Continuing to the end of the Parkway leads you to the Great Smokies, which are called mountains but well…anyways they’re beautiful in their own way. As you come out the other side of the park you end up in Gatlinburg, TN and then a few miles down Pigeon Forge. These two towns could best be described as a southern fried Disneyland (Dollywood resides here) or Vegas without gambling, hookers, or booze (shudder).

While it is a commercial vortex of canned, family friendly entertainment it did afford me the chance to do something I’ve wanted since I saw Jackie Chan do it in Operation Condor. No, not constantly popping pills, I went Zorbing and from what I was told, Pigeon Forge, TN is the only Zorb outfit in the U.S.. It was expensive but fun and now I want to franchise one of these and bring it to Alaska and make my fortune.

bloodymike

Originally uploaded by mjgildea

So filming wrapped up this past Sunday. I have to say it was a lot of fun, it might of helped that we filmed it in a bar, and it had a great party atmosphere.

I get messed up pretty bad in the film. As you can see to the right. Taking a sugar glass bottle to the head was interesting. I won’t say much else about the film (I signed some legal stuff and I’m not sure what all of it said) because I’m allergic to lawyers. I met some great people and I’m not sure I’ll know what to do with myself next weekend.

I will see a final version of the film later this summer and then it’s on to film festivals and what not. Hopefully it will be available in DVD form early next year sometime.

Okay one last detail: There’s titties.

The trip, the money, the fame, was all meaningless. I set out to win and I failed. The field of 16 was quickly narrowed to 8 and I was in the wrong 8.

What pains me is I second guessed myself. My gut said my opponent was throwing rock but my stupid brain said “nooooooo she’s throwing paper you fool. All that dumb gut of yours has done is not get you laid nearly enough. Throw the scissors!”

My scissors, and dreams were obliterated right then and there by that cold, unforgiving rock.

I will reward my gut with pizza and ice cream. I will punish my mind with cheap whiskey and hard pornography. Only then will I get even with them both.

Always trust your gut.

Upon returning to Anchorage I went with a friend who’s in to theater to sign up to be an extra in a short film. After we had the meet and greet, signed some waivers and got the filming schedule we then headed to a bar called the Pioneer.

This bar, as luck would have it, was hosting a Bud Light sponsored rock paper scissors tournament. 40 some people entered the contest and when the smoke cleared and the dust settled I was the one left standing. I could see in to their minds, and more than that I could make them throw the shot I wanted them to. One by one they fell, none of them had a chance.

Heavy hangs the head…

So tomorrow, Thursday the 17th, I will defend my title and if I should emerge victorious, I will be whisked away to Las Vegas to compete on the national stage. The coverage will be on ESPN2, and the prize is 50,000 dollars and immortality. Stay tuned.

Getting back to my screen debut. We’ve spent two long weekends with one more to go filming. It’s a gritty, violent, Roadhouse meets Hardboiled, rockabilly sleaze-fest set in Alaska called “Way Up North”. For my turn I play a drunken lecher who, in the film’s violent barroom blood-soaked climax, is more concerned with ass cleavage spelunking than the vortex of violence that is engulfing the tavern.

It’s been quite an interesting experience to be (a very small) part of. Whether my character makes the final cut remains to be seen but regardless it’s been a blast.

After a very long cold winter it takes these random moments that seem to be in overabundance up here to remind me what I like so much about being in Alaska.

Oh yeah, the Iditarod was fun too