10.9.05 Will You Still Love a Man Out of Time

It has been quite an active week for me. On Monday afternoon, I met Song, who I had been chatting with online for sometime now. We met by the fountain outside the Plaza Hotel and walked into the park. We sat on a bench and talked for about 45 minutes. Song was born in Taiwan I believe, lived in Tokyo, NJ and now in Sydney. He and his boyfriend have been back in the NY metro area for a visit of sorts.

Song is quite handsome and intelligent. He feels his English isn’t so good, but I tried to reassure him that it was a lot better than people that were born here. I walked him to the Disney Store, near where I work, and gave him a friendly kiss on 5th Avenue. We made tentative plans to meet again on Wednesday for lunch. Meeting him that day made my afternoon that much better. Having had such a nice time made me forget all the bitterness that has been occurring with the rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic, which is how work has been for me lately.

Tuesday was the big day. Though I wasn’t really into it until I met Julio who reliably bolstered my mood. I was thinking of Bill a lot that day, and a bit blue about it. We were supposed to see Paul McCartney at the Garden, though a week before we agreed it was best that he didn’t go with me. I asked Julio if he wanted to go and he naturally said yes. He called me up to finalize where to meet, and sensed my mood in the tone of my voice.
When we met in Herald Square he was ready to perk up my spirit. We walked over to 8th Ave to what used to be a dive bar, now it’s Charley O’s, a shopping mall bar. It was crowded and we waited for a seat at the bar. And when we did sit, the guy next to us turns, looks at me, and says, “Drew Carey”. So charming. He claimed to be mistaken for ‘dat guy from NYPD Blue’. Nick Turturro. He didn’t.

Julio of course was laughing through out this.

Got to the Garden, sat near our seats, but finally we decided I had to at least take my seat on the aisle, Julio sitting on the stairs. McCartney came out, starting with Magical Mystery Tour, and it was off from there. Non-stop hits. 1000% enjoyable. Tears flowed from my eyes several times from the show. Many beers and two pretzel sticks each for dinner, we were in heaven. I have seen 100’s of Rock and Roll shows, but this was number One in my book. Paul even did 2 Beatles/Lennon songs so that was definitely Gear Fab.

Wednesday I had an interview that I thought went OK. But now that this is Sunday, and I hadn’t heard anything, not even a response to my thank you email, I’m sure the connection I made, was all in my head. I saw Bill for a few minutes outside the office building where he works, and talked about meeting later in the day. He went back inside, I went on my way.

I went to Bryant Park where I was supposed to meet Song, and called him. He was there already, and after sitting for a few minutes went to Moonstruck Dinner on Madison, loud overpriced and boring. But Song was excellent company and afterwards we went back to Bryant Park to sit down and so I could smoke a cigar. Many good looking men too, checking out Song and myself it seemed. He was going to Toys R Us in Time Square and since I had never been there, I decided to tagalong.

Upon walking into the store, a young woman offered to take our picture so we said yes. We posed in front of the Ferris Wheel, and picked our pictures after Song purchased an MP3 toy. Nice picture, we both looked good.

We parted ways at the Port Authority, Song getting on his bus, me on mine, back to Hoboken. I called Bill and told him I wasn’t going to make it to see him after work.
Thursday was hellish at work. More of the same nonsense, and more deck chairs. Very stressful. I saw Song for about 10 minutes as that was all I had to spend with him. It was sad to see him go, he’s such a sweetheart. He flew away on Saturday.
He took the following photo on Thursday:

Bill called and asked if I wanted his cousins ticket to a show at the Society for Ethical Culture. I said sure, since I had never been there before, but walked by it hundreds of times.

It was weird, being on what seemed to be a date with Bill. But the evening turned out better than planned. Art Buchwald, Paul Krassner, Bill Crimmins, Lewis Lapham and Kurt Vonnegut all did readings after being introduced by Sarah Jones. Mr. Lapham had some excellent advice, ‘to write everyday, much like a piano player practices everyday.’

I thanked him for his advice afterwards when he was out having a smoke after the reading.
Friday was a breeze, having resolved to write everyday. I mainly laughed and smiled though out the day. It was Friday, after all.
Saturday was fun despite being hung over from Friday night, where I was up real late or too early, chatting away on line, doing an occasional hit and the stray bottle of Heineken.

I was able to get it together and go out into the monsoon. I was off to Cheryl Welch’s wedding. That was a lot of fun, mainly hanging out with Meghan and Jim Mastro. I took the ferry to the wedding and was the only one in Hoboken waiting for the ferry. It was quite choppy and there were a few moments I was wondering if the dock was moving under me, or was it merely a mixed up equilibrium caused from the night before. Most likely, a combination of the two.

A few Coronas helped out, and despite the howling wind hitting the tent situated on the Hudson River, a fantastic time was had by all. Meghan and I couldn’t believe how Perry and Molly Brody had grown. Perry is definitely going to be a lady killer when he gets older. He played a number of Beatles songs on the keyboard on stage and was highly entertaining. Molly played a few versions of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy on a piano located in the hull of the lightship, next to the pier. Such talent and beauty.

Meghan gave me a ride home with the 2 Supergirls, Lily and Ruby in the back seat, getting me home by 9:30.
10.9.05