Well, dear readers, I have important news for you: My firmware has been updated. I, for one, feel so much better now that my firmware has been updated, and I do hope that all your various and sundried firmwares can be updated, too. It gives one such a sense of elation having one’s firmware updated, and now I am firm and am deciding what to wear and where to wear it. You know, if anyone has a clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about, do let us know. I didn’t actually know that my firmware was out of date, but these days I find that most everything about me is out of date. What exactly IS firmware anyway? All I know is that my computer said that my firmware needed to be upgraded and that I should write down the instructions and then follow them to the letter. I followed them all the way to the letter R then I got bored and I suggested that the letter follow me for a change. In any case, I had to shut all applications. I had to shut down the computer and then hold the power button until an Unseemly loud noise issued forth, and then I had to take my finger off the power button. Then the update began and as I watched the status bar I began to wish that I had a power button – you know, a button I could push that would give all power to me. Then the computer restarted and I was told that my firmware had updated successfully. I danced the Hora and ate some almonds and dried cherries. Speaking of almonds and dried cherries, yesterday was a nice day filled with figuring out the details of how I’m going to ship all these CDs in nine days. I got up early after only four hours of sleep, and I shipped a few orders. The lady at the postal office told me that I could do all the postage and stuff online. That did not turn out to be the case. The only thing you can do online is stuff like Express Mail and Priority Mail, but you cannot do first class mail. Not very sporting if you ask me. I then had visions of me showing up at the post office with hundreds of little cardboard boxes and standing there while they did postage for each and every one – it would, in fact, take days. I then remembered that we had a postage machine at a little label I created and thankfully I remembered the name of the company that supplied it – Pitney Bowes – and I called them and they got me all set up so that I’ll never have to endure standing on line at the post office again. They’re sending me a digital postage machine that has a built-in scale, and it can link (via computer) to the USPS site if you want to add delivery confirmation to your order. It’s all really simple, so I’m glad that’s all taken care of. I now have to purchase 1000 cardboard mailers, which are not cheap, oh, no, they are not cheap. But they’re about the same as the padded envelopes I’ve always used, but these can hold up to four CDs and they’re a lot sturdier. Once I have boxes in hand (I’m ordering them tomorrow and it takes one or two days to get here), then I’ll have people come next week and begin the task of getting them all addressed. Then, when CDs are in, they’ll come back and package everything up and we’ll all lug big bags of them over to the post office loading dock and that will be that. That took up most of the day, and then it was time to toddle off to the Heim of Ana for a meal and rehearsal.
We took our usual route but got a slightly late start. There was a rough patch, but otherwise it was fine. We decided to dine at The Cheesecake Factory. I had a tiny bit of Caesar salad, and my favorite bowtie pasta with chicken, peas, light cream sauce, pancetta, onions, and roasted garlic. It was quite yummilicious.
We then went to have our designer run-through. I worked with our Fred and Joyce, who’d missed rehearsal the night before, and we worked on some specific beats and then it was time to begin. I hadn’t met our lighting designer and he seems like a really on the ball guy and I think he’ll do a great job. Our sound guy was there, as well as our costume designer and her assistant, as well as some staff from the Chance. The detail work we’d done the night before on act one paid off nicely, and it actually ran very smoothly, albeit about six minutes longer than it should have. Yes, there are still things to fix and work on, but there were lots of laughs and it was good for the company to hear them – it really energized everyone. Act two, which, in fairness to all concerned, we hadn’t run in over a week and hadn’t done any detail or cleaning work, wasn’t as good – we had a few missed entrances, missed scene changes, flubbed lines and stuff, but even with that there were still nice laughs and we got through it all without having to stop, which was a very good thing. Considering the amount of choreography the cast had to learn in only two days and one evening, they did a great, great job. So, we’ll now spend a few hours doing to act two what we’d done to act one. Afterwards, I had a chat with the lighting designer and we’re very much on the same page in terms of the feeling of the piece. I then headed home, where I immediately sat on my chair like so much fish and began these here notes.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because frankly my firmware has been updated and I’m feeling really good about it.
Today, of course, is my day off, but not really. This morning I’ll be going to do a little work with Mr. Kevin Spirtas (who just got a nice gig on One Life To Live) and Mr. Sean McDermott. I’ll probably be there for an hour or so, then the rest of the day is mine all mine. I’ll order CD boxes, and print out the latest orders, and try to relax. In the evening, I’m seeing some play at the John Anson Ford Theater – I will, of course, have a full report for you.
Tomorrow, we’ll start with act two and do detail work and cleanup and then we’ll do a run-through – I’ll decide whether it will be a start and stop run, or a non-stop run. Sunday we’ll do two run-throughs – one stop and start, one straight through.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must for example, rehearse with Mr. Spirtas and Mr. McDermott, I must order boxes, I must sup, I must see a play, and I must try and get some sleep. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, several Japanese import Bill Evans CDs, all marvelous. The best of this batch is Bill Evans From Left to Right, where he plays both piano and an early electric piano – great songs, and charts by composer Michael Leonard, he of The Yearling. DVD, next up, Daisy Kenyon. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all admire our new updated firmware.