Greg Jbara is a saint. That's all.

Dear Glen,



The Philadelphia Orchestra is considering programming the Runaway Bunny next season. We would like to receive a perusal score and recording to show our concertmaster. Can you provide a rental quote for a single family concert performance? Please send the material to me at:



The Philadelphia Orchestra Library

Attn: Robert Grossman

260 South Broad St, 16th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19102



Sincerely,



Bob

Still kinda down. Er...very down this morning. Had to sleep til after 11. Called MJ and got through. Interesting. He said I should tell Maria her investor person will be folded in. That's good news. And that I should call him next Mon or Tues in NYC and he'll have more T news. We're still fighting there. I can only hope. And then without bringing it up, he said he wanted to talk about Norman.

Stephen W will talk to the head of Boston Ballet, so....And Nina is on to JR's people.

Seems like a lot is going on, but I don't feel that.

Rehearsal was fine with FH today. Then R and I went to the Grove to see a movie. But R got the time all wrong. So we shopped (he shopped) and then went to the Farmer's Market for dinner. Wish I felt better with this cold. Tomorrow I'm doing a session with Michael Arnold. Hopefully I'll have enugh umph for the gym.

Blogging from LA. First time.

FH flew me out here to rehearse and although I wasn't looking forward to it, it's fine once that I'm here. I rented a car which was hard. I miss Aretha. The nice lady at Thrifty gave me a convertible but after one shopping/parking trip I smashed in the passenger door. Shit. I was rushing to buy a mobile blue tooth for my phone because it's now illegal to not have a hands free system. Good law, but it took me a long time to figure it all out. And I had to return one to phone store. Pain in the neck, but.

While I was on the plane (on Tuesday) Robert at Bway world sent me the Logo/masthead for my column. It's amazingly impressive. I look like a younger Earl Wilson! Lots of graphic stuff, me in silhouette. Oh, I can post it!

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=8dabdf6ab0&view=att&th=11cd78989d75f26b&attid=0.1&disp=emb&realattid=0.1.1

Well, I guess I can't. Never mind. It's really nice. But the column still hasn't run yet. I have about 8 done and can do 4 more quickly.



I've been going to the gym at venice and I must say I've been enjoying that. Enormously. If i didn't rip my toe off, more later, I'd be there right now. Shit.

Thursday was another rehearsal and then I picked up Robin who was about a half hour early! Not a problem. I'm glad he's here. He's glad he's here and we went shopping right away, me for a new ear piece and him for some candle juice.

Then off to Leslie's break fast. Oy. But I had a nice chat with Lee Holdridge. I feel so comfortable with her family, but hate that's it's her family that i'm with. Not that I want to be with MY family, just that it feels too weird. But only intellectually. It's actually fine.

Then we went to Richard's house. Where we'll be staying. It's in an adorable area called Brentwood Glen. Almost like a little Connecticut town. The GPS took us there easily. It's not as nice as the last house, much smaller, but I like the area better. Richard's stuff is all over, and it's kind of a mess, but it will be fine. Robin thought he'd be there until Tuesday but he's leaving today. So we'll be completely alone. There a large TV and it's SOOO much close to FH's than Leslies and that's a huge help.

On Wednesday morning, 9 AM I had a meeting with Nina Lederman. I'm reluctant to say it was a great meeting because we all know how great meetings evaporate into thin air. But she's done amazing well, has a new kid on the way with her new girlfriend, Rowina, a biggie at CAA and a bunny fan. So she thinks she can sell it as an hour special very easily. Rowina represents Julia Roberts and she (Rowina) likes the idea. Nina called Kimber and was positive as well. It would be a nice thing to have this on TV. Obviously. And now I'm going to add Nina to my hit list for jobs. She was very open about that and even asked me if I wanted her to help me with an agent. I said sure. I'm not at all confident that will come to pass but concentrating on the Bunny would be a great thing.

Friday PM we had a nice dinner with Gary Zuckerbrod. We raced around Friday am finding a place for breakfast and doing chores before i had to go to Florences. We went to TASTE, a restaurant right across from Comme Ca. All nice. But honestly, I just want Gary to call Freidkin to get me a meeting regarding Cosi.

