I am glad 2006 is ending. It’s been a less than adequate year for me and for some others that I know of. I can’t speak for anyone else ( I know I can, but won’t) It’s been a lonely two weeks off from work and that’s coming to a close. I am glad I had the two weeks to clear my head of the debris from Wolff and Tate. I’ll be interacting with the human race again so that might be an okay thing to do. Bill and Juan don’t really count as part of that, they’re above it all.

The dreary year had it highpoints. It wasn’t all gloomy. Annemarie, Rex and Earl made it to NJ and I was able to go to the beach with them a few times. Saw the family also when they were here, so that was killing a couple of birds with one stone. Their next scheduled visit should be in June for my niece’s wedding. That’s something to look forward to. A big family function is usually a lot of fun. I don’t know where it is, and I don’t know who’s invited but I expect a good time for all.

I saw some great shows this year, mainly in the past two months. The Slits at McSwells was brilliant, a return to my punk roots in a couple of ways. One was seeing one of the original punk bands from 1977, the other was seeing them at my old stomping grounds, McSwells. Ran into a few old friends there at the show, Stan, Chaz and Carol. Beats running into them at wakes and funerals I tell you. Not that we were able to talk during the show, we were too busy being entertained by Ari Up and Tessa Niles from the original band.

A week after that was Scritti Politti who was way better than I expected. Went with Adam and Lesley from McMann and Olins and had a good time with them though Green Gartside was definitely commanding my Guinness fueled attention in his low key way. The songs were perfectly performed and the band, all recruited from his local pub in Hackney, were very tight and handled all the vocals admirably. I do regret not meeting the band after the show. I didn’t know they did that sort of thing, forgetting Green’s populist approach to most things musical. It was a really great show that I wouldn’t mind seeing again.

Finally was this past Thursday with Juan seeing Brazilian Girls at Irving Plaza. They were really great and I loved just about everything they did despite only knowing two songs beforehand. I couldn’t tell you much about the band but I recommend checking out their website. Cut and paste time, http://www.braziliangirls.info/ .They’re playing tonight for New Years Eve at Irving Plaza again, but I’ve pretty much sworn off going to the city on this night. Not saying never, just not this year.

Like last year, Bill and I are staying local, steaks at Arthur’s Steakhouse in Hoboken, maybe a stroll around town smoking cigars, then finally in where we’ll watch some telly and have a pint or two, and maybe some champagne at midnight. I hope you have a wonderful evening, safe and sound. All the best for the New Year, may it be better than the previous year. Lot’s of love from me and mine to you and yours.

All the best,
John

PS- Tried posting this earlier tonight but the website was down, so here it is. Bill and I just had some good steaks and then some cigars while walking around Hoboken. Very nice. People going to bars, restaurants and clubs and apartment parties all set on having a good time. Heard from Song who’s in Vegas with Ray and RoDa who still trying to figure out what to do with his New Years Eve. We strolled and chatted and now are glad to be home. Hope you are having or have had a good time.

Love,
John

The year is winding down finally. Not a particularly a good year and not the worst but somewhere nearly perfectly in the middle. On the pressing home front, McMann and Tate or rather, Wolf Olinz still owes me some pay and it hasn’t come through yet and I don’t think I’ll know anything about that until Tuesday, maybe when the controller, Blue Eyed Knob or the human resources director, Muscle Relaxant return to work and properly ignore my email about what is going on. Obviously I’m using surreal names for the company and for the people because I really don’t give a shit about what they think.

I spoke with Amiable Alan who misses me in the office but realizes that I did the right thing by leaving. They treated him like shit too so perhaps he’s another person planning on leaving that well of dysfunction sooner rather than later. That makes about 4 or 5 people who’ve whispered their plans to leave Wolf Olinz. I’m not naming names but they are good people, hard workers who routinely get treated like crap. I wonder if Brian Babylon, the head of the company in the UK knows about what a horror show his New York office is?

So no bonus, which was expected, whether or not I get the weeks vacation pay seems doubtful but I do believe at least one week’s salary should be coming my way since I did earn it by working for these lunk heads. I don’t know if I mentioned during the last operations meeting as I was answering a question I was asked about how I was doing something, I was talked over which lead me to continue speaking about being talked over about how ridiculous it is to answer questions that were not being heard by the questioners.

Despite my trying to tie loose ends together my actions went unnoticed and now I sit waiting for a paycheck that I know Alan had received, and I’m sure other people’s direct deposits have gone through. Me? I feel like I’m being punished. Punished for taking action for being treated and abused they way they had abused me for nine fucking months. They are quite stupid and ruthlessly paranoid. I mean, these are the people that hired a security guard to sit at the front desk all night for fear that Felicia (who’s real name is Ariane) was going to show up in the middle of the night and do some damage.

They probably did the same when I left though I left voluntarily, whereas Felicia was fired. I just want my fucking money, that is all and I will be far away from them. In one of the last morning announcements I made, I quoted the Smiths, ‘For the good life is out there somewhere/so stay on my arm you little charmer’. I didn’t add the last lines, ‘for I know my luck to well/and I’ll probably never see you again’ from ‘Hand in Glove’. Douche bags.

Now it’s a sunny Saturday afternoon. Juan and I saw ‘Brazilian Girls’ at Irving Plaza last night. They were great and a lot of fun and Juan and I had a great time saying snarky things about various people around us. Nothing too malicious, just a good natured ribbing between friends. It was a blast and I’m glad Juan enjoyed the show. The band was great and charismatic amongst the lights and smoke machines. I’d definitely see them again and I plan on asking Juan to burn me some cd’s of their stuff. I’m utterly charmed by deadpan vocals from a chanteuse in a top hat. I can be so easy.