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.

I Need Air

Well timing is everything and time is relative. I was just sitting by the river, reading a book and enjoying a cigar. The weather was pleasant after a few hours of dark clouds and rain. Bill was supposed to sing at Randall’s Island for an event this morning but it was cancelled on account of rain. The rest of my reading a book and sitting by the river enjoying a cigar was also cancelled by the rain. I sat there and the wind started and I turned around to look westward. There it was- a major storm approaching my way.

I packed up my things and headed home. Lots of people had the same idea, though they were running. I just walked fast and plotted my course with the least amount of trees on the path I was taking. It was getting windy and the trees were swaying. There were some buskers (Pat and Benny) who were probably cocktailing and oblivious to the oncoming storm. I told them about it and they turned around and started packing up their gear. The storm mainly passed, only some rain nothing torrential coming down. But it certainly looked quite ominous, enough to hurry home.

It was certainly bad out by Breezy Point in Queens where a tornado touched down. There is video out there on the interwebs should you care to look for it. I don’t think anyone was hurt which is good. Last night Bill and I watched the news where it was reported that a grandfather was watching his grandson practice football and was struck by lightning out of a clear blue sky. I guess that you never can tell, blue skies, cloudy skies- when you’re number is up, that’s it-time to go. A bunch of kids saw the old man get zapped.

Bill came home a bit damp on the clothes and more damp in the spirit. He was in no mood for anything and went back to bed. After that I headed out to read by the river. Which was the beginning of this here blog entry. I meant to post the other day that Bill and I watched the Black Swan last weekend. It was quite good and very intense. We were both impressed with the whole thing. I myself re-watched the last episodes of True Blood which ended the season last Sunday. The last two episodes of the season were the best of the season.

Now Bill and I are watching The Apartment which Bill had never seen before. Jack Lemmon’s character CC Baxter lives on west 67th Street off the park his rent was $85.00 a month. He was making $95.00 a week which was quite a princely sum back then. Bill is amazed at the pacing and plotting of the movie. It really is a great movie, one of Billy Wilder’s best. Bill is totally engrossed in the movie and I am enjoying watching Bill see it for the first time. It’s like a window into the past watching The Apartment.








13 Dirty Water

I Need A Silent Night

It’s a Friday and so far so good. Last night did not go so well. Fell asleep for about an hour or so then I woke up with the Everly Brothers singing Cathy’s Clown in my head. I did the right thing and got out of bed around 3:00 and surfed the net for a while before heading back to sleep for a few more hours. That went well, then Bill kissed me goodbye as he was headed off to the gym and then work at 6:00 then I woke up again for a little while before I was able to sleep again.

I did have a plan today. I had been corresponding with Payless since my sneakers started to fall apart soon after I bought them, but they were still wearable and they matched the chip on my shoulder. About a week after that they fell into further disrepair and I stopped wearing them. Of course I did not have the receipt but according to customer service that would be no problem. So I trooped over a couple of miles to the Newport Mall, Airwalks in my bag. I called customer service once again to make sure it was OK that I didn’t have the receipt.

And it was OK. I walked in and stood by an empty register. Just then a manager appeared and I told her my tale of woe. She understood and directed me to get a new pair if I wanted to or get store credit. I opted for the new Airwalks and after a quick and easy transaction, I was walking back to Hoboken. It was quite hot too, dense heat and a cloudless sky. I came home and took off the work boots and put on the new sneakers. Then after a few minutes I headed out again.

Busking was on the agenda for today and it had been a number of days since I last busked. I found a decent spot under a tree and set about playing some songs, A Hard Day’s Night, Walk on By, and Hateful by the Clash. It was going well. Tariq even showed up and was enjoying my playing as he was cocktailing. He is a good player and has the cojones to play on Washington Street at night, where he probably makes good money. I opt for the waterfront and the adoration of toddlers and change.

Tariq mentioned how much he enjoyed what I used to do, which was some improvisations. I play a few chords and sing about the people walking by in front of me. The color of their clothes, what’s on their t-shirts, the fact that some people look serious (but when they hear me singing about them they smile). I also sing about students from Stevens Tech and the amount of backpacks they carry to the trains and also sing about the nannies pushing strollers. So I did it again and had Tariq doubled over in laughter.

The funny thing is I am more comfortable doing that improve thing when there is a friendly face around and Tariq had the friendly face. If I had the nerve to do it without anyone around I would but since that rarely happens I rarely do it. Plus, when I do such a thing the people smile or smirk and just hurry along. They don’t linger and they don’t dig for change. But today turned out to be a good day, things went well and the toddlers showed up so happy to dance and clap along as I play. And you know that can’t be bad.