Archive for August, 2008

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Desafinado

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Well today has been an easy day. Nothing strenuous or stressful. All rather pleasant. Didn’t go to the shore, even though Chaz called at 9:00 this morning. Too late, we would hit traffic and Chaz had to get back early to take his pal Andy Bear to the airport. So that was a wash out, figuratively. Still a lot of people away from Hoboken today, most stores closed for the holiday.

Right now there is a party a few buildings away and they’re singing a karaoke version of Blitzkrieg Bop. I guess it’s near impossible to sing it badly, but they’re giving it a go. A polite round of applause as they now launch into Won’t Get Fooled Again.

I’m sitting next to an open window, hearing it all as Lord of The Rings is playing behind me. The last one, Return of the King. I started watching the deluxe editions last night, stopping half way in the second one and starting up again this morning. It’s been that kind of weekend.

Today I went into the city, to Sao Paolo it seemed as today was Brazil Day. Lot’s of Brazilians and their admirers on Sixth Avenue from 43rd up to 56th Street. Crowded, lot’s of people everywhere. Live entertainment on a big stage so if you wanted to walk up Sixth Avenue you had to walk up Fifth Avenue to 47th Street.

It thinned out, going from thousands to hundreds. Lot’s of sexy people out. I decided to make my way up to Central Park. Walked to where the trombone quartet was playing last week, finding them to be a trio this week. Their duffel bag was filled with singles, though they probably could have used some Euros since there were plenty of European tourists around.

Wandered over by the skate circle, wished I could skate, but it’s too late for that. Should have tried it a long time ago, now I’d be afraid of falling and breaking something, or worse yet, looking like a quadragenarian learning how to roller skate.

I pass them by all the time when I ride my bike. There they are on roller blades, arms and legs akimbo. Walked back through the park after listening to some very fine disco, through the Brazilian crowds back to the Path train where I lucked out and snagged a seat after walking around most of the afternoon.

Bill’s home asleep for a few hours, I watching the end of the Lord of the Rings, captivated which is keeping me from finishing tonight’s entry. I know how it ends so I’ll just keep writing. It’s just that it’s the deluxe edition with extras so I’m constantly hearing scenes that aren’t usually broadcast on TV.

The karaoke quieted down, crickets chirping. They’ll be around for a few more weeks I guess, the crickets. Unless they’re still doing the karaoke and if that’s the case, this is quite possibly the best version of a Buddy Holly song with some very convincing Crickets.

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I Know Shuggie Otis

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

Well I was home by 9:30 last night, but decided not to write. Hope you weren’t waiting up for more. Ha! I came home Bill fast asleep in bed. I’m glad I got to the South Street Seaport when I did. Caught the last half of the last song by Endless Boogie, who sounded interesting but I only heard a minute and a half. Not many people there.

Raphael Saadiq was added to the bill on Wednesday so there wasn’t much promotion. I found out from subscribing to rivertorivernyc.com . Raphael is quite a soul singer and has such a great presence on stage. I guess that Tony Toni Tone (TTT) disbanded so that Raphael wouldn’t have to share the spotlight with his brother and cousin. Unfortunately his spotlight wasn’t working properly last night.

Choreographed moves ala Motown, great songs reminiscent of songs from way back then and he still has a killer smile on stage. Probably off stage as well. He played for about 50 minutes which was a bit short, did medleys of his hits from TTT. But it was all over too soon.

Prior to Raphael hitting the stage I was off to the side by a four masted ship docked at the pier having a smoke. A woman approached me with that, ‘Can I get a light’ look. She complimented me saying that chivalry wasn’t dead. She asked what I was doing there and I said I was waiting for Raphael Saadiq. She didn’t know who he was so I explained.

She hoped that he was better than the first group who ‘sounded good if you were 12 years old and deaf’. I told her that I thought they were interesting. Then she asked if I was there to pick up girls and I said no, that I was gay, ‘cruising for sailors but my ship hadn’t come in’ as I was sitting next to a ship. She told me that she wished she was gay, and I told her it wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed.

She then said that her brother was partnered with the same guy for 20 years. I lifted my plastic cup of Stella Artois and said ‘Cheers’. She asked how long Bill and I have been together and I told 8 years. She was impressed and then ran off to join her friends for a boat ride around New York harbor.

