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April 29, 2021:

A TINY BIT OF RESPITE

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I am sitting here listening to the lovelier than lovely music of Ryuchi Sakamoto. I’ve been a fan ever since hearing his soundtrack to Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and loved his brilliant score to The Last Emperor. This seems to be some kind of live album that I’ve had forever – it came in a fancy shmancy box and included a 3-inch single – remember those? I have a few of them but you can’t play it in a drive, only in a standalone player. Otherwise, I managed to watch one-and-a-half motion pictures, both on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was A Raisin in the Sun, the film of the play by Lorraine Hansberry. Despite having had the DVD since it was released, I only have ever watched the first ten minutes or so. So, it was nice to finally see the film in its entirety, as I hadn’t ever seen or read the play. The Broadway play was a game changer – the first Broadway play written by a black woman and the first directed by a black director, if that information is, in fact, correct. The film wisely kept almost the entire original cast – only the young boy was new. And what a cast it is – Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Louis Gossett, Diana Sands, Ivan Dixon, and John Fiedler. The film was directed by Daniel Petrie, who kept it all very simple. Hansberry wrote the screenplay, opening up a handful of scenes, but it’s basically the play. And it all holds up beautifully. The dialogue is theatrical but also real and wonderful. It also builds to its various climaxes wonderfully, and those performances are just incredible. Poitier is terrific, Ruby Dee lights up the screen, Diana Sands is very funny and charming, as is Ivan Dixon, Lou Gossett has a small but fun role, John Fiedler is just what you need for the one white character – unctuous as can be. And Claudia McNeil is fierce as mama. Laurence Rosenthal’s score is perfect. Now, here’s the fun part: This film was nominated for zero Academy Awards. Can you even imagine? Zero. The play was nominated for four Tony Awards, winning – zero. But what a year that was – for best play it was up against the winner, The Miracle Worker, and fellow nominees, The Tenth Man, The Best Man, and Toys in the Attic. What a season that was. Really glad I watched it. And then I watched the first half of What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice, which I’d somewhere never seen. It’s a weird film with a fun performance by Geraldine Page and an excellent turn from Ruth Gordon – both actresses have two of the worst wigs I’ve ever seen in a movie – Ms. Gordon’s is especially horrendous. I’m enjoying it for what it is, but it’s not great. It’s directed by Lee H. Katzin, who took over when the original director, Bernard Girard, was fired. Katzin was more of a TV guy and it really shows. Hard to know if anything Girard shot remains in the film. There’s a weird score by Gerald Fried. I’ll finish it up tonight. And now, I’m fighting an allergy attack and may have to go out to Rite Aid and get some Claritin-D. I’m hoping I can hang on and it goes away, but it’s not abating right now.

Yesterday was a tiny bit better than the previous few days. I was up at nine-thirty and the helper’s mom came at ten-fifteen and picked up some stuff to ship. We had a nice chat about organizing the new shipping space and she said she texted the guy who took care of the first move to the warehouse, about supervising the setting up of the CD unit. I’m hoping to connect with him – I just don’t see how this can happen without him. Once that was done, I caught up with e-mails and stuff, did some work on the computer, then ordered a chopped salad from Stanley’s and picked it up ten minutes later, came home, and ate it. It was very good.

Then I had a brief visitor, picking up the two new releases. He usually buys a few more copies but not yesterday, so no money there. I finally got some orders in and am hoping for more as the new month will bring all these online auto payments, which all come out of the PayPal account. After that, I did get a bit of good news and respite, which was helpful. Then I watched the movies.

For my evening snack, I made a cheese and bacon omelet that was surprisingly good. I could have used more cheese, but it came out well. I wish I understood why I would have an allergy attack at midnight. It makes no sense to me on any level, especially level three. And, as Ryuchi Sakamoto continues to soothe my frayed nerves, thus ends this section of the notes.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’m hoping for more orders, I will definitely do some Indiegogo stuff and some Kritzerland show stuff, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and maybe even an important envelope or two, I’ll eat – I would have that wonderful tri-salad from Art’s but I’m not paying twenty-three bucks for it. If I want that, I may just drive out to the Coral Café and get it there – it’s excellent and ten bucks cheaper. We shall see. It would probably work out the same, money-wise, because the Coral is a trek and eats up gas and gas isn’t so reasonable right now. I’m hoping I hear from the helper’s mom and the fellow who would supervise – that would alleviate some of the stress, for sure. Then, at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Oh, I forgot to mention that yesterday I killed about fourteen flies. I don’t know where they’re coming from – certainly I don’t let them in. I’d killed a couple yesterday, and I suspect she of the Evil Eye, who has a tendency to not close doors quickly, let one in and that fly may have been preggers and begat all these other irritating little flylets. They were easy to find and being little flylets equally easy to nail. I’m hoping that’s the last of the little buggers. I just thought you should know.

Tomorrow is more of the same, Saturday I have to go sign contracts and pay for the new storage units, and then I’m having complete ME days the rest of Saturday and Sunday. Monday is the move, so as soon as I have an approximate time to be at the facility, I’ll go there.

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, hope for more orders, do Indiegogo and Kritzerland show stuff, hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope or two, eat, hope I hear about the guy who’ll hopefully supervise the move, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Sidney Poitier and Miss Geraldine Page? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had even a tiny bit of respite.

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