Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle covered in raspberry jam. I am very overtired thanks to the smoke alarm in the book room, whose battery gave up the ghost, which causes said smoke alarm to give off an intermittent beeping. I’d fallen asleep at one and the beeping began at two. I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I need SILENCE when I sleep. And as soon as the first beep went off, it woke me up and I could obviously not fall back asleep with that fershluganah intermittent beeping. Yes, the beeping was keeping me from sleeping. I finally put some wads of tissue in my ears and that helped a little. I also closed the door to the bedroom, but still the beeping bled through. I was up until four and then I fell asleep. I got up at nine, called the Handy Man and he said he could come at about one-thirty. So, I endured the beeping until he came, at which point he actually installed a whole new unit and replaced all the batteries in the other smoke detectors.
Other than that, I had a perfectly okay day. I had a taco salad with chicken for lunch and whilst eating I proofed about fifty pages, going very slowly and methodically, as this will be the final proofing. Then I picked up a few packages, after which I did some more proofing, some work on the computer, and a few other errands and whatnot. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched three count them three episodes of Downton Abbey, season two. I enjoyed all three episodes thoroughly, although none quite reached the heights of any season one episode. Part of the problem so far is that there has been some really mediocre dialogue exposition – season one had none of that, or the dialogue exposition was written better so you didn’t notice it. Here, it was merely pedestrian and I hope that goes away in subsequent episodes. A few new characters arrived, but I didn’t care all that much, because season one was only seven episodes and with that little output I really just want to stay with the characters I know. But all that is minor carping to what is a wonderfully done show. I do hope the war goes away at some point. Thus far, my favorite character is Anna and I adore the actress who plays the role. The woman who played Bates’s wife was suitably disgusting. And Maggie Smith can simply do no wrong. Elizabeth McGovern is not as good in the season two episodes – her voice and readings have changed a bit since season one and not for the better. For season one, I’d purchased the UK Blu and Ray. For season two, as soon as I’d ascertained that the episodes were uncut, I purchased the U.S. Blu and Ray. Well, that was a bit of a mistake, as something is off in the transfers, at least on the first three episodes. Any camera movement is rendered in spasmodic jerks – whatever they did in mastering this for the U.S. they screwed it up royally. Because this is a keeper of a show, I went ahead and ordered the UK Blu and Ray and will give the U.S. version away to some deserving soul. I also didn’t appreciate all the PBS logos all over this thing – of course, the overseas Blu and Rays have no PBS logos because other than purchasing the show for their stations, PBS had nothing to do with this.
I then watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Margin Call, another box that trumpets “thriller” and delivers something entirely different, in this instance a talk-fest of stultifying awfulness. The cast is fine, the subject matter is interesting, but the writing and directing are just amateurish all the way. Inside Job was much better. The transfer was, I’m sure, fine, but it’s not a very good-looking film.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I am quite overtired and I need a good night’s beauty sleep.
Has anyone noticed that there was a superfluous “P” in raspberry? Just what is that superfluous “P” doing there? It’s completely useless and without point and yet there it is, sitting there proudly like so much fish. Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep, then I will put gas in the motor car, go eat and proof, and then I have a one-thirty meeting at LACC to discuss a memorial service for Norman Mennes. After that, it will be home, James, and more proofing, hopefully picking up a package or two, doing a bit of writing, and watching more Downton Abbey.
Tomorrow and the rest of the week will be finishing the proofing, writing, prepping, meetings, and meals, and hopefully putting the final touches on the book on either Friday or Saturday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, eat, proof, have a meeting, hopefully pick up packages, proof, write, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall ponder the superfluous “P”, which is also the title of my next novel.