Living this close to Hollywood starts out very exciting, but like all things, can lose its luster over time.  My drive into work brings me down a road where I look directly at the sign on the hillside.  It would bring a smile to my face every morning.  It hasn’t been that long and I already can’t remember the last time I realized this happening.  Today I was given a notice about some filming that will be going on at the end of the week around my office.  The production crew has been coming in to advise us of all the parking issues as well as road closures.  It made me think how funny it is that if its a movie or television show closing the road, it becomes this exciting thing, but what if it were the utility company or water department?  Well, we would all probably have some form of distaste about that even though its the same road being closed.  Maybe the water department should just tell people they are filming something so nobody would complain.  Anyway, I was reminded of how much I enjoy living here what with all of the many things we can complain about when it comes to Southern California, I can honestly say, there is no place I would rather be.  #redondobeach #hollywood #makemybookamovie #myaumakua

Let’s use the automobile insurance industry for an example.  I recently had the unfortunate circumstance where I have to use the service I have been paying for and NOT using for over six years.  In that time frame I have seen thousands of television, print, road media and even airplane banners advertising the nearly perfect customer service ratings.  All this time thinking how “I sure am glad I am with them.”  I am now second guessing that comforting feeling with that of worry and uneasiness, all because of one contact, with one person, over the phone who, so far, has been less than caring and more of a robot.  “This is not the way this is supposed to go!” I holler at the television while it shows yet another commercial, in a prime slot, pointing out how great they are.  The truth is, you can spend millions, and millions of dollars advertising how wonderful your service is and how much you care, but if you have one employee having an off day, week, month, year, or career, they can destroy your business.  Let’s face it, disease spreads over time, unlike a bus that will spread you all over the road.  If you advertise and market that you are the best, above all others, like every business does except for “Dicks Last Resort” where you know you will be treated poorly walking in the door, you owe it to your customers to do whatever it takes to make darn positive they have an award winning experience.  I’ve already told multiple people about my disappointment and level of inconvenience in this situation.  I wonder how many more I’ll tell?  “HEY! HEY!  Let’s be careful out there.”  (HSB 80’s) #heyflo #poortruck #notmyfault #writingcareer

Man, I sure love to learn.  I wish I would have known this when I was a kid not paying attention in school, but hey, it is never too late.  So I sat down yesterday to do like people do when they want to learn something new these days. I opened up You Tube on my PC and searched “screenplays”because, let’s face it, it’s not going to write itself.  What came up was, as usual, a ton of “how to” videos showing how easy the process is.  Not one of the people in the videos I watched was anyone I had heard of, but that doesn’t mean they were not informative.  I was really searching on how to format it properly as I have heard so often that many amazing stories have not been heard because they weren’t formatted correctly.  While searching this, I uncovered a gem.  It is a free screenwriting and production software application that has me  typing away like a madman.  So much so in fact that short of taking a break to write this, I may end up having a first draft done by the end of this week.  I’ve been using the hashtag #makemybookamovie in the hopes someone within the industry would find it cute and pick up my book “My Aumakua” and start the process.  Finally done waiting and hoping, I am doing it myself and will be sending it out in a few weeks to anyone who will take it.  After I sit down and search “How to sell a screenplay” on You Tube, of course.  If anyone out there knows someone looking for an original idea for a movie, tell em how to find me.  www.ventsurfer.com I finished my book and published it, time to make a movie.  #YOLO #myaumakua