Well, dear readers, first of all, to all our Jewish hainsies/kimlets a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, filled with only good things on rye bread. I, of course, am having dinner with a blonde shiksa. Go know. In honor of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, I had a spicy Eyetalian Subway sandwich last night. I felt very Jewish because there was salami on the sandwich. In my family, which was Jewish in case you didn’t know, we always had salami – those who’ve read Benjamin Kritzer know all about the hanging salami and how our family ate it. Those who haven’t read Benjamin Kritzer can just remain in the dark until they do. In fact, I’m still full from my Eyetalian sandwich even as I write these here notes. I had a longer than expected day yesterday and some unexpected drama about halfway through it. I didn’t get up quite early enough to do the jog. In fact, I barely got my errands done before I had to be on my way to our vocal session for the demo of the long musical. First up, was Miss Sharon McNight. We did her solo first. I truly adore Sharon McNight and she’s very fast and smart and one doesn’t have to say more than a few words to her to get exactly what one wants. Then we did a duet with Sharon and another gal. Both took longer than I’d wished they had, which had a little to do with everyone talking over each other (not the actors), and the just getting used to the mics and the sound and the track. Plus, the singers had really only had one rehearsal. So, it took almost two hours to do the two songs – they really should have been done in about forty minutes. Then we began the other four numbers and each took longer than necessary, but ultimately we got what we needed and the vocals are very good indeed and I really enjoyed working with everyone. The drama had to do with my iPhone, which just stopped working. I was checking some e-mails and it literally just shut off and was kaput. Nothing I did would get it to come to life. It was deader than a dead herring in the moonlight. Frankly, it had been acting most peculiar for the last three weeks. I’d have full signal, I’d make a call, and then I’d go to make another call and it was frozen and wouldn’t do anything, call-wise, and so I’d have to power down and power up to make another call. So, I think something somehow got wonky somewhere. I didn’t get home until almost six (after stopping at the mail place – the little book gifts had arrived, and so after my signing I’ll be packaging up the book orders and taking them to the postal office), and I immediately called Apple Care. I got a nice gal on the phone, but she really didn’t seem to know too much about the iPhone troubleshooting. We tried a few things, and she kept asking me if the battery had been completely dead. I told her no, it had been almost full, so I knew it couldn’t be that. In any case, nothing she asked me to do worked, so she made me an appointment at the Apple Store, so I could have it replaced. The first appointment was on Monday in the early evening. Well, I wasn’t about to do that, so I went to the Apple Store, which was pretty empty, got a salesperson who was smart and helpful, and he got the phone to power up by pushing down the little circle button and the power button at the same time. One of the experts at the Genius Bar suggested doing a system restore when I got home, and that is indeed what I did, so hopefully everything will now be fine and dandy and also dandy and fine.
I really wasn’t in the mood to watch anything, so instead I read the thirty-page contract that arrived, the contract for our upcoming release of a much-desired cast album. I must say, the contract is daunting and not nearly as friendly as the MGM contract. I’m going to have to read it very carefully, and then ask some questions, and then I have all sorts of forms to fill out – it really is going to take three to four months to get to the point where we can announce the title. Meanwhile, we’ve got plenty of other stuff to do. I was also invited to go to Las Vegas for a couple of days at the beginning of October, and because the flight and the room is cheaper than cheap (unbelievable, really), I may see if I can swing the trip. It really depends on what CDs are coming out and being announced. We shall see.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it’s the New Year on rye bread, and I, for one, am hoping that it’s a wonderful, healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year for all.
Today, I shall be getting up very early, definitely doing the long jog, picking up a Parsienne Cake from Gelson’s, rehearsing the two selections I’ll be reading from the new book, and then I shall be on my way to my reading/signing for Murder At The Hollywood Historical Society at Mystery and Imagination Books. I’m hoping for a decent-sized crowd, but the store did not do anything for this signing – no eBlast at all, and nothing on their website, so I don’t think I’ll be getting any of their customers. I’m not so thrilled about it, but what can you do? Usually they’re very on top of that, so I don’t know why they dropped the ball this time. In any case, I’m really looking forward to it.
After the signing, I shall come home, package up books (I’m hoping Mr. Cason Murphy will follow me back to the home environment to help me do so), and then I’ll be supping with a shiksa. After supping with said shiksa, I shall come home and sit on my couch like so much exhausted fish.
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 and the Monkey, because today is the birthday of our very own beloved dear reader elmore. Hard to believe I’ve known him now for close to twenty years. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own beloved dear reader elmore. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BELOVED DEAR READER ELMORE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, do a couple of errands and whatnot, do a reading/signing, have dinner with a shiksa, and eat some cake. Today’s topic of discussion: When you were a child what was your all-time favorite dessert at dinnertime? I know what mine was – chocolate pudding. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I get ready for my signing/reading on this very happy, healthy, and prosperous Jewish New Year on rye.