While everyone is traveling home to see family for our country’s strangest holiday of re-imagined history, I am stuck in Los Angeles for a gig. Jim, Erik and I had a Thanksgiving for “orphan bachelors” at my place [cooked the best damn bird I've eaten in my life using YouTube instructions].

While waiting for everyone to come back into town, I was approached by Cheeky Monkey Productions to direct a pilot presentation entitled Smart People. It was a great team and a fun script…and lord knows I enjoyed only wearing ONE hat…but I missed my “family” so much. You really develop a vocabulary with your cast and crew when you work together for so long. It was a nice refresher in having to really articulate what I specifically wanted instead of relying on people who understood my style and buzz words. Taught me to get more specific when I get back on set for Squatters.

I am so lucky that I am getting approached to create more and more stories. Squatters is still like an infant that I have trouble leaving unattended, but I’m learning it’s okay to step away and come back. And it helps me grow exponentially as a storyteller to step out of my comfort zone for a few days. I’m earning my stripes as a director and look forward to finishing up my baby!

We were slightly more prepared for the build-as-you-go location dressing. Today was all about the ladies! I’ve been so focused on Alex’s journey that I have put off filming Hank’s Squatting style. Today we were joined by the gorgeous and talented Cooper Harris, Jessica Andres, Austin Highsmith, Kerisse Hutchinson, Steffany Huckaby, Ritu Lal, Jenni Powell, and Tamika Simpkins. In a few short daylight hours, Hank had a loooooot of one night stands! Thank you so much ladies for being so patient, prepared and whatever the best “p” word is for sexy as hell!

Finally, we return from our hiatus with the entire original crew and enough capital to finish the season! Our sixth “official work week” of filming Squatters and we’ve got Jim, Sean, Erik, Cooper and myself all back together for a reunion…well, I did hire all of them for the FHF commercial, so it hasn’t been that long, but you get the point! Squatting returns!

We rented a cheapish sound stage south of LA for the dozens of random locations that I have learned never to write into my script again. I don’t want to “give away” the fun of which locations are real and which ones we created from nothing in a sound stage, but after today, I have amazing respect for what you can get away.

After working around such tight restrictions, time crunches and noise issues at our office location, I was excited to breath a little and get a true “day” of filming. However, poo hit the fan when we got to the sound stage and realized NONE of the sets were free-standing and camera ready. I was so shocked because the last time we were there, everything was perfect! With talent on the way, we frantically dressed over a dozen sets and fought hard to stay on schedule.

Much much thanks to George Kimmel who gave us his day to turn over rooms while we were filming. I’m exhausted, but relieved. We didn’t miss a single set up! We’re back tomorrow for more…man your battle stations!