Saturday night. A little bit tired. Been busy today and dizzy as well. Got up around 8:00 which was quite nice. Slept really well too. Showered, had some coffee and then it was out for a haircut. I was lucky. Only had to wait about 3 minutes before Tony was available for me. I asked him if he saw the Sopranos and he said he doesn’t watch it since the one time he was watching it with his wife his good friend Joe Pantoliano was getting a blow job on screen and so after that, no Sopranos for Tony ever again.

Then I went and got the bagels and the papers and headed back home. Had a nice breakfast and read the papers. Then I did some laundry. Oh the glamor of it all. It was a beautiful day and as the clothes were drying I decided to go out for a walk. Once walking I texted Juan to see if he was alive. We had a tentative plan to go to Central Park today and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be able to make it. It turned out he wasn’t. That was a disappointment but I got over it. Walked up to Burlington Coat Factory and bought myself some shirts as well as some ties and cuff links for Bill’s birthday in two weeks.

I know he doesn’t read this so I’m safe from him finding out. I’m also taking him to see Passing Strange at the Public theater. Susan and Lois from Farfetched recommended it when I saw them the other day. It also got a favorable review in the latest New Yorker. We’re going on the last night so that should be special. I heard from Annemarie before I left the apartment and also spoke with Brian as I was riding the bus into the tunnel. Everything seems fine though no one has heard anything so we’re going with ‘No News is Good News’.

Walked up to Central Park and just as I entered the park dark clouds appeared in the sky. I trudged onwards towards the rock where I can usually be found only to find a lot of construction fences were around most everything causing me to find an alternate route to the rock. I sat and listed to the first band, The Apples in Stereo. They were alright. Sounded like Mitch Easter sometimes. Television was headlining and it started to pour with lightening and thunder as accompaniment.

I was sheltered by the leaves of the trees, but rapidly losing interest in seeing Television. If someone else was there I probably would’ve have stayed but since I was solo I decided to wander through the park after the rain stopped. The rain chased a lot of people out of the park, which made it decidedly less crowded. I did see the bearded dude from TV on the Radio hanging out on the rock near me. But it wasn’t enough to get me to stay. Not even the first Robin that I’ve seen this year couldn’t do that even though it asked me to stay.

I walked down through the park to Sixth Avenue, smoking a Padron 5000. It was excellent and I stopped and watched two songs by a band called the Last Broadcast. They were pretty good, jazzy funky, poetic rap lyrics. I bought their three song ep and continued on my way to the bus terminal. I got home a little after 7:00, having been out for four hours. Not bad. Could not have done it without listening to Bob Marley all day on the iPod. Feeling Irie.

Here’s some pics.

The Last Broadcast

It’s Friday and I’m in a bad mood. Don’t know why really. Just that I am. It actually started at work, doing Vivek’s American Express bill from October. I had done it several times before, and actually had it sent in for it’s proper authorization which was done and I thought completed. Yesterday I was given the same batch that I had done with notes from the stupid bitch who used to sit at my desk. Her calculations were wrong wrong wrong. I had mine double checked already when they asked me to reconcile the two. Pointless and very frustrating.

I sat and talked to Tom Chin about it and as I was explaining he interrupts and starts telling me about what he needed done. I continued talking not letting him interrupt which caused his volume to increase as well as mine. More frustration. I went back to my desk after hearing him out, since he wasn’t really listening to me anyway. I tidied up things as best as I could and gave my work to Carla to check yet again the same numbers she checked before. I was leaving the office early again since I told them that on Monday, I was leaving early Wednesday and Friday to see brother Frank.

I know he was sent to the rehabilitation center yesterday but the office didn’t need to know that and with the way that the day was turning out it seemed like the right thing to do, to go home early. Hell, half the office was out anyway and most of the people were leaving early themselves to get a head start on their weekends. I stopped off at Cohen’s Fashion Optical to get a pair of sunglasses on sale and they were mighty happy to help me out until I pulled out my prescription which was from 2003. It was expired and the happy face they had on was gone when I declined the eye exam, saying that I didn’t have time.

I did have time to chat with Big Jess an old Rasta pal. Good to see him and his handing me some jazz cigarettes made my day but haven’t accessed the product yet, hence my ill mood. Oh it will be all for the best once I get that going. It had better or else! Got to the bus terminal and found the bus at the gate to be standing room only so I stepped aside and waited for the next one. The next one came shortly thereafter driven by a grizzled old cranky ass bus driver who opened the back door once and then no more, preferring to yell out ‘Front do-wah (door), Front do-wah.’. No one thanked him as they got off the bus and I doubt if he cared as much.

Came home and changed my clothes and went out, hoping to get a hair cut. Too long a wait and decided to create a new old wives tale about how you should never get a hair cut if you’re in a bad mood. Then I walked to the post office after dropping off my clothes at the dry cleaners, greeted with ‘Hello Mr. Oghrh’. That’s how they pronounce my last name. I saw the UPS truck and asked if my package was there. I ordered some shirts online for my niece’s wedding. Got the tag yesterday that they missed me and I called this morning but was too late. So I have to wait until Monday. Perhaps I’ll be in a better mood by then. For now, I’m staying in and avoiding contact with everyone. I don’t want to see anyone for the rest of the day.