Tuesday, they call it…I am still in the Madison Square Garden Penn Station area. Apple Radio is playing, and right now, it’s Every Rose Has Its Thorn, which I believe is by Poison. When I was busking, people would ask me for that song, and I would honestly answer that I don’t know it. I still don’t even know it’s playing right above me.

I have lunch in 7 minutes, so that’s something. The agency that has placed me at the company I am working at has an endless amount of training videos that I am required to watch some or do sooner than others, and I’m in the thick of it.

I tell you the time that I had off while I was unemployed, that’s really done my head in. I thought it was going to be difficult to get back into the swing of things back in the day, but here I am still swinging and still back in the swing. And Every Rose Has Its Thorn is still a crap song.

I’m sure people like it, I perhaps even friends of mine like it I do not. I am fairly certain that I am to return to the Union Square area tomorrow as well as Thursday and Friday, which is where I prefer to work, but ultimately, I have no say in the decision. I was certainly quieter yesterday than it is today, but it’s not bad, and most of the people who pass by are pleasant.

There is a musical event scheduled this afternoon these things usually left about 15 minutes so that should be a welcome distraction from the not so mundane tasks that I have to do. The artist, Børns was quite good.

Right now Melt with You by Modern English is playing I recall Juan telling me that he sang this at a talent show at his school in oh how I wish there was footage of that. Life would be so much better ifJuan was still around but that’s being greedy because that would mean life is good for me but not necessarily for him. The futures open wide.

I’ve been sleeping well the past couple of days, but having said that right now probably jinxed it.
And now I sit in the shade of a building at 31st and 6th. It is lunch time not much to do around here but wander around it’s not very interesting to wander around in.

Sheree Draft. She pops up in my mind every now and then, even though it’s probably been 30 years since I’ve last seen her. The last time I spoke to her on the phone I joked around and said I told you never to call me here. It was a joke that she seemed to have taken seriously, and never connected with me again on the phone or in person. She was a nice intern at Skyline Studios back in the day, genuinely kind. I hope she’s all right in doing well.

My lunch started about 15 minutes later than usual so I guess I’ll be going back to work 15 minutes later than usual. Everyone around me is smoking weed or preparing to smoke weed. I can’t join them because that would make any useless this afternoon for the rest of the day. And I am trying to give my full attention to the job which is easy enough to do without being high.

Bill is about two miles away from here going to the library at Lincoln Center. Probably less than two miles away but that’s the mileage that Google maps has given me when tracking Bill Vila.

It is cold in the shade at the end of May so I will be moving on and not talking into my phone for the time being.

Monday, May 19th, 2025. Where I spent the last 2 weeks working at 16th Street and 5th Avenue, today I’m back to where I started. I found out yesterday by going for a bicycle ride, and I initially regretted opening the text because I immediately went into my default way of thinking that “you’ve done something wrong”.

Once again, I prove to be my own worst enemy because that was not the case at all…the woman I work with Anise, is out this week and I am filling in for her on a very quiet floor.

Not bad at all though I do prefer the location I have been working at for the past few weeks. It does promise to be a quiet week since this weekend is a holiday weekend three days off which is nice.

I did a very good bike ride yesterday, did about 15 miles and change. We did wonders for my mind, body, and spirit. I should have done it Saturday, but we know how that turned out. I’d like to think it was a reset that was sorely needed. I’m trying to dictate into my phone, but it’s having difficulty connecting to Google, which could be because I am near an Apple facility or orchard, whichever it may be.

Reconnecting with Mike was good. Another step of evolution. I did a little browsing in a nearby store, and on the stores PA system was a dance remake of Neil Young’s harvest Moon which was pleasant.

I really don’t care for this part of town, even though I do have a history here. There are a few good looking men walking around so that’s good.

The April Shmartford story began here, and it’s a good one. One night, let’s say in 1986, Jet Watley gave me four tickets for the circus that was visiting Madison Square Garden. I had told my friends, Michael and Laura, and they were interested in it. Laura’s sister, April, was coming in on the train at Penn Station, which is where Madison Square Garden is.

We made it to the train station and found April. She wasn’t that interested in going to the circus as she had made friends with 2 German tourists on the train. Since no money was exchanged for the tickets, I handed them off to some kids who asked if we were selling tickets. The kids were taken back by the fact that they were getting free admission to a three-ring circus.

Michael, Laura, April and myself wound up at Maxwell’s soon after that with the German tourists in tow. We settled into our usual spots at the bar and had a few pints. Suddenly, Laura came up to me, frantic. She was worried about her sister, April, who had lit up the bar, with a few men angling for her attention.

She was radiant, and I didn’t see the problem until Laura mentioned that April was only 14 years old. That was alarming enough to get April and the Germans over to Michael and Laura’s apartment down the street.

We smoked opium that night, and one of the Germans, who was quite handsome, passed out with his head in my lap. I didn’t know if he was gay or merely European. He wasn’t gay.