Thursday.  April 23.

Early, early flight.  My cell phone alarm doesn't go off.

Note to self:  Always use the wake up call as a back up.  It doesn't cost you anything and you're an idiot not use a free fail safe.  Luckily, i'm not far from the airport - and make it with time to spare.  

It's a short hour long flight to Calgary - a three hour wait - and then a short flight to Kelowna.  I'm really tired.  I try to sleep at the airport in Calgary, but won't commit to actually lying down, so I end up being one of those guys whose neck is lolling around on his head - lurching this way and that.  Probably snoring, too.  I get on the plane and we fly.

Coming in to Kelowna in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, I ask myself why I'm not making films here:

The first person to meet me when I get off the plane is Charles Officer!  It's nice to see a face you know.  I feel immediately at home.  We jabber for awhile as I wait for my luggage and hitch a ride with the head programmer's Dad.  I get this priceless pic of him and Charles in the car:

 

Don't you love this picture?  

I learn that we are in mysterious territory.  This is where the legendary Ogopogo monster has been repeatedly sighted - Lake Okanagan.  I'm freaking out.  I've read about this thing for years - now here I am - potentially in its midst.

Unfortunately, there's no time - we have to get to the hotel.

Later, Charles and I grab some fresh BC sushi and then meander through the bookstore.  I find the next in the History series, called How The Irish Saved Civilization.  Impressive title.

Now a soiree at a place called the Grape - where we kibbutz with other filmmakers, volunteers and interested filmgoers.  Then it's Charles' and Ingrid's film - Nurse Fighter Boy.  Cool.  I haven't seen this for a little while and am looking forward to it.  

It's awesome.  So poetically realized - this is a lovely film.  Charles has a phenomenal eye.

The audience is inspired - the room is glowing.  A bunch of us head over to a pub and yammer on all night about film - one of my guiltiest pleasures.  Gotta get home and get to bed for our

early morning panel.