I must have the kind of face that people are comfortable with since after she left 3 other people came up to me after the show and asked for directions to Chinatown, Wall Street and midtown Manhattan.

I remember a few years ago, I was between jobs and feeling down about it. I was whining to my friend Miriam about my lack of skills, and she was surprised saying that I have a great skill not many other people have. The ability to talk to just about anyone. It’s true. I do.

One time when I was a kid, my parents and my brother Brian and I went into the city to look at some new furniture. We left some showroom and were out on the street waiting for the light to change. They went ahead as I stayed on the corner talking to some street person about who knows what.

Last night all I had to do was point to the left and say Chinatown was about a half mile from where I was, or point south and say Wall Street that way, or even pointing out the right train to get on when the World Trade Center train pulled into Hoboken station.

Woke up this morning, Bill on his feet like nothing happened. He had on the memorial service for Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones who died last week of a brain attack. That’s basically what it is, an aneurysm. I read that last year when visiting my brother Frank in the hospital. That really gets your attention.

She was a good fighter and a friend of the LGBT community as well as other groups that are discriminated against. Bill left to check in with his mother and I just left it on listening to it more than watching it. Great gospel groups, and heartfelt speeches from her family as well as various democratic bigwigs who have been in the headlines all week.

The forecast threatened rain and so Chaz wasn’t into the beach today. Of course, it hasn’t rained all day. Last night it did and it drizzled towards the end of Raphael’s set. But that was it.

Also missed karaoke night at McSwells. Rand and Lisa went, Rand singing You’re No Good in a punk style. Roda reportedly sang a Barry White song and Lou Rawl’s ‘You’re Gonna Miss My Loving’. Still haven’t tried karaoke yet. It seems likely somewhere down the line.

Balloon Lady

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Old Brown Shoe

Friday, August 29th, 2008

A lazy Friday. Just little running around errands here and there. Nothing major. Juan came by last night on his way back to Trenton. We watched the convention, He, Bill and I. Specifically Obama’s speech which was excellent.

I read somewhere that Bruce Springsteen was going to make an appearance but all we saw was Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder with Take 6. Stevie was great as usual, but no Bruce. A mellow low light evening.

Juan left after Obama spoke. Bill went to bed and I stayed up watching nothing in particular. Maybe the Simpsons, I don’t remember. Went to bed around 12:30 and slept until 9:00 this morning. Last weekend for lot’s of parking in Hoboken so you might want to get here quick.

Tonight I’m heading over to South Street Seaport to see Raphael Saadiq. It’s fairly cool and since I will be on the water I’m thinking blue jeans instead of shorts. Once the sun goes down it will get cooler, that’s for sure. But then again, just because it’s breezy and cool on the fifth floor, there really isn’t a breeze on the street.

I sent emails to Chaz , Roda, Rand and Lisa as well as Pedro. Roda has to work at McSwells, Pedro doesn’t want to drive since he has to work tomorrow, and no word from Rand and Lisa, though Chaz responded in an email that it sounds like a plan. Of course that’s an ambiguous response, one that I have given a few times probably in the past week.

The big news today on TV was not Barack Obama’s speech, but rather that McCrazy picked a woman for his vice president. Sarah Palin from Alaska. We’ll see how that goes. Anti Choice, Gun Enthusiast, former Mayor of 6500, present Governor, and she’s also against equal pay for equal work, which is just swell. She loves that glass ceiling. It’s an obvious ploy to get the Hillary supporters who are greatly upset with Obama getting the nomination.

So what else is there? I don’t know. I’m killing time. Last week was Shea Stadium and that was fun. Bill said he’d get some more tickets if they became available if I wanted. I said maybe. Last week was fun since Shea was going to be torn down when the season was over and it’s true I do prefer the Mets over the Yankees but I guess I committed to ‘yes’ when I said ‘maybe’. I didn’t say ‘no’.

Well Bill just came home and he’s feeling ill. Just walked through the door and went right to bed. He looked like hell. He’s better off staying home and sleeping. Me? I’m having a Stella Artois before I head into the city.

I think I’ll post this now and perhaps write about the show when I get back. Or maybe not. A few beers and the last thing I want to do is formulate my thoughts for reading. Pontificating from a bar stool, no problem. Sitting and writing, mucho difficulty. Though I have done it before, in a few altered states. I’ll probably leave a little after 6:00 and take the Path in.

Sounds like a plan.

