Posts Tagged ‘Rita’

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Day Tripper

Friday, May 28th, 2010

I can’t go on, I’ll go on. Part 4.5

Yes here we are. Another Memorial Day weekend is upon us. The unofficial start of summer. The exodus from Hoboken begins. The residents with homes down the Jersey shore are en route, if not there already.

I spent some time once again playing and singing by the river. As I played, three little kids came over and the two girls danced while I played. The boy that was with them just sat and watched. They didn’t know any of the songs that I played, except for The Lion Sleeps Tonight and All My Loving.

I also played Good Lovin’ by the Rascals and a trainer from the gym nearby sang along with that as he trained his client. He wasn’t too much interested in training her but she was ‘in the zone’ and didn’t realize his inattention.

Time flies when you’re playing guitar and before I knew it I was strumming for almost 3 hours. I headed back home after attempting Rocket Man by Elton John. Not sure if all the chords are correct and will have to figure that out.

This is the 1,655th entry that I’ve written. That’s an accomplishment of sorts. I’m sure that for some of you, it’s small change. Since I’ve written about my day and I have nothing else to write about, let’s have a look back.

May 28, 2006- The night before I elbowed Bill twice in the head. By accident. It was a Sunday and I went out and bought bagels for Julio and Stine. Alexander hadn’t arrived on the scene yet. Juan started working and seemed to be enjoying it. A bike ride to Liberty State Park was accomplished with Julio and Stine with some Frisbee tossed back and forth.

A ride back home, burgers at O’Neill’s and then drinking Stella Artois on the front steps and then a look at the backyard, overrun with weeds and smelling of cat shit, courtesy of Chris G next door. Juan came over and we watched Bjork videos, Juan saying ‘Homegirl is crazy’.

May 28, 2007- Bill and I not talking for some reason. Julio & Stine inviting me for a ride and I didn’t go since I didn’t want to be a third wheel. A crappy Memorial Day weekend. Laundry and me feeling melancholy, sitting by the river, bashing my dirty laundry against a rock and listening to Rufus Wainwright and Scritti Politti.

Also watched Pan’s Labyrinth which was not as good as I had heard. I think I was still in shock after my brother Frank had a brain attack.

May 28, 2008- It was a Wednesday and I was working for Vivek and company. A receptionist was needed and my request fell on deaf ears. They decided not to hire a receptionist after all. I was hoping to get Juan in there for a summer job.

I watched Lars & The Real Girl and a documentary called American Hardcore which was actually pretty good. I knew some of the people in it though I wasn’t involved with the Hardcore scene.

May 28, 2009, A phone call with my friend Rita. I noticed that Rita seems to have a problem saying goodbye on the phone. Always a bit awkward. My brother Frank had retired from his job and was having a difficult adjustment.

A humid and drizzly day and 2 movies about Quentin Crisp from Netflix were available, The Naked Civil Servant and Illegal Alien, both starring Mississippi John Hurt as Quentin Crisp.

Not much has changed for this May 28. I have 500 Days of Summer, An Education and 2 versions of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge from the bibliothèque to watch over the weekend. Bill is driving to Atlantic City again.

Mississippi John Hurt


Quentin Crisp

Me, May 28

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Posted in Interesting Things as of Late | 3 Comments »

The Barber Feel It

Monday, February 8th, 2010

It’s been an interesting 24 hours. First off, though I really didn’t care, I am happy that the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl, just for the fact that it more than likely bolstered the spirits of the residents of New Orleans.

The TV was on during the first half of the game, but the sound was off and I was listening to music. Led Zeppelin, the Bee Gees and Chicago, hence the title of last night’s entry. It’s funny, like my antipathy towards Zeppelin back in the day turning into an appreciation, I find myself liking certain Chicago songs, specifically Does Anyone Really Know what Time It Is and Make Me Smile.

I suppose it’s the late Terry Kath’s songs, definitely not the Peter Cetera songs, though who knows? Check back in 20 years and I could be writing about how good Just You & Me and If You Leave Me Now actually are. By then though, it might be attributed to dementia.

Bill came home and was surprised to see the game on, and asking me who I was, since the ‘real’ me wouldn’t have the game on. I explained that I was waiting to see the Who, or rather “’alf the ‘Ooo”. Which is what they would have been 41 years ago if John Entwhistle and Keith Moon joined up with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page when Page was putting together Led Zeppelin.

The Who came on and did a good job, Roger & Pete with Pino Palladino on bass and Ringo’s son, Zak Starkey on drums and Rabbit Bundrick on keys. I thought it was Wix Wickens from Macca’s group but Wikipedia says otherwise, so no Wix, yes Rabbit.

