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The well laid plans of mice and men: a birthday tale

I'm not much for celebrating my own birthdays and not because I don't think it's such a big deal. I believe it is an important day, I just have these very particular ideas that I try to adhere to for very particular reasons. And much of the past several years have been rather scaled-down compared to some years past. Grandest of them all being my 29th where I evidently made a fool of myself by proposing marriage to more than a few of my guest (Evidently even to some happily married women)... One not too long ago I thought was rather odyssean and perhaps an all time fave thus far, my 33rd; Drove the length of Highway 33 over the Los Padres National Forest into the Monterrey Peninsula with a layover in a God forsaken town called Coalinga (a fantastic 6 hour winding drive)-Perhaps one of the more interesting yet forgettable places I have ever visited...

This year (as much as i've longed to be in Monterrey again ogling over Vintage Race Cars at the legendary Laguna Seca Track, the prodigious Mecum Collector Car Auction, and a weekend that would have culminated with the fabulous Concours De Elegance at Pebble Beach) in keeping with the economy and unemployment- I felt was no cause for celebration (In concession however, I did end up at the Nisei Car Show on Saturday. And it kind of sucked). In fact the friends I wound up spending the better part of my day had no idea it was my birthday at all. Honestly I just really wanted to relax and spend some time scouting for locations for upcoming photoshoots. I know it sounds rather ho hum, but that was my plan! But I must say it didn't go without shameless attempts by my family to get something going. They did successfully coaxed me into a kind of luncheon on Sunday (day before my actual birthday) that supposedly was intended for an entirely unrelated family function - but evidenced by the lovely cake that Mrs. Trixy Gabay snuck in and unexpectedly greeting cards from close family friends, it was obviously a carefully designed ruse (but I appreciate it). Happily though the greeting cards carried more than just the sentimental merit (Cash is king!)....

I hadn't really planned on doing anything on the eve of my birthday either (not citing old age either on that one) but as it turns out three of my friends were conveniently off work the following day... Just when I was settling in at 11 pm for a relaxing Blockbuster Night with my two napping dogs my phone rings rather invidiously. Perturbed I pause The Lovely Bones and picked up the call but only because this particular guy calls so infrequently and so I figured if he'd bothered calling at all (especially that time of night) it must be for good reason... Less than an hour later we are all seated at the Poker Tables at the Bicycle Casino playing the sometimes wild and drunken midnight tournaments hopped up on caffeine and smokes. And strangely the one guy amongst us who was on painkillers for a strained sciatic nerve was voted to drive us. I still don't know how it all happened actually. This guy was so drugged up he said the 20 minute trip there felt like hours **Head Shaking**. Ahh the well laid plans of mice and men

Eight hours later and with nothing to show for we found ourselves seated in front of Jollibee (A famed Filipino fast food joint) the harsh morning sun glaring down on us as if to chastise, eyes blood shed, and rabidly famine.... But surprisingly breakfast was not only wonderfully nourishing but it seemed to breath life back into the somewhat gloomy mood that is our Poker inequities. None of us did very at all you see...

Sleep came swiftly when I finally laid down on my comfortable bed at 10:30 in the morning but unfortunately sparingly. You see I didn't turn off my phone and it was just out of my reach as the perfunctory Text messages came rushing in denying rest. I suppose I could have made the effort of actually getting up to turn the damn thing off but my tired body just wouldn't allow it and so there I lay listening to the blaring crescendo...

I do want to thank everyone who sent text messages in spite of it all. To all of the nice folks who greeted me on Facebook. Those who called as well. A special thanks to Trixy for the lovely cake and to my family for the ruse...

The rest of my day? Well I did go out to scout several of the locations but have yet made a definitive decision. There are a few things that need some fine tuning which really means I have to scout more or decide whether I want to live with some of the imperfections (like things that are obscured on the potential scenes). I am also in need of a classic car -preferably a Porsche- for an original "Juxtaposition of the female form versus the environment" scene I have conceptualized from the catacombs of my so-called artistic imagination. Although the cache of alternate cars aren't too shabby; a cherry red 68' Ford Mustang Coupe, an early model black Acura NSX (and a Red one too), a late model silver-gray Mitsubishi MR Evo, and last but not the least my AP1 silverstone S2000. Not too bad huh? Thank you by the way to these people who'll allow me use of their awesome cars!

But does anyone have a Porsche I can borrow?

Posted by: Marc Gabay
Monday, August 16, 2010