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El Cuarto de Tula

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

“People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power. “ Bill Clinton said that last night. Bill and I watched the convention again. A rousing speech by Clinton & John Kerry. But Beau Biden introducing his father was touching as was the embrace by Joe Biden when he came out for his speech.

Really a beautiful moment. I don’t recall my father ever hugging me like that, then again I don’t recall my father hugging me at all.

I sincerely hope that Barack Obama wins the election in November. I can’t afford to be optimistic but I can be hopeful. One of the most depressing days in my life was when John Kerry lost the election in 2004. I certainly don’t want to go through that again. But watching Obama come out after Joe Biden’s speech was electrifying.

I just think it would be phenomenal if he would win. A black man as President of the United States was something I thought I would see in my lifetime, just didn’t expect it so soon, and now that it’s a distinct possibility it really gives me a hopeful feeling. And whatever ambivalent feelings I may have towards Joe Biden have fallen by the wayside.

I didn’t know his story before and now that I do I am impressed. I stayed up and watched the entire convention last night. We’ve been watching it on CSPAN, rather than MSNBC. Occasionally we catch it on PBS, but CSPAN doesn’t have commentators, just a nonstop camera on the stage. No talking heads there. No advertisements. And it’s up to us to make up our own minds thank you very much.

Woke up around 8:00 which was pleasant. Went out got the papers, went to the supermarket. Did laundry, talked with Angry Juan who was very angry. Not at me, but rather mad at the world. It’s a good thing they have a cooling off period when buying firearms. Not that he bought firearms.

But if he did…

I went into the city, saw Bill, saw my friend Jesse and watched a building on fire, or rather watched a fire being put out on top of a building. I was going to head down to Farfetched and came close to jumping on the subway but wandered around midtown instead and went back home.

I had other things to do, co-edit the other blog and see if my sister got the Mets souvenir visor I bought at Shea Stadium on her birthday. Heard from Song who was asking me if I wanted to have dinner with him and Ray in the city, but since I was mere feet away from the bus terminal I passed.

I had hoped to meet up with Song and Ray when they were in town but things being what they are, it didn’t work out. I found out Raphael Saadiq was playing the South Street Seaport tomorrow night and I am definitely going to that. I saw Raphael Saadiq last in 2000 on tour in Lucy Pearl.

He was so magnetic on stage and when he smiled I could have sworn he was smiling right at me. Who knows? Maybe he was. I was smiling at him thats for sure. Anyway, that’s where I will be tomorrow night. Last show of the season at the Seaport, featuring Raphael Saadiq.

Do youself a favor and check out his website: http://www.raphaelsaadiq.com/ I just love his voice, ever since hearing him sing with his cousin and brother in Tony Toni Tone. Good for the soul. I’m psyched!

Here are some pics!

This afternoon’s fire

wrist bone

This perhaps, did not end well

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Ya Ya

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Well back to work, back to normal. The nap helped yesterday afternoon. Still out of it somewhat last night. Bill was also out of it. The weather has gotten considerably cooler so perhaps thats why we were both fatigued. It’s the only explanation I could think of and the idea was placed in my mind from Chaz and a co-worker.

Though I was plenty tired last night, the nap didn’t help with sleeping though. Bill went to sleep around 9:00, I hung in there until after Hillary Clinton spoke at the convention. That didn’t get me fired up not did it tire me out. It was just there. Juan wanted to come by, but things being what they were it was better off that he didn’t. Tonight would have been fine though.

Bill was up and out by 6:00 this morning, I dragged my ass out of bed and got myself ready. On the bus again, no Casey. Read the New Yorker, all about Myanmar/Burma/Rangoon. A definite totalitarian regime, military rulers not allowing aid to come in after the disaster there earlier this year.

The rulers don’t care about what the rest of the world thinks and they don’t care (in every sense of the word) for their own people. Of course since we created the Iraq fiasco, the US credibility is totally shot so if we have anything to say about anything, who would want to listen to us?

Like a few weeks ago, the US stamping it’s feet about Russia going into Georgia, US saying ‘You can’t invade a sovereign nation!’ and the world taking note of that and remembering that, that was exactly what we did when we went into Iraq.

I guess Afghanistan was necessary, sort of going after the Taliban who was fingered as being behind the attacks on 9/11. But you knew all this already.

