Well, dear readers, this month is flying by, like a gazelle listening to a jazz version of The Planets. Coincidentally, I, too, am listening to a jazz version of The Planets. I wasn’t even aware that there WAS a jazz version of The Planets, but someone mentioned it on the Film Score Monthly message board, and it was on the Tube of You. But it doesn’t end there, oh, no, it doesn’t end there. There were two OTHER jazz versions of The Planets on the Tube of You, so I grabbed all three. I’m currently listening to the Echoes of Ellington Orchestra’s version – so, this version is a Duke Ellingtonish version that’s a lot of fun so far – big band, excellent playing, and fun arrangements. It’s the kind of thing I might have done with Terry Trotter and company, but much more traditional jazz – all three of these versions are for big band and one even has strings. But since I like Duke Ellington, that’s the one I started with. Prior to jazzy The Planets, I finished the Klemperer-led Mahler fourth, which is much longer than most, but really well played and in excellent sound. I found my Bernstein/Mahler set, so I’ll re-upload all those just to have them on the computer. Prior to that, I had a most amusing snooze-fest on the couch like so much fish. I would literally start a movie and fall asleep and wake up thirty or forty minutes later. Same thing on YouTube. Prime now has most of the classic Hitchcock things in UHD 4K, those new transfers, so I checked out Vertigo, which looks a bit yellower than I remember but I’ll check out the Blu-ray to see if that’s true, Rear Window, which looks really good, Psycho and The Birds, both of which look terrific. After dozing for over two and a half hours, I finally began a movie and watched the first twenty minutes, a comic mystery, a French film from France entitled Green Perfume. The director is obviously in love with Mr. Hitchcock because in the first seven minutes we get very obvious references to Vertigo, Marnie, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and North by Northwest. It’s not that great so far, but I’ll stick with it, I suppose. The main title is a direct rip-off of the main titles of That Man from Rio, so I guess he’s a fan of Philippe de Broca, too. That was pretty much the evening.

Earlier, I’d gotten seven hours of sleep, found that there’d been an outage sixteen minutes before the alarm rang at ten – so, I had to reset clocks and start up the computer. Once it was working again, I answered e-mails, then moseyed on over to the bank to do banking. Thankfully, no wait at either bank, so that all went very quickly. Then I had to stop at Gelson’s and get some sour cream, then I came home. I caught up on some stuff, and then I made the faux chicken stroganoff, and it was a very good batch – over rice. I ate it all up. After that, I just did stuff on the computer, had some telephonic conversations, and that was that and here we are with the jazzy planets. Jazzy Planets – that’s the title of my next novel.

Today, I’ll be up by ten, I hope, and I’ll announce the Kritzerland show, as we’re finally live on the Catalina site. Once that’s done, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll make some rigatoni with chicken in pink sauce for food, I’ll do some writing, and then at some point I can watch, listen, and relax. Also, planning the next couple of Kritzerland releases now that all the CDs have been shipped. Then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

The rest of the week and weekend are unknown to me, although I’m pretty sure I’ll be having a meal out with a friend at some point before the week is done.

Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Lambada (The Forbidden Dance), for today is the birthday of dear reader Freddie. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader Freddie. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER FREDDIE!!!

Here’s the flyer for the Kritzerland show.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten, announce the Kritzerland show, do whatever needs doing, make and eat food, write, plan a couple of Kritzerland releases, figure out a medley for the Kritzerland show, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Share a favorite recipe. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as I continue on my journey through the jazzy Planets.