Well, dear readers, today is a very special day in the scheme of things. It is March 16, and on this day in 1970 a beautiful baby girl was born, a baby girl who was meant to be on the Earth – we know this, because the woman who birthed her was on the pill when she became pregnant anyway. That was a sign for sure. The little baby girl was named Jennifer Lynn Kimmel. She was the most adorable baby girl and a very happy one at that. I knew she was my daughter when I looked at her through the glass right after she was born – she crossed her eyes and there was a Kimmel. For those who’ve been living in a hole or cave, my first memoir, in addition to being about my life as an actor/writer/director is also a love letter to my Darling Daughter, as is my short story Adventures With My Father in How to Write a Dirty Book and Other Stories. I recommend reading those if you haven’t. Both my then-wife and I were really too young and immature to have had a child and we both behaved impatiently and poorly at times, which I endlessly regret, as I’m sure my then-wife does, but it was a different world back then and unlike today at all. And I’ve discussed it with the Darling Daughter who doesn’t even remember much of that stuff. But Jennifer and I mostly had the best time because I was as much of a kid as she was. Because my then-wife had a full time job at a bank downtown, I was with Jennifer during the days, unless I was filming, in which case her grandmother watched her. We went everywhere together – book stores, record stores, movies, theater, long drives touring LA, weekend adventures in Little Tokyo, doing the choreography of West Side Story and Pippin until we were exhausted, playing Scrabble and eating Taco Bell, watching television or screening movies in our screening room at home – so many memories. When she hit her mid-teens she had a few, how shall we say, difficult years, but she got over that pretty quickly. Her marriage has long outlasted mine, and even though we don’t see each other much, we text and she’s never far from my mind. So, a very happy haineshisway.com and daddy birthday to my Darling Daughter Jenny (now Jennifer). She’s really one-of-a-kind and kind of a chip off the old block, humor and temperament-wise.
Yesterday was another up and down day, but, you know, it passed and I’m here to tell the tale but the only tale you’re gettin’ out of me is the tale as old as time. I got only about six hours of sleep, was up at ten, had a really off-putting morning, got a miracle, and decided there would be no further off-putting for the rest of the day and evening. The new helper finally got me a current stock check that’s completely accurate – things I thought we had 0 of we now have a few copies of, so that was good. As soon as I got it, I looked at the titles where we still had a lot of stock sitting around taking up space, so I did a twenty-four hour flash sale – nine bucks for most CDs, with some two-CD sets at twelve. If you want to see a list, just visit the Kritzerland Facebook page. Then I made myself two salami and provolone cheese sandwiches on low-cal buns, very good and very calorie friendly. Then I went and picked up one package, got a donut for my snack, and came back home.
I watched the first part of a Netflix four-episode BBC series called Collateral. The script is by David Hare, so you know it’s not just a mystery, but also a bit political. Carey Mulligan is very good, but the direction and the music is horrible – all “now” and full of itself and irritating. I’m finding the story interesting so I’ll watch the remaining three episodes today perhaps. Then I was exhausted so I just listened to music and printed out orders as they came in.
Today, I have to be up early, I’ll do some more banking, hopefully pick up packages, not eat, then see a high school production of 42nd Street and then we’ll eat afterwards.
Tomorrow and Sunday are unknown to me, but hopefully I’ll sleep well, do a few errands and whatnot, watch stuff, work at the piano, and most importantly finish casting and choosing songs for the Kritzerland show, which is only two weeks away at this point and that is VERY scary.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up early, bank, hopefully pick up packages, cast, choose songs, work at the piano, then see a show and eat. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, various and sundried things. Blu-ray, have no idea. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, wishing the Darling Daughter the happiest of birthdays.