Monthly Archives: December 2005

Come Back Jonee

Saturday Night Live was very funny. I always try to watch the X’mas broadcast. The holiday episodes are usually quite odd. And last night was no different. Hilarious rap with Chris Parnell and one of the new guys. Just overall very good. Neil Young was the musical guest and he was of course great and interesting. Jack Black was quite funny too. Thumbs up.

I am trying to get in a positive mood for work. It’s all I can do. As a few people have said, just try to be invisible, on the down low and smile smile smile. Not saying that it’s going to be easy but I feel I can do it. Kill them with kindness. That sounds malicious, or at least it reads that way.

Listening to Devo right now. Not the Italian tenors known as Il Divo. First album. My brother Brian owned it. I stole it from him. Devo was a novelty to Brian and his pals. Not to me though. I subscribed to their philosophy somewhat. My high school year book was “Q: Are we not men? A: We are Devo” I was also listening to Rock and Roll Musik at the time. I loved the song ‘Pop Music’ by M. Still do.

The third rock and roll concert I believe was Devo at the Palladium. I walked by the Palladium this afternoon. It is now a NYU dormitory.

The first time I saw someone with florescent hair. I was such a boy from the suburbs. I was blown away. My brother Frank took me, he with the red eyes. Frank had seen Devo before in Dover NJ. A lot of people I knew had been at that show. Not me. This was my first chance.

Despite the weird looks of the crowd, I felt completely comfortable with these people, despite the fact that my mother still basically dressed me. I think I found an old suit jacket, put a safety pin in the lapel and wore a Devo T shirt underneath.

I’m sure I wore pants and sneakers. My mother would not have let me out of the house otherwise.

A sweet familiar smell filled my nostrils when the lights went low. It wasn’t the band though, Devo showed short films they’d made before they’d hit the stage. Booji Boy and company. Very entertaining for sixteen year old John Ozed.

The band came on soon after the films and tore through an amazing set. I knew all the songs, and would’ve had a yellow Devo jumpsuit if only my parents would’ve given me the money…

They were jumping up and down, running back and forth. They sounded a lot like their records, no extended solos here, just what you want, loud and fast and fun. I took a photograph from our seats, which turned out to be a yellow jumpsuit blur, and the back of people’s heads in the rows in front of me. I often wonder whatever happened to girl with bad dye job coming out.

Saturday

Saturday. Nice day. A day off for some. Not for others. Bill had rented a Mini and drove me into the city. It’s a great little car, good enough for the Beatles, good enough for me and Bill.

I worked today, voluntarily at Farfetched. Farfetched is a store owned by two friends, Susan and Lois. It’s a nice place to work, but a lot of time on the feet is required. And Susan and Lois are really good people. If I can ever help them out and they ask, I certainly do.

I’ve known both of them since about 1997. They are actually Harry’s friends originally. Harry knew them from when he worked at New Video on University or maybe it was the Strand. Anyway he’s known them since the first day they opened. And that’s over 20 years.

They sell cards, and picture frames and knick knacks. It’s a fun store actually. Lot’s of silly things and lot’s of interesting things as well. I like playing music and entertaining the customers. During the holiday season it’s a very fast paced environment and that’s when I feel I’m at my best. I get to show off my wit and Harry is a great person to riff with. We also had an audience with Sharon who’s really fun and pretty.

Sharon’s husband Jocko is a great guy too, a fun couple. I usually run into them around 4:20. But not today. It was work. Fun work. Don’t want to screw that up or mess with Lois and Susan’s business. Today it was Sharon, Harry, Lois and myself. And a cast of hundreds, at least from 10AM to 6PM.

The music was Christmas music, from the Roches to Phil Spector to Harry’s amazingly cool X’mas CD that his girlfriend brought from San Francisco. Contemporary DJ’s cutting and dicing old holiday records from Andy Williams and Dean Martin to name but a few.

It would be worth owning, so I must get a copy burned, despite the fact I’d only play it a few times a year. It’s hard to get into the Christmas spirit. A few people I know aren’t feeling it either. There was an undercurrent of cynicism from Sharon and me through parts of the day.

And of course the ribald humor from me. Occasional a customer enters the banter and tonight I was zinged really good. While cracking wise, I mentioned that I would be there for the next twenty minutes, a customer chimed in, “I guess I’ll come back in twenty minutes then.”

Zing!

I laughed. What else could I do? I can dish it out and I can take it. I appreciate another quick wit since they are so few and far between.


It was my last day of working at Farfetched for the holiday season. I’ve had some years where I worked too much and wound up totally fried and anti social. But nowadays they have a good enough staff available. I still might pop in during the week or next weekend and do some last minute shopping.

I do have to go back tomorrow to pick up my Phil Spector Christmas Album CD, which I left behind. I love the girls at Farfetched but I wouldn’t leave my CD’s behind after seeing how they treat their CD’s. No effin way.