Well, dear readers, not only is it Friday, it is the end of November. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, not only is it Friday, it is the end of November. And not only is it the end of November but it’s almost the end of 2012. How in tarnation did that happen? This month and this year has flown by, like a gazelle smoking a Tiparillo. Well, tomorrow is December, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that December will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. Oh, and does anyone still smoke a Tiparillo? Why yes, it appears Tiparillos are still going strong. I remember the television ads very well. But enough about Tiparillos and gazelles, let’s talk about something interesting, like yesterday.
Yesterday was interesting. I actually got to sleep pretty quickly last night and was therefore up at a reasonable hour. I think the pitter-patter of drizzle-drops helped. I answered e-mails and then I called the DMV just to make sure my appointment was really on the books, which it was. The helper came by and got some invoices, I did some work on the computer, and then I moseyed on over to the city known as Arleta, which is north of Panorama City. I haven’t been up that way in a ‘coon’s age. I decided to take Van Nuys Blvd. all the way to the DMV office. When I got to Roscoe everything became very familiar, since I lived very close to there in the early 1970s with my short then-wife and my beautiful darling daughter. It doesn’t really resemble anything like it used to be, although several buildings remain the same – but none of them are what they used to be. A bit north of there, there was the Panorama City mall, which was basically a May Company if I recall correctly. That building is now some junky ninety-nine cent type of store. Back in the early 1970s Panorama City was a middle class (barely) neighborhood and a very inexpensive place in which to live. There was one single-screen movie theater, the Panorama – it’s still there, but it’s a church – what else is new. The neighborhood is now a middle class (barely) bowl of ethnic soup, with graffiti on all the walls one sees, and not American graffiti. Everything looks sleazy and dilapidated now. Times do change. The more north I drove, the worse it got. I finally got to the DMV and I’m here to tell you I was the only white boy in attendance, which was fine with me. I stood in line about ten minutes to get my appointment number, which I got about three minutes before the actual appointment time. They got to me five minutes late. Once at the window, I got a very nice gal, she asked me what the deal was and I told her about the screw-up and she said it’s been happening way too much lately. She gave me the vision test, I passed, and she entered that in the computer, then shut that screen down, then went back to it just to make sure it had taken – she told me it now said “in progress” so I guess that means all is well, although I will call today just to triple check. She also extended my interim license until the end of January, but she said I should have my new license within two to three weeks. I thanked her for being so easy to deal with and then I went on my merry way.
I then had a Cobb salad, picked up no packages, and came home. Once home, I began working on the shooting schedule for next week and got that all done. It would be so much easier if I had someone helping to do that, but the helper has just been too busy to do it. Then it was time for rehearsal.
Everything went very smoothly and it’s going to be a really fun show. Great songs, great singers. Two performers have some lyric learning to do but everyone else was pretty perfect, lyrics-wise. I made a couple of adjustments to arrangements, and that was that. I then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled They Live, a film by John Carpenter, starring someone named Rowdy Roddy Piper. I think I saw this once before, but I didn’t really have any memory of it. Mr. Carpenter’s films never quite do it for me and this one is no different, although I like the idea of it and it’s certainly a decent B-film. The first half works better than the second half – it’s atmospheric and kind of fun in a funky way. But then we have one of the most ludicrous fight scenes ever committed to film, which is basically there to show off Mr. Piper’s “wrestling” chops – it certainly makes not a whit of sense, story or character-wise. The transfer is very nice and it all moves along at a steady clip. Not the cult classic Mr. Carpenter’s drooling fans would have you believe, but it’s better than a lot of his hit-and-miss films.
After that, I sent out the call sheet and I hope to heaven I got it to everyone who needs it. Should we go to season three, which I’m sure we will, I will not do it without a proper assistant. It’s just too insane for me to try and do all of this myself. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I have someone coming at ten-thirty to pick up some CDs, then we have a noon rehearsal with Jane Noseworthy, and from there I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, after which I’ll go directly to the editing room, where I shall be all afternoon. I’ll see the first cut, make whatever suggestions I have for finessing and we’ll see how far we get. If I really like it by the end of the day and feel it’s really finished, or at least with ten percent of being finished, then I’ll show it at the Kritzerland show. After that, I’ll eat, relax and watch a motion picture.
Tomorrow she of the Evil Eye will be here, and then we have our stumble-through. I’m sure a few of us will go eat afterwards. The evening I’ve kept completely free. Sunday is sound check and show and I will, of course, have a full report for you. Next week is insanely busy, mostly shooting the final two episodes of season two, which are now finally fully cast save for one person who dropped out last night – easy to replace and I’ll do that today. In fact, I may ask my editor to do it – that would be fun, I think.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a rehearsal, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, go to the editing room, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – too many of each to name. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall dream of a wonderful December filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.