Posts Tagged ‘Julio’

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I Learned the Hard Way

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Well well well. Where to begin? I’ll start at the end. As I was walking from the cigar shop to the bus terminal, listening to Pet Shop Boys singles collection, by cellphone rings. It’s Bill. My first thought was that Bill was nearby and saw me stomping down the avenue.

No, it wasn’t anything pleasant like that. Bill told me, he was washing his hands in the bathroom and heard some water running behind him and walked into the kitchen to find water spewing forth from the hot water heater that was installed 2 years ago.

Peter our absentee landlord decided to save money and bought a General Electric hot water heater from Home Depot. I told Bill to turn off the spigot (tighty righty, lefty Lucy) and then I called Julio. A hint of panic in my face as I asked him to do me a favor, to go up to our apartment and check to see if Bill was able to turn off the water.

He moaned but did come upstairs. I then called Peter and let him know what was going on. He was on the line with Bill and got off the phone with me as soon as he could. I trudged to the gate and chatted with Hyman Gross.

He asked how I was doing, what kind of day did I have. I told him I was glad the work was done and also told him about what happened with the hot water heater. He assumed the hot water heater was in the basement like other places have. Not us. Our hot water heater is between the stove and the kitchen sink.

He asked how big the hot water heater was and I told him it was as big as he was, which made him remark that it was probably shrinking like he is. Hyman is in his 80′s in case you didn’t know. His remark made me laugh somewhat.

But as the minutes moved on I realized how much of a hassle this was going to be. I have a job interview tomorrow morning, with a recruiter. It’s for a Monday through Friday job and that’s what I was looking for.

The hours are unlike any hours I’ve worked before. 5:30PM to 1:00AM. It’s a law firm and my job would be to make sure all the lawyers and others will get their town cars home. It’s also supposed to be an immediate hire.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I came home and trudged up the four flights to the fifth floor where U heard voices. I was hoping it would be Peter but he’s an absentee landlord after all. It was Bill and Julio in the kitchen.

The blue bucket underneath the spigot collecting a steady stream of water, wads of paper towels on the floor, some puddles as well. Julio took off a pipe from the water heater since it was difficult to use the bucket with the pipe there, and with the hot water heater now defunct, the pipe in question was redundant.

Julio stayed for a little while as I threw out the paper towels and laid down newspapers, remembering the method used when the cellar in our house in Lodi would sometimes flood. Super absorbent and cheaper than paper towels.

Also threw down some rags to sop up the water. Julio split and went back to his life, Bill and I discussed Bill taking off tomorrow for the installation of a new water heater. Peter’s flunky Robert is supposed to get one and deliver and install it.

Robert is an idiot and I don’t trust him so I will have to tell Bill to keep an eye on everything Robert does. So that is where I’m at right now. Very tired too.

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(I’m) Stranded

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Late news breaking, late news breaking. Not really news, just the usual blah blah blah from me. Just got back from a late snack with Julio. He with his hummus and pita and me with a burger. And some Stella Artois to accompany the meals.

A good time, a nice talk. He’s still a good guy and a good friend.

It was quite a hot day today, 90 degree range, closer to 100 degrees than I would have hoped. Quite humid out, so much so that by the time I got to the office I was drenched with sweat.

I don’t take the subway on weekends since the service really falls off on Saturday and Sunday. I did stop by the Farmer’s Market and picked up some cookies for the co-workers again. Just a little something nice, something sweet to glue the team together.

No Richard III auditions today. But there was a different type of royalty that visited the cigar shop this afternoon. Specifically the Prince of Morocco. Really.

There were a number of Middle Eastern guys standing outside the shop for an hour or so this afternoon, no one paying them much mind. Then a few of them came in and checked things out, followed by a handsome man in an emerald green polo shirt.

He checked out a few cigar punches and almost didn’t buy them until I demonstrated how they are used best with a large ring gauge cigar, which just so happens to be the ring gauge I prefer. He bought 2 cigar punches.

Then he asked to see some lighters and I showed them to him. He picked out 5 different lights and then left, leaving someone else to pay the $1500.00 bill.

