But it was that fact that was in my mind one bitterly cold night as I began the descent toward my apartment (my apartment is like on a 45 degree hill). I immediately noticed cars parked bumper to bumper the length of my long street. This was unusual since parking is not allowed, EVER, here. My first thought was that there was a party nearby. Not a big leap in logic since I am assaulted day and night with blaring music coming from cars, so loud to completely drown out my TV sitting 6 feet away, and maddingly, from a neighbor who makes my walls shake at 3 in the morning, even on Sundays.
As I walked slowly downhill, I noticed a large sign in the windshield of one car featuring the name and logo of Law & Order. I literally paused midstep and stared. Suddenly, the words of my landlord came back to me, and additionally, the two large trucks I had paid little mind to as I passed them atop the hill came into focus. I suddnely was keenly aware of the humming of generators, and the group of beefy men hauling large cables and equipment.
Two men who were standing there looked at me with interest at my strange behavior. So, I began walking again, thinking thinking thinking. I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. I had to figure out a way to get closer. I entered my building, and placed my two heavy grocery bags down just inside the door. If anyone was going to steal it, at least I'd have it narrowed down to the seven other units in the building. I turned around, and walked out, huffing and puffing my way back up the hill toward where I saw those trucks -- standing in front of "The Grinnell," one of the only fancy shmancy apartment buildings in the area.
It was unbelievably cold, and i tried to look confident as I walked up to the men working in the trucks. I asked them if it was Law & Order and they said it was. I paused. Now what? Then I remembered -- I had an aquaintance who worked for the show. Someone I've only had email contact with, but perhaps this was my chance to finally meet her. And besides, her name was as good as a passport, wasn't it?
I asked the men about her, and they jerked their thumbs toward the inside of the building. They were friendly guys and didn't seem suspicious of me at all. Good. So, I walked on and about every 15 feet someone stopped me, and I would once again announce my friend's name, like some sort of secret password. And just like in a relay, each checkpoint pointed me to the next spot. I got as far as deep inside the building where I could see the catering table set-up and a bunch of actors standing around.
It's funny that I say that, because it wasn't something i expected. I mean, when I walked in, it was just SO obvious they were actors and not workers on the set and I I can't tell you why. It wasn't their clothes or anything, and I can't even point out what it was. They just looked different.
I also remember the smell of the buffet, Mexican food, was revolting to me. I think it was the contrast from coming in from a bitterly cold night into a stuff, warm room with the smell of tacos in the air.
I was standing there for a few seconds, kind of stunned since I knew i was "in" the place now. I was excited, and really looking forward to meeting my email pal, now that the "getting in" part had been taken care of. Then I also thought about the actors I might see, and for a heartwrenching moment, I realized that Jerry Orbach would not be there (this was not too long after his death). It suddenly made the whole effort pointless. As much as I adore this show, and will always be faithful to it, without him, it has lost a lot of its charm.
Then I heard someone yell, "That's a wrap!" I turned to see the proclaimer, someone who looked like he was in charge, with the clipboard and headphones with mic. He turned, eyes focused on me and narrowed, and so I decided I might as well approach him. If anyone would know, it would be him, since a person like that either knows everything or at least thinks he does.
When I asked after my email chum, he told me she wasn't on the set that day. I was crestfallen. Here I was, at the end, and nothing. And it was getting on in the evening and obviously they were hauling ass to get out of there. I stood there a minute more, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of one of the main actors, but no dice. I turned around, and walked home.
Oh well.
