Accelerated Christmas

 After Ginger got back from work this afternoon we went out for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant that is on Main Street a few blocks down from the hotel. We had cocktails as we sometimes do when dining out I drank one with cilantro and pepper.

After dinner she wanted to walk up and see the film shoot I had told her about. It was still in progress. We walked past the disclaimer notice telling us that we gave permission to be filmed an recorded as part of the crowd scene. As we got up towards the bakery and the jewelers, we could see the tent where the "talent" was getting her makeup applied in preparation for the next scene.

I took quick glance in her direction. As we passed, Ginger said she recognized the star from other Hallmark movies. They use many of the same cast members over and over  It's a cottage industry. I said I didn't recognize her, but I was sure Ginger was right. I simply don't have the talent for recognizing the faces of these actresses, whom I tend to respect more than the stars of big budget Hollywood movies. They are more like us---working people, nobodies in the ecology of Hollywood. That makes them human to me.

We walked all the way Main Street to Temple Street, admiring the redevelopment of the temple across the street before turning around. As I've said before, I have nothing against the Mormon Church per se, so long as they leave me alone. As we got up towards the intersection, we passed the Santa Claus protestor we had seen the previous night. I was able to read his handmade sign more closely. It referred to this particular website. It was a bit surreal. Christmas in April What was going on?

By the time we turned around and started back towards our hotel we were already joking about "when we move to Utah."  We both agreed that we were happy to be in Arizona for now during the shutdown. 

On the way back towards the hotel, passing through the film shoot again, where the crew members were spraying foam-like fake snow onto the base of the door frames of the businesses. We marveled at the lengthening sunlight of late spring.

Back in the hotel, while I listened to a podcast updating me on the progress of the Arizona election audit, an dhow the Democrats are losing their minds over it, Ginger looked up the actress she recognized in the tent. She showed me a picture and I said she was familiar, although I could not have told you which movie she had been in. 

Ginger whined, "Aw, I have to wait until December 15 to see it."

"The Arizona audit is going to change everything," I heard over my ear bud, on the podcast I was listening to.