RUGZ

Read in Marvin Hamlisch's obit that Radiohead has been covering the theme song to THE SPY WHO LOVED ME in concert. Well, that tears it! There goes my plan to start a James Bond theme cover band with Dr. Theresa and Jimmy. Everybody will think we are copying Radiohead. Dr. Theresa makes a particular karaoke specialty out of the themes from GOLDFINGER and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. Also the theme from TO SIR WITH LOVE, which is not a James Bond movie as far as I know. I sang a little bit of the theme to THE SPY WHO LOVED ME as I mingled about before John Brandon's recent book signing and a young poet with a soured mien said, "I have no idea what you're singing." (See also.) Also present, a young woman who had just paid off a decade of parking tickets ("I don't even have a car anymore!" she cried) and my singing did little to cheer her, although a glass of wine and a funny little dance I assayed seemed to do the trick, however fleetingly. But we weren't really going to start a band anyway, as I have finally learned the lesson first told me by my friend from Hubcap City: "Sometimes it's more fun to talk about things than to do them." Case in point, the heist movie McNeil and I are making about a guy who steals rugs. It's called RUGZ. Inspiration came from something the new Grisham writer Nic Brown said at a party. But don't worry, he is not planning to steal John Grisham's costly rugs! As far as I know. All our talk of RUGZ reminded McNeil of a book report he wrote in 9th grade. All he can remember about the book is "in the first 2 pages or so, the protagonist is waiting in a reception area and lifts the corner of a rug to see what company made it." Don't worry, kids! As you get older, your past too will become a series of seemingly random flashes of absolutely no importance. Like a "blog"!