Well, dear readers, we frankly can use some of those most excellent vibes and xylophones around these here parts for a whole plethora of things, including this busy, busy week of the ALS show. So, send ‘em along if you feel like it. What can I tell you about yesterday other than half the day was over by the time I got up for my eleven hour beauty sleep, which I apparently really needed. I got to sleep at three and other than a couple of visits to the bathroom I slept until almost two in the afternoon. So, I missed the morning completely and two hours of the afternoon – pretty good. Once up, I did the usual morning things, but I was quite groggy and had a little headache from so much sleep. I answered e-mails, did a bit of work on the ALS script, writing some intros and doing all the announcer intros, so that was good.
Then I went and had a chili, cheese and onion omelet and a bagel, after which I came right home. Then I had to respond to a ton of e-mail volleys for the ALS show, just all the final details having to be dealt with, and then I wrote the first of the two remaining monologues for the Sami show – I’m sure I’ll be adding to it and finessing it, but I think the point is fine and it does what needs to be done. And then I wrote the first couple of lines of what will be the monologue that wraps up the show and leads us into the final song and then the little reprise of the opening song, which is the show’s finale or finally as I like to call it. That final monologue will run at least a page-and-a-half and I basically know the content of it – it’s just making it funny and touching, which is what it needs to achieve. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on the Flix of Net entitled Assassin’s Bullet, a thriller. I knew it wouldn’t be great, but it had Christian Slater and Donald Sutherland and that Timothy Spall character, so I gave it a go. It’s a 2012 movie made in 2010 that played a festival or two and then went straight to home video. So, this is a Bulgarian film, let’s just get that out of the way. I’ve never seen a Bulgarian film before and after seeing this one I don’t think I need to see any others. According to the imdb, this had a five million dollar budget and I’m sure a healthy portion of that went to purchasing the services of Mr. Slater and Mr. Sutherland and, to a lesser extent, Mr. Spall. Some wag said that the production company name (one of six or seven logos that appear at the beginning of the film), Mutressa, means “wife of the crime boss.” Now, considering the leading lady has basically had a career in Bulgarian films produced by this company, and that she’s received writing credit and/or executive producer credit on those films, well, I certainly know where my mind wandered. Add to that that she’s really not very good, well, I certainly know where my mind wandered. In any case, simply put it’s one of the all-time worst movies ever – ineptly written, poorly acted (Mr. Slater and Mr. Sutherland do their thing and I’m sure happily accepted their paychecks – Mr. Spall I don’t understand at all – I just don’t care for him and he’s rather weird in his role. The director is all about the crap I hate – every time the camera moves it’s accompanied by a loud hurricane-like “whooshing” noise – by the one hundredth time you want to become a serial killer. Anyone who has to resort to that kind of thing to tell a story should not be allowed behind a camera. Then he tricks up the usual shots, slowing them down momentarily and then speeding them up – ooh, how hip. Not. Anyway, a complete waste of time.
I then watched the new episode of Mad Men. I like the gal playing the new character, was not so happy at the return of Don’s ex-wife’s mother, who I haven’t ever liked in the show and who, in this episode, was incredibly irritating – I suppose that’s the point, but, you know, irritating is irritating no matter the point. Peggy is always fun to watch, but she didn’t have much in the show this week, and I can’t say I care for Roger’s moustache. Set decoration and costumes are still wonderful. Four more episodes. One wonders where they will take us. We finally had some January Jones (one scene) but not the daughter, whose character is always interesting and weird.
After that, I finished the rough up of the ALS script and I’ll get that out tomorrow – there’s stuff that has to be filled in but that stuff will be filled in by others. We just cast another gal, so we’ve chosen her song and she’ll come and rehearse with us this week, and I think we’ll have one more guy, plus I’m hoping to be able to have a performer I want – I’ve never asked to do that, but I know what the show needs and so I’ve asked and hopefully the answer will be positive. That way, the length of the entertainment portions of the show will be just the right length.
Today, I will not miss the morning or any of the afternoon. I will clean up the writing I did yesterday, get things where they need to go, hopefully pick up some packages, do ALS stuff, then I’ll eat something with Sami and mom and then we’ll have a ninety-minute to two-hour rehearsal. We’ve pretty much settled on the date for the private reading, which will be April 27, a Monday night and which will follow the Kritzerland rehearsal. Then I’ll relax in the evening.
The rest of the week are Sami sessions and ALS rehearsals and getting all the details ironed out, plus some meetings and meals and that kind of thing.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, finesse and futz writing, hopefully pick up packages, eat, have a work session, write and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What is the longest you’ve ever slept and why was it so long? And what is the shortest you’ve ever slept or the most time you’ve gone without sleep? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have gotten eleven hours of sleep and happy that I will not be getting quite that much today.