Category Archives: moldies but moodies

Station to Station

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Well it’s day two of a return to normalcy. Not much to report really. Greg Stevens due to return tomorrow, Vivek the day after. I’ve been doing my best to get along with Tom Chin, mentioning how I plan on running a tighter ship this year which made him wonder what the hell was I doing last year. The proper answer was not much. This year I plan to budget my time, and make sure the receptionist has plenty to do.

Her name is Lydia, she’s originally from Estonia. She’s actually a tennis pro at Greg Steven’s country club and since this isn’t exactly tennis season, in order to prevent her from roaming the winter streets of Southampton, we found a spot for her, just fine and dandy. She’s willing to pitch in, roll up her sleeves and get dirty. If only we had some dirt for her to work with. She seems content with stocking the refrigerator and checking the machines and making sure there is paper in each one. And she’s being schooled on how to make a proper cup of coffee.

I spoke to the woman she replaced the other day, Carla who is doing well at her gig, not so new anymore since it’s been a few months already. We had plans to meet during the holiday season but things being what they were and me being who I was, we decided that soon we’ll meet up for drinks after work. Same thing with Brenda, formerly from Wanker Banker. Drinks promised but never delivered. I didn’t want to sit and bemoan my fate so I avoided drinks with her. I think we are good enough friends to be able to pick up where we left off and have some drinks soon enough.

Since it was in the 60 degree range today and seems to be that way for the rest of the week, this could be the week to do it. But with who? Brenda or Carla? Can’t have them both together since they both want 100% of me. Carla might be in the lead since I actually spoke to her on the phone, and hadn’t spoken to Brenda since last year. And on the contacting friends from the past, thanks to Bill I’ve been re-enrolled in Facebook and in so doing a few friends from McMann and Tate have crept up and invited me to be their friend.

Not all of the knobs from McMann and Tate though, just the cool ones, who are effortlessly cool, not balding pates trying to regain some semblance of being hip by buying high priced Diesel jeans and rolling them up just right. But it’s the nice, cool ones that get my attention and rightfully so. I guess it’s a good way to start out the year, reconnecting with former coworkers, now friends. So here I am, in January sitting next to an open window. Not much of a breeze and it’s quite balmy out.

I ordered a book for someone for Christmas in December via eBay, it didn’t get here in time for the holidays. That’s what you get when you order a $26.00 book for $6.00. But it took almost a month for a book to get from Bellmore Long Island to midtown Manhattan. I’m sure if it wasn’t for my doing some detective work and directly contacting this woman through her email, not via eBay did the trick, or else I’ll still be waiting. So I’m reading the book now, it’s quite good. I won’t mention the title since I plan on giving it to someone once I’m done with it. Then they could give it to someone when they’re done reading it. Nice plan, huh?

And today, David Bowie turns 61, Soupy Sales turns 81.

“Be true to your teeth, or they’ll be false to you”.

When I’m Sixty-Four

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Last night I downloaded a remix of ‘Situation’ by Yaz. Despite the fact that I sometimes try to communicate with Bill vis a vis music, I was not trying to tell Bill something with the ‘move out’ refrain. Just wanted to clear the air. It was a decent remix, nothing to write home about, but disconcerting with that playing and Bill sitting a foot or two behind me. And I don’t want him to move out.

Yesterday morning Bill mentioned going to Arthur’s Steakhouse for dinner. Sounded like a good idea. Then he went off and did what he did, came home and crashed. I came home from cycling and found him asleep in the bed. He woke up around 9:00 and didn’t say anything about dinner. I brought it up, asking if he said something about going out to Arthur’s. He said he did, and then he didn’t say much else. Now it was 9:30, and I was hungry.

Finally as I mentioned that I was going out to get some food, he mentioned that we could go. I reckoned that by the time we get there, wait for a table, and sit down and eat it would be too late. So I went out and got some chicken from the Chicken and Rib Crib. Came home, and me being a nice guy offered him some of my dinner. He ate as we watched some telly, not really taking about anything. I did mention that I might not be able to make it to next Friday’s session since I had something to do with work. Something like going to Coney Island on an office outing. I have to call Phillip to reschedule. Either that, or its week number three without going to our couples counseling.

Today was a day at the beach. Julio, Stine and I all talked about it briefly last night and there we were, on the sand before noon. We were joined by Julio’s sister Maria and her fiancé, Paul. Bill was driving somewhere, and he knows that if the weather is permitting a trip to the beach is usually in order. Bill has his passion, which is driving buses. Mine is being at the beach with good friends.

I was very happy that the iPod adapter I got Julio for his car is working phenomenally well. I love playing the DJ.

It was very windy and the water was cold. Too cold to go in, 60-65 degrees with a way too cool breeze. We didn’t go to Sandy Hook, we didn’t go to Monmouth beach, we went to Sea Bright, which left Julio and I aghast with the amount of people. Stine and Maria preferred public facilities, Julio, Paul and myself, being men could pee anywhere. Rather than risk Sandy Hook being overcrowded, we heeded Paul’s suggestion and wound up in Sea Bright.

As the hours passed it was getting more and more crowded. We guessed that Sandy Hook had reached capacity and Sea Bright being the next public beach, was soon filled with people on line, headed out to the street about 100 yards in the sun waiting to pay seven dollars a head to get in.

The beach was definitely family oriented so jazz cigarettes were not to be enjoyed. That was a drag, or rather it wasn’t. We had a few beers and watched umbrellas fly down the shoreline due to the fact that they weren’t anchored properly. The flying umbrella could be a dangerous thing if you’re not paying attention.

We wound up leaving earlier than we usually do. We left at 3:00. Julio couldn’t deal with the crowds and they kept straggling in. We got back to Hoboken around 4:30 and went our separate ways. I jumped in the shower and decided to head into the city to Folsom East. It was crazy hot in the city as I walked the Chelsea border of 23rd street.

I ran into Tony, someone I knew (not biblically) in the nineties. Similar interests you see. He’s had a hard time the past few months and today was his first outing since his partner died in October. Alas he was heading back to Jersey City and I was headed to a bunch of leather queens. I wandered around, looking good I must say, but not seeing anyone I knew. Still awfully hard to met men, even if they are wearing a leather harness and a leather jackass, erm, jock strap.

I had a La Gloria Cubana and strolled around, excusing myself if I had to brush past some hairy back. It went unheard, courtesy and politeness just aren’t done at leather functions. It was humorous to see some men dressed totally from head to toe in leather and it’s in the nineties, the sun beaming and no breeze or flying umbrellas in sight. I saw a few online contacts that are not much bigger than their thumbnail photographs or otherwise way too tall and creepy in real life.

I walked back to the Path train and was home at 8:00. All in all a pretty good day.

It didn’t start out that way though. At some point last night as I was turning over in my sleep I elbowed Bill right on the nose. I woke up instantly as I heard Bill say, ‘Ouch! That hurt!’ Immediately I said, ‘Sorry Dad!’ I guess I was dreaming about my father.

It was Father’s Day after all.



and now, a turtle crossing the street in Rumson.