Putting Aside My Overwhelming Eagerness

Well, now that I'm home and had a chance to look through all my photos, and analyze my ideas on future shows, I came to the conclusion that I just cannot wait to get into the new stuff. Prior to leaving for Italy I had a list of shows which would bring me through August, a bunch of old stuff and also shows in which my two cohorts, Franc and Ric, would perform with me. However, after fashioning two shows almost completely with "extraordinary" stuff, some "innovative" techniques that I learned (such as showing two or more pictures in the same frame, and scanning stuff into the presentation), and thinking ahead to other wonderful ideas, I am figuratively "chomping on the bit" (sorry about all the quotation marks, but my language needs some explanation !). Furthermore, during my travels I promised everyone I interviewed the sun, the moon, and the stars (tired yet of the cliches ?). I am not saying that people are on the edge of their seats waiting to see stuff; in all probability, some people probably forgot the experience ! Although I did receive an e mail from a family of four lovely people we met while eating dinner in Rome at Ristorante La Grotta di Teatro di Pompeo (they must shorten that name). It was written by Meghan, the daughter, representing the Harlow Family, Camille, Greg Senior, Greg Junior, and herself, of course (now it is starting to sound like the introductions to the people who appear on Family Feud !). The e mail was amazingly kind, generous in praise, and they all apparently have started to watch my Youtube videos, which makes them truly wonderful people. I did an interview with them at the dinner table, as they were a mere meter away (that's the first time I ever used the word meter, instead of yard - I have truly assimilated into the Italian Culture (I wish)). They even said they would come up to Woodstock to see a show at the Woodstock Artists' Association and Museum (WAAM) in September. So, now I need to figure that interview into the sequence of shows, and relatively soon. Also, of course, Franc Palaia was on tap for yesterday's show finishing his explanations of his photography of Pompeii and getting into Paestum. I also wanted to ask him about his project of creating a mural in his home town of Poughkeepie, which I did and we decided to do a future show on that's city's Little Italy. The show was good and satisfying (I always like to be on with Franc), but when I got home I forgot to click a particular icon on my downloading program, named Handbrake, and when I downloaded the DVD of the show into my computer, something went kerflooie (also, have only used that word maybe 3 times in my life - I heard it during the 1970's from a friend I once had). Not realizing this, I downloaded it to Youtube and then discovered the mistake. Anyone who first saw it and then saw it disappear shortly afterward take note that I did indeed delete it, and made the correction, and again uploaded to Youtube, which failed on the first try during the night. Now everything is fine, but I am still waiting for the edited version. After I upload it to Youtube, I view it and usually have to cut the first 10 seconds. When my engineer starts the DVD, she usually starts the DVD, says "quiet on the set", and then we begin. That period of 10 seconds always has to be cut from the Youtube version (but will always appear on the original DVD (which no one will see, except if a Youtube or computer catastrophe occurs or my ancestors wish to see it on some primitive DVD player that may exist hundreds of years from now (LOL)) and the repeats that people up here in the Woodstock area see the following week). Anyway all is now "well" and after I finish up here I will finalize the show for next week, a "gem" entitled Italy in Their Own Words - Part 1. I intend to do as many of this type of show as I can get, depending upon when I get tired of continually and laboriously asking people to tell me their experiences. This sounds easier than it winds up being. People do have some interesting stuff to talk about, and frankly EVERYONE's story is interesting in it's own way. People either say "NO NEVER" (which is fine) or they say yes and give me all kinds of stalling excuses. My favorite is the person who told me back in May that they would be delighted to be interviewed (for 5 - 7 minutes mind you - not exactly David Frost interviewing Richard M. Nixon), also told me that they will do it "after December" !! I thought at first that was a joke, but later discovered she was serious. Then I probably blew the whole thing when I said to her, sarcastically, December of .........2012, right ? So, in all probability she's out. So that's the show for next week, and I hope everyone enjoys it. This version of Italy in Their Own Words will feature four people we met in Figline Valdarno and Florence, one of whom is a fellow who represents the Movimento Cinque Stelle (Five Star Movement), a group that tries to root out corrupt politicians in the Italian Government. So tune in for some good stuff, and thanks for listening and watching.