Daily Archives: September 23, 2006

He Brings Out The Whiskey in Me

On the Mac again. My computer is in the fritz. I was on the phone with an Apple specialist, Matthew from Prince Edward Island up in Canada for almost two hours and he couldn’t help me. He was patient and tried his best but it was to no avail. I decided to reinstall Windows XP and it may have been a mistake as I am now unable to access the internet on my own computer. D’oh indeed. Most annoying. Perhaps it is time to get a new computer, in the meantime, Bill once again gracefully offered the use of his Apples.

Bill is also trying to figure out why I can’t get online using his wireless connection. Apparently it went south while doing the perhaps unrequired install. Oh these fucking iTunes/iPod blues. Why, oh why? In the meantime, Bill sits at my computer and I sit on the couch, laptop in front of me while Elvis Costello and the Attractions play on a Tom Snyder DVD of Punk Rock and New Wave Bands. It’s very interesting, the first episode had Joan Jett, Paul Weller from the Jam, Bill Graham, critic Robert Hillburn, and a freaky looking Kim Fowley trying to be coy. The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder used to be on after Johnny Carson and much too late for my delicate sensibilities.

Since there weren’t any timed recording devices in my life at that moment and these shows were rarely if ever repeated, It’s fun to watch them now with a gap of twenty five years or even 30 years since the original airdate. Everyone looks so much younger, or were even alive then, whereas now they’re dead. Bill is enjoying the DVD as well. I do remember seeing Elvis Costello when it was originally broadcast, fortifying myself probably with Cola, or coffee. I was probably up in my bedroom in Lodi, watching a black and white TV in the dark. It’s interesting to watch it in color.

It’s been a dreary downtown day, perfect for sitting in front of a computer though after a few hours of that walking around in the gray humidity was a welcome relief. Didn’t last too long, it was way too muggy and no one was actually around to do anything with. Even Matthew, the Apple specialist was invited to a barbecue. It was one of the things we talked about as my computer was going through it’s paces.

A Saturday night now, positions reversed with Bill in front of my PC and I’m on the couch with Bill’s laptop. He just told me how he met Reg. E. Cathey on the street. You’d know him if you saw him. He was recently on a repeat of Bill’s favorite show, Law and Order. He’s been on The Wire lately. You should IMDB him, I’m sure you’ve seen him before.

Bill was polite and restrained and told Reg that he looked forward to working with him someday. That would be cool. Who knows? Perhaps someday down the road, Bill will be walking down the street and some young actor will go up to him and tell him pretty much the same thing. After he fixes my wireless connection of course.