It was a decent show. Daltrey straining to hit some notes, and Pete not being able to windmill on the guitar wearing a suit jacket. The stage design was really cool, Bill mentioned that it looked like the 1980′s electronic game, Simon, which it did at points.

Zak Starkey had the Mod bull’s eye on his cymbals and that looked really cool. Lily Mastro commented on Facebook that Zak looked like Terry Gilliam, and he did. I called up Rita after the Who. She was a major Who fan when they first came over in the 1960′s and she loved it saying that Pete could do no wrong.

It was a fun talk with Rita who invited me to go along with her to a Jim Carroll memorial on Wednesday. I asked that she remind me on Wednesday.

I wrote about 2 people last night that I came in contact with today. One was Pedro whom I wrote about doing the Roof Top dance 22 years ago. We talked on the phone about a plan that I have which my sister mentioned that would be good for me. A different career path. Not corporate, no suits involved, though I’m sure if I wanted to wear a suit I could.

I also ran into Damian, Julio’s buddy. I wrote about them last night also attending a party after seeing Led Zeppelin at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert. I run into Damian more than Julio does, I think the last time I saw him was in 2006. Damian’s a Hoboken police officer now and I ran into him on the street. So good to see him, such a nice guy. We did some catching up standing on the corner. Wife and kids are good, he’s happy with his life.

Funny how both Damian and Pedro are now law enforcement officers considering how wild we all used to be.

During the second half of the football game with the volume up and Bill cheering and shouting I researched different beauty schools in the area. I am seriously considering becoming a barber.

Yes, you’ve read that right.

It seems like a smart move, everyone needs a haircut every now and then. I already have an appointment at one school in Manhattan tomorrow and another on Thursday in West New York on Bergenline Avenue.

No more barber colleges, now I would have to take a cosmetology course. Also looking into getting stimulus funding for the schooling as well as financial aid. Pedro thought it was a great idea and was very supportive as a few other people I talked about it with were.

I also made it a point to visit with my barber at Mr. L’s. He thought it was a bad idea as did his son. Their whole point was that it was a lot of standing around waiting for customers, Tony mentioning that you’re always being watched by the person who’s hair you’re cutting.

I don’t watch what Tony’s doing since I don’t have my glasses on while he cuts my hair and I just tell him what I want and trust him to do the job. Last time I had gotten my hair cut from him, I told him to do what he wanted and I think he did a good job.

Tony who’s in his 70′s, also mentioned that during the depression a barber he knew had 3 kids to support as well as a wife and did not go on public assistance like a lot of people, since as Tony put it, a barber always has a dollar in his pocket.

It’s definitely an out of left field idea but it seems right to me, obviously since I am checking out 2 schools this week. I told Tony and his son that after I visit the school tomorrow I would stop by and let them know how it went.

I don’t think they’re afraid I would be taking away business, in fact I would be willing to pick up any slack. Since they’re closed on Wednesday and Sunday, I might be willing to rent a chair and work on those days. I’m only a few doors away anyhow.

But that’s a ways down the line and I’m getting ahead of myself. It does seem like a job that I would be pretty good at. And then there’s that whole Sweeney Todd thing.

What do you think? Your comments would be worth reading should you care to write them…

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Posted in Iron my Shirt, Wonderful World Beautiful People | 4 Comments »

More Volts

Friday, October 9th, 2009

OK. Yesterday I wasn’t in the best of moods and I did feel let down by some readers. Thanks to people like my sister in law Karen, my sister Annemarie and my pal Foot Foot Harpy I was brought down to Earth. And even Juan chimed in. And Debra W, Yoga instructor. And..and…

You see, part of me wants to know how many people read this blog and another part of me doesn’t want to know. The thing is when I know who is reading this, like family members, I generally tone it down.

Not wanting to offend them or getting them upset with my usual sacrilegious views, my anti religion stances. They know about my politics and generally take them with a grain of salt. But some of them do believe in a higher power and often go to church.

Bill too, but he’s immune to my attacks on religion. His father was an atheist and his mother was evangelical. Most of my friends feel like I do towards religion, and some of them don’t.

Luckily religion hardly ever enters the picture. I’ve had the religious schooling, 13 years of it. I was agnostic until 9/11 when I decided for myself that any god that would allow such heinous acts doesn’t deserve my worship or attention.

I’m sure if I were alive during World War 2 I would say the same after seeing the horrors of the holocaust.

So occasionally I try to tailor what I write so as to not offend.

