Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to no music because I just had a long telephonic conversation and have had many annoyances throughout the day and there were times that I felt I’d like to eat the head of a chicken. But before I go any further, I thought you’d all like to know that after seventy-three years I finally made it all the way through the MGM motion picture The Thin Man. I can’t tell you why, but I have never gotten more than ten minutes into the film before giving up. I know it’s a classic, I know it’s based on Hammett, I know it has Powell and Loy, and yet, ten minutes in and off it goes. But yesterday I was bound and determined – well, not bound, really, but definitely determined to do it. And thanks to Spectrum going down, I did do it. And I enjoyed it very much, but, for me, it’s not a classic, it’s just enjoyable, mostly because of the Powell/Loy chemistry and Asta. There’s a lot of large acting from the supporting players that’s totally at odds with the subtle fun of Powell and Loy. And I’ve never been that fond of the director, W.S. Van Dyke, who I find simply ordinary, even though he made Tarzan the Ape Man and San Francisco. But now I can say that I’ve seen The Thin Man – as to being a thin man, well, the problem is I gained back all the weight I’d lost at the end of the year, just as I knew I would because that’s what always happens when I write a new book and especially because I was doing that and project one at the same time. And unfortunately, try as I might, I am in the eating mode. I’ve got to stop that filthy habit, which is difficult when a) one loves food, and b) one is stuck at home with nowhere to go. Knowing that I will probably eat during the evening, I try to keep the afternoon main meal to around 700 calories. But I’ve been going over 1000 calories consistently, sometimes way over. Never more than 2000, but frequently climbing to 1500. I have to be stronger than I’m being and at least lose the fifteen pounds I’d lost. I simply must. Yes, I must. Simply. There are no two ways about it and there are no three ways about it because I want to be the thin man again – not even thin, just thirty pounds less than I am now. So, at some point in the next week, I’ll get serious about it and stick to it. I simply must. Yes, I must. Simply. Perhaps I should put on some music. Hold on a moment, won’t you? Ah, there. David Shire’s score to Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, a really weird and quite good film. It’s a unique score that really works well in the film – almost all solo piano.
Yesterday began so annoyingly that I wanted to eat the head of a chicken. I really wanted to get eight hours of sleep and set the alarm for eleven-thirty so I would. But I was awakened out of a deep sleep at eleven by the fellow who was coming by to pick up CDs. No call, no nothing, just shows up. I could barely talk, let alone be coherent, and I had to try to decipher the list of CDs he and his friend wanted (he buys for others). So, I got dressed and spent twenty minutes in the garage trying to find as much as I could. The only good part was the dough. I didn’t have about fifteen things, but the helper came by and I now have the rest, so he’ll be here this morning at eleven, but I know that in advance and will plan accordingly and accordingly I’ll plan and that will be another nice chunk of change.
After he left, I was still groggy but there was no going back to bed because of the two o’clock Streamyard whatever about The Faculty. But then I opened my e-mails to find out that the fellow who was doing it had a medical emergency in his family so we postponed, and I have no idea when that will happen now. So, I went and picked up a couple of packages and came right back home. I made tuna sandwiches for food, two of ‘em on bagels. They were very good and not too heavy. I’d bought some of those pop chip things and I had a few of those – those are very calorie friendly. Then there were a few other annoying things, topped off by the Internet going down for about forty-five minutes.
Then I watched the movie, had an English muffin and then a bagel and cream cheese for snacks. Then I watched a Group Rep thing they did for black history month. That was almost two hours long, which was too long for me, but I persevered to the end, because friend Doug used Peyton in the piece that ended the show, so had to watch for that one. We also started on the tracks for the Kritzerland show, so that’s coming along now. I haven’t set a date for it, but it will be later in March. I still have room for a guest star so I’m thinking on that. And that was basically the day and evening.
Today, I’ll be up by ten-thirty, I’ll have the visitor pick up the rest of his CDs, then I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat hot dogs for food, I’ll try not to eat the head of a chicken, I’ll work on being the thin man, I’ll stay on top of the tracks for the Kritzerland show and I think they’re winding down on the charts for Tonight’s the Night. We’re also going to schedule one encore showing of it in a week or two. Then at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, and then we gear up for project two. I’m finding it a little difficult to believe that we’re in the final week of February – I hate that February is a short month because then all the bills are due even sooner and it’s really irritating. We’ll also announce our two new titles on Wednesday, I’m thinking.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora and the old-fashioned waltz, for today is the birthday of dear reader Druxy. So, let’s give a big haineshisway,com birthday cheer to dear reader Druxy. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER DRUXY!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten-thirty, have a visitor pick up CDs, do whatever needs doing, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, figure out when the encore presentation will be, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of William Powell and Myrna Loy? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as I get serious about being the thin man.