Author Archives: johnozed

About johnozed

I'm 50+ years old, 210-ish#, 6'2", reddish blonde, blue eyes with glasses (and without) masculine, funny, relatively intelligent, enjoy the company of assorted friends and family especially sordid friends and family. I love music, reading, writing, conversing, laughing, going to films, shows, concerts and smoking cigars. And I also enjoy looking nice in a suit and tie. Looking more like Lewis Lapham than Tom Wolfe. I'm sure there is more, but we'll just have to find out when I write about it. In a lifetime relationship with partner Bill Vila.

Don’t Feel Like Dancin’

Well I didn’t do much at all today. Bill and I stayed local. Most of the day, local meant staying in the apartment. I was itchy to go out, if not the city then Hoboken. Anywhere rather than staying in. Bill napped, I finished off the Lord of the Rings. Got choked up again at the end, Frodo going off to the undying lands.

I avoided the Jerry Lewis telethon. A few years ago I got caught up in it and donated some money. But that was when I was living in Weehawken and everything was cheaper. This time of year is aways tinged with despair. It always signified the end of summer, which technically it isn’t. The whole sinking feeling of having to go back to school.

Bill and I walked around Hoboken and that was the subject at hand. Of course the mention of my having to be pried off the fence at St. Francis de Sales at the beginning of the school year was brought up. Me horizontal being held by someone deaf to my screams and cries. Yes, that’s when the whole abandonment issues started up I guess.

Growing up, this weekend was when the VFW Post 3484 had their annual picnic in Saddle Brook County Park. Fried foods, shucked clams, playing in the Saddle River, drunken veterans occasionally smacking their wives and getting thumped by quite a few not as drunk fellow veterans.

Eventually the adults realized that they would have to go home with their families, the kids whining, the parents buzzed. Keep in mind, this was the 1970’s, and if you were pulled over by the police for drunk driving, you would more than likely be told to drive home directly.

I really hated school. All of my life I hated it. It was a source of torment and bad feelings a lot of the time. Maybe it was me not being a good student, maybe I had lousy teachers. When I was given the opportunity to go to college, or actually when college was mentioned as a choice I rejected it. If I hated going to school when it was mandatory, it would be a waste of money for me to go and continue my education.

I think I chose wisely on that front. Still that horrible feeling over Labor Day weekend hits me every year. Talking about it absolutely helped and I walked Bill over to the Path train and found a quiet spot on the river where I smoked a Padron and read the New Yorker and watched a helicopter get dangerously close to various boats and buildings on the Manhattan side of the Hudson. Scary to watch but nothing bad happened.

I also seemed to be the only one paying attention. Ran into Rand and Lisa as we walked along Sinatra Drive. They were headed in the opposite direction. We walked over to Castle Point Terrace, a block of some really nice buildings by Stevens Tech.

That came about from a few days ago when I asked Bill if he could live anywhere in Hoboken where would it be. He said Garden Street because of the trees, I mentioned up where were were. Big old buildings, pre war. Nice and semi secluded.

And Sarah Palin is going to be a grandmother! How happy she must be for her 17 year old unwed daughter. Everyone’s happy about it! Abstinence only education works! Yeah!

Desafinado

4 Replies

Well today has been an easy day. Nothing strenuous or stressful. All rather pleasant. Didn’t go to the shore, even though Chaz called at 9:00 this morning. Too late, we would hit traffic and Chaz had to get back early to take his pal Andy Bear to the airport. So that was a wash out, figuratively. Still a lot of people away from Hoboken today, most stores closed for the holiday.

Right now there is a party a few buildings away and they’re singing a karaoke version of Blitzkrieg Bop. I guess it’s near impossible to sing it badly, but they’re giving it a go. A polite round of applause as they now launch into Won’t Get Fooled Again.

I’m sitting next to an open window, hearing it all as Lord of The Rings is playing behind me. The last one, Return of the King. I started watching the deluxe editions last night, stopping half way in the second one and starting up again this morning. It’s been that kind of weekend.

Today I went into the city, to Sao Paolo it seemed as today was Brazil Day. Lot’s of Brazilians and their admirers on Sixth Avenue from 43rd up to 56th Street. Crowded, lot’s of people everywhere. Live entertainment on a big stage so if you wanted to walk up Sixth Avenue you had to walk up Fifth Avenue to 47th Street.

It thinned out, going from thousands to hundreds. Lot’s of sexy people out. I decided to make my way up to Central Park. Walked to where the trombone quartet was playing last week, finding them to be a trio this week. Their duffel bag was filled with singles, though they probably could have used some Euros since there were plenty of European tourists around.

Wandered over by the skate circle, wished I could skate, but it’s too late for that. Should have tried it a long time ago, now I’d be afraid of falling and breaking something, or worse yet, looking like a quadragenarian learning how to roller skate.

I pass them by all the time when I ride my bike. There they are on roller blades, arms and legs akimbo. Walked back through the park after listening to some very fine disco, through the Brazilian crowds back to the Path train where I lucked out and snagged a seat after walking around most of the afternoon.

Bill’s home asleep for a few hours, I watching the end of the Lord of the Rings, captivated which is keeping me from finishing tonight’s entry. I know how it ends so I’ll just keep writing. It’s just that it’s the deluxe edition with extras so I’m constantly hearing scenes that aren’t usually broadcast on TV.

The karaoke quieted down, crickets chirping. They’ll be around for a few more weeks I guess, the crickets. Unless they’re still doing the karaoke and if that’s the case, this is quite possibly the best version of a Buddy Holly song with some very convincing Crickets.