I Surrender

It’s the last Monday in February. It is also John Doe from X and George Harrison of the Beatles birthdays. It’s been an interesting day. Bill was up and out and I slept a little bit more, waking up and saying ‘Ma?’ as if my mother was in the next room. She wasn’t and if she was I would be very surprised and more than a little bit terrified. I got out of bed and shuffled along on slippered feet. A shower and a plan of action was set for the day. I actually started planning last night while watching the Academy Awards.

Bill stayed up and watched the whole show with me. We both enjoyed Lincoln and Argo and were happy to see some awards go their way. We also watched Silver Linings Playbook which Bill liked more than I did, though I did think that Jennifer Lawrence was the best thing in it. Jackie Weaver was very good in Silver Linings Playbook though she was better in Animal Kingdom which was one of the most intense movies I had ever seen. Bill and I both figured that Daniel Day Lewis would win best actor since he was the best actor.

We also guessed that Argo would win best picture. Neither of us watched Les Misérables or Django Unchained. We have Les Misérables on DVD and we will probably wait for Django Unchained to be released. We both enjoyed the Oscar telecast last night. We are not Seth McFarlane fans but we thought he was funny and handled his hosting duties admirably. We also liked it when Letterman hosted years ago, as well as Jon Stewart but the best was Chris Rock. All the hosts we liked seemed to get the thumbs down from the general public and critics.

We do agree with those who thought James Franco and Anne Hathaway were not that good at all. And now with all the hoopla over and done with, Turner Classic Movies is going back to its usual schedule so I guess we can expect to see at least two Barbara Stanwyck movies a day. It’s a good thing she was a good actress and we enjoy her movies. Bill went to bed right after the broadcast and I of course stayed up a little bit longer before I too went to bed. I slept fairly well.

Today was crazy. A phone call from an agency, something that I would be good for, and could I do an interview this afternoon. I answered that I could and was told I would hear more at noon. At 12:30 I got a phone call, it would probably be tomorrow which was fine. That was followed by another phone call, the interview was back on, 3:00. I got suited up and headed out around 1:30. I definitely did not want to be late and when I saw the bus schedule I knew the Path train was the way to go.

I was in the city a little after 2:00 and proceeded to walk up Sixth Avenue when I got a phone call. The interview was rescheduled again to tomorrow. It was disappointed but I didn’t mind. More time to freak out I suppose. I was able to see Bill for a few minutes outside his office building. He printed up a few copies of my resume and we had a good chat. Then a walk back to the bus terminal and a short wait before I was back in Hoboken, losing to the tablet computer in Dominoes a few times on the bus, I won a few rounds but the robot won the game.
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POCKETFUL OF RAINBOWS _ ポケットが虹でいっぱ

I Stole Your Love

It’s been a rainy and cold Saturday in Hoboken. It’s not so bad, I have been enjoying myself. I just watched Argo. Bill received a screener last month and he watched it and liked it. I finally got around to watching it and it is really a very good movie. Yes, Ben Affleck was robbed of a best director nod. That will probably go to Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. I have to say from the beginning of Argo I was engrossed. It’s funny that it wasn’t that long ago that the events happened and scary that I forgot so much since then.

I knew the ending of course, anyone who knows late 20th century history knows the ending but still I was yelling at the TV, ‘Run run run. Fly fly fly’. Ben Affleck certainly did good with the suspense. And of course being the 1970’s everyone smokes. I highly recommend it, the movie, not the smoking. Of course Bill and I will be watching the Academy Awards tomorrow. I’ve seen both Lincoln and Argo, and I think Bill has seen Les Misérables. I’m in no rush to see that, having passed a few chances to see it on Broadway I’m not running to the movie theater nor am I taking the DVD out of the slip case.

Tonight Bill is driving to Atlantic City. Last night it was Foxwoods. Last night I went out to the Mercury Lounge. I saw Port St. Willow which was a very good show. It was an early show, doors at 7:30 for an 8:30 show on the ticket. And for some reason I always believe those things, though having worked at Maxwell’s for so many years you’d think I’d remember that if a show it scheduled for a certain time, it’s not going to happen at said time.

The bar and the club have to make some money so hang out and drink while you wait. I didn’t expect an opening act but once again I was fooling myself. I got to the Path train and found a train waiting for me. An early Friday night crowd headed into the city and I found myself sitting opposite a guy who looked like Roland Gift. It wasn’t but he did remind me of the Fine Young Cannibals singer. I got off at Ninth Street and walked across town once again, basically retracing steps I last took in October when I went to see Jane Scarpantoni play with Chris Stamey.

I got to the Mercury Lounge around 8:15 and headed in. I picked up a Guinness and headed to the back where Salt Cathedral was doing a good job opening up, a five piece band, the singer sounding a bit like Bjork, a bit like 4AD stuff. She was also treating her vocals as she sang and the band were really into it. I thought they were good, running through management ideas in my head. The guys should wear suits and ties, the singer- maybe a dress.

After they left the stage the room thinned out a bit, and I got another Guinness and found a spot on a bench very close to the stage. I found my spot for the night. A few minutes later Port St. Willow came on, led by Nick Principe. As good as they are on record. And they’ve added a keyboardist which helped with the filling out of the sound, and she helped with vocals too. The drummer is so very good as well. It seemed to go by so fast but since Port St. Willow was playing the early show, it was all over by 10:00. No encore. I told the keyboardist that I liked them and hoped they play Maxwell’s soon. She remarked that they hope so too.

I also met Nick Principe and found him to be a nice guy, as well as great on guitar and such sweet vocals. He was busy getting his gear off the stage so I didn’t linger but I told him I hoped to see them playing again soon.

Then a walk back to the Path train, enjoying a cigar. Once again, a train pulled up once I got to the platform and I was home by 11:00. Bill phoned thinking I was going out at 11:00, not realizing it was an early show. Of course I listened to Port St. Willow on the way home.

I’ve posted this before and I am posting it again.

Port St. Willow

Port St. Willow


Nick Principe of Port St. Willow

Nick Principe of Port St. Willow


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