Monthly Archives: May 2010

Keeping the Beat

A frustrating day, came forth from a frustrating night. Overall, a frustrating weekend. Time crawled on Saturday night when it took what felt like an hour for 10 minutes to pass.

Yesterday was more of the same though there was the distraction of the fart and mucous festival. And today has been simply ugh. Last night was so damn humid, I lay in bed sweating. And it’s been quite humid today as well.

I’ve been trying to get in touch with Greg Stevens for the past week or so. A bit of phishing for work, a bit of touching base and saying hello.

Got the voice mail and no responses to email. I was alarmed at that and went so far as to call his wife’s office to see if Greg was alive and well. He is, just spending more time out in the Hamptons was the excuse he gave me when he called back this afternoon. He has no work for me and sympathizes with my plight.

Greg did say that once again he’d be more than happy to be a reference for me. On my end, I am feeling compelled to drop McMann and Tate from the resume and editing it so that I went from Wanker Banker directly to Vivek’s company. Tired of having to explain why I left McMann and Tate.

The truth is offputting.

Also heard from Casey Chasm who is officially in the US Army and picks up his uniform this week. He’s now a GI for the next 8 years and I wish him the very best. I reconnected with another friend on Facebook, Rick Benet who I used to work with at Skyline Studios. He’s also in the army. Been in the army for the past 15 years.

Whatever works I suppose. Somebody has to protect this country and I am too moody to do it myself. It’s best for all concerned that I stay out of it, you see.

It was a strange call from Lt. Chasm. He did call the night of the Specials and midway through the call Miriam phoned in. Since she was meeting me there I had to take the call. I told Lt. Chasm that I would call him right back and when I did I got his voice mail. So today, it was an awkward catching up of sorts which was par for the course today anyhow.

Ran into Julio on the street and that was actually fun. He and the wife and kid and his in laws got back from a weekend in Boston so he was a bit out of it. He did like it though. Lot’s of unloading from Julio, work, looking for a new place to live, things like that.

I was on a hunt for compressed air. My computer just attracts so much dust that I needed to do something about it. A walk to CVS was to no avail, so a walk to Rite Aid was needed and sure enough I found it.

Wandered around Hoboken, just listening to various things on the iPod.

Came home and found a request for my resume to be sent in Word format. I only have Open Office. Bill’s Mac is presently kaput. I instant messaged Bill to see if he had a copy of it at work and he never got back to me after acknowledging my initial message.

I went to the bibliothèque and picked up a book and then went to the supermarket of the damned. The whole wheat bread that I usually get was not on sale this week, neither Friehofer nor Stroehmann and I balked at paying $4.00 for a loaf.

I found a different brand on sale, less bread, but also not $4.00. I can’t say that I go through so much bread especially when Bill tends to eat the bread when I’m not looking. I don’t mind, occasionally he’ll replace it. I also had to tell him a while back that if he’s going to eat bread, eat equal slices, not odd slices.

One slice of bread does not a sandwich make.

I did watch The Pacific last night and it was truly sad. I knew what was going to happen, the John Basilone story. Played by the wonderful John Seda, the episode focused mainly on Basilone.

And that was the heartbreaking part since I knew that it was probably the last we would see of him as he landed on Iwo Jima. Truly gut-wrenching as I watched Basilone court his girlfriend, marry and then head off to war.

It more than likely had a hand in the difficulty I had with going to sleep last night.

At least I was able to get the compressed air and tomorrow will be another day.
5.3.10 13 and Willow

Keep Marchin’

It’s a Sunday. It’s May 2nd. It was 90 degrees this afternoon. It was the day of the Hoboken Art & Music Festival or as some snarky types are fond of calling it, the Fart & Mucous Festival. I usually attend with Rand but this time Rand is in Lucerne doing things in the name of Jack Kirby.

Last night was quite warm. I sat around and sweated in my underwear. Too damn hot for me, too damn hot for May 1st. But what can I do?

