Tag Archives: Civil Union

Cheeking Tongues

Things are fucking weird lately. I thought it was me, but it’s not. Perhaps it’s because of the sudden change in the weather. A week or so ago we had over a foot of snow in this area, now it’s pushing 60 degrees. I’m definitely not complaining about the weather.

I just got back from sitting by the river and finished the March issue of Mojo with Syd Barrett on the cover. A tragic story about old Syd. I knew the gist of it but now I know a little bit more. Like the 1970’s, people didn’t know how to put a hand out, perhaps saying ‘maybe doing LSD every day isn’t that good an idea’.

Lennon was the same way, nearly a casualty and Cynthia nor the other Beatles did anything about it. Of course I wasn’t there so I shouldn’t really say anything, all my info is third or fourth hand.

And if I was there, who would listen to a 5 year old, which is what I was in that acid drenched year of 1967. I had my own problems, just starting school, trying to stay out of Vietnam. You know the score.

Last night was decent. Nothing earth shattering to write about. I watched It Might Get Loud, a documentary of sorts featuring Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. Jimmy Page, Mr Cool and mellow in this day and age. The Edge, I’m sure he’s a nice guy but he didn’t really do much for me but Jack White.

Wow, Jack White. Love his attitude, his approach, his philosophy. It’s worth watching if just for Jimmy Page and Jack White.

Had interesting dreams once again, cannabis free. One involved a Warhol exhibition of Andy’s paintings which seemed to be modeled on Edward Hopper’s work. I really don’t think Andy did any work like that.

In the dream I was on a bus headed to the exhibition and sitting next to old friend Eileen Lynch talking about the Warhol show in Chelsea I believe. Maybe I should or someone should do a series of Edward Hooper paintings in a Warhol style.

That wouldn’t be so weird considering so many photo stores advertise their services for doing photographs in the manner of Warhol’s portrait series from the 1970’s. If you saw them you’d know what I mean.

For some reason I wrote in my dream notepad ‘No, not Jasper Johns, but Jasper Johns’.

Another dream I had involved me finding a store by a motel I was staying at that sold Gauloises. That dream is probably stemming from the fact that I haven’t had a cigarette since last week. I’ve had a few cigars, but no more cigarettes.

It wasn’t really a conscious decision, it just happened.

In the dream I had that familiar blue pack of tobacco that I enjoyed for so long which suddenly became unavailable here in the states. In real life I got into an online argument with some wanker who called me a typical American who thinks the world revolved around the USA.

And all I had written was the fact that they were no longer available here. I’m sure I would be tempted to smoke cigarettes again if Gauloises made an appearance on the market again but we know it’s unlikely to happen.

That time I wrote faster than the processor could handle and that last line came out as ‘if Gauloises made an appeely to happen.’

So about the tease the other day, no it wasn’t about me giving up fags. It was about a plan for Bill and I to get a Civil Union license, document or what have you.

I had hoped Rand could be our witness but I think he’s been under the weather (he mentioned that after the parade)and didn’t respond to my message on Sunday. When he finally did respond, (not to the message but to the fact that I called and hung up instead of leaving a message on Monday) it was too late.

Bill was off in the city and both parties need to be present for a civil union. I did ask Jim Mastro who said he would witness but we both thought it would be at City Hall. Instead it will be at the Multi Service Community Center on Grand Street here in Hoboken.

Not around the block from the Guitar Bar as we had thought.

So I asked Stine who will witness with Alexander after they get out of their morning play session on Thursday. That was nice of her to be able to do so.

I saw Stine and Alexander this morning and it was funny to see Alexander having the same eye expressions as Julio. To the T, the rolling upwards of the eyes as if to say ‘Oh Brother’.

So now you know the plan. Bill and I getting legitimized somewhat in the eyes of the Hoboken city government. We’re registered at Regency Cigar Emporium at 752 Main Street, East Greenwich, RI 02818-3501 in case you were wondering.

Just send them an email and tell them my real name. They have my address as well as what I like. Just tell them to duplicate my last orders.

Cheeky ol’ me…

Things to read...

Things to read...


Places to see...

Places to see...

That’ll Be The Day

Well it rained quite a bit overnight. So much rain it woke me up. Why, I was awake before 9:00 it was so loud. Bill was off to deal with the Department of Motor Vehicles in Bayonne so he could have a legitimate New Jersey address.

It could come in handy should we decide to tie the knot. The other night I showed him how to make a square knot, which is something my brother Frank taught me way back when.

Right over left, left over right. Ta da!

Have some good news possibly. Juan might have been misdiagnosed. What they thought was kidney cancer might actually be a tumor. A type of tumor which is sometimes mistaken for cancer. More info next week on that.

You’d think he’d be over the moon but he had just made arrangements with school to suspend his studies, spoke with his landlord who canceled his lease.

