Posts Tagged ‘Bob Dylan’

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Landslide

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

It’s been a very nice Friday, best day of the week and I don’t mind telling you that. Last night I was extremely tired. Just felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. A lot of it was probably from lacking a decent night’s sleep for the past few days.

I am happy to report that I slept peacefully for about 9 hours last night. Much needed.

Last night Bill had his pizza and I sat on the front steps, enjoying a Padron, chatting with various neighbors as well as a phone call with Casey Chasm. I was worried about him since Mrs. Chasm was out of town when I visited the other day and while I was visiting we had quite a heavy conversation.

He’s a good guy and I am happy to call him my friend. I certainly hope he has a rosy future ahead of him and it looks like he does. He had some good advice for me regarding work which was worrying me.

I’m going to hang in there as best as I could. That’s all I can do. I came upstairs and Bill was watching a repeat of the Office, followed by 30 Rock which definitely boosted my spirits. Then we watched the season finale of Southland and yes it was very good.

The ending had Willie Nelson singing What Was It You Wanted. I thought it was a Leonard Cohen song but it turned out it was by Bob Dylan. A little research showed that it was from Oh Mercy. I had some downloads from Oh Mercy but none of them was the song I heard.

I made a note to go to the local record store and see if they had it in stock today. I walked around Hoboken around noon and wandered into Tunes.

Looked in Willie Nelson’s section for On The Borderline which is where the song was from. Of course it wasn’t in stock. Juan’s doppleganger was working but I decided to search on my own, finding it too unnerving to speak with an ersatz Juan.

I walked over to the Bob Dylan section and once again I was let down. Oh Mercy was not to be found. Perhaps they had the Budos Band who I saw at McSwells a few months ago. No Budos Band either.

I thought I would see if they had Who’s Next in stock since that’s been on my mind lately and of course that was a ‘no’. I even checked to see some Fleetwood Mac CD’s since I saw an excellent and beautiful video of the PS 22 chorus do a moving version of Landslide by Stevie Nicks.

I left empty handed and disappointed. Still I had some money in my pocket.

I got a text message from Roda last night. He was working at McSwells and said it was dead. Why don’t I come by for some cocktails? It’s always good to see Roda but I was really fatigued, too much to head out and socialize. Bill was about all the socializing I could deal with last night.

I was on Facebook earlier, I know, what a surprise. I saw a link to check up on my high school classmates and I almost connected with a couple of them. Then I remembered how I felt after my high school reunion 9 years ago and decided against it. Some things are best left in the past in my case.

Tonight I am going to McSwells too see my old pal. Not staying out too late since I have to get up and help Julio in Van Saun Park for Alexander’s first birthday party. I got Alexander a Beatles onesie and a toy duck on a stick with wheels that quacks and flaps it’s wings as you push it.

I just downloaded Willie Nelson’s version of What Was It You Wanted so I’m a happy pirate. A happy and relaxed pirate at that. I hope all of you, the six of you that is, have a happy and safe holiday weekend.

Maybe I’ll see you at the VFW Circle on Monday morning on Saddle River Road in Saddle Brook?

Here is that beautiful video.

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Posted in Wonderful World Beautiful People | 8 Comments »

Beautiful Boy

Monday, May 4th, 2009

OK, so it’s Monday and it’s a soggy Monday. Nothing but rain. Much like yesterday. It’s supposed to rain every day except for Wednesday, at least that’s what the meteorologist says.

It’s funny, I’ll watch the news to get the weather, then when the weather comes on, I totally blank. I think it’s because of their voices. I hear the voice and I am a million miles away.

Since we have digital cable, I usually wind up rewinding a minute or two to get that five day forecast. That happened last night but I didn’t care since I would catch the weather on the Today show.

And the forecast was rain.

Last night I didn’t watch TV, just played music. I played music instead. Started out playing Bob Dylan’s latest, Together Through Life. I really like it. It’s a fast 45 minutes and quite good.

Then I listened to Jenny Lewis ‘Acid Tongue’ and that is quite good as well, perhaps even better than Bob Dylan. The last song on Acid Tongue is ‘Sing a Song for Them’ and it ended with a familiar string section that reminded me of Old Dirt Road by John Lennon off of Walls and Bridges so I played that.

