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Well, you've read the notes, color me happy, color you happy, color us all happy, and for our Brit friends, colour them happy, and now it is time to post until the pithy cows come home.
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First post huzzah!
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Whew! Lovely stove photos.
Why did the elephant man sit on DR Panni's Roper?
He liked to ride the range.
MBARNUM I love Horror-Wood - their graphics are great! Sometimes the music slows me down a bit. Enjoyed Cal's interview.....hmmmmmmm.....so he was writing a casting agent a ticket and got discovered? That story is as good as Lana Turner at Schwab's. Horror-Wood published my two-part biography of Allison and couple of years ago!
Thanks everyone for the comments on AbbyNormal. She is very quiet so far. Miss Gone Hollywood comes home in a couple of hours. Her heart is fine, DRJANE, her lungs are just old dog lungs - but they are fine. Most sharpeis live only about 7 years, and Holly is almost 12, so every day is a blessing for us.
DRMATTH our Friday night audience was subdued compared to the Wednesday (pay what you can) and Thursday (half price preview) nights, and I know in the summer, Fridays are our quietest nights.....so maybe it's just one of those things.
What a great deal on the Abner books, MR BK - and maybe one of the people who kept trying to win the ones you did, will bid on the ones you are selling and then EVERYONE will be happy!
Last night I watched a Bollywood DVD that MBARNUM sent me....KOHRAA. It is a Bollywood version of REBECCA - with some scenes nearly identical to the Hollywood original. The songs are subtitled (hurray) - and it is a very good movie. I am sorry it is in b/w - I like my Bollywood numbers in eye-wrenching COLOR!
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TOD: My cousin Lana Ellen Barnett.
She was five years my senior. She lived in the small town of Cloverdale, and I would usually spend a lot of my summer at her house. In the mornings we would teach dance and gymnastics and baton, and in the afternoon, go to the swimming pool or lake for swimming.
I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world, the smartest girl in the world, and had the best friends EVER. She always treated me as an equal, taught me a LOT about dance, and introduced me to wonderful movies like A SUMMER PLACE and PEYTON PLACE and PARRISH and ROME ADVENTURE. She loved Pat Boone and Elvis Presley.
She married twice. Her second husband was mean to her, moved her to Tennessee. I visited her a couple of times there, sometimes with my other cousin, her sister, Lita. Her second husband killed her and their unborn child in the summer of 1971. My world - and the world in general - is a sadder place without her.
I think of her everyday - she still influences my choreographic decisions, my choices in music and movies, and sometimes when I am in a group of people, I still hear her laugh.
Lana was special. I wish she were here on HHW today.
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Wow, hardly any posts! :(
DR Emily, NOTRE DAME DE PARIS isn't in the Broadway series. It is one of the shows at the Bell Center.
The Broadway Series is at Place Des Arts and features: CONTACT, MAMMA MIA, EVITA, and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
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GOOD READING VIBES FOR MR BK!!!
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DRJENNIFER you posted a question for me last night, but I forget what it was. Or maybe I was just going to write about something you wrote.
GRRRRRRRRRRR....getting old is HELL.........
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Good morning, al!
Dar Friend BK, best of luck with the reading today. That's a great story about the Li'l Abner volumes. I only own the two volumes with the Broadway show and the film, and I'd love to have them all.
Insofar as I feel like a civilized individual, or can credit someone for being a major influence on my life, I have to thank my Aunt Jean, my Mother's older sister. Around 1950, after several miscarriages, she was given a hysterectomy, so she and my Uncle Harold never had children. Shortly thereafter, my brother Tom and I became her surrogate children, and we spent between 12-20 weekends a year with them. This went on until I left home for college, and I credit her for so many things, from getting to live performances, to knowing what all the silverware at a table was used for.
In the early 1970s, when I was waffling around Southwestern Ohio, trying to determine my place in the cosmos, she abruptly dropped me from her calendar, most likely angry at my confusion and lack of career goals, and in 1976 she died of a stroke she suffered while trying to get her car out of a snow drift. At that point there was a wide gap in our affections never to be resolved. I like to think she would have been happy that I finally landed in New York and I know she would have loved an excuse to come and visit. She always loved live theatre, and she really loved to shop.
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Here we are!
I am at left, age 15 months....Lana in the center about age 5 with doggie Target, and brother Mike, right age 2.
;D
Can't find Lana's high school photos. GRRRRRRRR...
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Lovely story DRELMORE.
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Lovely story DRELMORE.
Thansk, DRJRand54. Your story was quite wonderful as well. I'm sorry your cousin met such a cruel end. Whatever happened to the pig that killed her?
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Said she fell down - he walked away. Took the wedding rings off her hand at the funeral (not easy to do). He is still walking around and living life. What can you do. Karma takes awhile sometimes.
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I really can't think of anyone in my life who fits in the TOD category.
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Is it Saturday or something?
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Holly is home.....with stitches and staples....but she is walking fine.....so thanks, everyone!
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I'd have to say the adult that comes closest to BK's description was my dance teacher - Susan Connolly. She introduced me at a very young age to movie musical music. Though she used a pianist in the studio for the first four or five years I took lessons, she'd play soundtracks to EASTER PARADE or SINGIN' IN THE RAIN for inspiration and that's where I got interested in musicals.
Also, as I was the only male in the top class for many years and she liked me, she gave me lots of solos and featured spots which brought out "my inner ham." I really did think she walked on water.
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We found out last night that there is a strong possibility that an extra show is going to be added next weekend to accommodate ticket demands for NUNCRACKERS. It'd be a Saturday matinee. I guess we'll find out tonight if that's a "go."
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I haven't decided which DVDs I'll spend my afternoon with today. I had THE COCOANUTS ready to go, but then that sticky web guy came into the house yesterday and sort of upset my planned viewing schedule. I may just flip a coin when I get in from my Chinese buffet.