And I did think what I wrote on October 7 was pretty funny and silly. A slight return to a form that I started a few years ago, also involving a parrot I think.

So despite my feeling down yesterday about the lack of feedback or comments, I think I’d rather not know. Still since this is my blog I have license to whine and bitch and complain if no one writes anything in return.

Write your own blog and I’ll comment early and often.

No one besides Annemarie and Harpy. I do wonder where that Dave McKenzie has gone. I hope he’s alright.

Last night I slept really well, partly because Bill took the initiative and fixed his sleep apnea mask and also because of the Xanax I had taken earlier in the day.

Also gave me a very pleasant hangover, causing me to say ‘Good morning’ to various strangers as I walked to get the paper.

Today being today meant that today was laundry day and laundry is what I did. But I also had to get a new clothes rack since one of the two that I had broke last week. I balked at the first store selling one for 17.00 and walked towards the other hardware store (which is the hardware store I prefer).

On the way I saw an old friend of mine, actually an old friend of Rita’s. I smiled and I was about to say hello to her she turned and hastened her pace. That was odd so I called Rita and asked ‘What was up with Karen Bunny?’

I thought maybe she was a reader of this here blog, but no, Rita just said that Karen Bunny is a crazy person. Generally nice but a bit crazy and maybe a touch homophobic. That was oddly reassuring, it had nothing to do with me or my blog nor anything that I might have said or done.

Had a good talk with Rita anyway, the usual larfs.

I did wake up this morning to the news that our President, Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. A nice accomplishment, more for changing the climate of the world stage after eight years of the bully boys and Condoleezza, to won where Obama has said we will shake your hand if you unclench your fist.

I’m proud of Obama and this country for trying to make this world a better place. I did spend a good portion of the day posting and rebutting comments on the Yahoo/AP news.

Anyway, do what you want. Comment if you’d like, or don’t.

It’s funny, a few years ago when ill and I were seeing Philip Beansprout for our couples counseling, both Philip and Bill were pushing me to try and make money from my blog. I didn’t see it being possible then and I don’t see it now.

The only sponsors I can imagine are pharmaceutical companies with an ad that could change day to day, perhaps saying, ‘If you feel the same way John Ozed feels in this entry, maybe it’s time you had a talk with your doctor regarding Zimdon.’

That might work.

I’d be rolling in the bucks.

And once again this was written on Bill’s Mac.

and happy birthday Dr. Winston O’Boogie!

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Posted in Shed a tear | 5 Comments »

Recent Title

Friday, February 27th, 2009

Well I went back to work today, on a Friday. No one was expecting me to come in, but still, I donned the suit and tie, looking rather sharp I might add. I also looked good on Wednesday morning but that ended badly. I slept ok last night though I did wake up before the alarm clock and could not get back to sleep.

So I got up earlier than usual which was ok. Puttered about, taking my time getting ready. Had a bowl of cereal which made me think, what if the cereal got me sick, not the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had the night before? I gambled and won. I didn’t get sick from the cereal.

I checked my email again, basically repeating the routine I did on Wednesday and was reminded of a chat I had with an online friend yesterday. He had mentioned that I seem to always be sick. He occasionally read this here blog you see.

I protested that I was sick in October, January and now in February. Not always sick. October and January were viruses, Wednesday was obviously food poisoning. Same symptoms as salmonella and with all the news about peanut butter or peanuts in general I think I put 2 and 2 together. Only it didn’t last that long.

We chatted online about a few things and I brought up my lack of self confidence. He was surprised to hear that. We had met once quite by chance on the street and I guess that’s where he got the idea that I exude self confidence. It must be the suit and tie. I wear a suit and tie and I don’t slouch when I walk, I have my chin up, eyes looking forward and I do feel confident.

ooh! it's Mister Confident!!!!

ooh! it's Mister Confident!!!!

In jeans and t shirt I slouch and generally look unkempt. It’s a good thing I suppose putting forth an air of confidence, it certainly has gotten me some good jobs. You want a good job, you gotta dress the part. At least thats how it used to be.

I’ll find out next March how that works out I guess.

But it weighed on my mind all day, my chat and the perception of being confident when behind the fabric I’m still the same old John, a neurotic, insecure mess at times.

It being a Friday, I planned on leaving early, and of course that didn’t work out. I was busy running around to the bank, to this place and that place errands for everyone. I don’t mind, it’s my job and it’s obvious, if I don’t do it, no one will.

I came in this morning and there was the mail from the past 2 days all over my desk. I sorted it out and delivered it to the proper people. I left around 3:00 this afternoon and made my way over to Bill’s building. It was around 50 degrees this afternoon so that afforded us some extra minutes together which of course was nice.

