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.

Riddler!

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Well I’m probably going to post later, it’s 6:53PM now. I thought I’d get started after I see Nick Lowe at McSwells with brother Brian at McSwells. It’s a foggy, balmy day always feeling like rain. Ran a few errands today around midtown and I heard a few people complaining about how cold it was. These people were spoiled last week when the temperature was in the upper 70’s. Work was interesting, a deal seems to have been made, a meeting went on all day long and when I left everyone involved in the meeting seemed content.

I had to go to the post office this afternoon for myself. I heard from the company that made the earphones I got from Julio and Stine this past holiday season, once again giving me an RA number so I can send back the earphones for the fourth time. I waited a short time on line then I got to the counter.

The Mailman behind the counter asks me:
‘Name 4 US Presidents not buried in the US.’ I answered correctly.

Then he said, ‘There is a race, and you overtake the guy in 2nd place. What place are you now in?’
This I answered incorrectly.
Finally, he riddled,
“There are 2 coins that add up to 30 cents. One of them is not a nickel. What are those coins?”

That one I knew from Scrubs, and no, it’s not a penny and a button with 29 cents written on it. It actually made for an interesting and fun experience at the post office for once. I did wonder, that if I hadn’t gotten any of the riddles right, would he refuse to handle my mail? It was reminiscent of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, crossing over the Bridge of Death. I would have been prepared, I know my sparrows.

What are your answers?

Well here we are later, and by ‘we’ I mean the royal ‘we’ and by that I mean ME. Several pints later. I really don’t do this that often, despite being in quite a similar state last weekend. By this I mean, drinking. Nick Lowe, very good. Excellent, in fact. Sold out show, jam packed. Also found out the secret word to tell the door people and get you into a sold out show. Me, 3 sheets to the wind. If it were 4, you would not be reading this. A good time had by Brian and special guest Chaz. Chaz duly writing down each song for his endless compilation.

I wound up going to bed immediately after writing those lines. Couldn’t focus and my fingers weren’t doing what I wanted them to do. Sleep uneasily, of course. A number of pints will do that to you.

Saw Roger, Ira Hubley and Georgia Kaplan as well as Thaylor and her husband Tom. Nick Lowe sang his hits, I Knew The Bride, Cruel to Be Kind, What’s So Funny (About Peace, Love and Understanding) as well as some new ones which were quite good. He’s very personable on stage, telling stories about his tour. He mentioned that it was the first time he was ever in Hoboken, after touring the US for the past 30 years, which was somehow fitting since it was the last night of his tour. Brian gave me a ride home and that is where I am now, waiting for Julio to play the role of Egg Man on this foggy day in Hoboken town. Sorry you had to wait, but the bottom of those pint glasses were so engrossing.

Here’s the best pic of the Basher himself. It’s a bit blurry but then again, so was I.

Yes I finished this this morning, and since I started it last night, I’ve post dated the entry.

You Can’t Say No Forever

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Let’s see. Betty sent me a story about how Julie Nixon Eisenhower is a Barack Obama supporter, giving the maximum allowed by law. Her sister, Tricia Nixon Cox is a McCain supporter. Betty also sent me a link about the longshoremen and dock workers from Long Beach to Seattle going on a strike for May Day as a protest against the war. No mention of this on the national news. Brian Williams who I used to like isn’t mentioning at all.

Betty always sends me informative links since we are of similar mindsets. I first knew Betty when she was a waitron at McSwells and had an apartment directly above the bar. When I was living in Hoboken for those very long months in 1991, I would wait at the bus stop outside of McSwells and Betty would have a chat with me from her window above. Then I would take a bus into the city to get a bus out to Lodi. Such stupid, futile times those were.

For some reason I just flashed on a memory of playing something called The Noise Fest in Rahway NJ. It must have been around 1985. I had my Fender Super Bullet II plugged in, and my body was filled with caffeine. I did my fast rhythmic thing, Lois played bass, Jane played cello, and two others played various percussion. We were the Lay Offs and we were noisy alright, and I was a bundle of nerves unable to look at the audience which gave the appearance of being aloof. Don’t know why that popped into my head. There’s a tape of it somewhere, maybe.

Last night Bill was here once again and that was good. We watched, what else, but Lawn Hor d’oeuvres. It was better than The Olivia Show somewhat, all about a Scientology type group that an artist was trying to frame for his wife wanting to leave him and her murder. It was ok. I try to guess the killer in the first 5 minutes but I guessed wrong, it wasn’t the art dealer, it was the artist. I went to sleep soon after that, Bill stayed up to watch some David Letterman.

Once again, slept really well and once again slept later than I used to. Bill stayed in bed as I showered and dressed and still sleeping when I went off to work. He’s been going to his mother’s apartment before work to make sure she’s eating properly. When he comes to Hoboken he also goes there before coming over to make sure she’s eaten dinner and ready for bed.

I made my way across town, since it was Thursday I stopped by Smilers, saw Bill’s biggest fan, West Indian Tony and got myself an egg sandwich. Thursday also means Penne, Pesto and Chicken for lunch. It really is the little things in life that gets you through the day. Well at least today it was the little things.

This weekend is the Hoboken Spring Art and Music Fest which means a street fair with all the little knick knacks and tchotchkes that you don’t really need. Where in the past the music was the Bongos, or Patti Smith or Dr. John, this year it’s Micky Dolenz who lately looks like a former dictator from the Soviet Bloc. Don’t know if I’ll be checking it out, though deep down I know I’ll check out one or two songs. I’ll let you know.

Here is a white tiger swimming.

This has been my 900th entry. Woo hoo! Cheers!