Well, dear readers, it was another night of almost no sleep – this must change. I did, however, doze off several times yesterday, so I suppose I got three hours overall, maybe four. At this point, I’m so overtired it isn’t even funny, although I did chuckle just to pretend it’s funny. As I write these here notes, I’m still listening to the Bacharach album collection – currently we’re in his own recordings of some of the Lost Horizon songs – I think people conveniently forget that a couple of the songs made the pop charts, namely the title song and the Fifth Dimension doing Living Together, Growing Together. Other songs I’m fond of from Lost Horizon are The World Is a Circle, The Things I Will Not Miss, I Might Frighten Her Away, and If I Could Go Back. Hal David’s work on some of the songs is not his best, but most of the lyrics work fine. No, the film’s problems can all be laid at several feet, especially Charles Jarrott, the director and perhaps the worst possible choice, and Hermes Pan, whose choreography is cringe inducing and unfortunately unintentionally amusing in the Fertility Dance, although I perform that regularly in the home environment. Add to that a great cast of phenomenal musical theater performers – Peter Finch, Liv Ullman, George Kenney, Charles Boyer, Olivia Hussey – well, you get the idea. Of course, Ms. Ullman did eventually star in a Broadway musical, I Remember Mama – she was nice and loud. Anyway, Burt’s output is just a tapestry of some of the greatest pop music ever written, and in every decade since he began with Magic Moments, which I think was his first song, certainly his first hit – thanks to Perry Como. Otherwise, it was mostly a ME day. I did a few things on the computer, I did a radical thing for food – DoorDash now has the iconic and historic Pink’s hot dogs available for delivery, despite it being nowhere near the Valley. In fact, it’s a mere seven minutes from where I grew up. I’m not certain I’ve ever actually had food from there before – maybe once, but I think I’d remember and I have memory of ever wanting to stand in line for thirty minutes, which is how it is there every day, from opening to closing. So, I ordered a chili, cheese, and onion dog and some onion rings. It took an hour to get here, but amazing the hot dog, wrapped in aluminum, was still hot and I have to tell you and will tell you, it was a great dog – great chili, the dog itself perfectly done, and the onion rings were also top as was their ranch dressing. I’d order from there again. So, that was fun.
After that, I got in the motor car and moseyed on over to the mail place to do an Amazon return and pick up a small package. When I initiated the return, I looked for the usual options about where to return, as my UPS Store is always available as a choice. But it wasn’t, nor were there any choices other than Whole Foods. I found that odd, but took it with the return bar code to my UPS Store, but they couldn’t take it – had to be Whole Foods. So, on the way back home, I stopped at the Whole Foods that’s just a mile from the mail place and is on the way back. That went quickly and Amazon already credit me in the account. I also got a note about the seller account – they’re still looking at my account and trying to figure it out – it doesn’t really matter to me what they do, so I wish they’d just decide and do whatever it is.
Then I watched some irritating YouTube videos, dozed off several times, then had a snack – can’t remember what it even was – and took pill two. Then I did some organizing in the book room, as it’s been getting a bit much in there – got it looking neat again. I tried to watch a couple of things and by that time it was too late to start the latest Jurassic Park movie, so I’ll watch that tonight. I had another snack and took pill three, had a telephonic call, and here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll send my friend’s galley back for a few fixes to be fixed – not very money and all spacing issues – so they should be able to fix those things quickly and then get that back to me. Then as soon as Doug gets me the cover files, my friend can make her deal, and I’ll send all the files in, and things should move pretty quickly from there. I’ll definitely make some pasta with pink sauce, sauteed red onions, and peas, then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye comes, so I’ll go breakfast somewhere, then come home – I think I’ll make a batch of tuna pasta salad for the snack and then two days of it for food. I’ll hopefully pick up two important envelopes, on Thursday I’m supposed to to have the eye thing for new glasses, but I’m going to push that to the following week – too much to do this week – and then a couple of meetings and meals and getting ready for our first casting session for the play I’m directing.
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, send the galley back for a few fixes, make pasta and eat it, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: I hope we haven’t done this recently – can’t remember – but it’s on my mind, as is gentle. What are your favorite ways to eat hog dogs – when did you have your first dog, what do you like on them, what’s the most exotic hot dog you’ve ever had, do you make them at home or do you have a place you love, and what can you not abide on a hot dog. I believe I had my first hot dog at an Orange Julius stand circa 1954 or thereabouts – there was a newsstand on the corner of Robertson and Pico – I would be MAD Magazine there or a Superman comic book, and then there was this Orange Julius thing that was part of whatever was there, building-wise, maybe a pharmacy – you could go inside to order, but they also had a window facing Robertson and that’s where I’d order. I know for sure I’d get a dog with mustard and onions there, along with an Orange Julius. Then I’d walk the block west to my beloved Stadium Theater to see a movie. I bought many hot dogs there. In fact, I honestly can’t remember buying them anywhere else in LA during my childhood. I’m sure my mother made Oscar Mayer dogs at home, but I didn’t care for those. But my main hot dog adventure didn’t happen for many years, when I moved to New York and in the second month I was there, they opened the huge Nathan’s on Broadway and I was a regular there – always two dogs with mustard and they were amazing every time and there were a lot of times. When we moved back to LA, I discovered The Wiener Factory near where I live now – and we were regulars there, the Darling Daughter and I were. That folded about fifteen or twenty years ago, sadly. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finally have had a Pink’s adventure.