Well, dear readers, for the first time in the Indiegogo campaign, we didn’t have a single contribution – I knew week three was going to be tough – it’s always the worst week in any campaign and I’m grateful we actually went up 13% in the first three days. Well, I’m ever hopeful some new folks will come in before we enter our final week, and then I’ll of course do the final big push and put up some new, fun perks. Of course, the day is not done yet in terms of twenty-four hours without a contribution – anything is possible.
Yesterday was a wacky little day, as wacky little days go. The alarm was set for eleven, but I got up at ten-fifteen after about six and a half hours of sleep. Once up, I answered e-mails, had some telephonic calls, had a visit from the helper’s mom, who picked up some stuff, then I decided to actually act on the hankerin’ I’ve been having for Musso and Frank. As it turns out, I haven’t been there in six years – amazing really, considering I used to eat there two or three times a week all through the 70s and 80s. But my last visit six years ago was not a happy one. So, I made a reservation for noon o’clock. I moseyed on over there and got there a bit early. The parking lot, which I’ve been using for forty-something years is now half the size it was – don’t know why, but the front half is all gated off now, which is very ugly and very annoying. But it’s all valet so I just left the motor car with them. Even at noon, there were several diners dining away. A couple of them were, if I had to posit a guess, specifically there because Quentin Tarantino used it in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. So such things go. I got a nice booth and had a nice gal as my server, a first – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a female server at Musso and Frank – it was refreshing, actually, and she was very good and attentive.
Of course, what I really longed for was my beloved pounded steak with country gravy or my beloved cracked crab, but those have been off the menu for a very long time now. Of course, I longed for my beloved wrapped little salted butters rather than the little cup of unsalted butter they now use, but alas, such is the way of things. I thought for a moment about having eggs benedict, but in the end I went with my old reliable, the Combination Louis – crap, lobster, and shrimp, with a boatload of 1000-Island dressing on the side. Of course, that was what I had six years ago and it was horrid – even the great dressing was bad. Happily, the dressing was pretty much on point, if not completely on point, and there was plenty of shrimp, crab, and lobster bits. There were also capers. I do not understand capers or why anyone would want such a thing in either their food or their mouth, and certainly they’ve never been there before – perhaps it was a day chef thing. But I enjoyed the salad very much and I had a couple of small pieces of bread with it. By the time I left, it was pretty crowded. Here is actual photographic evidence.
After that, I went right to the mail place, picked up a few packages, then came right home. I answered more e-mails, had a Drumstick ice cream cone for dessert, listened to some music, and then buckled down, Winsocki and continued writing liner notes for the behemoth. After two hours of that, I went and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I began watching the new Blu and Ray of Last Year at Marienbad, a film I have never been able to watch from start to finish – I’ve actually never seen the final third. The good news is that this new transfer from Studio Canal is excellent. But I fell asleep after five minutes and woke up about forty-five minutes later. So, I suppose I’ll give it another try, perhaps tonight.
Then I went to Gelson’s and got a tiny bit of hatch chili mac-and-cheese and a tiny thing of spicy Thai noodles, came home, and ate that as my evening snack. Then it was back to the notes, another two hours of writing, but I got everything finished except the final film, and that one is easy, as it’s a cut-and-paste job of notes I’ve already written, just cut down a bit. When I get those put in, then the huge part of this, for me, is done. I just have to write a couple of paragraphs about Nick Redman, and then wait for the other folks who are doing the same to turn theirs in. I’m hoping to have everyone’s by mid-next week. We’re starting to puzzle through the credits, which shouldn’t be too hard, then I’ll have my co-producer, Mike Matessino, proof everything and make sure it’s all correct. Once that happens, then the book and tray card will get designed quickly. Once it’s designed, it will go in for approval and while that’s happening, I’ll announce it. I’m hoping that will be no later than two weeks from now.
After I finished, I was all in, so I just sat and listened to music.
Today, I can sleep in, I’ll eat something light, I actually may attempt some kind of jog, even if it’s short, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then I’ll watch something and relax.
Not sure what’s up for the weekend, other than getting as much of the packaging done as possible. Then next week is very busy with meetings and meals and our marathon three commentary day. I hope my voice holds out.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Hokey and the Pokey, for today is the birthday of our very own beloved dear reader TCB. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own beloved dear reader TCB. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BELOVED DEAR READER TCB!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, sleep in, eat something light, maybe attempt a jog, hope for even a tiny bit of Indiegogo action, and then relax. 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, messin’ around with more Messiaen. Blu-ray, Last Year at Marienbad. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had the return of Musso and Frank.