Well, dear readers, it is quite late and I am quite tired so I shall quite write these here notes and be done with it. I don’t even remember what happened today. Oh, I remember getting up early. Oh, I remember doing a four-mile jog. Oh, I remember doing some errands and whatnot and picking up a package and an important envelope. And I remember coming home. Then things get a little murky. Oh, I know I went through each and ever fix we did the day before just to make sure it all got entered correctly. I found only one error, and that was on a caption – it said “Across” instead of “Below,” so I sent that little fix to Grant. So, all that’s left is for the two blurbs to arrive and to write the flap copy. After I finished doing all that, I did find a moment to sit on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I decided to watch Christmas at Downton Abbey and I thought it was a lovely wrap-up to season two. I still feel that as much as I enjoyed most of season two, the mechanics were showing a bit, with plot contrivances and some hoary storytelling to keep drama in certain plotlines going. I hope they steer clear of that in season three because it’s not necessary. They have wonderful, rich characters and great actors. I mentioned on this here site that the PBS US Blu and Ray had a herky-jerky image and I was roundly told no it doesn’t. But, you know, Blanche, it does. I knew it wasn’t my player and I knew I was seeing what I was seeing, and now it’s been confirmed by any number of people, including Mr. Robert Harris. Anyone who doesn’t see it is just not looking – every dolly shot and zoom is herky-jerky because they’ve apparently removed a frame every so often, which is what causes the herky-jerky motion. I’ve already ordered the UK version and I’m hoping that Blu and Ray will not have the problem – in fact, I’ve just read that it absolutely does not have this problem.
After that, I had to do a VERY long drive to Fullerton. It was like a horrid nightmare come back to haunt me, the exact same disgusting drive I had to do for three months when the Chance Theater did The Brain from Planet X. The traffic on the 101 from Hollywood to downtown was awful – at four-thirty – on a Saturday. Once I got through downtown it got better, but the 5 was sporadically bad and for no reason. It would be bumper to bumper then it would be free and clear for a couple of miles, then bumper to bumper and on and on. It took me about an hour and ten minutes to do a fifty-minute drive. We dined at some family style Eyetalian jernt. I had spaghetti with one meatball and one sausage. I only took one bite of the sausage, which wasn’t to my liking. I ate the meatball and the spaghetti – good, not great. The bread was very good, and I had a small slice o’ pizza, which was average.
Then we walked over to Plummer Auditorium and saw The Sound of Music. The company that put it on is in its second season of shows. This company is run by a family of youngsters. Apparently they come from money because they are spending a lot of money on their shows, with five or six Equity contracts, a big orchestra and as far as I can tell, they have at this time no sponsors or donors. It wasn’t terrible or anything, but it was, at times, rather high-schoolish. That said, my friend Kim Huber did a lovely job as Maria, and the kids were cute. Next they do A Chorus Line (the young director promised us a “nuanced” production), and Avenue Q.
After that, I did the long drive home, but that only took forty-five minutes. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep so I’m ready for our Annual Oscar Bash right here at haineshisway.com.
Today, I shall hopefully get up after a good night’s beauty sleep. I shall then do a jog of some sort, then decide on what my food o’ the day will be – I’ll probably go to Gelson’s and either cook something like pasta or chicken or fish, and get some snacks for our partay. So, this is the only place you’ll need to be for the Oscars. We’ll have our usual wild and wooly time and there’s no better partay anywhere else on all the Internet.
Tomorrow is our first Kritzerland rehearsal. Prior to it, I really have to finish liner notes and begin the contextual commentary. We’ll also be announcing two Kritzerland titles sometime this week – there have been a LOT of CD releases this week – ridiculous, really. One company wasn’t content releasing a multi-disc set, they also had to announce two OTHER releases with it – just a really dopey way to continue the glutting of the marketplace. You’d think these people would learn at some point, but they never do. I have a bunch of meetings and meals this week and lots of writing to do, plus I’m hoping we can get everything to the publisher by Tuesday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do some sort of jog, do some writing, perhaps watch a motion picture, cook something fun, or buy some already-made stuff, and then I must attend our Annual Oscar Bash right here at haineshisway.com. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall speak my Oscar acceptance speech.