The Usual

Not really. Very busy at work, investigating three issues on two products.

Rehearsals were the first time with mikes, and  have been spared, since I never have to sing over the orchestra. After an hour of futzing around with mike checks and overkill dance refreshers, we ran the whole show, starting a little after 8, we were done by 10:30 with a 15-minute intermission. Biggest reason is the conductor had the orchestra playing the dance numbers at breakneck speed. That's fine for the dance breaks, but not fine at all when there are words to sing. People cannot sing that fast. Our leading lady certainly can't. Maybe when she has the words down pat she'll stand a chance. but I doubt it. It's just not her style. Or mine, come to think of it. Never been any good at patter songs.

There is actual crew now, so I only have one real scene shift. I tried to do four which I was assigned but missed last night, but crew took over and I was in the way, which is fine because I have to change into a tux right about there.

Plans for tomorrow:

If the office is open, pick up a package (VCR) at 9.
Drop off the car at 10 to have the in-dash equipment installed
I'll have my bus/Caltrain pass, so should be able to get my nails done and maybe explore a bit. Getting home from there is not practical.

Wasted

NOT! I thought I would have to leave th car at the installer's from 10 am till 5 pm, so as soon as I dropped it off I walked a bit looking for a place to do my nails, and finding none crossed at the nearest light and grabbed a bus to Valley Fair Mall, across from Satan Row. On my walk I browsed Hertz's used car lot, and chatted with a salesman about prices. I was surprise at how high the mileage was on the 2011s. 31,000 was the lowest. One had twice that. Prices ranged from very tempting ($14k for a 2011 Corolla) to absurd "$38k for a high-mileage urban assault vehicle).

No nails place in the mall, which surprised me, and by the time I figured that out it was lunch time. I looked on the directory and there was The Cheesecake Factory. The map said it was right behind Macy's. I was only a few feet from Macy's, so I walked through their store and out the back, and no CF. Punched it up on Google Maps, which also said it was behind Macy's, but half a mile away. Turns out there are two Macy's stores, on opposite ends of the mall, which I found out by walking around the entire complex twice.

The service was very slow, but and while there was stuff in the Shepherd's Pie which was as authentic as a condom in a nunnery, it was delicious. The half of it I was able to finish. The other half may be dinner, or may be lunch tomorrow.

I needed room for the cherry cheesecake. This was mostly so I could post a picture of it on FB, so members of the Anything Goes cast could get a chuckle. It comes from some dialogue where Billy says there is nothing worth living for, Moonie says there is - cherry cheesecake. 

This is not cherry cheesecake, however. This is plain cheesecake with two squirts of whipped light cream and a dollop of cherry preserves. Real cherry cheesecake has th cherries baked in.  The components were delicious, but it's still cheating.

Waddled out of there, crossed the street intending on looking for a nail parlor in Satan Row, but saw a likely group of shops up the boulevard in a slightly lower rent district. And there was a sign, Valley Fine Nails. It was in th4e back, upstairs. They were busy, but happened to have one manicurist available.  She did a pretty good job. expensive, though, $28 for what usually costs $15-20.

while she was working, the phone rang, the car was done. Not even 2 pm. So after the manicure I crossed the street and walked the three very long blocks to the bus stop, after watching the bus drive away while I was waiting for the "walk" signal. And then waiting for the 6 cars which ran the red light to make the turn into the mall.

The next bus was only 15 minutes, I caught that and got off in front of the Hertz dealership, but as I walked toward the installer's, I realized there were TWO Hertz dealerships, about 2 miles apart, and waited at the next stop for the next bus. Got off too early fro that one, too, but only by one stop.

I did a lot of walking today.

The installer showed me that the alarm worked as I wanted, and I checked out the GPS and radio. Paid them and drove off to get some $ from an ATM, then got a massage. She was stumped by why I have a huge tummy but legs like a body builder. I walk a lot, I told her, and have to carry my big tummy with me.

Took some time in the parking lot to try out the iPod connection and figure out how to save radio presets. The iPod connection was not working. FM was iffy and AM did not come in at all.

So, back to the installer, where he made things right in about 5 minutes. I know exactly which two connectors he forgot to plug in (been there, done that).

It will take some time to get used to the new system, but at least now I have one which I don't have to look at to change the volume or turn off.  I already know this will not be the last one...

Next stop was the big Starbucks near the Lucky store, which is where I am now.  I  completely forgot to go to Comcast to get a cable card for the second TiVo.  I'll have to check to see if they are open tomorrow.

First things last - before going to the installer's, I walked to the apartment office and picked up the latest in the series of used VCRs. Set it up and it worked far better than all the previous ones, but it is for certain that my one and only pair of tapes of me playing a leading role in Anything Goes is defective. The tape itself looks kind of like a mylar tank track. Regular ridges all along it. The audio is warbly, but I think I'll give it a shot anyway. Wish I had put it on DVD when it was good. But come to think of it, DVDs may not have been invented yet.

will take a quick trip to Lucky's for essentials (bananas, caviar) then home

Plans for tomorrow:
Burlington at the Great Mall for costume bits
Rehearsals at 6:30