I Got Rhythm

January 27th, 2012

Well today has been a day off, and a mostly rainy day off at that. Still I was glad to have some time to myself and set about doing the things I had planned. Last night I came home, Bill was staying up for me and I walked in with a bit of anxiety regarding how many things I had to do today.

It’s true mostly that depression is from living in the past and anxiety is from living in the future. Last night I was a few hours ahead of myself so I was a little bit anxious. I calmed down soon enough thanks to Bill’s support. He went to bed a while after I came home and I stayed up watching some TV.

I slept fairly well last night and woke up at my usual time even though I had the day off. I had a meeting at 11AM so I had to follow my daily routine once again. I trimmed my goatee somewhat last night and shaved this morning after a shower. Bill made a nice pot of coffee for me again. He’s really enjoying making me coffee even though he doesn’t drink the stuff.

I was dressed and out the door once more, this time headed to the Path train. I stopped at the bibliothèque to pick up a biography on Marvin Gaye written by Michael Eric Dyson but I was too late. I ordered it but you only have five days to pick it up and today was day seven. I wasn’t sure what day I received the notice, so I was too late.

It wasn’t raining when I went into the bibliothèque, but it started to pour when I left. I hopped on a bus to the Path train and got on board a train to the World Trade Center. It was still pouring rain when I got downtown and made my way through Zuccoti Park where Occupy Wall Street had it’s start in September. Now it was empty and it was just me and one other guy walking through.

I made it to the meeting right on time and it lasted longer than I expected and I think it went well. Soon I was back on the street, talking to Bill and walking around Wall Street, killing time. I had plans to meet up with RoDa at 1:00 and it was only 11:45. I bought a Brian Eno EP at JR Music and hopped on an uptown train.

I got off at Union Square and thought about walking past where Farfetched used to be but figured that would be pointless and a bit of a downer so I mainly stayed on 14th Street. What used to be the Virgin megastore is now a Chase Bank.
Bleecker Bob’s which was one of the first places where I used to buy my import singles and albums as well as clothes is being shuttered to become a Starbucks. I hadn’t shopped in Bleecker Bob’s since the early 1980’s and I suppose my lack of loyalty is a contributing factor in it’s demise.

RoDa was only 15 minutes late which wasn’t so bad and we proceeded to walk over to Chelsea. I really wanted Roda to see the Doug Wheeler installation that blew me away a week or so ago but where it was nearly empty that Tuesday afternoon, today it was quite crowded and very stuffy. We decided to head out and wander around a bit, eventually deciding to give it another go next Tuesday.

We wandered to a few other galleries, RoDa being quite impressed with a few things we saw. We walked around a bit more before we both decided we were pretty tired from trooping along in the damp weather.
Then it was back to Hoboken where everyone knows RoDa. He can’t walk down Washington Street without a lot of people greeting him, he is so beloved in this town. We parted ways with a nice hug and made plans to try to hit Chelsea once again on Tuesday.

I was glad I was able to help lift his spirits since they were quite low the other day.












RoDa says 'Peace'


Killer Queen

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I Got Nothin’

January 26th, 2012

This morning started out OK with regards to the weather. A bit nippy with occasional drizzle. Now it is mainly cold and damp. Tomorrow is a day off and from what I have heard, it is supposed to be warm and damp. January 2012 has had some crazy weather.

I’ve taken Harpy’s suggestion and decided to remove music from my smartphone. Do I need music on my smartphone, especially when I have a 30GB iPod? No, not really. According to Harpy it takes up too much space on the smartphone and with extra space the phone operates better without music.

I don’t really know about that since there are maybe two people I speak to on the phone, Bill & Annemarie. Well maybe three if I include Harpy, and I will include Harpy since no one includes Harpy enough if you ask me. And waking up was difficult this morning. I could have used at least another hour of sleep but obviously that was not going to happen.