That set me on a John Lennon kick, through most of his catalog, a few things from Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, the Acoustic album and the Lennon Anthology. I played Beautiful Boy, the studio version and the acoustic version.

Bill was home by that time and he really only knows Beautiful Boy through Mr. Holland’s Opus, one of Bill’s favorite movies. A few more Lennon songs, finishing up with ‘Sean’s Little Help’ where 5 year old Sean Lennon is singing ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ which provided a perfect closer with the Beatles version.

Then it was time for the news and for me to blank out on the weather. Bill had his sleep apnea mask on and I soon fell asleep next to him and his buzzing apparatus. I woke up a little before 8:00 this morning, surprised to see Bill still in bed.

I nudged him and asked if he was going to work and he said he was taking a day off. That through me off a bit but I recovered and found myself in the shower getting ready for work. Donned a suit and headed out into the rain.

Caught the bus and buried my face in the New York, reading about Rwanda. Made it to the office, a few people out today making it very quiet.

Quiet enough that I was able to catch a crosstown bus and walked over to Studio 54 to see if I can join the Roundabout Theater’s Usher Program for the latest production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

The guy in charge of that is a guy who sits in a chair all day with binders. I asked to sign up for the play but he told me it was all filled up for the season. So I signed up for the waiting list.

It’s probably not going to happen and if it does happen it will probably be on a date that is inconvenient for me. Oh well.

I came home from work, and got a letter from my bank.

Out of 4 illicit charges on my card, 2 were disputed in my favor. The other 2 which were the items that were actually shipped to me, according to the bank, seemed authorized.

So I was on the phone for an hour dealing with 2 different customer services.

One issue has been resolved after getting on ‘Mary Jo’s’ nerves, the other I will have to deal with tomorrow during daylight hours, as per ‘Vern’s’ suggestion.

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flip-wilson

Beefcake!

Beefcake!

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Posted in Yesterday's News Tomorrow | 2 Comments »

Shake Shake Mama

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

OK, I have a half hour to write. Julio just called inviting me down to his and Stine’s apartment. The baby’s asleep in bed and he’s offering a glass of wine.

How could I resist?

Julio called earlier today asking if I could write a letter on Stine’s behalf so she can get citizenship and not be deported. That should be no problem. So I have 30 minutes to write this entry tonight.

Last night wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, regarding Pap Smear. It was a reading and not an actual play. It started as soon as I sat down. It seems they were waiting for me.

It was supposed to start at 7:30 and I got there at 7:15 after braving the crowds in Times Square as I puffed on a Padron.

Since it was just a reading the performances weren’t as over the top as last time and you needed to use your imagination so that helped. It was painless and over before I knew it.

Came home and watched some TV while having a good talk with Bill. He went to sleep as Bill Maher was starting and I stayed up until 1:30 watching whatever it was that I was watching.

I took a ‘There was cool music before Nirvana’ quiz on Facebook. My friend Betti Cola took the test and scored in the low 90′s. Andy, former sound man at McSwells got in the upper 90′s.

I scored a perfect 100% which another friend, Thaler commented on saying she and her husband Tom were waiting for my results and not surprised by my score.

There was some guesswork involved and despite what some people might say, I did not cheat.

I was too tired to cheat actually.

I went to bed feeling good as Bill wore his sleep apnea mask which was louder than usual. It was white noise, like a very loud waterfall, but still I slept until 8:00.

I had a phone call from Abby who had some boxes in his car for work that he could keep in his car since his car was leased and had to be returned today. I told him to call me at 8:00 and I would go to the office with him and get the boxes stored.

He called at 8:15. He picked me up around 10:00 and we rode into the city. Cleared a few things up between us. He’s always late as most Asian Indians are. He said they operate on IST, Indian Standard Time. His words not mine.

Still I proved that I was a team player and sent him off on his way once we got the boxes to my office.

I walked across town were I ran into Lois and Fred who were online outside of Midtown Comics where it was comic book day and they were getting some free comic books. Perhaps they will sell them at their Gate Sale, weather permitting.

I came home, Bill was still here. We watched King Kong by Peter Jackson on TNT and it was fun. I loved the original and thought I loved the Dino Di Laurentis version, but I didn’t.

Peter Jackson was really faithful to the original and it was fun to watch, even with my sweaty hands towards the end scenes on top of the Empire State Building.

