Wednesday night. Just got home. Saw Nick Lowe at 7 World Trade Center. Last of the summer time concerts downtown. It’s been a crazy kind of day. Not bad crazy, no one wishing me a painful death or anything like that. Just busy, but it was more manageable than it was yesterday since Carla the receptionist came back from North Carolina today, looking somewhat refreshed and somewhat tan. A few meetings going on, signaling that the summer season for investment banking is over, and things are slowly picking up steam. I don’t mind. I have more things to do, more things than what I have had since I started working in April.
Last night, after I posted, bemoaning my fate, singing Bobby Vinton’s Mr. Lonely, Harpy called with words of support. Harpy reads the blog. Julio came by also, and he doesn’t read the blog. It was good to hear from Harpy and good to see Julio. Julio is going to lend me a ladder so I could fix a light fixture. That means, Julio will bring a ladder upstairs and he will fix whatever the problem is since he loves to do that sort of thing and knows I’m all thumbs when it comes to things like fixing stuff.
I had the foresight last week to remind myself that Nick Lowe was doing a free show tonight. For some reason I thought of Linda from McMann and Tate and sent her an email asking her if she would like to join me. To my surprise she replied and said she would love to join me. I hadn’t seen her since the holiday party so I was looking forward to it. Today seemed to be a day of faces from the past. At one point this afternoon I had to go to the bank and as I was crossing Park Avenue I ran into Brenda who I worked with at Wanker Banker and had cocktails with her a few weeks ago. That was a pleasant surprise and we chatted and strolled around for a few minutes.
Greg Stevens had a major big wig pow wow this evening at 5:00 so I stayed a little bit late to help set up, leaving before it ended so Carla could get some overtime and I could head downtown. Trains were messed up as usual so I was a little late. Somehow I was able to get phone reception at the Spring Street station and I called Linda to let her know I was running a bit late. We met up and she mentioned a few things about McMann and Tate, specifically that Mina Theta was asking for me. I told Linda she must have me confused with someone else since I never had more than three minutes of conversation with her, and that was at the holiday party right before I left. Linda got upset with my unhappy memory and decided to change the subject to nothing. I had to carry the rest of the conversation.
After a few pints we walked two blocks to 7 World Trade Center where the Holmes Brothers were finishing up their set. We walked around, Linda and I trying to find an unobstructed view. Found one that turned out to be right next to Dana Penny and Kathleen Kenney. Yes, those are their real names. They’ve been together for about twenty years or so. Old Hoboken heads from another life. It was a brief chat, introductions all around, then Nick Lowe started his set and they shut up.
Nick did a good set. I do miss him playing with a band but he did just fine on his own. A short set and I was home a little after 9:00. As I was getting my stuff together, I saw a familiar face, once bearded, now just a moustache. I figured if I was wrong, I would be wrong, so I took a chance and said, Doug Schwartz. It was Doug Schwartz who seemed surprised to see me, especially in a suit and tie. He looked good and we parted ways, Linda walking to her uptown train, me headed to the Path.
Bill at his folks, me at home, coming down from three pints of Guinness. Not so lonely after all.
Pics?
Linda and Me
Nick Lowe
NYC
hidden bonus vid
What’s So Funny (About Peace Love and Understanding?)