I watched Chronology last night. It is a collection of live clips of Talking Heads from 1975 to the 1990’s. I don’t think it includes any footage from Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads- Jonathan Demme movie from 1984. I stopped watching the DVD when they showed Talking Heads at the Capitol Theater from November 1980.

I went to that show with my brother Brian and we had seats in the 2nd row. The Psychedelic Furs opened up the show and I didn’t know them then and did not like them much. I thought Richard Butler was a weird mix of David Bowie and Johnny Rotten, sounding like Rotten and throwing shapes like Bowie.

Anyway Talking Heads were fantastic and I remember dancing in front of the stage, I don’t recall anyone else around, just me dancing in front of people sitting down. I had seen Talking Heads in August 1980 with my brother Frank and that was quite magical. A couple of thousand of us, all dancing to music that no one had heard yet, Remain in Light had not come out at that time.

I’m sure that by November Remain in Light had come out and I was more than likely blown away. It is my favorite album of all time. As much as I love the Fabs, I still think Remain in Light is the best. Perhaps it is my generation’s Sgt. Pepper, as I can hear it’s influence on a lot of music in the years that followed it’s release.

The DVD is excellent, interesting to see them as a three piece for a few clips then seeing Jerry Harrison really flesh things out. And by the time I saw them there were ten people on stage. I’m sure my brother Brian was embarrassed by my frentic dancing but I didn’t care. I remember leaving the Capitol Theater and hearing that Jimmy Carter had just conceded the election.

It was election day after all. I voted for John Anderson in my first election, voting with my conscious. Brian told me I was supposed to vote for whomever I thought was going to win and he voted for the ‘winner.’

another shop bites the dust



asbestos kills



01 Positive Vibration

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I Got Mine

January 25th, 2012

OK, the other day my day started (and ended) with Melody of Love by Bobby Vinton in my head. That made me think of Bob Dylan covering Dean Martin’s ‘Return to Me’ from the Sopranos soundtrack. Probably because of Bobby Vinton’s refrain, ‘Return to me, and always be, my melody of love’ before he breaks out into a Polish singalong.

In 1975 while attending St. Francis de Sales grammar school, we had to learn that song and then trooped over to a convent by Felician College to sing the song to a group of old Polish nuns. And here I am later, over 30 years later still thinkng about that song.

Another song from 1975 that popped into my head via Wikipedia was Please Mr Postman by the Carpenters. This time in 1975 it was the number one song and I remember being in the Boy Scouts at Camp No-Be-Bosco in the winter listening to this song on Music Radio 77 WABC. I always liked the Carpenters, well I always liked Karen Carpenter’s voice. I still do. I find it to be quite warm and rich.

Lucky Thomas, he just picked up the phone for a nice order. He’s done well today whereas Bradley and myself were nickle and dime’ing up the numbers. No hard feelings but I am harboring feelings of resentment and have doubts about throwing him some sales in the future whenever I hit my personal goal.

The customer just phoned in an order, sending his daughter to pick up the cigars, so things might change. Not expecting it to happen though. Thomas was in a weird mood in the beginning of the day though he did get better and not bitter. It’s after 7:00 so things have gotten considerably slower in the cigar shack area.

Not expecting sales to improve, in fact after Thomas’ sale that will probably be it. I did have some nice sales today, though not enough to get to my personal goal. It is so friggin dead here I almost expect George Romero to remake Dawn of the Dead in this area.

That brings me back to 1980 where after I saw the Exorcist with Henry Venegas and his girlfriend, we drove to the Paramus Drive In where we caught some of Dawn of the Dead on the sly, using the AM radio to pick up the audio broadcast at 2:00 in the morning. Life sure was simpler then.

Like most of my high school classmates I never saw Henry Venegas after 1980. And don’t even get me started on my fumbled seduction regarding Henry. And attempting to seduce a straight classmate was not the smartest idea anyhow. I was 17 and knew as much about seduction as I do now. What was I thinking? I know what I was thinking about. He was a good guy that Henry Venegas was. I wonder if he ever married his girlfriend?