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TOD: I regret to say that there was no one like that in my life. I had to discover those things for myself...via old movies on TV and going to the movies.
I also put myself "out there" by trying out for school plays...and surprising the hell out of people who never gave me much notice.
When I was in college my parents came to the first play I did there. I was a townperson in "The Music Man" -- I sang, I danced, I peopled the stage. It was the first time my folks had ever attended anything I was "in" since I was 6 or 7. They stopped nagging me about my major after that (I had declared my major to be dramatic arts).
I have always loved books and movies about such magical people influencing the lives of others. I haven't bemoaned the lack of one in my life, but have often wished I could be such a person for others.
I'd like to think I've helped a few people, along the way, see things in a different way. A different slant on something is often all it takes to open up new worlds.
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Good Morning!
Another sniffly morning for me here, but I usually have sniffly mornings. Note to self: Remember to set up the humidifier in the bedroom every time you stay at your parents house. -That's always seemed bass-ackwards to me: that one can get sniffly from lack of moisture in the air. -Or something like that. Moving on...
Topic of the Day: Since I was a Coast Guard brat, and moved every 18-24 months while I was growing up, I'm mentioning two people.
-Mrs. Wallace my fifth grade teacher in Connecticut. She encouraged me to be smart during a time when being smart - well, a boy being smart - was sometimes not the most popular thing to be.
-Bryan Louiselle - I mentioned him once before on the "old board". He was two years ahead of me in high school, and I'd have to credit him with opening my eyes, ears and brain to not only the magic of musical theatre, but also to the beauty in "serious" classical music. And pop music. And 20th Century classical music. And barbershop... Music, all types of music. What was most impressive about him was that he had absolutely no attitude in regards to his talent. An amazing all around musician, and one helluva a pianist! And I never felt "inferior" to his " superior" musical abilities. Even though we were both in high school at the time, he planted the very strange and impossible idea that it could be possible for me to make a living and live a life as a musician. ...20 years later...
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Well, I need to get myself packed up and start heading back down to Richmond in a few.
I'm afraid to say that my Monday plans seem to be taking me in a different direction. South instead of North, up to NYC. I have a few more phone calls to make and receive today, so keep your fingers crossed... -I really want some of the Parisienne Cake!
;)
Laters...
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Is this the friend you "found" in NYC on the old board, DRJOSE?
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I'm up, and must hurry and get ready and anoint myself with rare oils and myrhhhhhhhhh. I'm going to try to delay leaving until ten, which is when I'm supposed to pick up the cake, then I have some stuff to attend to, then I'll mosey on over to the bookshop.
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Good morning all.
Question of the day—what is a Parisienne cake? I’ve never heard of that.
Bruce, I am impressed with your packing. If you only could have seen what all I hauled to NYC when I went---OY! I had a huge (and I mean HUGE) suitcase, my suitbag, a carry on and my purse.
Now you would think the purse was a small thing but you don’t know my idea of a purse. They have been known as the deadliest weapons known to man. If I ever hit someone with it (provided I could both lift and swing the thing), I guarantee you that person would be dead.
I guess that was another one of the reasons I was disappointed with NY. I was under the impression that that it like the glamour capital of the world. I have to laugh now when I think how many dresses I tried on and how worried I was wouldn’t be dressed good enough for the plays/evening. Just that for that one night alone I bought four different dresses.
Oh well, live and learn. Next time I’ll wear my ratty jeans, pack a toothbrush and my tongue scrapper and I’ll be set.
Jrand, I am so sorry for your loss. Please tell me that thing at least went to jail for what he did.
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JR - What a lovely and sad story.
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Elmore - Sad that you were estranged at the end...
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I'll be leaving shortly, but am trying to stretch out my time before I do. Have you ever stretched time? How did time feel about it? Time, after all, is a cruel mistress and likes to do the stretching herself.
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MR BK - sometimes, time snaps back!
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Oh, and keep the home fries burning, won't you?
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And if you don't, just remember, time may be a cruel mistress but bk is a much crueler mistress and will bitch-slap you from here to eternity and hell and back.
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Love you all madly.
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I am my own frenzy.
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Hermione Granger did some funly things with time travel in the third Harry Potter book. Something with a necklace, I believe... yes something with a necklace. I'm still struggling with the TOD, the adults in my childhood life were not always positive and did not always encourage the direction that my life has ultimately taken. I'll get back later.
Tonight, I get to actually play a performance of "The Secret Garden" that a local communtiy theatre is producing. The guy that played Keyboard 1 for me in my production is doing the same there, he needed a sub, so I'm walking in and subbing for the evening. I was a bit nervous, but confident at the same time, that I could walk in and play the show and walk out, until this morning in the shower, I remembered when my good friend and mentor, Mark, called me at the last minute to come in a play piano for one performance of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", a Sondheim show I'd never played, except for "Comedy Tonight"... talk about being nervous. In the end, it was tons of fun and the first violinst mentioned that there had been several pianists, and I was the one that played out and played well!!! Go know...
Yesterday in class, as we rehearsed for our Christmas concert, several times I used the phrase "Why are you just sitting there like so much fish, SIT UP!" Ah.. the glories of HHW.
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Thanks DRPANNI - she was a fun, wonderful person! And it makes me happy to share that with everyone at HHW.
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I wish the mail would come today....already!
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JRand,
Thanks for sharing the memories about your cousin Lana - a lovely tribute.
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Some children’s classroom Amuse Bouches
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".
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A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
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A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."
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One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"
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The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, She's dead. "
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A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.."
"Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?"
A little fellow shouted,
"Cause your feet ain't empty."
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The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray
"Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.
*************************************************
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I grew up in a large and friendly apartment building, and several neighbors had a positive influence on me.
