A gray day in Hoboken. A Sunday. Mother’s Day. No one around, Bill driving, Julio doing his thing, Juan doing his, Song in Sydney. I just got in from sitting on the stoop in front of my building, listening to the Ipod. Paul Simon’s ‘Surprise’. Yes I am surprised too. After reading about Brian Eno’s involvement I had to check it out. Its actually very good and a departure for Paul Simon.

Eno co wrote a few songs and provided electronics and soundscapes. Quite nice. I’m still hooked on the Arcade Fire, ‘Funeral’. That continues to blow me away, it’s so touching and beautiful and occasionally noisy.

On the news was a mention of the movie, ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and how the Christians are up in arms because the movie departs from reality. Reality? People have never heard of fiction it seems. And faith is so easily shaken by the mere mention of an opposing thought. Or even a new thought. Perhaps they’re worried about how if people can be held under the sway of a bible, then another book might have the same power.

I’ll probably go see it since Julio had read the book and I, like most everyone else, like Tom Hanks. Seems like fun escapism for an hour or so.

It continues to be gray outside and inside the television spews forth bad news from around the world. Not too many people out on the street, the occasional mother dressed in her finery and her children. Other than that, pretty quiet.

Saturday Night Live was pretty funny with Julia Louis Dreyfuss hosting with musical guest Paul Simon who performed two songs off his new cd. Juan hung out last night and we watched Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Spalding Gray’s Swimming to Cambodia both of which he had never seen before. Julio, who is phobic about seeing a film he’s seen before stayed away. Bill came home after another Foxwoods journey midway through Swimming to Cambodia and went to bed soon after, since he needed to wake up at 4:00AM to repeat the Foxwoods trail again.

Juan split after Saturday Night Live, and I went to bed. I think it’s time to get some new pillows since the ones I have are causing discomfort. Perhaps I can convince Julio to give me a ride to Target this week sometime. Nice selection of Pillows and everyone likes Target. I heard Tom Hanks shops there.

Back to work tomorrow. Thinking positive in a trepidatious manner. It’s really the only way. Just have to make sure things go smoothly.

Julio’s coming up tonight to watch the Sopranos and Big Love tonight so goes our Sunday routine. I’m glad Bill and Julio get along, just as I’m glad that Bill and Juan get along since lately when Bill comes home, one or the other, or sometimes both are sitting on the couch watching the telly.

30 years ago on Sunday nights it was Kojak at 9:00. Now it’s the Sopranos. The prime time for the Alpha Male.

I got very drunk last night on two drinks. Two very strong drinks. The evening started out meekly, Juan hanging out, Bill arriving and Julio showing up with beer and ice soon after. Bill and I had our first session with Philip Beansprout at his office on 57th Street. It’s an old showbiz building with pictures of various residents and businesses from the past. A nice montage of Jose Ferrer hung near the door. He lived here at some point.

The session went well, Philip has a nice office with a much more comfortable couch with throw pillows and a varied selection of books. It was a reintroduction of sorts and was very pleasant. Afterwards we strolled down Fifth Avenue and talked a bit. We’re sometimes chatty afterwards, sometimes not. This was a not. I was thinking about my mother and Bill understood.

We came home and I spoke with Juan who came over and Julio who came up and the drinking began. Julio made an Absolut diet 7Up for me, which was subtly strong. It took some time to finish it and I made my own the next time. I could barely drink it. I was rocked. Bill had just gone to bed and Julio and Juan were here waiting for Bill Maher to come on which was the plan.

I was so drunk I wanted them to leave. I was drinking a lot of water and still couldn’t dilute the alcohol. As soon as the show ended the two of them were out. A minute later I was horizontal, sleeping the sleep of the damned.

Or merely drunk. Not enough food was the culprit.

This morning I woke up a little bit fuzzy headed. Not the dues paying for the Pipers Union problem. I was relatively ok. I had some coffee and got the bagels and the papers. I spoke with Julio who mentioned once again he had no clue how drunk I seemed. Juan felt that he was a bit drunk, but he had a Stella Artois and a vodka. I only had vodka and felt that.

A hearty breakfast was good, and doing laundry kept me busy and the gel cap that I took removed whatever edge there might have been. I spoke with RoDa and Juan and made plans to check out the Jean Michel Basquiat show at the Dietch Projects. Unfortunately I didn’t know there were a few branches of the Dietch Projects, fortunately the art we saw in the other branches were a lot of fun.

There was even a wish tree by Yoko Ono, which I participated in by writing a wish for love and peace. We found where the Basquiat show was and walked in. For RoDa it’s like a spiritual event, his love Jean Michel is that great. Probably as much as my fondness for Andy Warhol, and that adds a fun aspect in the fact that both Andy and Jean Michel collaborated and were good friends.

Afterwards we strolled around Soho and the Village making it back to Hoboken in time to hang out some more before RoDa going off to work at McSwells.

Bill is back from driving his bus to Foxwoods in Connecticut and we’re all watching ‘Swimming to Cambodia’ which Juan has never seen. So it was all good today. Here are some pics.