I got him a nice, cheap pair of cuff links for St. Patrick’s Day of 4 leaf clovers. I got the same for myself. It was a nice deal and I gave them to him this afternoon rather than wait. He loved them and we talked a bit about how we might spend March 17 which will be here before we know it.

No bars, we tried that last year and found every place jam packed with some charging an admission. We just walked around last year, smoking cigars and will likely do the same, staring at the visitors and the vomiters.

I was saddened and gobsmacked to read an email from Harpy yesterday, that Randall Bewley, guitarist for Pylon died the other day after having a heart attack at age 53. I met Randy a few times at McSwells when Pylon played.

Pylon was a band from Athens GA that I first saw with my brother Frank in August 1980, opening up for Talking Heads at the Wollman Rink in Central Park. I can’t say I was ‘ready’ for Pylon, I was definitely more into Talking Heads, plus there was so many people there that August night that Randy, Michael, Vanessa and Curtis from Pylon were swallowed up in that summer night.

Even though I was a big B-52′s fan, it didn’t register that Pylon were from Athens, unlike REM who a year or so later, I first saw opening up for Gang of Four and walked away from my prime spot near the stage saying ‘the only thing they have going for them is that they’re from Athens.’

Maybe a few months after that I was in that long lost record store on Second Avenue in the East Village, Free Being where I saw the cover for Chomp, Pylon’s 2nd album. I bought it just for the cover, vaguely remembering who they were and immediately loved it when I played it.

Played it for my friend Jet as well and he loved it too. Pylon was quitting the music biz at that time, it wasn’t fun anymore. They did get back together a few years later and played McSwells where I was able to DJ for the show and got Jet in to see them not long before Jet passed away.

I vaguely remember Rita having a problem with Pylon, Vanessa might have been off-putting with her style of singing after seeing them a few times opening up for some band Rita would rather be seeing, but I did thank Vanessa after a show and Rita was there and felt her opinion of Pylon was wrong since they were all such genuinely nice, sweet people.

And you could dance to their songs.

Now Randy is gone, and Pylon will be no more. He Left behind a wife and 2 kids. Notices from the B-52′s, REM and even members of Gang of Four among others have come in on various websites stating that they were one of the best bands ever and that Randy was certainly a one in a million guitarist.

Sad to see him go as he was one of the nice ones.

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Posted in moldies but moodies | 3 Comments »

The Cutter

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

So happy it’s Thursday makes for a good acronym. The week went by not too fast but not too slow either. Keep your head down and muddle through is basically how its done.

I am through with the Today Show. One day they cancel Ann Cunter, the next day they have that anorexic twat on anyway. Matt ‘Sans scrotum’ Lauer talked with her in the first 10 minutes and I of course caught it like a bad cold.

I never heard of her until 9/11 and when I heard about how the US should invade foreign countries and convert the inhabitants to christianity, I figured she was just an old hag like Phyllis Schafly. Nope, I was wrong. She’s a middle aged hag. And the less said the better.

It seems like this might be a busy weekend coming up. Jeff the guy who works at Empire Coffee has a band that’s playing at McSwells tomorrow night. I think Jeff’s band is called the Poconos. He’s a good guy and I told him I would make an attempt to see him.

I also told him that I’m supposed to go out for a cigar and some whiskey with Steve like I did last week. I feel bad for Steve, he’s having a tough time trying to find a new job. So is Harpy, Rita and a few others that I know.

It used to be that I was the one who was unemployed and everyone else was working. Except for Harpy who was living the life of a country squire in upstate NY. I am keeping my ears open for all concerned, but I’m not hearing anything.

Last night was another in a series of quiet nights. Olbermann, but I turned off Rachel Maddow. I watched the recording of the Daily Show which was funny of course, but I was disappointed when the recording of The Colbert Report didn’t take. Does my DVR have something against Stephen Colbert?
It did erase the Colbert Christmas Special after all. I’m trying again tonight.

I might forgo Olbermann tonight and watch Ugly Betty. I need levity damn it! Since I missed the Colbert Report I was able to watch the new episodes of what else, but Scrubs. And they were actually pretty funny, though the second one was a touch sad with Glynn Thurman playing a dying man.

Good new characters introduced and I’m glad they kept Keith who was dumped a few days before his wedding to Eliot last year. That was a good way to resolve that plot line.

Saturday is Chaz’ party which Bill and I are attending. Kathe is supposed to be there as well as Connie, who I can’t believe I haven’t seen in a number of years. Just maintaining contact via the phone. I hope to see them as well as a certain commenter on this blog.

