Tag Archives: The Bird & The Bee

My Old Man

Well so far this spring has been nothing but overcast and not that warm. I’m sure things will pick up eventually but so far I haven’t been impressed. Last night after posting I went out again. Not to anywhere in particular just took a stroll down Washington Street smoking a Padron.

No one I knew was out, but then again I never see anyone out. Possibly because they see me first, or possibly because they don’t go out. I walked until the cigar was halfway through, then I turned around and was finished by the time I came home.

It was a nice walk, iPod plugged in, listening to the Bird and the Bee’s latest release. Bill was planning on staying in the city and surprised me when he walked through the door an hour after I got back.

I was in the middle of watching yet another disc of Freaks and Geeks and it’s been enjoyable but by 10:00 I had enough of reliving someone else’s high school memories.

As far as I know my high school memories on celluloid were Square Pegs and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, or at least my high school years were bracketed by the time periods of the aforementioned show and movie.

I guess the class of 1980 just weren’t up to snuff and who can blame them. As far as I’m concerned I was the most interesting person in my class and I was barely noticed. I know that’s a presumptuous statement but then again my father was a presumptuous guy.

I did try watching Mad Men on DVD. Watched a few episodes and still I find it interminable. Once you get past the fact that everyone is smoking and drinking I don’t see any reason to watch it. And I smoke and drink so there’s no novelty there.

I spoke with my brother Brian today and he mentioned that what I wrote the other day about my problems with ‘stupid’ people was just like something my father would have written if my father wrote.

And I had to agree with Brian since as soon as I wrote what I wrote the other day I felt I was turning into my father. And that’s not such a good thing at all.

Disdain for one’s fellow human beings is something my father always had. There was always some shit head on the train or on his way to work, or even Chuck Ferguson my father’s co-worker, who when listening to my father describe him, you would think Chuck Ferguson was king of the shit heads.

Maybe my father was a pretender to the throne. Or the heir apparent.

So that’s something I have to work on. Being understanding, not condescending. It’s not going to be easy I’m sure. I was reminded of a picture taken of me at my niece Meghan’s wedding back in June 2007 and I can easily see myself looking a bit too much like my father.

Perhaps a little too close for comfort with that look of incredulousness.

Perhaps a little too close for comfort with that look of incredulousness.

Not that my father would agree, or even be proud since he wasn’t the most supportive person. But he’s not here and I am so I still have a chance to take this sad song and make it better.

That means stop complaining about the people at the supermarket, stop yelling at the feeble minded helpers at the shoemakers, stop cursing people that pull the door instead of pushing at the bus terminal. No more of feeling an air of superiority.

I was too insecure to pull that off, but when wearing a suit & tie, I do get treated as such. Let karma take care of it. Let karma separate the wheat from the chaff. No sweat off my back.

Piranha Salad

Well it’s Monday and so far it seems like a waste of time. There was a plan to go see Watchmen tonight, talked about it with Harpy. Told him weeks ago I would take him to see it tonight. I call him earlier, to remind him but he’s going to Susan’s and says he can’t make it.

I berate him and he relents. You see, I figured that I would do the smart thing and buy the tickets online in case it gets sold out. I did that Friday in the midst of the fiascos going on. I think that is what changed Harpy’s mind.

So I just get a phone call from Bill, his mother left the apartment again and was wandering around Stuyvesant Town on her own. Luckily someone found her and brought her to Bill’s cousin Elsie’s apartment. So now Bill can’t make it.

I am quite sure this will be the last time I ever make plans in advance to go to a movie, much less buy the tickets in advance. You buy the ticket as well as a processing fee and there’s a good chance that I will be eating that ticket.

I’m not happy about this. Not there was anything Bill could have done about his mother. She wandered off. Oh and Medicare has rejected his claim for assistance which I didn’t say anything about but had a feeling it could turn out that way.

Other than that it’s been a mediocre Monday. Rearranging deck chairs which seems to be my current lot in life. Last night I watched Big Love and despite not catching the previous couple of episodes it still is quite good and I need to catch up.

Flight of the Conchords was hilarious though, New Zealand Town and hair gel were the 2 themes and it was one of their best so far, featuring Lucy Lawless! I did watch East Bound & Down, starring Danny McBride. I’m not so sure about that despite what my brother Frank has to say. He loves the show for some reason. For me it’s just not that good.

Still haven’t gotten over the effects of the daylight savings thing. Thought I would have after taking a nap yesterday afternoon but no, that didn’t work. Nice nap though. It was dark when I woke up this morning and I didn’t like that one bit.

I’ve really been enjoying both Jenny Lewis ‘Acid Tongue’ and the Bird and the Bee “Ray Guns are not Just the Future’. Haven’t heard all of the War Child – Heroes compilation and haven’t heard the Red Hot compilation, Dark Was the Night at all. Soon though, I can feel it.

Now I have 2 hours to kill before heading out to the movie. Yes I am writing this at work. This goes to show you how much work there is for me to do. At least for today. Vivek and his partner are out today so it’s just me and Tom Chin and he’ll be out Wednesday and Thursday which is fine by me.

Bill has me worried, he is at wit’s end with his mother. She’s just been a handful, argumentive and restless. Walking back and forth in the apartment, asking the same questions over and over. It’s affecting him quite a bit, he’s not sleeping well and it’s causing his left arm and his chest to have pain from the stress and that ain’t good at all for anyone.

Bill has brought his mother home and looks like he will have to put her in a home since this can’t going on much longer, roaming the streets without any idea of where she is and not dressed for whatever weather is going on outside. She is basically a danger to herself.