The first was Fritzi Bernstein, like Helen Trent an unmarried woman in her thirties. My mom kept a kosher kitchen, but every once in a while Fritzi would give us a call and tell my mother to send me over - she was making bacon (which I loved). We'd then have a nice private visit and enjoy adult-level conversations. (I was probably seven years old.) Fritzi had the most wonderful vocabulary and I loved the sounds of the words she used, even if I didn't really understand them.
There were two other neighbors, Phyllis and Pola. When my dad was in the hospital and my mom left early to visit him, these two women (one of whom herself went to work) not only took turns making sure I got a good breakfast before school, but went overboard with delicious French toast, pancakes, etc. That kind of consideration is never forgotten.
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I finished Writer's Block, which I will recommend very enthusiastically in an Amazon review (to be posted this weekend).
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(http://pic8.picturetrail.com/VOL242/891350/5613952/75527919.jpg)
I am now in the Snapdragon part of my life.
Part of me has lost its snap, and the other part is draggin'
der Brucer
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And before I get to work, here's the seedless pomegranate update. It's bursting with the usual delicious, juicy, messy pomegranate seeds, but the little seeds inside them (like grape seeds) are softer than in the normal variety.
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I am especially enjoying the posts today.
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Good Afternoon!
I'm back in Richmond...
WARNING: DEEP THOUGHTS AHEAD
:-\
While driving back down I-95 this afternoon, it suddenly hit me that this weekend could possibly be my last full weekend in Richmond. Let the walk down Nostalgia Lane begin...
I guess that thought didn't really "suddenly hit" me, rather it finally came to the forefront of my mind. There have been various signs - for lack of a better word - over the past couple of months that have been signalling that the end of my time here in Richmond is coming to an end. Even the "progress" of the rehearsals for Hallelujah, Baby! the past two nights seem to be a part of the those proverbial planets lining up. With Edwina's "retirement" tomorrow... Even my father's current medical condition comes into play... It's time to move on.
Now whether it's on to New York - which is most likely - or even just back up to DC - or to somewhere else that has not even crossed my mind yet... It's just time for a change of scene in more ways than one.
I know I could be very comfortable living here for many years to come, but there's been a sense of of unsettledness that has recently begun to bubble somewhere in my system. -And I'm not talking about my recent crazy dietary intake.
I'm not unhappy. In fact, I'm feeling comfortable. But maybe a little too comfortable. And when I get too comfortable, I get lazy. And laziness, true laziness is too easy a trap for me to fall in.
I do love Richmond, and I will always love Richmond. I have many good friends here, and I know I will miss them. But I even somehow seem prepared for all the "missing".
I really do want to start sorting through all my crap and near-crap. I really do want to start throwing out a bunch of stuff. I really do want to sort through all the stuff I've accumulated over the past couple of years. And that's just a totally weird feeling and mindset for me.
So... If I tend to get a bit ponderous over the next few weeks, you now know why.
END OF DEEP THOUGHTS
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I first heard thsis story on CNN, and here's the AP version... ;D
Police Follow Doughnut Trail, Solve Crime
Fri Dec 3, 6:17 PM ET
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Police followed a trail of doughnuts to find a stolen Krispy Kreme delivery truck. "It has a happy ending," Swatara Township Sgt. Robert Simmonds said. "The evidence was brought back to the police station, and the cops are eating the doughnuts."
It was 12:45 a.m. Thursday when Krispy Kreme deliveryman Tim Trostle stopped at a Swatara Township convenience store and left the engine running as he made the delivery. Someone fled with the truck, but since Trostle had left the back doors open, police were able to follow a trail of doughnuts.
The doughnut trail ended before long, but police in a nearby township found a doughnut cart near the Harrisburg city line. City police found the truck near a downtown bar.
No arrests were immediately made. The truck was returned to the company.
Although Simmonds had been joking about police taking the contents of the truck, he acknowledged seeing Krispy Kreme doughnuts in a station conference room Thursday.
"I suspect that the manager from the Krispy Kreme might have given us a little thank you for our efforts," he said.
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TOD: Probably the most magical adult I knew growing up was my late Uncle Charlie, my father's younger brother. I think I've written about Charlie here before, but he was a truly incredible person who, like our esteemed BK, either "knew everyone" or knew someone who knew someone else. Charlie, like my father and the other siblings, had a very challenging youth, with their mother dying after giving birth to a youngest child my sisters and I didn't even know existed until two years ago (she may still be alive--it gnaws at me daily), and who was given up for adoption. My grandfather took the other five (!!) children and placed them in the Hebrew Sheltering and Guardian Society in NYC. Charlie was always something of a rabble-rouser, and became involved in leftist politics in the 30s back when it was cool. He became a big makher in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (hence his connections with Frances Farmer and Leif Erickson, as well as a who's who of left-leaning showbiz folk of that era), and also at one point had the Number 2 card in the American Communist Party. He went to Spain and fought the fascists, becoming a POW there for almost two years (in the small world department, I found his cellmate, still alive, living about two hours from me in Corvallis, Oregon a couple of years ago!).
After he returned to the US, he helped unionize the NYC docks (there is quite a bit of evidence that his friends Schulberg and Kazan based some of "On the Waterfront" on Charlie's activities). Martin Dies of the HUAC called him "the baby-faced pinko of New York's docks."
Some time in the mid-50s Charlie made a transition into real estate when someone gave him an old Brownstone in the Village. Charlie then became very well known for gutting old Brownstones, completely renovating the interiors and then renting them for a lot of money. Among his tenants through the years were Clifford Odets, Jackson Pollock, Bernard Slade, James Ellison, Dustin Hoffman, Rip Torn & Gerry Page, Barbara Harris, Mel Brooks and on and on.
