Well, dear readers, it is late and I must be up early so I shall write these here notes in a hurry, although I have a lot to report so here goes. What a bland opening that was. That was just bland. That had no color, no life, no wham bang boom, no snazz and no sizzle and no snazzle and no sniz. That was just a load of words that put me to sleep twice. All right, then, now we’re cookin’ with gas or flames or something or other. Now we can hop to it, now we can pour syrup on these hotcakes, now we can put whipped cream on this sundae, now we can put metaphors on these metaphors. What the HELL am I talking about? This is writing these here notes in a hurry?
Yesterday was a fine old day and a nice beginning to December. It did take me a while to fall asleep as I had many thoughts rolling around in the windmills of my mind. Most of the thoughts have to do with what will hopefully be my fifteenth book. I’d decided on that some months ago, and it’s what I’ll probably do, but for the last couple of weeks I’ve been having some other thoughts so I’m just exploring them and taking some notes to see if I want to go down a somewhat different road. We shall see. So, I didn’t fall asleep till around two, but I slept till eleven so I got nine hours of blessed sleep. Then I did stuff – answered e-mails, printed out a few orders – and then I went and had a chicken salad sandwich and a few onion rings for my meal o’ the day. Then I picked up several packages, then came home. I did some work on the computer, had a couple of telephonic conversations, and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I finished watching the documentary about James “Whitey” Bulger, a notorious crime boss in South Boston. It was a very well done film with lots of fascinating information regarding corruption in law enforcement, in the justice department and the FBI. Bulger himself is more concerned about the fact that the FBI branded him as an informer (he denies he ever was) – that’s what’s really important to him, that he wasn’t a rat. Never mind the murders he committed and the lives he ruined, he just doesn’t want to be thought of as a rat. Horrifying, really. The pace is excellent, there’s none of that “now” style – the director just presents his film without intruding on its subject, which is always the way it should be. If you’re interested in this sort of thing, I can definitely recommend it.
Then I shaved so I wouldn’t scare our young performers. The helper came by briefly, and then it was time for our first Kritzerland rehearsal. First up was little Hadley Belle Miller, who sang her one song loud and clear – That Man Over There from Here’s Love. I gave her some little pointers and she’ll be terrific. Then the other kids arrived. We took Sarah Staitman first – she’s doing Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow. We did a quick routine of the song, since it’s one we haven’t done before. She’s singing it well, but I gave her a little something to work on in terms of approach and she seemed to get it so it will be fun to see it again after she’s worked on that. Then we had Brennley Brown – she began with her solo, O Holy Night – we figured out the key and she does it really well. Then she did her duet with Sami Staitman, Be a Santa. I gave them a little bit of staging and they’re getting used to the harmonies and stuff, but will be great. Then Sami did her solo number, My Simple Christmas Wish. It has some naughty words, so we figured out how to deal with those and it will be very funny.
Then they all left and Roger Befeler, Paige Befeler and Kim Huber arrived – they, of course, are one happy family, so it’s fun having them all in the show. We began with Paige – she’s doing a put-together of Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Then Kim did her two solos – What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve and The Christmas Song – then she and Roger ran Lovers on Christmas Eve. Then Roger ran through his two solos, A Place Called Home and Count Your Blessings.
Then it was Maddy Claire Parks. She ran through her three solos – my song, This Christmas, Winter Was Warm and Happy Holiday/White Christmas. She’s always delightful. Then our very own Robert Yacko arrived and we had lots of amusing chatter in between running his three songs. He started off with our put-together of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas and The Man With the Bag. Then came Penny by Penny – he did both those in last year’s show, so he knows them well. Then we had to figure out a routine for a new put-together of The Christmas Waltz and Sleigh Ride. I had a funky idea for Christmas Waltz, but it didn’t work, but we were able to take that idea and use it later in Sleigh Ride where it worked like gangbusters and led us right back to the finish of Christmas Waltz. We were all very pleased with how it turned out. Our MD was very prepared, too, which was great. He has a tendency to rush tempos, but he’s getting used to what I like and by Thursday it will all be perfect. We didn’t finish until almost ten forty-five. I then had lots of e-mails to read and respond to, which I did. And that was my day and that was my evening.
Today, I have a visitor coming at ten, then I have a noon o’clock meeting at The Smoke House, always a treat. I’m going to be a good boy and have a shrimp cocktail, a cup of chowder, and either an artichoke or a wedge. Or I might forego the chowder and do the shrimp, artichoke and wedge – that might even be less calories and enable me to have a couple of pieces of garlic cheese bread. After that, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll do some banking, and then I’ll do some book stuff – just notes and thinking on the three ideas I’m kicking around, which include what I’d already decided on. I may, in fact, actually write opening paragraphs for each and see what takes or grabs my fancy.
Tomorrow, we’ll do a Costco run and I think there’s another meeting happening – hopefully someone will remind me about whatever it is. Thursday I have a noon o’clock meeting over by Vermont and Santa Monica Blvd. and then Thursday evening is our second Kritzerland rehearsal. I’m hoping Friday there won’t be much happening. Saturday is our stumble-through and I’m sure some of us will eat afterwards, and Sunday is our sound check and show. Monday I will be a year older and then I have to prep the January show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a visitor, I must have a meeting and meal, I must hopefully pick up some packages, I must bank, and I must ponder book stuff. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite traditional Christmas songs – you know, not pop stuff, but the traditional stuff like Jingle Bells and O Holy Night and The Twelve Days of Christmas. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I will hopefully arise with plenty of snazzle and sniz, my two new favorite things.