Well, dear readers, I have sliced, I have diced, I have minced and I have chopped – what am I, a Chop-O-Matic all of a sudden? I wrote about the Chop-O-Matic in a book entitled Benjamin Kritzer. I was quite obsessed with the Chop-O-Matic when I was but a wee bairn. I wonder if they still make such a thing? Well, as it turns out they do make some new-fangled hi-falutin’ version of it called the Veg-O-Matic. But I want the old version, the one I bought on TV – well, THIS one.
Jogging some memories? Just go whip out your copy of Benjamin Kritzer and read all about it. Where was I? Oh, yes, I have sliced, diced, minced and chopped, not necessarily in that order. And that means that I am all ready to start cooking whenever I damn well please. I also made the tuna pasta salad, so that’s done, as well. I spent most of last evening doing all of that, but it just makes everything so much easier on the day of the Do. Oh, and this IS the Day of the Do in case you didn’t remember.
Yesterday was not the day of the do, nor was it the day of the don’t. I was up by ten after eight hours of sleep, and then I had a brief meeting, followed by shipping a package, followed by some banking, followed by a chili, cheese and onion omelet and an English muffin. I must tell you that the drivers here in the City of Studio have lost their cotton pickin’ minds. You simply cannot predict what any of these idiots are going to do – their heads are in the clouds and the clouds are in their heads and they are murderous in intention without meaning to be. They are, in a word, stupid and dangerous, not necessarily in that order.
Once home, I did some work at the piano, finishing a little song I’ve been working on – it’s not quite right yet, but it’s close and I’ll finesse it a bit today. Then I did a bit of work on the computer, printed out a few orders, and then had a very nice visit with our very own Mr. Nick Redman. After that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching Judgment at Nuremberg, a Stanley Kramer film, starring Spencer Tracy, Maximilian Schell, Richard Widmark, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift and Burt Lancaster, along with some mighty fine character actors. It’s a long film, just under three hours, but it’s well written by Abby Mann (there is a lot of speechifying but it works for the film), and very well directed by Kramer. The performances are superb. Tracy is always wonderful to watch – he’s so subtle and yet he never mumbles and you can hear every word he says – how novel. Maximilian Schell won a well-deserved Oscar for his performance and Richard Widmark is good but not quite great as the prosecutor. Marlene Dietrich is memorable and as beautiful as ever. But the two heartbreaking performances belong to Mr. Clift and Miss Garland, both of whom are fantastic. Mr. Clift especially is a lesson in great acting. There’s a good score by Ernest Gold, with perhaps a little too much singing, which does become tiresome at some point. There are many issues at hand in the film and some of them aren’t easy, which is why the film is so compelling. The transfer on the new Twilight Time Blu-ray is superb and I give this my highest recommendation.
After that, I got all the plates, cups and cutlery out and put them on the dining table. I got all the pots out, too, and all the Christmas candles and such. Then I made the tuna pasta salad, then began the arduous slicing, dicing, mincing and chopping routine, after which I took a shower.
Today, I shall be up by ten, I’ll do some quick banking, pick up what I had framed, hopefully pick up some packages, and I’ll be home by noon to begin the cooking adventure. The big question is, in addition to the tuna pasta salad and the spaghetti, is whether I want to make a batch of Wacky Noodles – it would be a first, and it makes for a LOT of pasta dishes, but I thought it might be fun, like the song of the same name. We shall see. I still have a few things to move around and clean up, but I did most of that yesterday. Then at six people begin arriving and our Do will be in full swing, which is, of course, better than being in half swing. I will, of course, have photographic evidence of the Do and a full report.
Tomorrow is Christmas Day and I still haven’t heard a peep from the Darling Daughter™ as to whether she’ll be coming to visit – I do hope so. Then at five I mosey on over to Cissy Wechter’s Christmas Day Partay, which I’m looking forward to. She will have kugel especially for li’l ol’ me. The rest of the week is just me doing whatever it is I feel like, plus getting everyone music and stuff, although most already have it. And then next week is the final bit of 2014 and our Annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Bash right here at haineshisway.com. This is, of course, the best and most fun place to ring in the New Year, so be there or be round.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, bank, pick up a framed something or other, hopefully pick up packages, cook and then have a Do. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall arise and greet The Day of the Do.