Well, dear readers, the first thing that must be done, oh, yes, the first thing that must be done is to inform you that not only have we set our clocks back one hour, it is November. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, somehow it is November, which is odd because it seems like we were just beginning 2015 a few weeks ago. But, there can be no denying that it is November for the simple reason that it is November. And it is my fervent hope and prayer that November will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. Where has this year gone? Where have all the flowers gone? Where has my hair gone? Well, November is a festively festive month, what with Thanksgiving and all, and I do hope we will have plenty to give thanks for, because this year has been a bit of a struggle and we need miracles and music and merriment and mirth and laughter and legs and we need them now.
As you may recall, the final day of October was something called Halloween. I only got about five hours of sleep and then she of the Evil Eye arrived and I went and had scrambled eggs, bacon, and a bagel. After that, I picked up some packages, did some errands and whatnot, and then came back home. I did some work on the computer, got everything ready for the trick or treaters, and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, prior to the trick or treaters, I watched the latest DGA screener to arrive, 99 Homes. This film was called a “thriller” by its distributor and by a lot of critics – a thriller it isn’t – at ALL – and then they wonder why word of mouth isn’t good. People hear “thriller” and they – wait for it – maybe expect a thriller and when they don’t get it, well, they’re not happy. It’s a drama about the housing crisis of five or six years ago, when the rich got richer, the banks got bailed out, and homeowners got caught in the middle and lost their homes. The film follows a ruthless real estate agent who preys on those unfortunates who lose their homes. He’s a horrible person but as played by Michael Shannon, he’s an electrifying devil in nice clothes. The other leading character is played by Andrew Garfield – one of the unfortunates evicted from their home, who then goes to work for the venal real estate person, and becomes used to the money and soon is doing his own evicting of people, but keeping that information from his mother and son. It’s suspenseful, occasionally painful to watch, and very well done, with excellent performances. It’s a total stiff at the box-office. The film was made in late 2013, released on the festival circuit in 2014 and its distributor then holds it for a YEAR. There is no excuse why a film takes two years to have a release. I think had the film been sold differently it might have had a shot. The budget was low, so that’s good. Anyway, I enjoyed it.
Then I did a quick trip to Jerry’s Deli and got a quarter pound of ham and turkey, and a half loaf of rye bread, and some cole slaw. I had one sandwich of each meat, but they really were tiny little things. Then the trick or treaters began arriving around six-thirty. It seemed light at first, but by seven there were literally hundreds upon hundreds of kids in the neighborhood. We had some really cute costumes this year – a lot of Spider-man and Superman boys. At one point we had a lot of Kritzerland performers show up with their kids – Shannon Warne, Kim Huber, Kirsten and Stan Chandler, and Zacharay Ford. Anyway, I was kept hopping up and down for the next two hours and I have away at least four hundred pieces of candy. Towards the end, Leslie Young, one of our dear readers/lurkers, stopped by with her daughter Alexa and we hung out for a bit and that was fun. Alexa was dressed as Medusa with lots of snakes in her wacky wig. Then they went off to West Hollywood to see the doings there, and I went and sat on my couch like so much fish.
I then watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Them, a film about giant ants. It’s quite a good motion picture and I enjoyed watching it again, especially in this excellent new transfer. Then I relaxed to the strains of Vaughan Williams. For those who’ve been perusing the box sets on Amazon, I found a rather astonishing one – I think it’s called The Complete Vaughan Williams – it’s an EMI box and it has thirty count them thirty CDs – all the symphonies (although not the Boult recordings – these are by the excellent Vernon Handley), all the concertos, choral music, and orchestral music and an opera or two. If you but it through a third-party seller it can be had for forty-five bucks, which is less than $1.75 a CD. Pretty good bargain, if you ask me.
Today, when I awaken I will have gained one hour of sleep. That’s a good thing and a nice way to start November, a month of Thanksgiving. Then I’ll relax until it’s time to go see the matinee of a play featuring Doug Haverty. Afterwards, we’ll go have a bite to eat somewhere fun, maybe even the Tam O’Shanter, which is mere moments from the theater.
Tomorrow, I have a morning meeting with the helper – sadly, I think she’s not continuing, but we’ll see how the conversation goes. I put the word out that I’m looking for a replacement and had two people message me, so if she’s leaving she’ll meet both and make the decision, then train them. In the best of all possible worlds, she’d just continue on, but she may not be sticking around LA. The rest of the week is getting everyone their music, finding a musical director, meetings and meals, seeing a couple of shows, and I have to do another musical theater workshop at LACC for the kids who missed the first one we did. As long as we’re doing it, we’ll invite the kids who were there for the first one, because they all enjoyed it so much.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, relax, maybe do a jog, see a matinee, sup, and then watch something fun. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall greet November having gained an hour of blessed sleep – and to reiterate – it is my fervent hope and prayer that November will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.