Tag Archives: Julio

Sister Midnight

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Well Saturday came and here it is. Turned out to be nice weather after a day and night of rain. Watched the TV last night, chatted with Juan before that. He made some suggestion about going out, I plead poverty. He lost his cellphone and doesn’t have internet where he’s been living at school. He did have a sketch of a plan to come up and visit his mother in Union City, so I told him to give me a call if he was in the area.

By 11:30 I was having difficulty staying awake so I went to bed, only to be woken by the buzzer at midnight. It was Juan looking to hang out. I was almost asleep and had to turn him down which sucked, but perhaps if I had gotten a phone call I would have made an effort. But he didn’t so I went back to sleep.

Then the phone rang and it was Bill calling to wish me a good night as well as tell me the latest tale of woe with regards to looking after his mother. I tried to reassure him that he should get some sleep and it might be better in the morning. When we spoke this morning things hadn’t gotten any better but they didn’t get any worse either. Poor Bill, at wit’s end. His mother can’t be left alone yet Bill has to get on with his day to day routine somehow.

I did my Saturday morning routine and shocked at what used to be cheaper a month or so ago has nearly doubled in price. Everything is getting more expensive. Even bagels which I now butter myself at home, thank you very much. Did the laundry, read the papers had breakfast. I also watched the Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer.

If you were a fan of the Fantastic Four like I was and knew the Silver Surfer saga you will be disappointed. A real must to avoid. Stick to the comic books. I still want to see Iron Man though, which would probably be the first time I listen to a Black Sabbath song with out the urge to leave the room.

Decided to head into the city after that. Took the Path train in and got off at Christopher Street which I hadn’t done in a long time, not in a year maybe. Walked around neighborhoods that were very different years ago. Favorite stores gone, even Washington Square Park is being redone. I think they were re-centering the fountain that used to be in the middle, a little off of center, which added to the charm but the new powers that be decided it must be aligned with something so now a good portion of the park has been dug up, behind fences and unaccessible. The Bottom Line is gone, Tower Records is gone, and we all know CBGB’s is gone too, and Washington Square isn’t the same. .

Sheridan Square/Christopher Street

Sixth Avenue and West 4th Street

Washington Square Park

The former Bottom Line

formerly Tower Records

Lafayette Street and Fourth Avenue

I walked up Lafayette Street, overhearing a conversation on Leslie Van Houten, one of the Manson Girls. Walked up to 110 Fourth Avenue which is where the best god damned card shop in Manhattan is, known as Farfetched. Farfetched is owned by Susan Zappone and Lois Marsilio, 2 old friends of Harpy’s that I’ve known about 10 years now. Farfetched is a fascinating store full of knick knacks and do dads and the occasional whatnot. Harpy was working with Susan and the atmosphere was full of happiness and good music. The customers were plenty and in need of a lot of attention, excepting the steadfast customers who have been shopping at Farfetched since 1945. I believe Harry Truman bought himself a picture frame on a whistle stop tour of Manhattan in 1947. Either Truman or Eisenhower, I don’t know, I could be wrong on that count.

Harpy and Susan at Farfetched

I then walked around a bit, chatted with Annemarie on the phone too near cell phone dead zones and avoided the recently infested with bed bugs, Union Square. I walked up Park Avenue, puffing on a Padron and listening to the B-52’s Funplex which gets better each time I play it and I’ve been playing it once a day at least.

Walked up to 33rd Street so I could finish my cigar and get a seat on the Path train back to Hoboken. An uneventful ride with me reading ‘God is Not Great’ by Christopher Hitchens. Hoboken was busy, people walking up and down the boulevard and shopping. Since tomorrow is Mother’s Day, the card and gift shops were busy, which explains the busyness of Farfetched.

