Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to musical music after a day in which I did a lot of work, which, of course, was not the plan. But plans change and one must roll with the changing of the plans simply because one must. I got up a bit after noon o’clock after almost eight hours of sleep. Once up, it was the usual things to do – answer e-mails and wander about aimlessly. Then Grant Geissman came by and showed me what I needed to do to the manuscript to make things easier when he formats it in his design program – it all had to do with the tab indentations. So, I spent an hour doing the first half of the book. He’d already set it up so it would be what he needed and it had automatically redone some of them, but there were bunches that, for whatever reason, hadn’t moved. I had to go page by page very carefully.
After I’d done half, I went to Gelson’s and bought chicken and ingredients to do the sauce for Wacky Noodles without the noodles. I got some white rice and an onion as well. I came home and rustled up what was, in essence, chicken stroganoff and served that over the white rice and boy was it good. It was about eight ounces of chicken, which is very calorie friendly, the rice I know was 400 calories, and all in it was around 1100 calories and very filling.
After that, I went back to the book and carefully finished doing the tab things. Then I wrote a bit more of the liner notes, after which I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture entitled Lisbon, starring, written, and directed by Mr. Ray Milland, and also starring Miss Maureen O’Hara and Mr. Claude Rains. It’s not very good but I have very specific memories of seeing it in 1956 at the Wiltern Theater. I remember it so vividly because I’d brought my usual turkey sandwich from my father’s restaurant, and I’d polished that off during the coming attractions and cartoons. The movie began and I was very impressed by the Cinemascope and color and locations. And then I had an allergy attack. It may well have been the first of what would become regular allergies. I could not stop sneezing, my eyes were red and watery and the hankie I had with me was so soaked after ten minutes of blowing my nose, that I kept having to leave the auditorium to go downstairs to the men’s room to blow my nose with toilet paper. I stuffed my pockets with it and went back and watched more of the movie, but by that time I had no idea what it was about. I used up all the toilet paper and had to make another trip. I think I finally called my father (thankfully I had the dime to make the call) and he came and got me and took me home. My nose was so raw and red I looked like Bozo the Clown.
So, it was fun to see it again, just for nostalgia reasons. While I didn’t have an allergy attack, I did fall asleep three times and so I still have no idea what the actual plot is. I’ve always enjoyed Ray Milland and Miss O’Hara, but I really love Claude Rains – one of our finest screen actors, and he’s his usual wry and great self here. The transfer is surprisingly good, with great color and reasonable clarity.
After that, I started to watch one of those German Edgar Wallace Blu-ray movies but fell asleep again, so I gave up trying to watch and instead finished the set of liner notes, which took quite a bit of time. I listened to music as I wrote them, by the composer whose music it is we’re issuing. Then I took a shower and now I am, in case you haven’t noticed, writing these here notes.
Today, I shall actually try to write another set of liner notes, just to get that out of the way. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and I’ll eat something with reasonable calories, but mostly I’m hoping that the book design will begin. And then at some point I’ll relax.
The rest of the week is more of all that, hopefully getting the book finalized, meetings and meals, and seeing a couple of shows. And then we begin the Kritzerland rehearsal and show week and we’ll be rehearsing the musical revue at the same time.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write liner notes, hopefully get the book design on its merry way, I’ll hopefully pick up packages, I’ll eat some calorie-friendly meal, and then I’ll relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Ray Milland, Maureen O’Hara, and Claude Rains? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have fixed the tabs.