Well, dear readers, I have breaking bombshell news – it is my very own self’s actual birthday. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it is my very own self’s actual birthday and I suppose it’s a big one. I am now seventy-five. I don’t know what that means, nor do I understand that number. I am filled with vitality (rather than Vitalis), I am limber and can do the Limbo (if the stick is nine-feet from the ground), I can do the first five moves from the opening of A Chorus Line, I can direct ten episodes of a new web series over a fourteen-day schedule, I can move about with great elan and alacrity, my mind is pretty sharp, I have good driving reflexes and yet I’m seventy-five. I don’t think anyone would guess that I was seventy-five. Well, they might if they came to my house and watched me trying to get out of bed in the morning. Now, when my close personal friend, Mr. Stephen Sondheim, turned seventy-five, they gave him a big birthday concert at the Hollywood Bowl – I know, I was there. I don’t really need a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in my honor, but it would be nice to at least have a bowl. As I sit here like so much fish, I am actually still a spry seventy-four, but that all changes as soon as I post these here notes. I’m listening to Ernst Toch’s sixth symphony, which I’m enjoying very much. I haven’t listened to these since I got them several years ago. They’re modern yes accessible, rather like ME. I am modern yet accessible and I’m also accessible yet modern, not necessarily in that order. So, beat the drums ‘cause here comes thoroughly modern BK now. As soon as I turn seventy-five, I shall dance a little jig, and after the jig I’ll jog from the kitchen to the bedroom and back to the kitchen, I’ll do two jumping jacks, I’ll do a little shuffle off to Buffalo, I shall recite the entirety of Trouble from The Music Man and then do the same for The Maladjusted Jester from The Court Jester. I did not watch a damn thing – just couldn’t get interested in anything. I do have two movies to watch on the computer, but I keep avoiding doing so, hoping I’ll get actual screeners so I can watch on the big boy TV. I’ve just been listening to music and doing a few things on the computer. I also was out a little earlier, filling up the motor car with gas. I’ve been going three to four weeks on a tank, so that’s pretty good and gas prices are now below five bucks here for the first time in a while – in fact, I paid $4.69 at my nearby station.
Yesterday was okay, although I still had to deal with stressful things. I got seven-and-a-half hours of sleep, which was fine. Once up, I answered e-mails, had a really good text volley with Hartley Powers, star of Tonight’s the Night and A Carol Christmas, who now resides in Florida and has a new son, Max – well, not new anymore – I think he’s six or seven months old by now. Anyway, I needed to pick her brain to see if she knew anyone who could create the main titles for the new web series. She ended up saying she’d do it and I’m over the moon about it because she’s superb at that kind of thing. So, that was great news.
Then I moseyed on over to Art’s Deli for an early birthday luncheon with Robert Yacko. That was lovely. I had a cup of chicken soup, then a patty melt and a few onion rings. A few hours later, the latter and my stomach did not get along, but it’s getting better now. Robert gave me some cookies from a cool jernt and also a book of Broadway posters by Fraver. I love those kinds of books, so I know I’ll enjoy going through it. I came right home after that, had a few more telephonic calls, and then tried to watch something, to no avail. There was simply no avail available. I hate when that happens. I haven’t eaten anything since having a small bite of each cookie type – they’re really good, but a small bite was fine. I may eat more of them later today. And then it was time to write these here notes and note that it was someone’s big birthday.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven-thirty at the latest (I’m going to try and be in bed by one), then I’ll get ready and then meet Richard Sherman and daughter Vicky for a birthday lunch. Very much looking forward to that. When that’s done, I’ll probably go to the mail place and see what’s what, then I’ll come home. I don’t think anything else will be happening, so I’ll have a nice evening by myself, I suppose, and that’s fine and dandy, as well as dandy and fine. I’m quite certain that I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll see the first cut of episode three, then Marshall and I will choose a few live action snippets to be used in the main titles – most of those will come from the first two episodes, and then we’ll grab stuff for Cindy and Kerry from the last episode. Then that will get sent to Hartley. She already has the main title theme, the titles themselves, and some stills, should she want to use them in some fashion. I’m sure I’ll eat after that, but not sure where. Saturday can be a ME day and I’ll finish up choosing songs (I chose several yesterday). I have to watch some of the tapes that were sent to me so I know who I’m choosing for. Sunday is a birthday lunch with dear reader Jeanne, and then next week I get everyone their music and then I’m finished for the year, work-wise, save for making book notes and writing the first few pages of whichever idea I choose. I will discuss with Muse Margaret to see what she thinks.
Now, you must all put on your pointy party hats and colored tights and pantaloons, you must all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, you must all dance the Hora and the polka, and I think you know why.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven-thirty at the latest, get ready, have a birthday lunch with Richard Sherman and his daughter Vicky, hopefully pick up packages, and then I’ll quietly celebrate at home for the rest of the day and evening. Today’s topic of discussion: What was your favorite birthday and why was it your favorite? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be seventy-five and still be able to be perky and vivacious and to do the things I do.