Posts Tagged ‘Eric Brooks’

Your Eyes

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

I’m pretty tired. Pounding the pavement today. It actually went well. Walked from the Path train to 40 Wall Street, where I took the elevators to the Third and Fourth Floors.

It wasn’t the dank hole I expected it to be and I didn’t see any dank holes like I expected to see. I don’t know why the Susquehanna Investment Group has such a bad reputation.

You might think that a privately held global investment, trading and technology firm servicing securities markets worldwide would have their slack cut for them but apparently that’s not so.

Arthur Dantchik, Jeff Yass, Steve Bloom, Eric Brooks, Andrew Frost and Joel Greenberg all sent their warmest greetings and regards. Yass and Dantchik are a pair of regular jokers, with the knock knock jokes and other Pennsylvania humor.

They seemed like good guys though behind closed doors, the refrain of ‘watch the teeth, watch the teeth’ did raise some eyebrows. I didn’t stay too long, just long enough to make my presence known. Susquehanna Investment Group certainly gets it’s name in the news often enough, oddly though it doesn’t involve insider trading, at least not yet.

Soon I was on my way to Broad Street, to Barclay Rex. Nice situation, Wall Street area, good looking men in their suits and ties. I’d be happy to be one of them should the need arise. I had a good meeting with the manager and the assistant manager.

Never had a meeting before where I was offered a cigar. Of course I said yes and sat there smoking a cigar and answering questions. I answered honestly and truthfully and that seemed to be what they wanted to hear.

No trying to figure out what that might be, just saying it and them looking a bit amazed at my responses. After about an hour our meeting was over. They said I could sit there and finish the cigar so that’s what I did.

Walked over to the train and headed uptown. Saw David Allen Grier on the street as I made my way to see Bill. Also took a look at a spot where Tariq said he sometimes plays for the tourist dollar but the only people besides tourists were sketch artists.

It was good to see Bill. He’s so supportive, saying things about how good I looked and really happy to hear that the meeting went so well. I was certainly glad to be able to tell him some good news for a change, especially after me being a bit gloomy the past couple of days.

We walked over to Godiva where Bill bought a bag of dark chocolate truffles for me. They were almost as sweet as Bill. Walked over to Macy’s after that. They’re having a sale on eyeglasses so I checked them out. Of course the frames on sale were crap, and not my style.

I did see some nice ones that were more expensive and maybe the insurance will cover them somewhat. Despite all the care I put into the eyeglasses I have now, somehow they’ve wound up scratched. And I rarely used paper to clean the lenses, always used the special cloths that were recommended.

Maybe I’m paranoid but one of the last times I was at Cohen’s Optical and had them fix a screw, I could swear they were given back to me more scratched than they were originally. Another meeting is scheduled for next week and Bill suggests I wear the exact same thing for my ‘call back’. Seems like a novel idea.

In that case, I had better get the shirt and tie to the cleaners forthwith!

Forsooth!

That's my Bill

That's my Bill


Me, smoking 'their' cigar

Me, smoking 'their' cigar

Winter Wonderland

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

It’s a snow day. Most everyone had off from work. Not because the commute would be so bad in the morning, just getting home at night would be difficult. Some people did have to go into work today. They were on the news most of the day, the same story at the same train stations on Long Island.

The same woman having to go into work at JP Morgan. The same story of the guy who got on the train and suddenly asked himself, ‘What am I doing?’ before turning around and jumping off the train right before the doors closed.

I was surprised to hear from Bill, who was also home from work today, that there was a 4.3 earthquake in Chicago. That was major news in my book, since the northeast has had many snowstorms before, it really isn’t anything new. But no news on Chicago as far as I could tell.

The big news was on the snowstorm. No building crumbled, just books knocked off the shelves. No injuries reported. Still an earthquake hitting Chicago would be big news. I’m sure the right wing nuts will blame either the snowstorm or the earthquake on abortion or the rights of LGBT people becoming accepted. It’s just a matter of time and as usual they’re late.

Last night I watched Lost which was OK. Not much progress as far as I could tell. The alternative universe story was about Kate and Claire while back on the island it was mainly about Kate and Sawyer with a Jack and Sayid story thrown in. After the big season premiere last week, this was a bit of a let down.

