Well, dear readers, I am rewriting my first lame attempt at an opening salvo because one’s opening salvos must never be lame (emal, spelled backwards) – opening salvos must draw the reader in, must tantalize, must be beckoning and welcoming, not necessarily in that order. Opening salvos, like opening numbers in musicals, must set the tone, the stage, as it were, must make the dear reader aware of what they’ll be in for. So, let me tell you without reservation what the HELL you’re in for. Oh wait, I can’t tell you without reservation what the HELL you’re in for because in order to do that one actually must have reservations. I just tried to make reservations, but the What the HELL you’re in for section is sold out. I have no idea what the HELL I’m talking about, but I do so without reservation. What I can tell you without reservation is that despite all best intentions, I did not watch a movie last night. I watched a couple of hour-long YouTube videos, though, if that counts. I’ve heard that that does count all the way up to twelve. I got a whopping ten hours of very needed sleep and that was very good for ridding myself of some the appalling pall of yesteryear. Not completely mind you – I did have to deal with one thing, but I deal with it I did and that’s all fine. We did begin shipping CDs, so that was a good thing. And now, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Mr. Gustav Holst’s marvelous The Planets with William Steinberg and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon, my favorite recording of the huge number of recordings. This is certainly one of classical music’s most influential pieces in terms of film music. The day went by quickly, since I slept until almost two. Once up, I answered e-mails, then went to Gelson’s to pick up food – I wore the new glasses and my eyeballs are now more used to them, and while they’re maybe not perfect, there’s a sweet spot when driving and when I find it (mostly looking at the mid-level point of the lenses, then everything is one image. So, I think these will do until I maybe get surgery to correct the problem. For food, I got their half-rack o’ ribs and three egg rolls. I came home and ate all of it in one swell foop – one fell swoop – and it was all very good and not so bad, calorie-wise. Then I had a couple of long telephonic conversations, then sat on my couch like so much fish. I may have dozed off for a few minutes, but not more than that, and I watched the two long YouTube videos and a few short ones. I really wanted a dessert and roamed around DoorDash but by that time mostly everything had already closed so I got a filet o’ fish from McDonald’s – hadn’t had on in quite some time, and thankfully, it was very good, with extra tartar sauce, of course.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I may or may not have a Zoom thing with David Wechter, I’ll check in with the mail place, as I’ve forgotten to do so twice now, if anything is there, I’ll go get it. For food, I may make a small amount of pasta with red sauce or pink sauce if I feel like going out and buying some half and half. Or I might just get a cube steak and baked potato, or I might craft a big salad and dress it with red wine vinegar and a touch of oil. We’ll continue shipping CDs, of course, and at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

The rest of the week isn’t much of anything that I know about, so we’ll see what comes up. I think I’m having an early dinner on Saturday with the Pearl people. Then next week is very busy.

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, I may or may not have a Zoom thing, I’ll figure out food then eat whatever I’ve figured out, we’ll continue shipping CDs, and then I can watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What do you feel are the most influential classical music pieces and why do you feel they were so influential? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall dream without reservation.