"THE JIGSAW JAZZ AND THE JET FRESH FLOW"

Hey everyone,
 
Waaaaaay overdue to pick up the pen, so I wanted to reach out, see how everyone is doing. They said the end of the world was coming this weekend, but I wasn't too sure that was happening, so I didn't rush this one and out and title it "LAST BLOG FOREVER EVERYONE!"

 
Some really exciting things popping up. I think I can talk about this now, there’s a film project getting in front of cameras so so so soon called “Suhani” and it’s this little story I wrote and handed off to Mauro, Jeff and Frederic...the good minds and good souls over at Indie Frame Films. Looks like this story gets in front of cameras this summer, and I’m excited for a lot of different reasons, first, this is the first film I wrote that someone else is directing and producing. So for me, seeing how someone else will see this story and translate this story on screen, I can only imagine it may feel like when a musician hears their song covered by another band or artist a completely different way and think “wow, what a cool version!” That’s how I am now. I can’t wait to see what these incredibly talented human beings do with this, where they take this and how this story comes to life on screen. I know after watching these guys use their gift of of storytellin... I’ll be itching to get out of the “writer’s” chair and get back into it full swing, so as soon as “Suhani” wraps, I've already booked teh time...and I'm headed into a few beautiful cities, a few beautiful places with a few terrific actors and we’re going to hoot, hollar, make a little noise and bang out another fun little project as well. Stay tuned for news on both of those! Going to be a jam packed and creative summer. Oddly enough “Suhani” pushed back this next film I was working on...til around fall. So if you’re keeping score, a project I thought of, has just pushed back a another project I thought of. But it shapes up for a next few fun and creative months, just getting those cameras out, rolling and telling some stories with some really great people in some really great places.
 
Speaking of stories, I had the chance to spend some time at the TRIBECA film festival this year...I was lucky enough to fall into a few passes to the world premiere of ESPN films’ “Catching Hell”, a documentary on Steve Bartman, he was a Chicago Cubs fan, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and had an entire city turn on him. It was directed by academy award winner Alex Gibney, and it was great, it should be on ESPN this fall, please look out for it! It’s some piece. Tribeca was a great time, really great festival.(even bumped into the mighty Robert DeNiro, and that's always unbelievable) There were so many more movies I’d wish I’d caught while there. Next year I think I'm just going to lurk in New York all week long for the festival and watch 3 or 4 movies a day (wow that seems like a lot of popcorn)

 
After all of that, it was time to roll some sleeves up, and get to work and give back. I got to work with HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
 
Habitat was AWESOME
 
I was off helping build a house in a run down area. That’s really a quality program they have there, they build the houses, and sell them to low end income households (total household income needs to be around 20-40k) and they sell it for 125,000 on a 0% loan for 10 years (making a mortgage payment of around 300-400 a month) what makes it cool is that if for some reason, the house is foreclosed after 4 years, Habitat reclaims the house, and gives the family their 4 years of payments back! They told me “it’s not about just building houses for the less fortunate, it’s about building the community”(which is why every family that qualifies, has to put in 225 hours of “sweat’ time…which means they get their hands dirty and help build their own homes as well, as a family)…the foreman Vern (perfect name for a foreman, and he was a really great guy) told me that gets the most inspired on a day like last week, was when he was building the new houses, in an area where he’d already built 6-10 houses…and saw kids come out of those houses and get on a school bus.
 
Something pretty cool also, is for these houses we helped build, everyone who helps writes a letter to the family on the sheetrock (before the drywall goes up) those notes are pretty amazing (I took a snapshot):

 One I saw I guess was a college kid who wrote himself a note “dear Bill in year 2050, whatever you’ve become at this point, at least you’ve done something great in 2011”…the 2nd snapshot was my note, not sure if you can read it with a blurry photo of sloppy handwriting, but I wrote “please fill this house with peace,love and happiness”

 
So it was a good time and really inspiring, unfortunately, I’m no “Handy Manny” I’m really bad at that stuff, what I lack in talent, I like to think I make up for in enthusiasm.
 
If any of that sounds good, inspiring and/or fun, they can ALWAYS use volunteers and help, check www.Habitat.org if you’d like to go out and give back a little as well. It’s a fantastic program and I sincerely hope if/when you do get involved, you don’t almost fall off as many ladders as I did.
 
With that, I wish you all the best, hope you’re all doing well and I hope whereever you all are, your homes are filled with peace, love and happiness.
 
Take care and be good,
TIM
 
Ps…Can I tell you all the new Beastie Boys record is terrific? “Hot Sauce Committee Volume 2” growing up, I wanted to be one of the Beastie Boys. Now I AM grown up…and I still want to be one of the Beastie Boys. While I’m being truthful. This video taught me how to dance. Seriously.