Never will the limits of art ever ever be evered. Ever. Ever ever ever. This is my destiny...................................

Happy Holidays, almost too late completely !!

Our Lady's best

This song totally reminds me of one of the greatest times of my life, that summer of 1999. I'll brushed it before, but i'd just finished my first year making (for me) laughably large amounts of cash ((made by teaching now, not stockmarketing or bamking or whatever- lets keep it in context)) and I spent the whole summer in ireland, England, Wales, France, Belgium, and Holland. I was a golden god. And this God went out drinking and dansig with his 10-15 years younger cousins everynite*. And every nite they they played this song.

Wine, women , song and youth.

........................................................

*=overstatement= don't belive him on 'every nite'

My favourite charcter in theatre history = The Rat

Not on the Friday like I'd planned, but on a Sunday that started with questionable stomach from the nite before's crowning ended up making me well by how it went. Finally got to see House Theatre's "Nutcracker". Wanted to go Friday, but we were weathered in. I had to pay $20 to get the tix switched to Sunday, but it was worth it.

Went w/ Gf and Neices .4 and .5. For many years now I've always loved to take the kids to kool things they nomally wouldn't go to. The older kids have been taken to many movies, plays, concerts, performances, Fire, Sox, Bulls, Hawks, etc- even rides on kool sections of the El or walks past buildings that are particularly famous or just nice. Again, nice to show them early the possibility of the city.

However, this day I'd planned around .5. Don't take that to mean I'm slighting .4. It's that I've never taken .5 anywhere. .4'd been out a million times; but never .5. This is a function of both age and that she lives way out in the suburbs. So I was happy that all went well and they both- but espec. .5 - got a kick out of it.

We saw the Nutcracker, and it was great. We even got extra helpings. The play was based on the Nutcracker- well, I guess, since I don't know the Nutcracker story, beyond the wooden soldiers. Anyway, it revolved around a girl who lost her brother in the war, and her attempts to overcome her grief. It was a classic House play- lots of energy, sly laughs, excellent music and singing and dansing. Fun play. It also wasn't a classic House play- we saw it @ the big old Steppenwolf, not the car garage turned storefront theatre the Viaduct. They'd had some sorta disagreement w/ that buildings owners, and are now are moving into the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park next season (first play ever w/ Gf was there). This play also had a lot of unfamilier players; the House was also putting on another play @ the Apollo same time so the company has had a lot of new people this season. That meant that only three regulars were on stage, and I spotted another in the crowd.

Here comes The Rat.

Again, play was great. Loved it. Talk of a reprise next Xmas season. Here says it will. Then, since it was the last staging of the year for this play, the actors have a trad. of doing 15-20m of 'goofy' skits and'deleted' scences. We've seen it before on other plays, and it's a treat. It's a true encore, and went well. I got the biggest kick of out the Rat in this encore. In the play, he was a sniveling snideful rotten rat who's attempting to lure the sister of the dead soldier into the walls- craziness, i guess, if I'm not ruining it. The actor has a great sniveling snideful rotten voice. In the intermission the Houses people generally mix with the crowd, and .5 got to ask The Rat some questions, so we marked him as a nice guy. Explainations aside, The rats two Genius Moves in the encore:

Rat the First
The house is famous- well, they do it @ least once a play- for doing a little coreographed dance scene to denote passage of time or distance. They'll have 8-10 of the players dansing over the whole stage all @ once. I always love these scences. This one in particular took its start from a scene in the play. One of the characters was a ballerina doll come to life- she was ballerina doll to the max, and every word and thought out of her was cutsey ballerina babble. Great character. In the play proper, one of those patented House danse scences to denote passage of time/space was triggred when the ballerina cutsey'd out : "Wait: let's all move like snowflakes!!", to which the ten players/dancers did preciously that. NOW: the encore, all willy nilly switching between scences and ragged 'cuts' when someone feels like abandoning it, reprised that danse scene- and when the ballerina said her "Lets all move like snowflakes!!" line, she was immediately set upon by two of the "rats" who RAN in, leaped upon her,knocked her down, and started "feeding" on her. Now to me, raised on Monty Python endings like newscasters getting machined gunned in slow motion, 'Release the Tiger", and the "16 ton weight": this sudden, comedicacally violent, and extremely silly ending to the "scene", compounded with the fact that the day had gone so well, set me off. Uncontrollable shaking and the minting of my most favouite character in theatre history: Hail the Rat.

Rat the Second
Maybe w/in a minute in the encore, the Rat struck again. In these encores, the players play off of scenes from the play and surprise us w/ silly excursions, but they also play tricks on each other. The rat surprised everyone when he ended a scene by "vomiting" water on the stage. Again, the silly out there ending had me, and it was nice to see the other players amused.

Then we went to Costello's to eat. Pointed out places where I walked/swam/souvier (Jokers on Wilson was one, my current school was another). The kids only wanted to eat some pasta, so Gf and I chowed down on sandwiches etc. Got to use a $5 off on $20 bill coupon- originally was gonna use four "buy a sandwich and get a drink and side free" coupons, but the girls weren't that hungry. Then went home. I was happy.

Hubris (or, '16 peoples', or 'I'm taking my toys...') / 29 December, 2007

Well, we tried. If we'd billed it as a welcome back get together for the returning Vito, it woulda been a great success. However, we gambled for a party, and we lost. And I'll take full blame. So to Dragon, who depended on me a lot= sorry. To Vito and Drawina, who left a kick ass party to come to ours, ooops!! And to everyone else who expected a greater time, I know.

But it was a nice piece of community. Guitars and Gunners were there, Johnny playing music when Dragon wasn't. BCD brought up two Marquette Park dudes. I'm sure BCD told them it would be a fun nite. Jimmy Shoo came up from Indy, as did Liz Bustamente (thanks for the 30 CDs, girl!). Curtis, w/out any of the hot chixx he's always known for. Latecomers were Gallo, Crankface, and Patience. Vito and darwina were the last. With the two hosts and GF, there were 16 people there. Hmm.

And I blame myself. I was under the delusion that I know so many people , that if I announced "Party!! " that they would all fall out. Nope. I realise that the season and age bear a lot of responsibility, but I honestly thought that I had the touch.........Touch of Hubris, more like it.

The big fault of mine was the scheduling. I have a longstanding policy of no Halloween or News Years Eve Parties, because they are always hard draws since there are so many of those types of parties @ the same time. However, I just didn't give enough slack to the fact that a lot of people were busy during these times. Gallo's always had a party around this date every year, and they were always kick ass. However, this year just too many people were out of town who had made the last party a success. Nine people from the Snowden-Vampire-Sunshine-Smokytreats line were outta state this party. Another big contributer from last time didn't show. Kinda gutted the party.............. and I shoulda known better.

Well, there was an example of a party gone rite lately- the Halloween party from the boys @ Spaulding (By the way, thanx fer the lending of the lites and smoke). Single Men. And I'm under the real fear that Dragons and I's party from the weekend mite be the last in the long line of PARTIES- not cookouts or dinners, but a PARTIES- in the differing lines of frenz.

