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 guess most everyone has gone back to their routines now that summer is unofficially over. And I guess it is somewhat fitting that it’s been a grey day overall, with periods of rain. It’s supposed to be like this until Thursday, at least that is what the forecast said. I was intending to go busking and tempt the weather but after a trip to the supermarket it started to rain so busking wasn’t going to happen. I practiced inside instead. It went well, keeping the callouses intact which makes playing chords that much easier. Still it would have been nice to go and play.

A trip to the bibliothèque was also in order. A DVD I had taken out was never put on my card. When I returned it, that’s when it went on the card. I walked to the bibliothèque and spoke to an elderly woman behind the counter. I don’t think she is that computer savvy so I’ve been checking the library card on the BCCLS website which still has the DVD on my library card. I did contact BCCLS about it when I got back home and they suggested doing what I had already done, talk to my bibliothèque.

That’s about all for now so here is a flashback to previous September 4’s over the years.

September 4, 2006 was Labor Day and Bill and I just got a California King sized bed. It was difficult to carry up four flights of steps, difficult until Julio helped us. We watched Syriana on DVD, Julio, Bill and I and also drank some beers on the front stoop, at least Julio and I did. Personally I think my writing has improved since 2006 but then again, what do I know?

September 4, 2007 was a Tuesday and it was 80 degrees. Bill was with his mother who was beginning to suffer from Alzheimer’s. I was working for that Biotechnology Investment Bank (BIO-IB), everyone back from their holiday weekend including Greg Stevens who was in the Hamptons for two weeks. Everything seemed to be going nicely in 2007.

September 4, 2008 was a scorcher and a Thursday. The place where I used to get my lunch on Thursdays was closed. I was still working for the BIO-IB. Bill and I watched the right wing convention and collection of idiots and morons. Also got into a flame war with some trolls. My how times have changed.

September 4, 2009 was a Friday and I was unemployed after the BIO-IB went under. Not my fault! Some Maxwells people were heard from via casual encounters on the street. I wrote about how the state of Texas murdered an innocent man ignoring scientific evidence and instead believeing in superstitious ways. God will welcome the innocent I suppose but would this god condemn those who had the innocent man’s blood on their hands? Silly gods and stupid believers. Bill got ready for driving the bus again. plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

September 4, 2010 working at the cigar shack on a Saturday. The one I wrote about as Raymond was still working there even though he was caught with his hand in the till on the store camera. It’s a good thing Raymond did not take to writing about his day or else they would have fired his ass ASAP. A bomb scare had the cigar shack evacuated with the rest of the area. A fire at the sanitation terminal made for a smoky and smelly lunch hour. Drinks with Rand and Lisa and Lois at Maxwells.

September 4, 2011 was a Sunday and therefore I did not write. Aren’t you lucky?

Enjoy the Silence 12 Inch Mix

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.