Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for tomorrow is yet another early arising day for the likes of me. The good news is that that should be the last of the early arising days until the New Year. So, just to be different, let’s start with the belated birthday dinner with the Pearl. It was supposed to be with the Pearls, but Cindy wasn’t feeling up to par, so it was just a single Pearl and a single BK. Of course, we went to the Smoke House. Our reservation was for 5:45 and the jernt was already jumpin’. Must be the holiday season. Anyway, we got a nice belated birthday booth. Barry and I both had the filet mignon – he had a stuffed potato with his, and I had something called cheesy potatoes with mine. I also got my steak with some Bearnaise on the side. Prior to the steak, Barry had a shrimp cocktail, and I had a cup of soup. The soup is either great or it’s too thin and not creamy enough. This was the latter and so it wasn’t so hot. The garlic cheese bread was of high quality – I only had two small pieces. Whilst we ate, who should walk by the table but Clint Howard, Ron’s brother, who Barry knew and said hello to. Then who should walk by but Joan Ryan with her ever-lovin’ Howard. That was fun. Then who should walk by but Howard Green, who was JUST at Sunday’s Kritzerland show. By 6:15 it was almost full up, with a very large party happening in an adjacent room. We had fun conversation and we laughed and laughed until we could laugh no more, and then we laughed again. Barry had some cheesecake thing for dessert, whilst I had the crème brulee. All in all, a fine time was had by all and also by Barry and I. Barry had picked me up, so he drove me home. That was The Tale of the Belated Birthday Dinner as told by someone who was there. Perhaps as an addendum we should have the tale of The Randy Vicar and the Malfunctioning Garter Belt – that one’s a corker. I once wore a garter belt on my head, but that’s another story. I decided to watch the first Maigret episode with Bruno Cremer – it’s been years since I watched the entire series, thirteen years to be exact. While I still have thirty minutes to go, it’s every bit as good as I remembered, and Mr. Cremer is a perfect Maigret. I still haven’t seen Michael Gambon or Rowan Atkinson, or Jean Richard, who did a French series that began in 1967. It’s interesting that several of the various series chose the same story to open with. Having watched the 1961 BBC version, the Cremer is far superior in every way. It doesn’t hurt that the Cremer is photographed by the wonderful cameraman, Raoul Coutard (all of Godard’s early films, including Breathless, Truffaut’s Jules et Jim and Shoot the Piano Player, and The Bride Wore Black, and Costa-Gavras’ Z) and it certainly doesn’t hurt having scores by Laurent Petitgirard.
Earlier, I’d had another rough night in Jericho and only got about six hours of sleep. Once up, I only had time to get dressed and get out once she of the Evil Eye arrived. I went to nearby Jinky’s and had poached eggs on an English muffin – very good and light as a feather. Then I went to the Apple Store and checked out the new Mac Mini M4 and the new 24-inch iMac – all very nice but deciding is very hard. I have to do SOMETHING before things get so bad that it becomes a difficult problem and I certainly don’t need that kind of thing to happen when I’m writing a new book. So, that’s ONE of the many modern major miracles I sure could use right about now. Then I came home, answered e-mails, tried to relax, and then I shaved and showered and the rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up by nine at the latest, and out the door by 9:50 to make my 10:30 dentist appointment to get my permanent upper crown and I hope he’ll be pleased to see that the swelling is just about all gone. After that, I’ll clean out the car, go to the mail place at two, and then go to the body shop at three, get the lay of the land, time-wise, and if it’s all good, I’ll leave the motor car there and Uber home, unless I feel like walking over three miles. Having just looked at the distance on Google maps, I’ll do the Uber. I’ll eat something at some point, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week and weekend I’ll be stuck here but I have plenty to do and do it I shall and I don’t care who knows it.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Continental, for today is the birthday of dear reader Ginny. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader Ginny. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER GINNY!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by nine at the latest, I’ll get my permanent crown and make an appointment for the teeth cleaning, clean out the car, go to the mail place and pick up whatever’s there, then go to the body shop and leave the car there if everything feels right and then Uber home, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a fun belated birthday dinner.