Tag Archives: The Ramones

What You’re Doing

Well this is the second attempt at posting tonight. Lost the first edition which was just so great. Quite possibly my greatest work yet. In fact if they gave Pulitzers out for personal blogs, why I think I’d definitely be on the short list. In 1000 years if it is found, it would probably be the text for a new religion, based on Pink Bunnies and Lollipops. But now it belongs to the ages.

It’s been an indoor Saturday, quite cold outside. Bright and sunny outside and if you’re in the sun it was ok. In the shade, quite the opposite and if the wind hits you, fegedaboutit. I’ve been outside exactly twice today.

Once to get breakfast things for myself and that family on the 3rd floor. After that it was reading the papers and cleaning before I went out again. Had to get my Stevia. I was running low and didn’t want to be caught short tomorrow for my morning coffee.

I don’t use sugar or Equal anymore and Stevia is natural and good for you. And it’s only available in health food stores. There are only two health food stores in Hoboken I think. Basic Foods and Hoboken Farmboy.

I used to go to Farmboy since they’re more local and I knew people that worked there. But they’re not there anymore and they’re generally grumpy behind the register. At Basic Food they’re always happy to see you and they act like it too.

Then I came home saw Julio and Stine and Superboy and hung out with them for a while. Superboy Alexander can’t crawl yet so he drags himself around with his upper torso. He’s still adorable and Julio and Stine were wondering whether or not to go out for lunch.

My description of the environment outside had them do a rethink of the subject. I did offer them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which amused the three of them greatly as I was then politely shown the door.

For the past couple of hours I’ve been watching the tv, and chatting with friends online. I did try to find a scarf that I lost in between seasons but I couldn’t find it. I was tempted to go get a new one, but the old scarf would probably turn up after I got the new scarf.

I’ll probably watch the Johnny Ramone video in a little while. Watch Wall-E tomorrow. Also have To Be or Not to Be starring Jack Benny and Carole Lombard. I’ve only seen the Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft version and that was good so maybe the original will be better.

That’s how it’s supposed to work, right? I can’t think of any remakes that were better than the original, can you?

Certainly not the Marlo Thomas/Orson Welles remake of It’s a Wonderful Life called, It Happened One Christmas. Marlo was in the James Stewart role and it was meh.

I’m sure she meant well but some things should be left alone, lest they be written about in blogs 31 years later!

Danny Says

Well for me it’s been a busy day somewhat. I stayed up until 12:30 last night just reading the New Yorker. Harpy was right, last week’s issue is really good. Mainly all about the election, both sides and it’s totally engrossing. I was looking forward to sleeping in, but neglected to turn off the alarm on my cellphone.

I have an alarm that goes off at 6:45AM, Monday through Friday to remind me not to forget my phone. I forgot to turn it off so at 6:45 this morning I heard it going off, forcing me to get out of bed to shut it off. Oh the agony…Still I was able to go back to sleep, but it just wasn’t the same. Poor me.

I usually go out for bagels on days off but this morning I stayed in and had my Post Raisin Bran and coffee like I do every working day. Read the Daily News online and set about doing the laundry. Chatted with a few friends from around the world online and watched Lady Be Good on Turner Classic Movies.

It was a 1940’s musical about an on again/off again couple who writes songs. She does the lyrics and he does the music and they write hits and love each other but…. The songs were by George and Ira Gershwin so they were superb of course and the movie starred Eleanor Powell and Robert Young. It was a good way to pass the time while I got ready to run into the city to pick up my suit.

It was cold and sunny in Manhattan. Quite a few people out at 1:30, the ending of lunch time. Bryant Park is almost set up with it’s outdoor enclosed stores and the ice skating rink is free and fully operational.

I’m not one for ice skating despite several attempts in my childhood. There were mainly two places to ice skate, one was in Rochelle Park and the other was in Paramus. Parents would drop off a few kids and drive off leaving the kids out in the cold on the ice.

Sometimes change was given for hot chocolate, sometimes not. I never could get the hang of ice skating and would generally slide around on the ice with my blades perpendicular instead of the way they should be. Murder on the ankles though.

I didn’t like it much and it prevented me from roller skating. Skateboarding was a lot easier I felt, though I mainly skateboarded from point A to point B. No steep hills, no empty swimming pools or half pipes for me.

I did run into the office and the people that saw me were surprised. I just told them I wasn’t really there and chatted for a minute or two and grabbed my suit. Soon I was on the street lighting up a Padron and headed towards Bill’s office. He wasn’t there since he was at his sadistic chiropractor and hadn’t gotten back yet.

Finished the cigar as I walked into the bus terminal where I found a bus waiting for me. Back in the apartment, I threw on some dress shoes and a business shirt and brought the suit to the tailor. He said the only thing that needed to be mended was the trousers.

I also told him that I wanted buttons for my braces. I hate wearing belts and I think once you wear braces you don’t want to wear anything else. Or at least I don’t, so all my suit trousers have buttons for my suspenders. The jacket fit just right.

Now it’s a cold Friday night. I don’t mind. Just hanging out mainly like I always do. Plenty to read, eat and drink and maybe even something to watch on TV.

I also have some DVD’s, Wall-E which was out earlier this summer and got really good reviews and also Too Tough to Die: A Tribute to Johnny Ramone. That should be interesting.

According to the other DVD’s on the Ramones, he was a tough taskmaster with entrenched right wing views, but if it wasn’t for him, the Ramones wouldn’t have lasted as long as they did.

Last minute add: Maurice Menares is alive and well living in Portland and working for Adidas. He can probably be found through http://linkedin.com which is used more and more these days to maintain and exploit business contacts.