Well, dear readers, what has happened to consistent sizes for pants? Yes, Virginia, that is the question that is hovering around the windmills of my mind as I write these here notes. Even just five or six years ago, I could walk into a store and pull out a pair of 32 or 33 pants and they’d fit – sometimes a big snug or sometimes even a bit loose, but in the ballpark. But of late, in the last couple of years that is no longer the case. And I am especially sensitive to it because I am on a very strong path to losing thirty pounds. Now, even at what I am now, I have a pair of size 33 black jeans – of late they are very snug, too snug, but I get in them and wear them for the Kritzerland shows. Over the last couple of weeks it has become much easier to fit in them so I’ve definitely lost some tummy. I also have a pair of 32 jeans – those haven’t been quite possible to squeeze into until yesterday – too snug for comfort, but not impossible. My size 35 jeans are now pretty much falling off me. So, last week in Washington DC I bought two pairs of pants. Normally I would have tried on size 34 and 35 to see which fit best. The 34s I couldn’t even get close to being able to button. And they no longer make the odd sizes, at least this pant maker doesn’t – so I jumped to 36 and those I could barely button. That is just wrong, wrong, wrong (that is three wrongs). In the week that I’ve had them, they now button easily so that’s good. I just don’t happen to think they’re really size 36. And a few weeks ago at Costco I bought some size 36 slacks that I couldn’t even begin to button – I went back and got the next size, 38, and even those were tough (not now). There is no way I wear anywhere near a size 38, not when I can still get into a pair of size 33 jeans and size 36 other pants from last week. So what is with this crazy size thing where there is no damn consistency? It doesn’t feel good to buy size 36 pants that five years ago would have been size 34 or 35. I want some damn consistency in my pant sizes. I’m going to the Gap at the end of this coming week to see if I can find a nice pair of slacks (or Banana Republic or JOS Bank) for the Kritzerland shows and other things where I should wear slacks, and I will not be happy unless I am in 35 or less, and 34 would make me happier, obviously. And that will be more than enough about pants and sizes.
Yesterday, I had a rather pleasant day. I got up at ten or so, turned off the alarm without having to see my reminder note, answered e-mails, and then did a four-mile jog – not easy, but I did it. Then I walked to the bank where I did some banking, then I came home. Then I finally buckled down, Winsocki and wrote the first set of liner notes. It took about two hours, then I proofed them, made some changes, and sent it off to the designer. Then I spent some time trying to unravel a mystery about a cue on our upcoming release, but I’m afraid it will have to remain raveled. Then it was time to get ready for dinner with Dee Dee and Alan, the cousins.
Last night, I attended a dinner partay at the home of cousins Dee Dee and Alan, who live but a block away. It was supposed to be a rather large dinner partay, but apparently all but one person and myself were sick and cancelled, so it was just the cousins, author and cousin once removed Mickey Rapkin, and little ol’ me. Dee Dee made a wonderful little appetizer thing of artichoke something or other that was extremely good – I had two, but they were teeny-tiny. Then we convened to the dining table. First course was soup – kale, chicken broth, and slivers of potato – excellent and light. Then came the main course – we had our choice of chicken breast or thigh, done with just a hint of lemon and spices – I had the breast and it was succulent and wonderful. Also on the plate was carrot salad (really good) and incredible corn pudding. I had a second helping of the corn pudding and carrot salad. It was a healthy meal, portion-wise, but I certainly don’t think it was enough to cause harm. For dessert, Dee Dee made a Huguenot torte that was most tasty. That was the most fattening thing in the meal, but it wasn’t so bad, I don’t think. In any case, I think I was fine considering the four-mile jog. The conversation was so much fun – sparkling, irreverent, witty, and raucous. Dog Casey did her amazing tricks – Dee Dee tells her which toy to bring by describing the toy and Casey knows just what she’s talking about and brings the right one. Casey could have his own TV show.
Then I came home and was able to listen to the transfer of the tapes I picked up yesterday. I only had them transferred to see if the mystery regarding one cue could be solved and part of it was but not all. All that was on these tapes were dub-downs of six of our however many tracks. But one of them, the end title music, had a completely different mix than our CD mix – and I went and watched the end titles of the film and that was the mix that was used – it’s basically the same save for one section where there is a very cool piano part – in the CD mix, it’s buried far back and you barely hear it. In the dub-down mix it’s right there in your face as it is in the film, so that will now go on the CD as a bonus track called “film mix.”
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall start another set of liner notes, I shall jog, I shall eat something light but amusing, I shall call the mail place to see if anything came in yesterday, since I didn’t get over there, and then I will relax. It is Easter, of course, but barring a visit from some nice Easter Bunny, I shall be alone. I do wish everyone a splendidly splendid Easter with many gaily-colored Easter eggs.
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but today is the last day of March. How did that happen? Tomorrow will be April, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that April will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
Tomorrow I shall be foolish all the livelong day, for it will be April Fools Day – we also have our first Kritzerland rehearsal. Mr. Jason Graae will be here at ten-thirty, but the main rehearsal doesn’t start till around six-thirty or something. The rest of the week is meetings and meals, our second rehearsal, our stumble-through, and then sound check and show.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the box step, because today is the birthday of our wonderful semi-dear reader Ann. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our wonderful semi-dear reader Ann. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR WONDERFUL SEMI-DEAR READER ANN!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write more liner notes, I must jog, I must eat, I must check on the mail, and I must relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall have a fun Easter all by myself, unless a nice Easter Bunny pays me a surprise visit. And then I will of course look forward to April.