Monthly Archives: June 2006

Fingertips (Part Two)

I got to work at around, like, 7:15, give or take a minute. Not something I want to do all the time, but good to know I could go to work at that time if I had to. Picked up 2 dozen bagels and some lox and cream cheese and I know I ordered butter but it didn’t seem to make it the bag. I thought I’d make do with what might be in the fridge, but it turned out not to be enough. That meant I had to run around Soho and search for butter. I bought a quarter pound for a buck twenty five.

I should’ve gone east instead of west. More residential eastward. It was hot and sweaty as I started to set up this meeting. I was drenched. It was quite muggy out. Luckily me being not so dumb after all had an extra t shirt. I took binder clips to my t shirt and pinned the clips to the wall in a dry deserted room, behind the door.

One of the visitors was Andre Harrell, founder of Uptown Records, notoriously once President of Motown Records, for a year when he didn’t really do anything but hype himself. He’s also responsible for giving Poof Daddy his first break. Then he fired Poofy and Poofy started Bad Boy Records. When Andre was overthrown he went to work for who else? Poofy. He looked nice and seemed humbled. No more Bentley’s for him. A yellow cab will do. He’s working for a good cause, The RED thing. Bono from some band is throwing his weight behind it as well. So you know it’s got to be big.

Of course, after laying out a spread of bagels and danish, it went mostly untouched. I put it in the kitchen with the other Friday treats, and it was devoured more or less within an hour. More tales from Felicia involving a tryst with a coworker and his wife. After a night of partying. It seems that Augusten Burroughs knew of what he was writing about when he wrote, ‘Dry’. I look like a prude next to these people. Apparently a lot of ideas are written on cocktail napkins at 1:00 in the morning.

Another surprise was the fact the owner of the company showing up in the office. People knew he was going to be in, no one knew when. When came around 10:30. Nice British gent. If he likes you, he likes you. If he doesn’t, he totally ignores you. I guess he liked me. I was ingratiating, but I certainly didn’t kiss his arse. He had a meeting and I ran out and got him some sandwiches and soft drinks. His ideas take place at 1:00 in the afternoon.

After the meeting he sat in, for lack of a better word, bullpen. He was the type to roll up his sleeves and getting dusty, rather than dirty. He’s a clean man that Alistair Whatnot. I had to leave earlier than usual to go see Philip Beansprout with Bill. It was a monsoon when I left work and hopped on a 1 train and it was marked as a 5 train. It was running local and was nearly packed. It was local all the tedious way up to Times Square, when it got even more crowded. That’s at the time the announcement said ‘Next stop 72nd street’. No more local stops. I couldn’t get out. I had no choice, it was up to 72nd street for me. Luckily they improved the station and I transferred. It used to be that you had to pay full price again to cross over to downtown. That’s where the MTA made their fortune I bet.

I made it to the session, Bill was inside talking to Phillip. About Bill’s nervous stomach. As in ‘I am Bill’s Stomach’. I sat and listened as time passed. Better time, than gas I suppose. We eventually started talking about issues that we are there to talk about. Sex mainly. It’s the sticking point so to speak. I won’t get into detail but Philip suggested we talk about these things out of session. I agreed and brought up the subject when we settled in at home. Bill sat there, uploaded a program on his computer and eventually went to bed, without saying one word.

Ain’t That Nothin’

A really hot day. Summer heat. Very hot. I even played Summer in the City by the Lovin’ Spoonful. It was that hot. And then tonight there were some really violent storms. I don’t know karate, but I know crazy. Work has been easy lately. I’m fitting in, still have some Macanudo issues, in fact had to call up Bill to ask him about a shortcut or two. He’s been in the Bronx, attending a wake. I’ve been hanging out at home.

Had the computer turned off due to the heavy electrical storms. I do have to go in early tomorrow and that means in by 7:30. But I admit I got sucked into ER. I watched two ours of the brilliant show, ‘The Office’ and then ER came on. I tried not to watch. But no, something happened blood, hysterics and sex. Usually gets my interest though not all at the same time thankfully.

Mr. and Mrs. Lopez are off doing whatever it is married people do. I wouldn’t know since I can’t get married, yet. Juan is crashing a prom. Hopefully he left the bucket of blood behind.

Felicia has been awfully nice lately, giving me a wide berth to do my job and do my job I do. Also been listening to a lot of music at the desk. Today was heavily into the Atlantic Records collection and then Bjork. Worked for me. I even took some time away from the desk, which is something I hardly ever do lately and actually went outside and ate in a park, though even in the shade it was oppressively hot.

After work I had some errands to run in midtown and run I did with one eye in the sky looking at the oncoming thunderclouds. Made it to the Path thinking it was going to be pouring when I got off in Hoboken. On the train I struck up a conversation with someone who was reading an article about Michael Brecker the Jazz Horn guy. Apparently Michael Brecker is quite ill. Or was. I asked him what magazine he was reading because as I read over his shoulder, my ex –boss’s name.

The Legendary Record Producer. A really nice guy and quite the gentleman. That’s all I’ll say about him, because I am humble. He is too. After producing all these great talents, a mere mention in johnozed.com would could simply make his head swell. So for his sake, and his family’s he shall remain anonymous.

Tomorrow is the return to Philip Beansprout. Bill couldn’t make it last week so he has a lot of catching up to do. It should be interesting. My big plan for the weekend is to get a haircut. I was supposed to help Pedro move to his new place upstate somewhere but him and his woman, Connie did it themselves. Would’ve been good to see him again. I’ve known him almost twenty years.

I don’t know karate, but I know crazy. Word.