Well, dear readers, I am on an aeroplane on my way back to Los Angeles, California after a lovelier than lovely whirlwind stay in New York, New York, the city that never sleeps. I actually managed to get a pretty good night’s sleep before my early arising. I’d asked the car service to make sure the car was there at least five minutes early. It wasn’t. Nor was it there at the exact time I’d booked it for, nor was it there three minutes later. I kept being assured that it was two blocks away, but I didn’t care – I just got in a cab and was to the airport twenty-five minutes later. The car company will be hearing from me again when I’m back home. But that was the only hiccup. The line was short for security and that whole process took only ten minutes. We boarded on time, but because JFK is one of the worst run airports anywhere, we took off thirty minutes late. But we’ll be arriving on time, so no harm done. To be continued.
Continued. Behind me on the aeroplane was an Oriental family with a baby and a young son – the noisiest, most ill behaved children and, of course, the parents just coddle them. The baby cried for three-and-a-half hours of the four-and-a-half hour trip. He fell asleep for the last hour – how thoughtful of him. The young son kept walking up to my chair and staring at me and then would do the same to others. The two Oriental girls next to me were even more annoyed and kept shooting nasty glances to the Oriental family. We arrived about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule and my car was there to meet me and whisked me back to home sweet home. I looked through the mail, opened a couple of packages, answered a lot of e-mails, and then went and had some bacon and eggs at Jerry’s Deli – they were very happy to see me. After that, I did a couple of errands and whatnot and then returned to home sweet home. I printed out the orders that had come in during my trip, and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish, which is exactly what I needed to do.
Yesterday, I watched three count them three motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Man On A String, starring Ernest Borgnine and featuring a very young Colleen Dewhurst. It’s one of those commie double agent jingoistic films that were all the rage in the 1950s. It is funny that the Russian double agents are portrayed as horrible, disgusting people, but the US double agents are noble, country-loving people. Director Andre de Toth keeps it all moving right along and Mr. Borgnine is always excellent. And a very good score by Mr. George Duning. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled The Reflection of Fear, directed by the cameraman William Fraker. He was a great cameraman and not a very good director and this film is very weird, but features a nice performance by Sondra Locke, and okay performances by Robert Shaw and Mary Ure (the roles are strictly from nothingsville). As a curio it was fun to see. I then did a mile and a half jog (it was 100 degrees out) and then I watched the third motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Synanon, starring Alex Cord, Stella Stevens, Chuck Connors, Edmond O’Brien, Richard Conte, and lots of other good actors, including an old pal, Richard Evans, who’s really wonderful in it. The film is about – you guessed it – Synanon, which was one of the first drug rehab centers with practices that today would be frowned upon, but they had to start somewhere. The film was directed by Richard Quine, whose films from that era I quite enjoyed, plus it was shot on location in 1965 Santa Monica (at the real Synanon) so there are wonderful shots of the Santa Monica Pier, the seedy neighborhood that is now the Third Street Promenade, and that alone makes it worth seeing. The performances are terrific, and the score by Neal Hefti is great. These were all Sony Movie on Demand DVDrs, but the transfers were all fine.
After that, I was movied out, so I got everything ready for this morning’s announcement, took a shower, and then began these here notes. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it’s so nice to be home sweet home and I’m so looking forward to sleeping in my nice, warm bed.
Today, I shall be up at six in the morning to announce the new Kritzerland title. Then I’ll hopefully print out a LOT of orders. At nine, the helper arrives as do CDs and we’ll get everything shipped out by noon. Then I must get the motor car washed, and then at three we have a three-hour rehearsal for the Gardenia show, which I’m very much looking forward to. After that, I may or may not have a dinner meeting. I also have some errands and whatnot to do and hopefully I’ll pick up a package or three.
Tomorrow, I may or may not go to visit Sam Bobrick to hear the new version of the show we’re working on. Then I’ve got other meetings and meals to have, plus another rehearsal come Friday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, announce our new title, hopefully print out a LOT of orders, ship CDs, have a rehearsal, and maybe have a dinner meeting with a singer. Today’s topic of discussion: What’s the longest period of time you’ve ever been away from home? And what were you doing that kept you away? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I enjoy being home sweet home and sleeping in my own big comfy bed.