I feel even better today knowing that I've been offered a room for rent in Montreal. Paying $260 a month for a room in one of my favorite cities sounds like a dream! Timing is everything and I am considering all possibilities, but staying in New York is the top priority.

 

There are a lot of questions that I would like Wahab to address so I'm going to post a Q&A section next Tuesday. If there is something you want to know email the question to me by Monday morning and I'll compose a list and send it off.

 

My friend Shawn is in town for a couple of days before leaving to the Dominican Republic for a wedding. Yankees are playing Oakland tomorrow and we'll be there to cheer for the home team. Which home team though......?

 

There is no way to tie in these 3 completely different subject matters so I'm not gonna try. Shawn already did a nice job of recaping the day, so I'll put a spin on each subject.

 

Shawn got 85% love from the yankee fans and only about 15% hate for rocking his Oakland A's gear. It helped that he wasn't a Red Sox fan and also that the A's lost to the Yankees 3 of the last 4 years in the playoffs. It's true I did cheer for the Yankees, but only to make the other surrounding yankee fan base 'think' that I teased him for the greater yankee area. I like to think that I helped to make his experience a pleasant one. This is what spin is all about folks.

 

Ok, the tampons. Let's come back to that later.

 

White Castle was the nations first fast food restaurant (I stole this fact from Shelly). And tonight was the first time that Shelly and Shawn had a White Castle meal. I was just wondering why my stomach was hurting and now I remember....

 

Do I have to talk about tampons? That's what I kept asking them, but they wanted to know why I wasn't comfortable with buying tampons. Shawn has no problem with the subject matter and Shelly feels that my idea of woman is that of a goddess so anything that would snap me out of that fantasy- i.e. tampons (I guess cause goddesses don't.....you know.....) is something I avoid. Well you're gonna have to make your own generalizations 'cause I'm done with this subject.

 

Shawn took off today for the Dominican Republic and it was good to catch up with him and capture some energy and support from the home front. I feel ready to tackle the upcoming 'get a job or bust' week.

 

I'm gonna keep this entry a bit light because of the 'heavy' topics yesterday. I promise we didn't smoke anything. I added some new photos to the New York Life and Boston II sections under photography. Also yesterday was Wahab's birthday so on behalf of everyone here: HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Wahab. Now that you are 26, I feel like you are definitely ready for marriage. And you should be comfortable when you have to go to the store and buy tampons.

 

Tomorrow, on my very block, we will be having a 'block party"! I'm really excited about it. The only reservation I have is that a church is throwing the party. Churches know how to party right?

 

I woke up this morning super excited about attending my first New York Block Party. The time was 10:30am and I heard a voice saying "Ladies and Gentleman, please move your cars so we can set up for this block party."

 

I crawl out of bed and begin the process of waking up. It normally takes two hours to gain full consciousness, but on this day I was determined to do it in an hour. I peek out the window and see tents set up right in front of my house! I'm thinking 'this is the best seat in the house'.

 

Minutes later, a guy gets on the microphone and says, 'Ladies and gentleman, thank you for welcoming us to your block. We have plenty of hot dogs. They are free so help yourself. We are testing the sound and the service will start shortly."

 

Wait a minute. Rewind. I know I heard hot dogs and free but did he just say service as in 'church service'? Maybe I'm still not awake yet...that must be it. Suddenly the sounds of gospel music in spanish are blaring into my once tranquil room.

 

Ok, there's gospel music. I better hurry and make it the hot dogs cause after singing comes a sermon. And I've been saved once and don't need it again.

 

"Ladies and Gentleman, I want to thank God for this beautiful day. I want to give you a testimonial about how I was saved." Dang, I'm too late! Well, so much for the free hot dogs.

 

I crank up my music and try to drown out the message, but its no use. Shelly hears the commotion, peeks out the window and suggests that we sit on our stoop to observe the festivites. "Are you sure?" I ask, knowing that we are going to be prime targets. "Yeah why not."

 

With the exception of a few sporadic neighbors, the block was empty. The church members accounted for 95% of the people at the 'block party'. At first we were left alone to our own sideline commentary. The entire time, we are plotting on how to get a hot dog without being caught up in this. A lady brings us literature and I take it. This is it! It's our ticket to the hot dog. I say to Shelly, "So yeah, all you have to do is carry this over to the hot dog stand, showing that we care and won't hassel us. So how bout it?" She wasn't buying it.

 

Next a guy brings over a new testament bible in spanish. Now this has to be the ticket right? A guy on the microphone says, 'If you are hurting out there and need us to pray for you, please come up to the front here.' Ah shucks here it comes. He looks to his left points to us and says, "To the two people on the steps, is it ok if I pray for you?" I give him the thumbs up and the okay sign to do so. He says, "I really would like it if you guys came up here so we could lay hands on and pray for you. Can we do that?" The collective response was a "No that's quite ok, thanks." We bailed when they closed their eyes to pray.

 

Why can't a block party be a block party? And why can't a free hot dog come without a guilty feeling? I would have settle for one even without mustard. Oh well.

 

 

 

QB	A. Brooks (NO )
WR	E. Moulds (Buf)
WR	K. Robinson (Sea)
WR	B. Lloyd (SF)
RB	S. Alexander (Sea)
RB	F. Taylor (Jac)
TE	T. Gonzalez (KC)
BN	J. Garcia (Cle
BN	J. Fargas (Oak)
BN	J. Galloway (TB)
BN	K. Warner (NYG)
BN	G. Hearst (Den)
BN	Q. Morgan (Cle)

K	J. Wilkins (StL)

 

Did the sending off of resumes into tv land today. I'm forcing myself to send off at least 20 resumes a day. I missed my quota today and only sent 4 but 'f' it.

 

Speaking of quotas, are you following the Illinois senate race? On second thought, I don't want to talk about this I have a headache.

 

No news yet on the apartment search and I remain open to most possibilities. I still will not be slumming it with 3 or 4 roommates. No thanks. 

 

Oh! Now I remember what I wanted to talk about. Curb Your Enthusiasm is my favorite show. When Shawn was in town he brought the entire first season and I've been hooked ever since. Probably old news to most of you, but I think it's brilliant. I just worked my way through season 2 tonight and I cannot wait to see the entire dvd collection of season 3.

 

back to the grind...

 

The year was 1948. The place was the Royal Roost in Manhattan. Mr. Miles Davis, the pied piper of jazz, assembled a band-"The Birth of Cool" and proceeded to create a sound that is forever associated with cool.

 

I picked up the CD (only until I take the time find the vinyl version) and I can't help but feel 'cool' by listening to this. I'm imagining how the discussions went before the grouped was formed. Something like.......

 

M.Davis with shades on polishing his trumpet, notices his reflection and says

 

"We need a sound that can capture this. The sound is too jumpy." he puts down his trumpet, lights a cigarette, takes a puff and walks over to Gil Evans and says "Let's get started."

 

or something like that...