Why??

Double reeasons. People are too old and coupled up nowadays. Age takes a deep toll on all of us. It's hard to answer the door, let alone leave the workweek behind to celebrate with fenz.

And then there's that couple thing. I'll freely amidt I was always deeply snideful of the couples who dissapear into their relationships for the time of immersion. (((That time @ the beginning of coupledom where people go "Say, how come they don't hang out ever more??"))). It seems the avg. time of immersion is about 14m or so before the attempts to reintegrate themselves into their frends lives start. Since more than anything parties for me were always , how to say, sexual bazaars (in an easy, not harsh, reading of the term). If everone has their tv and husband, fuck going out. I still have a... whats the word?..........need to help......my single frenz connect, so parties are something of a concern for me, but in reality......

Now, of course, I've been terminally coupled up, and possibly ready to forget my knee pants as well. Excepting for the boys of Spaulding, this party almost certainly was the last party (no, not cookouts. no. not dinners.) to be thrown in any of my circles of frenz. Besides Spaulding.

It's just so hard to throw parties anymore, in this adult life. The batteries of the calculators of social life round here are finally going out of style. Even I, the greatest tilter of windmills, think so. And I'm ready for that next step in life- but boy those knee pants fit so well forever.

Unless, of course, Dragon tosses a party in the summer...........wait, didn't I just say I'm opting out of the knee pants stage of my life finally????

....................................................

Liz came up with a tonne of heavy snaps (top shot hers, bottom shot mine)from the nite

Omega Man Friday nite the 28th

Loved it. Didn't tire @ all. Go see it. Will Smiths version, I'm talking about now- but the original Omega Man was kick as well.

Dissapointments

Gf and I were to take two neices to a House play (The Nutcracker hre's the Trib review and a piece from the Sun Times) and out to eat and a little siteseeing on the North Side (This is where we swam/hunted/walked / etc...). I'd planned it out magnificantly, but the weather came upon us and blotted out all plans.

To say I was dissapointed is an understantment. It's very obv. @ this point I'll never get the only thing I really want in life, children to raise. So my energies will have to go to enriching the lives of the genetic closebys in my life (Why do I feel like one of thise brids that do the same??). I was really happy with this plan. So dissapointed.

anoth from the era

Shopping with Nestor

As Darwina and Vito are in for a specfic purpose- to get Darwina a prof position @ the huge meeting the American university system always has each year. This year, it happened to be in Chicago, so here comes all applicants- and their spouses- to Chicago.

Since Darwina needed the peace and quiet to prepare, Vito, Me, and another spouse of a prospective intervieweee- Nestor- went thrift store shopping. Gf joined us in the second half of out oddessy. This was a big deal for Nestor- Vito warned me that he was a huge hound for the thrift stores, and I was excited to show an interested party some of what I felt were kick ass examples in Chicago. I have made a long living @ Village Thrift stores in the storied past, and lately brought back to them for the cheap books.

Collected the gents in the Loop- it took forever to actually get to their hotel during- well- rush hour in the Loop. Nitemare driving. But collected them and headed south to the first stop, that Unique Thrift on Archer and about 35th. Not one of my favourites, but we all got something there. Then off to the next, a Villiage on 47th near Western. I think it was here that i realised just how large of a thrifty Nestor was.

First of all his taste. Very faboulous and flamboyant. And good. He picked out stuff for Vito and I that were just great- I wouldn'y have ever thought of getting some of the stuff- and I didn't get a lot- but his choices were great. Massive leather jacket, kick ass shoes that were just too small, and a pure early 80's jacket that again I woulda never even considered. Good taste exhibited.

Second of all his taste. Very faboulous and flamboyant, and geared towards brand names and styles of bygone areas. Those shoes? Some famous brand. That jacket? Same. I had no idea, but he knew clothes like I know the movements @ Waterloo. Depending on where his spouse gets a job, maybe there will be another shopping spree.

But he got next to nothing. I had hoped that these stores, that I believe in totally, would be rich ground for him. However, given that he got little, I have to think that these stores actually have been picked over pretty clean. They are pure thrift shops, used by the people in the working class 'hoods in which the stores are located- but I now suspect that even these stores have been previously picked over by those in the know. I never felt that 'cause I have no clue as to what the famous brands are- just what looks good- but I think the stores were scoured beforehands.

This is one of my favourite songs from the new wave era

xmas was fun

I enjoyed this day. it wasn't anything especial or anyhting, but it was a nice chill day. Spent the early part wasting away, then drove to connect w/ GF on the way to spending the day @ her brothers. She had an especially long day: she had to drive from her house all the way up to Belmont to collect her "just-operated-on-his-eyes-so-he's-functionally-blind" brother. Then she had to turn round and drive to a place that is in the serious south subarbs- to 191st. Then, end of nite, she and I drove ALL THE WAY BACK to Belmont (with the by now drunk and sloppy brother)before returning to hr area. Hours of driving.

Her bros scene was kool. Imade a fool of yself over Thanksgiving by , uh, reading most of that day. i still had my papaer, but was more determined to actually be a rite guest instead of a reader. Succeeded.

On our way back we pulled into Joyces just off the Metra line (that goes to La Grange)and Harlem Ave. For the past several years- many, now- I've gone out on Thanksgiving nite and Xmas nite for a drink or two. We knew that lanigans or Keegans or Rainbo were out of the question- but joyces was on the way. Expensive- crowns are $5.50, -v- $4.75 Keegans and $4(?) lannies. The cheapest is Mckells- it's under $4- but i still haven't hepped up to that bar fully yet.

This Xmas I actually got a lot of cool stuff. Gf gave me selesctions based on her excellent taste in dressing me- several shirts, ties, socks, etc. She also gave me nitecloths. And other stuff I can't remember now. I got $40 in Borders gift certificates, altough somehow $20 of them have been misplaced. Great. The keds gave me a real kool fire pullover to wear @ games. I got more stuff too- maybe in six weeks I'll update this post when I remember.

secondshadows// sunday and monday before Christmas

Sunday

Watched the Bears. Liked the game. Nice when they win, the all time winning percentage and all that. Gf came over and we went to the local mass. Dry-docked like the one the Pennsylvania was in.

Monday

Had to get that best of presents, skates, for Gf. This was such a great idea from me- I’m quite proud of it. She has wanted to go skating for a long time, but we’ve never gotten it to-gether. Skate rentals are so much, actually having skates will be an inducement to using them. My nephew has a pair I can borrow, so I’m set. I knew she’d get a kick out of them.
Wanted to get a specific type @ a specific store, and drove all the way out to get it- only to discover that they were out. I was faced with the terrible choice of not having the center piece gift for her or a cheap pair- I chose to have a cheap pair. I was saddened and kicking myself for not handling it beforehand.

