Condor ~ The Movie Star

Well… I started my BLOG game strong but then LIFE happens. It’s been almost a month since my last post & a lot has happened since then. We have celebrated my Daddy’s first heavenly birthday, the anniversary of his passing, my first Blues Festival without him… 2 trunk shows, a dislocated elbow, & a partridge in a pear tree… ( of course these are just a few of the highlights! )

 In short, I have been a little too overwhelmed by emotions & the strains of REAL life & business to attempt to be too witty & this whole blog is a little too fresh & new to try to be really Raw & Vulnerable.

 This morning I popped onto Facebook to check out any ‘IMPORTANT’ notifications & there it was… another FAVORITE memory with my DADDY…CONDOR, THE MOVIE STAR!!! I knew that this was a memory that I could share.

 You see… the roles that my precious Daddy played were endless… Husband, Grandor, Daddy, friend to all, meals on wheels, lovely assistant, fashion consultant, Condor the Comedian, handy man, storyteller, music lover… & 5 Years Ago Today, he added Movie Star to that list!

 It all started innocently enough, with a phone call from one of the production assistants from our “Delta Darlings” Reality TV Pilot. Jason was helping staff extras for a Western that was being filmed in Greenwood, Mississippi. He knew that Daddy’s rugged good looks, fabulous hair & famous beard would be sure to steal the show… (in TRUTH, I am sure that at least 50 more people actually watched this movie just to see THE Condor!) Although flattered, Daddy was a little ambivalent about this idea… Mom & I quickly persuaded him that he HAD to do it so, on this day - 5 years ago… Daddy & I set forth to Greenwood!

 We took 2 cars because this was the first time that I had left Sutton for any length of time & we weren’t sure how long he would be filming. Also, I was NOT going to miss out on Daddy’s film debut or the chance to meet Woody Harrelson or Liam Hemsworth! It was a beautiful Fall day, not too cold & not too hot! We arrived early & got Daddy into wardrobe… ( they added a hat & overcoat to his standard attire of blue jeans & a denim button up ) & then the waiting started! We had a blast making friends from all over… most had stood in lines for days & auditioned to become extras. We had a catered lunch & waited some more.

 He was finally beckoned around 2pm & that is when the REAL FUN started! The opening scene of ‘THE DUEL” is a fight between Woody & Liam’s father, surrounded by the Town People. In true Western fashion… it had to be raining, so on this beautiful Fall day - water hoses were strung high up in the trees to create the illusion of a torrential downpour! Long story short, Daddy stood there in the rain for hours upon hours & was less than satisfied with his film debut! It took a lot to get my Daddy upset, but he was Soaked to the Bone, Cold & in a HUFF! I assured him that it would all be worth it when he was on the BIG SCREEN!

 I left around 5pm to get back to baby Sutton, while Daddy stood & got rained on some more!!! Around 9ish, they took a break to eat & were then going to switch over to the Saloon Scene. Daddy was not interested in their food or Saloon Scene! He marched over to the extra’s tent to retrieve his driver’s license & sign out. They told him that he might not get paid if he left before filming ended for the day & he assured them that he wasn’t doing this for the money… that his daughter & wife had talked him into this. Ready to warm up, he headed for the car. To add insult to injury… IT WOULDN’T START!!! He was FIT TO BE TIED! I called our friend Jason, who had REALLY gotten him into this mess & told him to get over there & boost my Daddy off ASAP! He was there in no time. Daddy made it back home 2.5 hours later, an ordained MOVIE STAR!

 If you were lucky enough to hear my Daddy tell this story, you know it was worth every annoyance just for him to have the JOY of telling this story! Also, if you are lucky enough to go on adventures with your parents – DO IT! My Momma, Daddy & I have always made time together a priority! I am so blessed with the very best memories of the very best Daddy & my Favorite MOVIE STAR!

 XOXOXOX, The Gift Shop Girl