Monthly Archives: January 2009

The Charging Sky

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Saturday, a day to sleep in, but for me it was the day that somebody was moving something in the neighborhood on a truck which made a loud enough sound to wake me up. That, and my cellphone ringing at 8:00. Still I didn’t get out of bed until 9:00.

I texted the parents on the third floor to see if they wanted bagels and Julio replied that they did. By the time I got back from the supermarket which was being depleted of supplies due to the oncoming snowstorm Julio and Stine were at the pediatrician’s office for Alexander’s monthly checkup. I left their bagels in a bag hanging on their doorknob as I went upstairs and made myself a hearty breakfast.

So far it’s been snowing on and off all day. I haven’t left the building since 10:00 this morning and I have no idea how much has fallen. It’s almost 6:00 now so I’m sure the local news would have some information on the snowfall.

Tonight is Chaz’ party for which I am meeting Bill at the Path train along with Rand and Lisa I think. Then it’s to Journal Square and a taxi to Charlton Ave. Hopefully we’ll get a taxi. Right now the ending of the PBS documentary on Pete Seeger is finishing up. I watched it the other day as well. It’s a lot better than the Isn’t David Foster Great show that was on endlessly last month.

I didn’t write about something that one of my sock puppets was involved with the other day. It seems that the sock puppet had been arguing online in You Tube with a homophobic troll. Actually the sock puppet was the troll since it was a video against same sex marriage.

For the past couple of months it went on, name calling, curses and disparaging remarks about parents. Finally it came to a head. My sock puppet told the other guy to show up at 50th st and Third Avenue so they could duke it out. The sock puppet said he would be wearing a black leather trench coat.

Where he was going to get that, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t have a black leather trench coat. Looks too much like a 1980’s coke dealer’s apparel.

At the appointed time I was out there and looked around. Didn’t see anyone except for a soldier dressed in fatigues. I went back to my desk after a few minutes and figured the guy didn’t show. Hours later when checking the sock puppet’s email, there was an email from the guy who the sock puppet was supposed to battle.

It turns out it WAS the soldier. He called the sock puppet a coward for not showing up, the sock puppet in turn posted a video showing that the sock puppet was there. A few hours later the sock puppet got another email from the soldier who was apologizing for being such a jerk.

He said he’s usually not like that and blamed it on post traumatic stress disorder, saying he’s done 2 tours in Iraq (where he said he enjoyed killing Hajis). He ended the email, wishing the sock puppet, peace be with you. The sock puppet instantly replied, ‘and also with you’ but it was too late, the soldier shut his own account down.

A day later another email from someone with a different name. It was the soldier saying that he shut down his account since he couldn’t believe how far his anger had taken him.

Once again he wished the sock puppet peace and hoped that the sock puppet and his partner, Anklet, have a happy life together. The sock puppet thanked him once again and suggested he get help for his PTSD

I’m Telling You Now

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Well today has been an off day. Started out that way, me being out of step with just about everyone. Nothing bad mind you. Just unable to get it together throughout the day. It started off with Love Me Do by the Beatles on the radio. Not a bad track to wake up to.

I puttered around, showered. Not enough milk for cereal but enough for coffee so I went out caffeinated but still fasting. Not too much of a problem, there’s plenty of places to get some food in Manhattan and I do know some cheap spots.

Made it to the office, nothing going on. I just keep rearranging the deck chairs. Right now, I’m pretty beat. Had some bourbon and a cigar with Steve a former co-worker. It was good seeing him.

Last week we basically had the cigar lounge to ourselves, this week it was crowded with men in suits smoking cigars. I of course was not suited, it being a Friday I went casual. Strangely enough after dressing casual or even more laid back than that, I can’t do casual anymore.

It’s more like sloppy than anything. I prefer the suit and tie. We finished the bourbon in Steve’s flask around the same time we finished our cigars. We plan to meet every Friday for cigars and booze. I walked back to the office, feeling good but still out of step.

A nap would reset my body clock but I couldn’t do that until I got home. I left the office around 3:30, caught the bus and did some food shopping at the supermarket. I was planning on going out to McSwells to see Jeff from Empire Coffee with his band, The Poconos and also see Roda but the way I’m feeling now, the way I’ve been feeling all day and the fact that it’s very cold out, makes me want to just stay at home.

Plus there is Chaz’ party tomorrow and that’s supposed to be in the middle of a snow storm. Hearing about the snow storm approaching made me think of 2 snow storms. One was back in 1970’s. It snowed enough that my father didn’t go to work and I had no school.

I mainly recall the 2 of us walking to the A&P which was usually a 20 minute walk but the snow made it an hour long jaunt.

The other time was in 2000 when Bill and I started going out. I was working at Farfetched and living in Weehawken. It was snowing quite heavily and enough so that NJ Transit ceased operations on everything.

Bill had told me about NJ Transit shutting down, but I wasn’t so sure. We had just started going out you see, and I didn’t know how in tune he was with bus schedules and information.

I was in the city and needed to get home somehow. No one was shopping so I got the go ahead to close the store and go home. I wound up taking the train to Herald Square and catching the Path train to Hoboken.

From there I walked up the middle of Washington Street since there wasn’t any traffic at 2:00 in the afternoon. I couldn’t see past a block ahead and anyway I was walking directly into the storm and my glasses had caked with snow and ice. All I could do was look at my feet as I trudged through the snow, telling people waiting for the bus that there was no bus service at all.

It took me about 2.5 hours to get from the Path train to Jane Street. By the time I got home I was plenty tired. Now I’m just tired and there’s no snow.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll make it up there after all. Maybe I won’t. I did give Jeff the heads up yesterday, letting him know that my afternoon would consist of scotch and cigars and he said he understood. Plus I’m generally reluctant to see friends in bands play. If they suck you have to lie and I find it hard to lie about music.