Well, dear readers, 600 calories is my new mantra. And I don’t even have a clew as to what a fershluganah mantra is. I do know that mantra is artnam spelled backwards, if that’s any help. But what I do know is that 600 calories is my new mantra. As those who read these here notes know, I discovered the series of meals at the Daily Grill that are under 600 calories (they’re probably all 599 calories). I’ve eaten four of these meals over the last few weeks and they were all very tasty. But yesterday I had one to beat the band – a turkey club sandwich on wheat toast – it was so yummilicious that I practically plotzed. Practically Plotzed – that’s the title of my next novel. And it was not a small sandwich, but was very filling. It came with fresh fruit (as apposed to rotten fruit). The sandwich itself had only a smidgen of mayo (the way I like), lettuce, tomato, onion, turkey, bacon, and avocado. It’s now my new favorite thing and I shall have it again and again and I shall laugh and laugh and just when I think I can laugh no more, I shall laugh again because that filling sandwich has under 600 calories. A few weeks ago I’d thought about going on the 600 calorie diet – doing one meal a day at the Daily Grill, getting some exercise, and then eating about 400 more calories in the evening. That’s a definite weight loss plan. But for whatever reason, I didn’t do it, but now that I’ve had the club sandwich I believe I shall do it, starting this very day. For the next few weeks my main meal o’ the day will be 600 calories each and every day until I am once again svelte and trim with abs and buns of steel. You heard it here, dear readers.
Prior to having that fine 600-calorie meal, the helper and I had done the Costco run and I am now a proud owner of six count them six very nice folding chairs. I’d also gotten nine hours of sleep and so I was quite rested. After that, the helper and I had our 600-calorie lunch (she, too, had one of the 600 calorie meals, the crab cake BLT, which she loved). Then I went to the mail place and picked up a couple of packages, after which I came home and did some work on the computer. I sent in some new packaging for approval, too, so that’s another one out of the way. I answered a plethora of e-mails, and then it was time for our second Kritzerland core cast rehearsal with our core cast. Our core cast did very well indeed – a few lyric flubs here and there, but wonderful performances by all. The two young sisters, Sarah and Sami were much better today and will be great, and thirteen-year-old Jenna Rosen is doing wonders with The Glamorous Life. And I must say, it’s a total kick to have Dennis Kyle doing my song Born Too Late – I’d asked him to choreograph some disco moves for the dance break and he came up with hilarious stuff. It all went very smoothly and Tom Griep is doing his customary great work at the ivories.
After the rehearsal, the kids, moms, and I went over to Jerry’s Deli for dinner. I had a salad with oil and vinegar for the dressing (very little oil and mostly vinegar) so that was very calorie friendly. The kids were delightful and fun, and I think Jenna and Sami and Sarah really hit it off. And the moms are swell, too, and it’s so nice and refreshing to see prime examples of good parenting. After that, I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Man on a Swing, starring Mr. Cliff Robertson and Mr. Joel Grey. I don’t know why I missed this film when it came out, since I was a fan of the actors and especially Frank Perry, the director. And I’ve continued to miss it over the years. So, it was great to finally see it after all this time. Like Child’s Play, it’s a problematic film in that there is just too much that’s enigmatic (it’s based on a real-life story) and the ending is just one of those 1970s things where you’re left completely hanging. But the first two-thirds of the film are really good – beautifully directed, with excellent performances by Robertson and especially Joel Grey as a clairvoyant who may or may not be a sham. There are a few missteps along the way, but I really liked it up until the last ten or fifteen minutes. The transfer has been called dull and lifeless and the color has been called hazy and not great, but, as always, they are not correct – it looks exactly like a film from 1972 should look – the color is just right (save for the titles, which are a bit faded) and it looks like a release print would have looked, so in my book that makes the transfer itself excellent. All a transfer can do is take the source material used and replicate it, which is what’s been done here. You can argue about the source material (probably an internegative, but I suppose it could be the camera negative, too), which does have a bit of dirt on a couple of short occasions, but you cannot argue about the color or the transfer.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it would really be nice to get another good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall eat another 600-calorie meal for lunch, and I shall hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, do errands and whatnot, and then we have our stumble-through with our cast of thirteen merry players. After that, I’ll probably go out for a light snack, maybe another salad or something totaling 400 calories.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye comes, and I’ll do a morning jog, after which I have a few things to do, and then we have our sound check at four and then it’s show time. I’ll probably have my artichoke before the show and then eat after the show, although not at The Federal because on a Saturday night it will be way too crowded and holey moley on rye if we didn’t just have us an old fashioned but quick jolt of an earthquake as I was writing this here paragraph. I got quite annoyed and yelled for it to stop, which, mercifully, it did. That’s the second one this week and hopefully that will be it for quite some time to come. Sunday I have a ME day, then an event that night, then the next morning we announce our new title and then I have a busy little week.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, eat a 600-calorie meal, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, have our stumble-through, and have a snack before watching another motion picture. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, many Kritzerland projects. Blu and Ray, The Dark Mirror, Steel Magnolias, and The Sound and the Fury. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall dream a 600-calorie dream.