Monthly Archives: December 2010

I Have Confidence

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9:06PM, at the cigar store. Richard Lloyd, former Television guitarist as well as onetime guitarist for the Health and Happiness Show stopped by with Sheilah to complain about his DuPont lighter. I tried to help him, but thought it best if he used his celebrity and wrote to DuPont directly regarding his lighter problems. Sheilah does his dirty work as she said, and will likely be the one to write the email. I did get a chance to play his Gibson acoustic guitar which was quite nice.

The reason I am writing this right now is the fact that I will probably get home until later than my usual time. There is a cigar shop function at the Russian Tea Room, followed by cigars at a Cigar Bar, located right around the corner from the Russian Tea Room. I did my best to promote the dinner and cigar party after and hoped that was all that would be required of me.

But no, Calvin asked me and the Bradley if we were going to the cigar bar afterward. Both of us tried to beg off the situation but found ourselves cornered. Calvin who will be there of course, is also opening up the store tomorrow, and if he can do it, why can’t we? Well the fact that it’s 20 something degrees outside and I live on the mainland did not account for much. The Bradley lives in Queens and he’s off tomorrow so there is really no excuse for him, if there ever was.

The Bradley and I have been getting along fine. Fine enough that I bought him a chicken sandwich tonight. Right now the plan is to go, show up, not neccessarily checking our coats, do a walk around and head out once again. We’ll see how that goes. Ideally, I just want to go home and spend time with Bill. If it weren’t 20 degrees out I might feel differently, but it is and I don’t.

Writing this right now at work isn’t so bad. Less to do once I get home. It’s so damn cold out and it’s no fun. Right now, a DJ Mix from March 1987 by me is playing. I recorded the night I was DJing when Speed the Plough was playing and my brother Frank was in the band at the time. It’s not a bad mix. It starts off with Rise by Public Image Ltd, then goes to South Africa then to The Clash with Tymon Dogg playing Lose This Skin from Sandinista. I seem to remember Catherine Cloud being impressed with the mix.

It’s way better than anything Martini Basher might have in mind. In fact I think Martini Basher might be running for the position of Mayor of Bala Cynwyd. It makes sense doncha think? Now there is 40 minutes left to be here at the shop. Technically the doors are locked at 10:00 for the holidays and if I do everything correctly, and things go smoothly I am usually out by 10:10. But tonight with an appearance at the cigar bar that all falls by the wayside.

But look at this, I have written 529 words in less than a half hour. Ain’t that special? No writing tonight when I get home. One less key to type. 543 words, yay!

I Concentrate on You

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It’s Monday and I have been off of work today. I slept in later than usual, took a melatonin after watching Time Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Shameless, the William H Macy show on Showtime. It doesn’t start until January but somehow I found the first episode.

It was pretty good actually, though William H Macy made his first appearance in the last minute. Right now, I am oddly entranced by Claire Danes performance as Temple Grandin in the HBO movie of the same name.

She plays the autistic researcher named Temple Grandin who streamlined the cattle herding industry, which lead to the slaughterhouse (abattoir is a much nicer word). Improvements for the cattle industry, not so much for the cattle themselves.

It’s a very interesting movie, and Claire Danes is unrecognizable as Temple Grandin. It’s a welcome distraction from the day I’ve been having. I’m also watching Temple Grandin instead of the frustration of the news, International, national, local and political.

The day started out alright I guess but the blues did creep in. Just the blues for no reason at all. Perhaps it was because of different things, like books and CD’s I dropped off last week are still listed on my bibliothèque card as being out.

Or going to the dry cleaners as Bill asked to pick up clothes only to find that they couldn’t find them. As I climbed the stairs to the apartment, the dry cleaners phoned to say they found the clothes. They giggled and I grimaced.
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Just one of those days. The temperature dropped considerably and earlier when I was outside there were snow flurries. I got a text from Roda, who invited me to the Maxwells Holiday party. I’m not going, last year was too awkward and I felt really out of place.

And I was broke last year and could barely afford a pint. This year, I do have some money and could buy myself a pint or two, but I’m really not drinking these days and I do have to go to work tomorrow. Perhaps I will go, if only to drop off a DVD that Kevin Craughn made.

Kevin burned The Radiant Child the documentary about Jean Michael Basquiat that Roda and I had seen a few months ago. But already that feeling has left me and I would be content to stay home. Just stopping by would be impossible since I’m sure a few people I know would be at the party and wouldn’t allow me to leave without having a drink.

I think I prefer to stay home. I have It’s Complicated starring Meryl Streep (an excellent skater btw), Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin. I also have a 2 DVD set of Citizen Kane. Both from the library. I also have Shutter Island from Netflix, so I have choices.

Guess I won’t watch Keith Olbermann tonight. I think I’ll steer clear of frustration, anger and depression. That’s not so bad. At least I don’t think so.

Plenty of things to watch until Bill comes home.