It was my sale and I couldn’t have completed it without the help of Raymond, Don Birch and Sean, so I treated them to some milk chocolate covered pretzels from Godiva. They were surprised by my gratitude, so unaccustomed to behavior like this.

Luckily for me the pretzels were on sale, 3 boxes for $10.00.

It was the highlight of my day. The Prince also stopped by the leather goods shop next door where he dropped $20,000. It was more low key after the visit from Moroccan royalty. The 4 of us just passing the time, Don Birch waiting until he can leave at 7:30.

Sean, Raymond and I hung I there until 9:00. Sean and Raymond split after that, I stayed behind to close up the shop as that is my duty.

I hustled down to the bus terminal in 15.9 minutes, from Something About England to The Crooked Beat from the Clash’s Sandinista.

It being the weekend people in the terminal didn’t know of escalator protocol, instead of staying to the right if you’re not climbing the stairs on the escalator. I opted to climb the stairs next to the escalator, taking 2 at a time to make my bus.

I was doing well, listening to the Clash until I got to the top step where I tripped and landed on my hands and knees. It must have made for a sight for the escalator clots.

I gathered whatever it was that I dropped and quickened my pace to my gate where I found the bus had departed. In front of me was an Asian dude who started talking to me about how hot it was. As It got more crowded and I inched toward him I could smell the booze coming out of his pores.

I was glad to make it to Hoboken and glad to have a late meal with Julio who couldn’t stop laughing when I told him of my fall at the top of the stairs. I knew he would get a giggle out of it.

Still quite hot and Bill’s in Atlantic City.

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I’m Bad

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

It’s July 3rd. It’s a Saturday. I have to work. Or rather, had to work. I didn’t mind. The day started off with the Supremes singing Love Child. Actually there were a few other songs that played before I hit the snooze button, but Love Child was the one that registered.

I set about starting my day. Julio called offering to buy bagels but I had to turn him down since I wouldn’t have any time to eat them. I did have time to check emails and such while the morning news played on behind me.

As I checked the email, I heard a report of an accident in New York Harbor by the Statue of Liberty. What may have happened was that two boats were near the statue, perhaps anchored when a larger boat cruised past creating a large wake causing the larger of the two boats to rise out of the water and land on the smaller boat.

There were three people in the smaller boat when the larger boat landed atop of it, killing one of the three. The other two were rushed to the hospital. The driver of the larger boat was charged with boating under the influence and vehicular homicide.

I knew the driver of the larger boat. The company he works for sublet office space from Bio-IB in the last year I was working there. He was a nice guy, one of the few in the group of Israeli conservatives. It’s a shame all around.

It was a shock to hear the name of someone you know on the news. I expect more will be said later on the 11:00 News.

After all that I was waiting for the bus where Rand stopped by for a few minutes, telling tales of his fun times at Maxwells the past few nights. Unfortunately the bus was fast approaching and I had to get on it to get to work on time.

Still reading You Never Give Me Your Money by Peter Doggett. Such nastiness between John, Paul, George & Ringo. Mainly John, George & Ringo with Allen Klein against Paul. Bitchiness, drugs, booze and Hare Krishna. A gripping read.

Got to the shop on time, hardly anyone in midtown Manhattan except for tourists. It was a slow day and there was only one register functioning since the other register was fucked up last night, and not because it was short.

It was slow enough that one register was all that was needed anyhow. Some of the usual customers who hadn’t fled the city came in, including one opera singer who dislikes me.

Calvin & I discussed this and figured out that it was probably because the opera singer, let’s call him Pagliacci, is deeply closeted and I am not. Calvin remembered that when Pagliacci and I first met, he wasn’t the usual jovial self he seems to be with everyone else.

In fact he quickly withdrew his hand after a brief handshake, whereas with everyone else he’s glad handing Andy. No skin off my back, I couldn’t care any less.

Came home by 10:00, from the cigar shop to the bus terminal in 15.4 minutes, courtesy of the Raybeats.

Bill is on his way home. There was an accident, some woman sideswiped his bus. No injuries, no passengers on the bus. He’s not too happy, and that’s understandable.

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Foggy Notion

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Well it was just one of those things, just one of those crazy things. But of course I must get through last night first. And what was last night all about? Not much really. Watched TV. Didn’t watch Rachel Maddow again.

