Tag Archives: John Adams

Shoplifters of the World Unite

Well last night was very chilled out. I hung out at home, watched TV. Actually was watching John Adams, quite sad last night. Also watched Marianne Faithfull with her 20th Century Blues, singing the songs of Kurt Weill and one by Harry Nilsson. She’s a favorite of mine. I saw her in the 80’s at the Bottom Line on the Stranger Weather tour. She was off junk and looking great, smoking up a storm, but then again everyone was back then. Strange Weather is a Tom Waits song, presently owned by Marianne.

It was also the song that kept playing in my head last Wednesday when I was caught in a power play in the office. It’s a melancholy song and it rings true, especially with the lines, ‘all over the world, strangers talk only about the weather. All over the world, it’s the same’. Yeah it would be a difficult song to link arms and have a sing along while hoisting pints. While John Adams was watching his son Charlie die, I was playing Scrabulous on Facebook with Julio and his cheap words. Scrabulous is a very unauthorized online version of Scrabble which Julio and I used to play back in his jazzy days. His words are cheap but admissible.

Still I rallied and won the first game I had played in a number of years. Bill came home last night, first time in weeks, at least when I’ve been here. It was really nice to be able to hold him while sleeping, and no, I didn’t throw any punches in the middle of the night, though oddly enough I woke up with some strange mark on my nose. It doesn’t hurt but still I have no idea what it is or how it got there. Just a small blotch about a centimeter long, and of course, it’s red. I don’t think it was there before I went to sleep. Bill noticed it too and I told him, maybe he hit me (for once) while sleeping. I don’t think he liked that humorous accusation.

I left the apartment before Bill and sat on a soon to be very crowded bus. Got to the office, once again before everyone else. The day off I had on Friday made it difficult to get motivated this morning but I got my act together and made coffee. As usual the dribs and drabs trickled in. One of the people I work with, Padma is very nice and very smart. She’s a PhD and we usually have some fun chats throughout the week. Today she asked me where Quinn was. Quinn is a guy from Ireland, not very social hence my never ever writing about him before. I think he’s a jerk with a brogue. He used to live in Hoboken and even owns a restaurant in town. I tried talking to him about that, he was so unresponsive I thought I should check his pulse.

Anyway, he wasn’t in. Last week Vivek told me he would be working out of the office more than usual. OK by me. So Padma asked where he was and I told her that he’s going to be working out of the office from time to time. No big deal, right? Well to Tom Chin it was a big deal. About 20 minutes Tom Chin comes up to me, telling me that I’ve spilled the beans. I immediately thought, I made coffee, and I don’t recall spilling any beans. I didn’t recall any beans at all, we get our coffee ground. Tom Chin was very upset and had me meet him in Greg Stevens office.

There was Greg, nice guy, a friend almost, sitting at his desk, telling me to close the door. Next to him sat Tom Chin, angry. Greg asked me what did I say to Padma. I told him what I told her, which is what I heard from Vivek, that Quinn will probably be working out of the office more often. Greg turned to Tom Chin and said, ‘No big deal.’ Apparently something is happening here and I don’t know what it is. I have an idea though and it doesn’t turn out well for anyone.

Had an excellent chat with brother Frank. He really sounds almost as good as he did before the stroke. Perhaps the seizure he had reset the wiring in his brain. Still has a lot of rehab to go through though. We talked about John Adams amongst other things, including my Arcade Fire meltdown last year. He remembered the anniversary. Still neither one of us could figure out what cause my anhedonia that night. It was odd especially since I had reread the emails we exchanged the day after the meltdown, when I woke up and realized the problem wasn’t with him, it was actually with me. It was a good talk and I’m glad he’s one of my best friends.

Above The Clouds

Man is it a dreary Monday or what? Warm, a bit but drizzly all day long. Perfect weather for a Monday. Last night was very mellow, Bill came home. That was nice, many tales to tell about what he’s been up to. He’s stage managing a play that opens soon. It seems to be going well. He made himself a nice pasta supper, I’m pretty sure he enjoyed it. He was nice enough to leave the pots and pans in the sink. I let them soak last night, and they were there, just waiting for me in the sink when I came home an hour ago.

I really can’t complain, since I can wash the pots and pans myself, and I’m sure I’ve done it myself at some point. Hey- if you want to use them, then somebody has got to clean them. That’s just one of the differences between Bill and myself. I can make a pasta dinner in one pot, and wash them immediately after I’ve eaten. I even prefer to make him his dinner since I can do it faster with more efficiency. But this is how it’s been and I’ve basically resigned myself to it. I watched John Adams, part four. Adams is being sent as an envoy to the Court of St. James, meeting King George III, Adams was accompanied by his wife Abigail. A few scenes with Thomas Jefferson last night as well. Jefferson is quite an interesting character.

Almost makes me want to rent Merchant Ivory’s Jefferson in Paris, starring Nick Nolte. Was never so inclined before, I guess it’s the influence of the mini series. Paul Giamatti is a difficult actor sometimes, though he’s excellent as John Adams. There was a scene in the show last night when John and Abigail were disembarking from a ship from England and there was fanfare to greet them. My first thought was that the crowds were there for someone else. But no, I was wrong. Who else would it be? John Adams was regarded as a hero returning. There was an interesting scene for Washington’s inauguration, Washington repeating the words of the Justice, and where the Justice was yelling the words, Washington, spoke very quietly causing everyone to strain to hear what he was saying. I doubt if someone standing next to Washington would have heard the oath of office.

It was similar to the Sermon on the Mount in the Life of Brian, though in that film, people in the distance, Brian’s crowd, kept mishearing everything that Jesus was saying, which was probably how it actually turned out. ‘Blessed are the cheese makers?’ ‘I think he meant all dairy products.’ Tried watching Tracy Ullmann last night, but sometimes I just don’t get her, or rather, I have to be in the mood for her. Forgot what we watched after that, obviously it made little or no impression.

Work was slow today and everyone was in. The company that had been leasing the office space with us cleared out. They’re still on the lease until next year but it was sad to see these people go. No heartbreaking sadness, just knowing the office will definitely be emptier without them. Moe came in today as well. Today was supposed to be his last day, but according to him, it wasn’t. He’ll be freelancing somehow and still in the office. He’s still the fast talker and a harbinger of doom. He was going on about how the partners were going to have to take a pay cut (?) and that heads will roll. He made a point to tell me that one of the heads wasn’t mine. But how much of what he has to say is bullshit? I guess time will tell.