Charlie was famous in NYC for letting up and coming artists live rent-free in his apartments until they were making a decent living. Dustin Hoffman did so when he was still driving taxis in NYC before Panic in Needle Park, or whatever it was that put him on the map (memory fails me right now). There's an interesting little tidbit on the commentary to "The Producers" where you'll hear Mel Brooks talk about Dustin throwing rocks on his apartment window on W. 11th between 5th and 6th. That was one of Charlie's buildings and one that I stayed in for several weeks in 1994 when my other Uncle, Pat, died and I had to close out his estate.
Charlie was also an "angel" for many a Broadway show. I remember how peeved he was when Bernie Slade's "Same Time, Next Year" was the hit of the season because he had invested in it as a tax dodge. One of his most memorable quotes to me was about BK's close personal friend, Stephen Sondheim. "You can always count on Steve for a nice tax write-off" he said sometime after "Follies" and "Pacific Overtures" had tanked.
Anyway, Charlie always seemed to be the most worldly and wise person I had ever met. He spoke several languages fluently (including really obscure ones like some unknown dialect of Chinese). When I was a kid staying with him one summer he took me out on an early morning driving tour of NYC on a Sunday morning in his 1959 Jaguar (with a tv--yes, a tv--in the backseat, which was a wonder in those days). He completely disobeyed all the traffic signals, at one point driving up on the sidewalk to get around traffic. But everywhere he stopped, from Little Italy to Chinatown, he knew people and would talk with them in their native languages.
OK, I could go on and on, but that's probably enough for now.
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Goodness gracious, you've found a "golden" TOD, BK!
Now, Dear Readers, it is so hard to read your confessions through my tears!
Thank you for so many human emotions!
We can use them in these days and times!
Pardon me while I reach for some tissue!
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P.S. One final tidbit about Charlie for you New Yorkers--Charlie managed campaigns for Paul O'Dwyer and Ed Koch. My family is still involved in some haggling with O'Dwyer's son due to some (we think) inappropriate dealings with Charlie's Foundation, which gives grants to socially progressive organizations (Charlie's Foundation funded the famous "Shouts from the Wall" exhibit and documentary about the Abraham Lincoln Brigade).
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(http://pic8.picturetrail.com/VOL242/891350/5613952/75527919.jpg)
I am now in the Snapdragon part of my life.
Part of me has lost its snap, and the other part is draggin'
der Brucer
Oh, the trouble I could get into by posting a comeback line! ::)
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If they asked you, you could write a book.....
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DR Danise,
This is what BK's favourite cake looks like, I believe!
http://www.nau-now.com/cake/parisienne/img/cake/bdjpg.jpg
http://www.nau-now.com/cake/parisienne/img/cake/noegg.jpg
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DRJMK, that's a great story! Uncle Charlie sounds like one helluva mensch.
DRJose, no NYC on Monday? Curses!
Barnes & Noble was jumping today! The time flew by, but now my feet are killing me. As my friend Val says, the dogs are barkin'!
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DR Jrand, not sure what you wanted to answer (that I wrote). But when in doubt, you can always click on my name and view my last 10 posts.
Was it about Alias? The airport?
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I really can't think of anyone in my life who fits in the TOD category.
I can't either. :-\
These are such wonderful stories. I'm at work now, so I'd better get back to actually working!
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DR Danise - When I was in LA this past summer, one of my missions was to find out exactly what BK's beloved Parisienne Cake was/is. So, I headed over to Gelson's and asked the kind lady behind the bakery counter what constituted a Parisienne Cake. Basically, it's a very fancy chocolate cake. Chocolate Cake layers with Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Buttercream between said layers. Then the whole affair is frosted with more Chocolate Buttercream, Chocolate Whipped Cream plus some swirls of Chocolate Ganache. Finally, the frosted cake is liberally sprinkled and coated with bits of Bittersweet Chocolate - basically large chocolate shavings. Very good, very rich, but surprisingly light tasting.
:D
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Had some time this afternoon to get through LESS THAN PERFECT, WEdnesday night's LAW & ORDER, and THE COCOANUTS.
[sigh] They've obviously never located those missing reels in the middle of the movie, and so I guess we'll be forever stuck with those dupes from some ancient 16 mm print. (The pictures goes into fuzzy focus for about 30-40 minutes).
Anyway, now I have all of their great films on DVD and can forget about tapes and laserdiscs of them.
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DRJose, no NYC on Monday? Curses!
Yeah, I know, I know... As I mentioned, there have been a few wrenches thrown into the mix. Some good. Some bad. Some profitable. So... I may still be able to train up in the afternoon, but that 11-hour day on Tuesday keeps staring back at me from my calendar. Then there's the 11-day on Wednesday... And then Opening on Friday, so...
I'm just trying to not fret about it - or anything at this point. I'll make a definite decision and plan by tonight.
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JRand and elmore, thank you for the lovely stories. I was moved by them both.
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Welcome home, Holly![/move][/u]
[/color]
Last night, for the first time since we opened, I felt like I really nailed my performance as Scrooge. Not that I have been awful during any of the performances (at least, I don't think I have), but last night was near perfection. I kept wishing my two cyber children had been there last night! Hell, I just wish someone I knew had been there last night.[/size]
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Last night, for the first time since we opened, I felt like I really nailed my performance as Scrooge. Not that I have been awful during any of the performances (at least, I don't think I have), but last night was near perfection. I kept wishing my two cyber children had been there last night! Hell, I just wish someone I knew had been there last night.[/size]
Congrats, DRTCB! I wish I'd been there to see you.
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Elmore!! you're back at work!!! Oh, happy day!
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I am SO looking forward to Monday evening... you know, of course, that Mondays I have my BMI workshop - but I will leave it early and may get to the bookstore by 8 or 8:15. I hope the festivities are still festering by then... What's up with Joe Allen's?? Any word on that??
