Well, dear readers, it is Friday. See, I can write a coherent sentence that isn’t about proofing. And yet, I don’t really have much else to write about these days, because proofing has been the order of the day. The good news is that I spent a lot of yesterday doing it and I’m down to the last two chapters and the outroduction, so I should be finished this morning. I’m sure there’ll be something we’ve all missed, but it’s happened to the biggest and the best, author-wise. I found some more em dash things, a few more bad breaks, and a couple of other tiny adjustments to words. The only real error I found in the 140 pages I proofed yesterday was a singular that should have been a plural – that kind of thing is almost impossible to catch, but I’m going very slowly and carefully so catch it I did.
I was up at eight-thirty thanks to a spider crawling on my face. That sucker was dead in three seconds flat. That just creeped me out, frankly. I got up, did a little proofing, answered some e-mails, did some proofing, then went to eat some bacon and eggs. I forgot to bring my phone, so I actually proofed the entire time I was there. Normally, whilst I’m actually eating, I just play on the phone, then proof after. Then I picked up a few packages, then came home and spent most of the afternoon proofing. At some point, I took a break and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched two more episodes of Downton Abbey and both were superb. The writing was very strong, and a couple of the plot things that were getting tiresome were not belabored here, so that was good. However, I still wish they’d let poor Bates and Anna just be happy without piling on the endless drama. So, I have one episode left and then the Christmas special. It’s fascinating that a Masterpiece Theatre presentation on PBS has really captured the public’s fancy in a way that no PBS show has in ages. It’s rather like their Mad Men, isn’t it?
After that, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled J. Edgar, a bio-pic about Mr. Hoover, directed by Mr. Clint Eastwood, and starring Mr. Leonardo di Caprio. I will always give Clint the benefit of the doubt, just as I always gave Blake Edwards the benefit of the doubt – he’s made too many excellent films not to give him the benefit of the doubt. But I’m afraid J. Edgar is one of his worst, a herky-jerky film, trying for a Citizen Kane feel and failing miserably, because there’s none of the poetry and drama of Kane, nor the sensibility of Welles. Di Caprio just isn’t one of my favorite actors. He’s okay, he’s got the voice down, sort of, and they do pile the make-up on, some of which does not look so hot. Armie Hammer’s old-age makeup is horrible, I thought. The film just jumps from event to event, back and forth in time, and there’s simply no real drama. The relationship between Hoover and Clyde Tolson is the only thing in the film that really had me interested. I thought the writing of the Judi Dench character was not so hot. Clint’s direction is okay, but these days he just constantly undermines everything he does by composing the scores to his films, which all consists of single note piano tinkling and an arranger/orchestrator adding some string pads to it. It constantly subverts whatever chances the film had because it provides no underpinning, no drama, no pace and therefore score and film become completely inert. Considering Clint has worked many times with Lalo Schifrin and Jerry Fielding, you’d think he’d know the importance of what a film score can achieve. Can you imagine Dirty Harry with a Clint Eastwood score? The transfer is fine, although I wasn’t especially enamored of the look of the film.
After that, I proofed some more and then had to stop, as my eyes could not focus anymore. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really must get a good night’s beauty sleep, which will hopefully not be interrupted by a visit from a yucky spider.
Today, I shall finish proofing in the morning, I shall hopefully be spending some time with Grant entering the fixes (if not, hopefully tomorrow), I shall eat, I shall hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, I shall do some errands and whatnot, and I shall relax.
Tomorrow, if we haven’t done the fixes today, I would hope we can finish that all up before I have to drive to Fullerton to sup with the family Hollis and then see The Sound of Music. Sunday is, of course, our annual Oscar Bash, so this is the only place you’ll need to be, for what I’m sure will be another wild and wooly evening’s entertainment.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, finish proofing, hopefully work with Grant, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in you CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, the music of Downton Abbey, which I really like a lot. Blu and Ray, Downton Abbey, and then an import of To Be Or Not To Be, starring Mr. Jack Benny. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall hopefully be free of any further spider visits.