For the past two years, I have been planning to film my Monk scene at my friend's shop in South LA. This location has been lined up since early 2008, so I am well ahead of the game. A recent phone call to location owner to confirm the shoot date and  explain to him it is going to take all day. He says no problem. So far so good. I've got that end of things covered.

Or do I?

FRIDAY 10AM - One day before the shoot, I call my friend again to reconfirm everything. He then says: "You'll be done by 3PM, right?"

ME -  3PM? No... I need all day... As I said...

HIM - Well, I though THAT was all day, you know from 7AM to 3PM.

ME  -  NO, all day means, all day... Until we lose daylight.

HIM - Oh, but I have to get together with a friend for dinner at 6PM.

ME -  X 2 - Well, I TOLD you I need all day and you said OK... Can you reschedule your dinner possibly? Or allow me access to the location much earlier, like say.... 5 AM?

HIM - Oh no, I can't... Well you know, I am trying to help you out here... But that's the best I can do... I am sure youll "figure it out" and make it work somehow...

ME - (take a deep breath Faith) - (silence)  I see... Well.. I guess we'll have to see what happens.

We hang up. I am PISSED. I now have less than 24 hours to come up with a PLAN B. Cause obviously my friend doesn't really care. His sudden dinner plans are more important than my film. . And so it was that the one location I had lined up from day ONE fell through one day before the shoot.

I call Jerry, still venting. Jerry and I debate what to do... I know I cannot pull this scene off in such a small amount of time and this is a scene for MONK and I'll be DAMN if I am going to half ass it. What pisses me off more than anything is that my friend was also a friend of Monk. Go figure.

Being a filmmaker is being a problem solver. wait. make that a MULTI PROBLEM solver .

And that's when it suddenly hits me.

"LIGHT BULB"

"Jerry, we are idiots. We're gonna film it in YOUR garage!!!!!!!!!! Remember how we bloked off 60% of your garage for my garage scene? Used the tarp to hide the rest of the garage? Well, now we are going to use that rest of the garage for Monk. AND this will finally give me a reason to feature your awesome train display in my film, which I had been wanting to do since the first time I ever saw it. '

No doubt, I am brilliant hehehehehe.

Done deal. We both agree that this is the best solution for our problem  and that this way we can film until we're blue in the face and NO ONE will be able to STOP US.

I call back my friend and tell him that I will no longer be needing his shop. I thank him politely and hang up.

Monk is going to have a good scene and it will not be rushed. I owe him that much. I doubt that Monk ever had a train display in his garage, but under the circumstances, I am sure he approved and smiled upon us and our efforts, from up there...

4 PM -  I pop by OMEGA PROPS in Hollywood to pick up some props for my new location. I need some trophies and also I need an oxygen bottle and mask. I love going to OMEGA because it is always like being a kid at a candy store... I think that Allan has EVERY SINGLE OBJECT ever created, in his warehouse. If you can think of it, you will find it there ... I walk away with a couple dragstrip trophies, a smile on my face. God bless Allan, I don't know what I would have done without his amazing help.

5PM - I pull in front of Jerry's house in Inglewood, towing Houdini, my little self contained travel trailer, behind me. I drove it to work this morning, packed everything up at 6AM. Including the wardrobe and all the filming gear. Kaya (my Blue Heeler) watched me. She knows that I won't be back for a few days. She's already figured out that when Mommy takes that many bags with her, it's bad news. Kaya cries and barks. She doesn't like to see me leave. I don't blame her. Something about parting with the beings that are dear to you... I was never good at it either.

It's good to see Jerry's friendly, smiling face. I need a smiling face right now.  I'm not the kind to mop and whine, in fact I don't like to dwell and I don't cry that often. So I put up a good face and go about my shoot prep as usual. But deep down, I'm thinking about Monk. And I'm sad.

Earlier today I talked to his son and told him I wanted to go on with the scene. Now more than ever, I wanted MONK to live forever in DEUCE OF SPADES. To be remembered and honored. While talking to him, I found myself at some point unable to talk anymore. Emotions were overwhelming me... I hate this crying shit. I tried to swallow my tears best I could but it was no use.  We both agreed that the scene should be filmed and he gave me his blessings.

"Ok Jerry... Let's figure out where we are going to do this scene...". I scope out the space available and all the cool things we could include in the scene... Oh YES>>>> This is going to work out very nicely!

Jerry and I start to move stuff around and create our set. I have decided to set everything up tonight so we are that much ahead of the game tomorrow. Looking up at his ceiling, I spot a sign: "POSITIVELY NO SMOKING" ... "Oh my God Jerry! I GOT to have that sign in the scene! Since MOnk was not allowed to smoke (doctor's orders) but he smoked anyway...". We set the sign up near the train display, with an ashtray next to it .  

We continue to work on the set until it's late and then I cross the street and retreat in Houdini, where my bed is waiting, with open arms.

I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow... I pray that the scene will come out good and that God will give me to SEE THE SHOTS... I always ask him to help me see the shots... I think He must be listening... Cause so far my eye has not let me down yet... Talking about my eye.... It is closing fast... And I think I am falli ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

(lights out)