After Lost I watched a mini series documentary on the Sundance Channel about Saville Row. Not 3 Saville Row once the home of Apple Records. Lot’s of nice looking bespoke suits which are definitely out of my price range at the moment. A few of the bespoke houses went to Florence, Italy to promote Saville Row abroad since bespoke suits are no longer the exclusive domain of Saville Row.

One representative of a Saville Row house was in Beijing trying to establish his label to the Chinese. It was quite awkward for the representative, culture clashes, communication problems and also finding out the the food in China is not the same as Chinese food in Knightsbridge.

Still it was somewhat schwing city just looking at the fine pinstriped suits. After that I watched the news which was all about the upcoming snowstorm. Then Seinfeld, the Simpsons and caught Sade on Letterman.

Bill was home a little while after that and we watched Craig Ferguson. I did make it out once or twice today. I do enjoy snowstorms, walking around, smoking a cigar and taking pictures. Walked over to Church Square Park which had kids and toddlers and their parents having fun in the snow.

Various snowmen around, huskies and other winter dogs and a makeshift igloo were spotted. I walked up to Hoboken Daily News and talked to Andy who was worried about how he was going to get home to Jersey City. He might end up walking.

Apparently I missed Julio, Stine and Alexander in the park by minutes. Stine and Alexander were also interviewed briefly by Eyewitness News. I figured they would be on for the human interest hour from 5 to 6PM.

After an hour of all these snow stories Bill and I had enough and changed the channel. Of course that meant we missed the interview which was in the half hour from 6 to 6:30. Julio called me up after it was over to see if we caught it and mocked me when I said we missed it.

We hope it will be on at the 11:00 broadcast.

I also shoveled a bit today and I am feeling it now. Pretty tired.

2.10.10 Snowstorm 001

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How Many More Times

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Well I was actually hoping for a big snowstorm. It would be fun (since I don’t drive) and those people named Brian who make money with snow plows would have the chance to make some snow dough. But the way things turned out, it was barely a dusting.

In Washington DC they received 2 feet, in Atlantic City there was quite an accumulation. Here in Hoboken it was barely noticeable. A disappointment if you ask me. I was hoping to take some photos, enjoy a cigar and walk around in the the snow.

I did go out today though and it was quite bitter. Bitter enough that one trip outside was all I needed to do. On the way back up the four flights of stairs, I did stop at the third floor. Had the Hoboken Reporter and the mail for Julio, Stine and Alexander.

Well actually for Julio & Stine since Alexander couldn’t be arsed with mail or newspapers, unless having a crayon in his hands.

I did find out that after I left Stine and Alexander on Wednesday night Alexander woke up violently ill. Projectile vomiting, pale as a ghost and with a fever of 103.

The next morning, after staying up all night with the baby they brought him to the doctor who gave him a shot of antibiotics and today he was just as good as he was when I last saw him. Leave it to Julio to blame me for getting the baby sick.

Of course it wasn’t my fault but I did think that it was for a moment. Apparently Julio’s sister’s baby was very ill and chances are that Alexander picked up whatever virus from his cousin. So blame Jake, who is on the mend himself.

Been an indoor day, after leaving the family unit on the third floor. Bill left a few hours ago after studying a script for a play he is stage managing up in Harlem in a week or so. This morning I made blueberry pancakes. I planned ahead about bought some Aunt Jemima’s on sale the other day in anticipation of the snowstorm.

Who wouldn’t want blueberry pancakes when stuck inside all day? I have to say they were very good. Perfect for a cold winter’s morning. Bill was asleep as I ate all of my nine pancakes. Washed the dishes, the utensils and the frying pan by the time he was awake.

He wasn’t hungry when he woke up but a few minutes later after I asked him if he wanted any pancakes he said that he did. And he too enjoyed the pancakes. I thought about having pancakes for dinner which is a rarity.

Once in a while, when I was growing up my mother would make pancakes for dinner. Maybe not once in a while, perhaps once or twice. Still it sticks in my mind, enough for me to consider the same menu 40 years later.

