Well, dear readers, here I am high in the sky writing these here notes on an actual aeroplane. I have already eaten something they call eggs (scrambled with cream cheese and chives – I didn’t actually see any cream cheese or chives, but that’s another story), a few little diced potatoes, no bread, and two count them two berries. I actually think I got close to six hours of sleep, which is pretty good for me. I was up at 5:15 and out the door at 5:45. There was no traffic at all and we got to the airport very quickly. I went in the first class line, which was more crowded than usual but not bad. There was another line that moved VERY quickly and I inquired as to why and was told that those people had been pre-screened, paid for that privilege, and therefore didn’t have to remove anything from their luggage, didn’t have to remove their shoes or laptops – they just whiz right on through. Once I reached the actual security I was through in about a minute.
Then I relaxed for about forty minutes in the Admiral’s Club, courtesy of a day pass. Then I moseyed on over to the gate, and shortly thereafter we boarded the aeroplane.
Usually there are all sorts of irritating people for me to write about, but not on this flight. Everyone is courteous and quiet and therefore I’m just sitting here like so much fish with nothing to really write about save for the fact that I didn’t see any cream cheese or chives in my cream cheese and chives scrambled eggs. I may try to get some shuteye at some point. I am also on the line thanks to the aeroplane wi-fi. I am, in other words, connected and happening and with it. I suppose I shall resume these here notes once I am ensconced in my hotel room.
And now we return you to the notes. The flight was actually thirty minutes early and we had no gate to go to for fifteen minutes. I got to the hotel in about thirty minutes, just up the street from the last hotel I was in a few months ago. I got checked in (an ordeal, as the East Coast Singer forgot to leave the imprint of her credit card with the hotel – but after ten seconds of prime BK, the gal at the desk understood who was paying and I’d printed out the guarantee page that showed the credit card holding the room, so all was well. The room itself was nice, and the Internet works very fast and well.
I went to the nearby CVS and bought some stuff, but they did not have chocolate licorice. Then I went across the street to the Capital Grille, where I had the big shellfish platter of crab, shrimp and lobster, which was very low in calories (340) and very filling. After that, I came back to the hotel, answered e-mails and then went to the fitness room where I did the treadmill for just under three miles, burning off some 400 calories. I barely made it to almost three miles because unlike my three-mile jog, on the treadmill I actually go at a very brisk pace. I’m sure I will be quite sore in the morning.
Then I made the mistake of turning on the television device. As most of you know, the extent of my TV viewing is Mad Men, period, unless I’m watching a Swedish or Danish crime show on DVD or Blu-ray. And just watching pieces of shows (I have no idea what the shows are) I am missing nothing. One show, which has Christine Baranski in it being all serious, was so hideously acted by mumbling, boring people I couldn’t even believe it. That was followed by an even more boring cop or detective or FBI thing – who ARE these boring actors and actresses? They all look the same, sound the same (and what’s with pulling all the treble out of male voices so they all sound weighty and basso) and bore me to tears the same.
Then I made the mistake of flipping around the dial and landing on the Food Channel for a show called Star. It actually gave me the willies because as some of you know I toiled in reality TV for several years and I therefore know all about this crap. And it’s about as real as gazelle playing Cassie in A Chorus Line. In fact, there is NOTHING real about reality TV – it is scripted, those horrible judges are directed to do what they do (the fact that they don’t do it well says what need be said about the direction), whether it’s those oh so phony looks between them, or the disappointed faces, or the head in hands move – all manipulated and planned. The drama is all created and if it’s not happening then the producers “make” it happen. I have sat in editing rooms and been told I have to create drama where there is none, by using horrible, manipulative music, by editing magic, by taking things out of context. The interviews with the chefs – if they don’t say what you need, then you tell them what to say and they do. The fact that people have been buying into this stuff for years (it is really hard to believe any of it is still on the air) shows that people are just mesmerized by amateurs. Believe me, I understand people are hooked on these shows and love them. I just sit and scratch my head and do the head in hands move, because I see through every second of it. I finally had to shut the damn thing off.
In other news, our very first Unseemly Interview in over eight years is now live – you’ll find it on our handy-dandy home page just to the left of these here notes – click on Interview Section and the new interview is at the top of the list – it’s with our very own Kritzerland designer, web guy, playwright and actor, Doug Haverty. It’s very long, and very interesting, so please take a gander at it because getting that particular part of the site to work and to retrieve all our past interviews was the hardest part of the upgrade.
Today, I shall be up early to announce the new Kritzerland title, which is a great Golden Age double bill, both films starring Charlton Heston – film muic from the classic era – The Far Horizons by Hans J. Salter and Secret of the Incas by David Buttolph. The latter was a huge inspiration for Indiana Jones – his costume was basically “borrowed” by the costume designer after having watched the film. It’s just good old-fashioned film scoring the way I like it – big, tuneful, and in your face.
The title will be live on the Kritzerland site at six in the morning. Then we’ll have a work session, probably lasting most of the day, and I’m sure we’ll eat something at some point. Tomorrow will be more of the same, then we’re seeing Sandy in Company. Not sure if we’ll work Wednesday or not, but we’ll probably have lunch then I’ll go to the airport and hang out till my five o’clock flight home.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, announce the new title, have a work session, eat, and hopefully do the treadmill. Today’s topic of discussion: Okay, just let me have it – tell me your favorite and least favorite reality TV shows, and tell me what you like about the ones you like and tell me why the ones you hate don’t work for you. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, a lovely place where there is no television or non-reality TV.