Jeanne Arnold

            On Tuesday morning I memorized the third verse of “L’Amour à deux” (Passion for Two) by Serge Gainsbourg and revised my translation. There are only two verses left to learn. 

            I video and audio recorded my song practice as I’ll be doing until October 15. But during the first song the G string broke on my Gibson. Since my Kramer is still in the shop I grabbed my Martin acoustic and installed the recently recharged battery but I couldn’t get the guitar to show up on the audio interface. Since the electric worked with the same chord the problem was obviously with the Martin. I spent several minutes trying figure it out and paused the video. Then I realized I had the battery in upside down so I turned it over and everything worked, but it was another day of losing time. I might have come out not so far behind if not for that mishap. Again I couldn’t make it through “Sixteen Tons of Dogma” without hitting the wrong chords sometimes. I guess it’s possible that while playing every day until October 15 I might accidentally get it right once or twice. 

            I weighed 87.55 kilos before breakfast. 

            Today I had time to shave and shower. 

            I weighed 88.75 kilos before lunch, which is the heaviest I’ve been at midday since June 27. 

            In the afternoon I took a bike ride downtown and back. 

            I weighed 87.85 kilos at 17:30. 

            I was caught up on my journal at 18:13. 

            In the Movie Maker project to create a video for the studio recording of my song “The Next State of Grace” I inserted the clip of Sal into the main timeline. I edited it so he’s just reciting “for the next state of grace” and synchronized it with the studio audio. Then I lined the old concert video up with the studio audio for the beginning the final line when I sing “Line up and wait for the next…” Tomorrow I should have the video and the audio of that final line synchronized. I changed the G string on my Gibson. 

            I uploaded the video I shot of my song practice this morning and reviewed it. I don’t think that any of the takes are mistake free but discounting that the songs are starting to sound pretty good as my playing improves. Because I’m recording two hours later than last year the sunlight is much brighter and more harsh. Today I experimented with closing one of my translucent burgundy curtains and then both of them. Having both of them closed on a bright morning softens the light and makes for a much nicer looking video. 

            I had a potato with gravy and my last chicken leg (I still don’t know what happened to the other one) while watching season 8, episodes 15 and 16 of Bewitched. 

            The first story is somewhat rehashed from an earlier one involving Aunt Clara. This show has plagiarized itself more than any other show I’ve seen but then again most shows don’t last for eight seasons. Esmerelda pops in by accident as Samantha and Darrin are getting ready to go to a business dinner. She’s feeling sorry for herself because she’s an unwanted bumbler. Larry arrives to inform them that the client Elliot Norton and his wife Martha can’t come because they can’t find a baby sitter for their son Ralph. Esmerelda offers her services. Ralph is a bit of a brat but Esmerelda uses some magic to make his squirt gun backfire and impresses him by revealing she’s a witch and accidentally causing a live bear to appear. But the next day an angry Martha shows up at Samantha’s door dragging Ralph who now has a black eye because he got into a fight when another kid called him a liar after he said he had a magic babysitter. On top of that Mr. Norton has canceled his account with McMann and Tate. Samantha however has an idea on how to fix everything. She organizes a magic show for neighbourhood kids plus Ralph and his parents with Esmerelda as the magician and counts on her tendency to accidentally cast spells. Martha and Elliot have no intention of coming but Samantha uses witchcraft to manipulate Martha’s mind. Samantha arranges for Esmerelda to perform a traditional magic act and when she fumbles and uses real magic, such as when in frustration she calls herself a silly goose and a real goose appears, everyone thinks it’s a clever and funny act. Martha is impressed and apologizes to Samantha and Esmerelda. She wants to know how it was done but Samantha reminds her that magicians never reveal their secrets. 

            Martha was played by Jeanne Arnold, who started acting in Europe in 1946 entertaining homebound US troops. After the war she joined the Gaslight Troupers. She performed in the play Heartbreak House with Carroll O’Connor. She worked mostly on stage and television. She played Ellen Mason on The Guiding Light and was a regular on The Cara Williams Show. She did a one woman show called “Jeanne Arnold Sings!”

            In the second story Samantha comes down with a witches ailment called gravititis inflamitis. This is diagnosed after she calls for Dr. Bombay, who tells her it causes her to be very heavy without actually gaining weight. Witches can normally fly by ignoring gravity but living in a mortal environment has sublimated her instincts. He gives her a potion that cures the problem but ends up making her impossibly light so she can’t help floating into the air. Darrin has to hold her down but unfortunately Samantha is scheduled to volunteer at a charity bazaar and the organizer, Mrs. Prescott shows up at her door to take her there. Darrin comes as well and has to break a date to play golf with Mr. Prescott of Prescott Shoes, which is one of Darrin’s clients. Samantha has to be in a fashion show and does it while dressed as a Greek slave girl while carrying a heavy brass urn but she walks and floats at the same time like someone on the Moon while wearing a pair of Prescott Shoes. Darrin introduces the slogan “In Prescott Shoes you don’t walk. You float”. Prescott loves it. Later Bombay concocts a potion that cures Samantha’s weightless condition.