Category Archives: Interesting Things as of Late

isn’t it all?

Somedays

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Well obviously I didn’t write last night, nothing to write about really. Today there are somethings to write about, but first last night. What did I do? I watched TV. Watched Law and Hor d’oeuvres more than likely. Watched a documentary about Funk, James Brown, Temptations, Stevie Wonder and George Clinton. That was fun, a wonderful distraction from the boredom of day to day life. Also watched Saturday Night Live which was a lot of fun, having been off the air for the past three months. Tina Fay was the very funny guest host and Carrie Underwood was ok, not my cuppa, but she wasn’t terrible.

Julio stopped by earlier in the evening, with a new used TV for me. Big 24 inch screen, not HD but big screen, good sound and I’m happy with it. It also gave me a chance to hang out with Julio who lately I only see maybe once a month. I was also able to give him the onesie I got for the baby due on April. It’s a nice blue one piece that says ‘I’m Super’ and has a cape for the 0 to 3 month old set. We discussed the Viewing and the Wake this afternoon. Mainly, what’s the difference between a viewing and a wake? I had no clear idea, just that I figured the Viewing would be religious themed and the Wake a more social thing, which in fact it turned out to be.

I went to bed after SNL and woke up around 8:00 this morning. Did my thing, which for the first time in days, included shaving and my legs were silky smooth afterwards. I picked out what I was going to wear today, my charcoal gray double breasted pinstriped Givenchy suit with a French cuff shirt and a somber black tie. I did run out this morning to get the Sunday morning sundries, including bagels and the newspaper for the denizens of 3R, Julio and Stine. A nice breakfast, good coffee and the newspapers filled my morning and at around 12:00 I knew I had to get moving, not wanting to be late for the wake.

I hopped on a bus and surprisingly people stepped aside and let me on the bus first, with an ‘After you, Sir’. I guess I projected a look of authority, either that, or I was that bangin’. In any event, I sat towards the back of the bus, and started reading The Diving Bell and The Butterfly which I probably could have finished with another hour on the bus. But it wasn’t to be. The book, by the way has a few chuckles in it. My sister Annemarie and her husband Rex saw the film yesterday and they liked it. I wonder if Annemarie is like me, once I get home, I log on and try to get as much info as possible. I told her that some of the music is on a loop which sounds a bit ambient and you can play it for hours without tiring of it, which is what I’ve been doing on and off lately.

I lucked out when I got tot he city, sidestepping all the tourist as I made a beeline down 42nd street from the bus terminal to Grand Central. An express train arrived soon after and I found myself on the upper east side a half hour early. I walked over to 1010 Park Ave, the Park Avenue Christian Church and hung outside having a smoke. Bill came out and had to move his Zip car. His mother was inside with his cousin Elsie. Bill’s friend Margaret was there as well, giving me a big hug and telling em she loves me very much, for what I’ve been doing for Bill as well as for being myself. As if there was someone else I could be. There isn’t. I tried.

The Viewing was religious as I thought it would be and I rebuffed all opportunities to sing hymns in English and Spanish, avoiding a chance to mangle a tune in two languages. Various people from Bill’s past showed up, hugs and well wishes abounding. Bill and his friend Kirk and Tom accompanied Bill as he played a song on the piano, Kirk on flute, Tom on drums. I think that was when it hit Bill. He became quite emotional. Perhaps music speaks best for Bill rather than words. It was beautiful and I wasn’t sure if I should have applauded.

Julio and Stine showed up and I introduced them to everyone I knew during the Wake. It all ended after that, Bill needed to get the Zip car to drive his mother back home, and I decided to head back with Julio and Stine. Stine had some friends coming in from Denmark and we all walked over to the Paramount Hotel to see if they checked in. They hadn’t so we went to a French bistro around the block where we all had something to eat. Stine’s friend, Stine showed up with here husband and they sat and talked with us, Stine and Stine speaking that crazy Danish talk. I felt like a fifth wheel so I made my exit, bidding all a good night. Lucked out, there was a bus waiting and I was home in 20 minutes, where I am right now.

Song For Guy

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Well it’s Wednesday, which feels like a Tuesday which happened last month following Martin Luther King’s birthday holiday. Last night, no big deal, watched Keith Olbermann instead of Daily Show which was repeats, same for Colbert Report I guessed. Couldn’t say I watched Olbermann, more like listened to him and not fully at that. He is right on a lot of the time, but there is something in the timbre of his voice that is annoying. After that, more Soul documentaries, this time on Gospel being introduced in the Pop market, specifically Sam Cooke.

It was a repeat which I didn’t realize until I heard Mavis Staples mentioning that people were taking bets to see if Mavis was a boy or a girl. She’s a woman. I remember the first time I saw the Staple Singers on the American Music Awards. I didn’t know who they were, but I liked them and their song, I’ll Take You There. I enjoyed Pops Staples voice a lot, such a simple way of singing, yet backed with an authority that I had never heard before.

After that I watched The Olivia Show, i.e., Law and Order Special Victims Unit. It was good, with Jared Harris as the arch-villain, a homicidal artist doing several life sentences with followers on the outside willing to do his bidding, ala Charles Manson. Jared Harris played a decent Andy Warhol in the movie, I Shot Andy Warhol, not as good as Bowie in Basquiat though. Don’t want the son of the late Richard Harris to get a swelled head.

Then I went to bed after talking with Bill on the phone. Woke up, did my thing and was on the second bus since I was too late for the first. The second bus isn’t as comfortable as the first and it really makes a difference. Read the New Yorker, determined not to fall behind, though I have plenty of other things to read and distract me from the magazine. More errands to run around midtown for, more chores in the office. It wasn’t bad, I enjoy being busy.

Also finagled an early exit since some items needed to be taken to the post office for special deliveries. I had talked with Bill, we had to meet up, I needed to get money from him, so I called him from outside his building as I stood having a Padron. He came down, and we talked for a few minutes.

I had been meaning to ask him how his father was doing and Bill told me his plans to take his mother out to St. Albans to see his father this weekend. It was cold so Bill went back inside and I continued on my way to the bus terminal. Got to Hoboken and had to get coffee. There was that girl again, all chatty and nice. She mentioned she lived on my block so I decided to give her a break. I told her that the first time we met she was a bit rude and she apologized profusely blushing deep red.

Her excuse was that she had been working a 16 hour shift since there was quite a turnover in the coffee shop around that time. I asked her name, she said Stephanie and I introduced myself, shaking her hand and telling her that it was a fresh start. She kept apologizing and I reassured her that it was alright now. Also ran into that sweetheart Allie Politowski on the street, and it’s always good to see Allie.

Picked up dry cleaning, brought it home and found that the trousers I asked to have the cuffs removed, still cuffed. I turned around and brought the suit back, leaving the cell phone home, thinking I was going to be gone for just a couple of minutes. Also had to run to the supermarket where I waited on an awfully long line. Came back with the cell phone ringing next to the computer.

It was Bill, he didn’t sound so good. His father passed away an hour ago. So with that I need to cancel my dental appointment at the NYU Dental School, and I don’t think I’ll be posting the next couple of days. I’m sure you’ll understand. Peace.

added 11:05PM
Bill’s home with his mom and his cousin, Elsie. They went out to St Albans and made the necessary arrangements. They’re in grief mode, Bill on automatic pilot, making all the decisions.