Well, dear readers, it could be a big day today. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it could be a big day today. Whether it will or won’t be remains to be seen, but I’m feeling like it could be. As you know, I’ve had a wonderful motor car for eleven years, my beloved Infiniti I30, bought with my first check from selling The Faculty screenplay. Up until two years ago, I had put very little into the car – just the usual service that cars occasionally need, replacing the tires, the battery, and re-doing the breaks. But two years ago I had to do a lot of major work and it cost way too much money and I probably would have been better off trying to get something new back then, rather than pouring that kind of money into an aging car. Most cars are simply not designed to last eleven years, but mine has done well but it’s becoming clear that either I have to get something new or I’ll be sinking yet more dough into it, as the breaks are pretty much gone now, and the battery will need replacing soon. So, I’ve been nosing around and this morning have an appointment at the Glendale Infiniti place. But yesterday, before the helper arrived, I went on the Internet and eBay and did a little comping – trying to see what sorts of deals were out there on new 2009s, which I know they’re trying to get rid of, and pre-owned 2009s and 2008s without huge mileage on them. It wasn’t promising, I’ll say that much. Then on a whim I went to Craig’s List and looked there and there I found a couple of Infiniti G37s that at least were more in the ballpark. And since one of them was located at a small luxury car dealer about five minutes from here, I went and took a look at it. It was in primo condition, so that part was good. So, I went back home, and we addressed all the packages, and while the helper began the long task of filling out the customs forms, I met the owner of the car place. This is one of those little dealers that has people buy luxury cars at auctions or repossessions – that sort of thing, and then sells them at more reasonable prices. This particular car was one they’d gotten in and this fellow had purchased it for his sister, who ended up asking if she could have a BMW instead. She only drove it about a month, and there are only 700 miles on it, and it still smells like a brand new car and certainly drives wonderfully. It’s got the premium package for the stereo and a few other goodies – the only thing it doesn’t really have is the navigation system, which I don’t really care about. It’s sleek black and as close to a new car as you can get without actually being a new car. He told me he has all the documents on the car, a CarFax report (I think you have to have all these things in order to list the car on Craig’s List), the car is under full warranty for four years or 50,000 miles and his price was not unreasonable, and I managed to even get him down a little. I told him I’d call him by noon. I still think I’ll go to Glendale Infiniti, especially armed with the price I have, and see what their new 2009s are going for, and what their pre-owneds are going for, although I don’t think they’ll have anything with this low mileage. So, it’s a big decision day, so please send lots of excellent vibes and xylophones for me to make a good decision and for money to keep coming in, which will be very necessary if I’m to make this purchase. I mean, the good news is I know what I’m owed by the one major dealer, and that is a considerable chunk of change that will be coming in slowly over the next three months. And, of course, as that money comes in, there will be more titles and more money due on those. So, I think I’ll be all right. Part of me just wants to call him in the morning, look at the paperwork he’s got, make sure it’s all up to snuff and then just do it. We shall see.
The addressing and packaging took a little over three hours – it was more complicated than usual, but it all got done, all the postage got put on and everything is ready to go for whenever the CDs arrive, which I’ll hopefully know about this morning. After all that, I made some leftover spaghetti, and that was quite yummilicious. For dessert, I had one chocolate donut, also yummilicious. I’m still full from the spaghetti all these hours later. After that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night I watched a motion picture on the DVR in high definitions entitled Blue Velvet, a film of David Lynch and I was quite in a David Lynch mood after watching The Elephant Man. I first saw Blue Velvet at a screening at the DGA – it was the film’s first real screening and Mr. Lynch was there as were several other luminaries. I was pretty bowled over by it – I’d seen Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, and Dune, but nothing in those films could have prepared me for the weird, sick, and outre world of Blue Velvet. From its opening shots you knew you were in the mind of a singular filmmaker. The performances were mesmerizing, especially Dennis Hopper’s performance as Frank Booth – one of the weirdest and most out there performances every committed to celluloid. Laura Dern was fetching, Kyle MacLachlin was excellent, and every single supporting player was unique, none more so than Dean Stockwell’s little one-scene performance. I’ve only seen the film a couple of times since, both times on DVD. The hi-def broadcast transfer, while not perfect, is miles ahead of the last DVD special edition. And I have to say, I was riveted for every minute of the film. Everything about it is unique, including the wonderful score by Angelo Badalamenti.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I have to get my beauty sleep and ponder the big decision.
Today, in case you haven’t heard, I shall make a big decision – it’s one I have to make now or in a week or three weeks, but make it I must, so don’t forget those excellent vibes and xylophones that everything works out just the way I’d like it to – successfully, with good projects coming to Kritzerland so we can keep money coming in to cover the cost of the new motor car.
Other than that, I’m not doing much. I will have to have a brief and I do mean brief conversation with the author of the long musical, so I can give him my notes on the last six scenes of act one. But I’ve told him that after I do that, then that’s it until after the New Year.
Over the next couple of days, hopefully we’ll ship out the CDs, and I’m having a very belated birthday lunch with dear reader Jeanne. I’m still taking lots of notes for the new book and come Friday, hopefully I shall be able to begin, even it just with a few paragraphs. It’s going to take some getting used to doing something like this and the form is a little different, so I’m just going to dive in and see what’s what. I have to write a short introduction and then a prologue before the book proper begins. Of course, I’m hoping we have our usual full house for our New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Bash right here at haineshisway.com. It’s the most fun partay on all the Internet.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora or the monkey, for today is the birthday of dear reader Julie. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader Julie. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER JULIE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, make a big decision and hopefully purchase a new motor car, and that will be the bulk of the day, methinks. Today’s topic of discussion: What were your personal highlights for the year we like to call 2009? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I get ready to make the big decision.