Category Archives: Hopelessly banal with a slathering of ennui

I Like Birds

4 Replies

Well it’s a Friday on a holiday weekend. I can actually feel the stress melting away outside. Last year it was work for me on the weekend, but I did wind up having that Monday off. And judging by the few entries from last year, it was in the midst or perhaps the beginning of the uneasy truce between me and the possum. I generally try to be friends with my co-workers and I did well with Don and Raymond and Sean- all former employees of the cigar shack. I am still friends with Thomas and Jerry Vale I reckon.

But trying to be friends with the possum proved fruitless, no matter how much I tried and I certainly did try quite a few times. The possum and I even talked once about how Zack loved to gossip about who was gay, and I told him Zack’s suggestion that the possum and his cousin might not be cousins at all, perhaps they were lovers, which was a thought that never entered my mind until Zack brought it up. Just about everyone in Zack’s line of vision or whoever crossed his path was possibly gay. Rashawn and Ben were likely suspects.

I have lousy gaydar so I could never tell unless I was staring down at the top of their heads or looking at their legs as they rested on my shoulders. It is fascinating that so many heterosexual men (mainly) think of man on man action, much more than most participants in man on man action.

Most of the time I responded ‘I don’t know’ to the question of ‘Do you think blah blah blah is gay?’. I really couldn’t say and I really didn’t care in any event. There were a handful of men at the shop that were or are gay, some out about it, others still lurking between the hangers. We knew each other and knew better than to let others in on the secret, at least for their own discretion. A couple of times I did see some furtive moves in the man cave, unknown to others that were sitting back there. Anyone watching the camera would have picked up on it.

I keep hearing from customers and friends, offering support as well as drinks and cigars. Tonight I will probably stop by Maxwells and say hello to RoDa. Bill is driving to Atlantic City once again tonight and it has been a while since I’ve seen RoDa. Tomorrow some customers from the cigar shack are going to be in town so I plan on saying hello to them. Then on Sunday its Harpy’s birthday and Susan from Farfetched is throwing him a party since he’s turning 60.

I was invited to go to Rumson with Rand & Lisa, but these other events were planned a few weeks ago. Hopefully they will keep me in mind the next time they are Rumson bound. So it’s a holiday weekend. Weather permitting I will take out the guitar and perhaps do some busking by the river tomorrow. I have to work on my playing since now that I am free, the Art Hams will reunite on June 10.

Hoboken is having a city wide event called the Sounds of Hoboken and Rand came up with the idea for a reunion. I asked for the day off from the possum before I got the sack so now I have plenty of time to practice. I can’t say if there will be anyone else joining us though I’m sure we wouldn’t turn anyone away. We’ll take any help we can get, like we always had.



03 Cool for Cats

I Like- Jeremih

Leave a reply

“Hopelessly banal with a heaping slathering of ennui”

So today has been a day off, and so far it’s been alright. Nothing special, just a lot of rain. Despite all that, I was still up and about. I needed a new hands free for my phone and finally have one that plays both on my iPod and my phone. I used to have to have to carry two different hands free ear buds, and I probably still will, using the older one as a backup. And I already have a back so now I will have two backups which is alright I reckon.

That entailed a trip to Radio Shack where I stood and looked at the wall of hands free things before deciding on one after talking with the sales associate who was crazy cute. An older chap with salt and pepper hair. No, nothing happened but it definitely added to the whole experience overall. From there it was a walk in the rain under the Wanker Banker umbrella that is perfect for stormy days like today.

And of course I talked on the new hands free with Bill who got the Staten Island Yankees national anthem gig. I am sure it’s only one game, but it brings him that much closer to singing for his beloved New York Yankees. Growing up, my family was New York Mets fans and I still support the Mets (though I usually don’t care) over the Yankees. But of course if Bill winds up singing in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium, you can bet I will be there.

I can’t say often enough how great it is to have Bill in my life. And we swear to be together forever. He still drives me crazy with the things he does, or the manner he says things (you have to be there, though he more than likely would not do it in front of anyone but me). But like I have explained to friends and family, When he starts driving me crazy, I take a step back and realize how much I would miss it if he stopped doing those things, or not around to do those things.

He’s my rock with ambitions to be a mountain.

And now I am going to do something that bores the piss out of some people. Still I hope to get some sort of discussion going on with regards to the following.

It’s the Return of the iTunes Shuffle!

Rufus Wainwright- Out of the Game
The opening track from Rufus’ latest record, Out of the Game. It is the pop record that was written about in the music papers and blogs the past few months. In fact when I was at the Hoboken Art & Music Festival earlier this month, while talking with Jane Scarpantoni, she reintroduced me to Andy Peters who played with Jane in Tiny Lights. Andy Peters is touring in Rufus Wainwright’s band now, and gives me a Six Degrees vibe. It’s a good song, close to an Elton John song from the mid-seventies and you know that can’t be bad.

The Beatles- Yellow Submarine
Darlington County Park, my parents station wagon with our neighbors the Foglios following in their car. One of my first musical memories was this song at that time and place. Still a fun song and it still makes me feel like a kid. The movie has just recently been remastered and released. Supposed to be great, but having seen it eight million times, I’ll pass though I would accept it as a gift with a smile.

Ben Gibbard/Feist- Train Song
From the still fantastic Dark Was The Night- Red Hot Organization compilation. I bought it as a lark when it came out since I have supported the Red Hot Organization through the years. I didn’t expect to like it or even LOVE IT but there you go. The Red Hot Organization does work for AIDS Charities and education and promotes Safe Sex and has been at it for over twenty years. Support them!

Budos Band- Nature’s Wrath
A great band, very funky and they remind me of Konk from back in the day. I saw Budos Band play a set at Maxwells a few years ago and they room was definitely swinging like it used to, and perhaps still does. At least it was swinging that night. I even went downstairs during the break in their set and told them how much they reminded me of Konk. They seemed to appreciate it and I thought it was cool they knew who Konk was. This song even has a flute on it and I don’t really mind even though the flute really isn’t on my list of favorite instruments. Sorry flautists that I know and love. You’re great, but I just don’t care for the flute.

Michael Jackson- Ain’t No Sunshine
From Michael’s childhood years, really a beautiful version with his adorable voice on the Bill Withers classic. It doesn’t sound like the Jackson Five singing back up so this must be from one of his early solo records. Definitely a Motown production and he is really hitting those notes. This is one of those songs that I have but never played before. A nice surprise and a nice way to fade out the way I faded in. Vocalists like Rufus Wainwright and Michael Jackson bookending this here Return of the iTunes Shuffle thing.

“I told you so.”





06 Hey You