J & B Winter Meetings (And a Hilts poem !! )

J&B Winter Meetings
Written by Lazers
names edited by Hilts
addemdum about afters by Hilts

With player personnel moves not something that juggernaut J&B needs to discuss at this time, focus instead was placed on some new team philosophies for 2008. Namely, J&B has made the decision that it no longer will partake in rescheduled trivia nights at TC Pub. It never fails- J&B arrives for a rescheduled trivia to find the bar as desolate as the city faced by Robert Neville in “I Am Legend.”

Lazers also proposed that J&B hires a team of escorts to show up for TC Pub trivia. I don’t recall the final decision for that one.

To add to the sour feeling of the night, J&B finds out that the 2007 Championship at Salerno’s is already filled, and we are left out of the mix. ESPN cannot be happy about that.

The faceless competition: Team Earl, the Bar (note: this faux Bar did not include anyone that I recognized, although Trophy was there at first but left before trivia began).

J&B represented by: Chemical Man, Hilts, Stix and Lazers

For reasons unknown, a twist on the rules tonight: no Hangman tricks allowed. I assume Benkowski forgot to bring the greaseboard.

First Half: Music/Baseball Year of Birth/Holiday Stuff

Who made a ton of money writing/singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”?

With only three teams (and two of them pathetic), J&B launches an assault on the board that seemed to leave us more hated than usual. One guy at the bar (who was not playing) kept saying, “You guys are in the wrong tavern,” over and over. One of the faux Bar guys said, “Best Buy just called- you guys have to go.”

We had a huge lead at the half- I’m guessing we were over 2000 points.

Second Half: Bulls/Sci-Fi Movies/70s & 90s Music

European country where Ben Gordon was born (7 letters)?

That question was noteworthy in the annals of trivia history, as it reflects the first time a question was correctly answered by someone yelling from the restroom (faux Bar).

Scores after two halves: J&B 3630 Bar 2060 Earl 1700

Choice of Final Category: Baseball Year of Birth or 90s Entertainment

J&B selects Baseball YOB while the other teams select Entertainment.

2 of 3 wins wager with a bonus of 3000 or more points for all 3 correct (that “or more” component likely depending upon whether the bonus is achieved by J&B or one of the other teams).

Despite lobbying from Lazers to wager everything to take a run at the all-time Benkowski trivia points record, J&B settles on wagering the classic (691).

Baseball: Within 2, the years of birth of Joe DiMaggio, Chet Lemon and Ted Kluszewski?

Entertainment:
Song “Virtual Insanity” was done by?
In “Home Alone”- this actor’s polka band got Kevin’s mother back to Chicago?
In “Lois & Clark”- the main two actors?

Gang?

Part II

J&B guessed 1915, 1953 and 1925. In a twist of irony, Stix had to hit the restroom as the questions were asked, and J&B is accused of making a phone call to get answers.

First half answer: Gene Autry
Second half answer: England

Final Answers:

Earl- 1700- Entertainment- guesses El DeBarge (no), John Candy (correct) and Dean Cain/Teri Hatcher (correct)- that’s 2 of 3- wagered 1698- up to 2398.

Bar- 2060- Entertainment- no guess for the song (no), John Candy (correct), and Dean Cain/Teri Hatcher (correct)- wagered 2000- up to 4060 (and proudly point out they currently are in the lead).

J&B- 3630- Baseball- guesses 1915 (close enough), 1953 (close enough) and 1925 (close enough)- wagered 691 plus bonus- finishes with 7321 and an empty victory.

Entertainment- missing answer was Jamiroquai (famous as being the same question for which Newbie once helped J&B with the answer). J&B would also have won the bonus points in this category.

Baseball- the actual years were 1914 for DiMaggio, 1955 for Lemon, and 1924 for Big Klu.

As Sergio Leone might summarize this final trivia night of 2007, there was the Good (another victory added to our all-time list), the Bad (shut out of the 2007 Championship), and the Ugly (typically lame rescheduled trivia night). TC Pub trivia begins the 2008 season on Thursday, January 3rd.

And a final note to J&B and its fans: Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

HILTS adds about afters

Championed J and B. Then after went to Lanigans. Drank many Guiders.
South Atlantic sailing with the sailors dressed in white
Merchant ships disappearing seemingly over nite
Enemy trio sailing closes and guns away

Ragged savage battle leaving not one fear allayed
Langsdorff in Montevideo bottled felt he had no choice:
Wrap‘d the flag around him instead’v up the hoist

Friday nite, the 21st

Gf and I went out for a nite on the town. We tried to hook up w/ a buddy same name as cyclops, but had the difficulties. Thought we were to meet @ Keegans, but they were @ some other place much south on Western Ave. Gf and I had a drink @ Keegans and finally got into fone contact w/ them and we left to meet them. Cyclops was there with his friend Sloppydrunx and “HHey” and his friends Haze and Matt J. were there also. We also were the only ones in the entire bar, ’cepting about four others. This place, purportedly an “Irish” bar and on Western Ave, didn’t have cider. So I had two bottles of Corona, something I can deal with.

So, the six of us and maybe the bartender and fie others in the vast place. HHey knew the do, so the drunk duo of Cyclops and HHey get to play song after tepid song and danse with their ladies. Or @ least this set of ladies for both of them. I feel especially bad for Cyclops’s other lady, as I know her a bit. She would be devastated to watch this guy in action right now. And I am not passing judgement - I have lived that Farnsworth House called life many time. But just knowing the situation and sitting there and feeling bad…

Then Sloppydrunk gets totally belligerent in talking to Gf and I. Lecturing and sloppy and lecturing and sloppy, she prattles on and on. Real fucking ugly. “Forgive them Lod, they know not what they do…“ Should have just left……………..politeness misguided in context………..wasted energy………time too precious…….…..next time know better……..…

The Night J&B Did Not Get Any Questions Wrong‏

written by Lazers
names edited by Hilts and Lazers
ademdum by Hilts

picture of Lanigans by Hilts

Okay, that was pure tease. There was not any trivia last night, presumably due to the xmas party that took up a good portion of the bar area. Trivia night will be this Saturday, December 22nd at 6:00. Early indications are that Chemical Man, Hilts, Stix, Gf and Montana are "in" with the potential to add Stix's better half (aka Mrs Stix ((( or even Early Nurse ))) ).

Hilts adds:
We missed the last two trivia,s and now we are delayed by another few days. It was a T.C's heavy with young people last nite- it was the xmas party. We stayed only a bit; although I felt guilty for engineering the split, we went instaed to Lanigans. More young people, xmas break types. We stayed a bit, then rousted home. two drinx.

High School trivia Benky style

I'm giving exams to-morrow, and since it's all just about done and the reins are loosening finally, we had a Pat Benkowski Trivia style review. I used to do a jeopardy style thing, but obv. I need to honour pat and do it his style. Lots less shouting and stuff.

So, we had five categories of four questions each. One 'throw the ball" each half and one "hang man" a game ( and a small board like Pats'). A limit of four successful questions in a row before the next group gets a chance. The kids loved it, especially because there were no "Gwen Stefani's birth year" questions (this a long time joke by now, but every third game or so in real trivia we get that question. I'm sure Pat puts it in games for a joke by now- the repetitiveness of it all.).

