Well, dear readers, I do believe I have finished a book, namely book 27. I waffled about whether I should finish it last night or wait until today, but I was kind of feeling it after having some food once rehearsal was over. So, I got the research in rough form into the book, then wrote about six pages, took a short break, girded my loins and did the rest – a total of twelve pages for a 222-page manuscript of just under 48,000 words, but that will go up slightly as I futz and finesse today. Anyway, I was quite emotional when I wrote the final line. We’ll see if it remains the final line, but it certainly felt right when I wrote it. Doug did some revisions on the cover and both Muse Margaret and I are really happy with it. I have one blurber committed and have reached out to two others and am awaiting response. I’ll get Muse Margaret the new pages today and if she likes them then I’ll start the proofing process immediately. Normally, I proof first, but that will depend on how my eyeballs are functioning. I want to get the manuscript to the blurbers sooner than later. That’s always a big hold up if I wait until the last minute. My plan is to get it all done and sent to the interior designer by mid to late July, and books in hand in plenty of time to ship for Christmas. Anyway, I couldn’t watch anything – I was just too, well, you know how it is. Prior to finishing the book, we had our second Kritzerland rehearsal and it went very well. Really talented group, I gave direction and even a few staging things. We wrapped at three-thirty. Then I ordered some pad Thai from my usual jernt and it showed up pretty quickly and I ate a little more than half, then saved the rest for later. Then I began writing new pages and other than a short break, finished the book. Have I mentioned that I was very emotional? Prior to all THAT, I got seven hours of sleep, got up, shaved and showered, answered e-mails, futzed and finessed, and then we began rehearsal. After finishing the book, I ordered some pistachio ice cream and a cone and when it arrived, I made a one-scoop ice cream cone – very good. Just prior to that, I’d finished the rest of the pad Thai. I had a couple of telephonic calls and that was pretty much it. Right now, I’m listening to this thing called music, specifically Bernard Herrmann’s score for North by Northwest, one of my all-time favorite scores. I don’t know a single composer who could have come up with a score like this for Mr. Hitchcock’s masterpiece.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll futz and finesse then send Muse Margaret the last batch of pages, then I’ll finish doing the commentary, then I may go out for a celebratory meal if I can find anyone to go with, I’ll text the guy who’s doing sound for our show on Tuesday, then I’ll come home and hopefully Muse Margaret will call and hopefully she won’t hate the last batch of pages, then I can watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow, I can rest during the day and then we have our stumble-through at five-thirty. After that, I’ll give whatever notes I have, we’ll run anything we need to, and then I’ll eat. Tuesday will also be resting during the day, then I’ll get to the club around four-forty and make sure everything is ready for a five o’clock sound check. That will probably last a bit over an hour, depending how fast we move. Then doors open at 7:00 for food – I’ll probably have my usual small Caesar, then at 8:30 we do our show. I will, of course, have a full report and some photographs. Then I am vegging out for a day or two and then I have to get the July show up for ticket sales and I have to choose songs – we’re fully cast, so that’s good.

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, futz and finesse, send the last batch of pages to Muse Margaret, finish writing the commentary, maybe go out for a celebratory dinner, hopefully get a call from Muse Margaret, text the sound guy, then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy and emotional from finishing the book 27.