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And just by the by... I'm STILL looking for a sublet for Jan-Apr, if anyone has a friend of a friend looking to sublet a space... prefer upper West Side, but would certainly go elsewhere. Would love a one-bedrooom. Would like peace and quiet. Would like an elevator, if it's more than one flight up. A piano would be nice. Cable TV. A phone. Finder's fee possible, HELP!!!!!
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Wow! Did I just start page 3??? Yippeeeeeeee!
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okay - heading off to the theatah, back later. byeeee
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Congrats, DRTCB! I wish I'd been there to see you.
Thanks, Larry, I wish you had been there, too.
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TCB, so sorry Ann and I weren't there for your performance last night, but maybe you can just do it again, as we WILL be there TONIGHT!!!
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Hi Jed! I just sent TCB a private message saying that I'd love to see his show! However, I can't go tonight. :( We could've had a mini-meeting of the PNW HHWers! Do you have any plans to...dare I say it...see it again? :D
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I certainly wouldn't expect it, but it was a thought. :)
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Oy. More term papers. This is not what weekends were meant for.
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TCB, so sorry Ann and I weren't there for your performance last night, but maybe you can just do it again, as we WILL be there TONIGHT!!!
Really???? How wonderful. I can't wait to see you both. And besides, I have a bitch-slap to deliver to you, young man, from everyone here at HHW!
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Hi Jed! I just sent TCB a private message saying that I'd love to see his show! However, I can't go tonight. :( We could've had a mini-meeting of the PNW HHWers! Do you have any plans to...dare I say it...see it again? :D
Trust me, George, once is enough!
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Trust me, George, once is enough!
If you insist! ::) ;D
I usher for local shows and, since they're free, I like to see them more than once ... especially if friends of mine are in them. So I have seen multiple times (and actually been in) many shows where "once is enough," but it didn't stop me! ;)
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Really???? How wonderful. I can't wait to see you both. And besides, I have a bitch-slap to deliver to you, young man, from everyone here at HHW!
Greatly looking forward to seeing you, too, cyberdad.
Hmmm... doubt Ann has a helmet around here I can wear...
Hi Jed! I just sent TCB a private message saying that I'd love to see his show! However, I can't go tonight. :( We could've had a mini-meeting of the PNW HHWers! Do you have any plans to...dare I say it...see it again? :D
I think we'll just have to plan better for his next show!
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Your Intrepid Reporter Panni is back with On Location photos from bk's wonderful reading. The reading was terrific and a grand time was had by all. Now you will feel as if you were there... Ready?...
Waiting for the reading to begin. Will the audience arrive? The tension is thick (soon it will go on a diet and be thin)....
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But the audience does begin to arrive...
Our very own Mr. Nick Redman (who arrived despite a terrible headache)...
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Our very own and very charming Miss Tammy Minoff....
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DR Jay and his Bulgarian friend, Michael....
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Our very own Mr. Paul Haber (who was one of the early ones)...
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bk is Happy!
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He reads... And some of the words he reads would make a sailor blush. There was a sailor present. He blushed.
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And I do believe that's Paul Haber from WHAT IF? in that first photo!
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A Still Life of LES OEUVRES DE BK PLUS CAKE AND COKE...
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...DIET Coke, of course.
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...And that's it, DRs. Your intrepid reporter actually left the festitivities early, so for all we know the mirth and merriment is still in progress.
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SEE! I told you that was Paul Haber!!
;)
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Woohoo! Paul Haber...I wonder if I can arrange to somehow meet him next time I am in L.A.!
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Thanks for the photos, DR PANNI!
They were much more pleasant than what I saw crawling across my living room floor and under the couch about 20 minutes ago. A mouse. A small, gray mouse.
I didn't scream, but I did jump a little bit. It just took me a second or two to figure out exactly what was moving out of the corner of my eye. Thankfully, it wasn't coming out of the corner of my eye. -Ewwwwww! Alas, I also realized that it's hiding place is the space in the walls for the pocket doors which separate the living room from the bedroom. My bedroom. Ah, well...
I have some more traps in the kitchen, maybe I'll set up a few tonight. Hmm... Or not. Hmm....
For now, I think I'll go for a walk.
Laters...
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TCB - We were there in spirit. And you were FABULOUS!
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Jose - I think that mouse was an omen telling you that you're right in wanting to leave!
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Okay, it's been real. But I must work. Later I'll post on the TOD. Everything I've read so far has been really moving. Wow!
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Well, der Brucer and I may have missed this reading (and Bookfellows is one of my fave places for readings), but we'll be at the NYC fest.
But I don't think we'll have bells on. I don't own any bells, and der B's leisure suits from ages past are mothballed somewhere where he can't get to them easily. ::)
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But I don't think we'll have bells on. I don't own any bells, and der B's leisure suits from ages past are mothballed somewhere where he can't get to them easily. ::)
Did you have anything to do with that?
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Really???? How wonderful. I can't wait to see you both. And besides, I have a bitch-slap to deliver to you, young man, from everyone here at HHW!
Oh, NO!
No bitch-slapping is in order on such occasion, even for you cyber son, Mr Scrooge!
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But the audience does begin to arrive...
Our very own Mr. Nick Redman (who arrived despite a terrible headache)...
Hmmmm!
Looks like a CIA man to me! ;)
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Our very own and very charming Miss Tammy Minoff....
.... doing a commercial for that US Coffee chain of stores?
(You've Got Mail!?!)
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bk is Happy!
.... doing a commercial for..... D. C. !! :D
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A Still Life of LES OEUVRES DE BK PLUS CAKE AND COKE...
Hmmm.
It's funny how i don't remember a cover with chocolate chip cookies in a tall glass for one of BK's books!!! :D
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Woohoo! Paul Haber...I wonder if I can arrange to somehow meet him next time I am in L.A.!
Well.... write a book and have a reading there! LOL!
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TCB - We were there in spirit. And you were FABULOUS!
Are we talking cyber-sex here??? :o
Oops!
