Christmas Eve. Every year for quite a while now we gather at my brother Brian’s house on Christmas Eve. When my mother was still alive we’d meet in Lodi at my parent’s house. I don’t think we ever went there on Christmas Eve after she died. Maybe the year she died we did but we all probably found it all too depressing and decided not to do that again.

My sister Annemarie is in California and is in contact with us through a phone call. Not the same thing but it’s a chance to speak with all of us on the east coast under one roof at the same time. We all wish Rex, Earl and Annemarie a wonderful holiday. One of these years I’ll go out there or maybe they’ll be here. It would be great. Haven’t spent the holidays with them in ages.

TBS is showing Christmas Story over and over and that’s really a lot of fun. Bill and I just exchanged presents. I got him some photo books on buses, which in his case qualifies as porn. He got me a video Ipod. Ay caramba!

Totally unexpected. I am blown away, literally and figuratively. Wowee Kazowee. I am so glad we got back together. It would’ve been a bad holiday otherwise. And I write that not because of the Ipod. I do love him so. Hillary, Brian and Cassie adore him. He tells them the most detailed things about driving buses and they are totally engrossed. Amazing. They are great kids, Bill included.

Julio noted that I love Bill because of that childlike quality. It’s true, I can’t deny it. There is an innocence in his eyes and his manner.

My brother Brian and I seem to really bond around this time of year. We always do a shot of Jagermeister together. If Frank drank, he’d join us I’m sure, but he doesn’t drink so he doesn’t join us.

Bill drove a Zip car Volvo which allowed me to drink. And drink I did. Tis the season. That is probably the third time I wrote that in the past few days. Me likey the Absolut. Elaine did too. No booze for Cory, not since Karen’s party and Frank’s watchful eye. And her falling under the influence of her nasty uncle, me. And Brian.

There was the usual unease about seeing almost everyone en masse. And as usual it was unwarranted. Bill and I dressed in suits and ties and had to answer several times why we were dressed up.

My family never sees me like this, and they don’t see Bill like that either. It’s fun and any excuse to get dressed up will do in our book. And that book is being written everyday together.

Brian’s wife Karen out did her self once again. One of these years she’ll actually sit down and enjoy the meal with us that she had labored over for quite a while. Karen has definitely fulfilled the role of matriarch for the O’Tooles. No Jones Sausages at 1:00 AM. She cooked a beef tenderloin. Such a sweetheart. They all are.

Oh everything is just so fucking great. Life is wonderful. I just smile through the day. It’s my umbrella you know. I turned my frown upside down, and have put away all sharp objects. I cannot harm myself or anyone else. I work for the most wonderful company filled with the best coworkers ever!

I love them all so god damned much! I can’t imagine not working with them. Well that’s a double negative so I guess I can imagine not working with them. I plan on joining the office collection to get John McGruff a present for Christmas. I think they’re leaning towards a spine. He hasn’t had one for so long.

That was my mantra. I carried it through most of the day. Smile, say hello to everyone including Helen Pollard Isaac, who said I was a fag last week. Yes the death by kindness is my motive. I figure since they’re killing me with death by a thousand cuts, the least I can do is smile through the ordeal.

I listened to Pylon today. A lot of Pylon. They are/were a great band from Athens, GA. Vanessa, Michael, Curtis and Randy. I saw them quite a few times. I have to admit, the first time I saw them I didn’t like them very much. I saw them open for Talking Heads in Central Park in 1980.

I bought their second album at Free Being, a now defunct record store on 2nd Avenue. As soon as I played it, I fell in love with them. I turned Jet onto them also. Very danceable, stark and great vocals. Vanessa would dance wildly on stage, as Curtis would beat up his drums, and Randy and Michael would choreograph bass and guitars swinging in time to the beat.

One of their best songs was called ‘K’. It’s all about playing Scrabble, including points. There’s another song called ‘Yo Yo’. They were so great. They broke up in the eighties after touring over and over and not making much of an impression. They connected with me, but I certainly didn’t have the means to support them.

They reunited and played McSwells. Jet who was beginning his slide toward terminal illness was able to go to the show. I put him on the list as my guest, and he hung out with me as I DJ’d. He wasn’t strong enough to stay long after the show but still it provided a happy memory for the both of us.

If only it were a different time, Jet and I could’ve been roommates in Athens GA. What we’d be doing there, I have no idea. Despite the fact that it’s a college town, I don’t think either one of us would’ve wanted to go to school. Not there or anywhere.

Pylon still becomes active every now and then. They played on New Year’s Eve last year in Athens. I don’t think they’ll be coming up north anymore though. They all have their lives away from Rock And Roll. Vanessa has her kids, Curtis is a carpenter, Michael, or Randy has a clothing line.

They have a cool website www.wearepylon.com
Cheers.