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August 21, 2020:

THE PEPPERONI PIZZA THAT WASN’T A PEPPERONI PIZZA

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, is there anything worse than ordering a pepperoni pizza and having it arrive without pepperoni?  That is just wrong, that is just disturbing, pepperoni-wise.  That is precisely what happened yesterday.  As a treat, I ordered a medium pepperoni pizza from Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn – have ordered this from there many times.  When the pizza arrived, I opened it and could not wait to have a slice of pepperoni pizza. But instead I was greeted with a plain cheese pizza.  I did not want a plain pizza; I wanted a pepperoni pizza.  The Postmate was still outside, so I told him the order was wrong, but once they’ve delivered, they are out of it and he told me to contact customer service.  I did, and they refunded me the cost, but then I was stuck with this plain pizza.  I ate it and it wasn’t that good and now it’s really bothering my tummy.  And that, dear readers, is the sad tale of The Pepperoni Pizza That Wasn’t a Pepperoni Pizza.  Frankly, I prefer the tale of The Randy Vicar and the Huguenot Torte.  I’m seriously nauseous right now, and hot – hot and nauseous, not a wonderful combo platter.  Not only that, but I’m really pooped after a long day without quite enough sleep.  But that’s never stopped me writing these here notes and it’s not going to stop me now.

Yesterday, I got up at ten after six-and-a-half hours of sleep.  Once up, I had a lot of emails to answer as well as a few texts.  I did stuff that needed doing, then took a quick drive to the mail place and picked up a couple of packages, then came right home.  I had to put the air on because the house was just too darn hot.  I cooled it off, then spent most of the afternoon doing Kritzerland show stuff that I wanted to get off my plate, so now my plate is almost but not quite empty.  After that, I had a few more things to do on the computer – first I ordered my pepperoni pizza, then while waiting I did what I needed to do.  The pizza arrived and you know that story all too well, so I shan’t be regurgitating it again.  I hope I’m not going to regurgitate it all over the floor, if you must know.  After that, I finally sat on my couch like so much hot and nauseous and pooped fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Pressure Point, starring Sidney Poitier, Bobby Darin, and Peter Falk.  I’ve had the Blu-ray since it came out but never got around to watching it.  It’s a big step up from the DVD, but it still has occasional problems.  I first saw the film at a sneak preview several weeks before it came out.  I loved the music and main titles, but wasn’t that big a Bobby Darin fan, but right away I realized it wasn’t going to be a frothy comedy, in fact I realized it was going to be anything BUT that.  What it was was a hard-hitting film about a very disturbed young racist, hater of Jews and black people, who joins the American Nazi party.  Poitier plays a psychiatrist tasked with dealing with this scary young man, scary because of his calm, even-handed demeanor.  The film is bookended with present day Peter Falk trying to give up on a case with a patient he cannot get through to, so an older Poitier relates the story of the disturbed young man back in 1942.  The scenes where Darin is relating his horrible childhood are really compelling and brilliantly directed in very surrealistic fashion.  Barry Gordon plays Darin as a kid.  By mid-movie, half the audience had bolted from the theater, but I loved the movie.  I saw it several more times when it came out.  Watching it almost sixty years later the most amazing thing is how little we’ve advanced – we’ll we DID advance but in the last four years racism has reared its ugly little head again and there are shocking parallels to this film.  Poitier is at his best here and his big speech to Darin at the end got applause in the theater back in the day.  The photography is great and so is the Ernest Gold score, which, of course, was issued on CD by a label called Kritzerland.  If you weren’t around back then we still have a few copies of it if anyone wants it.  It’s officially sold out, but there are probably around ten left.  The director, Hubert Cornfield, was very original and weird, and he’d go on to make another movie that’s original and weird, Night of the Following Day.  Anyway, I was happy to see it again.

After that is when the nausea began to set in, so I just listened to music and tried to relax.  I had the air off and it had become ridiculous again, so it’s on now cooling off the house.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat something mild, and then we have our Zoom rehearsals from three to six, which I’m looking forward to.  After that, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow and Sunday look like they might be fairly free, so that’s nice.  I’m sure there’ll be work to do and I do have on Zoom session on Sunday.  Then the following week is busy as we start moving towards the show, with lots of details that will need attending to.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, hopefully pick up packages, eat something mild, have three hours of Zoom rehearsals, and then I’ll watch, listen, and 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, more Barbirolli and various other things.  Blu-ray, not sure what’s next.  Your turn.  Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we whilst I hit the road to dreamland, not so happy to have had to live the tale known as The Pepperoni Pizza That Wasn’t a Pepperoni Pizza.

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