Watched Lawrence O’Donnell filling in for Keith Olbermann and contrary to what some T shirt designers think, I don’t get my info from MSNBC exclusively, like they get their information from Fuck Snooze.

I watched the Watchmen DVD on loan from that fantastic socialist institution, the public library where one can pick up Mein Kampf or the modern day adaptation, Going Rogue by today’s distaff Yakov Smirnoff.

Bill came home and went to bed almost immediately. He’s up so early and off to work, then after to work he runs up to Harlem to stage manage a play then back here where he has me waiting for him. He does have the sleep apnea thing happening still but now has a mouth guard of sorts.

At first it worked well but the past 2 night’s he’s been snoring. I nudged the nudge last night, telling him he was snoring and he awoke and said, ‘I am?’ before falling asleep again. When he was kissing me goodbye this morning I mentioned that he was snoring again.

He felt like I was attacking him, and his response was, ‘Are you sure it wasn’t you? You snore too you know.’ I responded that I was sure it wasn’t me since I was awake when I noticed. He left, I went back to the usual as of late, uneasy sleep.

Lot’s of fighting in my dreams. Not very relaxing. Woke up and did my thing. Checked the email, a comment waiting for my approval. It wasn’t signed by Maurice from lamoes.com, or the Susquehanna Investment Group.

Nae, this was by Sally Mae. Same sentiment though. Some Beckian acolyte complaining that I get all my info from Rachel Maddow, and my ‘rant’ about Senator Bunning of Kentucky, blocking the extension of unemployment benefits was basically unfounded.

I’m sure Sally Mo likes the attention I’ve afforded her/him/it and I was feeling generous, enough so that I decided to help her/him/it with their t shirt/coffee cup/greeting card shingle on Cafe Press. I mean should she/he/it lose their job at Susquehanna Investment Group she/he/it will always have her/his/whatever rag trade to fall back on.

It’s no Sham Wow I’m sure but hey, charity is charity and some dogs should be thrown a bone every now and then. I’m not bitter and I’m not twisted and I certainly don’t drink the Kool Aid Tea that she/he/it seems to partake in. It’s all there under the other day’s Astronomy Domine entry.

See for yourself, you be the judge, Sally Mo will be the jury (and we know how that will end up). Other than stepping into the gutter to comment on her/his/it’s comments, it was a good day. Went to the Socialist building, you know, the library where I ran into Eileen Lynch.

You don’t see someone for years then all of a sudden you keep running into them. We had a nice talk for a while out on the sidewalk.

Then a phone call from Julio. He was on Washington Street inviting me to lunch. How could I refuse? Had a good time with him.

Been a while since we actually had a meal together. Lot’s of things talked about. Alexander is getting better, which is definitely good. Julio’s mom is getting better too. Julio & Stine are looking for a house to buy.

Somewhere close to Hoboken since Hoboken is out of their price range. I would suggest Bala Cyanide but well, you know, there seems to be something in the water out there.

Cloud

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Beast of Burden

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

On Facebook there is a theme, put up a photo of a celebrity that you look like as your profile picture. I can’t do that there, but here I can do it. I’ve heard that I look like Philip Seymour Hoffman & Drew Carey.

At the play reading I had participated in the other day one of the audience members said I looked like Jim Carrey, then he corrected himself and said Drew Carey.

Drew Carey

Drew Carey

I’ve found in these two specific instances that it can be broken down into two groups. Black people think I look like Drew Carey and white people think I look like Philip Seymour Hoffman. I myself tend to think if I’m to look like either one of these guys I would prefer Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman

I do feel slightly insulted when I hear Drew Carey.

One time, years ago I found myself in a gay bar on the upper east side on 58th street called Oscar Wilde. It was the only gay bar that I knew of that served Guinness at $4.00 a pint. One night I’m just hanging out after work and next to me at the bar is a very drunk patron who claimed to be Carlo Gambino’s son.

Carlo Gambino

Carlo Gambino

I just nodded slowly as he slurred his words. On the TV at the end of the bar was an episode of the Drew Carey show. The younger Gambino turns to me, then to the TV, then back to me and says, ‘You know who you look like?’

