Well, dear readers, I am operating on very little sleep right now. Very little sleep is having its gall bladder removed out and since I am the foremost gall bladder remover in the San Fernando Valley, very little sleep came right to me. I have performed as a surgeon before – most notably on a piece of sturgeon – yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I was a sturgeon surgeon. You know, if anyone has a clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about, please keep it to yourself.
I had one of “those” nights and slept only three hours. I fell asleep at two and was up for some inexplicable reason at five in the morning. And I could not fall back asleep so I just stayed in bed like so much fish. I finally got out of bed at about seven and listened to the Sandy album again – I’ve now heard it three times and I am liking my initial stab at a sequence – it has an interesting flow to it and it actually makes some kind of weird sense in terms of what it’s saying in this order. I’ll listen a few more times but I’m thinking it may just stick.
Meanwhile, our designer, Doug, got thousands of photographs from the photo shoot Sandy did, and he’s going through them and making his selections. He already has an idea of what he wants to do. I sent him the album and he loved it and said it was helpful in terms of direction. So, that design work will continue for the next few weeks – it will be the same kind of digi-pack we did for her Christmas album.
Then I did a three-mile jog, showered, and then moseyed on over to The Good Earth, which is easy to walk to from the home environment. The Good Earth is one of those health food jernts that I don’t care for, but everyone wanted to meet there and I’m a good egg so that’s where we met. It’s one of my old engineer Vini’s favorite places and I wondered if he’d just magically be there. And he was. He was properly amazed at how much weigh I’ve lost (last time he saw me I was very large). We had a nice chat, and then I went and sat with my folks for a little meeting. It was basically for the upcoming And the World Goes Round recording, to meet with the one actress we’re using from the production that was done here in North Hollywood. I just wanted to chat and make sure she understood that nothing about that production was going to be carried over for the album, in terms of how numbers were performed. Our intention is to cast it, then have a few rehearsals, where we’ll all figure out the interpretation stuff so that it makes the best possible album. That meeting actually lasted almost two hours and at that point I had to hustle to the next meeting, which was at the Studio Café.
At The Good Earth I’d had a chicken salad sandwich – they use virtually almost no mayonnaise so it was very calorie friendly and since I didn’t care for the bread, I only had a third of a piece, otherwise I just ate the insides. At the Studio Café I had their chopped Eyetalian salad (just turkey and onions and garbanzo beans) with balsamic vinaigrette, so even though it was two back-to-back meals, I didn’t feel I’d overeaten. That meeting went well, too.
After that, I picked up no packages. Then I came home to some truly irritating drama on one of the film score message board – so silly and so unnecessary, but I dealt with it as I needed to and made my very clear points so that everyone understood what was going on in the clearest possible way. That took up too much of my time, frankly, but it had to be done.
I had several long telephonic conversations and then I wrote my little portion of the Sandy liner notes – we’ve all written short little things for the booklet. I then did all the credits, the song list with composers, and we now have almost everything we need for the booklet interior. Then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell. It’s not one of director Otto Preminger’s best films, but it has an interesting true story and good courtroom scenes. Of course, as is usual in these kinds of films, many liberties are taken, but it’s reasonably entertaining and the cast is wonderful. From what I’ve read, Gary Cooper was nothing like the real-life Billy Mitchell, but I don’t care because I adore Gary Cooper. Also in the film were a whole slew of great actors including Ralph Bellamy, Charles Bickford, Rod Steiger, the first screen appearance of Elizabeth Montgomery, and also Jack Lord and Peter Graves in smaller roles. The elements used for the transfer are shameful – horrible color, all kinds of scratches and never sharp. Cannot really recommend this one, I’m afraid.
After that, I wrote the blurb for our new release, and heard six of its tracks, which sound really great. And that was my day and that was my night.
Today, I have nothing at all planned, save for doing a jog, returning the tapes I didn’t have time to return yesterday, hopefully getting a good night’s beauty sleep, eating something light but amusing and then relaxing. I really need the relaxing.
The weekend seems pretty serene – I’m seeing a musical about Anne Frank tomorrow night, attending with Mr. Barry Pearl and his ever-lovin’ Cindy, so we’re eating before the show at Umami Burger – I’ve never had one, so I’m sure that will be fascinating. I don’t think anything is happening Sunday and I’d like to keep it that way because next week is hugely busy and I must be rested and rarin’ to go.
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 rhumba, because today is the birthday of our beloved dear reader, TCB. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our beloved dear reader, TCB. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR BELOVED DEAR READER, TCB!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, return tapes, hopefully pick up some packages, eat and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – I have no idea. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I may go buy a sturgeon to cut open so I can continue my career as a sturgeon surgeon.