Well, dear readers, I am in a mellow mood as I write these here notes. I am sitting here like so much fish, taking in the night, looking out my window at, well, actually it’s black outside my window so I can only see the outline of some bushes. I’m so mellow that I’m just typing whatever comes into my head without so much as a by-your-leave or a bye-your-leave or even a buy-your-leave. I’m in a mellow mood and that is that and nothing will get me out of my mellow mood. I don’t really have a clew as to why I’m in a mellow mood. Speaking of a mellow mood, yesterday was quite a mellow day. For example, I got up at seven-thirty in the morning. That was mellow. I then answered some e-mails and did some work on Ye Olde Computer. That was mellow. Then I jogged. That was not mellow. That was disgustingly difficult. Then I toddled off to work with Miss Joan Ryan and musical director Mr. John Boswell. We settled on about four numbers today, and did arrangements of three of them. We also sang through my piece of special material, and it’s going to be very funny – I may add to it after I see it on its feet, but for now it’s short and sweet and Miss Ryan will do it to a faretheewell. We worked for about three hours, then I got something to eat, then came home, where I sat on my couch like so much fish. After my large sandwich, I was even mellower – so mellow, in fact, that I put on a motion picture on DVD and immediately fell asleep for forty-five minutes. When I got up, I didn’t feel like going back to the beginning of the movie, and nothing on the stack of DVDs was calling me, so I took all the DVDs and CDs I’d pulled for trading and went over to Amoeba, where I got the best trade deal I’ve ever gotten at Amoeba. I spent about ninety minutes looking around (I started to get antsy, so I wrapped up my browsing) – I got three DVDs and four CDs and have quite a bit of credit left. I then came home and, once again, sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Angel-A, a film of Luc Besson. I’m not all that much of a fan of Mr. Besson’s films, but I do like Leon: The Professional, and this looked like an interesting film, so I took the chance. Angel-A is a whimsical, sweet film about a nebbishy down-on-his-luck (always) two-bit con man who is in deep to several loan sharks. They’ve all given him until midnight to pay – or else. He goes to a bridge, steps on the ledge and as he’s thinking about ending it all he sees a beautiful blonde girl, also standing on the ledge a ways away from him. She does jump, he jumps after her and saves her. Or does she save him? Think Clarence in It’s A Wonderful Life and you’ll get the idea. The film is very amusing, and, at the end, very touching, as Angel-A helps the loser become a winner by believing in himself and learning to love himself. We’ve seen it before, but Mr. Besson makes it fresh and the two leading actors are great – the nebbishy guy is about 5’6 and the gal who plays Angel-A is about six-foot-two in her heels, so their visuals are always good for a chuckle. It’s the sort of film that could never be made in the US, and the sort that the French seem to do especially well. The film is very handsome to look at, shot in crisp black-and-white scope. And it’s blessedly short at eighty-eight minutes. The other two DVDs I picked up and will watch next were Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between, which I hear is wonderful (I’ve never seen it), and a French comedy entitled The Closet, starring Daniel Autueil and Gerard Depardieu, directed by Francis Veber (La Cage Aux Folles).
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below before my mellowness causes me to drift off at the keyboard.
This morning I have another work session with Miss Joan Ryan and John Boswell for a couple of hours, then I have to attend to a few things that need attending to, then I have to attend another Cissy Wechter reading for her new book. I also have to make the arrangements for our CD release party for The Brain From Planet X, which we’re trying to do on February 26th, the day before the CD streets (preorders, of course, will have shipped long before then), and I also have to start addressing all the envelopes so that once the discs arrive I can just insert the CDs into the packages and get them all shipped.
Have I mentioned that I’m in a mellow mood? I hope it lasts a few days. Tomorrow I have a lot of writing to do and a dinner to attend, same with Thursday and on Friday evening I’m seeing a musical entitled Tip Toes.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, jog, have a work session, sup, attend a reading, and watch a motion picture on DVD. Today’s topic of discussion: I think we’ll do some favorite songs – by decade. So, what are your ten favorite songs from the 60s? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I try to remain in a mellow mood.