case. So, Claire is taking a video production class at Western New Mexico U in Silver City, where she lives. She's bringing her camera along today and I'm to ask if everyone is okay with being in the project she makes of today. I already have Hunter's okay, so Tom and Chloe, how about you?

CHLOE: I'm down with it. On the condition that I get to see the finished product.

JACKIE: She'll be posting it on her website.

CHLOE: Cool. Tom?

TOM: Same as Chloe. Matter a fact I was gonna ask if everyone's okay with bein' in a picture or two I take with my phone. I got instructions from my wife and sister to put the camera to use. 

JACKIE: I'll be using mine.

HUNTER: Me too.

CHLOE: I brought the selfie stick. In fact. Tom.

Chloe gets her phone, raises it to take selfie that includes Tom, the dunes of White Sands in his window.

TOM: Would ya mind sendin' that to me?

CHLOE: I'll need your email or phone number.

She readies her contacts to add Tom Walker, hands Tom her phone.

CHLOE: Your digits, Tom.

Tom adds number, hands phone to Chloe, Chloe fiddles with keypad.

CUT TO: Wanda with Daisy gets the pic. 

CUT TO: Ruth stares at it.

CUT TO: John and Jan stare at it.

CUT TO: Barbara places it, framed, on desk in CHLOE'S BEDROOM.

CUT TO: Sess, Claire, horses.

 

Tom's Truck

 

1985 GMC Sierra Classic K1500. It was his dad's. Options include 4x4, manual (4-speed) or automatic transmission, not sure which way I'll go.  Add roof/cab lights. Dale re upholstery? 

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Final Beats A4

"Final" is never quite; this fish will be wriggling 'til it's in the frying pan,but settled enough here to begin Final Draft next week. Last post of this blog will be link to that blog. 

A3

1. Next day, sunrise. Hunter, guest book, leaves in Tom's truck. Sunglass visor, glove compartment.

2. Chloe, Jan, John, Barbara. What do we know about Ruth. Chloe gets Hunter selfie from "east of the Pecos."

3. Ruth, Wanda, bench swing on front porch. Re storm up from gulf, Galveston battening hatches. Re Maria's - speaking of up from gulf - knowledge of Hunter. Truck engine sound, Hunter arrive.

4. Gil, Maria, re company re Tom's son. Shows her author flap. "I'll let him tell you more, if you're interested."

5. Night. Ruth, Wanda, Hunter 'round the dining room table. Ruth's peaches-in-a-bowl still life, photo album, bottle of merlot and their glasses half-empty. Re Ruth's visit to Disneyland for her late son's tenth birthday. Hunter could see Matterhorn from roof of home when boy. Re wine and drinking. Finish wine, leave.

6. Jackie at home, call from Hunter in Ruth's guest room. Enter Ruth and Wanda re "about the truck" for Hunter to sleep on.

7. Sunrise. Barb and Chloe in wetsuits waxing their surfboards. "What's your dad up to today?" Chloe query re grampa and student deferment re Vietnam.

8. Truck. Hunter driving, Wanda and Ruth. H asks about Gil and family, Ruth tells him, re Ricky - Ricardo - and Afghanistan death. "His gate is right around the bend." Gil's Garcia gate, truck arrive, Ruth keypad, in the go, oak stands.

9. Gil on deck, truck arrival, Maria and Boys watch intros through window.

10. Kate and Cedric, finishing Foglost. John's call re Tom. "How's Chloe?" (What does she tell Cedric?) 

11. Fort Park. Storm arrive, lightning. 

12. Maria, Wanda, Ruth in kitchen. 

13. John and Jan, Hunter on bestseller list. We should call him. We should reach out to Wanda and Ruth.

14. Night. Ruth, Wanda, Hunter, Ruth's back porch. Rain and Ruth's peach ice cream.

15. Gil, tattoo, Bangkok photos with Tom, Triumph motorcycles, enter boys, Maria listens.

16. Sunrise. Hunter leaves in truck. Taking the northern route, with which both Wanda and Ruth are familiar.

17. Hunter driving, salt flat, tire flat. Manual in glove compartment. 

18. Daisy gets call from Wanda and Ruth re moving to Kerrville.

19. Hunter, sweaty, flat fixed, gets call from John and Jan. Hunter re "that birthday gift we talked about." Tom doppelganger pulls up on old Triumph re assistance. 

20. Doc. Hunter in Tom's boots, shirt, hat on rack. Re Hawaii and new fish in Doc's tank         , re photographic memory re Tom's.

21. Chloe's birthday truck at John and Jan's. Kate and Cedric. 

22. Hawaii. Chloe paddles out with Tom's ashes in biodegradable sea turtle urn. 

EPILOGUE: Gil and Hunter fishing. 

Final Beats A3

A3

1. Sunrise, Hunter enter kitchen, start coffee, Tom reveal.

2. Hunter tells Chloe.

3. Wanda with Daisy gets Hunter's call.

4. Ruth gets Wanda's call.

5. Gil gets Ruth's call.

6. Barbara, with Brian, Jan and John, gets Hunter's call.

7. Hunter and Chloe watch Medical Examiner truck drive away.

8. Daisy, Wanda Laramie airport.

9. Gil arrive Ruth's. 

10. Hunter with Doc. What now?

11. Jackie at home, phone with Sess re Tom. Hunter arrive.

Final Beats A2

A1

1. Next day, sunrise, Jan and Jan powerwalk, rural Paso Robles. John has "found them" and street view of their house through Tom's middle name Travis. John's reference to having been in Cheyenne for EPA litigation. Jan's segue into Jackson ski trip and John calling Kate (his sister.) Arrive handsome home, uphill steps alongside driveway.  