I knew exactly what he meant even though that, I believe was the first time I ever heard the comparison. I guess the reason I would prefer to be compared to Philip Seymour Hoffman is that I prefer his work to Drew Carey’s.

The other day after hearing about J.D. Salinger’s death, I read a few obituaries bout him. One of them mentioned a fellow college student of Salinger’s recollection of Salinger walking around the college campus wearing a black chesterfield and walking with a cane saying he was going to make literary history.

JD Salinger

JD Salinger

A burgandy Chesterfield

A burgandy Chesterfield

Me, not Drew Carey nor Philip Seymour Hoffman wearing a Chesterfield, not a couch

Me, not Drew Carey nor Philip Seymour Hoffman wearing a Chesterfield, not a couch

And I suppose he did. I never read The Catcher in the Rye. Most people have to read it in high school but I didn’t. I don’t think it’s because I went to a catholic school since I think other classes did read it. Not sure if I missed anything.

Salinger doesn’t really come up in conversation these days anyhow. Well actually because he recently died he comes up in conversation but other than that, not really.

It’s been a cold day today. Only went outside once or twice. And that was more than enough. Too bitter outside. Bill is driving to Atlantic City tonight once again. I’m content to stay home.

I figured out why my feet are so cold in the apartment. Cold ceramic tile above an vacant, unheated apartment. Well that is what Julio mentioned the other day.

I just had a nice spaghetti dinner with some home made sauce that Stine made. Quite nice and perfect for a cold night such as this.

Beast of Burden, a reading.

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Blue Moon

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Let’s get it over with shall we? Goodbye 2009. Crap year for me and a lot of other people. New calendars are in order. I was going to head into the city and go to a Barnes & Noble to see what calendars I can get there.

Also to exchange the John Lennon biography that Julio got me. I read it already and changed my mind about keeping it. I can get a calendar and probably a different book.

I started out stopping by the library to drop off the DVD of The Apartment, the Billy Wilder movie. I had never seen it before and neither did Bill. Very good movie, Jack Lemmon was perfect, Shirley MacLaine was pretty and Fred MacMurray was a real dick. Just a pretty good movie to watch at the end of the year.

I headed towards Washington Street intending to walk to the Path train or catch a bubs into Manhattan and by the time I made it up to the boulevard I changed my mind. I just walked around a bit and came back to the apartment building and shoveled the sidewalk in front.

No one else had and it didn’t seem likely that anyone would. I didn’t mind and it was just pushing the snow into the gutter. I was finished with that in about 10 minutes and climbed up the four flights to my apartment.

Bill was at work and I was going to take a nap but started watching videos on YouTube, then Juan called. He’s in California having a good time. Bill came home as I was listening to Tomorrow Never Knows on YouTube, quite loudly. I didn’t hear the door open and I was startled.

Also spoke with Ulysses who had called to wish me a Happy New Year. He wasn’t doing anything, just spending the night with his mother like he’s been doing the past few years.

So the plan for Bill and myself, after he wakes up from his nap, is to go to our annual steak dinner at Arthur’s restaurant in Hoboken. We’ve been doing it for a number of years, then we smoke cigars and stroll around Hoboken, come home and rest and then go to Rand and Lisa’s for cocktails.

It’s usually a low key night which is how we like it. No complaints on this end.

Just finished watching Fast Times at Ridgemont High on cable. Seen it a few times before, now it’s a look back on the early 1980′s. Back then I didn’t know what to make of it. More of a Southern California scene than a North Jersey scene. Still can’t relate to it and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to.

I think Dark Was the Night was the best CD release this year. Best reissues were the Beatles remasters. Best compilation was Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8. (which may have come out in 2008 but I got it in 2009 so fuck off) I guess the best movie was Avatar. Best concert, Paul McCartney at CitiField of course. That was an easy end of year list.

Hope you all have a Happy New Year. All the best wishes for 2010. It has to be a better year. It just has to!

dark-was-the-night

beatles-the-white-album.jpeg

telltalesigns

avatar

1258331116_paul-mccartney-good-evening-new-york-city-live2009

Best DVD watched in the past 24 hours!

Best DVD watched in the past 24 hours!

Blue moon New Years Eve which I will take as a good omen.

Perhaps the best song of the last decade:

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