Monthly Archives: September 2012

I Need A Doctor

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Well today is a rather unimpressive Labor Day. It’s been cloudy and seems like it is going to rain at any time. I suppose that is how it should be the ones who feel that Labor Day is the end of summer though we know it isn’t really. Bill is down in Atlantic City, with no play to stage manage and no wakes to attend in Puerto Rico and no place to sing the Star Spangled Banner he is back to bus driving which is his true love, or at least one of them. I guess it’s a return to normalcy… whatever that is.

Saturday was a very nice day. I did post the videos of Bill singing. We had a few giggles when we got back home, specifically how Bill marches out of the frame, his chest all puffed up like someone is about to get duffed. We also discussed how we have to get Bill a new outfit for events such as this. Some nice new trousers would do, something more fitting since Bill has lost quite a bit of weight the past months. Overall though, the trip to Staten Island was a lot of fun, the ferry ride is always fun.

It was quite crowded in the Manhattan terminal, at least a few hundred of us standing around waiting for the ferry to arrive while an earnest busker played her songs, vocals and guitar over amplified where it was thisclose to being distorted. Still she has more nerve than I and I duly tossed a dollar into her case for which she thanked me. After each song she received a smattering of applause and when she covered The Police, Message in a Bottle I told Bill that I had been practicing that song a few days before.

We received wristbands that enabled us to ‘All You Can Eat’ only it was certain foods we were allowed to eat. We found that out getting on a line and ordering food and then showing the wristband. Then we were told we had to get in the queue about thirty feet away where the foods were hot dogs, hamburgers, bags of potato chips and Pepsi. So of course Bill and I ate what we could, occasionally getting back in the queue for more grub. It was ‘All You Can Eat’ after all and we were very hungry.

Bill’s voice teacher Susan joined us near our seats with her friend Laura. They set about doing box scores as Bill and I enjoyed the game and the antics that the Staten Island Yankees provide. Dancers, games and t-shirts thrown into the crowd. At the 7th Inning, Bill sang God Bless America and that went over very well. Staten Islanders all reaching out to sake Bill’s hand, telling him his version was the best ever. I was quite proud of Bill.

We left at the 8th inning, the Staten Island Yankees hadn’t scored. Another couple of hundred people all milling about waiting for the next ferry. Young people, all dolled up for a night in Manhattan. Girls and boys all tarted up ready to paint the town red. We were home around 11:30 and it was too late for me to go to Maxwells, plus I was very tired. My mood had lifted, probably from spending time with Bill. We watched Humoresque on Turner Classic Movies, starring Joan Crawford, John Garfield and Oscar Levant who impressed both Bill and myself. I enjoyed Levant’s humor and Bill enjoyed his piano playing. It was a nice end to a nice day overall, and I owe it all to Bill.

Susan and Bill


Eastwooding.





More Eastwooding



Ho Hum Labor Day


3 – What the World Needs Now Is Love

I Love You Bill Vila

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Another day in Hoboken. Plenty of parking to be had and not much of a reason to write, except to write those 500 words and be done with it. I am still in a bit of a funk and I guess I will work my own way out of it eventually. I was pretty tired yesterday and had a nice nap in the late afternoon. And I had a dream where I had woken up from the nap and opened the door while holding the guitar as Bill walked in. Of course that didn’t happen. Bill didn’t come home until a few hours later, having had a lesson with his voice teacher in preparation for the singing of the national anthem and another song during the seventh inning stretch.

That is happening tonight at the baseball stadium of the Staten Island Yankees which is supposed to be close to the ferry terminal. I am fairly ambivalent to the whole thing. Of course seeing Bill sing is always a thrill. The national anthem takes about one minute and thirty seconds to sing. The other song, written by Irving Berlin more than likely takes about two minutes and hopefully thirty seconds to sing. It’s not one of my favorite songs and hopefully once that song is completed we can head back home.

There was a plan to see my brother Frank at Maxwells. He is going to see the dB’s and I would be going to see him, but since I am feeling the way I am feeling I would much rather just go home than do anything that involves going out. Plus as much as I like the dB’s on their records, I find them live to be rather dull. They’re all competent musicians but live there is something lacking. Of course I’ve had hit or miss experiences when going to see the dB’s which my brother brought up when we spoke the other day on the phone.

As usual writing helps me out despite my dislike of writing. To quote Dorothy Parker: “I hate having to write but love having written”. That sums it up for me basically. Last night Bill and I watched the Sound of Music. He had never seen it before from start to finish (and technically he still hasn’t since he walked in on the first half hour) and he loved it and kept thanking me for showing it to him. I enjoyed it myself but still it didn’t lift me out of my funk. Perhaps it would take something other than a movie that is almost as old as I am.

I went to bed before Bill and did not sleep that well at all. Lots of tossing and turning and not much rest in that. I could have used a few more hours but I was up before Bill and when I went out he was still asleep. And now it’s going on almost three hours with no contact from Bill. Perhaps he is still asleep. I did turn the volume up on the phone so if he decides to call I will hear it. But if he doesn’t and heads to the Staten Island Yankees game without me, well then I am off the hook and able to do nothing whatsoever which of course, is more than fine with me.

Sleep seems like the proper option which I hope to do the first chance I get, the sooner the better.