Category Archives: WTF

Intergalactic

OK, I’m cheating. I am writing this the next day since it was too late last night and I just didn’t wanna. The cheating part will be when I post it under yesterday’s date. Yesterday was a slow day. Slow enough to warrant a nap.

And nap is what I did. After running errands, doing laundry and cleaning up the apartment some more. Heard from Rita, thanking me for her birthday card. Also heard from Earl, thanking me for the Beatles CD’s I gave him.

Since I bought myself the remasters I decided to give him my older copies. Heard from my brother Frank who was just checking in. Told him all about seeing Leon Russell the previous Sunday. He was off to his 40th High School reunion.

Nice that he goes to these things. I doubt if I would ever go to my 30th which would be next year. I learned my lesson at the 20th year reunion. I lived life for 20 years without seeing my former classmates and plan on continuing to do so without seeing them ever again.

I was invited to a Yahoo groups function in the city and was mostly wishy washy about going. When I woke up from the nap I was still wishy washy. But like the drone I used to be when I was working, I got out of bed and put on a suit and tie and got myself together.

I have been meaning to mention that now I feel really unemployed since I canceled my bus pass and since I don’t have a bus pass anymore I decided to take the Path train into the city. Plus at the hour of 6:00 it made more sense to do that rather than sit in traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel.

I walked up to west 46th Street to the Ritz Bar where the function was taking place. It was similar to the Yahoo group parties I used to go to a few years ago. I met the guy who invited me, Gary from Los Angeles and he was quite happy to see me.

I almost didn’t go but Gary was glad that I did. Also met Rob who is someone I’ve chatted with a while ago. He used to live in Hillsdale, now he lives in Freehold. It was a nice group and it was definitely good for my ego. And it was a good networking opportunity.

I had a few Stella Artois and after an hour or two I was headed to Hoboken to have drinks with Rand & Lisa, to celebrate RoDa’s birthday. I had burned a few CD’s of Girl Talk, Air & Scritti Politti for RoDa. I’ve talked those groups up often enough that it made sense that RoDa should actually hear them.

I stood outside having a smoke when Bill ambled up. I told him about meeting up at McSwells and was surprised to have him show up. He likes RoDa too so it made sense.

Lois and Fred showed up with Rand and Lisa and we all sat at a table, munching on curly fries and having a few drinks. RoDa was actually working so he couldn’t sit with us the whole time but did hang for a few minutes here and there. It was a nice, sort of impromptu night.

For me, there was enough Stella Artois to not want to write last night, but here I am now, trying to make amends. So there.

The apartment next to the Ritz Bar.

The apartment next to the Ritz Bar.

Song to the Siren

Gee I wonder if I should have marked on the calendar that this is Fucked Up Week on the 4:30 Movie. With the bullshit I jumped into on Sunday with the UK wanker, to yesterday’s butting heads with my brother and now today.

Bill had an audition this afternoon and I’ve been most supportive, trying to build up his confidence. But the fact that I mentioned Karaoke coming up this Saturday may have set him off his game. The audition did not go as well as planned and from what I gathered the Karaoke idea made him nervous.

At least that’s what I understood from his phone call after the audition when he was back at his desk talking to me through his headset which lends itself to lousy connections.

And it’s only Tuesday. What fresh hell awaits me for the rest of the week?

Already today, I decided to get a haircut. My man Tony a few doors down at Mr. L’s Barber Shop was standing outside with no one to sit in his chair. I see Tony, walk over and say hello and tell him I was running up to Washington Street to get some money for a haircut and to save me a spot as I’ll be back in 5 minutes.

Sure enough 5 minutes later, there is someone in the chair, someone who wasn’t me. That’s OK, I live close by and schlep up the four flights of stairs again and chill out. I get hungry and figure that I do have a plan to meet a former co-worker, Brenda for a drink after she gets out of work.

It’s always best to have some food in the system before drinking and I opt for 2 slices of pizza which is doughy and greasy enough to sit in my stomach for hours, negating the need for bar food at a costly price.

On the way I walk by Mr L’s again and sure enough there is someone else in the chair. So basically, I won’t be getting a haircut today. Not that I really need one, I look OK just wanted a trim to tidy things up a bit.

The main thing on my mind today is from what I understood as Bill saying that asking if he would be available for Karaoke on Saturday unnerved him enough to have a bad audition. Right now I feel that going to Karaoke this weekend would be a bad idea, financially and with my mindset today, a terrible idea.

This has been a truly crappy week and it’s only Tuesday.

I am just in a foul mood today. I sometimes complain that there is no one around to do anything with but right now I am very cool with that. I don’t even want to meet up for drinks, not that I don’t want to see Brenda, just that I don’t think I would make for good company.

We’ll see.

Once I get into the city that can all change and it usually does. It’s a perfectly gray sky today. No sun to be seen, hidden behind dense layers of clouds. I’m tired of fighting the right wing today, the christianists who want to impose their way of life onto everyone in the guise of freedom of religion. I sign petitions, call my senators and representative but to what end?

I get free address labels from these organizations asking for money. I don’t use these labels and they usually get tossed in the bin. Perhaps if they ask people if they wanted these idiotic address labels they would save a ton of money since they wouldn’t have to print such useless items that wind up being shredded.

Their hearts are in the right place, and their eyes are on my wallet.

In any event I will be going out with Brenda since I don’t want to be here when Bill gets home. Whenever that may be. It’s ironic since I think today is the 9th anniversary of Bill and I meeting for the first time.

Well I just got back from drinks with Brenda. It was good as it always is. I can’t help but feel like the poor relation since she keeps picking up the tab. Lot’s of catching up, she and her man Danny, me and Bill.

Tried to keep it positive on all levels, on all topics, the economy, the job situation. It wasn’t easy but things got better after some pints. It was an enjoyable evening to spend with an old friend.

Then I came home to find a mumbling Bill, not really communicating, perhaps licking his wounds. My wounds are still fresh and thankfully we are out of salt.