We're going to trivia to-nite after having missed the last two games- we haven't played in almost two months. I' know I'm not supposed to: but to-nite, not only do I have a camera, but I also have an idea......

Pure redundency (sic)

Blacky gotten onto something good. Chexx...

The Greatest of all Thin Lizzy Songs / there was a time and a place

It was a different and desperate time = it was one of those times in my life I can only call Battle Time. Desperate losses on the girlfriend front, production centers wrecked by enemy fire bombing, factories destroyed, civilization morale dissolved = but there was a future, we knew there was a future, we looked to that future, we fought for that future. Throughout the lines, amongst the foxholes and machine gun pits, behind anti tank positions and sniper posts, one could hear us singing this song, again and again, as we reminded ourselves to remain trim and conseve ourselves for the long campaigns to some. We may have been losing the battle, but we knew we had to win the War. For several months @ end of '92 and beginning of '93.

The girl was Madonna, and the reintroduction agent for the song I'm sure was that guy who shared Gallo's and Hilt's first name- either he or Vito. Still does, though his daily habits seem only to be known by Munson these days.

you've got a bad reputation

Party @ Dragons, 29 December.

Evites have been sent out. If yr names not on it, then the typically shoddy Dragon Hilts Party planning crew are just ineffiecient. Drop us a line to get the details of the party. Like last years. But with dansing. I hope. And maybe a Thin Lizzy tune or two. Bad Reputatioon, I'd bet as of now.

Otro Beis

ReOrtonification

cinema

I always 'rent' dvd's and vcr tapes from the Washington Lib in the Loop, then nnever get around to watching them. Gf and I seem rarely to be able to sit down and watch a movie. So, we have seen maybe 2-3 films, @ home, on tv, in the last......half year. I totally know couples who down three films a nite, every nite (well, three a nite sometimes- but two a nite often) , but we have never had that in us. It's kinda frustrating, because all these films pile up, and then I have to go to the local lib and re-up them for another week- then the following week, I do the same. The chicago public libraries are not supposed to renew a film after it's one week period of checkout- but the local people know me and cut me that break. So, I have 5-6 films just waiting to be watched. And none will be.

However, we have seen a few. We saw "Nelly and M. Arnaud" last week, "Red Lights" a few weeks ago, and "Cease Fire" a few months ago. Nelly was the best- both main actors were kool as hell. Red Lights was strange, but very enjoyable- although hard to look @ the screen many times. Cease fire was real light weight- but kool to watch the Iranian man-woman subtleties.

On way homwe yesterday, stopped by Gf's branch and collected the second half of Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima movies- letters from Iwo Jima. Maybe in 2008 I'll finally get around to watching it.

Whenever we watch a film totally, it feels like a triumph. What a loser I am.

Mom's new hair cut

Came home yesterday late- my school has a pretty good basketball team so I figured i'd get a taste of my mid 90's obsession (no, not girls wearing....wait, more on that another day...) and stay @ school late: high school basketball. Now is not the time nor place for this (but soon- I've some time off soon, and a number of things to go into- but ya gotta wait until things like planning lessons and grading papers lessons...), but when I got home, it was to a good site= Mom with energy and pep.

She's been very energy less lately. I know: she's 85, and the touchy march of time tells on us all. However, in the past 2-3 m, it seems like a lot of energy has gone. Don't worry= she's not in a bad state- butI notice. I'm starting to have to pick up around the house- the small things she used to do are now not done. for example, I get the Nyt and I get her the S-T and Trib= lots of paper around the house every day. She used to gather it all up in the mornings to make way for the new paper- now I do it the nite before to spare her the energy. On Tuesday, i got home and Mom asked me what was for dinner. Gf and I both agreed- she'd been home all day when sister and I were working, why didn't she do it? It's obvious that she doesn't have the energy.

And I'm worried that it may be the state of her kids that is leading to this. Sister.4 seems just about to get married- maybe- and I'm in the long term deal w/ Gf. It's possible that she realizes that her job of parenting is finally lapsing itself of it's responsibilities (and yes, there's no denying= this double score kid is just that= a kid) and she can start relaxing. I'm not sure, but I think...

Don't worry, again. We all fade in the end. And it's not like she falling down. But, it's obvious; age is really starting to take its toll.

Berlin, 1944

William Randolph and comple anos (sic) *** pictures to follow to-morrow)

Friday nite in outpatients.....no no, Friday nite in Humbolt Park, or maybe even the next neighbourhood over. Wait- from the beginning.


It was W.R. Heurt's B day celebration Friday nite, and it was decided by him to have it @ the latest in "Outpost" bars, the .........uh, it's like 3600 West Armitage, so it may even be beyond humbolt- I'm not sure. But it is a wilderness for similar-me types in that part of Chicago, and I'm always interested in new places.





I left late- Nephew.3 was having a 13th b-day party, and I stayed late for the pizza and sympathy. Neice.3 was complainging- she's 15, and all she wanted to do was go out with her frenz (just wait, young parents all- the time put in now is well worth it 10-15 y later.). The rest of the crowd showed up. Gf was here as well- it was gonna be too late for her to go to North Side and then back to work, so she chose this as her battle.

Weegee's Lounge - the name of the place- was pretty good. Like I said earlier, it's kinda an outpost place- sotra like Rainbo in the late 1980's or Black Beetle in early 2000's or many other types. Good crowd. The Young Guard moves en masse et esemble rarely these days (Unlike the stunning envelopement manuevers of 7-8 years past- when this unit lived less off the baggage train and more on the land). However, I was in a good mood and fairly chatted up the crowd well. Made a point of accosting everyone about the aprty in 2 weeks- some can't, of course= the Smoky Treats, the Snowdens, and the Vampires are out. Boo. But some attrition was expected, yes...?


They had expensive cider. $5.50 a bottle. Yeesh. I'll go back, though. Nice crowd of us and nice crowd not of us.

the dutchy

A well written article on drugs passed on to me- or, err, something like that - and a less well written article on " The myth of the Orternal Return ".

Combine them and it's ambrosia, rite??

Death Note

The kids kept telling me get into this shit. 'Please read this and tell me what you think' I was asked, so I jumped into one of them. So:

What do I think??

I think this is fucking great!!!!!!! Sorrily all the kids here do as well, so even with my presidential powers in the library, it's hard to get the first volume of the set. However, it can be done. A quick check in the computer shows me who has it (and due in October !!), and I tracked her down. I lied and said 20 people wanted it- well, I count for 20, don't I??- and she will give it to the lib and save it for "the male librarian". Mine come monday. And I will sin and read #2, which is rite behind me.

The student was rite. This series is the best, so far.

My 35,266th time as a teacher

Not bad. I amidt i'm a little nervous being a classroom teacher again (for a month), but it's going well. He left me some good lesson plans, which generally are the key to success in teaching (well, students s-e-s, support from the adm., parents who care, materials like computers (((Even in 1996- HOW WAS TEACHING EVER DONE WITHOUT COMPUTERS??))).

It's strange being out of the library so much, but I am enjoying it. I work in the library as much as I can- it's an addictive atmosphere to be in.

