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May 12, 2008:

THE FORTUNE COOKIE

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, am I losing my mind or is this month already almost half over? Or are both possibilities possibly possible? I think I’ve been losing my mind for years. You know how I know? The sun comes up – I think about you. The coffee cup? I think about you. I want you so, it’s like I’m losing my mind. What am I, Sally Durant Plummer all of a sudden? In any case, this month is nearly half over and I would just like to ask the following question: What in tarnation happened to the first half? I tell you, it just flew by, like a gazelle eating a tongue sandwich. Speaking of a tongue sandwich, yesterday was a day that was quite lovely all the way around. For example, I woke up. That was quite lovely. I didn’t get much sleep, but still I de-groggified, got gas, then toddled off to our put-in rehearsal. The fellow covering Rod is very prepared and we put him through his paces and he’s going to be just fine. For someone who only gets to do two performances, he’s been more than conscientious, attending many rehearsals, shadowing the actor who’s doing the role, so that when we began today, we really didn’t have to do much of anything. I gave some really minor little notes to a few actors, and then I hung around to say hello to a friend of mine who was coming to the matinee. However, I’d totally forgotten that all the people from the LA Festival of New Musicals were coming, so I ended up staying for the matinee, which was completely full. The audience was really fun and the show moved along at a steady clip and had lots of good laughs throughout. There were some funny ad-libs in the Brain Tap scene (the mark was an older gentleman who was very cute). I had an interesting conversation with one of the heads of the organization about next year’s festival, which I’ll be continuing later this week. I then headed home, had a great drive all the way until Burbank, at which point traffic came to a complete standstill for no reason whatsoever – once we junctioned to the 101 all was well, but it made me late, and I only was home for about three minutes before having to rush off to sup with dear reader Jose and friend Walter Willison at Genghis Cohen.

Last night, I had a lovelier than lovely supper with dear reader Jose and Mr. Walter Willison. I cannot repeat the stories that were told nor the dish that was dished, I can only say that ears must have been burning somewhere. It was really fun, we had lots of laughs, and, most importantly, we had great food – I ordered for the table, and we had the usual Orange Chicken (extra crispy), which was, as always, faboo, garlic chicken, Crackerjack Shrimp, pickles and slaw, vegetable potstickers, and cold sesame noodles. We laughed and laughed and just when we thought we could laugh no more, we laughed again. Then we got our fortune cookies and none of us really cared for what we got, so we got three more fortune cookies and those were better. My two fortunes were: “Buy someone a thoughtful gift of love.” What does that MEAN? Is there love for sale somewhere? And I should buy that as a gift? My second fortune was: “Any doubts you may have will disappear early this month.” I had a few doubts and I’d love them to disappear, so maybe the fortune will come true.

After that, I deposited dear reader Jose in his home territory and I finally went home and sat on my couch like so much fish, where I began watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Easy Living, starring Miss Jean Arthur and Mr. Ray Milland. It’s another screwball comedy directed by Mitchell Leisen and written by soon-to-be-director Preston Sturges. Like Leisen’s Midnight (written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett), I think Easy Living would probably be better had Sturges directed it, too. I actually only saw the first twenty-five minutes or so, before I fell asleep, but I’ll finish it up tonight. What I saw was charming and funny, somewhat forced, but with expert playing – many actors from this film would become part of the Sturges Stock Company.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because fortune cookie fortune says: “You will click on the Unseemly Button and find happiness.”

Today, I must ship about twenty packages, I must do a whole slew of errands and whatnot, I must do some more conforming of the Brain script, and I must do some Nudie Musical work. Then this evening I must attend a little memorial for my schoolmate, Mr. Winston Butler, who passed away last week. The LACCTAA organization will be providing refreshments and I’m hoping to see a lot of people I know there.

As soon as these here notes are posted, I will, as promised, post the list of sale books that several of you have expressed interest in. I simply see no reason to keep these books in boxes in the garage when they could all have nice homes elsewhere. There are some real bargains in this first bunch (this is only three boxes’ worth – there are about twenty more to go) – all books are primo condition first editions in jacket, many are signed, many are the authors’ first books, and there is a small section with a few books that are rarer items, still priced amazingly under what their value is (I mean CHEAP). So, for those who are interested, check ’em out and see if there’s anything you want.

The rest of the week is comprised of writing, entering the new proofer’s fixes, beginning the book design with Mr. Grant Geissman, and many other things.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, ship many packages at the new postal rate, I must do errands and whatnot, and then I must attend a memorial. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Monday, which means it’s The Intitials Gameā„¢, everyone’s favorite Monday divertissement. So, remember, only one name per post, with the names being celebrities, well-known historical figures, sports people, people of note, cartoon characters, etc. And the initials are: B.B. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we – after all, fortune says: “Let’s have loads of lovely postings or else you will be bitch-slapped from here to eternity and hell and back.”

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