Tag Archives: Shea Stadium

I’m Only Sleeping

Last night mellow. My evening routine was askew since I wrote before I came home. Nothing to worry about. I was home by 8:00, Bill was watching the convention on MSNBC. I planned on watching Weeds at 10:00 but neither of us wanted to miss Michelle Obama’s speech.

Ted Kennedy was pretty good, with his swan song. The fat lady off stage, waiting to sing for Ted’s political career. I mentioned to Bill that as Ted had gotten older, he became a great statesman. Though the grumbling about windmill generators off Hyannis Port was a bit troubling.

I told Bill that Caroline will probably become the head of the Kennedy family once Ted moves on. Bill went to bed soon after Michelle Obama and I watched the news, eventually going to bed around 11:45, which is a bit late for my ass.

Slept like a rock or so I thought. I woke up tired and slept a little later than usual. I saw Casey on the bus yesterday but since I was late, no Casey today. Walked across town, still a bit groggy, figured once I had a few cups of coffee I would be alright. Well it didn’t turn out alright as I kept getting more tired as the hours crawled by.

Bill was feeling quite the same way. Today I left work early. Yesterday the other two left early, but today was my day. And I’m still taking off Thursday and Friday. Juan’s in town today but since Bill and I are fatigued for no reason at all, it’s probably best that he stays away. Plus it promises to be an early night for the both of us.

I’m still pretty much out of it even though I came home and napped for two hours. I did finally get my hair cut from Tony at Mr. L’s down the street. I walked by and he was free so I popped in for a quickie. My hair grows thick and at a certain point it can be too much.

So a trim was in order. Tony always does a good job and mentions most times that a lot of guys would love to have my hair. He’s a 60-70 something Italian immigrant who lives with his wife in South Hackensack by Lodi, not the South Hackensack by Teterboro.

Uses a color rinse on his hair every month and a half and cuts hair next to his 50 something son. He goes the extra mile, trimming nose hair, ear hair and selectively removing gray hairs from my goatee earning a decent tip. So now I feel a lot cooler physically and mentally but still pretty much tired.

I’m sure a good nights sleep would do me good as well as doing Bill good. I got an email from Pedro with a pic of 30 fellow CO’s tailgating in the parking lot at Shea. He was there, I was wrong. We cleared it all up on Sunday on the phone so that’s good.

Pedro 5th from right

Still reading Alan Bennett which is slow going. Right now he’s talking about his Aunties. All well and good but for me it’s been dragging. Maybe it’s my fatigue. It just reminds me of the boring visits to my Aunt Diddy in Flushing.

She was my father’s sister and her house was not child friendly. There was nothing to entertain a 10 year old boy and I could only get some money from my mother so often to go get comic books a few blocks away. But obviously I’m veering into Alan Bennett’s style and I’m very tired.

I’m surprised I got this far tonight.

All The Young Dudes

Well the past 24 hours have been quite nice. Yesterday I went into the city and met up with Bill in Bryant Park. We caught the 7 train to Flushing, to Shea Stadium. I wanted to go since it’s due to be torn down and it was a chance to say farewell. The ride was entertaining since I’d never taken the train to Shea Stadium before.

Bill

Pretty crowded with Mets fans who are a quiet sort. Bill noticed that. The Yankee fans are louder and more rambunctious. Mets fans are more well behaved and loyal but not rabid. We walked off the subway with hundreds of Mets fans. We missed the National Anthem as we climbed the escalator to our seats. Got some 2 hot dogs and a beer and the total was $20.00/ $8.50 for a Budweiser and $4.50 for each hot dogs.

Vendors now expect a tip. Give them a twenty and they ask how much do you want back. I suppose they earn it for lugging beer and hot dogs around so an extra buck or two is a nice gesture. It really makes a difference to see a baseball game live as opposed to watching it on TV. The excitement of the crowd, the whole atmosphere beats watching a game on a box.

Our seats weren’t bad, we were in the upper tier. It was cramped in our row and since no one was sitting behind us we climbed back and were able to stretch out a bit. The Mets were playing against the Houston Astros and they won 3-0 which definitely made everyone happy.

I took a snapshot with my camera phone and sent it to a few people who basically all asked the same question, ‘Where are you?’ I sent a pic to Pedro who couldn’t believe that I was at Shea Stadium. He said he was at Shea too with some corrections officers (CO’s) he works with.

After the game we wandered around trying to find him and his buddies but to no avail. He jokes around like that with me from time to time and after a while we gave up at my insistence. We did talk on the phone but he kept hanging up and thats when I gave up.

CO’s

He sent me 2 pics that could have been anywhere and it wasn’t until I saw them on my computer did Bill tell me that he was in the parking lot as Bill could see the 7 train behind the CO’s. I didn’t believe Pedro and he called me a jackass and a jerk.

Oh well.

It would have been a strange scene anyway since the CO’s are mainly right wing reactionaries. And Bill and myself are, well… Bill and myself. I told Bill that we might have been shanghaied to a strip club if we met up with the CO’s.

Took the bus home, happy and cozy with each other and made it to Hoboken safe and sound were we both slept really well. I woke up around 8:00, went out got papers and bagels and had breakfast while waiting to hear from Chaz.

Chaz

We planned on going down the shore to Sandy Hook. Chaz called around 9:00 and by 9:20 I was in his car headed down the shore. Wide range of topics we talked about, no music, but talk about music.

Some traffic but not too bad and we were on the beach itself a little after 11:00.We found an area with not too many people around but as the day progressed more people showed up and sat around us.

Whoops!

Chaz made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which were perfect and brought some baklava that his Aunt made last night. Played some Frisbee and I have to admit Chaz is a very good Frisbee thrower, and considering it had been over a year since I last threw I wasn’t so bad either. I did take a spill in the sand which I thought was rather humorous.

After getting sweaty we jumped in the ocean which was a little bit dirty with some trash that Chaz had collected and gave to me to toss in the trash. Every litter/little bit helps. An enjoyable ride home, listening to music on the radio, singing along to I Am The Walrus and Superman by the Kinks on the progressive modern classic rock station.

Stopped off for way too much ice cream, yes there is such a thing. I followed Chaz’ lead and got the double hot fudge brownie sundae with whipped cream. Ugh. A meal in itself.

Trimester!

Now I’m home, watching the History Boys again since I chatted it up with Chaz this afternoon. If I see him tomorrow I should make sure to have it on me so I could loan it to him, with the latest Mojo magazine that I just finished. Also finished 2 short stories by Alan Bennett and promptly started his autobiography, Untold Stories.

So far so good.