Category Archives: Wonderful World Beautiful People

The New Frontier

Happy Valentine’s Day. Happy VD Weekend. Happy Presidents Day Weekend. Just got back from Arthur’s Steakhouse where Bill and I had a nice Valentine’s dinner.

It was more crowded than I expected it to be. We gave our name and was told there would be a 15 minute wait so we decided to repair to the next room where there was a bar. We walked about 30 feet into the next room and I saw tables with tablecloths on them, so I asked the bartender and she told us that we could sit and order there.

It turned into a good decision. It was relatively empty, with people wandering and waiting for their name to be called over the loud speaker. Bill and I sat at the least wobbly table in the corner and had some garlic bread and a pint each of Guinness.

The bartender was busy but she got our food orders in. It was pleasant and out of the way. Away from loud tables and lots of people. Bill and I enjoyed our pints and our steaks and really enjoyed the chocolate mousse cake.

That was the perfect ending to a good meal. A nice walk home and here we are.

Earlier we watched Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Definitely funnier and sweeter than I expected. I had watched half of it last night and the other half while Bill was sleeping this afternoon. He woke up around 5:00 and we watched it again.

Actually while I was watching some of the deleted scenes, Bill woke up and started watching. I asked him and if he wanted to watch the movie and he did, so that’s what we did. Bill laughed out loud a few times.

He does love his comedy and his laughter is so boisterous that I have to pause and go back so the lines that are following the funny scene aren’t missed. This is a reason why Bill and I can’t go to a comedy show.

He would be so raucous with his laughter he would draw the attention of the comedian on stage.

We still have to watch disc 2 of Zack and Miri Make a Porno. We both enjoyed disc 1 so much that we’d be fools not to watch the 2nd disc. A nice walk back to the apartment after Arthur’s and now we’re watching Bog Love. Still on paths that twist and turn.

Really one of the best shows on TV these days. If you can’t watch it when originally broadcast, you should check out the DVD’s somewhere.

Now that’s finished and we’re watching How to Make It in America. New show, produced by Mark Wahlberg, Since Entourage is so good, we’re giving this a look. So far so good. It’s filmed in New York so maybe Bill can get a shot at being on it.

Gotta support the locals. And by locals, I mean Bill.

That’s it for today, it’s been a good day overall. Hope you all had a good Valentine’s Day.

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 001

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 003

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 004

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 006

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 010

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 012

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 014

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 015

2.14.10 Valentine's Day 013

The Barber Feel It

It’s been an interesting 24 hours. First off, though I really didn’t care, I am happy that the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl, just for the fact that it more than likely bolstered the spirits of the residents of New Orleans.

The TV was on during the first half of the game, but the sound was off and I was listening to music. Led Zeppelin, the Bee Gees and Chicago, hence the title of last night’s entry. It’s funny, like my antipathy towards Zeppelin back in the day turning into an appreciation, I find myself liking certain Chicago songs, specifically Does Anyone Really Know what Time It Is and Make Me Smile.

I suppose it’s the late Terry Kath’s songs, definitely not the Peter Cetera songs, though who knows? Check back in 20 years and I could be writing about how good Just You & Me and If You Leave Me Now actually are. By then though, it might be attributed to dementia.

Bill came home and was surprised to see the game on, and asking me who I was, since the ‘real’ me wouldn’t have the game on. I explained that I was waiting to see the Who, or rather “’alf the ‘Ooo”. Which is what they would have been 41 years ago if John Entwhistle and Keith Moon joined up with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page when Page was putting together Led Zeppelin.

The Who came on and did a good job, Roger & Pete with Pino Palladino on bass and Ringo’s son, Zak Starkey on drums and Rabbit Bundrick on keys. I thought it was Wix Wickens from Macca’s group but Wikipedia says otherwise, so no Wix, yes Rabbit.

It was a decent show. Daltrey straining to hit some notes, and Pete not being able to windmill on the guitar wearing a suit jacket. The stage design was really cool, Bill mentioned that it looked like the 1980’s electronic game, Simon, which it did at points.

Zak Starkey had the Mod bull’s eye on his cymbals and that looked really cool. Lily Mastro commented on Facebook that Zak looked like Terry Gilliam, and he did. I called up Rita after the Who. She was a major Who fan when they first came over in the 1960’s and she loved it saying that Pete could do no wrong.

It was a fun talk with Rita who invited me to go along with her to a Jim Carroll memorial on Wednesday. I asked that she remind me on Wednesday.

I wrote about 2 people last night that I came in contact with today. One was Pedro whom I wrote about doing the Roof Top dance 22 years ago. We talked on the phone about a plan that I have which my sister mentioned that would be good for me. A different career path. Not corporate, no suits involved, though I’m sure if I wanted to wear a suit I could.

I also ran into Damian, Julio’s buddy. I wrote about them last night also attending a party after seeing Led Zeppelin at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert. I run into Damian more than Julio does, I think the last time I saw him was in 2006. Damian’s a Hoboken police officer now and I ran into him on the street. So good to see him, such a nice guy. We did some catching up standing on the corner. Wife and kids are good, he’s happy with his life.

Funny how both Damian and Pedro are now law enforcement officers considering how wild we all used to be.

During the second half of the football game with the volume up and Bill cheering and shouting I researched different beauty schools in the area. I am seriously considering becoming a barber.

Yes, you’ve read that right.

It seems like a smart move, everyone needs a haircut every now and then. I already have an appointment at one school in Manhattan tomorrow and another on Thursday in West New York on Bergenline Avenue.

No more barber colleges, now I would have to take a cosmetology course. Also looking into getting stimulus funding for the schooling as well as financial aid. Pedro thought it was a great idea and was very supportive as a few other people I talked about it with were.

I also made it a point to visit with my barber at Mr. L’s. He thought it was a bad idea as did his son. Their whole point was that it was a lot of standing around waiting for customers, Tony mentioning that you’re always being watched by the person who’s hair you’re cutting.

I don’t watch what Tony’s doing since I don’t have my glasses on while he cuts my hair and I just tell him what I want and trust him to do the job. Last time I had gotten my hair cut from him, I told him to do what he wanted and I think he did a good job.

Tony who’s in his 70’s, also mentioned that during the depression a barber he knew had 3 kids to support as well as a wife and did not go on public assistance like a lot of people, since as Tony put it, a barber always has a dollar in his pocket.

It’s definitely an out of left field idea but it seems right to me, obviously since I am checking out 2 schools this week. I told Tony and his son that after I visit the school tomorrow I would stop by and let them know how it went.

I don’t think they’re afraid I would be taking away business, in fact I would be willing to pick up any slack. Since they’re closed on Wednesday and Sunday, I might be willing to rent a chair and work on those days. I’m only a few doors away anyhow.

But that’s a ways down the line and I’m getting ahead of myself. It does seem like a job that I would be pretty good at. And then there’s that whole Sweeney Todd thing.

What do you think? Your comments would be worth reading should you care to write them…