fri

10:16 i was told to be in park city around 10. i think i'm still within the parameters.

11:07 my first assignment is an airport pickup at 1:10, but another group needs a ride to the airport now. me and my soccer mom minivan are a good fit for that.

11:22 i'm driving a trio of londoners to the airport. they seem agitated about the quality of their film's print but they're polite to me and i like their accent. they ask if we'll see salt lake city on the way. unfortunately it's somewhat smoggy today.

12:27 i read anything that looks interesting in this week's complimentary "entertainment weekly." i see chris from sympathy for delicious in their sundance photo session. in the past, oscar nomination announcements have come out during the festival and i've been able to snag a swag issue. this year the noms come out next tuesday.

12:54 i'm done with my magazine.

2:56 i drop off my directors at the eccles theater. i like coming here because it's the most high profile and the guards move the gates when i pull up.

6:16 we go out to eat at "el chubascos", just across from the hotel. i learn that tomorrow is essentially the last day of the festival and that sunday is pretty low key. i might be able to teach sunday school if i'm not driving some excited festival winners tomorrow night.

7:53 there's not much going on, so three of us offer give a few staff members a ride. afterwards we talk about going to the eccles theater and pretending we're famous. they offer to be my bodyguards. i decide my name will be gustaf jefferson, from bulgaria.

9:00 my assignment is to take a director to the tower theater for a Q&A. should be a decent night.

9:41 getting near the theater, he says that the show starts at 9:45 (so much for an early night) but that he doesn't want to stay for the movie and would rather go eat. the polite french girl with him asks me if i've already eaten.

9:47 despite what my trip sheet said, their film is not playing at the tower, but at the broadway.

9:53 i drop them off at the broadway. they leave quickly and i'm not sure if they're just running in for a moment or staying for the whole film.

10:22 a police car turns it's lights on behind a car at the corner of state and broadway. an identical scene happened when i was waiting here two nights ago. i can't tell what they may have done. i've been in the "taxis only" parking area for at least half an hour. i wonder if the police care.

10:37 i learn that lithium, the satellite grudge/90s alt rock station, doesn't edit their songs.

10:48 i notice that a legitimate parking spot has opened up behind me. i back up and now i feel more comfortable pulling out my harry potter book and just reading. plus, there's a tree just out my window with blue Christmas lights. i like that.

10:58 it's always a little strange to hear songs on the radio that i was introduced to through rock band. at the moment, it's "flirting with disaster" by molly hatchet. i notice the guitar solo more than i normally would.

11:00 it's followed by "paradise city" by guns 'n' roses. i wish that was in rock band....

12:12 their movie ended almost an hour ago. fantasize that maybe they've already left and i can go home from salt lake, but a) i've been out front this whole time, they couldn't miss me, and b) they left their scarves and gloves in my car.

12:24 they show up, but stand outside the car to have a smoke first.

1:08 on the way back, the director of the doc and the girl with him talk. she's really smart and knows her film history. after i drop off the director, i talk with her a bit. she's a french actress named julie gayet who also has a production company to help independent cinema like this one. it turns out that her first movie was blue, the first in the three colors trilogy which i saw at the international cinema two weeks ago. that's pretty cool.

1:19-2:16 i put "this american life" on my ipod. it's got stories of people who, for various reasons, are up through the night. i can't quite figure out why there's there's thick fog on the long road between heber city and the canyon, but there has been for the last few nights. at times it's so thick i have to cut my speed in half down to 40.

1:48 i pass a car with its brights on. "lamer," i think. i look down and see that mine are on, too.

the snow-covered mountains of provo canyon look wonderful in the full moonlight. absolutely beautiful (but then, i'm a sucker for moonlight)

2:29 feels so good to be in bed.