DOVE TAKE ME AWAY

Anyone, and I mean anyone, who knows me, at all, knows that I am a choco-holic.  I could be the poster child for any nearly all chocolate companies. [Although, quite frankly, I not particularly fond of the crunchy ball that comes out in December for the holidays. I forget what those are called.  Rochet?] It's my only vice and I will never give it up.  I will be that 'cheater-eater' even with regards to good health.

Upon walking in the door of the offices of a new project the first and only request that comes from me is to keep my top left hand drawer stocked with dove chocolates.  Milk or dark; it doesn't matter, as long as there is a piece for me to pop into my mouth to keep my inner tranquility and my co-workers'. Depending on the circumstances at hand I could easily pop 2-3 pieces, one after another, into my mouth.  The craft service person and I become instant friends!

I have to say that wherever my travels lead me the search for the best chocolate around always takes precedence. Several years ago while working in Paris I had the pleasure of tasting the best hot chocolate EVER at Angelina's on rue de Rivoli.  And, I will say, it is the best.  The last time I was there and overindulged with a *croque monsieur and a chocolate chaud I couldn't leave without buying a bag of the chocolate mix to make at home. Being able to duplicate this flavorful delight made me so happy that it didn't matter how ridiculous the cost for just the one bag.  However, to my dismay, the 'making it at home' ritual did not prove possible for duplication. It is good, but not the same.  The flavor, presentation and atmosphere from the cafe are definitely needed to complete the experience. [*croque monsieur is the best ham and cheese sandwich made on the planet.]

At home, I have hidden stashes of dove chocolates in places that even I don't remember.  I feel the need to do this because I have offspring who also indulge the dove chocolates and/or m&m's.  There is Hershey's syrup for my coffee, Ben & Jerry's Phish food in the freezer and again, dove milk chocolate and m&m's.  AND, in case of extreme emergency, I can nibble a few semi-sweet chocolate bits from the bag that is on hand in case I need to make cookies; eating the batter only, of course.  I mail the actual cookies to everyone else to curb their stress.  Those cookies, btw, are affectionately called, "stress cookies,"
and have traveled internationally.

There you go....I'm all set.  And, right now, I am eating Oreo's.  Let's not go there.

Can you say VALIUM!

It's not "Calgon" take me away' these days; rather, "VALIUM" take me away! 

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OiRtR7oi0w]

The thought of taking a bubble bath doesn't remotely seem the ideal way to relax after dealing with these DIVA'S [yes, continuing with the prior post].  While one of the Diva's actually made a small attempt to be nice [although, has yet to apologize for his initial irate behavior or gracefully thanking me for a task I undertook for him to get paid] the other Diva'S in the other department continue with their Prima Donna attitudes.   

WTH!  Why the constant need to be coddled!  And, I will add that one of the junior Diva's indicated on her fb page that she normally works varsity.  Perhaps, I should tell our two leading actors who are both academy award winners and Hollywood A-listers what she thinks of their current project!!!!  

A little memory just popped into my head with my personality and dealing with Diva-licious personalities.  During my 2nd project in the film industry [9000 years ago] I had the pleasure of working with a brand new UPM.  She was from a film accounting background, as well, who jumped the ladder rungs early on in her career.  I was working with an accountant from Colorado. We shared the same birthday and a few other similarities.  She, although, was more experienced in the industry and dealt with these people better than I did. That has basically nothing to do with my rant.  Simply a sidebar.

The UPM, whose name shall remain anonymous, constantly pranced around like a princess.  And, me, new to the industry and formerly the owner/operator of my own company, was unfamiliar with the status quo behavior type of the film industry.  So, when this person constantly came at me with the 'princess' attitude I played into it. My gift to her prior to my departure from this TV series was a gift box with princess crown and wand.  Needless to say, this did not sit well with her and need I not say that I was not asked back for the next season.  

In retrospect, if I had been put back in time, I would certainly do it again.  With that said, I definitely have curbed my more than 'direct' attitude within life's daily situations. I believe that comes with age and wisdom - :)

DIVA-LICIOUS

DIVA - via Italian from Latin: a goddess, from dīvus divine 

Topic for this morning is Diva.  While I am not surprised by people's behavior in the film industry [which I work], I am sick of their behavior affecting my life 24/7.  Rather than being surprised I am simply annoyed that after 19 years working in this business that people of all walks in life behave like DIVA's and expect to be treated as such. Let me just clarify that the majority of the people in the film industry do NOT behave this way, but the vast amount that do ruin for the rest of us... and, give us something else to talk/complain about like I am doing right now. This is me venting.

Although the dictionary references the word as goddess; trust me it yields to men, as well.   Men are even bigger DIVA's than women.  On my current project there are one of each gender, so far, and we are just at the beginning.

The sense of entitlement that these people feel stems from the conditioning they receive from their co-workers at the very least, but I am certain it's from all of their personal contacts, too.  For whatever reason they assumed their constant demands to be taken care of on various levels of intensity. The mere fact that they think they've 'earned' this is sickening. To watch is even worse.  We are all just trying to earn a paycheck and make a movie together!

Oprah Winfrey had a DIVA Brunch several years ago. The invited guests were all women, of course, who had achieved the highest levels of respect for their talents.  Poets, musicians, writers, politicians, and more.  There were Respected DIVA's as well as up and coming DIVA's.  It was a 3-day weekend at Oprah's house.  For me, these women earned the title of DIVA. This is not to say that these women all had/have the negative mindset and attitudes connected with the term DIVA, but the respect level of the word alone applies in my head since I did not know any of them personally; hence, not allowing me to make that connection.

Now that I think about it I am certain prima donna [in it's negative tone not opera-etic] maybe a more deserving phrase for what I am trying to express since it's a bit more derogatory than the word DIVA as described in the above mentioned paragraph.  So, let's go with that instead.   

Ok.  Done venting [to myself].  Will start the day tomorrow open to the prima donna's and will laugh internally at them with their next list of demands.

Happy Sunday!