About 30 minutes left in the cigar shack today. 30 long minutes no doubt. Rand and Lisa stopped by this evening. It was wonderful to see them. They were celebrating Lisa’s birthday and went to the movies and had some dinner out. Lisa of course looked fabulous and Rand was quite the fashion plate himself. They were just passing through, headed back to the bus terminal. I’ve known Rand 30 years and happy to be his friend, as well as Lisa’s friend.

Thomas, it turned out, was closing the store allowing me to leave a few minutes early. I hoped I would catch Rand and Lisa on the bus but they didn’t make it. But it was wonderful to see them nonetheless, as it made my day.






Is THIS your card?


11 Crosseyed and Painless

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I Got It From My Mama

January 24th, 2012

AN early day, an early start. At the cigar shack, opening this morning. Been open for 25 minutes, one person came in, just to browse. George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass is playing on the cigar shack sound system. What is Life indeed. A nice day, nicer than it’s been the past few days. A balmy 40 degree range.

Last night came home, before Bill and I had the idiotic republican blowhard debate on. Quite a waste of time, watching Mitt Romney and New Gingrich speak. Both are quite heinous and the race seems to be who is actually worse than the other. Of course the only plan the candidates have is to get Obama out of the White House.

No real plan, but a lot of disinformation like Romney blaming Obama for setting a date for the withdrawal from Iraq, though it was actually announced by the idiot George Bush before he left office. I suppose Willard is hoping that Americans do have short memories, like the Neuter is doing, glad that Americans forgot that he was drummed out of Congress in the 1990’s, as well as the other bullshit that he did, like shutting down the government since he had to sit in the back of Air Force One.

Still awfully quiet in the cigar shack as well as the surrounding area. One customer just came in. A regular who bought 2 cigars and now sits in the man cave solo. I am sure other regulars will arrive soon enough and plant themselves in the chairs and around the table for most of the day. I can’t fault them for it though if it were me I doubt I would be hanging out in a man cave all day, seeing the same faces day in and day out.

Well one good thing about coming in early and opening the cigar shack is that I get to leave early. Nice change of pace, though it doesn’t happen too often. Friends are posting online about how beautiful a day it is outside. I would like to find out for myself but I will have to wait until Thomas comes in which should be in less than an hour. I

do appreciate it being so slow that I will more than likely have this entry completed by the end of the day, or even perhaps by midday. Of course there could always be something worth writing about which if that is the case, then I will simply have to include it. Not such a big deal, though I am hoping nothing happens.

Zack is in the Caribbean, Bradley has the day off, Thomas and Jerry Vale are likely en route to the cigar shack. FedEx are making their deliveries though I am not expecting anything really. UPS stops by in the afternoon and though we did get a delivery yesterday we might get more today. I am glad that Zack finally ordered my favorite, the LFD Air Bender Valiente. Last time I had to order them from our competitor.

Dubstep- what?

Now I am home. It was quite a long day. Thomas was starting a six day stretch and was not in that good of a mood. I did my best to get him to smile or laugh but it didn’t really take. Had a few laughs with Jerry Vale though and that was fun. Overall the day crept by. Not much in sales going on. But I am home now and would rather not think of the cigar shack until tomorrow.

Bill and I are watching the President on TV tonight so that should be good.



08 Rock N’ Roll Suicide

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I Got It From Agnes

January 23rd, 2012

I can’t wait for spring. It simply won’t get here soon enough. I am sick of grey skies, I am not fond of rain and puddles. Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. Today was a rainy Monday, which was double the trouble.

Things are good though overall. Yesterday was laundry day basically. Had a few loads to do since I won’t be off again until Friday and it was piling up. Glad I did it and since the heater was fixed in the kitchen it should dry faster, maybe 2 days instead of the last time where it took about 4 days.

Bill went to the gym and did a few errands and came home to watch the Giants win the game. The other team took a beating. What or who the other team was I couldn’t say. really don’t care. I was taken to a number of football games growing up, Giants games and never got into it, well perhaps I did when I started to notice you could see the jock straps through the shiny thin fabric of the payers on the field.

