Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, finally getting back to the Bach Mass in B-minor – it’s a wonderful recording and I’m enjoying it thoroughly. This past week has been very stressful in certain ways, with no major modern miracles happening, but we’ll see how the next few days go. I am looking forward to the Darling Daughter visit, which will be either Saturday or Sunday, I’m told. I did manage to watch a motion picture documentary last night, entitled Chowchilla, an event I had no memory of. It happened in July of 1976, and I was right in the midst of taping all the Dinah and Her New Best Friends show and wasn’t really watching the news at all or even reading anything but the trades. When I saw the title, my first thought was it was one of those rock concert sites, but no, it was about the weirdest kidnapping probably in history, when twenty-six children were abducted from a school bus and put underground. I won’t say too much, but the first half is harrowing but with a happy outcome, thanks to the resilience of one kid, who, through sheer perseverance managed to get them to freedom, with the help of the bus driver. But make no mistake, it’s the kid who’s the hero. And yet – the media dubs the bus driver the hero and the kid gets zero credit and no one speaks out about it. This has a devastating effect on that kid. The kidnappers are caught and who one of them is boggles the mind – the song of one of the richest men in the country. He and his two cohorts are sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for parole. Then comes the second half of the film, when an appeals court overrules that decision based on the fact that the children suffered no physical harm, as if mental trauma isn’t harm. It’s only the first of many things that will enrage you. I encourage you to watch this. Normally, as you know, I don’t go in for recreations, but this one is done really well and is used cleverly. Hearing the trauma every one of the kids went through is heartbreaking. In the end, a psychiatrist specializing in childhood trauma says these kids shone a light on it that’s been helpful ever since. Interestingly, it’s been streaming since late last year and yet I can only find a single review from a major outlet. Why? Highly recommended by the likes of me – it’s only about an hour and forty minutes and never overstays or overplays its welcome or hand.
Earlier, I got nine hours of good sleep, got up, answered e-mails, then went to the mail place and picked up the softcover test book and it looks great, even better than the Amazon copy, because my gal at the publisher makes sure we go to the best if their printer locations. Anyway, that was very pleasing. I came home and ordered a Chinese chicken salad and no bread. That arrived thirty minutes later, and I have to say it was really excellent and about 700 calories, as their rice vinegar dressing is really light. Later in the late afternoon, I had an artichoke, this one smaller than the last and even better and I used much less butter, so that was good. All in all, in the calorie ballpark certainly. I had a very irritating text and a very nice e-mail that had some not-so-great news about someone I care about, but hopefully things will turn out all right. Then I watched the movie and here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll figure out food, I’ll eat whatever it turns out to be, I’ll do some work on the computer, and then I can watch, listen, and relax.
The weekend will be restful and will contain a visit with the Darling Daughter. Then next week I go back to the eye doctor, and we’ll probably do a slight adjustment to the glasses, I’ll do some writing, and I’m sure there’ll be a couple of meetings and meals.
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, figure out food and eat said food, pray mightily for a modern major miracle, do some work on the computer, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray/streaming player? I’ll start, finishing up the brilliant Eugene Ormandy set. Streaming, I have no idea. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that there is an impending visit of the Darling Daughter.