Category Archives: So how’s band camp?

Atomic Moog 2000

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Well So Happy It’s Thursday is an apt acronym. It fits. Last night, thanks to Harpy’s heads up, telling me that Lost was a repeat I watched part of Religulous, the Bill Maher documentary about religion. Maher is predictably snarky through out and I have to give him some reluctant credit, going up to people and asking them questions that I would love to ask but never have the opportunity.

Plus I’m too nice a guy to be so snarky. And I don’t have a film crew and or some security behind the camera. It was ok. Bill came home after seeing his mother in the hospital a little before 10:00 and asked to watch Lawn Hors d’oeuvre which was fine by me. I could easily jump back into the Bill Maher DVD whenever I want to.

It was a return to the old days with Bill and I watching TV together. It was an ok episode though. Still haven’t caught on to the current cast like Bill has. He went to bed after that and I watched the Daily Show which was funny as ever with Paul Rudd as his guest. Tonight though he has James Cramer as the guest.

Jon Stewart has been riffing on CNBC and especially James Cramer, deservedly so. Tonight Bill is staying in Stuyvesant Town after visiting his mother again. He has a stress test at 7:15 in the morning and doesn’t want to be late. He didn’t ask for me to go with him, though my sister Annemarie thinks that I should.

Bill is ok with the fact that I’m not going. He knows it’s way too early for me, that it would involve me getting up around 5:30 to hop on a bus and get to 59th street for the appointment. He’d rather go by himself. I didn’t put up any argument.

Work was the quietest it’s been lately. The right wing subtenants were all out at meetings, Vivek still out. I had to send info regarding flights back from Florida yesterday for him and his business partner and I hope he got the info. I haven’t heard otherwise, not that that eases my mind.

No email, no voice mail. And since I won’t be back in the office until Monday, if there is anything to be said I should hear it then.

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I did my best to look natty today. I wore my sharkskin suit and the Ben Sherman skinny tie I bought yesterday Sort of my Mad Men look. I think I looked nice. Bill said so this afternoon when I stopped by his office building and he came down for a few minutes.

I puffed on a Padron, Siouxsie & the Banshees with Monitor all queued up as Bill and I talked about the stress test. No big deal for him though he did appreciate Annemarie’s concern. He told me not to worry about it.

Pleasant enough bus ride home, reading David Sedaris “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” which is always a macabre chuckle. Tonight promises to be quiet, just TV. Bill in Stuyvesant Town, me in Hoboken.

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Exactly Like You

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Well it was back to work for me. This week is a 3 day work week. Snow storm on Monday, and no work on Friday, for me at least. So in a sense when not rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, I will have 3 days in steerage. Difficulty waking up this morning, through no fault of my own.

But who else can I blame?

Me, of course. Yes it was my fault. It was so cozy laying in bed, hitting the snooze button, each time bringing me closer to the shores that border the ocean of sleep. Sometimes it’s a calm ocean, other times rough, this morning it was placid.

Caught the last minute of the Today in New York, and had to look at Matt Lauer in quite an ugly suit. For me a suit is either pinstriped, or solid. None of this check or windowpane. Yuck. Way too 1970’s for me. If I thought Mike Brady/Robert Reed would wear it, I certainly wouldn’t.

Uneventful bus ride, even though the driver completely missed the bus lane and we found ourselves sitting in traffic for a good 20 minutes. I think he was new so he gets a pass, but tomorrow he had better pay attention or it’s an irate email to NJ Transit where it should be routinely ignored.

The office was quiet once again. Not much for me to do mostly. Once I get things done early in the morning, it’s usually good for the rest of the day. I wasn’t sure if Tom Chin was making it in today since he tendered his resignation yesterday.

He did make it in and then an hour later was off to a 3 hour lunch, freeing me up to not do much of anything. The Virgin Mega Store in Times Square will be closing. Everything is 40% off and I have been hankering for the first 2 Led Zeppelin albums which I used to avoid like the plague.

I am still a bit reluctant, but one of the songs that was sung at John Hamilton’s party on Sunday was Good Times, Bad Times and it’s been in my head since then.

Speaking of John Hamilton, Bill had hoped to use John’s guitar expertise and Dave Dreiwitz’ bass playing skills for an upcoming recording session that has been booked. They had another guitarist in mind but all of a sudden he picked up and moved out of state.

John Hamilton will be in Italy giving a lecture in German and Dave has a few projects going on. I keep forgetting that Dave is the bass player in Ween. Not that I am much of a Ween fan. I offered my meager skills which Bill appreciated but more than likely won’t take advantage of.

I’m not that good, and Bill’s a real musician. I don’t mind. I was asked to take pictures of the session which I am happy to do.

Actually I’m not that bad playing guitar and perhaps bass too. It’s just that I’m more rock and roll and Bill’s band is a jazz combo.

Bill went home last night and found the door unlocked much to his distress. Luckily it was because his neighbors of 20 years or so were checking in on his mother. He’s off all week, Bill is, and was able to have a locksmith show up and install a lock on the inside of the front door that can only be opened with a key.

I left the office at 4:00 this afternoon, enjoyed a Padron walking across town. Saw the homeless guy on 41st Street who I hadn’t seen in a while since I hadn’t been walking in that area lately. He was glad to see me, ‘Hey Soldier!’ he yelled of course and was very happy when I gave him a dollar.