Bill was driving to Atlantic City and when I tracked him on Google Latitude, it had him in East Orange, then headed to San Antonio, and then finally over the border into Mexico. Somehow he wound back on the Garden State Parkway, headed to Atlantic City again.

At least he wasn’t in Times Square where a park car, loaded with propane tanks, fireworks and gasoline started to go up in flames but thanks to the attentions of a T-Shirt vendor it did not blow up. I found out about in around 11:00PM, a few hours after the whole thing started.

I was watching the Philadelphia Story on PBS, Funny that I wrote about High Society a week or so ago and how much I prefer The Philadelphia Story to the Cole Porter musical. I still feel that way.

Opted not to watch a repeat of Saturday Night Live instead watched a repeat of Lost which in retrospect is quite interesting since there’s only 3 or 4 more weeks left in that series.

The Death of Charlie was one of the stories and the other episode filled me in somewhat on how it will end. Jack will assume Jacob’s role and Locke will remain the Smoke Monster. That’s what I think.

Thanks to melatonin I slept really well. Woke up later than expected, but still had enough time to go out and participate in something the New York Times was promoting, basically a snapshot at 11:00AM.

All over the world at 1500 hours Greenwich Time they asked people to take a picture of something and send it in. I walked over to 5th and Washington and took 20 photos, 5 each for North, East, West and South.

Then I came home and uploaded them, deciding to send one pic of a northern view to the website. Or maybe it was the southern view. Eastern? Western? I don’t remember. It was good that today was the street festival, enabling me to stand in the middle of the boulevard and take pictures in all directions.

Bill came home and immediately went to bed and I made myself a nice breakfast. An hour or so later Roger Johansen posted onto Facebook that Jack Skuller was playing and worth checking out. So I headed out with my camera again, walking on the sidewalks since walking on the street had gotten way too crowded and let’s face it, some people cannot walk.

Not the ones in wheelchairs and other mobile things, but simply walking one foot in front of another was a near impossible chore. And the temperature was going up (now it’s 83°) and I was getting sweaty.

Jack Skuller is a 16 year old rock and roller 14 year old rock and roller and it’s good that he’s up there doing things like that, playing guitar and singing. My sister called which got me away from the stage area and found a not so quiet spot to converse with her.

When I was through talking to Annemarie, Jack Skuller was off the stage. I did run into Mike Carlucci who I actually wrote about yesterday. I even told him I wrote about him giving me guitar lessons. Roger sauntered up with his friend Tim.

Mike had just done some recording and I introduced Mike to Roger who now runs a mastering studio. Hopefully they will connect. Hopefully the DNA Cup will be out of the picture. It was good to see Mike again. He’s a nice guy and an excellent guitarist.

I headed over to the river which was even more crowded than usual, people like me trying to avoid the throngs on Washington Street. I enjoyed a cigar and read the New Yorker. Way too crowded to bring out the guitar even though I probably could have made some money. At least some pocket change.

Came home, Bill slowly stirring. I just sat around and listened to Carole King, Tapestry. Don’t know why, seemed most apt for a day like today. Bill was soon up and out the door headed to a rehearsal.

I tried to cool myself off and eventually headed out to see Fountains of Wayne who were headlining the festival. I stayed for a few songs, ultimately realizing that I don’t know any Fountains of Wayne songs and the ones I was hearing weren’t exactly enticing me to stay.

Walked back through the crowds which had thinned somewhat. Perhaps it was the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero I was smoking. I passed by the Hoboken Smoke Shop stand which is the worst cigar shop in Hudson County. Even pricier cigars than in Manhattan with less of a tax rate.

So I walked back through the crowds and came home yet again.
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 009
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 020
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 029
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 048
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 052
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 076
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 105
5.2.10 Fartin Music Fest 104

Jack Skuller live

Jack Skuller live


Possibly the photo I sent to the New York Times

Possibly the photo I sent to the New York Times