Well, dear readers, this week has flown by, like a gazelle eating a sand dab. Yesterday was quite a busy little day. I got up very early to announce the new Kritzerland release. Then the Elmer Gantry CDs arrived and I packaged them up and got them to the post office, leaving only the big orders to do today. I then had a lunch meeting with the delightful writers Sam Bobrick and Ron Clark. After that, I came home and proofed about twenty-five pages. I had a few telephonic calls, printed out lots of orders, and prepared all the big shipments. Then Mr. Barry Pearl picked me up and off we went to North Hollywood, California. We went to a little Philly Cheesesteak jernt that he likes. I’d only eaten there a couple of times and hadn’t loved it, but I had a small Philly Cheesesteak sandwich and it was very good. I’d only had the Louise’s Original salad for lunch, so even though I was very full, I think I wasn’t too too terrible in terms of calories. It was fun catching up and then we walked over to the NoHo Arts Theater to see the Interact Theatre Company’s production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Since it was their first and last preview, I don’t really want to comment on the production, which is still shaking down its rough edges. I will say I found the show a little odd – it wants to have it all, so all of a sudden deep into act one they begin throwing in self-referential jokes about the fact that we’re watching a musical, and it just negates everything. Some shows can do that if they set up the conceit – this comes out of nowhere, and it continues in act two. You either obey the laws of the universe you create or you lose the audience, and boy did this show lose me. I will also say that I’d bet that it was a very funny evening on Broadway, with excellent farceurs such as John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz, Greg Jbara, and Joanna Gleason. Here the actors, at least at this point in time, aren’t quite up to the task, but I’m sure they’ll settle into their roles as they play. I found the score very repetitious and got very tired of the endless underscoring for scenes, like it was a movie. All that said, there are some enjoyable things in the show and I wish I’d seen it on Broadway.
After the show, we ran into writer David Landsberg and we chatted with him for a while. Then I came home to another thirty orders, which sold out our new release in about eighteen hours.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below and whilst we’re doing it can we discuss the sort of mind that came up with the name sand dab. Who would name a fish sand dab, and, more importantly, why? In fact, I want to know who was responsible for naming a fish scrod, cod, tuna, crab – I mean these names did not appear out of thin or even fat air. Let’s have the history of fish names, shall we? Do your work and report.
Did you know, for example, that the only time I’ve ever been fishing that all I caught was – a sand dab. I’ve eaten sand dabs, too. Musso and Frank serves a mean sand dab, but I prefer a nice sand dab with a sense of humor – who needs a mean sand dab? They get really nasty and hurl vile epithets and invective. What the HELL am I talking about? This is what happens when you’ve been up since six in the morning.
Today, Mr. Cason Murphy will arrive at ten and we’ll get all the big orders to the post office and the UPS Store. Then we’re going to the storage facility to look for my memorabilia boxes, which I hope aren’t buried too deeply. After that, I’ll probably grab a bite to eat, and then I’ll decide if I want to go to the book fair this afternoon and tonight rather than tomorrow. We’ll see how I’m feeling.
Tomorrow, I’ll either go to the book fair or The Hollywood Show, and after whichever, I’ll be meeting dear reader Jeanne for an early dinner. Sunday will be more of the same, and, of course, I’ll also be reading and proofing over the weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, ship packages, eat, proof and read, and them maybe mosey on down to the book fair. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, various and sundried soundtrack recordings. Blu-Ray, Kurosawa’s Ran. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and don’t forget to post your revelations about where fish names came from.