Saturday, yesterday, was an off day with FH. Robin was having a fag in the garden. I went out to see him and smashed myself in the closed screen door. As I walked outside, I looked at my big toe and there was a huge gash on the bottom. REALLY Bleeding. Strangely enough it wasn't hurting at all. Rich and Robin said I should go to the ER and in a role reversal, R took me to UCLA Emergency which is basically around the corner. And Richard got through to someone there and the lady said it was empty, come on over. I used Steve's name as my doctor, so that got lots of attention and 2 hours later I was sown up.

The numbing needles were INCREDIBLY painful! Yikes. But after that it was easy enough. But I can't belive I did it.

Speaking of hospitals, Ruth is hating being in the nursing home and driving everyone crazy. But that's biz as usual. I've been speaking to her a few times a day.

I had a really awful Dr. T nightmare. The show was going, but everyone was changing the music and lyrics and I had to throw a fit and cut the songs because i didn't right them. And I was back in High School missing classes and worrying about graduating. And having huge fights with R and M. Weird.





DIARY: Seagull

Long day. Still not feeling 100 percent. Not even close. But... Timothy Roven and Keel came over to Janice's house today to meet Myles and Janice. Keel could not believe the toys. Who can?! I said you either get a daddy or you get a lot of toys.

Then off toe The Seagull from the Royal Court. It get a rave from the Times so Robin wanted to go. I had gotten a half price voucher when he was out of town. And I couldn't think of anything I wanted to see less. Despite the stellar cast. But it's part of our (my) resolution to do things and get out of bed, so we got full price great seats on line. And it was good. okay. But nothing more wonderful than the usual run of the mill wonderful we've seen in London. So I kinda enjoyed it but...Oh well. A way to spend the afternoon, I suppose.

Going into the theater I saw Roger Berlind who was pleasant enough. At intermission, however, I saw Bob Bartner. I said hello and he couldn't have run away faster. Yikes! I sent him an email the other day. I didn't expect him to say anything. But i also didn't expect the run away bits. I texted Michael Jenkins right away. Another yikes.

Then off to Ruth. Who is up and at it. We walked with the walker all the way to the communal room. However, she's her old mean self again. She was bitching about the food. "I don't know what this is. They say it's chicken. it ain't chicken! And what's with this soup. They said it was mushroom barley. It's cream of chicken soup!" And she'll be out soon.

I think I'll do the Auden poem next for the song cycle.

W. H. Auden


Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Ruth is out of intensive care and in the next step to leaving. We went up to see her today and she can talk and she even had a little walk around the room with the therapists. Janice was worried yesterday but I knew it would be fine. It just takes a bit of time and for goodness sake, she just had open heart surgery. She was sort of babbling for a bit and told us she was "aggrivated." Which of course is a good thing. She said they put her into a room with a dead body unter the bed and she insisted on being moved. As long as she is aggravated she's on the road to recovery!

Sadly, tonight we were suppsoed to go to a great chamber music concert but I just don't feel well enough. My fuckin cold is STILL not better. No coughing but I think I have temperature. The concert was going to be great: Creation fo the world and Quartet for the end of time. Damn.

Jury duty was a breeze! Because of the Jewish Holidays there were very few cases. I simply sat in the room for 2 days, 9-12 and then we were dismissed. And won't be called for 6 years.

I finished Awakened by the Moon and Leonard's description of Goodnight Moon made me want to write that as the companion piece. I went to Barnes and Nobel and re-read the book from his point of view. So the obvious choice for the companion piece will be the one I'll do. Of course, not for a while. And certainly not until I get the rights.



I finished yet another song in the cycle. A Whitman setting. See below!

Timothy and Keel are going to meet Myles and Janice tomorrow. Let's see how that works. I'm hoping it's good!

No news from MJ. Crap. The David Poutney score came back. Wrong address. Never mind. I wonder if I should send the bindings to MJ? Maybe.

What Am I After All

What am I after all but a child, pleas`d with the sound of my own name? repeating it over and over;
I stand apart to hear - it never tires me.

To you your name also;
Did you think there was nothing but two or three
pronunciations in the sound of your name?
WALT WHITMAN (1819 - 92)