Well, dear readers, I’ve been sitting here like so much fish, staring at this here blank Word document for about fifteen minutes. It was amusing for a while, but then it became irritating, and then I just let fly with my fingers because sometimes one must simply let one’s fingers fly, blank page-wise.
I don’t know about you, but I had a rather pleasant Valley Sunday and Father’s Day. I actually managed to get eight-and-a-half hours of sleep. I did have peculiar dreams that were peculiar. Once up, I answered e-mails, had a funny text from the Darling Daughter, then showered and was on my way to the El Portal to judge the singing contest. I have a long history with this contest, having judged the very first one, which interestingly took place at Vitello’s, I think around a decade ago. Then the contest moved to The Federal. I know there were a few years when I didn’t do it, but I’ve certainly been doing it for the past five or six years regularly, maybe even longer. There have been many changes over the years, including paring down the number of contestants, from twenty to twelve. It’s much better with twelve. Where it used to only be singing, it now includes acting (monologues) and dancing. I was with two of my fellow judges from last year, Kay Cole and Andy Ferrera. The other two judges were agents. It’s always interesting hearing what everyone has to say.
This year’s group skews very young, and they’re all talented. Of the ones I saw today, I had my personal favorite, and that person also happened to be Kay’s personal favorite, too. I always try to keep the comments positive, and simply say what I think might help. One of my fellow judges, I felt, was a little harsh at times. Most of the young performers took the comments in the right spirit – there was one that did not. It was subtle but unmistakable and I wonder if it’s happened in the previous sessions. And funnily, every one of us had the same exact comment. But it can be hard to listen to comments if you’re not open to what is being said, or, I suppose, if you disagree with it. It ran about forty-five minutes past the finish time, but we all had a good time and I always enjoy watching the young folks give it their all. All the judges from all the sessions come back in two weeks and do the final judging.
As soon as it was done, I beat a hasty retreat and went to the mail place and picked up a package. Then, since the Subway was next door, I got a foot-long Subway Club and a six-inch Spicy Eyetalian and brought them home. I ate the foot-long and it was very good this time. I listened to some music, caught up on e-mails, had a telephonic conversation, and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched four more Highway Patrol episodes, none of them particularly good. But the final one had a great shot looking south on Las Palmas in Hollywood, from the corner of Yucca, which is one block north of Hollywood Blvd. It’s an easy location to identify because of the church that sits at the end of the block that’s south of Hollywood Blvd. But, oh my, has that landscape changed for the block north. I’m not sure there’s a single original building left on any of the corners. Well, I know there’s not because I Google-mapped it and saw.
After that, I ate the six-inch spicy Eyetalian and that was also very good. Then I roamed around Amazon, looking for Amazon Prime free movies – most of which I’ve already seen on Netflix. I know there’s stuff there that I’m not seeing yet – and am not sure how to search it in a meaningful way. I did watch a blooper compilation that was about ninety minutes long. I’d seen most of them before, and find very few of them funny, save for the classic Groucho bloopers, and some occasionally amusing Laugh-In bloopers. Then I just relaxed.
Today might be the final day of the great garage purge of 2019 – I’ll know first thing in the morning. Then a visitor is coming to pick up some tapes I’ve been storing for someone. I’ll eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and then cast, choose songs, and then relax.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, seeing a show, and hoping for a very important envelope to arrive. I also to go to the DMV – that happens on Friday, I think.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, maybe complete the garage purge, have a visitor, eat, hopefully pick up packages, cast, choose songs, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are the best productions of Kaufman and Hart plays you’ve ever seen? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a happy Father’s Day.