My parents had season tickets and they did not want to leave me alone at home, despite my protestations that it was alright. Estoy reemplazando lo que me puede meter en problemas con la gente crtain en algo escrito en español a través de Google Translate.

Estoy muy aburrido. ¿Qué debo hacer? Thomas está siendo muy difícil. Celoso, creo. Thomas no puede dejar de bostezar. Lo grosero. Por otro lado, Jerry Vale es un príncipe, aunque hoy en día. ¡Salve Jerry Vale. Yo sólo quiero ir a casa y relajarse. Esto no es divertido. Tengo 50 minutos hasta que pueda volver a casa.

Then again I could be talking through my hat. Por otra parte podría estar hablando a través de mi sombrero.

Bill and I watched some of Sweet Dreams starring Jessica Lange and Ed Harris last night. I own the DVD and we’d seen that before but here it was and there was nothing else on. Bill went to sleep before the fatal plane crash and I stayed to the bitter end.

Woke up to the sound of falling rain which did not make it easy for me to get out of bed, but there I was- getting out of bed. A shower, a shave and some cereal to accompany the coffee that Bill brewed for me this morning. A walk under the umbrella to the bus stop where the 19 year veteran, Large Marge picked me up.

Then a walk in the drizzle to the cigar shack. It was Bradley and Jerry Vale today and it was actually fun. And we got a lot of work done. Tonight I am closing and tomorrow I am opening. A small price to pay but I will be getting home a few hours earlier than usual which is nice.

And tomorrow is Jerry Vale and Thomas so that should not be so bad either. Thomas had 3 days off so he is bound to be full of stories. All I have to do is listen I suppose.





06 On Some Faraway Beach

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I Got It For You Girl

January 21st, 2012

A snowy Saturday. It started out with me laying in bed and hearing the sound of cars going up the street, tires rolling on the snow. Now it’s dark out since it is night time and it’s more than likely freezing over. I slept really well last night even though Bill was in Atlantic City. He phoned once he got there, his bus was breaking down.

I was concerned for him. His passengers got off the bus with no problem. Last I heard he was planning on abandoning his bus, and that was the word he was given from the bus headquarters. Whether or not he did (he probably didn’t) I don’t know. Last I checked he was back home and going to sleep since his drive tonight was canceled.

Less money but there is more safety in staying at home. He will probably be awake tonight when I get home and we can watch Saturday NIght Live together. Maybe it will be as funny as it was last week, but I don’t hold out much hope. At the cigar shack it was fairly busy, good numbers coming in, Bradley and I going head to head with our sales.

I came out ahead, far ahead enough that I wound up throwing sales to Jerry Vale so he can get his numbers up. I do that from time to time. Once I hit my quota, I will throw sales to Thomas or Jerry Vale so they can get their numbers up. It’s probably frowned upon by the corporate overlords, but I do not mind helping out co-workers, my comrades.

The usual rogues gallery were in most of the day. They come in first thing in the morning, when the cigar shack opens and generally sit all day and bullshit. Most of them are decent guys, but there are one or two who seem to think we are there at their beck and call. One particular eastern European guy throws a hundred dollar bill down and states he would like a such and such cigar, even if we are helping other customers, he will just butt in and state what he wants in his heavily accented voice.

Sometimes I don’t mind but today Bradley did mind and supposedly had some words with him. Whether or not that actually happened I don’t know, but Bradley said that it did so I will just have to take his word for it. I am off tomorrow and I am quite happy about that. Don’t really have any plans except maybe hang out with Bill.

Going outside will be another matter and that all depends on what the streets and sidewalks look like. More than likely we will lay about most of the day. I do have laundry to do and right now I am thinking about doing that when I get home but once I get home I might be singing a different tune.

Right now Alternative TV is on, old school UK Punk. It’s been a while…





07 Put A Straw Under Baby

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