I'm out. A pizza party for nephew.3 and a drinking party for William Randolph Huerst awaits. And a little bit'o' Russia to take home wit me.

Zepplin review

Felt like posting it after I read ...

Best line?

Unlike Mick Jagger, Mr. Plant — the youngest of the original members, at 59 — doesn’t walk and gesture like an excited woman anymore.

Blackstaff

Talked to Blackstaff last nite. he doing very well, despite the adjustmentt to the new job. Wanna visit them- it's only a 5h drive (well, 'only', but...) but since I'll have some time over xmas, maybe. (or MLK weekend). Plan it up.

The distrubing news from hm was totally personal. One of the bands I'm in, The General Strikes, consists of Blaxx and I. He's all music, I'm all voice ('cept for the occasional handclap percussion bits etc...). Over the years we have haphazardly recorded a lot of songs- we must have 10 or so songs of varying quality as set pieces of work.

And in my opinion, the best was a song called "The Last Patrol", and was so deeply personal that the lyrics had to be garbled, shouted, screamed, and scrabbled, and otherwise made so totally indecipherable so that no one could tell what I was writing about. You won't find out, either- still too harsh a time. But I do know that although he has never heard the song, the title alone will inform one person EXACTLY what going on- another mite take a word and surmise. I remember recording it, too. When it came time to put down the vocals, and the pain and camouflage came out, John's old lover, the Tejas Gal had to stop herself from coming into the music room to quiet us (me) down. She waited till I was done. We all burst out laughing, but I loved that song best. I've heard it twice ever, too- recording it, then playing it back once.

Listen: even Blackie has no clue- so leave me alone. But it fits my pattern- if i can't directly talk about it, hide it- like most of the 'poems' I do here, and especially "Ithica".

And now, we are in danger of losing the tapes. Seems that it was recorded on the Tejas Gal digital machine, and she's now gone and in S.F., another machine is needed (or something). Maybe even a dash of water to the back of the neck and the codes.

Reminds me of my Mac problem. I have 40 or so papers from grad school on an ancient Mac. I tried to copy all the good stuff onto floppies

Needs to get done.

Picture of Albini via Rocky Welcome the Shellac shows this wkd.

Sister I'm a teacher

For @ least the next four weeks of class time, I'm once again a history teacher!! How did that happen?? One of this schools finestest's wife is having an Elliot Dax type experience, and I'm taking over his classes.

Like I said, he's one of the best. So organized, with outlines and post it's and hi-lighters on this and that days assignment. So, in all reality, the hard part is mainly done 'till Xmas- the PREPARATION. After xmas, he's giving me the option to make the lesson plans for all but one of his classes, and I am taking it. My past teaching experience was so hard (Promethus i'm saying, except his rock was a pebble). However I have changed so much professionally- that I'm dying to test myself again. I really get 'jealous' sometimes because I don't get to teach history any more. At this point, I'm so comfortable inside a classroom- the point is to be just as comfortable outside that room- which, strange as it may seem to non teachers-is just as important.

In case you missed my firday nite aboard /// Jeeze what a RockySrRockyIssac like face

friday nite

Martin Macguiness

It’s very strange to see Ian Paisley and Martin McGuiness to-gether, smiling. Very strange. Saw the RTE news on public TV that shows the 10m of Irish news every Wednesday @ 1830h. They are leading figures in the Northern Ireland government who were bitter enemies for decades.
Tell you the truth, although he was such a hated figure for so long, I don’t mind seeing Paisley’s face. I’m all about peace and reconciliation. If Sein Fein can make peace with the unionists, that’s all rite with me.

I have cousins who live in the North. I may have written about this before, but when I visit (not since 2000) its so strange to see the army deployed on the streets. Patroling the streets, guns @ the ready, eyes up, in a straggling line- just like Bagdad!! However, they did pose for pictures- I took a few “hidden shots” before I realized they didn’t care about some Yank w/ a camera. And then there were the helicopters, two @ a time. One would be in the air to cover the landing one. Fucking Vietnam, some of the times with a few flites of them flinging over skies.

And then there was the Manchester attitude. Got cousins in Manchester- same side, same relation. Manchester had been bombed in the 90’s something fierce. Man U. cousin had an overwhelmingly negative view of the IRA.

All three of us like Manchester United, however. On that we can agree.

Berghoff

Liz hosted up a downtown drinkery party for a tuesday @ the Berghoff. This marked the first time since Q’s undergrad graduation that I hung @ there. Well attended. We took up two tables and had a nice and cheery time. They were all eating and boozing it up. I had double Belgian Beers, and they tasted good. Generally I hate beer, unless its Guiness with an equal amount od cider underneath- then I love beer- but this was good. Not too ale-y. A famour belgian beer, @ least here. Wonder if it's as spliffy famous in belgium, though. Like Chop Suey in China. Wait, how did I become all Ulysses's-like all of a sudden? Must be the influence. The skirt on that one today. Ineluctible. Must get the kidney's for her lunch. just ....

What I noticed was all the time the smokers were outside smoking their cigerettes. I'm glad I do not smoke them. Fuck cigerettes. But inside was none. Do believe that the smokers of Illinois have but 3 weeks to enjoy the leaves of their success indoors publicly. No one talkd of it though. They talked of babies and Blackies, french actresses and american actors, music and radio, the difficulty of digitising analog recordings with cheap equipement and naval actions off of the northern coast of Java. Wait- even I didn't talk about Java. Next time.

Since I knew I was going to Liz’s bash, I decided to go to cps to clear up face to face my insurance problems. the fone takes forever- I've learned jut to face to face it. And since I was already going to the Loop, I decided just to do it. I got the best of all news on that front. I got the good insurance- like I would if I was full time- till June, and all that $$$ I’d been paying into Cobra insurance = rite back @ me. Really. Wow.

Also went to Harold Washington to get some more movies. I also was looking for sound effects. Got two, plus hopefully supernice vrc tape. Mite be the only thing I need. Wait- Ulysses again. Stop it!! And the stop @ Harolds. Bet I still stink.......

Here's Liz's Lynx to lots o fotos of stuff...

The yellow rose of Tejas

The Yellow Rose of Tejas

candle

candle

Thurston

Waiting till this class ends, so i can go back the the library to see if THAT is the place I left the NYT. Then , I will look about the front desk in my continuing vain attempt to get the CPS insurance card I needed this morning.

Forget about ewhat I lost last nite- I found it after getting up out of the chair I was working in, went downstairs three times and out to the car once and then giving up and sitting back down in the exact chair I was working from- there it was.

We had a student librarian in this fall, and one of her jobs was to remind me where to go. She often remarked when I tizzied about the library looking for whatever I had just left down "here we go again".

Last year same thing. We had a retired librarian in, and she woulf remark on my tizzies about looking...

Mom, Gf, same thing. Not fair to them. Not fair to me, anymore. last nite was the "....... fuck man.....fuck...... well, one more time into the breach"

I've written a brave poem on this= well, four lines. Now, and seriously, when I track it down, I will repost it here. But until then.......

