Tag Archives: McSwells

Voodoo Ray

Well I think last night’s entry was one of my best. It came quite easily too. I enjoyed it so much that I was the first to comment on it. I wrote it before I went to McSwells where I met Lois and her betrothed, Fred.

I walked up Washington Street distressed by the stroller set. Honestly these people with their strollers. A man and woman with a stroller and their toddler letting the kid look at and touch whatever he wanted until the kid just sat down in the middle of the sidewalk, mom with the stroller not moving and she and the dad were trying to reason with the kid to get up off the sidewalk.

Forget about making room for pedestrians like me, let junior sit where dogs shit. After I maneuvered around those three I was met head on with three young moms and their strollers, all walking side by side, stroller to stroller as if they owned the friggin’ sidewalk.

Julio and Stine are of course excused from this behavior simply because they don’t behave like that with Alexander.

I got up to McSwells where Lois and Fred were waiting. Lois offered to buy dinner but I had eaten already since when I got home I was famished. I did order some curly fries and shared them with Lois and Fred. Also had mayonnaise with the fries for that European feel. To further the Euro mindset I drank Stella Artois. Nice for a hot summer evening.

As I sat at the table with Lois and Fred I had one eye on the door looking out for my brother Frank. Once again it was old home week. Alice Genese, a few Bongos including super nice guy Jim Mastro and his wife Meghan the funniest girl alive. She brightens up my world when she’s around.

My brother eventually showed up and I think Meghan gave him a great big hug, thinking it was me. That’s what Frank thought. We do look alike. In fact a friend of his gave me a big hello when he saw me, not realizing that it wasn’t Frank until I said Hello back. It’s unnerving. I sometimes make a conscious decision not to walk around with a puss on since I’ve seen what Frank looks like with a puss on.

On a smoke break I wound up talking to two former denizens of the Beat N’ Path. We chatted about some people we had in common. I confessed a certain snobbery that McSwells people had towards the Beat N’ Pathers. One guy who used to run the Kitchen Table Music shows there told me of his first time at McSwells when gay people sat at one part of the bar and straight people sat at another. It sounded like bullshit to me since I had never seen such a thing and I sat wherever I damned well pleased.

The Individuals were good, but sorry to say, out of tune and dull. They had a nice crowd though. I hadn’t heard those songs in about 20 years and to tell you the truth, even though I liked them then, I could have gone another 20 years without hearing them again.

I’m sure they’re all nice people though I only know Glenn. Let me rephrase that, I don’t know if they’re all nice people. I’ve seen Janet through the years and she’s never said a word to me though we both know similar people. One time while in my suit and tie she sat opposite me on the bus and kept giving me the look that I know so well. The look that is, ‘He looks just like Frank…’

I just wanted to go home. The show ended, but Frank was in his element. Saying good night to his various friends. Funny- he used to have some comments about my friends, though I can’t remember ever commenting on his.

I was home a little before 12:30, past my bedtime. I have a real job now, a good job and needed to function on what was going to be 5.5 hours of sleep, and with the Stella Artois, it wasn’t a restful sleep.

Oh, how last night followed me throughout the day. I persevered and got through the day, even eating my usual healthy salad when my body wanted something more substantial. Still, I was able to get through the day and left at 4:00 instead of leaving a half hour later.

I was supposed to have dinner with two friends from my Wanker Banker days, but I had to help Bill out and his mom. Now I’m home again and I know I won’t have any trouble sleeping tonight.

Lois and Fred

The Individuals blurred

The Wrist

Open Late

A milestone approaches and I am inching towards it. I’m excited. No, really.

Breakfast in America

Well back to this again. I don’t mind. And I was happy that some people commented last night. It was good to see people taking my question and answering it, though it would have been more appropriate if it was for the previous entry, but I guess I’ll take feedback whenever I can.

I did find out that I’m younger than bhikku. One or two years but all this time I thought he was the same age as me. So once again I am the youngest, unless Juan posts and I know I am older than Juan. It’s been that way most of my life, the youngest in the room.

Of course I spent a lot of time at senior centers so that made sense. I wonder how it will be when I am in the senior center, not visiting but actually residing there. Though tonight I wasn’t the youngest when I went to get coffee beans from Empire Coffee in Hoboken for the office.

Jeff was there and Jeff is younger than me. He’s also dazzled by my tales of McSwells and the music business. I asked him how the Vaselines were and it turned out he got there too early, had a few beers too many.

It wasn’t crowded so he took a walk and when he came back it was crowded. He wound up behind the pole in the back room and not seeing much of the band. He heard Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam and one other song when he felt he heard enough and drunkenly weaved his way back home to Jersey City.

He’s a good guy and I enjoy regaling him with stories of the bands I saw in the heyday that was McSwells. At least the ones I can remember. Work was work was work. Need I say more? You know I eventually will.

Last night I watched Weeds which was hilarious. Best episode this season so far. Nancy kicked Celia’s ass and knocked a tooth out of Celia’s mouth. Andy accidentally shot a coyote (someone who sneaks illegal immigrants into the country) in the knee. Andy got his Foghat belt buckle back and his $6.00 from the coyote. Justin Kirk rocks by the way.

After that I watched Diary of a Call Girl which is very good but I usually have to be in the mood for it. Like sex I guess. I don’t go out of my way to watch it, but if it’s on I generally enjoy it. I can’t wait for Juan to see the latest episode of Weeds.

This morning I am happy to report that there were no power outages as I got ready for work. Though it promised to be in the 90 degree area, I wore a long sleeved French cuff shirt and my pinstriped trousers. The trousers used to be cuffed but I had the tailor remove the cuffs so I have an extra inch or two at the bottom of my pant leg.

Still throughout the day, I worry that they’re too short. I wear a 34 length pant, and this is like 32.5 or 33. I constantly need to check through the day.

It’s just as well that I don’t have cuffs on my trousers, since when I do wear them cuffed, as I walk one foot gets snagged and I stumble, and me, being big and goofy, I look like a real doofus when that happens. Usually I look like an unreal doofus, which is what I’m comfortable with.

Ran some errands today which was nice to get out of the office. Ran into Vinnie a guy I used to work with. He’s doing well and looking good. He said to tell you he said ‘Hi’.

Downer

This car runs red lights. Be on the look out.

Whats in the pocket?

This possibly didn’t end well.

Punked tattoos

George Bush, our idiot at the G8 Summit closing last Friday:
“Goodbye from the world’s greatest polluter!”

cut n’paste

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4305290.ece

also related

cut n’paste again
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/antarctic-ice-shelf-collapse-imminent-866504.html