Well, dear readers, let’s face the fact: I do not like change. There, I’ve said it and I’m glad. I do not like change. There, I’ve said it again and I’m still glad. So, imagine my surprise when I met dear reader Jeanne for lunch at my beloved Dolores Coffee Shop in West Los Angeles. Everything seemed fine and dandy and also dandy and fine until I saw the menu. It wasn’t the usual Dolores menu that they’ve been using a variation of for fifty=something years. No, this was a brand new menu. So, I opened it, looking for my usual beloved Jumbo Jim cheeseburger. Only there was no Jumbo Jim cheeseburger. There was something that resembled a Jumbo Jim cheeseburger called Our Famous Burger or some such nonsense, but it most certainly was not the Jumbo Jim. The Jumbo Jim, like the Big Boy, has three pieces of bun and two very thin patties. The Our Famous Burger has two pieces of bun and one very thick (VERY thick) patty. The waitress saw that I was agitated and said it was basically the same but not. She told me that the “special sauce” was, in fact, their famous and beloved Z sauce. So, I ordered it. I then asked for my beloved Susie-Q french fries. She informed me that those were now seasoned. I informed her that I was aghast at the notion that they’d not only mucked about with the Jumbo Jim, but also with the Susie-Q french fries. I ordered them, and some extra Z sauce. The burger was awful – a thick patty in a Jumbo Jim doesn’t work – it’s too much – it’s too heavy – it’s gross. The Z sauce tasted a little different, too, as if they’d added sugar to it. Not good. And the Susie-Q french fries were half the amount they used to give and not good. Obviously, Dolores has come under new ownership and the new ownership has made a disastrous mistake. People come to Dolores for the Jumbo Jim – it’s what they’re known for. They don’t come for some Our Famous Burger or seasoned Susie-Qs – they come for what they know. It would be like walking into Bob’s Big Boy and not having a Big Boy burger on the menu – it’s just wrong. And, needless to say, I shan’t be going back there ever again. So, to reiterate: I do not like change. Which reminds me of the old joke – a pickpocket was caught removing coins from a woman’s purse. When the policeman asked him why he did that, the thief said, “I thought the change would do me good.” And we’ll be right back.
Otherwise, the day was perfectly fine and friendly and I had no complaints. I did do the long jog in the morning, then lunched and it was very nice seeing dear reader Jeanne again. I think LA is already agreeing with her, and believe me you want to agree with dear reader Jeanne because she will poke your eye out if you don’t. After that, I came home, did some errands and whatnot, picked up a package and that was that. Oh, and I do not like change.
Last night, I watched the most marvelously marvelous Blu and Ray, a region-free import from Japan. It’s a 25th anniversary concert with Joe Hisaishi conducting all his Studio Ghibli scores with a 200 piece orchestra and a 200 member choir (adults and kids) as well as some solo singers. They show clips from the films as he’s conducting, and the sound is mind-boggling, and his music is so moving and beautiful and I cannot recommend this highly enough. For those without Blu-Ray, it’s also available on DVD. I sat there so happy just letting all that magnificent music and magnificent sound wash over me like a warm summer day with watermelon and hummingbirds and a mint julep. I don’t know what that means, but I LIKE it.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because we’ve just gone live with Topkapi and I have to now do an hour’s worth of letting people know about it.
May I just say: I do not like change. Dolores, we hardly knew ye. And we won’t be knowing ye anymore. Finito and ciao.
Today, I have to do the long jog, then I have to do a bunch of errands and whatnot, do some work on a new song (maybe replacing a Nudie song), and I must make several important telephonic calls. After that, I’m supposed to go to a screening of the Johnny Depp gangster movie, but I’m beginning to think I might get out of it. We’ll see how I feel.
Tomorrow will be book design day, and I’m beside myself with excitement. I will, of course, have a full report for you. Not sure what I’ll do about food, but since Grant lives near Hamburger Hamlet, there could just be some of their yummilicious nachos in store for me.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, do errands and whatnot, work on a new song, and either get out of seeing a movie or see the movie, not necessarily in that order. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, the new Kritzerland release, Topkapi. Blu-Ray player – Field Of Dreams. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and do try to remember that I do not like change.