Well, dear readers, apparently summer is still going on in October here on the West Coast. All week it’s been in the nineties and the last two days it’s been 95. We should be having a cool season and yet we are not, and I find it incredibly irritating. Hopefully, it will abate soon. In breaking bombshell news, I finally have an appointment with the eye doctor, scheduled for October 31, which, of course, is Halloween. I asked the nice lady scheduling the appointment if I should come in costume as an eyeball. She thought that was amusing. I did manage to watch a motion picture last night via streaming, entitled Monsieur Hire, directed by Patrice Leconte, starring Michel Blanc and Sandrine Bonnaire. I first saw it on videotape in the 1990s and loved it. In fact, it began an obsession with author Georges Simenon, who wrote the novella it’s based on. I last watched it on DVD in 2006 and loved it still. I began collecting Simenon is 2011 – I just had a hunch about it and back in that year primo copies of this 50s, 60s, and 70s books could be had very reasonably. I found one dealer in England who had about twenty books, minty fresh copies that were basically “as new” – and they were all twenty and thirty bucks. And it stayed that way for a couple of years, while I managed to get more. I currently have eighty-seven Simenon first editions, the majority are the London firsts, as those were the true first editions in English. I have only a few US first editions and those are from the late 1940s. And I was right – prices began creeping up and up over the next few years, and those twenty and thirty-dollar primo copies were suddenly listing and, more importantly, selling, for $200 and $300 and frankly none of those copies were like mine. If I ever decide to sell them, I think I’d do it as one lot or put them in groupings and let an auction house do it. I suspect I would probably quadruple the investment. Some Simenons are now going for over $1,000 from a London dealer and none of those are in a condition that would be acceptable to me. Anyway, back to Monsieur Hire – which I streamed via Prime – was every bit as great as it was the other times I’ve seen it. It’s a great story with vividly drawn characters and the acting and direction are superb. Highly recommended by the likes of me, as are all Leconte’s films.
Otherwise, yesterday was okay. I got eight hours of restless sleep, got up, answered e-mails, ordered penne pasta with meatballs in pink sauce from Maria’s Kitchen thanks to a 50% off coupon via Uber Eats. It arrived very quickly, and it was excellent. Then I worked at the piano, singing and playing the four new songs over and over again, pretty much trashing my voice in the process. But I’m getting used to both playing and singing them now. I made the eye doctor appointment, did a few other things, then watched the movie. Then I listened to John Barry’s scores for Séance on a Wet Afternoon, Love Among the Ruins, The Corn is Green, and The Glass Menagerie – a new recording from Quartet – very well done and the music is pure John Barry and that’s a good thing. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll make a little trip to the ATM to deposit a check, I’ll pick up a little package at the mail place, and then I’ll come home. I’ll work at the piano but mark the singing. I’ll eat something light but fun, then if the package does indeed arrive, I’ll watch Maigret, the newest Patrice Leconte movie and after that I can listen and relax.
Not sure what’s up on the weekend other than Sunday will be a ME day. Then next week will be very busy and we’ll be in need of a couple of modern major miracles.
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, visit an ATM, hopefully pick up a package, eat, 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 – CD, John Barry then maybe Alec Wilder. Blu-ray, Maigret. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping that the Fall that thought it was Summer becomes cooler sooner than later.