Well, dear readers, I feel like I’m in Finland doing Finnish things, or at least putting the finishing touches on the Finnish things. You might wonder why I feel like I’m in Finland – after all, that’s rather an arbitrary sentence and salvo to open with (is that participle dangling – do I give a flying Wallenda), but the reason I’m feeling like I’m in Finland doing Finnish things is due to the fact that for the past two hours I have been listening to the symphonies of Mr. Jean Sibelius – he’s Finnish, you know. He’s not only Finnish, he’s from Finland. I don’t really know from Finland but I do know that I love the music of Mr. Jean Sibelius very much and it’s not because we share the same birthdate of December 8. Mr. Sibelius’s symphonies are quite symphonic, which is a good thing for symphonies to be. He wrote seven count them seven symphonies, along with some other well-known instrumental music. I really enjoy all his symphonies but especially enjoy numbers two and five because they have incredibly infectious themes. In fact, one of the themes of the second symphony is so wonderful that composer Michael Kamen used it as the basis for his film score to David Cronenberg’s film of The Dead Zone. I can heartily recommend the music of Mr. Jean Sibelius of Finland. I have Ormandy conducting the first, second, fifth, and seventh symphonies, but there are collections that have them all in one set and by very good conductors such as Barbirolli, Colin Davis, and, I think, Leonard Bernstein. I don’t seem to find any evidence of my beloved Ormandy conducting the third, fourth, or sixth symphony, unless they haven’t made it to CD yet. This is just wonderful music any way you look at it. I, for example, am looking at it from the side.
Yesterday was a Finnish kind of day. I got exactly eight hours of sleep, arising at exactly at eleven o’clock. One up, I began my morning ablutions, answered e-mails, did some work at the piano, and then on the computer. I had to deal with a CD Baby problem – haven’t gotten a payment in over a month, so I called and good thing I did. Apparently Paypal declined their last payment and they were holding almost five hundred bucks of my money. When Paypal declined they simply nuked that payment option, but neglected to tell me there was a problem. I talked to two different people, as well as Paypal, and it will get resolved but hasn’t been yet.
Then I went to my editor’s house and brought him the Welcome to My World hard drive. We went over my notes and it really shouldn’t take him too long to get it done. Then I went to the mail place and picked up one package, then came home.
I ate the first helping of tuna pasta salad, and not a huge portion, along with a bagel. I knew that would tide me over until I could eat again after nine. Then I watched a Hong Kong motion picture from Hong Kong entitled Z Storm, a thriller with a financial setting. It was a big hit in the Hong of Kong, but the two reviews I read from the US were horrible. I don’t know why this would get worse reviews than a hundred other terrible thrillers that people enjoy, but what do I know from Hong Kong. Was it a great thriller? Of course not. Was it okay – sure. It was only about eighty-eight minutes long and had lots of the usual thriller influences, from Sweden to the US, including its pounding score. It was a fine film to have tuna pasta salad with.
After that, the interim helper came and did her final batch of shipping before the real helper returns on November 1. Then it was time for me to go to a two-hour meeting. I can’t really discuss what these meetings are about, at least right now, but it involves LA theater. It was sparsely attended compared to the last few I’ve been to (I’ve missed three of them due to the Sami show and the Kritzerland shows). There were no fireworks, I said only one thing, and when I saw the meeting was going to go an hour later than planned, I left and came home.
Once home, I put on Sibelius and had two more helpings of tuna pasta salad – it was really good. I also had some carrots and an apple for the fruit and vegetable crowd.
Today, I have to Finnish choosing songs for the December Kritzerland show, I have to eat more tuna pasta salad, and I have to have a miracle happen in the morning, so send your most excellent vibes and xylophones for said morning miracle. I’ll do some writing, some relaxing and that should be that.
The rest of the week is more of the same. On Thursday night I’m doing an event at the Burbank Barnes & Noble, so if any of you LA dear readers are around, come and visit so I know someone. Friday night I travel to have dinner at the Dal-Rae Steak House, a birthday bash for our very own Jenna Lea Rosen. Saturday is Halloween, so I’ll be giving out lots and lots of candies. Sunday I’m seeing our very own Doug Haverty acting in a Lesbian vampire play. We’ll eat afterwards.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, choose songs, write, eat, hopefully have a miracle, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite movies based on the books of Stephen King? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall romp and frolic in the Finland of my mind.