Monthly Archives: April 2010

Behind Blue Eyes

Well last night was discomfiting somewhat. Hadn’t had a night like that in a long time. After I posted I settled down (settled down means moving the swivel chair from the right to the left) and watched TV. Lost was on and I was looking forward to it.

Harpy called before 9:00, usual rants, usual tirades. You can set you watch by Harpy sometimes. The time would be incorrect but you could try. I had one eye on the clock when 9:00 approached. At 9:01, I had to ask, ‘Why am I still talking to you? Lost is on’ Harpy said good bye and hung up.

I recorded the show and was able to rewind back to the beginning. Very good episode, Hugo centric. The series is starting to come together as it creeps towards the finale.

Bill was in an awful mood. I spoke to him exactly twice yesterday on the phone and I knew that he was pretty much rotten. The first time I called was to tell him that I heard from a recruiter about a job that is very close by. He wasn’t too impressed or encouraging.

I also asked him if he knew where my black suit jacket might be. I noticed it missing on Monday, and sometimes Bill takes my stuff to be cleaned at the dry cleaners which is very nice. He didn’t know anything about it and hadn’t taken anything to the cleaners.

I hadn’t heard anything since about the job either. Still my spirits rose somewhat.

The day progressed, went to the Soviet bloc building and had my little pas de deux there and called up Bill again to let him know that I got the certificate. Remarkably nonplussed.

He has a lot of work, his boss was going to the home opener at Yankee stadium and people who ordered tickets backed out at the last minute leaving Bill with more work that he needed to deal with. And then there were my two phone calls which were probably the icing on the cake.

Bill comes home with 15 minutes left in Lost. At the commercial break I ask him how he was, how did his rehearsal go. Bill grunted. I asked if it was anything I did and he said no, then he said yes. He asked if I really needed to call him about my suit jacket?

As calm as that might read he was smoldering in the manner in which it was said.

I reminded him that I called to share some good news about a possible job lead and I asked if he dropped off my suit jacket. He said he would have told me if he did. I tell him that he would have told me that he did if he was asking me to pick up his dry cleaning. Sort of like an enticement- ‘Your shirts are at the cleaners with mine, could you pick them up? They’re paid for.’

I actually said I was sorry for trying to share some possibly good news, but I really wasn’t sorry. And I brought up the other call about the Civil Union certificate. That was it. Both calls lasted about 4 minutes total.

I explained my side and he was silent and went into the room where his Mac is. After Lost I put on Lawn hors-d’œuvre Criminal Malcontent figuring that Bill might enjoy that somewhat now that Jeff ‘Chestnut Brown’ Goldblum is now the regular detective. As far as I know, Bill didn’t notice.

Midway through the show I hear a bang and I yell ‘is everything alright?’ I didn’t get any response so I walk in there and see Bill’s Mac screen on it’s side. Turns out it didn’t behave the way Bill wanted it to so he punched it.

I walked away and he punched it again. He enjoyed it. I think perhaps Bill is in a constant struggle to suppress the rage that he feels all the time and this is a way for him to deal with it. Better the Mac than me or anyone else I suppose.

He took a Fukitall and a little while later came out and explained the day he had.

Crap. It was all crap. And on top of that, more crap. I listened and didn’t say anything. It had been two hours since he came home and finally he unloaded.

Then he comes up to me with a dark suit jacket and asked if this was the jacket I was talking about. It was navy blue, the jacket I was looking for was black. The navy blue is what I wore instead.

I tell him it’s about 10 years old, a Today’s Man jacket. He shows me the jacket that he’s worn to work the past two days. A black Today’s Man jacket. It doesn’t fit him, yet still he wore it.

He insisted it was his, until I reached into the inside pocket and pulled out a receipt from Sunday when I last wore it. He wondered where his dark jacket was and I opened the closet and pulled out his jacket. Almost the same but his has metal buttons. I loathe metal buttons.

Ah, love. Can’t always be sunshine and rainbows, can it?

Previously on LOST

Previously on LOST


Me having a nap and looking like a Powers.

Me having a nap and looking like a Powers.


My niece in Ireland a week or so again...

My niece in Ireland a week or so again...

O Solo Mio

It’s a dismal Tuesday, I did my best to make it less dismal but despite my best efforts it’s all fallen by the wayside. I can only guess this is how it is in Bala Cynwyd, day after bleedin’ day.

Been gray at times, then it was sunny with blue skies. Then a few drops of rain would appear. Too windy and nippy to play guitar by the river.

I ran into Tony, my barber at Mr. L’s. He saw me carrying my guitar the other day and told me it would be a good way to make some money, playing in restaurants.

He’s from Italy and told me his favorite place in Italy is Naples. He doesn’t like Rome. And the thing he likes about Naples is the fact that there is music everywhere. Old timey Italian music that is. I doubt if their playing the Beatles or Talking Heads.

Maybe they are. Maybe I should hot foot it to Naples.

I saw Tony on my way to the Soviet bloc building in Hoboken. I had called a few times to inquire about the Civil Union certificate. Left voice mail which went un-returned. Nice hours they have. 9AM to 3:30PM with an hour off for lunch.

A job for life it is, especially when they got the job because they knew someone at City Hall. That’s how Hoboken used to run until recently and probably still is. I finally did get through and showed up. I brought my passport as my identification figuring it would be enough.

At the bulletproof glass they asked for a driver’s license. I live in Hoboken and don’t need a car to get around. Then again, these are the types that work four blocks away and drive to work.

I mentioned that no one said on the phone that I would need 2 forms of identification and they merely replied, ‘well you probably didn’t ask’.

Touché.

I did have a feeling that might happen and resigned myself to the fact that I might have to go through all this tomorrow. But I did look in my wallet and found my Voter Identification Card which was good enough with the Passport.

Paid them $10.00 and they gave me an embossed document. I bet they pocketed the $10.00 once I left.

Wandered around Hoboken for a while after that. Spoke with Bill and told him we were now legit. He seemed annoyed. I mentioned now we can get divorced. He said ‘that’s good’. Maybe we’re both getting on each others nerves as it sometimes happens. Maybe our cycles are in sync.

On my way home I ran into barber Tony so I decided to get my hair cut. A trim. Give it some shape. My hair is so bloody thick that I sweat a lot. Some people would say I had a thick skull but it’s really the hair.

It’s a good idea I think, to look snappy whenever possible. You never know when a job interview might be happening. Tony certainly agreed.

I really tower over him, which in the eight years he’s been cutting my hair, I never really noticed. I have maybe a little over two feet on him, which means the barber chair gets lowered greatly.

And I also have to say I am simply thrilled that Chris Frantz from Talking Heads (and Tom Tom Club) is my Facebook friend. He comments on my videos from time to time and I think it’s so great.

I mean, who cares if he writes, ‘What the fuck do you know about anything? John Ozed, you’re an idiot!’ *
Chris Frantz ladies and gentlemen!

Dog owners now put their dog shit in bags, but they still don't throw it out

Dog owners now put their dog shit in bags, but they still don't throw it out


Parking garage

Parking garage


JOT
Photo-0115 JOT

*Chris Frantz has NEVER written anything like that at all.