Frank | johnozed

Slept late, in office late. Watched True Blood last night, though before that bumped heads with Bill. Or at least I was a bit annoyed with Bill. I was here, where I am now, in front of the computer. Some show about showbiz was on.

I was writing and slightly paying attention when Bill walked in. After saying hello he picks up the remote and changes the channel without any consideration or even asking if I was watching what was on. No he decides it was the perfect time to watch Chris Rock. Not today when he was off from work, but right that very minute.

Yes I was annoyed by that. Yes his arrogance sometimes pisses me off. Don’t know if it’s even arrogance- willful ignorance? Self centeredness? It did make for an uneasy night. Simmering resentment on my part, which is obvious since I’m writing about it 24 hours later. It’s gone now anyway. Writing about it takes care of it.

True Blood had quite a surprise ending and next week looks even more intense. Entourage was good and once again we switched off Little Britain USA, Bill couldn’t take the laugh track either.

Woke up at 7:00 as I was dreaming about an insect on my wrist. In the dream I was looking at it, wondering if it was a bedbug, then I opened my eyes and instead of the insect I saw my watch which said 7:00.

A quick ‘oh shit’ and I was in the shower and out the door. I wound up being a half hour late which was ok since once again no one was in the office yet. A slow day was planned for sure and the day crept by.

Greg Stevens wasn’t coming in. According to Vivek, Greg was too depressed to come in. His portfolio is a shambles it seems. The stock market did rally today so perhaps it’s not the end for Greg Stevens.

Walking to get my daily salad I pass by 2 women registering voters. They ask everyone that walks by and I anticipate them asking me so I could boastfully say that I will be doing the same thing tonight. But they don’t ask and I attribute this to the way I look, rather conservative in a suit and tie. Disappointed by the brag block.

I spoke with my brother Frank who was also a disappointment since he was able to tell me about how his day was going and this and that but couldn’t give me 5 seconds to answer the door. And I was planning on telling him about the voter registration I was participating in.

I left work at 4:30 and was going to take the Path so I could just walk across the street to the Obama Hoboken office but since it was 78 degrees out, I was sweaty and clammy. So I decided on taking the bus home and change my clothes.

Ran into Sheilah Scully on the street who told me I looked good, but I was uncomfortable. Came home and changed into jeans and a shirt and walked briskly to Obama headquarters. They decided to use my brawn instead of my brains and gave me a 10 foot 2 x 4 with Obama posters stapled to it.

I carried it over to the Path train across the street and introduced to the other volunteers and proceeded shouting that tonight is the last night to register to vote. It’s actually tomorrow night but I decided to light a fire under some asses.

A few people ignored us, a few sneered. One or two said they were registered but they weren’t voting for Obama and laughed. I told them that it was ok, I would cancel their vote.

There was a Rangers game tonight so there were a few blue shirts headed down the stairs. They ignored our asking them if they were registered so I told the other volunteers that the question was too hard for them to answer. Plus they probably only answer to hockey moms.

A lot of people were surprised that the deadline for registration was coming up so soon, others lived in New York and asked if they could register there tomorrow. I told them that I thought they were too late, New York’s deadline was last week. I told a few people to call their Board of Elections in New York, and a few in Hudson County.

One snotty republican made a comment and said ‘Acorn?’ I said ‘Elm’. I knew what she was getting at but I decided a surrealist answer would work better so then I said ‘Moose’.

It’s certainly not a good time to be working in the financial world. Unfortunately I work in the financial world. Fortunately I don’t make enough to be worried about but things do change. What I have to my advantage is the fact that the people I work for are hopelessly inept and can’t do much for themselves.

That’s where I come in, making coffee, filing, distributing mail, making sure things are tidy and ready to go as well as knowing who to call when something goes wrong. It’s really easy to do but like I said, they’re inept. Total deja vu feeling, even writing about the deja vu was deja vu like.

Thank you Mr. Reagan and your cronies for the deregulation of banks. May you rot in the ground you wrinkled fuck.

So after eating last night I felt a lot better, and even sat on the stoop reading Alan Bennett’s Untold Stories. He finally touched upon Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. Dudley had insecurity to deal with, Peter had major alcoholism. Alan Bennett felt that part of Dudley’s insecurity was from the fact that he wasn’t a writer.

An entertainer, an actor, a jazz pianist but not a writer. He wasn’t a funny guy it seemed. Thanks to the movies he became more famous but it didn’t really help matters much.

Bill showed up as I sat outside enjoying a Padron. He was tired and carrying groceries that were perishable so he made it upstairs while I sat and read and puffed on my cigar.

Got a phone call from my sister in law Elaine last night. Initially I thought it was a belated birthday call but no it was bad news. My brother Frank had a seizure on Saturday night and was rushed off to Hackensack Hospital. By the time he got to the emergency room he was relatively normal and Frank and Elaine were back home at 4:00AM.

He last had a seizure in April. It seems stress might be or is a major factor in this situation, but what could be done about stress? I know there are many things that could be done regarding stress, but we’re talking about my brother and for him a lot of things are a chore.

Things such as taking a walk is a chore. As much alike as we are (and we are) things like that, walking, riding a bicycle are just some of the things that make up the difference between us. I called Annemarie and Brian and left messages for them.

Eventually they both called me back and I told them the news. Frank was home today and I spoke to him briefly and I could hear how annoyed he was with all this, the seizure and the medications.

Last night Roda came over. I had invited him a few weeks ago to come over and watch True Blood anytime he’d like. Last night he liked to come over and I couldn’t say no, nor did I want to. He’s always good company and it’s great he and Bill get along so well.

It was a rather low key affair, the two of them on the couch, me sitting where it seems I always sit, close to the computer. He stayed for Entourage then split, before heading down the stairs, telling me that he was going to be a father again, this time they’re having a girl.

I didn’t ask who the mother was, thinking it was Elly the mother of his son Logan. I’m sure I’ll find out eventually and how does one ask that question anyhow?

Tonight Bill and I are going to an art show at McSwells. It’s a show for the artists in the Neumann Leather building on Observer Highway. They’re in danger of losing their space, what maybe the last frontier from the artsy bohemian days of the late seventies, early eighties when I came into the Hoboken picture.

Bill’s having a nap right now, so there is a good chance that he won’t make it. I was surprised when he said he’d go with me this afternoon, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t want to go after napping.

Here are today’s New Yorkers.