It’s a Monday and my knee hurts a bit. Going to ice it up in a few. Some dipshit will probably say I’m whining or maybe even faking it since the dipshit knows so much, but you know what? I don’t give a shit what the dipshit thinks, though it does give me a reason to write words and gets me that much closer to the daily tally of at least 500 words so to that dipshit or perhaps dipshits some sort of thanks should be given. Perhaps some time, but not now.

Yesterday was a day off from work as well as a day off from writing though I did post some photos of my mother for Mother’s Day. Technically I don’t think it counts. It was a productive day, laundry done, newspaper and bagels and groceries purchased. So much to do in such little time but I did most everything I planned to do including cleaning the bath tub.

And while doing laundry I noticed that my socks needed to be replaced. I walked over to the light rail and rode the train to the Newport Mall. Made my way through the mall and found the sock store which has the thick and thin, over the calf socks that I really prefer for $3.00 a pair. Nice deal and I bought half a dozen.

Then I remembered I needed some new cereal bowls and hoped that Kohl’s would have them and they did, which made going to Target (and breaking the boycott) unnecessary. A nice walk home from the mall, along the waterfront enjoying a cigar was very enjoyable. I came home a few hours later and made myself a nice supper and prepared to stay in for the evening.

I thought about going out and sitting on the stoop but by that time I had removed my sneakers and had my slippers on. After watching President Barack Obama on 60 Minutes I was planning on watching the Simpsons but instead answered a phone call from Bill. He had a rental car which he used to drive his mother to church yesterday morning and had it until this morning.

Bill also had 150 miles he could use and wanted to know if I wanted to go for a ride. I thought a ride would be nice and out of the ordinary and put the sneakers, then headed down the stairs. I got in the car with Bill and since I was calling the shots, we headed up to Weehawken, driving past Jane Street, my old stomping grounds.

It was a brief drive by and so I suggested heading onto Route 3 to Route 17. We got off the highway in Wood Ridge and drove down Hackensack Avenue to Valley Road to the Boulevard. At the circle we swung around and headed past Wright’s Village, Lodi Lanes towards Felician College.

Bill knew the area somewhat since he sometimes drives a bus around there. We ended Lodi through the ass end and drove up South Main Street, past Immaculate Conception High School for girls, through the heart of Lodi and onto Union Street since I wanted to show Bill where I used to go to church as well as my grammar school, St. Francis de Sales.

Lots of cars in the playground which led me to believe it was bingo night. I also pointed out the fence that I clung to when I was in kindergarten, screaming while nuns were horizontally pulling me from my legs and feet as I wailed and wondered aloud ‘why my mother was leaving me there.’

Off St. Joseph’s Boulevard to Church Street, past the Little League field and onto Main Street again. There used to be a dive bar at the corner of Church and Main Streets but no more. I pointed out where the heavy flooding occurs at what used to be Panama’s a greasy spoon.

Bill was getting hungry and pizza was not an option for once so after heading up Trudy Drive and onto Riverview Avenue, past the old homestead we went down Gunther Avenue and back onto Main Street once again, making a left into Saddle Brook to go to the diner.

It was refurbished once again. Once it was a typical 1950’s diner, rectangular with rounded edges, then into something else in the 1970’s, now it had an interior that resembled Planet Hollywood. I pointed out the VFW Post 3484 across from the diner, showing Bill where I used to play with other children of alcoholic parents and also where I first started smoking, though that may have also been the Lodi Boys Club.

I shouldn’t have been surprised by the fact that most everything on the menu was $2.00 cheaper than Manhattan and about $1.00 cheaper than it is in Hoboken. It was a decent meal and I picked up the tab since Bill was doing all the driving. A nice ride back to Hoboken, rather quick since we weren’t sightseeing my old haunts, instead taking Route 80 to the Turnpike where I also pointed out as we drove by places where I used to have illicit sexual encounters.

We were home soon enough, Bill once again proving himself to be an able driver. Slept really well last night and woke up to today being an alright day. The brain dead Bradley was out and it was Thomas and Calvin and myself running the show.

Time flew very fast and before I knew it, I was on the subway heading back to the bus terminal. The usual bus driver was back from vacation and I was able to explain to the worried driver the latest news with regards to Hyman Gross.

The only celebrity I saw today was the kid who plays ‘Lip’ on Shameless. I didn’t say anything to him. I did have a brief visit from Audra an old friend of Annemarie’s. It was good to see her and she certainly looked good.

That’s about it. Hope you mothers had a good day.

Me & Audra