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February 28, 2013:

THE FINAL DAY OF FEBRUARY

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, our second Kritzerland rehearsal was much smoother than our first. That said, a couple of people really still have to buckle down, Winsocki and get their lyrics memorized. This time we had JoAnne Worley with us, and her number, a piece of special material written just for her by Billy Barnes, is wonderful and she’s her usual hilarious self. This show is so much fun with so many laughs, and then you get a song with heart and it’s just all delightfully Billy. Poor Caitlynne has what I had two weeks ago (and which is still lingering in its way – I’m not sick but I sure still have congestion and a little hoarseness), so she’s fighting the good fight. She was prepared today, and I gave her just a couple of suggestions, and she’s doing a really good job. I made her go directly from here to Jerry’s Deli to have chicken soup, which she did. Otherwise, it was just grand fun to sit back and listen to our wonderful cast have their way with this fun material.

Prior to that, I’d arisen at nine, answered e-mails, showered, and then had to go have terse words with the location manager of a commercial shoot happening at the usual house down the street – those people should be thrown out of this neighborhood – they are on some list and will rent out their house to any film company at any time – they’ve shot at least fifteen things there in the last six months. That’s fine and dandy for them and their selfish needs, but it’s not fine for their neighbors or the neighborhood. But when they leave us the little paper that says when they’re shooting and where they’ve cleared parking, I keep it. For this shoot, they could only park on the street they’re shooting on, which doesn’t affect me, and WEST of where I live and only on the south side of the street – that also doesn’t affect me. However, when I looked out the window, I saw every space in front of my house taken, and they’d parked their huge trailer on the south side of the street but EAST not WEST and directly across from me, effectively taking every parking space nearby. So, I walked over to the house and insisted on talking to the location manager. She wasn’t around and they told me they’d send her over as soon as they found her. So, I walked back and by the time I got there she’d been called and had already arrived. I told her she had to have all the cars moved that belonged to her crew – the form from LA Film specifically states that crew and actor parking is in a lot on Ventura Blvd. I also told her she wasn’t supposed to have the big trailer there. She told me she’d gotten permission to do it at the last minute because some cars were blocking their original place for it. I told her I didn’t care about that side of the street as long as every single place that runs by my house was free by rehearsal time at three-thirty. She got the cars moved and then she had them put cones all long that part of the street so that no one could park there until I was ready. So, that all worked out okay.

Then cousin Alan and I went to visit my brother at the Hills of Woodland Starbuck’s on Topanga and Ventura. We all had a fun time and I have to say that for three old cockers we look pretty damn good. I’m sixty-five, my brother is sixty-eight, and cousin Alan is seventy-nine and you would never guess that about any of us. We were there for about ninety minutes. Then I drove Alan home and I went to the mail place to pick up a Fed Ex package from Switzerland, which I was told by Fed Ex would arrive in a day. Since it was shipped on Tuesday, a day would seem to imply Wednesday delivery but alas it was not the case. I tracked it and it will be here in the morning. Whether that allows a refund of the shipping charge (if it was indeed a day late) I’ll find out. So, I went and grabbed a sandwich and onion rings, then came home for rehearsal. After rehearsal, I sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched another forty minutes or so of That Cold Day in the Park, starring Miss Sandy Dennis and Mr. Michael Burns, directed by Robert Altman just prior to his breakthrough film, MASH. It’s kind of a typical late 60s ART film, a little too much ART for its own good. It’s certainly interesting, but I find too much ART for its own sake makes difficult viewing and staying involved in the film, so I decided to save the rest for tonight. After that, I did some work on the computer. 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 some errands and whatnot to do, I’ll go to the mail place early and get my package so that my tape transfer person can come get it from me, then I go to the editing room to start preparing the Blu and Ray extras for Outside the Box. I already sent the editor a long and detailed list of all the stuff to pull for the season two episodes, so that’s what we’ll work on today. I can only be there for two hours, though – then I have to come home to have a visit with Mr. Nick Redman. After that, I have some work to do and then depending on how I’m feeling I have a play reading to go to – it features Mr. Barry Pearl and it’s close by so hopefully I’ll make it, but if I’m not feeling 100% I’ll stay home and relax.

Tomorrow is our stumble-through at three and then I’m seeing a new musical in the evening. Saturday is our video and sound check and then show. I will, of course, have a full report for you. Sunday, I’m relaxing and I don’t care who knows about it.

Hey, wait a darned minute here – has anyone realized that this is the final day of February? Where did this month go, although February, being contrary, is a short month. So, tomorrow will be a brand new month that I like to call March, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that March will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. Bring it on, baby, bring it on.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, go to the editing room, eat, have a visit with Mr. Nick Redman, and then maybe see a play reading. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Robert Altman? I must say, I am not much of a fan, so I’d like to hear which films you respond to. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland on this final day of February.

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