What ??

This version of this song has kinda been dominating lately. What?? I could get over the stones so quickly?? And to think, when I wrote all that Stones stuff, I wasn't particularly in a Stones mood. Now I am.

So, a litttle more Stones, only less so......

I've got lots of frenz who make music, and a treat is when they play stuff for me they haven't completed yet. They'll sit me in a seat optimised for speakers, three times a chalice or more'd, then: "ready?'d". Always a treat. And the funny thing is, a lot of time as the newsong courses through the music receptors in the ears and synaps and grey matters and the neutrons and back, lots of times I add my own little ideas on how to make the song better. A favourite of my is the tambourine and the hand clap- I'm always puffing them up, maybe 'cause I can actually play those instruments. But dominating every idea when I hear a song and think "Boy, this song would be cooler if...", it's always the introduction of a Keith richards riff. I've probably aid it to each friend @ least once. I have, I'm serious- if you don't remember, let me remember for you.

The You tube link below* is of the Stones (Germany/'67) doing an incredibly alive live version of "Under my Thumb". There are many versions of this song. The original single, from Aftermath, is one of their classics. Very studio - non noisy, with piano and that other percussion instrument. Then there's the Gallo version from the movie "Gimmie Shelter"- slow understated groove, nice riff. On the 1981 tour, I believe they opened up with the song. And there is a superior exciting live version on their "Got LIVE if You Want It" LP from 1966. This was always my favourite, although the quality of the LP was terrible ( I'm pretty sure it was two audio tracks on this LP- one side the band, and the other side girls screaming).

Oh- and the version of Joe Piscapo as Sinatra doing the song on SNL - he drops whole lines of the song, saying just "Thumb", f.ex. Just thought I'd include that one.

Good song in all its guises- but this is now my favourite version. The video doesn't go with the audio, but they still are well matched. I absolutely love how exciting this version is. Racing rocking version with soundboard quality. The drumming, Mick singing "HA!", Mick's dansicing style around the 1m50s mark, and, especially: THAT RIFF. It's the deeply imposing thing elbowing itself foward rite when Mick chours's "The change has come / Under my thumb"**

Anyway, music people, remember- if I say the song needs maybe a tambourine or something like the below riff, just remember not to take me that seriously. But- sounds great in this song, yeah?

.......................................................................

*=yes, yes, I got that trick down now. Figger'd it after a bit.

**= try 33-36s and 1m4s-1m8s, to name twice when it surfaces in the song. I said it's all rite, it's all rite.

white sox 1990

punch that into youtube and see what you get. Funny how one stumbles onto other worlds sometimes.

No, not my deal either- y k'now I'd boast it if it was. Just thought the findings of these were funny.

So I thought I could resist this and that I'd have no real interest in seeing it

But now I have serious doubts.
2 December, 2007.
How good is this and this?

the capital ship

Went abord the capital ship Jackson on Pearl Harbor Nite to pipe out of the Port of Chicago one of its most outstanding naval officers, Adm. Bball. A swell of shipmates from anchorages world wide assembled to see his flag lowered and stored, awaitng his new command in D.C.

We partied on the capital ship. In naval parlance, a capital ship is one of the heavy important ships. Well, the first para of wiki puts it succicentest:

The capital ships of a navy are its "important" warships; the ones with the heaviest firepower and armour. There is usually no formal criterion for the classification, but it is a useful concept when thinking about strategy, for instance to compare relative naval strengths in a theatre of operations without having to get bogged down in the details of tonnage and gun diameters. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a fleet.

This ship has most of the chaacteristics of the typical capital ship: massive tonnage, the impressive built up superstructure, and the wide beam designed to be a stable gun platform. All that is missing is the outsized guns. It was nice enjoying the nite outside along all the external walkways winding themselves about the bridge. No enemy fleet showed up to wrek the festivities.

Bball's DC move has a lucrative aspect to it- he's entering a company that's in the process of buying lots of debt till it's assets run in the $billions. True. He was excited and explaining it all- he'll do real well.

The drunk crowd was drinking drinking. Not all, though. It was noticed by some how many regular debauchers were not in their regular trim. But there were plenty of sloshed. The SP's shoulda came and hauled off some of the scaley wags into the brig. Like me. I drank. No guiders, but plenty of champaign and wine. Did the bubbly first, then broke into the white wine. I forget the name of the vino, but like the guy who asked the father of the bride @ Cana 'why'dja break out de good stuff when all dees fux are already drunk?' : this white wine (Zinfendel, n'est pas?) was reallt tasty. I stopped drinking for a while, but the while was so long I drank more of the tasty stuff. Tasty tasty.

Lots were there. F.ex., almost the entire staff of dcs were there (those who we suspect were sucked up to Mars to have their brains vacated- well, that'd be K- was not there. Rumours of two other mystery dcs staffers who hav written their best stuff on the toilet have never deigned to deliver any script yet. Puss. ). Seven strong. Baptise and bro, anfernee & da vife, da vide & da vife, -3d Eliot and his parents, fitz and da vife, and Patience.....senators and bankers and doctors and lawyers.

What I say also was a very, this is strange to write, multicultural crowd. What a mix. And of course it was a natural gathering of frenz. America isn't so bad.

And the food. Although Bonnaix tried to jokingly take credit for the food, Jackson was the true cook. His galley is Locomotive!! (Oops!! caught in the 19thC. His galley is Atomic!! Uhh, Uhh, ...... it's.........great!!) I wasn't hungry going in, having had a few drinx with the teachers. But eventually I realised that I'd better eat before it was all scarfed down. Good Indian food- don't ask the names- it was the...chicken in yellow sauce, then the brown meat....tonnes of rice...ochre. It was outstanding, and all chowed down. I was lucky I woke up in time to get a plate before it dissappeared gone.

Jackson was fitted himself out in new duds, so to me go some choice clothes. Periodically I get an eclectic choice of additions to my wardrobe from him. Some stuff is superior- my 60%/year leather is from him. I have impressive amounts of shit he gave me from the early 90's and before.

But what of this haul? First , the small stuff: three shirts. One, very "Puffy shirt" style. The other, what exactly I needed to target the next time I'm @ Marshalls=a white, non button down collar, white shirt. Saved me $20 rite there. nd the third a very attractive dress shirt. But the best was the pinstriped suit. Shit nice. I do so wish to peg the legs more my style, but Jackson advised against for interviews. But I want to. Got two other suits as well- one maybe just for movies, and the other real nice. I will peg that one.

Sailed the Strasser home late, collapsed exhausted done.

With?

Sinbad the Sailor and Tinbad the Tailor and...............

Mercury 3 / finally

It took a real long fucking time to change all my boasts and tatters into product. Long time, but here, finally, is an example. Well, not just an example, but real product. Just click the link, then click the next link. It wears after awhile, I understand, but try the whole 5m.

dcs selection show

to-morrow- y'll wanna see this

Hey Ta

Follow the rabbit hole from Rocky on, but here is a quote on blogging that I stole from the article:

""Blogging in Japan, though, is a far tamer beast than in the United States and the rest of the English-speaking world. Japan's conformist culture has embraced a technology that Americans often use for abrasive self-promotion and refashioned it as a soothingly nonconfrontational medium for getting along."

