I Love You- Yello

Another hot day in Hoboken. Upper 90º range with a real feel of 105. I guess that is what it ‘really feels like’ even though in actuality it is about 98º. And it’s raining so the windows are closed. The only room with the air conditioning is the bed room so in there I went and figured I might as well have a nap. About 10 minutes in, tremendous thunder wakes me and renders me unable to go back to sleep. So it is back in the hot room, in front of the computer for you dear reader, for you.

Annemarie flew back west this morning and its back to reality for her as well as for me. I enjoyed our time together and I am pretty sure she enjoyed it as well. Now she is stuck in San Francisco Airport for a few hours according to the newsfeed regarding her flight. I hope she gets home soon, because the middle ground between here and there can be quite tiresome. Ideally, the next time she comes back east, it would be nice to have her ensconced in Julio’s place while he is in Denmark with Stine and Alexander. Of course that wouldn’t be up to me.

I did make it around Hoboken before the skies opened up. A trip to the bibliothèque, and then around the waterfront promenade. The air was quite dense with hummus. I ran into Neutron Mike who was all about the Higgs boson event. He would not shut up about it. He was so loud and chatty that all I could do was throw my hands in the air and walk away muttering to myself. On the other hand he did have some money he owed me and I was sure to get that from him before I stalked off.

No idea what to do for the evening. I was thinking about a trip to the supermarket which would make it the high point of a mundane Wednesday, even though I did go earlier in the hot heat. But my brain was pretty much fried while there at the store closer to home and could only remember the bare essentials of what I needed to buy. I was originally going to go to the much bigger and cheaper supermarket but in the hot heat I figured it would not be worth it just to save a buck or two.

Still, I might go there once things cool down, once it stops raining and perhaps once the sun goes down. This weekend is the Feast for St. Ann’s Church so the area will be that much more crowded. It actually is a major event bringing thousands to the mile square city for some zeppoles and perhaps another Tarantella to dance. I haven’t been in years, just too crowded. Each year I say maybe but by that time, the feast had come and gone. There are other feasts around town for various saints, but they’re not as big as St. Ann’s.

I thought about going out but decided to stay in.




14 You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory

I Love You- The Zombies

Another hot day, even hotter than yesterday. In fact the highest the thermometer said was 102 degrees. That is hot. The day started out nicely, woke up in air conditioning and slowly got myself ready for the day. I was up and out after cereal, coffee and a shower. Today was going to be the last day I had to spend with my sister this year before she flew out to California and I had a cigar for her husband Rex and wanted to get a Hoboken t-shirt for her son, Earl. Of course when I walked up to Washington Street, the place that sells cool Hoboken t-shirts wasn’t open yet.

I wasn’t happy about it but what could I do? I walked back home without the t-shirt and had some more coffee, iced coffee. The plan was for Annemarie and me to see Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. Annemarie showed up on time and I gave her Rex’s cigar and mentioned the t-shirt fiasco. Then she mentioned that I had already given many t-shirts to Earl already. Following that she suggested a Guitar Bar t-shirt. We were coming up on the second Guitar Bar, Guitar Bar Jr. and I had Annemarie pull over and I ran over to the Jr. store.

They opened at noon and it was only 11:40. We couldn’t wait since the movie was at 12:10 so we headed to the movie theater instead. Since it was the first showing of the day, the tickets were half price which was nice. We sat in the darkened theater watching the coming attractions with two other people. The movie was joyous. Very whimsical and a wonderful movie to watch on a hot summer afternoon. It was so good that I would very much like to see it again.

And I probably will when it gets released on DVD. Great performances all around, especially the two children who are the leads. Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton and even Bruce Willis all gave good performances. We were both very hungry when the movie ended and wound up going to Whole Foods in Paramus to get some lunch. We also stopped by Old Navy where I was finally able to use the gift card Annemarie and her family gave me for Christmas last year. I got a nice shirt, buttoned down of course, white striped short sleeve.

From Paramus we went to Hillsdale to my brother Brian’s house. Today was Brian’s birthday. Yesterday was his son Brian’s birthday. It was a might bit tense in the house so I went and sat on the porch and had a cigarette and read Mojo magazine. Even though we had just eaten about an hour before, we were soon going out to dinner. Neither of us was hungry anymore but still we went. Things got better once everyone ate, as Annemarie and I ate some more.

We were in the parking lot afterwards, hugging and kissing, saying goodbye and happy birthday. Brian and family went home for cake and Annemarie and I made it to the Garden State Parkway, heading to the Lincoln Tunnel. Of course there was a lot of traffic at the tunnel and we decided to take a short cut through Union City. But that shortcut was crowded and Annemarie started getting stressed. I knew the lay of the land pretty well and guided Annemarie north to the north parts of Union City where she could get back on the highway back to Saddle Brook and I would just walk down to Hoboken from there. Hugs and kisses once more, Annemarie getting weepy.

It turned out to be the right thing to do since she was basically home in a half hour, before I had made it home myself. And it was the right thing for me as well as I was able to walk off a leg of lamb sandwich and a hamburger that I had eaten only a few hours before. I walked through my old neighborhood, surprised to see new buildings constructed and old buildings torn down, while enjoying a cigar that I had been carrying in my pocket all day long.

There was a plan for Bill to come downstairs and say goodbye when Annemarie dropped me off in front of my building but since she didn’t do that, there was no need. It was just as well since when I made it home, Bill was nowhere to be found until I walked in the bedroom. There was Bill in bed with a killer headache, probably from the heat. I got him some Motrin and some ice water and he went back to bed. I just checked and he’s alright.

It’s been one of those days. I think next year I should find a place for Annemarie to stay in Hoboken so we could do whatever we want and not see anyone else in my family until a day before she heads back. It’s too stressful for most everyone concerned, arguing with their spouses, hurt feelings, invalid parents. It might sound cold but Annemarie doesn’t need all that, and no one needs all that. Fun and relaxation and hopefully stress free times are what she deserves and everyone else as well. I know since I also contributed some stress which I regret.

Both Annemarie and I highly recommend Moonrise Kingdom though.

Saturday’s flower


Tuesday’s flower



Outside the cinema 100º


dead daddy long legs spider in pint glass


01 Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think)