Sunday. Blasé. Slept until 9:30, which was nice. Nothing planned. Did the shower, coffee thing before heading out for bagels and the newspapers. Lazy morning, I ran into Mike and Clara with their toddler. They were off to the river, they were planning on heading out there. I was more interested in getting some coffee and breakfast in the apartment. Got Bill some bagels, none for Julio and Stine since I didn’t know if they were even around.

Kevin Aviance, a drag queen that I met years ago at People magazine for a gay and lesbian seminar was on the front pages of the Daily News and the New York Post. Seems that he was jumped by four or five idiots in the East Village after a performance at the Phoenix. They caught the fuckers, but now Kevin won’t be performing for any pride celebrations since he was left with a broken jaw. He wasn’t in drag when the morons started calling him faggot and sucker punching him in the head. But like I said, they caught the assailants.

Sad to say but in the 21st Century, a gay person still is not safe sometimes, even in the East Village. I have been lucky, never been around shit like that though back in the day I was in a bar on the west side, Keller’s, with Jet when someone threw bricks and smashed the window. Thankfully no one was injured. Gay bashing goes on, and is sometimes unreported.

When Bill and I used to go out, walking around the Village holding hands, we felt relatively safe. I remember telling Pedro what we had done, just strolling, and he had gotten very upset. Not upset at the thought of us holding hands, but upset at the thought that someone could’ve attacked us for just doing that. It happens, but more than likely to guys smaller than Bill and myself. 6’2” or so, both averaging over 200 pounds, but we could be in trouble if confronted by a group. I can understand Pedro’s concern and it’s appreciated.

Bill and I don’t walk around holding hands anymore, anyway.

It was a brilliant day weather wise, very sunny and very breezy. I walked out of the apartment over to the river and sat on Pier A, reading Mojo and smoking a cigar. I played Rubber Soul by the Beatles on the iPod and decided to stay there until the record ended. Actually until the music file ended. Lot’s of young people pushing strollers. It used to be when a couple had a baby they left town to raise the kids in the suburbs. Now they linger in town. Sometimes it can be a chore, navigating around various strollers and toddlers. Sitting down, smoking a Padron usually keeps them at bay.

After Rubber Soul finished I got up and played Revolver. Made sense. The Beatles are also the cover story for Mojo this month, regarding the 30th anniversary of Revolver’s release. So for the past few days, just been reading a lot about them and opinions by 100 musicians about their favorite Beatles songs. One of my favorites, ‘You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) was added by Frank Black from the Pixies.

Juan’s new haircut is Beatle-esque. I mean that as a compliment. He won’t read it as such probably.