Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish (I first typed “fush” and then “ish” – in case you were wondering), listening to the beautiful music of one Gerald Finzi, specifically his wonderful clarinet concerto and I smell like a chunk of roasted garlic because earlier I ate a California Pizza Kitchen roasted garlic chicken pizza and have been smelling like a roasted garlic ever since. It’s a good thing no one is around me, that’s all I have to say. And yet, I’ll say more because if I don’t say more these will be very short notes and I’ve become accustomed not only to her face but longer notes, especially a long B-flat. Is it okay to B-flat or would you rather B-sharp? I have no idea what the HELL I’m talking about, mostly because I just spent the last thirty minutes on the telephonic device with U-Haul Storage. Yesterday, I made a payment online, I got a zero-balance screen, and yet when I refreshed the page it said payment was still due. I talked to someone after ninety minutes on hold. She didn’t understand why the payment hadn’t gone through and it wasn’t showing on her end. So, I clicked on “pay rent” again, and it showed me a page that said I’d be paying next month’s rent – so, completely screwy, right? She suggested I wait a day and check my bank. Nothing had come out of my account, so I called an hour ago and the first gal was completely unhelpful, so I got a supervisor and she figured it out – the credit card I thought I’d used and saved wasn’t the one I thought it was. But what’s interesting is that the credit card that they had hadn’t taken the payment either – I’m nervous it will suddenly get done, although that card is now removed so maybe it will be okay. So, she took the payment, and all is well. But the way the idiots at the actual U-Haul place had set up the contract, the name on the account, which should either be Kritzerland or my name, comes up as Kritzerland Kimmel, and that makes my discussing the account with anyone very difficult. So, when I’m at storage on Friday or the weekend, I’ll have them either change it or add my name – I tried adding my name three times online and none of the three times worked, unless it happens later rather than sooner. It should be easier than this and yet it never is. Meanwhile, I smell like a roasted garlic. Otherwise, I did manage to watch a motion picture on Blu and Ray last night – Witness – which I do like to watch every now and then – the last time was seven years ago. For me, it’s a masterpiece of a motion picture, perfectly done. The direction is fantastic, the photography is fantastic, the screenplay is excellent (one suspects that someone did work on it who isn’t credited because the two writers have never written any other features – only television, and a lot of that is episodic crap from the 1970s. The plot itself is nothing special – it’s the execution that makes it masterful. The performances are great straight across the board. Harrison Ford has never been better, Kelly McGillis is fantastic in her first major screen role, Lukas Haas gives one of the best kid performances I’ve seen, and then you’ve got Jan Rubes, Alexander Godunov, Josef Summer, and Danny Glover. The crime part of the film is fine but it’s the Ford in Amish country scenes that give the film its depth and beauty. There are so many great scenes. Peter Weir was a unique director, and he gives the film a really dreamy, weird quality. It was a hit, but surprisingly there were a few mediocre reviews by really ignorant critics, especially two of my least favorite critics – Vincent Canby and the horrid Pauline Kael – her review is a textbook in being wrongheaded. I wish I could say the transfer was worthy, but it’s pretty bad. It’s old, it’s from an IP rather than the camera negative, and it’s not sharp enough. Shame on Paramount for not treating one of their gems properly. Maybe they’ll get around to doing it right one of these fine days. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Yesterday was okay in an okay kind of way. I did get nine hours of sleep – didn’t fall asleep until four-thirty and got up at one-thirty. Once up, I had a ton of e-mails that needed answering, I did a few things on the computer, I shaved, I ordered the roasted garlic chicken pizza, it arrived at two-thirty and I ate it all up, and then I did the radio show with Donald Feltham. We talked about The Sap of Life, Cole Porter Revisited III, and Tonight’s the Night. It was very gabby and fun. We did it via Zoom, as that was easiest.
Then I went to the mail place and picked up no packages or interesting envelopes, then came home. I then sat on my couch like so much fish and witnessed Witness, and then I had the U-Haul call and began my Gerald Finzi listening. Now playing – his stunningly beautiful cello concerto.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, The Sap of Life and Cole Porter III will hopefully finally be ready for pick-up, I’ll do work on the Group Rep cabaret, continue casting the Kritzerland anniversary show, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, hopefully get around to recording the other new Nothing in Common song, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I have an early morning appointment here at the home environment, and then later a meal. Saturday, she of the Evil Eye comes, so I’ll have to go do some stuff, and then it’s more of the same for the rest of that day and then Sunday. Next week, we’ll set up all the Group Rep rehearsals – some will be here and some will be on Zoom.
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, start shipping the Sap of Life and Cole Porter III CDs, do work on the Group Rep cabaret, continue casting, hopefully pick up packages, eat, record, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Mr. Harrison Ford? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I’m sure I’ll continue to smell like a roasted garlic.