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November 28, 2017:

BLACK DENIM TROUSERS AND MOTORCYCLE BOOTS

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle wearing black denim trousers and motorcycle boots, and a black leather jacket with an eagle on the back. Does anyone remember that wacky song? I used to do it in the Monday night shows I did for family dinners – it was, in fact, one of my earliest performances. I had the 45 by The Cheers, even though singer Vaughan Monroe also had a hit with it. And the song was a hit for The Cheers, reaching number six on the Billboard chart. What you might not know is that it was written by Leiber and Stoller and was their first charted hit. What you might not know is that one of The Cheers was someone named Bert Convy. What you might not know is that Edith Piaf had a big hit with the song, translated into French as L’Homme a la Moto. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you get such information? And all because of the damn gazelle. What the HELL am I talking about?

Yesterday was a perfectly pleasant day. Let me start with our first Kritzerland rehearsal, which was short due to three of our performers being out of town. One will come on Thursday to have her first session, the other two will only have one rehearsal but they’re both singing songs they have down pat and have done many times. First up was Brittney Bertier – we ran her three songs, Jingle Bell Rock, A Place Called Home, and Winter Was Warm – we’ve done them in just about every holiday shows because people love them so much. Guy Haines didn’t show up so I ran his song, Count Your Blessings, a song that is possibly in my top five Irving Berlin songs. Then Hadley Miller and Olivia Knox arrived with their parents and we rehearsed our traditional opening number, Be A Santa – they’d learned all the staging from last year’s video so they were very prepared. Then Hadley ran her solo, the Shirley Temple song, That’s What I Want for Christmas, which she sang at Kritzerland when she was nine. She’s thirteen now. Time flies when you’re having fun.

After rehearsal, the kids, parents, and I went to Hamburger Hamlet, where I had my second salad of the day, this time a chopped Eyetalian salad that was pretty good and not too filling. I had Egg Custard Lulu for dessert. But prior to all of that I got almost eight hours of sleep, answered e-mails, printed out orders, then went to Jerry’s Deli where I was told they missed me something fierce. I had the chicken Caesar salad. Then I picked up no packages (but some fun catalogs), and came home. Grant came over and assembled a little end table for the living room – it looks great. Then he hung a few more pictures – one in the hallway, and three in the entertainment room – they really help give that room warmth and we still have about six to hang. Then I got word from my pal Lisa Freedman that she’d gotten me a signing for Thrill Ride at the Valencia Barnes and Noble – as you know, Mystery and Imagination Books closed so I didn’t do a signing for Thrill Ride, so this will be fun and hopefully people won’t mind the drive up there. It’s only about twenty minutes away from Studio City and Burbank and places like that. That happens the day after my big birthday, so I’m certain we’ll have cake.

After supper, I decided not to watch anything and to just relax and listen to music, which is exactly what I did. I had a few telephonic calls, too. Oh, and I forgot to say that I’d finished Last Flag Flying – it’s pure Oscar-bait stuff for the actors. It has its moments but it’s at least twenty minutes too long, and I can’t say I loved it.

Today, I have a few things to do in the morning, Grant may come over to hang more stuff (or not) and then at three I’ll drive over towards LACC and have a meal before our pick-up rehearsal – I do that to avoid traffic. It might be a broasted chicken kind of a day – we shall see. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll hopefully print out more orders, then we’ll have our ninety-minute pick-up, and then I’ll go home and relax.

Tomorrow we resume performances for Levi with an evening show. Thursday we have a matinee only, but I have to come right back to the Valley after for a brief Kritzerland rehearsal with the kids (they can’t come on Friday) and one of our missing gals from yesterday. Friday we play an evening show, and then Saturday we have our stumble-through, and as soon as we’re done several of us have to go right to LACC, where we play our closing matinee and evening. Not sure what will be happening after the show – I was thinking of Genghis Cohen, but this is a cast of twenty-four, so I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We’ll see how it feels that day. Then Sunday we have our sound check and show.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do things, maybe jog (it was actually too chilly to do one yesterday), hopefully pick up packages, hopefully print out more orders, eat, and have a pick-up rehearsal. Today’s topic of discussion: What were the first rock-and-roll records you loved and bought? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall wear my black denim trousers and motorcycle boots, and my black leather jacket with an eagle on the back.

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