Well, dear readers, 2011 is almost a thing of the past and 2012 is almost with us, and so perhaps I shall take a fond look back at this year, which has been one of the busiest I’ve ever had. Yes, there were annoyances, yes there were frustrations, yes, I got a little more annoyed than I ever should, yes, I’ll try to do better next year, yes, my patience was put to the test, yes I failed that test several times, but other times I actually managed to remain patient and that is a big thing for me, and yes, most of the year was filled with wonderful projects, wonderful people and a whole slew of interesting things.
I wrote my eleventh book, I directed and created an act for one of the youngest, if not THE youngest, person to ever do a solo cabaret act, and the doing of the act and the knowing of the performer and her parents were perhaps the most fun and gratifying thing of the year, save for the book. I did twelve Kritzerland at the Gardenia shows, I staged and helped put together an act for Linda Purl and Gregory Harrison, I wrote six episodes of a new web series and then shot them and that experience has been wildly wacky and wonderful, my first time behind the camera in many moons and oh how I loved being back there. The reaction to the first four episodes has been amazing and has made me feel very good. I did my first out of town celebrity signing show – in Chicago. I had many good meals with many good friends, met lots of new and interesting folks, have had people enrich my life, have issued twenty-four (or something like it) CDs on Kritzerland, restored The First Nudie Musical for Blu and Ray, which became Kritzerland’s first Blu-ray title, directed a new musical revue called Lost and Unsung, based on my Lost In Boston and Unsung Musicals albums and that was really fun, too, and I was also its narrator – very fun to be back on the boards.
It was a very good year for Kritzerland – sales were probably not quite as robust (well, they’re never really robust) as the year prior, but the titles we issued this year were some of my favorites – releasing three Dave Grusin scores (and hearing from a very nice Mr. Grusin), releasing The Counterfeit Traitor by Alfred Newman, releasing no less than five Elmer Bernstein scores, including the complete version of one of his masterpieces, Summer and Smoke, doing several show reissues, as well as issuing our first big new Broadway cast album, The People In The Picture. I barely have room to breathe with all these releases but I do love doing them and I love writing the liner notes, too.
I’ve worked with some amazing people this year and look forward to working with many more amazing people next year and if the first Kritzerland cast is anything to go by, it should be a fine year in that regard. The casts of Outside The Box were fantastic and I adored people like Beth Leavel and Brad Oscar and Barry Pearl and Sandy Rosenberg and Gregory Harrison and Alet and Andy Taylor and Matt Ashford and Jason Graae and everyone else who appeared. Grant Geissman wrote a wonderful theme for the show, too.
We recorded a track or two for an eventual Skip Kennon album and got to work with the beautiful Rebecca Luker and Judy Kuhn. Grant completed his work on four Guy Haines tracks so I’m hoping we can finally get this new CD done in the upcoming year. I decided on my next book and have been making notes on same for the last few weeks. I have actually now had the same helper for almost nine months and it’s great to have someone consistent and reliable. Even though we’ve always been friendly, this year has been a wonderful one for seeing and being with Richard Sherman and his lovely wife Elizabeth. One of the treats of the year was doing an evening of my own songs at the Kritzerland Gardenia show to celebrate the Blu and Ray Nudie release. And having Mr. Sherman there as well as the legendary Mike Stoller, and having them both be so effusive with their praise of the songs – well, it made me feel grander than grand.
This was the year when I decided I really do not enjoy traveling right now, especially for longer than a couple of days. There were several deaths that saddened me this year, especially the recent death of our very own Susan Gordon. I’d like everyone not to die, please.
I saw many motion pictures this year, and more new ones than usual. I saw more theater this year than I have in several years, and I do enjoy that. I took part in a tribute/benefit to the memory of Michelle Nicastro and that was very moving and I’m lucky I got through my song without losing it. And, of course, this here website and discussion board continues to feed my soul and fill it with wonder and warmth – the greatest collection of wacky and wonderful misfits anywhere on all the Internet.
I’m sure there were other things I’m forgetting to mention and if I think of them I’ll write about them over the next few days – if you think of them then remind me.
Yesterday, I was awakened by the telephonic device at six in the morning – it was the senior tech from Apple. I got up and within a few short minutes he’d isolated the printer problem (it’s so helpful to have a tech who actually knows whereof he speaks) and that’s all working fine now. He also helped me with the migration from Mobile Me to iCloud, so that’s now done. I also have his direct line so any other problems I’m going directly to him. After that, I went back to bed, but didn’t fall back asleep until about eight-thirty, and then she of the Evil Eye arrived at nine. I did the four-mile jog, then went to Jerry’s Deli for some matzo brei. That began a food nightmare scenario that will keep me away from Jerry’s for several days. They were out of matzo brei – I then ordered two scoops of egg salad, some cole slaw, and a toasted bagel. The toasted bagel did not seem very fresh, nor did the cream cheese. After about five bites of the egg salad and having my teeth crunch down on egg shells – that made me want to vomit on the ground. I took one bite of the cole slaw, which was rancid-tasting. I had them take all of it away and bring me some onion rings. Those, too, were the worst tasting onion rings I’ve ever had – I ate about five small ones in the hope that I might actually find one that tasted good. They didn’t charge me for anything, and I left my nice waitress a three-dollar tip.
I came home and ate an apple, trying to get that foul taste out of my mouth. It helped a little but not enough. I then picked up two packages, came home, had a singer pick up their music, then got Apple on the phone and set up a new account for the new owner of the old computer. Once the new account was set up with her as admin, they had me delete my account, which deleted all my folders, photos, and iTunes stuff – pretty much wiping clean the hard drive, which now has only a few kilobytes of stuff of the four hundred gigs of space. It’s all shiny and clean and ready for its new owner now. I also transferred the Apple Care to her name, although there’s only three months left on it. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Branded To Kill, another weird film from director Seijun Suzuki. Actually, weird doesn’t quite do it for this film – it’s one of the strangest movies ever made and I quite like it for its quirkiness and off-kilter imagery and odd plotting. The leading actor looks like he has wads of food in each side of his mouth, making his cheeks protrude like a chipmunk. The transfer is really nice – nothing like black-and-white scope.
After that, I finally went out and got a decent meal the the Daily Grill in the City of Studio. As I walked past Louise’s Trattoria (located in the same little strip mall) I was shocked to see they’d closed down after twenty years of being one of the most popular jernts in the neighborhood. At the Grill I had their small chopped salad with vinaigrette dressing and a side of mac and cheese, which was really yummilicious. Then I came home, answered some e-mails and that was my day and that was my night. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really must get my beauty sleep.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then I’ll do the four-mile jog, then I have to give some CDs to someone, then I have some errands and whatnot to do, hopefully some packages to pick up, and then I’ll come back and do some writing on episode five of season two. Since I know how the set-up scene works for that episode (it’s not going to start with a phone call) I can actually write the entire episode. I will also attempt to start some liner notes. Then at five-thirty I meet up with the new owner of the old computer – we’ll have dinner, and then we’ll set the computer up and get it all working properly.
Tomorrow, I have a few things to do and then I’ll try to get as much relaxing in as I can and the same goes for Saturday. Saturday night I will be right here for our Annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve partay – be there or be round. Sunday is, of course, the start of a brand New Year and will be the start of a brand New Book, a New Year’s Day partay at Barry Pearl’s, and a four-mile jog to ring in the New Year.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, give someone some CDs, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up some packages, write, dine, and then set-up the old computer for the new owner. Today’s topic of discussion: What were your favorite things that happened this year, to you personally? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as 2011 moves closer to 2012.