Monthly Archives: October 2009

Ring Them Bells

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Well it’s quite balmy out. It’s in the 70 degree range. On Washington Street hundreds of costumed children and their costumed parents are hitting up all the store owners for candy. They don’t go ringing bells in Hoboken.

In Weehawken, for the longest time (during the 11 years I lived there) the kids wouldn’t come to 127-129 Jane Street since my late landlady had a mean reputation. When she passed away that was when they finally started ringing the bell, after the crossing guard told them that it was safe to ring those bells.

It was initially startling to have the bell ringing every couple of minutes. But I indulged them with candy.

I myself haven’t gotten dressed up for Halloween for years. I think the last time was when I had a Darth Vader helmet that I bought for $40.00 in the 1980’s.

I went to the costume party at McSwells where I thought I stood out since my costume was mainly store bought, and everyone else seemed to have costumes they had made themselves.

The only costume that stands out in my memory was Steve Fallon dressed up as Mr. Peanut from Planter’s peanuts. Obviously it was a great costume if I’m remembering it 25 years later.

Last night there was a Halloween Karaoke at McSwells attended by Rand & Lisa and Lois & Fred. Roda was there too, managing the place. I didn’t go, wound up staying home. Bill came home and we had a good talk, then his phone rang and he was in the other room talking acting stuff with a playwright he is working with.

I just turned down the volume on the TV and played music until the news came on. Then I watched a documentary about the Beatles’ Love show in Las Vegas. That was actually very good and made me want to go to Vegas and see the show. That’s not going to happen at this moment in time though.

Then I watched another documentary on Joe Strummer, The Future is Unwritten. I had seen it before and it’s quite good and very sad, since Joe Strummer is no longer with us. I watched the whole thing, going to bed a little after 2:00.

As usual Bill was up before I was. He had me up for a while with his snoring. If I’m asleep first it’s no problem. But if I’m trying to sleep that’s when it gets difficult. I guess after an hour of trying to fall asleep, I feel asleep.

Bill went out and got bagels and the paper for me which was nice. I got myself out of bed and showered and tried to think of something to do.

Got a text from Rand asking how the computer was holding up and since you’re reading this you can tell that it’s holding up just fine. I asked him how McSwells was and he texted back ‘Twas OK’. I actually entertained the idea of going up to McSwells last night wearing the Mexican Mil Mascaras wrestling mask, but obviously I didn’t go.

I did go to the library this afternoon though. Picked up the Hoax, starring Richard Gere, based on from what I gather Clifford Irving and his fabricated biography of Howard Hughes. Also Rock N’ Rolla by Guy Ritchie. I figured since Snatch was an alright movie, this might be a good movie to watch tonight. Bill loved Snatch, but then again he is a sucker for a brogue.

Other than that, I’m rebuilding my music library, somewhat illicitly. I’ve always liked Who’s That Lady by the Isley Brothers of Teaneck NJ, but never got around to getting it. I remembering hearing it back in the day when FM radio wasn’t segregated.

You’d hear the Isley’s, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and lot’s of others mixed in. Nowadays I guess you don’t. I really couldn’t say since I don’t listen to the radio anymore.

I did download an excellent Kate Bush song, called Aerial. It’s really an interesting song and has birds chirping in it. I read somewhere a few months ago that when the writer would play the song, birds would flock to his window.

Now it’s getting too dark out, but I would like to see it happen sometime, just to see if it’s true. If it doesn’t happen I’ll still have a good song in my library thanks to Kate Bush.

America

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Last night was a funny night on TV. I watched the NBC shows. Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office & 30 Rock. All were pretty funny. All had a Halloween theme since it’s Halloween weekend. During the commercial breaks I put on the World Series for Bill’s enjoyment. He loves his Yankees.

He went to bed before the game was over, listening to it on the radio. I stayed up and watched the repeat of Olbermann which wasn’t hosted by Olbermann. Then the news, followed by some other nonsense then I went to bed.

Woke up with a headache. Had a headache when Bill was kissing me goodbye. I took 2 Advil Gel Caps and tried to sleep some more but that didn’t go so well. I posted on Facebook, Headache, which of course made people think I was hungover.

I really don’t drink anymore. If I do it’s a social thing. And I haven’t done much of the social thing lately. By necessity and by choice. Being social usually involves money and since money is tight, I’m not so social.

Sure I’ll do things on occasion with friends, walking around Hoboken, or gallery hopping but more often than not I am usually home. And it’s fine most of the time until I get tired of being home all the time. It’s not a constant thing obviously.

The headache took a while to go away and it was from being dehydrated. Sleeping with my mouth open is the cause.

It being Friday I did laundry and watched Rachel Getting Married. It’s directed by Jonathan Demme who I generally enjoy and while it was a very good movie it was very downbeat. It’s a very earnest movie and the cast was like a Benneton ad come to life.

And of course some of the actors are from Demme’s stable of actors. Watching the movie I couldn’t imagine a Connecticut family having such a multi-cultural group of friends, until I left the apartment and walked to the library.

Across the street from the library is Church Square Park and it was full of multi cultural kids. I guess I see it all the time. It certainly was the ultimate wedding though, with Robyn Hitchcock and Sister Carol each have a turn at a song as well as Cyro Baptista and a Samba group from Brazil.

I can’t count how many wedding I’ve been to that were just like that.

Though the day was bright and sunny it later turned into another gray afternoon which lent itself to the feeling of the movie. I can’t say I enjoyed the movie, nor was I entertained, but it was engrossing. And the cast was top notch, as was the script. So I’m recommending it.

Then a trip to the supermarket which was somewhat crowded, it being a Friday afternoon and all. Struck up a short chat with the little old lady in front of me.

She spied the cover of a magazine with a bikini clad Britney Spears on the cover and remarked that was how she looked when she was Britney’s age. Of course she was joking. It was a good laugh. She proceeded to tell me of how she wore a bikini back in the day and was worried about what her mother would say when she saw the laundry.

She told me she told her mother is was a belt.

I wished her a good weekend as she walked out the door. Just watched the Simpsons, Bill in the bedroom getting ready for a conference call. No plans for the night, just chillin’. And that’s alright with me.