2. Hunter's driveway, about the truck, heeere's Jackie, away they go.

3. Wanda with Daisy gets San Augustin Pass photo.

4. Ruth places same pic, framed, near Hunter's books on floating shelf.      

5. Int. Rover. Last time on a horse, into Grand Canyon mule ride, into Tom's uncle - "my mom's brother" - re Flagstaff Forest Service, into Ruth keeps ancestry website. Chloe re so does her aunt Kate, her "grampa's sister." 

4. Kate with Cedric (reading Foglost) - Chicago high-rise view to lake - gets John's call. Kate re family tree, limb, new branch.

5. Doc gets Hunter pic.

6. Sess, Claire, horses, Rover arrive, saddle up, ride toward forest.

7. WOODPECKER. Horses/riders through the pines.

8. Barbara arrives home - SLO cul-de-sac, Cerro del SLO - gets pic she forwards to John and Jan.

8. Alpine meadow.

9. Wanda, Daisy facetime Ruth.  

10. Pinus ponderosa. Tom and Chloe's Spanish, Hunter's high school French (because of Charlotte Charboneau). Chloe asks about Tom's buckle, Tom tells her, re more from junior rodeo in a box at Ruth's. Rodeo interrupted by Uncle Sam's call to Vietnam. Triangle bell from picnic table where Jackie, Sess and Claire have lunch prepared. Query re Hunter's relation to the cowboy, Jackie's cryptic response. 

11. Barbara places framed photo in Chloe's bedroom.

12. Creek crossing. 

13. Gil finishes Foglost, Maria present, Gil gets Tom pic with Hunter. Maria notes resemblance to H.C. Hardyn.

14. Horse barn, a Honda knot.

15. White Sands sunset.

16. Night. Jackie leaves Hunter's, shooting star. Tom sees coyote in shadows.

17. Tom's Tahoe tale. Hunter re signing guest book, Tom re Hunter signing Foglost.

18. Tom facetime Wanda and Ruth. Guest book. 

Final Beats A1

1. Tom and Wanda in bed at night. Tom reading Foglost, Wanda reading Michener's HAWAII, etc.

2. Sunrise next day. Tom leaves in truck, WYOMING plates.

3. Gil and Dale, Bandera American Legion post, TEXAS plates, re Maria and Boys on the way up. Tom's Huey selfie.

4. Wanda and Daisy, Laramie River/bridge, Tom's call from ABQ motel room, monsoon clouds. Leaves Ruth VM, starts bath.

5. Sunrise next day, Tom into truck motel parking lot, leaves. 

6. Chloe, Barbara, Jan and John, driving, re Jackie and Horse Day.

7. Hunter home office, Organ Mountains, Chloe pics, enter Hunter enters, powers down computer, leaves into kitchen. Trash bag.

8. Tom in Hunter's 'hood, nearing, stops, idles, Hunter out, Tom drives away, Hunter into house.

9. Tom's U-turn.

10. Hunter greeting area, doorbell, Tom, Howdy, Tom into house.

11. Barbara, Jan, John, Hunter's call re "Tom Walker from Texas" at Hunter's, spending night. John wants a middle name.

12. Wanda with Daisy gets call from Tom in Hunter's guest room. Tom calls Ruth, with Gil re peaches in Fredericksburg. "Híjole." Tom notes guest book, leaves, boots on hardwood. He arrives in xeriscape backyard, framed by window over desk. Takes selfie.

13. Hunter, Chloe, El Paso airport. "And I was nervous about meeting Jackie."

14. Hunter, Chloe arrive Hunter's, truck in driveway.

15. H, C enter kitchen, Tom on patio. Out they go, intros. 

16. Gil, Maria, The Boys, Maria re calendar re Tom/Wanda arrival, Gil re Tom's Las Cruces layover.

17. Sunset. Barbara with Brian, re Tom and Olivia.

18. Patio, night. Tom, Hunter, Chloe. Re retired ranch foreman. Chloe re Horse Day. Hunter, phone, "Jackie."

Ruth paints

So yes to the painting we see in scene one, above Tom and Wanda's headboard. Ruth also painted the still life in her dining room. There'll be another in her guest room.

Pardon my presumptuous but:

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scene a day linear mode re Final

 

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beats set yesterday

over a couple hours at sunrise starbucks rancho cordova. ‘bout 70 beats, pleased and finally settled with final skeleton, even semi-eager to resume, likely thursday after notimg final beats here, probly tomorrow, for the record, re progress.

waiting again yields positive result. 

i like this again.

add chloe boyfriend, keep aunt kate and cedric, more on dale, fishing with gil and hunter in EPILOGUE. 

clearer cleaner choreography, and improved placement, form  re exposition.

re the kerrville home, brick and land for tom’s rescue horse. (last- inute addition.)

Honda Knot remains the title.

yay. 

wait, don't force return

I'll get back to this when I'm refreshed and ready to begin the final push. Activity in the so-called back of my mind indicates it will lose weight, as in page count, and I find myself considering cost, as in budget, which will reshape things. Already past the worst "I'm fucking sick of this thing" part of the phase of the ebb re flow but in no hurry to resume. Forced work invariably sucks. Also, given how (tremendously) long I've been at this, a little more time is only that. It'll get done, and be better because of this break.

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