"Kids don't like eating at school, but if they have a 'Remains of the Day' lunchbox, they're a lot happier."

The Movie: Waiting for Guffman, 1996 (Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy, screenwriters; Christopher Guest, dir.)
Who says it: Christopher Guest as director, actor and collector Corky St. Clair
The context: Corky shows off some of the best pieces in his new show-biz memorabilia store.
How you can use it: To mock your own arts geekiness.

Auditions for Crimes of the Heart concluded last night, and I'm so grateful to everyone who came out -- it was a luxury and a challenge to have so many hard choices to make. I'll be calling everyone later today, and rehearsals will start next week. Comparisons with Corky St. Clair are inevitable, so I'm embracing him as my patron saint for the duration of the show.

Temperatures got to 92F here yesterday. I don't have air conditioning. Dizzy lay in front of the fan in the living room window and cried, and I felt like doing the same. Today doesn't promise to be much better, so we're taking refuge at the Lechners', where they have climate control.

Five Random Songs

"Someday, Someway," Marshall Crenshaw. The fact that Marshall Crenshaw never became a huge star is one of pop music's enduring mysteries. This song is as close to perfect as anything gets.

"Love is Teasin'," Marianne Faithfull & The Chieftains. Marianne Faithfull makes my short list of famous people I'd invite to a dinner party. Have I said that before? I think I've said that before.

"When You're Good to Mama," Marcia Lewis. From the Chicago soundtrack -- the Broadway revival, not the movie. Though I liked the movie.

"Eva's Final Broadcast," Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone and Bob Gunton. Weirdly appropriate -- show tunes morning on the iPod Shuffle! From the Evita soundtrack, of course.

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," They Might Be Giants. "Even Old New York/Was once New Amsterdam/Why they changed it, I can't say/People just liked it better that way..." The accordion makes this song. Accordions are the bacon of popular music, as far as I'm concerned; they make almost everything better...