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February 1, 2009:

FEBRUARY WITH AN R

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I cannot believe it. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, cannot believe it. What is that I cannot believe? Well, I’ll tell you what I cannot believe because why should I keep such things from the likes of you dear readers? I cannot believe that it is February. Why only yesterday it seemed like it was January. Of course, yesterday it WAS January, so that explains that. In any case, let us welcome February with open arms and closed toes. Let us say “Come in February, make yourself at home, and bring only lovely things to each and every one of us.” January was actually a very nice month, with only a couple of hiccups. So, I’m hoping we have an equally very nice February sans even the couple of hiccups. I actually don’t know that I’ve ever had a January quite like this one – it was one of the busiest Januarys that I’ve ever had, but I like busy so I was completely jiggy with it. Speaking of jiggy, yesterday was a nice little day. I got up early, did the long jog early, and then spent three hours in the editing room with my editor, watching his rough cut of the Kevin and Sean show. We got through about two-thirds of act one; finessing, swapping out shots, and making notes about where the pickups will be inserted (we did a series of pickups at the end of the show to cover some fumfers). It’s looking pretty good and I see no reason that we won’t ultimately release it on DVD, that is if the sound mix comes out the way I’m hoping it will. That’s the one unknown at this point. After the editing session, I went to the mail place where there was no mail. I got a Subway spicy Eyetalian sandwich for lunch and took it home, where I ate the whole thing up. I then revised the writing I’d done the day before, and then wrote about four pages over the course of the next couple of hours. I then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Cannery Row, starring Mr. Nick Nolte and Miss Debra Winger. When I first saw Cannery Row on cable way back when, I was quite taken with it. I thought it was very amusing and thought the performances were wonderful. Seeing it now after all these years, I wasn’t quite as enamored with it – it’s all just a little too precious. That said, it’s still very enjoyable and it has some really wonderful moments. The narration, spoken by John Huston (and mostly Steinbeck) is fantastic and occasionally laugh out loud funny. Mr. Nolte is terrific, and Miss Winger is pure magic. The supporting cast is very good, too, especially Audra Lindley. The film looks very good, courtesy of Sven Nykvist. But director David S. Ward (the writer of The Sting), just has no sense of pace or rhythm (although the jitterbug scene is great) and lets the film run on for two solid hours, which is about twenty minutes too long. But the film has its heart in the right place and if you haven’t seen it and can rent or get a copy cheap, I recommend it. The transfer is fine. I had no idea that Steinbeck’s Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday were also the source material for the Rodgers and Hammerstein show, Pipe Dream. I’ll have to give that a listen sometime soon.

After the movie, I took a hot shower and as frequently happens I got inspired and then afterwards wrote three more pages. I’m now well into the final section of the book – probably another sixty pages to go.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because, like Liza With A Z, it is February With An R.

Today, I shall do the long jog, then write about three pages, then print out said pages, Xerox said pages, and deliver them to muse Margaret for her mental delectation. Other than that, I have absolutely no plans and I intend to keep it that way.

I have several work sessions this week – with the composer and lyricist of the long musical, with Sean McDermott and his pianist John Randall, more editing, and a bunch of meetings, plus trying to write six or seven or eight pages a day. Plus I’ll be meeting with Mr. David Wechter to go over our now completed new draft of The First Nudie Musical. His additions have been very helpful – we still have to smooth out some things and I have to do just a little rewriting of some of his new scenes where the voice isn’t quite right, but basically it’s a much stronger theater piece now. And then I’ll be setting a date for our staged reading, either late this month or the first week of March.

All right, then, 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 boogaloo, because today we have not only one but two count them two birthdays to celebrate. The first birthday to celebrate is our very own brilliant Radio Host, Mr. Donald Feltham. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own brilliant Radio Host, Mr. Donald Feltham. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BRILLIANT RADIO HOST, MR. DONALD FELTHAM!!! Our next birthday boy is our very own dear reader Kerry. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own lovelier than lovely dear reader Kerry. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN LOVELIER THAN LOVELY DEAR READER KERRY!!!

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, write, print, Xerox, deliver pages to muse Margaret, eat something amusing, and watch a DVD or three. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we give a warm and wonderful welcome to February With An R.

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