Tag Archives: Stephen Sondheim

Tell Me What You See

This has been an odd day. Nothing bad happened, at least not yet. It just started out on the wrong foot, leading to a day of missteps. I woke up, tried to contact Julio to see if he and Stine wanted bagels. No answer. I called Stine instead and she said no, they were going out. That was no problem.

I went to the bagel shop where there is never a line anymore. It used to be there would be a line out of the store onto the sidewalk, but hasn’t been like that in a few months.

I asked Jeff, someone who’s been working there for ages, a week or so ago if it’s been slow and he mentioned that I had just missed a rush. I didn’t believe that since there is hardly anyone in there when I’m there. Denial or just putting forth the company line?

I’m convinced they don’t like me in the Bagel store. One guy in particular doesn’t like me, I can tell. When I moved back to Hoboken almost 7 years ago, I started getting my bagels on Washington Street. A few weeks later I saw this particular guy on the street with his kids and as I passed I said hello. He gave me the stink eye in return. I figured with the hundreds of people he sees each week I was lost in the shuffle.

After that I saw him again and once again said hello and once again I get the stink eye. One time I gave my order at the counter, something like 3 sesame, and 2 poppy bagels. He gave me 3 and 3. I mentioned that it wasn’t what I ordered and he got all uppity. So ever since then it’s quite frosty between us.

I do try to support small businesses, but in Hoboken, the small business owners don’t make it easy and show very little gratitude. Next to the register is a container for tips. Knowing that some of the staff have families to support I sometimes leave my change in the container. Sometimes I get thanked, and other times like today with me and Frosty the bagel counter person I get nothing.

I think next time I go in I will wait for Frosty to be waiting on another customer. And if I hear Jeff say to a new customer, ‘You know those bagels will make you thirsty, you sure you don’t want something to drink with that?’ I’ll go postal.

That basically set the tone for the day. I went out once after that and it just seemed so weird that I decided not to go out again until tomorrow. But I did go out, hoping to run into the Chinese dude who usually sells bootleg DVD’s at the barber shop at 4:00PM on Saturday afternoons.

I didn’t see him and I wasn’t going to go hang out in a barber shop if I wasn’t getting a haircut. I was hoping to get a $5.00 DVD of Slumdog Millionaire. Oh well. The only Academy Awards movies that I’ve seen are Milk and The Visitor, and Wall-E.

Maybe I’ll do a live blog during the awards tomorrow, or rather write about it as it happens and post afterwards. That seems more likely since I don’t think I’m equipped for live blogging.

Last night I caught up on what I had DVR’d. Spectacle with Elvis Costello. 1st up had guests She and Him, Jenny Lewis and Jacob Dylan. All very good and enjoyable and that Jacob Dylan sure is cute, and he sounds like Bruce Springsteen I think. Imagine growing up being Bob Dylan’s kid, how strange that must be.

I have a newfound love for Jenny Lewis, though Juan has been hyping her up to me for a while now. And She and Him, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward were good enough to make me think about getting their record.

Then I watched what I guess is the season finale for Spectacle, this time hosted by Elton John who interviewed Diana Krall and had her husband, Elvis Costello come out opening with a song and singing with Diana and Elton at the end.

Geez, I swear Diana Krall is like so many women that I know, at least in the way she talks and her mannerisms. I enjoyed her, but sometimes it was like watching my niece Corinne on TV. If only Corinne played piano. She was very entertaining, Diana Krall and I think she’d be worth checking out as well.

After that I watched the 11:30 Simpsons who had Stephen Sondheim on, writing a song for Krusty the clown. And Bart was in therapy and really getting a lot out of it, even though 5 sessions were mandatory as punishment for a school prank.

I almost stayed up to watch Conan O’Brien’s last Late Night show but since I was recording it I figured I would watch it today. Which I did do, watch it today. Unfortunately it ran long and as Conan was summing up his 16 years hosting the show it got cut off.

So I watched that on NBC.com, and posted it on my Facebook page, as well as Conan releasing Abe Vigoda back into the wild, since ‘Pa’ said he wouldn’t be able to take him to Los Angeles where he will host the Tonight Show.

