Thankful

Giving thanks

With these posts so infrequent nowadays, I hope you are still out there listening. I need to take some time to thank a few people. 73 of you to be exact. Well, that doesn't count the all the folks that couldn't help financially but did share the shit out of my funding link. But those 73 people together donated over $4600. That coupled with a few private donors/investors got us near our goal. And for that I say thanks.

But there's more to be thankful for. Last week my entire family was sick as dogs. After a few days of it it just felt like we were living in that show the Walking Dead. Hiding out and looking as terrible as we all felt. I write this on the commuter train my first day back into the city. At least I'm nice and healthy and looking forward to working on more than cleaning up vomit from the cracks of 120 year-old pine floors. Not an easy task.

Another huge reason I'm thankful is that we have landed a dedicated editor for PRBY. He couldn't be more perfect for this film. He knows nothing about birding (yet) but, like me, is always very eager to dig in to a new subject and come out of it knowing more about a fascinating sub-culture. He has lots of tattoos, and he loves heavy music. In fact, we went and saw GWAR together last Saturday. His name is Kyle McNair and he is super talented. He works for a company I've done some of my best advertising work with; School Editing in Toronto.

http://www.schoolediting.com/editors/kyle-mcnair/

https://vimeo.com/kylemcnair

DevilDriver pit.

GWAR blood.

About the only thing I want now is to go and see some friggin' birds. It's been a really long year with relatively few days spent birding. I promised Rach and DDB that they'd get the lion's share of my time in 2012. I hope next year, with the kids turning five, that there will be a bit more balance to the birding/non-birding time in 2013.

Paul Riss

Punk Rock Big Year

I'll stop begging soon, I promise.

Remember in 2011 when you'd be able to read a post about a twitch I did? Remember when I used to birdwatch with my kids? Remember when all I asked for was ten minutes of your time each week? Remember when I did my best to write some funny shit for you about what its like to attempt a big year with twin 3-year-olds and a busy career in advertising? Remember when I started to feel down about not getting enough birds and you guys made me feel better about it?

Well, those days are gone. Now all you hear from me is, "Can I have 10 bucks? Or $10, 000 if you have it lying around? ", "Hey, tell your friends about me.", "Please introduce me to your friends so I can pat them down for a couple bucks." I post on your favourite Facebook sites, blogs, your pages even, constantly begging for a few dollars. And to top it off, you don't even know if you'll see anything at the end of it. 

Re-read that paragraph. I'm basically the shittiest friend you've ever had. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this post so bare with me. This last week has been a real bugger for me. Work dumped a job on me that required lots of attention exactly on the 2 weeks I was supposed to meet my editor and start this process, effectively eating up all my time so I can't move on and start so you actually get something for your generous donations. Then, both my kids get the flu so neither my wife nor I sleep right for about 7 days.

This kind of shit breaks a couple down. No sleep + puking kids + extra hours at work + a guy trying to make a film = parents that fight. We are pretty good though, Rachel and I. We get through stuff and really, this ain't even that bad, as terrible goes. But I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Please tell me there's a light out there where most people live. That place where you don't try and make a movie on your free time with your own cash (and cash you can get from complete strangers and friends). I sure hope that place is out there. The place where this film is done and I can stop begging you all for a few dollars every time we cross paths (virtually or otherwise). Because honestly, I'm sick of begging for money.

I was a bit depressed when I started writing this but now, not so much. Why? Well, if I'm to be completely honest, it's because I wrote this on the GO Train and we just arrived in Toronto. Upon standing up to get off the train, I realized that my pants have been unzipped the entire morning so far. I wonder if it's related to the fact that nobody is sitting next to me. Sigh.

Paul Riss

Punk Rock Big Year

P.S. - Can I have 10 dollars?
http://www.indiegogo.com/PRBY

PRBY poster

PRBY poster that many of you will get as a perk for donating to the film.
If you want it, head over here. http://www.indiegogo.com/PRBY
Design by Russell Gibbs. Please share it around.

The Trailer

It's been a lot of work for a few great people but it's finally done. This makes the whole thing feel a bit more real. Please share this with everyone you know and attach a link to the funding page. There's still 16 days for you or someone you know to get involved.

http://www.indiegogo.com/PRBY





Punk Rock Big Year
Paul Riss

indieGOGO

Check out the indieGOGO campaign to raise funds for the post-production of the Punk Rock Big Year documentary. Share this link with everyone please. The perks are amazing.

http://www.indiegogo.com/PRBY

There's only 23 days left to donate and get some of those awesome perks.

Paul Riss
Punk Rock Big Year

It's been a while. Here's why.

It has been a while since my last posting. I've been working on this with my kick-ass producer MP!

http://www.indiegogo.com/PRBY

Meat and Music

Summer is coming to an end. The year of no birding is closing. I hope to get out a bit more in 2013. The kids will be a bit older next year. Maybe they'll even want to go birding with me. Or at least one of them. I promised Rachel after last years Big Year I'd spend all my free time with the family. But next year? Family? What family? I'm joking dear.

This weekend was fair weekend in Orono. It's kind of a big deal where we live. Saturday was a bit of a bust what with all the rain. It was pretty much the saddest Orono fall fair parade I've ever seen. But that wasn't the point of my day. Mine started just before 5 am. Not for birds this time though, for meat. We were having some folks over for dinner and I was smoking pork. Ten pounds of pork shoulder bone in takes pretty much a whole day to cook. As it was cooking from 5am still took till 7pm to get up to temperature. As my buddy Shane says, "It ain't time, it's temp."

Why?

The shittiest float of the parade.

Helicopter rides.

G in her pink truck.

People arrived about 6, food started about 7. And since most of my friends are musicians, so did the music start. And it didn't really stop until everyone left about midnight. The floors in the house were stomped, tromped and hammered on as if it were a live show at a good pub. It really doesn't get better than good friends, good music and good food. The kids were loving it, dancing like fools until some of them passed out on the floor. Here's a couple of videos of how it went. We plan on this being a monthly thing. Kind of like a Sunday dinner that we all remember from when we were kids but a whole lot louder.

Punk Rock Big Year

Paul Riss