Well, dear readers, this year is flying by, like a gazelle singing the Swedish version of Fiddler on the Roof (Spelman pa taket). In breaking bombshell news, I, BK, have begun writing a new novel, book number twenty-three. As always, the first day is somewhat scary, but in the case of this book, I wrote about fourteen pages in advance, just so I’d be into the book when I began. So, first I futzed and finessed those fourteen pages, and getting stuff organized into the right order. I also had several pages of notes, so I began with those and continued on, writing for a couple of hours, taking a break, writing a bit more, having a get-together, then writing a bit more. All in all, I believe I wrote about sixteen new pages and thanks to what I’d already written I’m on page thirty already, which is amazing for a first day of writing. I haven’t a clew whether this book will be interesting for anyone, but it’s interesting for me, certainly, and I’m having fun so far. And now, I am listening to various and sundried movie scores by Miklos Rozsa – first was the beautiful Young Bess and now it’s the delightful The Thief of Bagdad. There’s no mistaking a Rozsa score – he really had his own musical language in terms of style and melodic content. Prior to that, I did watch a motion picture on HBO-Max entitled The Last Wave, a 1977 strange dreamlike film directed by Peter Weir and starring Richard Chamberlin. I’ve always liked the film – it’s unique and you can see instantly why he was the perfect director for Witness. Then I began watching the Kurosawa film Ikuru (I Live), which I’ve only seen once – I watched the first ten minutes and am enjoying it very much and will finish it this evening. I’m now seriously thinking of nuking Netflix, which is just irritating me these days, and keep HBO-Max, which includes regular HBO and TCM.
Yesterday was a pretty lovely beginning to 2023. I got about eight-and-a-half-hours of sleep, got up at ten, answered e-mails, and got coherent. Once I was, I began futzing and finessing, which took about forty-five minutes. Then I wrote new pages for about an hour and thirty minutes, after which I had to take a break because my back gets really tired from sitting on the stool I sit on at the computer. It does have a back, but I tend to slouch when I’m writing and hence the tired back. I really could use a free, full-time masseuse. If anyone happens to know anyone, send them my way. No money, but all the Wacky Noodles you can eat.
Then I wrote some more, showered, then prepared the faux chicken stroganoff. I should have trusted my instincts about the preparation but alas I did not, and my instincts were correct. What I did and have done before, not learning my lesson, is made the pasta, sauteed the onions and chicken, but then made the pasta the way I make Wacky Noodles, after which I dumped in the chicken and onions. That’s fine for a while, but what happens is that everything dries out pretty quickly and then it’s just no good. Normally, when I make faux chicken stroganoff, I sauteed the chicken and onions, then I make the sauce OVER that in the frying pan, so it’s JUST the sauce, pasta, chicken, and onions. The sauce never dries out that way because it’s not being absorbed by the pasta. Then I serve the pasta and put the concoction over it on people’s plates, the same way we do the spaghetti. I’ll know for next time.
We had a nice grouping of folks – first to arrive was neighbor Nick, then Alby Potts and his ever-lovin’ Kirsten Fife. After that, Kay Cole and her ever-lovin’ Michael Lamont arrived and finally Marshall Harvey. That was it – the perfect number of folks and we ate and gabbed and it was ever so much fun. There were a LOT of desserts from K’s Donuts to chocolate cake to Snickerdoodles and Entenmann’s chocolate donuts. The get-together broke up around six-thirty. I cleaned up a bit, had a bit more tuna pasta salad, wrote a few more pages, then watched The Last Wave. After that, I had just a bit more tuna pasta salad, did the pots and pans, and that was that.
Today, I’ll be up by ten or thereabouts, I’ll futz and finesse yesterday’s writing, then write some new pages. I’ll go cash a check, hopefully pick up some packages, then I’ll come home, eat some tuna pasta salad, and resume writing for a few hours. We’ll send out our rehearsal schedule and then I’m inclined at this point not to add the Saturday night show. At some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’m hoping for a major miracle, I’ll write a bit, then I’ll be seeing the first cut of episode six, which I’m looking forward to, we’ll finesse whatever needs finessing, then it’s on to episode seven and I’ll come home and continue writing. The rest of the week is more of the same.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten or thereabouts, futz and finesse, write new pages, cash a check, hopefully pick up packages, eat, write, send our rehearsal schedule out, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: How did you spend your New Year’s Day? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have begun a new book, number twenty-three.