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February 24, 2018:

A TRIP IN THE WAY BACK MACHINE

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for it is late and she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon. Therefore, here is what I can tell you: It is Saturday. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it is Saturday and I can also let you in on this big news – yesterday was Friday. We’re all caught up now. I did manage to get eight hours of sleep and once up I answered e-mails and I did some work at the piano and think I finally finished the song I’ve been working on.

Then Grant, his mom, who’s about to turn 99 this September, and I went to Sizzler. Now, I haven’t been to a Sizzler in over twenty years, I think, maybe even longer. When I was much younger in the 1970s, like most young families, my family frequented it because it was funky and affordable. No, the food was never very good, but we all liked our little journeys to Sizzler and there was one every few blocks. All that changed and there are very few left now – two that I know of in the Valley. Walking into Sizzler is like getting in a Way Back Machine back to the 70s. It’s cheesy and weird, very few people there, and the food as plain as ever. I had the steak and fried shrimp combo – six-ounce steak and six fried shrimp. They were edible, so that was good. The garlic bread was decent and my little salad was very good because, as I remembered it being, the ranch dressing is excellent. If I ever go back I think I’ll just forego the steak and do the salad bar. That’s quite a bargain for the all you eat kind and in addition to the salads they have tacos and pasta and meatballs. So, lots of choices, including soups and desserts.

We all had fun and lots o’ laughs. As I mentioned, it was seeing Grant’s mom that first planted the very basic idea that became GEE – not the story, just the idea to do a book about someone who’s lived through nine decades. After lunch, we stopped at the mail place and I picked up stuff, then we came back home. I did some more work at the piano and then the computer, had some telephonic calls, and then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Farewell, My Lovely, the 1970s version starring Mr. Robert Mitchum. I’ve always been very fond of the film and, in fact, like it more than I like Murder, My Sweet, the first version of Chandler’s book. It has wonderful set designs, and Mitchum is great. Also, if you look very quickly you’ll see two girls dancing in the nude together – the blonde is Susan Stewart, who’d just done The First Nudie Musical for me – she was Joy Full. Also in the quick look department, Sylvester Stallone in a very small role. Really helping the film and its atmosphere is the wonderful David Shire score. Also included on the Blu-ray is the other 70s Chandler Mitchum film, The Big Sleep. That one is pretty awful, thanks to lackluster direction and updating the story to now, which thankfully Farewell, My Lovely did not do. I didn’t watch that one but will.

After that, I listened to music, sent off the book to the folks who format it for Kindle and Nook so that will all be ready next week but I can’t make it live until I have all the ISBN numbers from the publisher. Then I almost finished the show order so I can begin writing the commentary today. I took a hot shower, ate some peanuts, and that was that.

Today, I’ll be up early, go have a light breakfast, then I’ll do a little grocery shopping, hopefully pick up some packages, and then come home. I’ll write, and then I’ll just eat something light and relax for the rest of the day and night and start to plan some stuff for my co-hosting duties for the Robby Awards. Then I’ll watch something.

Tomorrow is more of the same – writing, planning co-hosting remarks, eating, then in the early evening one performer is coming to rehearse for the Robby Awards. Monday is, of course, the Robbys – I have to do an early morning Costco run for the food, then I’ll mosey on over to LACC around three o’clock and meet the sound guy and all the helpers and get us all organized and set up. The rest of the week is meetings and meals and dealing with some residual merde that I would really like gone.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a light breakfast, do some grocery shopping, hopefully pick up packages, write, plan stuff for the Robby Awards, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Robert Mitchum? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a little nostalgia trip in the Way Back Machine.

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