Though I didn’t watch Conan that often since it was on past my bedtime, I will miss him. But I should be able to catch some of the Tonight Show with Conan . I’m 6’2” and wear a size 12, Conan is 6’4” and probably wears a larger shoe, and I can only hope Jimmy Fallon could fill those shoes.

In Bloom

Back to life, back to reality. Reality is not for me and it makes me laugh. One of those two lyrics sum up how my day was. Still too early to tell at 6:13PM. Last night I was still buzzing from the matinée of Sunday in the Park with George. I love having my brain stimulated. I was determined to see if I can catch the show again for free.

I explained to my sister in law Elaine that my desire to see the play again is sort of looking at the painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Just looking at it once, or watching it once you won’t get a lot from it. It requires different points of view, both physically and mentally. I was determined to see if I could pull it off.

Juan came by last night as I was watching the Tony Awards. Sunday in the Park with George didn’t win anything, South Pacific and Gypsy won most of the awards though In The Heights, a new musical about life in a Dominican neighborhood in Washington Heights won best musical, August: Osage County won best play and I want to see both.

Passing Strange, which Bill and I saw last year at the Public Theater won best book. It was fun to watch the Tony Awards, I haven’t watched them in years. Seeing the play yesterday afternoon and knowing that it was up for some awards was the reason I watched. I also want to see Xanadu which looks perfectly silly and high camp and I know a few of those songs by the Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton John.

It was good to see Juan again, just hanging out talking shit and watching the awards. Bill came home midway through and he was in quite a sad state. It was his first Father’s Day without his father and I have to admit, I forgot it was Father’s Day since it’s something I hadn’t recognized in a long time. I think he was dismayed to see Juan here, so he felt he needed to keep up a front. I gave him a hug and I stroked Bill’s back, letting him cry on my shoulder.

Bill soon was able to relax and enjoy the show. Juan stayed later than Juan expected and left a little before 11:00. Bill and I watched the news and both went to bed at the same time which is something we hardly ever do. At around 6:00 this morning as Bill was getting ready to leave for the day I laid in bed telling him that there was no internet. He didn’t understand what I was saying, and neither did I.

I headed out for work, more people riding the bus since gas prices are so high. I figure these are the single passenger drivers who ride through the tunnel solo each day, and now they’re unable to afford that, gas over $4.00 and the toll is $8.00. It adds up. I’m sure NJ Transit will jack up their prices even though Hoboken gets the worst buses. No air conditioning, no overhead reading lights and undependable service.

I have to put in my vacation notice soon at work since it looks like I’ll be able to spend a few days down the shore on Long Beach Island. That’s something to look forward to, but it’s still going to be a bummer summer without the annual visit from Annemarie, Rex and Earl. Work was interesting. New people in the offices. I still have to get used to their faces. They know me and I usually just give them a blank stare for some very long seconds.

In fact this morning, one of the new guys, Patrick Quinn was out on the street having locked himself out of the office. He saw me first and waved. I probably gave him the ‘what do you want from me?’ look. Had a slight chip on my shoulder since they raised the price of a buttered bagel to over a dollar now. I figured out who Pat Quinn was and got him access to the office again.

No one seemed to care that I wasn’t in the office on Friday though I certainly sweated it. I was busy but still found time to talk to my brother Frank on the phone and exchange emails with Annemarie. I was also able to call the Roundabout Theater Company and get information on their volunteer usher program. They still have it and I just have to go to the box office and put my name in. I’m aiming for Friday night. And maybe another performance next week if I’m lucky.

Today was the first day that same sex couples are able to get married in San Francisco and maybe California as a whole. Gavin Newsom, the SF Mayor should have married Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin by now. Phyllis and Del have been together for about 700 years and they want to be legal. They were scheduled to be the first gay couple to be legally married today. You couldn’t tell it was such a big day at least if you watched NBC Nightly News tonight. Tim Russert was a super guy, they’ll tell you all about that though.

See you later agitators.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist one more.

Happy Bloom’s day