Meanwhile back in the island off the coast of America called Manhattan, tourists are everywhere, most workers and residents have taken off this last unofficial week of summer. The office wasn’t doing much.

A few more people in, but for me it was like crossing paths since I have taken off tomorrow and Friday. I made a point to write down instructions on how to use the coffee pot. They will have to put their own paper in the printers, and I expect my desk to be covered with mail that arrived when I was out. Not that big of a deal, at least I know what I’m headed towards, come Tuesday.

I saw Chaz after work. He asked me to take his picture in front of the Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture on west 55th street and 6th avenue. So after work I walked over there and took 2 pics. The whole thing took less than 30 seconds.

Afterwards we walked down 6th avneue, just shooting the breeze. He was going to the Virgin Mega Store, and I was headed to the bus terminal. I could have walked over to Times Square with Chaz but if there were hundreds of tourists on 6th avenue, there were more than likely thousands in Times Square and I was not going to walk through that.

No line for the bus and I nabbed a seat in the back, reading some more of Alan Bennett, who’s mother has Alzheimers in the 1970′s. Not the fun, witty stories I envisioned when I took the book out of the library, but I’ll hang in there. He’s bound to eventually get to Oxford and then Beyond the Fringe with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller.

More of the convention on the schedule for tonight. Bill’s home and he’ll probably go to bed soon. I’m off until Tuesday so who knows? I may stay up until midnight and watch the day begin.

and on today’s streets

Rest in Peace Del Martin
Lesbian rights pioneer Del Martin died Wednesday. She was 87. She and her partner Phyllis Lyon were the first to be legally married in the state of California.

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I’m Only Sleeping

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Last night mellow. My evening routine was askew since I wrote before I came home. Nothing to worry about. I was home by 8:00, Bill was watching the convention on MSNBC. I planned on watching Weeds at 10:00 but neither of us wanted to miss Michelle Obama’s speech.

Ted Kennedy was pretty good, with his swan song. The fat lady off stage, waiting to sing for Ted’s political career. I mentioned to Bill that as Ted had gotten older, he became a great statesman. Though the grumbling about windmill generators off Hyannis Port was a bit troubling.

I told Bill that Caroline will probably become the head of the Kennedy family once Ted moves on. Bill went to bed soon after Michelle Obama and I watched the news, eventually going to bed around 11:45, which is a bit late for my ass.

Slept like a rock or so I thought. I woke up tired and slept a little later than usual. I saw Casey on the bus yesterday but since I was late, no Casey today. Walked across town, still a bit groggy, figured once I had a few cups of coffee I would be alright. Well it didn’t turn out alright as I kept getting more tired as the hours crawled by.

Bill was feeling quite the same way. Today I left work early. Yesterday the other two left early, but today was my day. And I’m still taking off Thursday and Friday. Juan’s in town today but since Bill and I are fatigued for no reason at all, it’s probably best that he stays away. Plus it promises to be an early night for the both of us.

I’m still pretty much out of it even though I came home and napped for two hours. I did finally get my hair cut from Tony at Mr. L’s down the street. I walked by and he was free so I popped in for a quickie. My hair grows thick and at a certain point it can be too much.

So a trim was in order. Tony always does a good job and mentions most times that a lot of guys would love to have my hair. He’s a 60-70 something Italian immigrant who lives with his wife in South Hackensack by Lodi, not the South Hackensack by Teterboro.

Uses a color rinse on his hair every month and a half and cuts hair next to his 50 something son. He goes the extra mile, trimming nose hair, ear hair and selectively removing gray hairs from my goatee earning a decent tip. So now I feel a lot cooler physically and mentally but still pretty much tired.

I’m sure a good nights sleep would do me good as well as doing Bill good. I got an email from Pedro with a pic of 30 fellow CO’s tailgating in the parking lot at Shea. He was there, I was wrong. We cleared it all up on Sunday on the phone so that’s good.

Pedro 5th from right

Still reading Alan Bennett which is slow going. Right now he’s talking about his Aunties. All well and good but for me it’s been dragging. Maybe it’s my fatigue. It just reminds me of the boring visits to my Aunt Diddy in Flushing.

She was my father’s sister and her house was not child friendly. There was nothing to entertain a 10 year old boy and I could only get some money from my mother so often to go get comic books a few blocks away. But obviously I’m veering into Alan Bennett’s style and I’m very tired.

I’m surprised I got this far tonight.

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