Well, dear readers, it is already midnight as I write this opening salvo (ovlas, spelled backwards). I’d intended to begin writing them thirty minutes ago, but then I had a telephonic call and that just ended, so here I am like so much late gefilte fish, trying to organize my thoughts into coherent sentences that move swiftly from one thing to another, not necessarily in that order. I feel I’m doing a fine job of it, too (oot, spelled backwards). So, let’s just dive into yesterday, a ME day in which not much of consequence happened other than an irritant or two. I got a bit over nine hours of good sleep, got up, answered a lot of e-mails, didn’t hear anything about the things I’m hoping to hear about, but at least got some ME time in. For food, I ordered a Dave’s Hot Chicken sandwich (mild) and a tiny side of mac and cheese. It arrived soon after and it was good, as was the mac and cheese. Well under 1,000 calories, too, so that was good. After that, I did a few things on the computer, watched some irritating YouTube videos, never got around to calling the mail place, never got around to finessing the commentary, had a really lovely e-mail from Peyton Kirkner’s mom, telling me how much they both loved Directed by and how proud and happy Peyton was with the way I wrote about our work together. They also loved all the early stories. That made me very happy. We’re sending her lots of excellent vibes and xylophones for good health. After that, I think I sat on my couch like so much fish and attempted to watch something. I was not up for more Valentino – I won’t finish it until after the Kritzerland show. At about the forty-minute mark it began creeping into real Ken Russell territory and kept going deeper and deeper until an almost unwatchable scene where Valentino is in jail for a night – a true exercise in Russell excess. So, I started watching a movie called Bombshell until I realized that I’d seen the damn thing. And now, in the unbelievable department, as I’m writing this sentence, the Internet just went down. I’d call, but they’ll either acknowledge it and say they have no idea when it will be up, or they’ll say they don’t see anything wrong. Hopefully, it won’t be too longs, as I want to be in bed by one at the latest. So irritating. Also in the unbelievable department, Facebook removed another post, the one talking about our second rehearsal. The reason? Cybersecurity. Facebook is going to HELL with their Meta Malarky. Ah, it looks like the Internet just came back up – let us hope it stays that way until I can post these here late notes.
At about eight-thirty, I had some Mel’s chicken soup and some coleslaw. The latter wasn’t much to my liking so I had only a few bites, but their homemade chicken noodle soup is tops and I really enjoyed it and it brought me up closer to 1,000 calories. I set up six of the chairs for today’s stumble-through – four or five more chairs to go. And here we are, after midnight, where we’re gonna let it all hang out.
Today, I’ll be up by ten or ten-thirty at the latest, I’ll pray for a modern major miracle, I’ll shave and shower and hope the air conditioning is working in terms of blowing cold air, I’ll finish setting everything up for the stumble-through, then one singer arrives at one-fifteen to run her two solos – she missed the second rehearsal. Also, another of our gals woke up with a little cold yesterday, so her mom went and got Sambucol and we’ll see if she’s feeling up to doing the stumble-through. I told her she wouldn’t have to push her vocals. I hope she can come because it’s the only time I can see if the show order works, but if she can’t, I’ll just have our MD play the opening number or maybe I’ll print out the music and sing it and her other solo. They think she’ll be fine for the show. At two, we do the stumble-through, then I’ll give whatever notes I have, run anything we need to, and then I’ll get something to eat, finesse the commentary, rest my voice, and watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll be up at seven-thirty or eight, I’ll shave and shower, then at nine-fifteen I’ll mosey on over to the club for our ten o’clock sound check. That will probably last over an hour, then doors open at eleven-thirty and show is at one. After, I’ll wait for a check, then go have a nice meal somewhere. Then I’ll come home. This week is very busy with all manner of things.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten or ten-thirty at the latest, I’ll shave and shower and hope the air conditioning is working, set up the rest of the chairs, run two solos, have a stumble-through, give notes and run whatever’s necessary, eat, finesse, rest my voice, and watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Ken Russell? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall let it all hang out.