Monthly Archives: June 2008

Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)

Ok, it’s Thursday. Not much to report. Maybe I could make something up. No, not tonight. I’ll give you some mundane details. I promise, I’ll write some fiction soon enough. Until then some non fiction, some of my life. A pound of flesh for you dear reader.

Last night, I found the couch. It was buried under clothes and mail and Mojo and Uncut magazines as well as a songbook or two. Bill did a decent job in cleaning the apartment. It still has a way to go, but it’s a step in the right direction.

You’d think, two gay men living together, the place must be immaculate. Well that goes to show, you can’t trust stereotypes. I’ve always had a problem keeping things neat and orderly, and with Bill around I’ve surrendered to the chaos that surrounds us.

Normally if Annemarie, Rex and Earl were coming this summer we’d make an effort, perhaps even hire a cleaning lady to come in and do the things that we can’t seem to figure out to do ourselves.

We did that last year and talked about having her come every now and then, but we had more money last year and the Arcata contingent were headed east. Not so this year. It’s ok. Juan doesn’t mind.

He’s a college student so it all seems somewhat homey to him. He just sits in the couch and we watch the tv and get jazzy. Last night was the same only no Juan and I was doing a jazz solo.

Bill came back from the laundry and we watched Keith Olbermann then after that watched Dave Chappelle who was very funny, funnier than Keith Olbermann. After that, sleep. Bill was out at 6:00 and I stirred soon after getting out of bed myself.

Lot’s more people on the bus lately. Too many, and they all take my favorite seats. They always give the Hoboken run the worst buses, and this morning was no different.

I got off the bus, listening to Orbital as I picked up my free newspapers and walked to Smilers for my breakfast sandwich from West Indian Tony. Tony of course, asked all about Bill. He never asks about me, I guess that because I’m in front of him and by being there I must be alright. West Indian Tony can also predict the weather by how much his knees ache.

As I walked up Fifth Avenue I ran into a former co-worker. Daniel Begin, who set up a successful hedge fund which was also legal, and that’s rare these days. Nice guy, a fellow atheist and quite an intellectual from Israel.

I saw him last summer in Central Park with his wife and kids. It was awkward since I was beat from riding from Hoboken to the George Washington Bridge over and down to Central Park. Plus my eyes were a little bloodshot from a quick jazz improvisation off the bike path.

Not this morning though. We exchanged pleasantries and business cards and we were both on our separate ways. He asked me to tell my boss, Greg Stevens that he had said hello. Greg remarked that I always seem to be bumping into former co-workers and it’s true I do.

I saw the former head of Wanker Banker this morning too. His new company is across the street from my building so I see him fairly often.

Work was slow today. I had to see a vendor, someone who is trying to get my company signed up with her mobile phone service. They never take no for an answer and I was pigeonholed. She was nice and most guys that aren’t gay would love to spend time with her. Me? I just told her some horror stories about cellphone service, she works for T-Mobile which is my carrier.

She listened politely while telling me more and more about how the Blackberries she is promoting are the very best and give good value. I think deep down she knew she wasn’t going to get anything from me, everyone already has a Blackberry with their own service and they aren’t about to switch.

I told her I would bring it up at the next budget meeting next week, which isn’t going to happen. I did get her name which is the title of this post. After that was my special Thursday lunch, penne, pesto and chicken. I was quite a gavone while I ate.

Walked to the bus terminal after work listening to Public Enemy, then I saw a t-shirt that said ‘Never Stop’ so I switched over to Echo and the Bunnymen. Sat in a crappy seat and read ‘Tweak’ by Nic Sheff, the son of David Sheff who wrote the last book I read, ‘Beautiful Boy’ about his son’s addiction to methamphetamine. This is even more harrowing since it’s written by the junkie son. It’s a sad story.

The Inner Light

It’s a crazy day. Sunny and then blackening clouds. Sometimes the weather mirrors my moods. But not today. Last night was another quiet night. Bill worked late. I saw him for about 5 minutes before I went to bed, leaving Bill to make his dinner at 11:30. I used to advise him not to eat so late, before going to bed, but after the first 50 times of telling him, I gave up.

I woke up to a sink full of dirty dishes and a messier kitchen than it usually is. I watched the usual, Daily Show, Colbert Report, Keith Olbermann and then I watched the American Film Institute Top Ten Top Ten Films. Ten courtroom dramas, westerns, romantic comedies, fantasy, science fiction etc. It was enjoyable. My favorite films usually wound up at number 2, AFI were number 1.

It gave me the idea to rent films I had never seen before, only heard about them. Movies like Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, John Ford’s The Searchers and Stagecoach, The Public Enemy with James Cagney. Have to put them in my Netflix queue, or see if I can get them from the Hoboken library. Slept like a rock last night and woke up wanting another hour of sleep. But the work waits, I am alive again and my heart is full of joy! Actually that last line was from Sweeney Todd.

Bill was off today and I kissed him good bye and headed off to the bus, dropping off that weak John Lennon book at the library after reading it very briefly. Sounded like a good idea when I ordered it. So glad the library is a block away, saves money. Books are expensive and you read them only once mainly. Sure they look good on the bookshelf, but after a while, whats the point?

It’s funny I would like to be a successful writer and I suppose my income would be from the sale of books, not from libraries. Oh the irony. Work was busy once again and my busyness has been noticed. Vivek said I looked tired and suggested an espresso at 3:30 this afternoon. I declined, knowing that caffeine in my system after 1:00PM causes me problems sleeping later.

There were visitors in and out of the day and one or two errands to run. Still I found time to activate my sock puppets. Once I get started it’s pretty hard to stop. It was my sock puppets against opponents of same sex marriage. One was in the New York Daily News, the other was on NJ.com.

One woman upset about the California marriage ruling, saying how it was illegal now to even mention ‘mother and father’ in school. Albert Ross mentioned that what she wrote was straight out of James Dobson and Peter La Barbera’s fear mongering in the name of the lord clubs. That was NJ.com. The Daily News discussion, being New York was a little nastier.

I think Ken Lee maintained his composure in the face of right wing meltdowns. Other than that, it’s good to be home now. Bill cleaned up the apartment a bit. I’ve noticed we actually have a couch!