Funny: securityout is everything about abrasive self promotion, but its equal parts a soothingly nonconfrontational medium for getting along.

@ least I hope. I'm trying.

Hey Ya

Hey Ya

The two greatest parties I have ever been to- and Reggie Jackson

In September of 1987, I decided to go to one of the two title parties and not to go see Hall of Famer baseball player Reggie Jackson's last weekend of games- convienently @ The Baseball Palace of the World. Jesus's lesson to-day is that sometimes there is no "do the rite thing"- sometimes there are two "rite things" (or two wrong things), and one just has to choose. Oh,I can smile about it now, but @ the time it was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.

The hard decision? Whether to go to a party in a dorm @ university or see Reggie Jackson's last weekend playing baseball. What kinda'v duro choisir is that?

Yes: been to parties before and after

Yes: seen Reggie @ Comiskey many times

That's a hard decision? But it was. It was a different time, place, and context.

Obviously I've had a lifetime of games Comiskey Park, and over time I've been able to see vast constellations of stars play: Mike Squires, Jack Brohammer, Randy Scarbury, Bucky Dent, Harry Chappas, Bart Johnson ................... and Reggie. Such a star was Reggie during the entire period of our young lives- there was always that saying that no American league team won the World Series from 1970 through 1983 except with Jaxx on the team.

And what a character. Superhomer run hitter, he had the 'all or nothing' swing that produced monstrous home runs- think the 1970 all star game in Detroit, the four home runs on four consecutive swings in 1978, and that preposterous streched out position he'd end up in after one of his mighty roundhouse swings missed. Then there as the fights with his managers, the attempted laying down of that bunt in '79 or '80, the Reggie Bar (I ate them), etc... Even though he never played for the Sox (or the Cubs- Reggie also played in that day before the Cubs turned from what they were then -kool- into what they represent now- Cub fans.

And my set of frenz who I grew up with have our own special Reggie memory no one else has. In the fall of '82 , we were strangely sitting on the rite field side of Comiskey during an Angels game. Reggie was in right field, and between innings -- as Nancy Faust was playing "Eye of the Tiger" from the then current Rocky film-- he 'punched along' to the riff- y'know, the "BAM BAM-BAM-BAMM!!" riff. "Hey hey-look @ Reggie!!" And to this day, we still share this memory with a little BAM-BAM-BAMM!! action.

Reggie returned to his original team- the Athletics- in the last year or two of his career. In 1987, w/ the A's scheduled to pay that last weekend in Chicago- we made longterm plans to NOT MISS THIS.

But I did. And that call, saying "Dudes- I can't come to the Sox game" was so fucking hard.

But we go back further:

The first time I was hit with debilitating depression was the Fall of 1986, me being a junior university student. Although it runs on my father's side, we never got any of that. the uneducation of my ancestors. To misquote Joyce:

Tally the years of schooling of Hilts parents.

Eight years of grammer school.

Average the years of schooling of Hilts parents.

Four years each.

My first nonme experience w/ it was the two year battle a cousin of mine went through. I kept thinking "What the fuck- just kick it"- but, of course.............. To this point, that I could have it was.......a neverthought thought.

So, December of 1986- 20yo- and it's that punk rock red head that's on my mind. She's the absolute first girl who I actually announced myself to and said - well, intoned and she got it- "I want you. Real bad." Never went anywhere, but that episode, coupled with the pressures of being a junior in university and having absolutely no clue as to what was going on in life allowed Bluebird into my life for the first time.

I was a mess. Complete depression, the worst ever. No forward, but lots to think back on (the romance of life is me- complete nostalgia for it all). I wanted, and needed a change. I petitioned my parents in not kool ways- they didn't need the stress, but they knew something terrible was up w/ me and they responded. What I requested was that I wanted to move to a dorm and live on campus for the first time.

Now, many problems for me. I lived 1 1/2h El ride from my 'hood up to Rogers Park and had done that up till spring break of junior year. It cost what- $2 round trip? Cheap. And what did a dorm cost? Lots. I am cheap, my Dad was cheap, and this was gonna cost the family money. Secondly, it was kool to live in Marquette Park. Always a kool kool strenght, especially when we started venturing north of 55th street regularly (To this day, I really feel bad that most people couldn't experience that). As a freshman we used to make fun of people from our hs that lived on the north side (I think we still do, excepting for those of us who have- Hilts, lazers, Tommy T., BCD (that's 345 NORTH, dude). And finally, my parents were very very concerned about my mental health. It just killed me to ask to them be allowed to live up there for the last 2m of the school year- again, they were so worried. And I felt that they mite feel I was rejecting them*.

So, a Sunday nite in March of 1987- with WXRT broadcasting live a Kinks show from the Riveria (Ray would hit the first few chords of 'Lola' from time to time to set the audience off, then he'd say "What, What, what did I do??") and tears in my eyes- My sisters and I drove up to Loyola with a roomfull of junk to deliver me to the North Side. My room wasn't ready yet, so I went home with my stuff stored in K's. It happened the next nite as well- but that Wednesday, the room was ready and K helped me move in. I remember that teary phonecall home that nite- we were all weepy as Mom passed the fone on to Dad so I could also tell him I wasn't coming home that nite.

Hung up, walked from the basement of Campion and up to what would become one of the greatest places on earth - Room 1018 of Mertz Hall - and sat in the window and cried as I watched the El trains headed south and thought "I could be home in 1 1/2h". Funny- in a little more than a year, the LEAVING of Mertz Hall by a graduating me was thw worst thing in the world- how contexts change, and soon.

That last two months of the year were a gass. Within 2 weeks, I was hanging out w/ lots of girls-Orange especially, but a cornicopia had fallen @ my feet and scattered all of the wonderous things a 21 yo could ever want. My depression? How instantly did that disappear? Like a Reggie line shot into the lower deck @ Yankee's. Instantly life became this wilde wonder land of women and new people and women and women and woman and just fucking around.

Now- and this is the point of this essay- I always felt terrible guilt about leaving my family and frenz and starting a new slice of life away from them. So much so, that @ first, I didn't even tell my closest frenz that............I was no longer living @ home. That red head girl who I'd fallen for the previous semester- I told the next year. Rosenbloom Insurance? Hde found out later that year when we needed a quiet place to call Matt Jenke. And the frenz I'd grown up with? They knew, but there was a conspiracy of silence. I never knew when they figuered it out, but I wasn't asking. Over that summer (betwixt my junior and senior years) the truth came out= BCD, in front of everyone, said "O.K.- lets all say it out loud- Hilts lives @ Mertz".

And with the truth out, it was all ok. My worries passed. So scared was I that they though I was somehow rejecting them. As that summer passed and senior year started, a highlite was a visit from BCD and LFP to the North Side campus. For me, it was a good visit- these guys back in the day could have a VERY STRONG Albini/Rotten/Cobain sense of what was right ........ or, what exactly was the rite thing to do, and their visit was a stamp of approval on me. It mattered to me.

