Tag Archives: McSwells

She Bang

It’s a Monday and if you’re lucky enough to be employed you’re probably not happy about it. I remember when I was working, how I dreaded Mondays. Now all the days blend into one another and you can tell when it’s Monday when there are less people around. The usual downcast faces appear, coming in from the fog.

Just giving myself some poetic license.

It’s not foggy, but it has been rainy. I did go out a few times today, to the post office, to the Guitar Bar, the supermarket, as well as the bibliothèque twice.

Once to return Macbeth the DVD, the play and the Cliff Notes, the other time, just a few minutes ago to return Auntie Mame which I couldn’t watch since someone who may reside in Old Tappan might have scratched the disc. Right during the Christmas scene.

Jerry Herman would have pitched a fit! I need a little Christmas, right this very minute goddamn it! The candles are in the window and the spinet is in the shop but I’m sure we could use one of Bill’s keyboards.

I did get in return from the bibliothèque, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. Never saw it but my curiosity was piqued when I saw that it was Brian Eno’s favorite movie. And Kubrick was a master filmmaker.

I have even put Eyes Wide Shut in my queue at the bibliothèque. I saw that in the theater but wasn’t that impressed, but it does deserve another look. I also caught a little bit of the ending of Rat Race this afternoon.

That was a date movie with Bill when we started going out. Silly little movie, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg and quite a few other people. It’s ‘It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World’ for the 21st century just in case you thought this century was lacking one of those. We saw it when it came out in August 2001. It’s a goof.

Bill and I have been debating whether or not we’ve been together for 9 or 10 years. I say 9 and will be 10 in September. Bill says 10 now. We met in September 2000 you see.

And Thursday is the day we’re having Jim Mastro say those magic words for the sake of saying those magic words. The license office here in Hoboken needed a date and when I said July they said it had to be within 30 days.

So it’s just for the fact that we have to do it for the sake of the government.

I suppose in July, that is when we will actually have some vows written and said. I myself am leaning towards ‘A Whomp Bomp a Loo Bop, a Whomp Bam Boom’. I think it sums up our relationship quite nicely. I don’t know what Bill has to say on the matter or if he has anything to say regarding it.

I would like Maxwells to be the spot for our party. A Sunday afternoon, 12-4PM. Ideally it would be cool if Todd gave us the room for free. Cash bar out front, to discourage drunk driving and dancing, music and food in the back room.

That’s how I’m envisioning it. And I’m really hoping for it so much that I’ve written Maxwells instead of McSwells. I am going to have to talk to Todd soon, hat in hat and with humility.

And this just over the wire, Ricky Martin is out of the closet. Yes he’s admitted that he’s a fortunate homosexual. That’s nice. Can’t say I’m a fan of his music (though when he blew up the Grammys 12 years ago that was a thrill) but he certainly is someone easy on the eyes.

Well good luck to Ricky Martin, Salud!

Sorry Girls, He's Gay.

Sorry Girls, He's Gay.


Moving out in Hoboken. Police investigate.

Moving out in Hoboken. Police investigate.

I’ve Seen That Movie Too

This the second attempt at writing is underway. It’s been a day where things are a bit off. Bill rented a Zip Car since it’s the last day of the play Pecong and couldn’t find the key card which is usually in his wallet. I have have to confess my relief at not having anything to do with the missing card.

I did see the play last night, Pecong and it was an enjoyable show. Based on Medea and set in the West Indies. A few members of the audience did not know about Medea and so were surprised by the way things turned out.

A very good cast, wonderful lighting and an amusing and sometimes funny script kept the tragic events unfolding hidden from the eyes of the audience. Bill was a most able stage manager and from what I gathered was well regarded by the cast and crew. And it was a good turnout as well, nearly all the seats were filled.

Bill being the stage manager had to make sure everyone was out of the theater space since it gets used as a church on Sunday mornings. I mingled with the cast and crew and soon Bill and I were on a local 3 train downtown to 34th Street.

We walked through Penn Station and up to the street level. As we headed down the stairs to the Path train I spied some guy checking Bill out. When Bill tells me some guy is checking me out I continue on with my usual obliviousness. When I tell Bill the same thing, Bill scans the area.

It turns out he knew the other guy, a bloke named Richie from Bill’s old church. The stood and started chatting to each other as I turned and saw the 12:30 train about to leave the station. Of course by the time Bill was done the train had left the station and I didn’t have many kind words at all to say about Richie, though it wasn’t his fault.

I dreaded having to wait another hour for the next train but as we stood on the platform another train arrived about 15 minutes later. Not a comfortable ride though. For Bill and myself it was but a smallish woman and her oafish boyfriend sat next to Bill.

The smallish woman kept making faces at the size of Bill. I pointed it out to Bill and he didn’t care. As we left the train in Hoboken the woman was throwing knives with her eyes. Bill turned and started to say something but I advised him not to since the moment had passed.

And it was chilly as we walked home, Bill went to bed almost immediately and I followed soon thereafter. Finally I slept really well and probably would have continued sleeping if it weren’t for the fact that today was the Last Sunday of the Month Shakespeare Reading at McSwells.

And today the play scheduled was Macbeth, which happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play. I was up and out to get bagels and the paper and a little while after that I was walking up to McSwells. Bill had left and came back when he realized he couldn’t find his Zip Car key.

I would have helped him look for it but I was pressed for time and not one to favor being late.

On the way there I got a phone call from Lois who was wondering if I was coming. Most of the participants usually have brunch at McSwells, I eat at home. As I walked in there were Lois and five others eating brunch, not even close to being finished.

I sat in the fishbowl in the front room of McSwells and pulled out my notebook, waiting for the others to finish. They eventually joined in the fishbowl, Lois filling a bag with roles for the Scottish play.

As luck would have it, I pulled out the plum role of Macbeth. 685 lines. I also pulled out a few other roles since we only had five other readers and multiple parts are needed. I opted to read Macbeth in what I approximated to be a Scottish burr. By the end my throat was shot.

Still it was a fun time and once again I was glad that I did it. Next month I believe is The Tempest. Lois would love to have other readers to join in, no skills beside a reading comprehension is needed.

So if you find yourself in Hoboken on the last Sunday of the month and it’s around noon and you’re around McSwells, do stop in and join us. Extra copies are generally handy and you never know, you could be Prospero next month.

I just watched the BBC production of Macbeth by the Royal Shakespeare Company starring Ian McKellan and Judi Dench, and not for nothing, we had a better time this afternoon at McSwells.

The National Black Theater

The National Black Theater


3.28.10 Pecong vs Shakepeare reading 003
Bill and some cast members and a fan

Bill and some cast members and a fan


Today's Shakespeare readers

Today's Shakespeare readers


A nonplussed Macbeth

A nonplussed Macbeth

Oh and the head of the RC crutch feels that any connection of him to child rape is merely gossip.