Alan Bennett | johnozed

It’s a Saturday. Nice to sleep in. Slept really well until around 8:30 when construction started two buildings down. I was asleep a little after 12:00, very much heavy lidded over red eyes. Nice. I obviously much prefer it to drinking. I think I am getting overloaded by the convention coverage. Just way to much info, it’s worse when I’m alone.

When Bill or Juan is here it feels like the information is dissipated, at least it can start a conversation. Flying solo, it’s all input, no output. I’ve been toying with the idea of not watching Olbermann and Rachel Maddow (O & RM) this week, just some time off. I guess we’ll ultimately see how that works out. Didn’t do much last night, read some magazines while O & RM followed by the Daily Show and The Colbert Report played on before I watched Bill Maher.

You see what I mean? Even though it’s entertaining it’s just a barrage of information which while enlightening is generally preaching to the choir. Bill watched his cousins kids last night and is doing it again tonight so he’ll be in Stuyvesant Town. I have 3 Netflix discs Baby Mama, Stardust and a DVD of two Alan Bennett teleplays.

I think I’ll definitely watch Baby Mama tonight. Stardust is the movie that came out with Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfieffer last year to some pretty bad reviews. The bookkeeper at work recommended it and for some reason I listened so we’ll see where that goes.

Right now I’m listening to the Roches. I’ve always liked them a lot. I’ve only seen them twice, once with the Caroling Carolers at the Bottom Line and once at Town Hall, and also as part of the Songs from Liquid Days by Phillip Glass at Lincoln Center. I

have only a few of their records, but my favorite is probably Keep on Doing which is on right now, with an a capella version of the Hallelujah Chorus. This album and their first, The Roches were produced by Robert Fripp which makes it stand out from their other records. I wouldn’t mind hearing the Roches produced by Fripp again.

For some reason I’ve always liked Maggie Roche the most. She wrote some outstanding songs and seems to be the balance between Terre and Suzzy. They’re playing in Tarrytown in December with Loudon Wainwright. Suzzy had a fling with Loudon which produced Lucy Wainwright, the half sister of Rufus and Martha.

Lucy sings and tours with the Wainwrights. And the Roches are from Park Ridge. I reckon the fling between Loudon and Suzzy caused his marriage to Kate McGarrigle to cease. Oh those folkies!

So it’s been that kind of day.

I spoke with Harpy last night who was raving about iTunes Genius program. I took his advice and downloaded it and for the past 6 hours it’s been ‘gathering information on my library’ which is over 14,000 tracks. The progress bar hasn’t moved past the ‘i’ in information message. It had better be worth it, or Harpy gets it!

My niece Meghan and her husband Rob ran in the Baltimore marathon today. They ran 26 miles which is impressive. They’re both coaches as well as teachers at 2 high schools. Meghan ran it in 3:17:09 and Rob ran in 3:24:38.

So congratulations to both of them on their fleet feet feat!

It’s October 11! National Coming Out Day!
Come out come out whomever you are!

It’s certainly not a good time to be working in the financial world. Unfortunately I work in the financial world. Fortunately I don’t make enough to be worried about but things do change. What I have to my advantage is the fact that the people I work for are hopelessly inept and can’t do much for themselves.

That’s where I come in, making coffee, filing, distributing mail, making sure things are tidy and ready to go as well as knowing who to call when something goes wrong. It’s really easy to do but like I said, they’re inept. Total deja vu feeling, even writing about the deja vu was deja vu like.

Thank you Mr. Reagan and your cronies for the deregulation of banks. May you rot in the ground you wrinkled fuck.

So after eating last night I felt a lot better, and even sat on the stoop reading Alan Bennett’s Untold Stories. He finally touched upon Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. Dudley had insecurity to deal with, Peter had major alcoholism. Alan Bennett felt that part of Dudley’s insecurity was from the fact that he wasn’t a writer.

An entertainer, an actor, a jazz pianist but not a writer. He wasn’t a funny guy it seemed. Thanks to the movies he became more famous but it didn’t really help matters much.

Bill showed up as I sat outside enjoying a Padron. He was tired and carrying groceries that were perishable so he made it upstairs while I sat and read and puffed on my cigar.

Got a phone call from my sister in law Elaine last night. Initially I thought it was a belated birthday call but no it was bad news. My brother Frank had a seizure on Saturday night and was rushed off to Hackensack Hospital. By the time he got to the emergency room he was relatively normal and Frank and Elaine were back home at 4:00AM.

He last had a seizure in April. It seems stress might be or is a major factor in this situation, but what could be done about stress? I know there are many things that could be done regarding stress, but we’re talking about my brother and for him a lot of things are a chore.

Things such as taking a walk is a chore. As much alike as we are (and we are) things like that, walking, riding a bicycle are just some of the things that make up the difference between us. I called Annemarie and Brian and left messages for them.

Eventually they both called me back and I told them the news. Frank was home today and I spoke to him briefly and I could hear how annoyed he was with all this, the seizure and the medications.

Last night Roda came over. I had invited him a few weeks ago to come over and watch True Blood anytime he’d like. Last night he liked to come over and I couldn’t say no, nor did I want to. He’s always good company and it’s great he and Bill get along so well.

It was a rather low key affair, the two of them on the couch, me sitting where it seems I always sit, close to the computer. He stayed for Entourage then split, before heading down the stairs, telling me that he was going to be a father again, this time they’re having a girl.

I didn’t ask who the mother was, thinking it was Elly the mother of his son Logan. I’m sure I’ll find out eventually and how does one ask that question anyhow?

Tonight Bill and I are going to an art show at McSwells. It’s a show for the artists in the Neumann Leather building on Observer Highway. They’re in danger of losing their space, what maybe the last frontier from the artsy bohemian days of the late seventies, early eighties when I came into the Hoboken picture.

Bill’s having a nap right now, so there is a good chance that he won’t make it. I was surprised when he said he’d go with me this afternoon, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t want to go after napping.

Here are today’s New Yorkers.