Monthly Archives: March 2008

Needle Time

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Nothing going on today. Dental appointment at 6:30, meaning that I am staying in the office until 5:30 or so then making my way down to NYU Dental School. I’m always tempted to write Denial instead of Dental. Perhaps that is because back in the day, back in the eighties on Washington Street in Hoboken there is a Dentist’s office and on the outside it says, ‘Dental Arts’ but back then, someone with a good eye was able to hit that somehow and change it to Denial Arts which made me laugh and apparently still affects me to this day.

I did go to Dental Arts, years later and the Doctor’s name was Dr. Doktor. True story, that. Also got an estimate for implants while I was working at McMann and Tate or by its true name, Wolff Olins. Now I don’t have anything to worry about with regards to the denizens of 200 Varick Street since there is a year between my time of employment there and where I am at now, and I have nothing to fear from them.

Let’s see… last night watched the induction for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Saw the Ventures, Lou Reed introducing Leonard Cohen, Justin Timberlake going on and on about Madonna who went on and on even further. Then Iggy and the Stooges played Burning Up and Ray of Light by Madge that was interesting, plus I always enjoy watching Mike Watt play bass which he does now for the Stooges. Madge sat there, trying to look enthusiastic but this was more than likely the first time (I believe) she had ever heard the Stooges. Also looked like she had too much work done on her face. She also looks like she could be found at the Shop Rite on Route 17 aisle 3, just another Lodi girl gone to seed.

Then came Billy Joel who rambled on and on, I think he might have been drunk. He introduced John Mellencamp who was somewhat interesting but not enough to hold my interest so I went to bed a little earlier than usual thanks to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Woke up again, not too happy about the Daylight Savings. I know, I just have to get used to it, but I haven’t yet. Reading ‘Flight’ by Sherman Alexie. I enjoyed the ‘Lone Ranger…’and the movie Smoke Signals which were both by Sherman Alexie so this book shows promise.

Now I am just killing time before the dental school. Just a cleaning they told me last week. I think I will reschedule the next appointment for two weeks from tonight, just for a break. This week after week thing is not difficult but some relief from the stress of a dental appointment would be nice. A week off is all I ask. I can easily swing it for the week of March 24. I don’t think they’ll have any problems with it either. I can always say I’ll be out of time. It’s a lie I know, but I need a break. Now to send this to myself at home.

Now I’m back at home. Goodman the dentist was quite needle happy today. And then there were pictures she wanted to take of my teeth. That involved another dentist and me with some prongs pulling my cheeks out so the other dentist could angle a mirror for my mouth while Goodman took photos. Nothing fun just me looking like Katherine Helmond in Brazil, or rather Alex in A Clockwork Orange. It was all rather discomforting and I think Goodman might be using me for her thesis. Just a feeling, with nothing to base it on.

I got the paperwork to submit to the insurance company which hopefully they’ll accept and started walking back to the west side and called Bill. He was home with his mother, and I mentioned that it would be nice to have someone to walk with across town after a visit to the dentists. I was hungry, stressed and drooling. He mentioned that he couldn’t do it and I knew he couldn’t. I told him how Kathe was with me a few times after a dentist visit. Just companionship, that’s all I wanted.

Never seem to get it though. I know, I know, the same old song. I’m tired of singing it. I made a few jokes about the dentist which he didn’t quite get and I had to tell him it was all tongue in cheek, that at least I thought it was since I could barely feel either my tongue or my cheek. I decided to end the call before I got any stupider and told him I’d call him when I got back to Hoboken. I called him back when I got back to the mainland and he asked if I was better. I was fine, just lonely more or less. Now I’m home, still numb, drinking out of a glass without a straw is a challenge. What else is new anyway?

Again and Again and Again

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Well it’s Monday. The big news today was all about New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer being caught in a prostitution ring, based out of Cliffside Park. He was known as client #9 of call girls who charge in the range of $1000 to $5000. It’s fucked up, that he fucked up. I wouldn’t be so concerned but via 6 degrees of separation I’m somehow connected to this. Not in any big way, but in the most basic sense of the 6 degrees. Someone knows someone who runs the household up in Albany.

It would suck if she got fired because of Spitzer’s resignation which some people are calling for, whereas others are saying that it if Bill Clinton could get through the Lewinsky mess, then why can’t Spitzer? Before that things were pretty much copacetic. Damn daylight savings fucked me up this morning. Intercourse that extra hour of daylight. I don’t like waking up when it’s dark outside and it was plenty dark this morning at 6:00. Still I rallied and did the things I do when I am getting ready to go to work.

Made it on time to catch the bus, finished the New Yorker, finished Hotel California and the new Mojo and Uncut Magazines are not on the stands yet. Actually Uncut is but I buy the magazines in pairs so I just couldn’t buy one without the other. A small concession to being anal retentive perhaps? Made it across town this morning cutting through Grand Central listening to Echo and The Bunnymen. That was fun, good beat enabled me to swiftly walk through the crowds pouring out of Metro North trains.

Outside the Waldorf Astoria there were a few trucks for tonight’s broadcast of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I did enter a contest to attend but since I didn’t win, I don’t care about the Hall of Fame. I’m inclined to agree with David Bowie who turned down the nomination a few years ago. In 1997 I did see the Rascals rehearse for their induction. My boss- the producer, Arif Mardin produced them back in the day and I had to deliver some papers to the rehearsal space for Arif to sign. I was instructed not to hang out but Arif insisted that I hear one or two songs and who was I to disagree? That year the Hall of Fame ceremony was in Cleveland, OH. So I wasn’t going to attend anyhow.

Today I occasionally have to report to Tom Chin and things had been good lately, until this morning. Lydia the receptionist had asked him about something and for some reason he started yelling at her, threatening to yell at me through her. I heard my name mentioned and I stepped in to find Tom Chin yelling because of a simple question. He started yelling at me about something I had nothing to do with. I told him that in a voice slightly higher and authoritative than his. He backed down and I took Lydia aside and told her, from now on (until May when she leaves) she should talk to me before she has anything to do with Tom Chin.

I can more than likely head things off at the pass and keep the bad vibes from Tom Chin to a minimum. He did lighten up later in the day. It’s usually best that we keep contact to a minimum. It is tax time and he’s the Chief Financial Officer. Two weeks ago he was upset that I ordered notepads and pencils. He’s the King Knucklehead in the office. The Wire ended it’s run last night and I liked it a lot. It will require seeing it again. Sad endings with an occasional smile. No tears though, that’s for sure. No redemption for Baltimore. It goes on and then it goes around again.