Well, dear readers, it is the day of the Robby Awards, so I need to write these here notes in a hurry so I can get a good night’s beauty sleep, since I need to be awake and alert and on top of things in my duties as co-host of the show, which takes place at LACC this very evening at seven-thirty so if you’re here and you haven’t made your reservations yet, I encourage you to do so by visiting my Facebook page and clicking on the link. There’s a wonderful line-up of performers and these shows are always a bit wild and wacky, not necessarily in that order.
Yesterday was a day that began at one o’clock in the afternoon, which is when I got up after ten glorious and needed hours of sleep. Once up, I answered the e-mails, had a telephonic conversation, then decided to have Taco Bell, since it’s mere moments away and what I have there is very calorie friendly. In fact, my very filling array of foodstuffs totaled exactly 850 calories, and other than some peanuts later in the evening, that is all I ate. So, that’s now two days of under 1200 calories and I really must stick to that for the next, oh, six MONTHS so I can shed these silly pounds and be my old svelte self so I can actually wear some of the clothes I own. Otherwise, most of the afternoon and early evening was spent finishing the commentary for the Kritzerland show, which I did, doing work at the piano, doing work on the computer, and also solidifying my opening remarks for the Robbys, which I do believe I can do by heart.
Then we had a short rehearsal with our very own Kim Huber, who’s performing this evening, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish and since the Flix of Net was completely down I watched most of the 1970s version of The Big Sleep. Unlike Farewell, My Lovely’s lovely period recreation and noir mood, The Big Sleep was updated to the then era and its location reset to England. It simply doesn’t work doing that, so the movie never really catches fire in the way Farewell, My Lovely does. Michael Winner is a weird director – sometimes pretty good and sometimes not – this isn’t one of his finest efforts. Candy Clark is fun and Sarah Miles tries a little too hard. Robert Mitchum is always solid and there’s a good score by Jerry Fielding, but the whole thing just doesn’t feel quite right.
After that, I listened to music, relaxed, and too a hot shower. And that was the entirety of the BK day and evening – nothing that eventful, but nothing terrible.
Today I’ll be up by nine-thirty and I have someone from LACC who’s helping with the Robbys arriving at ten-thirty – we’ll go do a Costco run – I’m completely out of Diet Coke and getting close to empty on waters, so that’s a must, plus we’re getting some finger foods for the early arrivers. Once we’ve done that, I’ll do other things that need doing, then I’ll get ready and mosey on over to LACC around two-thirty to work with the sound guy and to get everything in motion for the food and where it will live on the forecourt. At four we begin sound check, and at four-thirty my helper will be arriving to do the check-in and organize the lists of attendees. Sound check will run as long as it runs. Then people start arriving at six for food and camaraderie, but no liquor. Some people do like to get liquored up during the Robby ceremony, so I’ve just told those people to arrive drunk. Then the show itself begins at seven-thirty and it seems well organized and that it won’t overstay its welcome. I’m hoping we come in at no more than two-and-a-half hours. Since I probably won’t eat much of anything before, I’m sure that some of us will grab a bite to eat after.
Tomorrow I will have to deal a bit with merde, I’m sure, and I’m certainly not looking forward to it. One of the things I do not like about February is the shortness of the month, which I find kind of nauseating and which I certainly have never understood. Otherwise, it’s meetings and meals, organizing, having a work session for the Kritzerland show, and stuff like that.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a Costco run, get ready, do a sound check, mingle, do a show, and then eat. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite cast albums of the past decade? As most of you know, I cannot stand the way today’s cast albums sound – bad producing all around, although for whatever reasons, small, bad-sounding albums seem to be a “thing.” Not a good thing, mind you, but a thing. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, and prepare for The Day of The Robbys by Nathaniel West.