My Million Dollar Blog

I had to weigh the options: get a few hours sleep now and burn through tomorrow and Thursday, or don’t sleep tonight and burn through tomorrow.

I decided to preserve my brain meat for the final round of editing tomorrow.

I watched a lot of footage tonight; some stuff that made me sad, like New Orleans, and some stuff that made me want to make sure it never sees the light of day, like the footage of me in New Orleans winning $1.25 on video poker, a sequence of which I have absolutely no recollection.

I think the thing I loved most about that town was no one I met who lived there had any money, but everyone managed to have a good time anyway, it was all about the things that money can’t buy.

It’s also interesting to see how the video diaries have developed since the beginning of the project; they were really hesitant at first, now I clearly don’t give a shit. I don’t know how some of this stuff manages to make it out of my mouth.

The entries where I’m really upset are hard to watch, because I feel like such a tool and don’t want anyone to ever see that any of this has ever been hard.

That’s probably why stuff like that really needs to go in.

Screening material is well under way; found a great recording from 1906 called “Time Is Money”. It’s great. I’ve been watching old American government movies about money as well, it’s amazing how resonant these ideas of money are, how far reaching and timeless really. I guess we just keep rehashing the same problems over and over thinking that it’s something new.

On that note, tonight I found out what Socrates’s last words were:

Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt?

Huh. It’s interesting that in thousands of years we’re still dealing with the same base conundrums of money. In all this I’m coming more and more to the conclusion that money is more an internal condition that we all share rather than an external factor that exists apart from us. It’s tangled and complicated.

I’m actually starting to get excited about Thursday instead of just being totally terrified by the entire thing.

I have broken down the tasks for this week into manageable chunks. I swear I will get everything done. ROAR.

I found a cheque for a bunch of money for a series of road trip postcards that arrived while I was on the roadtrip, was put in a giant pile of mail, magazines and other stuff that arrived for me while on the trip, and was not found again until tonight. I felt horrible about not knowing it was there, and was totally shocked when I found it. BUT! This puts me squarely over $5k! Yes! Cue trumpets!

I also coloured, cut out, laminated and cut out again about 100 paper bears for my friend Janette who is staying with me this weekend from New York. She teaches little tiny kids and needed polar, panda and brown bears for some sort of pattern making game and needed someone to make the bears. So I did, they look awesome, and my right hand and wrist are numb from all the scissor action. Contribution tomorrow and that’s why it’s not added to the total yet.

I am rapidly working my way towards a stroke over the screening. I can drop dead on Friday, as long as I’m recovered by Saturday, because I’ve been hired to cook for a dinner party for seven people.

Last night my internet went out, which sucked. But it’s back now.

Did an interview and photo with the Star. Apparently it’s coming out next week. Don’t worry, you’ll know about it.

I HAVE ALMOST BROKEN $5k. I made $500 painting a lot of a house. Three coats! It looked good and the people were lovely. I am still picking taupe out of my hair.

Tomorrow I’m going to be watching some hours of footage, should be funny.

Painted my little heart out today. Going back tomorrow for Coat Two. Got some great time lapse shots. Watch Astrid paint at five times the speed!

I’m fairly sure I’m going to start dreaming in taupe.

The people I’m painting for are lovely. I even got two vegan cookies. Some people send death threats, some people make me cookies. Such is my life.

Apparently the art section of the Toronto Star is doing a story. With a picture even, my goodness!

I’m going to be painting a few rooms in a house over the next few days. Cleaned one today. Making money, meeting fantastic people, it’s actually been really great. It’s also nice to do physical work as part of this project.

This screening may be the death of me. There are not enough hours, not enough hours, too many things to do, deer in headlights, where to start, oh no.

As my mother says, press on.