But the crux was that late September date with Reggie Jackson. We'd planned so long for that weekend, and I'd totally planned to go= but then party planning got in the way. There was now a new set of frenz to go alongside the ones I'd grown up with- a college crowd--and I had to make a choice.

And the choice was terrible. Both were erfect. Comisky fucking Park?? A Sox team with Harold, Fisk, Bannister, etc... And Reggie Jackson, back in the A's uni , and for the last time ever. On the other hand..................there were so many women and a brand new scence to play with.

As my favourite saying in this context goes, Women's gotta have it. The women won.

I called Moho or Lazers or whoever and asked them to come to the party. No. Come after. No. The I said, I'm staying up here, guys. Don't be mad.

Not much happened in these parties= they certainly weren't danse parties @ all. But these two parties have gone down in my history as the Two greatest Parties That I Have Ever Gone To. It was in Hair Twizler and Little Simona Le Bon 's room. I was the one who wanted a party, and the girls were more than ready to have one.

What a blast. I remember that the hard core crowd of 2007 - the Middle Guard-were there, but I can't say foer sure exactly who else. Obv. Rocky and Vito and Jackson were there. Crankface, Dead Boys, and Bam Bam. I'm sure Blackie was there, but he really wasn't a made man until say March. And also, there were lots of fly by nite 'tredies' who were around @ the time but never became 'made men/women'. We were all piled into a smokey loud crowded closet sized dorm room. Shortly we were chased out by the RA's, but there was a reprise two-four weeks later- after baseball season and with no conflicts.

For me, these were the two greatest parties ever because it was a whole new exciting crowd and scene popping up, and I helped run it. For the first time, I was hangin gout w/ a lot of artictic types who had actually been to the Smiths shows and thought it real kool that I'd seen the Clash in '82. For the first time I was hanging out with girls, and not just hangin out with them- I went form one to the next to the next, glorying in life and youth. And for the first time, I was hanging out not with people I'd grown up with forever and lived on my block- but people form the subarbs who attached some sorta vallue to the fact that I grew up in pplaces different from them- even exotic to their sensiblilites.

Now, I wasn't escaping from anything, or reinventing myself, or whatever. Instead, I was becoming who I am. And although I rue the fact that I missed Reggie @ Comisky - Ah ye can't beat fun @ The Old Ballpark- I also would have rued missing the Two Greatest Parties Ever.

...........................................

*=my guess is that from all of the mompix on securitypix one mite surmise ..................ah, in plain english, it's obv. I love my mom- loved Dad too.

try this one again,it's been made enjoyable for peoplewho don't care about a playoff system in college football............the comments......

HE HATE ME !!

Revisiting dcs

I thought I was really clever, plus you should really clixthelynx (I'm not a Grey-y where I know how many or who clix the lynx, (far more fun to just guess) but wanted to make sure you enjoyed the

NINE DIFFERENT LYNX

included in the post,one of my favourite dcs dingles.......until to-nites projected output effort==check back 'round ten tonoitem=hopefully it'll be done..........

Sometimes...

There will be no extra point.

wkd.3sunnite

Shipelyhouse for an Irish tipped nite. In so many ways more than one, the Shipley's had a suprising nite of people over. I was thinking it'd only be Gf and I (knew the Patient's had been invited), but Curtis, Di Lammermore's, and the Patients. Nine adults and three children (one still has stubbornly not outed itself from prenatailty, so maybe only 2 kids) over for an imprompte dinner. Bayseywatch has been here- partially- later. And with a better picture.

Food? A Gallic (sic) speciality of Guiness beef stew- potatoes, carrots, pasties. It's incredible food. I've had it maybe 5x now, and each time it's better. Smells great too- for hours later. It rivaled White Castle and Harolds all nite, baby*. Always love it.

Brought over mixtures for some Gui-ders, but stupidly I got the syrup version of Guiness (superextrasecretdoublestout) - so gaddamn strong. I had to drink my Guiders outta a small glass so that the deeply bitter beer could mix better with the sweet. I'll never make that mistake again/nooooooooo. But the mini version's I was drinking worked well.

It was a very fun nite. Baywatch is periously close to becoming Babywatch- a fortnite now- so it was good to see them out for one of the last times in this part of their life. Next Friday to say "Say hello to D.C., BBall's " is their projected last nite out. Di Lammermore looked great/ perfect. We'll wait on developments.

Funniest part of nite was when Crankface walked out onto the backporch to either fagit up or chat- but since Curtis, Rocky and I were gossiping about him bigtime, we sent him rite back in. Lots of talking behind his back, I taunt him crankfully. Gossiped a lot. Made sure to dragoon people into Dragon's party 29 December.

And then there was Velvet Underground link= I'd been really feeling "What goes on" a lot recently, and when I got back inside once it was being jammed. Crankface and Rocky had been VU'ing it up a lot lately, so it was kinda fun to have it play. Had to split early from Evanston- maybe 10- so had to cut short viewing the excellent "Wind that shakes the Barly". Have to rent it for Mom.
.........................................................................
*= talking of this is actually a first in this blog- seriously, a year I finally start with this humour??

wkd.2//satnite

Forgot what I did during the day. Watched football @ nite. GF and I went out- the second of three days in which I drank pots of guiness and cider halves- to Keegans. Had a fun nite, though I can't remember too much of what happened. Hawaii game on there.

Hum.........

there will be no extra point

i saida it's all rite

i saida it's all rite

/

i saida it's all rite

friday nite in out-rainbos / who said i lied to her ?

Went homeafter school, but then had to ring around all the way back to school area to collect Gf and push my nose into out school's first basketball game (we are ranked hi in the city and should be an interesting year- I am for sure going to pay more att'n to high school B-Ball this year- not like it was 1996 again, but this year I will go to about 30-40 games total= a few tournements, a few of the big games, and a steady diet of my school's games).

We had a trip up north so I could once again ride the Soyuz system. Gf and I decided to eat litely, and we got a 2-1 coupon from a hot dog place that we used. The guys working the stand misread it and gave us lots of extra off, and I wanted to correct them-----but jenke had roughed me up enough that I was not able to say "Hey- you got it wrong..."... so I left them a nice tip to allow it to say sorry for my non speachedness.

Then onto Dragons. We ate there and planned a bit for the party. Oh, that's rite: we are having the party finally. Seems that Vito will be in town during the xmasbreak, so that's a great excuse to pull it out. Talked to Gallo and Crankface, and they will both be in the States for that weeked. Talked to Curtis, and he's a go. Talked to Rocky, and he informed us that since he will be a father by that point, all bets are off..... Dragon had sent out a circular email to That Crowd (the Young Guard, so to speak) on Saturday, and we are waiting on that (NOTE TO THOSE WHO RECIEVED DRAGONS EMAIL SATURDAY=WE'D LIKE A REPLY ASAP, SIRS!!!). Last party was so good, this will be better.

Went to Rain. This is a pic.