Daily Archives: September 23, 2024

Arduous

It was back to work again and Bill is on the road. I took the air conditioner out of the window yesterday. It’s a lot cooled out lately and once again for the past 20 years, I would go to sleep thinking the air conditioner was going to fall out. Every sound that was made was the sound of impending disaster.

And then there are the constant intruders that only come out when I am drifting off to sleep, masked ninjas who leave empty handed since they learn we ain’t got nothin’ worth stealin’. These are the thoughts that go through my mind like a ticker tape.

And ticker tape! Is that an early 20th century word or what? No one nowhere uses ticker tape anymore. Double negative?

One half of the usual paranoid thoughts are on the docket tonight. Bill is off somewhere in New England. From what I know, all is well. This superstitious atheist knocks wood. Summer is over and done with.

We are now in the fall or autumn. Not my favorite time of year but there is nothing I can do about it. Roll with the changes I reckon. I am constantly getting Artificial Intelligence suggestions about these posts as I write them. “Would this be better?” I am constantly dismissing the suggestions.

“I’m sorry John, but you shouldn’t do that” Then it starts printing the lyrics to ‘Daisy Bell’.
Most unnerving.

Today is Bruce Springsteen’s 75th birthday. My siblings were very much into Bruce from way back when, before Born to Run. I grew up hearing his music and some resonated and stuck with me. I tried getting into the fervor but overall it eluded me.

I did see Bruce on the Born in the USA tour at Giants Stadium. Not the same as seeing Bruce at the Bottom Line for a weeklong set of shows in 1974. In 1984 I went with my brothers and my brother’s wife’s family. It was a long show and that is all I remember, besides being asked not to light a joint around my sister in law’s siblings but I did anyway.

I guess my brother who wanted to get me high when I was 14 years old(!) wanted to show how clean he was. I was 18 when I actually started smoking weed. I was out of school, not going back after graduation. I was a poor student and did not need the help of weed to prove that point.

I think that might be a subject for a future post, I know the dates, the locations, and the names of the characters in that sordid tale. Since no one but me is reading this, that is what I will do. Too late for tonight, perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps I just jinxed it.

It was over 40 years ago and it was a very different world. Arduous and a very long time is what was just mentioned on the TV and it seemed apt to apply it here. School days also is a subject I was thinking of earlier today.
Sister Christine, a horrible teacher. Miss Gaudio, nice teacher. Mrs Maria Luciano, the absolute worst. And that was just grammar school, not forgetting Sister Mary Octavian and Sister Annelle. Violent penguins.