Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much tired fish, listening to Bill Evans with Stan Getz do their thing. These sessions were shelved back when they recorded and were never released until decades later. Listening to these sides one can hear that even though they seemed like a perfect match, they weren’t musical soulmates. Neither are at their best here and the rhythm section aren’t Bill’s usuals and it really shows. It’s almost like Bill is being shoved into being much more conventional and straight ahead. Some of the sides are better than others and it’s not unenjoyable, and it certainly is fascinating to hear. Isn’t that fascinating? I’m fascinated. Prior to that, I watched nothing and listened to nothing. But before I get to the best part of yesterday, let me tell you the other stuff.
Yesterday was a completely wacky day. I was in bed by four and could not fall asleep. I tossed and turned and then I turned and tossed and after that I turned and turned and tossed and tossed, not necessarily in that order. It was most irritatingly irritating. I finally just got out of bed around six o’clock and did stuff on the computer, including going back to the beginning of the new book to adjust something and realizing that I hadn’t fixed a few things that needed fixing. I changed a character name somewhere around chapter three, for example, but hadn’t gone back and changed the prior chapters to reflect that. And whilst doing that I found a few other things to smooth out. I got back in bed at seven-thirty and think I finally fell asleep around eight. Then at eleven-thirty the doorbell rang – it was Grant Geissman and his handyman come to look at two things I’d alerted Grant to – I’d alerted him to these things seven months ago and this is how long it’s taken the handyman to get here. They thankfully weren’t here more than five minutes, and the handyman will be back early Monday morning to do those little fixes.
I went back to bed immediately, fell right asleep and slept right through until three. So, I think that was somewhere in the neighborhood of six and a half hours of sleep. I needed more. But the day was almost done, and I had quite a lot to do. First thing I did was futz and finesse the previous day’s sixteen pages – just minor stuff, thankfully – a few additions, a few subtractions, and some smoothing out. Then I wrote one new page. I called Muse Margaret, who wasn’t home, so I left a message just to make sure I had the right e-mail address to send the PDF of all the pages up to the point where I stopped. I then began the doing of the laundry. First the bedding stuff along with the stuff in the hamper.
Then Muse Margaret called back, I had the right address, so I made the PDF and sent it off. Then I went and picked up one package, then came right home. I made a batch of Wacky Noodles for food, put the stuff in the dryer and began the second load of washing, which was just the towels. I ate the Wacky Noodles and they were very good. Then I went back to writing and wrote about eight new pages. Then I got the call, the call from Muse Margaret. I’m always apprehensive about the first call, but I’m happy to report that Muse Margaret said she absolutely loved all 122 pages I’d sent her. She was very detailed about all her favorite things, quoted me her favorite dialogue bits, and had not a single note, save for a tiny suggestion to shift the locale of one sequence to a nearby room, which I thought was a good idea because it was more specific and fun. So, I could not have been happier, and it made my day.
I got the stuff out of the dryer and then put the towels in the dryer and brought the other stuff in the house. I was so elated that I wrote another six pages beyond the eight, for a total of fourteen. Then I put the bedding on the bed and I must say I’m MUCH better at that than she of the Evil Eye is. I put the other stuff in drawers, then got the towels out of the dryer and brought them in. It was already eleven by that time, so I shaved, then wrote two more pages before beginning these here notes.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven at the latest and then the visitor arrives at eleven-thirty and that should last somewhere between an hour and ninety minutes. Then I’ll have a telephonic conversation with Lanny Meyers about the new production of L.A. Now and Then that’s coming up. Then I’ll futz and finesse, write new pages, eat something light but fun, write more pages, and then at some point, watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, the handyman will be here around eight-thirty, so I should be able to get my writing done a little earlier than usual. But that’s this week – writing, writing, and more writing. I’ll have a work session with the musical director of the Kritzerland show, too, and there will be a couple of meetings and meals, but mostly it’s just writing.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven at the latest, have a visitor, have a telephonic call, futz and finesse, write new pages, eat, write more pages, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, so happy to have had the wonderful call from Muse Margaret.