Well, dear readers, this month is flying by, like a gazelle reading the Gazette whilst whistling the theme from The High and the Mighty. And I am sitting here like so much fish, ready to rant and roll. Here we go. Let me start with the dozing off – I am quite over the dozing off and it must stop. I need a new couch, this is clear. The couch I have is part of the problem. The other obvious part of the problem is I need more proper sleep during the evening. I need to get to bed earlier and sleep at least eight hours. Then there’s my weight, oh, yes, then there’s my weight. I cannot be this weight ever again. I talk about Zepbound and while I know it works, I’m still not sure about it, mostly because the second you stop it you apparently gain all the weight back. After looking at some of the SAG Awards red carpet people, it’s very clear that they do NOT know when to stop and they are all obviously on it, the skinny as a rail people who somehow think this is a good look for them. Well, it isn’t and all this crap does is make young people want to look like these sticks. I shan’t name names but if you saw any of the red carpet you know exactly who I mean. As to the dresses – I don’t know what designers are on but they should get off it immediately – and one wonders if the celebrities who wear that idiocy actually look in the mirror and think they look good. What else? Oh, frustrations of yesterday. I checked in with my second blurber because I should have had it by now. Turns out he got it on Friday but wasn’t sure what I needed from him, which is odd since I told him exactly what I needed from him. So, he hadn’t ever started the book, which means I’m probably three or four days away from getting the blurb. I sent him the first blurb so he can see how to avoid giving away too much and for the length. So, that was frustrating. Then I hadn’t heard from the designer or gotten a new galley with the two additional minor fixes that didn’t get done correctly. Turns out, I may not have sent the document with those two changes, although I was sure I had. So, now that has to get done and will take a day or two. Then there is the continuing issue of food not tasting so good to me – not just what I order in, but everything. Some things taste okay, but mostly I just am not feeling the food vibe right now, I guess. I am also quite over the hand and foot cramps – it hasn’t been horrible for the past couple of days, but it does come on suddenly and go away suddenly. What else? All the fake AI crap on Facebook, which is most of what I see, is making me want to nuke my Facebook account. I mean, fake pages with outrageous lies, and not only do they get away with it, Mr. Zuckerberg PAYS them based on engagement. Not to mention the “shorts” that are near inappropriate things with kids and the newest thing, bestiality. I have gotten several things removed, but mostly they don’t care. THIS is your legacy, Mr. Zuckerberg, allowing these overseas sickos a platform to put this stuff out there. At some point, some smart class action lawyer will sue Meta for billions for allowing this stuff and they’ll win. And then I am quite over this damn cough that has stuck with me for over three months. Enough already. Allergies, too.

I guess that’s enough ranting and rolling for now. There are other irritants, of course, but enough is enough. Now, to something positive or potentially positive. As you know, I won a book award for Richard and Me – A Supercalifragilistic Friendship. I am now eligible for an “author of the year” award in the memoir category. Part of it is a popularity contest, where people vote for you. The other part is a jury or panel that votes, what they call a two-pronged affair. So, dear lurkers, if you have a moment I’d appreciate it if you’d vote for me – it’s really simple and takes about thirty seconds to do. Just find my name on the author pulldown menu (alphabetical by FIRST name so you won’t have to scroll far), then put in the complete title of the book as I’ve written above – click submit and you’re done. Vote ONLY ONCE. If you can tell your friends that would be grand. And that ceremony is right here in L.A. Please do this sooner than later, although voting is open until April 15. Here is the link:

https://apply.internationalimpactbookawards.com/public-voting-form

Thanks in advance. What else? I got about four or five hours of sleep, had tuna sandwiches on fresh onion bagels from Western Bagel, dozed off for heaven knows how long, got some help on the flap copy, which I’ll now make a combo platter of, then had some the rest of the shrimp cocktail shrimp, and then kept dozing off, over and over and over again. I did watch a forty-minute thing on the Friar’s Club roasts that was fun. And quite randy. And speaking of randy, we haven’t had a good Randy Vicar tale so how about The Randy Vicar and the Weed Whacker? That’s a corker. I also had a telephonic conversation regarding casting for the album I’m producing, so I’ll start reaching out to people shortly.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll eat something light and hopefully whatever it is will taste okay, I’ll shave (it’s been a week), I’ll hopefully go pick up an important envelope and then deposit its contents into the ATM. Then I’ll finalize the flap copy and get that to Doug so he can get that done. I’ll work on the liner notes and packaging of our next CD release. And then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

The rest of the week is keeping on everyone for the book stuff, doing whatever needs doing, and hoping to get the approval on The Sherman Brothers Album so we can get that released.

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, eat something light, shave, hopefully pick up the important envelope and then bank, finalize flap copy, write liner notes and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What do you feel like ranting and rolling about? Have at it, please. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, glad I was ready to rant and roll.