Tag Archives: Brain Attack

Rescue Me

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What a fucking day it’s been. Ugh. It started out with me sleeping a little later than usual. About 11 minutes later. I knew it was 11 minutes. Made a big difference. Everything is more crowded, and busier than what I am used to.

I did not like it at all, but made the most of it listening to Konk! which made it to my playlist finally. That pseudo Latin 1980’s East Village dance groove made a nice walk across town.

Got to the office about 25 minutes late and to my surprise no one was in. I was glad at that fact. Allowed me to take my time in setting things up. Soon people came in and everything hummed along nicely. No one said anything about how they had left the office early yesterday leaving me holding the bag. I didn’t bring it up and neither did anyone else.

At one point I had to run an errand which I was glad to do. I brought along my trusty camera and took some pics. As I was crossing Lexington Avenue I spotted some who looked recently familiar. Prior to the errand I was reading AM New York, one of the 2 free newspapers given away at most subway stops for free.

The other is the Metro but Metro doesn’t have dependable people at the stations so I didn’t get one of those. Their both good reading during a morning, how you say….evacuation.

So I am at Lexington and 50th Street, still an intense police presence since Bush Co is still in town. I spot a guy wearing a hat and sunglasses and crocs. Normally I find crocs offputting but I made an exception since I had a feeling I had seen this guy before.

I decided to take a chance since we were both walking up Lexington Avenue and with him I said slight yet loud enough for him to hear, ‘Loudon’. He stopped and turned around. I wonder what he thought when he saw me, in a navy blue pinstriped suit with a light blue tie and light blue cuff links.

I say that because there were a lot of gents like myself dressed in such attire, meaning Secret Service and NYPD Detectives. Of course I am neither but he wouldn’t know that. Perhaps I’ll wind up in one of his stories. Anyway I said I was a fan, didn’t mention Rufus or Martha, deciding to let him have some John time for himself.

I told him that I was just reading about him in the paper. He asked which one and I told him, but held back on what was going on while I read about him. I mentioned that an upcoming show sounded cool. In December he’s playing in Tarrytown with the Roches, another group that hits a soft spot for me.

I was off on the errand but before I left I asked if I could take his picture and he said yes, so here’s a picture of Loudon Wainwright III.

Work was weird when I got back to the office, I didn’t know it then but it seems that the renting of the office is now something that other people are involved in. I wasn’t bringing in the results they wanted, but then again I was trawling on Craigslist whereas they know a few people with the money to rent an office in midtown. I don’t mind that at all.

After work I decided to take a train downtown and check out Oliver Sacks who was giving a free lecture at Cooper Union. I stopped by Farfetched where Harpy was next to Susan. Had a glass of sparkling wine and picked some birthday cards and had a good time with the two of them. An interesting chemistry between the 3 of us.

Back on the street I walked over to Cooper Union and found a daunting line wrapped around the Cooper Union. I turned back, popped into Farfetched again and then I was on my way, walking up Fifth Avenue enjoying a Padron and listening to Raphael Saadiq’s new album.

Got to the Path train and found that I missed 3 of Bill’s calls. I was nervous and considered getting back up to the street to see what was the matter. I was worried that things may have taken a turn for the worse regarding his mother.

I decided to head back to Hoboken and check once I got up to the street again. I checked the voicemail that Bill left and it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. His mother did have a stroke though, affecting her speech center and with a paralysis on the left side.

She’ll be in the hospital for a while, then the varies therapies that are required. And she’s disoriented with being in the hospital as a patient when she was a nurse for a number of years.

Now I’m home with Bill and special guest, Juan. We’re all pretty tired.

Alien Jam

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Last night was cool, mellow. Watched Olbermann and Rachel Maddow which was as good as usual. Taped Heroes which had it’s season premier last night. I of course, being a former comic book geek was hooked anew. But it was a two hour episode or rather two one hour episodes shown back to back. I watched Rachel Maddow and taped Heroes and watched the first hour.

Still don’t know how the second episode went, but I have a week to watch it. Bill was in bed fast asleep when I joined him and before I knew it he was kissing me goodbye once again. I got out of bed and showered. Forgot to shave but then again it takes a few days to notice, though I can feel it growing.

Last night I bought two songs from iTunes by Konk!, one of my favorite bands from the 1980’s. I was surprised to see it on iTunes, but there it was. I bought them, and loaded it into my iPod, making a playlist so I could find it fast or so I thought. I was disappointed to not find it this morning. I got over it and wound up listening to solo songs by the Fabs instead, which was great of course, but not that pseudo Latin dance stuff from the East Village that I was looking forward to.

On the bus I got a video message from Bill, being silly and screaming and shouting that he loved me which was fun to get on a crowded bus. Then I got a phone call. It was Bill and not as silly as he was a minute before. He told me his mother had a stroke last night and he was on the way to the hospital.

To say that sucked would be an understatement. He was understandably stressed and continued to be so throughout the day when he would phone with updates. It was thought it was a seizure but seems to be a stroke, slight paralysis on one side of his other’s face among other symptoms. I couldn’t get away from work and even if I could what could I do?

Work itself was intense, not so much for what was going on inside the office, but rather from what was going on outside. Bush was in town, staying at the Waldorf Astoria right around the block from my office and most of the neighborhood was on lock down.

Total street closures, snipers on rooftops, helicopters flying low over head and quite a fleet of vehicles one of which was the dummy vehicle, with the rest being decoys. Cops everywhere and Secret Service, some of them dressed oh so nicely.

Work was quiet again, the only thing I heard was Vivek indignant yet laughing at the way the Senate was questioning Paulson. Vivek thinks Paulson should get all the money to do what he will. Vivek is the managing director of the company and of course he wants his company to stay afloat, which puts me in a weird position, I want to work and I want oversight on this bail out. Questions asked.

Then around 2:00 Vivek and Greg Stevens went out saying they probably wouldn’t be back, leaving me all alone in the office. Esteban, the lone stooge, left early after a doctor’s appointment and Tom Chin never came in after saying he would be in by noon. I stayed until 4:30 and walked across town enjoying a Padron listening Radiohead, In Rainbows. Haven’t played it in a while.

Got the bus back, picked up a ticket at Tunes for my brother Frank’s friend for The Bird and The Bee at McSwells in a week or so. Then I ran into Thaler who is really sweet. I’ve known Thaler for a long time and we have a few mutual friends. And she and her husband Tom who’s equally nice used to live next to Chaz and Kathe when they were together and living in Hoboken.

She’s a lot more political minded than I am and has been a vocal supporter for women’s rights. She looked really good as well and we had a really good talk about the current political scene. She has some good insight on a lot of things that I’m too tired to get into right now.

I started tonight’s entry on my own computer which crapped out again, low wireless connection. Finished on Bill’s laptop which has a good wireless connection. Also didn’t want a cranky call from he who must not be named about ‘why is the blog so late tonight?’