Tag Archives: Lily

Darlin’

Well it certainly has been an interesting 24 hours. I’ve been busy. I made it up to the Park Theater, riding with the proletariat in the mass transportation system here, this time using a bus. Got to Union City with enough time to treat myself to a Hamburger Deluxe and a chocolate milk shake at the Four Star Diner.

Had enough time for a cigar before the show. Hanging around outside the Park Theater on 32nd street. Meghan and Ruby were in traffic en route. I few sidelong glances from some father’s walking by wondering who this bloke was, smoking a cigar outside the theater.

I was glad I didn’t wear my raincoat. Humming Aqualung might have been a mistake though. Meghan and Ruby and 2 of Ruby’s friends showed up soon enough and we all headed into the theater. Meghan knew the sidelong glancing fathers and introduced me to them, causing them some relief.

They in turn whistled Locomotive Breath.

We found some good seats and soon Jim Mastro as well as Frank Giannini and his son sitting behind us. The Street Corner Mourners were as excellent as I had hoped, Tim having a mandolin strap malfunction seemed like it was all part of the show.

Six songs were their set, all covers, all nicely played. Lily has an incredible voice. If she keeps it up, in ten years she will sound amazing. The Street Corner Mourners are so inspiring. After their set Meghan, Ruby and the friends saw Frank Giannini and his son off and went across the street to the Four Start Diner.

I had a coffee and a slice of cake while everyone else had entrees. It was a fun group, we were served by Mo, short for Maureen who looked a it like Shirley Stoller. They all went back to the theater, I decided to walk back home to Hoboken.

I enjoyed a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero 700 and listened to The Beatles, Revolver on the iPod. I walked down Palisade Avenue past Jane Street where I used to live. It was an enjoyable walk. I timed the cigar walk perfectly and finished it by the time I had gotten to my building in Hoboken.

I came upstairs and set about uploading the videos I had shot. It wasn’t exactly happening on my PC so I did the work on Bill’s Mac. I checked my Facebook messages and there was a message from Ruby.

Little did I know that after the show, Tim, the ace guitarist/Banjo & mandolin player was hit by a car outside the theater. Some driver had run a red light. Tim had done a flip over the car. The driver stopped, the police came and shut down that section of 32nd Street and it was decided that Tim go to the hospital in an ambulance.

They ran an MRI and had him overnight in the hospital to be on the safe side. Some short term memory loss but other than that he’s fine. Apparently 16 year old boys can bounce back like that. I hope he can still play his instruments.

All that walking from Union City to Hoboken had me tired but I think that last cup of coffee with Meghan and the girls kept me up while I tried to sleep. It wasn’t easy but I eventually did fall asleep.

Bill was soon in bed after coming home from Pecong, the play he’s been working on. He has a mouth apparatus which he wears with the sleep apnea mask. Still he snores and I wake him to let him know he’s snoring.

He says ‘Well you snore too you know. How do you know it isn’t you?’ I groggily try to explain that the sound was coming from his side of the bed.

I was up and out around 9:30, bagels and the paper. I got bagels for Stine & Alexander. Julio answered the door with Alexander on his shoulder as Julio was singing a lullaby to the baby. It was yet another beautiful day, the temperature was up to 73 degrees.

I walked around Hoboken a few times this afternoon, even taking my guitar out and playing along the river walk. I had seen Tariq earlier, playing a drum alongside an older hippie guy playing Melissa by the Allman Brothers.

I definitely could not get into it so later when I brought my guitar out I was about a quarter mile up the river walk. They were making some money but I didn’t feel up for that, not as confident as I was last summer and this being the first time out for me this year, I just played with the guitar case closed and didn’t do much singing.

I played for about 90 minutes until my right arm locked up a bit. I tried shaking it out but decided I had played long enough. I played Please Please Me, She’s A Woman, Love Shack, Surrender, Wild Horses, Maybe I’m Amazed and Kansas City among a few other songs.

Then I came home and finished an animation I had also been working on this afternoon.

I wrote over 800 words, shot and uploaded 6 video clips, created an animation and played guitar in public for 90 minutes. It’s been a creative day, and a good day at that.



You’ve Got A Friend

Well I am thisclose to writing on my own computer, but right now Bill is trying to get me access to his wireless network. Rand has graciously hooked me up with another new computer, new meaning, new to me.

A lot more disc space which is a good thing and everything has its place once again on the PC. So if you haven’t guessed by now I am writing this on Bill’s Mac. Today has been a beautiful day and a productive day at that.

But first off let me say in case you were wondering, Annemarie & Earl have made it safely home to the other side of the continent- Arcata, California. And she says she had a great time, so maybe, I’m not the terrible brother I envisioned myself to be.

I was up around 8:30 this morning after Bill was off to collect his mother and go to church. A bright and brilliant morning and definitely a beach day.

But there was no beach in the day planner for me.

I ran around Hoboken, got Julio & Stine bagels, even though picked up bagels last night from H&H in Manhattan. Also got the Daily News which was the usual terrible stuff.

I folded the laundry and put it away and also got rid of hundreds of pictures that I had printed out, mainly of musclemen.

I still dig looking at the bodybuilders but there’s really no need for those pictures anymore so I camouflaged them and got them ready to recycle this week.

I should put them in front of someone else’s building when the sun goes down just to be on the safe side.

I made a promise to myself and also to Bill that I would like to have this apartment cleaned up so that the next time Annemarie comes out here, she could stay in Hoboken which usually worked out for the best in previous years that she has come west.

Recycling photos of bodybuilders is a step in the right direction. Rand has been working on the new computer and was almost finished with it this afternoon. We texted each other and he and Lisa were wandering around Hoboken, visiting various tag and gate sales.

I passed one or two gate sales and snapped up Un-Ledded by Robert Plant & Jimmy Page for a buck.

Also met up with the funniest girl alive, Meghan Taylor as she was going to help out at hubby Jim’s Guitar Bar. It was fun to stop by and see Jim with Rand & Lisa & Meghan. Our daughter Lily also showed up for her drum lesson.

A nice walk around Hoboken after leaving the Mastro’s in Mastrodamia. I certainly enjoyed a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero 700 as I strolled with Rand & Lisa.

Sat in Elysian Park and talked for a while then headed to Casa de Hoppe where I read comic books while Lisa surfed the net and Rand ably got my computer functioning with all the info on my old computer.

Now Bill is here and was able to complete the wireless situation and now I am back in business and dizziness.

On a sad note, Frank McCourt passed away at 78. He wrote Angela’s Ashes, Tis, and Teacher Man. Angela’s Ashes was his memoir about living hand to mouth or worse in Limerick, Ireland.

Some people called him a phony saying (Richard Harris, my cousin Jackie) and that it was all made up, but for some reason I believed his story.

The movie version was OK, but for me the better book is Tis, and that’s probably because it takes place in Manhattan mostly. Teacher Man was good as well but by that time I had moved onto other things.

The reason that I am writing about Frank McCourt was because he was an inspiration to me. He didn’t start writing until late in life and won a Pulitzer Prize first time up at bat.

Not that I’m going to win a Pulitzer Prize, but that believing that the time had passed to start writing was a ridiculous idea.

So rest in peace Frankie. You did well mate. Hopefully someday I can come within a country mile of writing as wonderful as you did.

Ta.