Don't mind me! :-[
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Jose - I think that mouse was an omen telling you that you're right in wanting to leave!
Wait!
Walt made a fortune out of a mouse!
Jose might duplicate that!
DON'T TOUCH MICKEY!
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I'm back, and to prove it, I'm here. We had a perfectly perfect signing - our biggest group of folks ever, and it was swellegant. Francois, the parisienne cake you found is nothing like ours here - ours is pictured - chocolate (light) with yellow cake. It was yummilicious. After the signing, Miss Tammy, Miss Melissa Ficociello (the What If set designer), Mr. Paul and myself went next door to Don Cuco's and had quite a bit of Mexican food.
May I just say that these postings today are wonderfully wonderful and probably the most exceptional postings on all the Internet.
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I have laid out stuff to go into my overnight bag, and it shall now take me all of about thirty seconds to put in.
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DRPANNI - yes it was like being there.....almost like being there. What wonderful photos. And just when I was about to ask you who the two men in black leather jackets were....the question was answered. In the first picture they looked suspiciously like cake thieves - but then lo and behold, it turns out to be Mr Haber and DR JAY'S friend.
Congratulations to the scribe!
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Sorry, Danise!
As BK posted, I was wrong about the cake!
I guess we call it Los Angelesienne Cake here...
BUT, after some Internet searching, guess what I've found, dated November 9, 1998?
This!......... and I have NO IDEA whoever wrote that!!
"The Real A: A Life
Before we delve into Miss Meryle Secrest's searing account of the weird and wacky life of me, may I just tell you, dear readers, that my dinner party was lovely. My famous beef strogonoff went over with a bang (no mean feat), my salad with dressing was eaten, rolls were ingested with and without butter, and the conversation was stimulating. Then came the dessert, my famous Parisienne Cake fresh from the bakery. Now, I have been buying and eating this particular cake since I was a teen (neet spelled backwards). It was a favorite of my mother's and I have carried on the tradition of said cake. So, imagine my surprise when I took a bite of my beloved Parisienne Cake and tasted rum! Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, rum! The problem with tasting rum (mur spelled backwards) in my beloved Parisienne Cake is that there is not supposed to be rum in my beloved Parisienne Cake. There is only supposed to be yellow cake and yummy chocolate. No rum. Sans rum. Exeunt rum. Outski with the rumski. So, there we all were, eating Parisienne Cake with rum, which meant we were not eating Parisienne Cake at all. We were eating rum cake. I don't know about you, dear readers, but I find rum heinous (heinous, do you hear me?). I do not like the rum in any way, shape or form. Rum is simply a flavor that has gone awry in my book (Chapter 139 - The Awry Flavor Of Rum). Well, I was most embarrassed by the Rum Cake (nee Parisienne). My guests pretended to like it, but I knew otherwise. So, this morning I took the remains of the former Parisienne turned Rum Cake back from whence it came. The people at the bakery were mortified to find rum in their Parisienne Cake. A mistake had been made, of that there was no doubt, said the bakery people. They were contrite. They offered me a brand spanking new Parisienne Cake at no charge. I took the cake (yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I take the cake) and now have an entire Parisienne Cake all to myself. You know that I cannot let that Parisienne Cake just sit there like so much fish, no, I'm going to have to eat the Parisienne Cake, eat it until I am lying prone on the rug unable to move. Hence, I better finish writing this here column, because once I start on that Parisienne Cake there will be no doing anything but lying prone on the rug."
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Well, since noone's here and there's no Parisienne cake left, i'm stuffing myself with Chocolates with mint filling (from Finland) that some hotel guests from Sweeden have offered me tonight; a whole 17.6 oz box!
Ain't that nice?
I now have an After Eight Breath! LOL!
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Oh!
17.6 oz = 500 G. or half a kilo!
It says here (oh, a.... sorry!) "Store in a cool and dry place"
My mouth is just that!
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The Hills Are Alive,
And It's Pretty Frightening!
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Noël,
I believe YOUR holiday is coming up soon!
(Oh, I'm SO FUNNY!)
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The reading/signing was real swell! Dear BK was in fine form and I can assure you there are words in Writer's Block that appear nowhere in the Kritzer trilogy!
And thank you, Dear Reader Panni, for having the presence to bring a camera to document the big event!
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Hopefully the NYC sojourn and soiree' will be likewise captured for posterity. Posterity is very interested in having it captured.
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TCB - your new avatar is very nice!
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TCB - your new avatar is very nice!
Thank you, sir.
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Very Sondheim-esque!
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Evening all!
I’m so glad you had a nice reading, BK! I’m only sorry I couldn’t make it! Thank you, Panni, for the GREAT pictures!
So when are they going to come up with transporters like in Star Trek so we could beam out to spend a day with our friends?
Just think, we could pop in to see BK’s reading, then step into the chamber in time to see TCB’s play or one of Jrands or Joses. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Thank you , Francois de Paris and Jose for trying to show me what a parisienn cake looks like. It does look good and sounds yummy.
A “seedless pomegranate”, I never heard of such a thing! Sounds wonderful, considering I shouldn’t eat them because of the seeds. Where did you get one, Dan-In-Toronto? I would LOVE to try one.
Jose, you have a case of itchy feet and want to move? You are a travelin’ man! :D
JMK, it’s so nice to see you again! You were missed.
TCB, I like the new photo as well.
I just finished watching Star Wars. I believe I saw at least some of the changes, most notable the new Jaba/Han scene. They must have scraped that one off the cutting room floor.
I've also enjoyed the TOD stories but some of them made me want to cry as well.
I don't know where I got my love of theater. I don't honestly remember any one person who pushed me in that direction. In fact, I remember my Mother saying how much she hated the movie musicals. There are loads of them that I have never seen.
It seems that I only saw them when I got my own tv in my room and "discovered", The King and I and movies like that and learned that I really liked them.
