Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the violin concerto of Gerald Finzi – shocked that I didn’t have this since he’s one of my favorite composers. It’s a delightful piece as are all his pieces. I discovered him via his stunningly beautiful clarinet concerto and then, of course, had to had everything. Except, apparently, the violin concerto, although I’m guessing I do have it and just never put it in iTunes or Music or whatever they’re calling it these days. Of course, I’m hearing it all out of my left ear, since my right ear is all clogged up. I’m trying to write these here notes with my now lopsided reading glasses – after four weeks these not cheap things had one of the sides break off – so irritating. And that’s what yesterday was – a combo platter of irritating and a ray of hope. I’ll take the latter over the former any day of the week, including Wednesday, today. I was up after five hours of sleep and out the door at eight-thirty. I went to nearby Jinky’s Café and had eggs benedict – the worst I’ve ever had. Once upon a time, the jernts I frequented were known for serving the best eggs benedict – Ollie Hammond’s and Nickodell’s, but even lesser jernts knew how to cook the eggs and knew what good Hollandaise sauce was. Today, the English muffins are invariably soggy, the whites either are runny like snot or the yellows are hard as a rock. And the Hollandaise, what little they put on, is just tasteless and horrible. So, that was irritating. After that, I went to the Apple Store and replaced the charging cord for the iPhone, as mine was coming apart for reasons unknown. I hung out in Macy’s for a while, then came back home. Once home, I had lots of e-mails to answer. I finally heard back from the singer who wasn’t responding to e-mails – the excuse? “I missed your e-mail.” I gave him all the details and told him to get back to me asap. That was at noon. As of now, nothing. Tomorrow, I move on to the next candidate. I did a few things on the computer, Barry Pearl gave me the name of an ENT he’s used and since Doug is being his usual self and not remembering the ENT HE went to and recommended to me, I’ve got to have this taken care of. I just have to make sure they’ll take my insurance, which I’m sure they will. And if not, I think the last time it was just a hundred bucks or something – one way or another it must be done and the sooner the better. Later, I had Pad Thai, which was very good – I ate half and saved the other half for later. Then I got the e-mail that contained the ray of hope. That was a good e-mail. Who knows what will be and it’s nothing I can talk about, but I’ll take the ray of hope rather than something being dead as a doornail.

Then I ate the rest of the Pad Thai and actually managed to watch a motion picture without dozing off. Unfortunately, the 1978 disaster movie was truly a one-star disaster in just about every way. It was a Roger Corman special called Avalanche. The screenplay was originally by Gavin Lambert but was completely re-written by the director and someone else, or, as Lambert said, he “dewrote” the script. Said director was Corey Allen, who I worked with twice on two episodes of the religious program, This Is the Life. Very nice guy, but not a good director visually. Rock Hudson, Mia Farrow, and Robert Forster star and try their hardest, but the movie is so unrelentingly stupid no one has a chance. Frankly, I don’t know how anyone kept a straight face. It runs ninety-three minutes that seem like three hours. None of the characters are likeable, none of it makes any sense at all. My favorite bit was Jeanette Nolan playing Rock’s mother in the worst wig ever put on film. So, during the big scene, one is led to believe she’s dead. But then Mia shows up and gives her some mouth to mouth and not only is she alive, but she immediately makes with the smart remarks. So, they let her live and yet five minutes later on the way to the hospital, the ambulance skids in the snow and goes over a cliff and bursts into flames, killing mom and everyone else in the ambulance. I mean, really? Then we get the big Avalanche scene and it’s pretty shoddy with cheap special effects, but it’s edited well and one almost wants to give Corey props for getting it done until the end credits roll and one reads that he didn’t direct that sequence – edited and directed by Lewis Teague, who’d go on to give us the film version of Cujo. Anyway, just terrible – oh, and one of the worst scores ever – just weird twelve-tone atonal crap from William Kraft.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, if Doug can’t find the ENT he sent me to, then I’ll call Barry’s and make an appointment, I’ll eat something light but fun, I’ll do an errand at some point, continue casting and get singers their tracks and music, I’m hoping galley and covers will show up – I know they’re assembling it all right now – and I should have the eBook file today or tomorrow. Then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow is more of the same, Friday I’m supposed to attend an opening night, but if the ear thing isn’t dealt with by then I won’t go – it’s too disorienting to not hear out of my right ear. Then comes the weekend – the only plan is an early dinner with Kay Cole to discuss a couple of projects.

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, make an appointment with an ENT, eat, do an errand, get singers their music and tracks, hope to get the galley and covers to approve, hopefully get the eBook file, then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have newly beautified ray of hope.