Well, dear readers, the journey continues and I’m now in the year 1996. I thought I was in the year 2012 and yet I am also in the year 1996. My plan is to cover the years 1996 and 1997 in about forty to fifty pages, and then the same for 1998 and 1999. That way I’ll have plenty of pages left for the creation and downfall of a label. Since it’s no longer necessary to go into huge detail about most of the albums, I actually get to talk about a few other things, which is fun. For at least two-thirds of the albums I did from 1996 until I left, a few lines about each will more than suffice. But when I get to something interesting, where an album had something new about it, like A Broadway Love Story or Laurie Beechman’s No One Is Alone, then I’ll spend as many pages as I need to discussing why those were different. So far it’s really been fascinating to revisit some of this stuff – it really was a time we’re never going to have again, and in that way it mirrors There’s Mel.
Yesterday, I had an early morning telephonic conversation with the East Coast singer, then I got up and began finessing the previous day’s writing. That took quite some time, as I added two brand new things within those pages. Then I wrote four new pages, after which I went to the Studio Café to have a Belgian waffle and an Armenian Egg. Only kidding about the Armenian egg – I had one of their scrambles – bacon, egg, and onions. All of it was very filling and very yummilicious. And once again, Mr. Ed Asner was there. This must have become his hangout at some point. Then I went to the mail place, where I picked up a nice package. Then I came home and began the major part of the writing day. I wrote from two till six and got twenty-three pages done in total. After that I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, instead of a Maigret movie, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled La Piscine (The Swimming Pool), a French film from France, directed by Jacques Deray, and starring the impossibly beautiful people known as Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, and Jane Birkin. The film, which the packaging tells us is a slow-burn thriller is, in fact, a slow-burn with almost no thriller. There is a murder, but it doesn’t happen until eighty-five minutes into the film and then there are no thrills whatsoever. There’s no suspense so how this is a thriller, slow-burn or otherwise is anyone’s guess. What it is is a lusciously photographed color film featuring a good cast and a story that doesn’t exactly grab you by the seat of your pants. It just ambles along with little drama, and then it’s over. Still, the cast looks great all sun-tanned and in their bathing dresses and the music by Michel Legrand is great. The transfer is fantastic, and, as an extra, we’re given the American version of the film – they shot each scene twice – once in French, once in English and the actors do their own voices.
After that, I did some organizing in the book room, played on the computer, pulled all the albums that have a 1996 copyright, found their release dates, then had some soup and a small piece of fudge and that was about it.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get as much beauty sleep as possible before she of the Evil Eye arrives.
Today, I shall be up early, I shall do a three or four-mile jog, I will try to finesse, then I’ll do errands and whatnot until she of the Evil Eye is gone, after which I’ll try to write a couple of pages. Then I attend a matinee of Noises Off, then have an early supper, after which I’ll come right home. I will then write as many pages as I can, but at seven-thirty I have to go to a birthday party, although I’ll only stay there about thirty minutes. Then I’ll come home again and write the remainder of the day’s pages.
Tomorrow, I will try to finesse in the morning, then I’m judging a singing contest at Vitello’s, after which I’ll come directly home and write the day’s pages. Next week will be a week of writing, plus trying to cast the new episodes of the web series. I can’t really do anything about scheduling the shoots until I’m finished with the book – that’s where my focus and concentration has to be. But I am getting the music to our musical director so the charts will be ready, and once I finish the book, we’ll get everything scheduled pretty quickly. New episodes won’t start airing until late April, so we have plenty of time.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a three or four-mile jog, I must finesse, I must write, I must see a matinee, I must sup, I must write, I must briefly attend a birthday bash, I must write, and I must relax. Today’s topic of discussion: When was the first time you were ever on the Internet? What did you do the first time you were on the Internet? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland in 2012 even though I’m also in 1996.