The only real childhood musical movie I remember was The Wizard of Oz.
Even now I have to wait until my Mom goes to bed to watch anything of a musical nature like my Michael Ball/Crawford concerts or Sarah Brightman.
It's 54 degrees here in the land of SunShine. Burrrr! Time for the old heating blanket! :)
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Off to the Garden again.. don't tell anyone, it's a Secret Garden. I'm told this production employs the use of "Garden Fairy's" as their crew. I'm hoping I don't have a view of the stage!
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Writing writing writing. At last my hands are complete again!
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Good Evening!
But first, we nap...
I guess sometime shortly after I posted my last post, I somehow drifted off to NapLand on the couch. I was out of it for about 45 minutes. Then I took my walk. And, Baby! It's cold outside! But it was a nice walk nonetheless. Of course, as soon as I got to the grocery store, I realized I had left my wallet at home, so no snack for me! Ah, well...
When I got back, I cobbled together something resembling dinner. I think.
:-X
And now it's "Trading Spaces" and whatever else I happen to come across on TV tonight.
No more mice sightings, but I don't think I'll be walking around barefoot tonight.
:o
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In my search around this wonderful www of ours I was sad to find out that a fav actress of mine who a had a brief career in the 60's died three years ago from cancer. Miss Deborah Walley from Gidget to Elvis to The Mothers-in-law and ending up with Benji
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Not to be confused with Debbie Watson who was Tammy on TV and in the movies and was one of the Marilyns from the 60's The Munsters who is still alive.
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Ah yes, DRMS....Deborah died on a lovely May Day a couple of years ago.
She and Michael Callan played opposite each other in BON VOYAGE and GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN. She was married for awhile to Mr John Ashley and I think they had two sons.
One of my favorites of all her films is SUMMER MAGIC - as cousin Julia who believes she is rich and comes to stay "temporarily" with the family of Dorothy McGuire - whose kids are Jimmy Mathers, Eddie Hodges,and Hayley Mills. When the kids find out she is coming they sing a song called "The Pink of Perfection" mentioning all her faults. The youngest boy tells his dog: "Boy, I can't wait to see HER!"
After hearing the catalog of her imperfections, as Julia climbs out of the car, a disappointed Peter cries out to Hayley Mills: "Heck, she's not knock-kneed, Nancy!"
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Barnes & Noble was jumping today! The time flew by, but now my feet are killing me. As my friend Val says, the dogs are barkin'!
Did you wear your good shoes?
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Dan (the Man) thank you. George’s sister’s boyfriend made the DVD for me. The American Girl Dolls aren’t ones I collect. I was looking forward to watching the movie but it doesn’t work in my guest room DVD player. I will have to wait until we return to our bedroom which accepts more formats.
Speaking of our remodeling-our marble counter went in today. It is very pretty.
Panni fire and I are not friends either. LOL
JRand I’m amazed Holly is 12-how wonderful. I wish her a speedy recovery.
I’m sorry about your cousin Lana, yet you were very fortunate to have her in your life and through you she is still here. Cute photo.
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Thanks DRJANE!
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Time for a shower bath and bed. Oh my....this time tomorrow MRBK will be in the big apple!
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Elmore your story is also bittersweet and so is mine. The first person who came to mind was my older sister, strange because in retrospect she was the opposite. When I was young I thought she was terrific, and it wasn’t until my teens I began to realize, or admit the truth. For the most part she only taught me bad things to do, which were against my nature. Eventually I got out from under her control, matured and made a good life for myself which she never forgave me for.
There were numerous teachers and women who entered my life at various times and encouraged me in different ways. I was very lucky.
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Der B and I are back from appetizers. We went over to Tokyo House, the local teppan joint, which also sports a damn good sushi bar. Der B has now "discovered" sushi. Along with a sampler of sushi, we also had one of the special maki rolls, a "Rainbow Tobiko," with salmon, avocado, and tri-colored stripes of tobiko (flying fish roe). Very pretty, and very yummy.
And, because der B still can't manage chopsticks and has to ask for a fork, I snagged his chopsticks for my own use in the kitchen! Great for turning bacon and other items on the grill, and working with fried items as well.
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Ah yes, DRMS....Deborah died on a lovely May Day a couple of years ago.
She and Michael Callan played opposite each other in BON VOYAGE and GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN. She was married for awhile to Mr John Ashley and I think they had two sons.
One of my favorites of all her films is SUMMER MAGIC - as cousin Julia who believes she is rich and comes to stay "temporarily" with the family of Dorothy McGuire - whose kids are Jimmy Mathers, Eddie Hodges,and Hayley Mills. When the kids find out she is coming they sing a song called "The Pink of Perfection" mentioning all her faults. The youngest boy tells his dog: "Boy, I can't wait to see HER!"
After hearing the catalog of her imperfections, as Julia climbs out of the car, a disappointed Peter cries out to Hayley Mills: "Heck, she's not knock-kneed, Nancy!"
Yep!
All Sherman Bros songs which can be heard on this:
http://www.mouseshoppe.com/custom/productzoom/CDoDSummerMagic500.gif
"The Pink of Perfection"
She's the pink of perfection from her prissy pink nose
To her custard complexion & eleven pink toes
With a chin like a prune
She's a dainty baboon
And she thinks she's the pink of perfection
She's the pink of perfection made of skim milk and rice
She's a witch's confection, makes your blood turn to ice
Like a stale charlatreuse
With the charm of a moose
And she thinks she's the pink of perfection
Never walked e'er a creature with features so fair
Like a Lillian Russell without any hair
She's a princess presiding in diaphanous gown
With a face and a figure that's the envy of clowns
She's a knock kneed gazelle
With a voice like a bell
And she thinks she's the pink of perfection
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JRand you are welcome.
