Another Pleasant Valley Sunday, though I’m not in Pleasant Valley, I’m in Hoboken and if the weather is how it is in Hoboken, then Pleasant Valley must be mighty pleasant indeed. Last night I didn’t do much of anything except for some Jazz riffs in 4/20 time. A difficult time signature, quite manic possibly. I can’t even begin to think how many beats per minute (BPM) it would entail. So there was nothing complicated outside my mind, all internal. I was thinking about how if anyone was stuck, thinking of a present to get me, well they should get me the dvd of Hannah and Her Sisters.

I was surfing the channels at 9:00 and found that Hannah and Her Sisters was on one of the channels. I watched the whole thing from start to finish, loving it. It really is one of Woody Allen’s best, in the top five at least. I saw it initially in Boston with Steve Saporito when we traveled to meet the Fall when they were on tour for Bend Sinister. It was a cold February afternoon and we needed some shelter. The movie came out maybe a week before and both Steve and I liked Woody Allen a lot, so it was a good idea. Though at that time I was terribly hung up on Steve, thinking he was ‘the one’, I would’ve gone anywhere he suggested. Such a silly youth I was. Steve didn’t feel the same way and That’s life, that’s what people say.

So many good lines, great acting, and one of the last glimpses of Manhattan before it became gentrified. Mainly the scenes with Barbara Hershey in Soho. Now that whole area is all very upscale stores. Big money names. Definitely not as fun as it was then and that was at the tipping point. Hardly anyone went down there. I hardly went down there so each time I did actually go to SohoZat or Rocks in Your Head or art galleries it was exotic and urban and perhaps a hint of danger, just from deserted streets. The music is classic, Dianne Weist won a well deserved Oscar, and the first time I saw Hannah and Her Sisters, I got all misty at the end.

After that I watched the repeat of Saturday Night Live with Le Bron James and Kanye West. Le Bron James was still very funny. Good to see a top ranking professional athlete, intelligent enough to mock stereotypes and make fun of himself. I was also reading Pattie Boyd’s memoir, Something in the Way She Layla’s. No it’s actually called Wonderful Tonight. I went to the George Harrison/Beatles/Swinging London parts and dove right in. Wanted some light fare to read and that Pattie was the fairest of them all.

Chatted online with my niece Corinne last night. She told me that there was an impromptu birthday gathering for brother Frank and she was offering to pick me up in Hoboken to deliver me to Garfield. A grand idea indeed. I woke up this morning, ran a few errands, thought about making plans to see at least Roda’s part of the Artist Studio Tour. I called Roda who told me he wasn’t even sure if he was going to make it. His artwork was there, just that he might not be. That was cool. One less thing to hustle for.

I sat on the stoop, eventually getting a call from Elaine who was in the car with Corinne. In Garfield soon enough where we wound up waiting for Frank. Brother Brian and family weren’t able to make it so it was that much more low key. Frank arrived, looking good, almost back to his old self, getting a little fast with the wit, sometimes stumbling when thoughts and words collide but that happens to me to. A few jokes about strokes were made which really hammered home how much better he has gotten. He mentioned a magazine at the rehab unit called Stroke. I initially thought Gay Porn, Rob, Meghan’s husband thought Golf, when it was actually about strokes. Stuff like that.

A nice ravioli dinner with pistachio cake made by Elaine. After a few hours I had to head back to Hoboken and got a ride from Meghan and Rob in Rob’s new big ass jeep. All quite on the fly and it worked out quite nicely.

Look! Pics!

Lil’ Cory

Meghan and Rob

Spot the pocket book mouth

and once tickled…

and a little photo editing..voila!

Garfield ghost