Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish on the final day of 2016, writing these here notes. Yes, tomorrow is a New Year, namely 2017. And it is my fervent hope and prayer that 2017 will be a year filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. There, I’ve said it and I’m glad.
Right now I’m listening to rather jagged and atonal music by Roberto Gerhard, which is kind of a perfect listen given the jagged and atonal day I had yesterday. I did get eight hours of sleep, so that was nice. I did my usual morning things, and then went to get some food. I was so happy there were only two damn days left for this year and happy that nothing else could possibly rear its ugly little head – and yet, how wrong I was. There was one final slap in the face, kick in the guts – not a huge deal or anything, not in the scheme of things, but just one damn thing too many in a year that, despite its pleasures, had way too many one damn thing too manys. I was ready to kill anyone who said anything the wrong way to me, which thankfully no one did, not even Jon Voight as he passed my table and smiled and asked how I was doing. As wacky as he is, that was a very nice thing to do, and I sure appreciated it. I ranted and railed to myself once in the car because that gets it out of my system. And lunch was good – a chopped Eyetalian salad with a bit of ham and avocado, and a bagel to boot. I booted that damn bagel from here to eternity and hell and back. Then I picked up some packages and came home and had a helpful and healing telephonic call that made the jagged, atonal day disappear.
I put some more music into iTunes, one CD of which had a Dello Joio piece that also helped – so beautiful and moving it was. Given that we released several CDs of his music at Bay Cities and that I’d corresponded with many of the then-living composers we did, and given my love of his music, I’m surprised that I didn’t ever correspond with him. He died only eight years ago. But it’s amazing how beauty in music is so healing and brings such light. And when my song Simply won the Mac Award for best song, I got so many wonderful e-mails and PMs from folks telling me how that song had moved them and spoke to them – it’s just a wonderful feeling to know you’ve touched someone you don’t know, and I would have liked to let Mr. Dello Joio know how his beautiful music did that for me. Those who trust my judgment in music just PM me and I’ll tell you what Dello Joio you should start with – and let me tell you, once you hear his music you will buy everything you can – it’s that good. After that, I was emotionally exhausted so I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I decided to watch the screener of Hidden Figures – I knew nothing about the film and frankly the title didn’t do anything for me, but it turned out to be a wonderful viewing experience. It’s based on a true story about three African-American women in 1961, all brilliant in their way, who are working at NASA and who, while everyone else is flailing and failing, are hugely responsible for making those early flights successful. It’s a story I knew nothing about, and it’s such a positive and feel good movie, it was just the tonic I needed. I laughed, I was incensed, I was touched, this despite some truly harmful and misbegotten music choices – the score itself is by Hans Zimmer and its fine, but his two co-credited composers, both from the pop world, should not be allowed anywhere near a film. I forgave their terribleness because the rest of it was just so good. All three actresses should be nominated for Oscars, and maybe even Kevin Costner, and so should the film, its writers, and its director. Certainly in my top three and highly recommended by the likes of me. There seems to be almost no buzz that I’ve been able to find, so I do hope this finds its audience. It opened on Christmas here in LA in just a few theaters and did pretty well, with many sold-out shows. It goes wide the first Friday of the New Year and I wish it the success it deserves.
After that, I decided to have a few people over on New Year’s Day. Normally I have a party to go to in the afternoon, but not this year, as it’s been canceled. So, I invited just a handful of close friends over, should they be free. So, I went to Gelson’s and got the ingredients for tuna pasta salad and Wacky Noodles. I’m sure some folks will already have plans, but I know at least three or four will come and that’s fine. Then I just listened to more music, took a long, hot shower to wash the jagged and atonal crap off me, and that was that.
Today is, of course, the final day of 2016. I have a noon o’clock meeting with Kay Cole that should last about an hour, then I’ll eat something very light, I may jog, then again I may not, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then I’m relaxing until it’s time for our Annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Bash, the best and most fun partay on all the Internet, and the safest and most fun way to ring in the New Year.
Tomorrow, I begin a new novel and this one, I suspect, will be quite the adventure. I’m both excited and nervous about it. Then we’ll have the get-together because it’s get-together weather. Next week I have to buckle down, Winsocki, figure out the show order, write commentary, and, of course, write pages every day.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a meeting, eat, hopefully pick up packages, and then attend our Annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Bash, where we will watch our various and sundried balls drop as we bid our farewell to 2016 and welcome with open arms the New Year – 2017!