Right now watching the Led Zeppelin DVD’s, from the Hoboken Library via BCCLS. Much prefer the second DVD. Madison Square Garden (where my brother Frank and his wife Elaine are supposedly in the front row), Earl’s Court and Knebworth.

It’s astounding how many crotch shots of Robert Plant exist in the footage. You’d think with all that money he’d be able to afford a shirt that fits him properly, instead of a midriff. Then again it was the 1970′s so anything went.

Pandrogyny.

Jimmy Page did throw out the perfect rock star shapes though, so damn cool when at the Garden while playing The Ocean. Impressive 37 years later.

Don’t know if I posted these things previously, but here is a painting by a friend of mine, Andre Scot Grindle from a photo of myself, and my own playing with a computer program and attempting to Warhol my photo, but going too far as usual.

As Andy used to say, ‘Always leave them wanting less.’

Ozed by Andre Scot Grindle

Ozed by Andre Scot Grindle

JOT Train Hat

JOZ Color

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Be Stiff

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Yes it’s a Friday again. Nothing special on this end. Would have been the end of my first work if I stayed at the place I wasn’t too comfortable in. I know I did the smart thing though. Feeling better today than I would have if I stayed, despite what someone in Bala Cynwyd thinks.

Some people call him ‘Maurice’, cause it speaks for the pompatus of the working stiffs. But it wasn’t the Maurice that I knew and loved though. I did hear from him, I guess he’s still happily married in Portland.

Facebook suggested getting in touch with him a week or so ago, and since I do just about everything that Facebook suggests I sent him a message. He replied in kind, with his phone number so I might just call him up and check in this weekend.

Today was spent doing laundry, cleaning up and buying groceries. Big snowstorm expected. Bill was supposed to drive to Atlantic City tonight but all trips were canceled since down in South Jersey they’re expecting about a foot of snow. He was disappointed in this, but I was glad I didn’t have to spend the night worrying.

A while back at the old job, the real one that I enjoyed working at, I received a gift certificate for a restaurant group in Manhattan. Nice pricey gift card too. I called to check to see if it was still valid and was told that they didn’t expire.

So since next weekend is Valentine’s Day I thought taking Bill out for a nice dinner would be cool. Get dressed up, have some good food and just enjoy a night out. I asked Bill if he would be available but since he’s not driving this weekend, he’s looking forward to driving a bus next weekend, leaving me to play the role of Alice Kramden in Hoboken.

Valentine’s day has been a varying thing each year. The first couple of years it was all good, but then there was a year that Bill was complaining about all the hype and the crass commercialism of Valentine’s day.

The next year he was in the swing of it and has been for the past few years. Last year Bill won a contest at his company cafeteria and had a very nice lunch for us. It’s not your average cafeteria, and we had poached salmon and some nice wine, followed by a nice dessert.

He also gave me a Cuisinart coffee maker last year too which I use every day. He doesn’t use it since he doesn’t drink coffee. Let’s face it, I’m a bus widower. Still it could be worse.

Tickets for The Specials in April went on sale for Terminal 5 today. Cheap too, $30.00 but not in this weeks budget. I could scrimp and save next week if they’re still on sale. Even though Jerry Dammers isn’t in the band these days, (he was the founder you know) the original band is still intact.

I just hope there is a ticket available on Wednesday. Other than that, just looking forward to the big snow, or any snow. I’ll go out and take pictures if and when I can. Other than that, I do have some DVD’s from the library (there I go suckling at the teat of the government, thanks Mo).

I have the Led Zeppelin collection that came out a few years ago, 2 disc set mastered by Jimmy Page, Zack & Miri Make a Porno- which looks very silly, directed by Kevin Smith, My Dinner with Andre- which I had never seen, directed by Louis Malle. That’s a 2 disc set as well, and in the player is Up, the Pixar flick that came out last year and is supposed to be very good.

It’s in the DVD player so I can surprise Bill later and just turn on the machine and it should start playing. Thanks BCCLS!

And just so you don’t think I only take DVD’s out from the library, I have a biography of Robert Mapplethorpe ready to be read.