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July 18, 2015:

STRIDENT FISH

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I should know by now to always trust my memory. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I should know by now to always trust my memory. And from my early teens I should especially trust my memory of Hollywood Blvd. and where I ate. For decades I have had vivid memories of eating at Coffee Dan’s, where I’d have my beloved lettuce wedge with Roquefort dressing and my beloved Dodger burger. And my memory was that Coffee Dan’s was at Hollywood near Cahuenga. And yet, every time I would mention it to people, they would scoff and say that I was misremembering and that Coffee Dan’s was at Hollywood just east of Highland. And that was correct because there it is in many postcards of the 1960s. So, I just chalked it up to misremembering. Well, guess who the HELL was right? You got it – BK, with the infallible memory. All these years and people scoffing and I was right – not the scoffers. Oops. How do I know I was right? Because on the Internet I found this DAMN image of a Coffee Dan’s placemat. On this placemat you will see all different locations of Coffee Dan’s, and there were a LOT of them, including one in Van Nuys here in the San Fernando Valley. And what you will see on this placemat is a marker for Hollywood and Highland – so far so good. And right next to your eyeballs will see what I knew I was right about – ANOTHER location at Hollywood and Cahuenga. I knew it – I knew that’s where I went because I have vivid memories of going there before going to see The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, How the West Was Won, and Seven Wonders of the World. Fool around with ME, sister! Who’s scoffing NOW, scoffers? Me, that’s who. And I have laughed and laughed and just when I think I can laugh no more, I laughed again. Here is the living proof.

$_57

Don’t EVER question my memory of things past. I did find that photo that ChasSmith posted of the Coffee Dan’s just north of Wallich’s Music City fascinating – it was right next door to Capitol Records before the Capitol Records tower was built north of Vine. I had no idea that’s where Capitol originally was. That building was later used by Dot Records, after Capitol had moved. I absolutely know that that Coffee Dan’s was gone by 1961 because that stretch was one I walked all the time and by that time I was, in fact, going to the Coffee Dan’s at Hollywood and Cahuenga. I may have gone to the one near Highland but I kind of doubt it because down there my regular hangout was Diamond Jim’s. So there!

Well, that was strident. Yesterday I felt was a strident day. I did get a little over eight hours of sleep so that was ever so pleasant. I had the most peculiar dreams the most peculiar of which was me in an elevator showering. Say what? Where do these things come from? Once up, I answered some damn e-mails and then went and had a chili, cheese and onion omelet and an English muffin. I wanted a Lithuanian muffin but they didn’t have any. Damn them, damn them all to hell. After that, I thought about going to the mail place but I didn’t go, since I know I have to pick up something from there today. So, I came home, and spent most of the rest of the day futzing and finessing the commentary, which I’m pretty happy with now. Looking at my show order, I may flip two songs, but I won’t really make that decision until I hear them at rehearsal. I did some other work on the computer, then did a jog. Then I sat on my couch like so much strident fish.

Last night, I began watching a documentary someone recommended called Sirius. It’s about UFOs and aliens and technology – I’m not sure I buy anything I’m seeing, but it’s interesting and I’ll finish it up today. After that, I just did a lot of Googling and, of course, found the proof of my never-to-be-scoffed-at memory.

Today, I shall take it easy, jog, hopefully pick up packages and then I have a dinner partay at neighbor Tony Slide and Bob Gitt’s home. I just could not somehow get up the energy to attend my fiftieth high school reunion – just too wacky for me. There are just a couple of people I’d like to see, but it’s not worth it for the ones I wouldn’t like to see. But I’m hopeful of getting a full report.

Tomorrow I just get to relax. Monday I have a noon o’clock meeting, and then the rest of the week is meetings and meals and trying to figure out how we’re going to record our cast album so that we can have it in time for our opening.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, relax, and attend a dinner partay – I wonder if they’ll be serving strident fish? Today’s topic of discussion: When did you first become aware of homosexuality, both male and female? When I was growing up, the first time I really became aware of it was probably in early junior high school. I think my nutty mother was alarmed at how much I loved to sing and dance and listen to Ethel Merman and Judy Garland, and she’d tell me not to hang around anyone else who liked to do that or I would surely become what she called a “faygeleh.” I misunderstood her and thought she said “bageleh” and for some time thereafter I thought she was worried I’d become a bagel. Then in my early teens I met a wonderful gay man at a record store in Beverly Hills. He was just lovely and always had suggestions for albums I might enjoy – shows, soundtracks, singers. He never came on to me or anything, and later we became very friendly and remained friendly right up through the 2000s – I haven’t heard from him or about him for six or seven years – he may have passed away, as I know his health was failing. His name was Critt Davis. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall sleep peacefully and well whilst dreaming of strident fish.

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