Pretty Pretty

Abstraction

Good doggy

Cement crib

Pigeon frenzy

Got a call from Julio, he was out shopping for Mother’s day gifts and I shopped with him for a bit. Of course we hit the card and gift shops and after spending time in Farfetched I headed out to the street to wait. I ran into Steve Pierson a former executive director from my Wanker Banker days. He was with his wife Stacy and their darling daughter of 20 months, Abby. Steve is a nice guy, he grabbed my arm as I was headed out to wait and got my attention. He and Stacy moved to Hoboken a few years ago. He’s a really nice guy, a bit right wing but I don’t hold it against him.

Looks great in a suit and tie though, really woof. I did have a chemically fueled discussion over cigars and drinks (I was fueled he wasn’t) at a holiday party a few years ago. About Bush. He was for him, and guess who wasn’t? I think I’ve been proven right, but it didn’t come up. They left and I wished Steve’s wife a happy Mother’s Day.

Julio bought all the proper things for Mother’s Day, presents for his wife who’s a new mom, a card from their son for Mother’s day and as well as for his grandmother, Julio’s mom. Julio told me he was going to be an uncle, his sister Maria is having twins. Baby crazy I tell you. None for me thanks.

Pimpin’ ain’t easy

Love So Fine

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It’s Tuesday again. Not a bad day, could have been better. The pendulum swings again. Last night played a lot of Scrabulous with Julio online. He won the game since I kept challenging his words and my challenges proved invalid. If it were a face to face game of Scrabble I would have won, no problem. But it wasn’t and I was lucky to break 200 points. I was happy with that, but unhappy with the cheesy cheap words that Julio threw down.

It was infuriating and Julio, two floors down knew it. I was surprised that he was online for so long. Stine was sitting right next to him ready to give birth any day now. She’s quite hormonal and I had to laugh seeing Julio skulking outside the building when I came home tonight, wary about going upstairs. I woke up this morning at 5:00 thanks to Bill leaving his alarm clock on. I somehow managed to turn it off and sleep for another hour.

Bus ride, uneventful as it should be. Spring is here so no overcoat today. It was a nice walk, even walking past the Bear Sterns building where there have been news trucks lined up outside. Got to the office, no one in. As quiet as usual, yet eerily quiet. Tom Chin was out of the office which was a good thing and I was able to find time to talk to Greg Stevens. I knocked on his door and we chatted. I started it off by saying ‘what the hell is going on here?’ Yes he is the President of the company and that is how I talk to him.

He explained that no money is coming in, there are deals in the works but no one gets paid until the deal is done. It’s like that all over the financial world right now, but I don’t have to start looking for a new job. I’m not six figured. Full figured, yes. Which for once is working in my favor. Greg explained that Moe was let go, since he wasn’t bringing in any money and his contacts weren’t contacting him. Quinn was explained about by saying that since he has another job with some Irish company he’ll be concentrating on that, while maintaining a consultant position at the firm, and renting his office space. Padma was the heartbreaker. They’re probably going to let her go, or keep her in a part time position. I hate knowing something about someone. She asked me if I knew anything and I had to skirt the issue. I complimented her on her skirt instead.

I emailed my brother Brian last night, telling him that Nick Lowe was playing McSwells on May 2. He asked me to get tickets and I went online and found it to be sold out. This afternoon I called Goons, the local record store and they said they had 4 tickets. I asked if they could hold 2 and I would pick them up after work, but no, they wouldn’t do that. I called El Jefe and asked him to go buy them and I would reimburse him after work. He had no problem with that and soon enough I owned 2 tickets.

I stopped by after work and hung out, Lady Gigglepuss was still at work, so Rand and I shot the shit about our past and various people we used to know. My ex-roommate Jimmy Lee is back in the states after living in Austria with his Austrian wife. El Jefe ran into him at McSwells a few weeks ago. So I guess I can expect to see him at Martha’s Badly Drawn Comics party on the 26th. That should be interesting. Hello to Jimmy Lee. If you know Jimmy Lee you know that he probably, more than likely Googles his name. But with a name like Jimmy Lee, there must be millions out there. Hell, it was even a song by Aretha in the 80’s.

Please send good thoughts, prayers and warm wishes to my brother in law Rex Dippre, and Annemarie and their son Earl. They need a whole bunch, so send them to Arcata CA.