Monthly Archives: August 2009

Nicotine & Gravy

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I guess it’s Friday. It must have been. I had an appointment to get some blood drawn to check out my cholesterol levels. It was a painless procedure but of course I didn’t watch.

I got there early and was out even before my scheduled appointment was to begin. It was a Path train ride to Journal Square.

I had enough time to check out a soul cover band doing Ain’t Nobody by Rufus and an instrumental version of Mercy Mercy Me by Marvin Gaye for a lunchtime show on the plaza. I decided to take the Path train back to Pavonia/Newport where I checked out the Newport Mall.

Some Israeli woman was doing her best to hard sell me some hand softening lotion made from some Dead Sea salts. It was on sale, marked down from $80.00 a jar to $40.00 a jar.

I explained I was unemployed as she washed the Dead Sea salts from my hands. They were softer than before I guess, but I wasn’t such a soft touch myself.

I bought some shorts a shirt and some underwear, all on sale. And some dress socks, the ones I like. Thick and thin ribbed, over the calf. Now all I need is a job to wear them under my suits.

But that’s not going to kick in full gear until October. I’m looking but things are barren out there.

I did make it home minutes before the skies opened up and the rain fell in a deluge. It was like that for about 30 minutes before eventually stopping. The rain cleared out the hummus leaving things nice and cool.

Now it’s been raining intermittently about every half hour. Which makes it cool outside but you have to close the windows which makes it stuffy inside. Presently it’s cloudy and the sky is the color of orange sherbert over Jersey City Heights.

Last night was a walk to Sinatra Park where I met up with Rand & Lisa while Swingadelic played. I finally saw Swingadelic live and they were OK. Nothing to write home about.

Rand, Lisa and I strolled up the river towards 11th Street. I expected a crowd outside of McSwells since Mitch Easter was playing, but Roda came out and said there was probably 30 people in the back room.

I opted to just go home since it was so humid out and I was very sweaty. It’s too bad for Mitch Easter but then again I only really liked the Let’s Active EP that came out 26 years ago and excepting the album Cypress that came out a year later I have no idea what he’s been up to and I guess I didn’t care enough to have a look see.

I’ll never know if it was my loss or not.

Now it’s 7:40, Bill is taking a nap, asking me to wake him up in 3 hours which seems odd but he reckons that he’ll know then whether or not to keep on sleeping or wake up for an hour or so.

Don’t try to figure him out, I gave up years ago.

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Dogs

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Hot hot hot. Cicadas make their love songs in the trees. It’s an interesting sound, unless they’re right outside your window. A nice kind of day overall, especially if spent inside.

I watched Cadillac Records on DVD, and that was somewhat enjoyable. Enjoyable enough to finally load the Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues Boxed set that Julio got for me a few years ago.

Jeffrey Wright was in it, playing Muddy Waters and I would probably watch Jeffrey Wright in just about anything.

Adrien Brody played Leonard Chess, the owner of Chess Records, Eamonn Walker played Howlin Wolf, Cedric the Entertainer was Willie Dixon (who wrote most of those Blues songs), Mos Def was Chuck Berry and Beyonce was Etta James.

I’m sure certain liberties were taken with the story but it was an entertaining summer movie. There was even an appearance by an ersatz Rolling Stones with a Mick Jagger in awe of Muddy Waters holding the door for them, when it should have been the other way around.

Some artists sang their own material, others merely lip synced. It’s recommended if you want something good to watch on a hot summer night.

Tonight Bill is directing a new set of actors for a new play down the line.

Mitch Easter is playing at McSwells. My brother Frank asked me if I could get him in, so I duly called Roda who said he wouldn’t be able to say at the moment. I called Frank to let him know and he decided he probably wasn’t going to go anyway.

I plan on a walk to the river to check out Swingadelic who I didn’t see last night but think that a walk might bring them into my point of view. And I think Rand & Lisa might be there so that should be cool.

Plus it should help me finally wake up after the 2 hour siesta that I had a little while ago. And it’s a good chance to enjoy a nice cigar.

Tomorrow it’s off to Journal Square to get some blood work done. I set up an appointment on Monday but due to the wake and meeting up with my brother Brian in the afternoon, I postponed. So now tomorrow afternoon, that will be the time to roll up the sleeves.

Just checking cholesterol and whatnot. That will something out of the ordinary.

Haven’t been to the sunny climes of Jersey City, or at least that part of Jersey City since January. I wonder what it’s like during the summer? What do the natives wear?

For tonight, a walk by the river and probably coming home to watch some TV. I do have a copy of Luis Bunuel’s Robinson Crusoe. Not so much a surrealist film (though I’m sure there are surrealist touches), but an attempt from the late 1940’s early 1950’s to get a job in Hollywood.

So there should be no dream sequences of an eyeball being sliced open by a razor ala Un Chien Andalou, or for those playing at home, The Andalusian Dog, which Luis co-directed with Salvador Dali. But you knew that already.

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