Well, dear readers, if we gained an hour why do I feel so tired and like I didn’t gain anything? Thus the conundrum of the gained hour. That said, I did have a very restful yesterday. I got up at nine-thirty and suddenly it was eight-thirty. I reset the two clocks that needed resetting and then I just did a few things on the computer. At some point, our very own Mr. Nick Redman came by for an impromptu visit. We visited impromptu, which, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo) is mighty pretty country. Then we decided to have an impromptu lunch, so we went to the Studio Café, where they happen to serve impromptu cuisine. I had the impromptu bacon, mushroom, onion, and cheese scramble, and we ordered some wings (all drumettes) to start (well done, as always). The wings arrive not well done and not all drumettes, so back they went. By the time they came back to us they were two drumettes short (we were assured the two missing drumettes would make an appearance soon) – so, before we could really eat more than a drumette apiece, our other food arrived. My bacon, mushroom, onion, and cheese scramble arrived sans cheese. I looked at it and our waiter and said, “What is it, fish?” He took it back to cheese it. It was a comedy of errors, food-wise, but eventually everything came out correctly and the impromptu cuisine was fine and dandy and also dandy and fine. We had a lovely chat and discussed all manner of topics and all topics of manner. Then Nick went on his merry way and I decided to finally take the three boxes of trade DVDs and CDs over to Amoeba for some credit.
Amoeba was more crowded than usual for a Sunday at five, but thankfully there was no line in the trade department. While the Trade Man figured out my stuff, I began looking around the store. My name was called and I went back to find out what I was getting, hoping it would be around three hundred bucks – but my Trade Man thought my stuff was great and I, in fact, got six hundred bucks in credit. That made me very happy. So, I used about $250 of it, getting one Blu and Ray (the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Donald Sutherland), and quite a few Japanese mini-LP jazz CDs by Dave Brubeck (I had no idea they’d done them), a Perry Como mini-LP (Lightly Latin), and several other interesting CDs. And I still have lots of credit left. I was there for about two hours, then came home and finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching Make Way For Tomorrow, a film of Leo McCarey. I’d never seen it before and knew nothing about it, frankly, other than it is highly revered by film buffs and fans of the director. I must say, it took me a while to get with it, although the performances, right from the get-go and the go-get are superb. My guess is that Mr. Ozu saw this film, because it is thematically similar to several of his films, most importantly Tokyo Story. Beaulah Bondi and Victor Moore play an elderly couple who lose their home. Their children aren’t thrilled about having to take them in, but finally Bondi goes to one house and Moore to another. The film takes its sweet time, but eventually it is very affecting. The film’s final twenty minutes are extremely magical and emotional and I doubt you’ll have a dry eye by the end. The final shot of Miss Bondi is one of the greatest I’ve seen, right up there with the final shot of City Lights. Miss Bondi and Mr. Moore both look very old in the film, but the fact is Mr. Moore was one year younger than I am now, and Miss Bondi, rather astonishingly, was only 49 – she looks in her mid-70s – the makeup is subtle and fantastic. I’ve never been much of a fan of Victor Moore, but he’s really great in this. But the film belongs to Beulah Bondi – one of my favorite character actresses, here she is the lead and gives the performance of her career (naturally neither she or the film were nominated for any Academy Awards). The film has a sentimental score by Victor Young and George Antheil (the sentimental part surely came from Mr. Young). McCarey’s direction is simple as can be, but just right. I gather the film has never had a video release of any kind, but has recently been shown on TCM. It is now on Blu and Ray in the UK and the source material, while a little worn and rough, is reasonably sharp and for grain lovers it will be a delight, since it’s obviously taken from a print that is many generations from the negative.
After the movie, I did some stuff on the computer and that was my day and that was my night. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because even though I gained an hour I feel like it is much later, which, of course, it is. Right now, I’m typing this at 10:30, which, just one short night ago, was 11:30. So, I think we didn’t gain an hour I think we lost an hour even though we supposedly gained an hour. What the HELL am I talking about? Whatever it is, it’s impromptu.
Today is quite a busy day. I have a listening session with the composer of the musical we’ll be issuing on Kritzerland. That should hopefully take no longer than two hours, because then I have an appointment with my tape transfer guy to listen to tapes – I’m really hoping for the best on these tapes, hoping there will be some additional cues and whatnot. We shall see. If there are, I think we’ll rush this one into production and announce it next week. Then I’m going to see the Musical Theater Guild concert version of Hello, Again at the Alex. I’m not that keen on the show, but I’m trying to be supportive of MTG. I also have to make CDRs for singers and get them those and their music pronto.
Tomorrow, I have a work session with Linda Purl and Greg Harrison, and then I think the helper will be here Wednesday, at least I think that’s the plan. The rest of the week is equally busy, and then on Friday I’m on my way to Portland. I get in around two, and I’m hoping JMK will take me to that nice bookshop I like and then I hope we’re having a little haineshisway.com get-together. Then we do the event on Saturday, then I come home Sunday morning.
Tomorrow, you will not want to miss being here at haineshisway.com for our big anniversary partay – out 10th year of this here site and these here notes. We want to shake our collective bootays and have a high old time all the livelong day and evening. So, be there or be round.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a listening session, hear some tapes, make some CDRs, hopefully pick up a package or three and more importantly the overdue important envelope, jog, eat, and then see a show. Today’s topic of discussion: Breakfasts – what’s the most memorable breakfast you ever had? What was it comprised of, where was it, and why was it memorable? Also, what are your favorite egg dishes, do you like eggs and corned beef hash, for example, omelets, scrambles, or other more exotic ways of having your eggs. What are the best pancakes and waffles and french toast you’ve had? All things breakfast, baby. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to an impromptu dreamland.