Just planing on relaxing tonight. Some TV, some reading, and probably a lot of surfing online. Don’t really have much else to write about so I should end it here. Or here.

Oh wait I should also send some good thoughts to my brother in law Rex who is en route to San Francisco with Annemarie for some tests to figure out what the hell is wrong with him.

So good thoughts are on the way!

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Posted in Interesting Things as of Late | No Comments »

Love Reign O’er Me

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Last night I inadvertently watched a repeat of Keith Olbermann, or at least I think it was since it was playing in the next room as I was on Bill’s Mac. It certainly sounded like a repeat, lot’s of Saturday Night Live and David Letterman clips.

That followed into Rachel Maddow which I did sit down and watch up to a point. I remembered the Kennedy Center Honors were on and I did want to see what they were doing for the Who, who received some of the honors that were doled out.

I turned in just in time to see Joss Stone do an adequate job of My Generation, the same with Dave Grohl on Who Are You, when out walked Bettye LaVette who I had read about several times before but never went beyond that.

Well she came out and basically stole Love Reign O’er Me from Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey who just sat there gobsmacked as I was on a couch in Hoboken.

A moving enough performance that I called Rita who was a Who fan from back in the day when they were doing 7 shows a day at the Paramount with Murray the K. She too was blown away.

I also called up California to tell Annemarie to keep an eye out for it. I posted it on my Facebook page and quite a few people were turned onto it and seeing it for the first time.

After Bettye LaVette came poor old Rob Thomas who did an ok job of Baba O’Riley saved by the participation of a choir comprised of members of the NYPD and the FDNY which was oddly rousing to see these uniformed representatives shouting ‘They’re All WASTED!’

But Pete and Roger loved it and it seemed like a thank you from the New York City departments for that Concert for 9/11 all the way back in October 2001.

So here we are, at the end of a calendar, ready to start a new one within hours. I had originally planned on doing a recap of the year, as I do every year. I have been doing this since October 2005 mind you.

This and a certain other thing that I do every day are about the only constants in my life and both probably lead to blindness.

I tried going back to January of this past year but just found myself reliving the feelings (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) that I had while I was writing it plus who wants to read recaps of my sometimes maudlin writing? Not me, that’s for sure.

Tonight Bill is returning to Hoboken for the night. Ending the year and starting a new one together. It’s been a rough year for the both of us, him more so I might add. He lost his father in February so his loss is that much greater.
I lost mine already so it’s a proper win for him on the sad scale for the year. Like Oscar Wilde wrote: To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.

And that is the first time I have ever used a semicolon on this blog. It all stems back to what started this blog, or at least the concept of it. Bill and I attending An Evening of American Satire at the Society for Ethical Culture that October night in 2005.

It featured Art Buchwald, Barry Crimmins, Paul Krassner, Lewis Lapham (who said those magic words that motivated me to write every day) and Kurt Vonnegut who stated that semicolons should never be used under any circumstances and on that point I held up my end until tonight. Blame Oscar Wilde.

I also had the plan to go to work today, just to check in and see if there was anything I needed to put in order. But Janice Huff the weather forecaster said it should be a treacherous morning and since I didn’t really have to go in I decided not to, expecting to wake up to snow drifts and glaciers creeping down Washington Street.

It didn’t happen and whatever motivation I might have had slipped away while I slept away the morning. I did wake up and turned on the TV just so I wouldn’t drift too far away in slumber.

But I did anyway. The snow started around the time Janice Huff said it would end so I tidied up the apartment a bit and did some laundry.

Stopped by the liquor store and picked up some Guinness for Rand and Lisa’s New Years Eve get together. The Latino kid from the shoemaker was there too and I wished him a happy new year.

He remembered the last time I saw him, the day before Thanksgiving trying to pick up Bill’s shoes which weren’t ready a month after they were dropped off. He wished me a happy new year as well and mentioned that he read what I wrote online about the service that day.

And he agreed with the review, at least that’s what he told me as he walked back to the shoe makers store in a brand new Michael Vick football jersey.

So tonight, Bill and I plan to go to Arthur’s for a steak dinner, then maybe a walk around smoking cigars, coming home and then heading over to Rand and Lisa’s to ring in the New Year.

I hope you and yours have a very happy New Year and I wish you all only the very best wishes for the New Year.

Now strap yourself in, cause it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Here is the Hoboken twilight sky on a New Years Eve.
123108-001

123108-004

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Posted in So how's band camp? | 2 Comments »

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