Category Archives: Wonderful World Beautiful People

I’m Gonna Make You Love Me

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Late start again. And it’s already Sunday. Nothing bad happened. Actually something quite good. Had a late dinner with Julio at O’Neals on the other side of Church Square Park. We usually get together for a meal when Stine & Alexander are in Denmark. And that’s where they are these days, on vacation.

It was actually a good day at work too. I did about $1800.00 worth of business, in fact I was the top seller today, out of three. Don Birch, Raymond and me. We made for a good team. I walked up a different avenue this morning. I was early and even hustled to catch the bus.

Before that I was up and about in the apartment. While I showered, Bill was asleep in the air conditioned bedroom. At the other end of the apartment I made coffee.

As I showered, the power went out. We have a lousy electrical system here, at least in this apartment. Use the air conditioner and try to use an appliance and the power will inevitably go out. That means someone (almost always me) will have to go down to the basement and flip the breaker.

So I dried off and got dressed and headed down the stairs. A couple of minutes later I was back in the apartment, finishing the making of the coffee and when that was done, turned on the air conditioner while Bill continued sleeping.

It was a Saturday so that meant, casual dress. A guayabera and some khaki pants. Airwalk sneakers which were changed once I got to the shop. As I walked up the avenue once I got into the city I stopped by a Farmer’s Market and bought some cookies for me and my co—workers.

The day was better than yesterday, perhaps it was half a Xanax that I had. A few minutes after I got to the shop I noticed a woman walking by. I read that ace blogger, Pam Spaulding was in town and Thursday night I thought I saw her but it wasn’t.

This time I was sure. I called her name as she walked by the shop and she stopped. We chatted, or rather I gushed. I really enjoy her posts concerning people of color as well as the LGBT community. She was super sweet, and surprised that I recognized her.

She was on her way to the Old Timer’s Day at Yankee Stadium and posed for a photograph with me. It was the highpoint of the day.

Still it was a good day to work, and at lunch I headed out to a bench by the park where I had a nice cigar and read Uncut magazine. Like I wrote earlier, I had the highest sales in the store, thanks to me being vigilant with adding my name on the screen during each transaction that I conducted.

Towards the end of the day I heard from Julio who was wondering if I wanted to go have a beer with him. I mentioned that I needed to eat so we decided on O’Neals. Which is where we usually go. I had a burger, Julio had a mozzarella salad.

He picked up the tab, I left the tip.

Now I’m home, buzzed on two Guinness. Bill came home about 10 minutes after I did. Tomorrow family barbecue in Saddle Brook and hopefully a day at the beach on Monday. Two things I’m looking forward to.

I also made it from the shop to the bus terminal in about 14 minutes, unofficial. The songs were I Want to Take You Higher by Sly & the Family Stone, Connected by Stereo MC’s and Jeepster by T. Rex, and a bit of Once in a Lifetime from Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense.

Me & Pam Spaulding (of Pam's House Blend)

I’m All Over It

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What a beautiful day it has been. Simply splendid. Nice weather, not humid, an occasional breeze.

I slept soundly last night. Bill didn’t. When we left East LA last night it was cool and breezy and the comment was made about having the windows open while we slept. I was hesitant, figuring it that it still might be too hot.

But when I finally went to bed, Bill had the air conditioner on. I decided to turn it off and open the window. I don’t know if the open window prevented Bill from a good night’s sleep, but I think it helped me. I suppose we’ll continue the experiment tonight and see how that goes.

I was up hours after Bill left, and after breakfast and showering I dropped off a suit at the Cary’s Dry Cleaners and went to the bibliothèque. On the way I spoke to Pedro who got back from South Beach the other day.

He had a blast and recommended that I visit there some day. Unlikely, but I did not say no.

In the bibliothèque, Diane the librarian, remembered a DVD she recommended the other day, Role Models starring Paul Rudd. So I picked that up.

But my main thing was the fact that a book about the Beatles, You Never Give Me Your Money by Peter Doggett finally came in. It was released earlier this month and for once BCCLS did not say it was too new, like the message I got when I requested Iggy & the Stooges Raw Power remaster. And I requested it from the Hoboken bibliothèque.

So far so good with regards to the Beatle book. The prologue was all about 8 December 1980, how Paul was shocked, George wouldn’t answer the phone and Ringo was drunk. Cynthia Lennon was staying with Maureen Cox, Ringo’s ex when she got the call.

John’s Aunt Mimi was in bed drifting in and out of sleep, listening to the BBC World Service and not know if she was dreaming or not when she heard about John’s brutal murder. That was the prologue, not I’m in chapter one, where Brian Epstein has died and the Fabs are starting up Apple Corps. The book promises to be full of Apple juice and so far I’ve been entertained.

I sat by the river and read, smoking a cigar. The sweet Karen Kuhl stopped by for a minute. She’s playing the Pier 13 show tomorrow night, but I won’t be able to make it since it ends at 10:00 and I won’t be getting to Hoboken after work until 10:00.

She’s also unsure if she could make the party in 12 days (!), and that’s too bad since I had hoped she’d sing a song or two from the Gutbank days. She’s unsure like I said so who knows? She just might. Then Karen split and Rand pulled up on his bike, and we had a nice chat as well.

It was almost like a talk show, I’m on a bench and a few friends stop by for a chat. Simple premise. It could be done I suppose. I’d be willing to do it on Public Access, even in the winter and in the rain.

It would be a surreal affair and with me being me, I don’t see how it could be any other way.

I always wanted to have a talk show. I remember way back, growing up and sitting in mounds of snow with Donna Foglio and playing talk show. I wanted to be Mike Douglas and she was a reluctant Totie Fields.

A Beautiful Day in Hoboken