Danise you need to lighten up-purse wise that is. LOL
DiT I’m not sure how that pomegranate can be called seedless. :o
Jose we have a history of moving once the remodeling is finished in our houses. Now your place has been fixed up you seem ready to move on, hmmmm.
Next year we will meet in DC or NY, whichever city you are living in. :D
JMK your stories about Charlie are wonderful.
TCB congrats and I really like your new avatar. You look younger, are you?
Intrepid reporter you did an excellent job. Thank you.
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The reading/signing was real swell! Dear BK was in fine form and I can assure you there are words in Writer's Block that appear nowhere in the Kritzer trilogy!
Oh no, now I’m afraid to read the book. Since I can be dense in that area I might miss something. I still remember when Bruce gave me CANDY to read-didn’t know half of what was going on. ;D
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Have just returned from the Studio City Christmas Parade. I wasn't actually going to attend as I'm not in the greatest of moods. My plan was to go to the book store, pick up an ordered volume, get a take-out hot chocolate, say bah-humbug to the people assembled to watch the parade and hie myself home before the start of the happy event. At home I was going to work on my script. (The parade, BTW, is about half a minute from my home environment.) Well, as I was heading home, I heard "Anna!" and turned to see the very producers whose script I was going home to work on. They invited me to watch the parade with them, which I did. The Grand Marshall was the hilarious Mr. Fred Willard. (He did nothing hilarious, however, just waved.) Also parading were Mr. Ed Asner (part of a Peace group) Miss Juliet Mills and her husband and lots of politicians, real estate agents, cute kids and cute dogs. Santa rode in a red convertible. The Hulk, Batman (on a motorcycle) and various other superheroes were in attendance. There were some nifty vintage firetrucks and cars and many loud sirens.
And that's your intrepid reporter's report on the Studio City Christmas Parade.
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Great pic, TCB! Is it a publicity shot for Christmas Carol?
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So when are they going to come up with transporters like in Star Trek so we could beam out to spend a day with our friends?
Just think, we could pop in to see BK’s reading, then step into the chamber in time to see TCB’s play or one of Jrands or Joses. Wouldn’t that be nice?
It's 54 degrees here in the land of SunShine. Burrrr! Time for the old heating blanket! :)
Danise I’m always saying the same thing. :)
I wish it were so warm here.
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François, chocolates with mint filling sound yummy.
Panni how nice to have a spontaneous fun time.
Michael Shayne I’m very happy for you and your complete hands.
I don’t remember SUMMER MAGIC. I can’t imagine I didn’t see it at the time it was released.
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I’m tired. Goodnight
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Jane, you are too young to be tired. Of course, you and I are about to be older. There are no words in Writer's Block that you will not understand, and they are all used comedically.
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Good evening, fellow Dear Readers.
Don't really have anything to say today. So what's new?
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Wonderful new avatar, DR TCB.
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Thank you for the pics of the reading, DR Panni. Always nice to see familair faces.
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DR MBarnum, is John Ashley still alive? If anyone would know, you would. Oh, what a crush I've always had on him!
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Show #3 under our belts, and it was a fine, very responsive audience.
We have another PR gig on Monday night, this time in costume. Hey, if it'll sell tickets, it's OK by me!
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DR MBarnum, is John Ashley still alive? If anyone would know, you would. Oh, what a crush I've always had on him!
I am afraid not. He passed away in 1997
http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/johnashley.html (http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/johnashley.html)
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From the same website for John Ashley here is a pahe for Deborah Walley
http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/deborahwalley.html (http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/deborahwalley.html)
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Is ANYBODY still alive??
What 's Troy Donahue doing these days?
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I may post the new topic early tonight, so I can get some extra sleep. We shall see.
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Unfortunately, DRPANNI - Troy himself is busy being dead as well.
Brian's Drive In Theatre is a great website. DRMBARNUM has contributed many photos there - and several of my Allison Hayes photos are posted on her page. It is a lot of fun for DR's of a certain age.
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Forest J. Ackerman is alive and well at eighty-eight. Mr. Ray Bradbury is alive and doing okay at ninety or whatever he is. The Indian fellow in The Terminal is obviously alive and well at eighty-seven.
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yes, Francois - the exact song. I love that site - which you introduced to me a few months ago.
DRJANE - I bet you did see SUMMER MAGIC - but it's worth another look if you like that sort of thing. Burl Ives sings "The Ugly Bug Ball."
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Early notes would be nice.
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Still not sure if they'll be early or not -
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Yes, poor John Ashley passed away far too young. And Ms. Deborah Walley I met at one of the memorabilia shows in North Hollywood about a year before she passed away. She was a doll. Very sweet and spunky and cute. I think Michael Callen was sitting at her table with her.
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Hmmm...
NBC is rebroadcasting the episode of SNL tonight that was hosted by Jude Law and featured Ashley Simpson, and consequently the whole Ashley Simpson lip-syncing scandal. Well... They just rebroadcast the whole mishap again. I thought they would have broadcast the version from the dress rehearsal - which they sometimes do in the rebroadcasts, for the musical guests and the skits.
Interesting...
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And another interesting thing I noticed earlier while at the store...
In the snack aisle was something called a "Cookie Dough Bar". Hmmm... Are they just putting raw cookie dough into cellophane now?
;)
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Yesterday (early), DR Noel posted the following:
I'm not sure how many numbers I have in Generation F'd - could be two, could be three. The opening number is the catchiest number ever written. Eight bars of the thing and you'll be humming it forever. I say this not as a boast, but as a warning.
This has been buzzing in the back of my brain ever since I read it. It's an Artie Shaughnessy reference, right? (Earning John Mahoney his Tony in the process.)
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Very well then, the notes are up (it all worked fine, and it posted tomorrow's date of the 5th). So, I'm going to lock this discussion and open the new one. We can get a big ol' head start on tomorrow's postings.