It turns out he didn’t have to do all that. I told him he now has an opportunity to restart his life, but oddly enough he’s worried that his friends and school will think he was trying to get over. I wrote oddly since he never cares what other people think.

And in any event, if he has this tumor, an operation will more than likely need to be performed so he will have the scar to show that it wasn’t cosmetic surgery. He’s on his way over right now and I guess things are back to normal since he’s basically furious with certain members of his family.

I expect him to initially be as charming in person as he was on the phone. I’m so HVAC sometimes.

Made fast friends with Kurt who runs The Hoboken Journal blog. He’s anti-Hoboken411 too so it’s good to have an ally in the blogosphere. I did visit that other accursed site, Hoboken411 and saw how good ol’ ‘Libertarian’ Perry so damn excited that a 7/11 is coming to town.

He’s more than likely angling for free Slurpees and burritos. Across the street is Hoboken Daily News which is a nice little store currently run by Andy and his brother, both upstanding gents. I’ve been going there since I moved to Hoboken in 1984.

Andy and his brother are worried since 7/11 is a big impersonal powerhouse and these newcomers to Hoboken probably have no loyalty and will cling to the comforts of the suburbs that apparently have followed them to Hoboken.

Andy is a great guy and will let you slide if you don’t have enough cash, just pay the next day. In this day and age that is a rare thing.

Last week while I was in there getting my smokes, a thug wannabe was hanging out reading the magazines. Apparently he’d been there long enough so Andy told him he couldn’t read the magazines anymore.

The wannabe was indignant despite standing directly in front of a sign that said ‘Please Don’t Read the Magazines’. It’s OK to thumb through but to stand there and read an article is fairly enough, not allowed.

So the wannabe throws the magazine to the floor gets behind me muttering to himself that he’s going to ‘duff’ this guy. For those playing at home, ‘duff’ means to deliver a severe beating. I heard this and said ‘Whoa. Easy with that duff talk’.

The thug wannabe was obviously surprised that a white dude like myself would know what it means and challenged me on what it meant. I told him using the Queen’s English and he asked how I knew. I told him I knew because I knew.

I didn’t say my good buddy, Pedro the corrections officer told me. Anyway the thug wannabe buys himself a cheap ass plastic tipped cigar like the kind Snoop Dogg smokes and tries to walk all hard out of the store. Andy was most appreciative. I kept it gully. It was all on tape.

I picked up the magazine the thug threw down after saying that Andy wasn’t respecting him, and ironically enough, the magazine’s title was Respect.

I know, I thought it would be Cat Fancy or Modern Bride too.

I don’t usually involve myself in situations but I do consider Andy to be a friend.

This afternoon I had a nice little chat with Andy and his wife about blogs, told him about mine and Kurt’s Hoboken Journal. Kurt had posted about Hoboken Daily News and a few people commented how much they liked the store and Andy was very much interested so I gave him both blog addresses, telling him that Kurt’s was more political and social whereas mine was ‘all up here’ and pointed at my head.

I heard crickets in a hollow hall.

Walked around after taking pics of Andy and his wife as well as the exterior of Hoboken Daily News. Ran into Chris Repella on the street. Ran into her yesterday too. She was with her charge, a young autistic boy. She was a bit blue, broke up with her boyfriend and her cat died this week.

I did my best to bolster her spirits and told her that she’ll be OK. I love her and told her so. She’s a sweetie from the McSwells days 20 years ago. She appreciated it and I was glad to say it.

Now Juan is here reading and cutting up magazines and slowly coming in off the ledge. He wasn’t going to jump, just scream at the world about his frustration.

Also spoke this afternoon with that Chasm fella in Vermont. Mr. & Mrs Chasm and the baby are doing OK, Casey is trying to figure out some major life choices. He was surprised with the fact that I’ve been cannabis free for about 3 weeks now. He asked why and I told him financial. He asked if I had a job would I go back to it and I said probably not. I really don’t miss it.

OK that’s a bit of a lie. I miss it when trying to go to sleep at night.

Oh, last night Bill and I watched the Dark Knight on DVD. Bill had never seen it before and it was than Lawn Hors d’œuvre repeats. He loved it, sitting at the edge of the couch throughout the movie. We will probably watch it again before I return it to the Library. That’s where I get my DVD’s now since I suspended my Netflix account.

Flowers while on the phone with Casey Chasm

Flowers while on the phone with Casey Chasm

Hoboken City Hall

Hoboken City Hall

12.9.09 Hoboken Daily News 007

12.9.09 Hoboken Daily News 006

Not the job for me...

Not the job for me...

Andy and the Missus

Andy and the Missus

Hoboken Daily News @ 500 Washington Street

Hoboken Daily News @ 500 Washington Street