Still a very sad story, yes it wasn’t the plane that got Kong. Twas beauty that killed the beast. But I’m sure you knew that already.

After that I walked Bill to the bus stop and I wandered over to Tunes where I bought the latest Bob Dylan cd which I already like more than the last one, Modern Times.

David Hildago from Los Lobos and his accordion are one it throughout, giving it a Springsteen feel as well as a New Orleans Zydeco sound. I recommend it.

That’s it for me. Time for some wine with the Alexander’s parents downstairs.

Cheers!

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Posted in Iron my Shirt | 4 Comments »

Three Girl Rhumba

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

Still ill. Last night was low key as expected. Just lay about the apartment, Bill came home carrying juice and concerned about me. There are moments when I feel just a little bit out of it, then there are moments when I can’t make sense of anything. Watched TV, avoided O & RM to Bill’s chagrin. Did watch the Daily Show and Colbert Report but wasn’t paying much attention.

Reading the latest Uncut magazine, good article on Bob Dylan, specifically about the albums from Oh Mercy to Love and Theft, his last studio record which came out on September 11, 2001. Talk about bad timing, it’s like the release for Phil Spector’s Christmas Album which came out on November 22, 1963. At least that’s the folklore.

Dylan’s new record in the bootleg series is outtakes from Oh Mercy to Love and Theft, and if you’ve read Dylan’s autobiography, Chronicles Volume One, a portion of that book is about the Oh Mercy sessions in New Orleans. Being in the state that I’m in reading is not as easy since my concentration is not what it usually is.

I did feel somewhat better when I went to sleep and slept fairly well though I did hit Bill once or twice during the night. I really don’t think it’s malicious, he’s just there, in the way of my nocturnal arm swinging. Perhaps I have restless arm syndrome. It is disconcerting.

I woke up at 6:00 and got myself together and went to work. I felt relatively ok. Bus was mighty crowded this morning. Saw Casey who asked the woman sitting next to me to exchange seats which she did. Casey asked how I was doing and I told him I was a bit ill after shaking his hand which made him feel like he was going to be sick. I lent him my bottle of Purel.

We talked about politics which no one on the bus talks about. No one on the bus talks about anything really. On the bus there’s this guy that I used to see with his wife when I worked at a video store on Washington Street years ago.

I know he recognizes me and I certainly recognize him but we don’t say anything to each other since it’s been about 17 years since I worked there and the store is no more. I only brought him up because once Casey and I hit the bus terminal Casey takes the subway across town and I walk, and this morning as I was crossing Park Avenue and 49th street- there was the video store guy, so he takes the subway as well but if he’s at Park Avenue the same time as I am then I make good timing while walking.

It has to be a major event for me to take the subway. Either a massive storm or I am feeling sick will get me underground.

The office was empty when I came in. Greg Stevens came in soon after me and we talked. Apparently Esteban, the last of the stooges was let go yesterday making the head count 4. He’s still going to be on staff some how, any projects that come up, he will be called in on. I had to distribute the payroll, 4 checks.

I checked the paperwork and found that I’m the only one getting paid. The officers of the company Vivek, Greg Stevens and Tom Chin are not. I guess they’re making a living out of investing in the company but there’s not much of a living to be made.

There are deals and contracts that are waiting to be completed but the companies involved aren’t sending any money our way and they’re much like my company- we’re squeezing every last cent we have. It’s not good and from what Greg Stevens told me, we probably won’t be around for 2009.

I chatted briefly with Vinnie from Wanker Banker which was swallowed up by the Big Canadian Financial Institution and he told me they let a lot of people go yesterday. So he’s scared for his job.

It’s like this all over the city, all over the country no doubt, maybe even the world. Still Greg reassured me that I should be alright, even though they still might have to cut my hours which is understandable. Not fun, but understandable nonetheless. It’s better to have some kind of job than no job at all.

But it is weird, like 10 Little Indians. And then there were 4….

PS- Just saw Julio who is sick as well. Turns out this bug is courtesy of Stine! So I guess it should last for another day or two.

Oh yeah, don’t forget the debate tonight!
Here’s a clip courtesy of Rand from the Kirby Museum

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Posted in the day after yesterday | 6 Comments »

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