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November 22, 2012:

GIVING THANKS

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, it is Thanksgiving. I gotta tell you, this year has flown by, like a gazelle eating a matzo. So, this is a day for giving thanks, hence the name of the day, Thanksgiving. I try to give thanks every day – thanks for the blessings of my life and my friends and the people I love and the people who populate this here site. Yes, days get dark sometimes, and annoyances pop up here and there, but in the end I have to say, it’s a wonderful life, from the film of the same name. As frustrating as things can be, all it takes for me to stop fretting is to look at the Kritzerland catalog of CDs and see all the wonderful, healing, beautiful music we’ve been able to put out since 2005. To walk into the book room and see twelve books written in twelve years. To get e-mails from sweet people who are so generous to write and say they liked something that I had something to do with. To watch the people on this site caring about others here, and even though it occasionally gets contentious, the warmth and camaraderie overrides it all. I treasure being able to do Outside the Box and work with such fabulous actors and crew – that has been a blessing that I treasure, just as I treasure being able to do our monthly Kritzerland shows, again with a stellar array of the most lovely singers and musical directors imaginable. The joy of working with young people is always a thrill and treat for me, and I’ve worked with some of the best recently. And all the people who help with all the projects I do – Adryan Russ, Doug Haverty, my engineer, John Adams, my mastering engineer, James Nelson – they’re my regulars and I couldn’t do any of it without each and every one of them. So even if I’ve left out someone, please know how much I am appreciative to have you in my life. My goodness, this is getting rather gooey and is running the risk of putting us in sugar shock, but you know what? I do not care, because I mean every word of it and I am damn well giving thanks on Thanksgiving. There, I’ve said it and I’m glad.

Yesterday was a pleasant day any way you look at it. I was up a couple of times before daylight, but managed to sleep until ten, which was nice. Even then, I stayed in bed until eleven. Once up, I had to answer e-mails and do a few things, and then at eleven-thirty our musical director, the wonderful Lloyd Cohen, came over and we worked on arrangements for a half-hour, at which point Jane Noseworthy came to run her three songs. Even though she was under the weather, she still sounded wonderful – she’s doing my song, This Christmas, Winter Was Warm, and Merry Christmas, Darling. After she left, Lloyd and I spent another ninety minutes on our put-togethers and doing a couple of specific arrangements for single songs. I think it’s going to be a wonderful show. We’re still without a guest star – apparently everyone of note is busy on a Sunday night at seven at the beginning of December. Amazing. If we don’t get anyone it doesn’t really matter to me – we’ll be fine without. After Lloyd left, I went and had a cup of chicken soup and a sandwich with no fries or onion rings. For the last five days I’ve been fighting something and I really don’t want to let it win, so I’ve been sucking down Coldeez regularly and the chicken soup really helped. Then I picked up a couple of packages, after which I came home and continued to do work on the computer. I also did some casting and got a couple more people, and I sent Adrian Zmed his script – I’m not sure exactly when he gets back in town, but hopefully it will be soon so that he has enough time to learn his material. Then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on a screener entitled Perks of Being a Wallflower. I’d heard nice things about this from someone, but I’m afraid I didn’t care for it all that much. It’s based on a novel, which was published by MTV, which I think will tell you why I didn’t respond to it. It’s a coming of age tale and perfect for anyone who grew up during the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Every time I see one of these things, I am so happy I wrote the Kritzer books, because that was a time to come of age. And one of the things I’m proudest of is that I never go into drugs, liquor or sex – the three prerequisite things for coming of age, especially now. So, we get all three things in this film, all from high school kids behaving stupidly. We’re supposed to care for the hero – a shy wallflower – but within the first forty minutes of the film he’s eaten a hash brownie (not his fault, but you’d think he might be upset about having been given it, which he isn’t), taken LSD, and, well, I just can’t care. Of course, two characters suffered from sexual abuse as children, and on it goes. It’s perfectly pleasant and the actors are all fine and, surprise of surprises, you can actually hear them and understand what they’re saying. The writer/director is the man who wrote the novel, so what he got on screen is what he wanted. The film doesn’t seem to be doing any kind of real business, although if you go to the imdb and read the first four pages of user comments, you’d think it was the best film ever made – then you read the final page, which are all terrible “reviews.” Always interesting to ponder that phenomenon.

Then I finished watching a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Twilight’s Last Gleaming, starring Mr. Burt Lancaster, Mr. Richard Widmark, Mr. Paul Winfield, Mr. Burt Young, Mr. Charles Durning and a lot of other character actors. People seem to really love this film, but I find it too polemic and speechy for my taste. Its ideas are fine, but the writing is really over the top, and director Robert Aldrich encourages his cast to make it even more over the top. For a political thriller, there’s an awful lot of melodrama going on. It’s also two hours and twenty minutes long, with a lot of that being chatter. I love the actors (save for Burt Young, who is just one of the weirdest actors ever – it worked for him in Rocky, but it sure doesn’t work here), so it’s enjoyable on that level. The transfer is terrific.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep whilst I continue to fight the good fight to not get sick. I have no time for such nonsense.

Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then I shall just be lazy, watch motion pictures, maybe write a bit, and then I’ll go to our very own Mr. Barry Pearl’s house and we’ll all drive to where the Thanksgiving dinner is (the Hills of Woodland). I will, of course, have a full report, which I’m sure I’ll make on a very full stomach.

Tomorrow I just write and relax, and the same thing for the entire weekend. Hopefully I will have won the good fight by then and be totally feeling well. Next week, of course, is hugely busy, with rehearsals, meetings, meals and turning in four CD packages for approval.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be lazy, watch motion pictures, and partake of Thanksgiving dinner with friends. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your warmest and most favorite Thanksgiving memories? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall continue giving thanks for all that I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving.

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