I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

2002-04-22 - 11:00 a.m.

I can't get anything done 'cause I'm having too much fun

I have not updated in while. I've been very, very busy. How busy ask? Let's take a look at my itinerary since going to sleep on Wednesday night at 12:15AM. Yes it was actually Thursday.

Thursday:

5:05 - Wake Up

6:00 - 11:30 - Volunteer at WFUV

12:05 - 12:20 - Eat Lunch

12:26 - Board LIRR

1:25 - Arrive at my office

1:55 - 3:25 - Teach Class

3:49 - Board LIRR

4: 30 - 6:30 - Home, I updated and took a short nap. I grabbed dinner on the way home.

6:30 - Leave for NCC folk Festival

6:50 - 12:15 - NCC Folk Festival

12:25 - 1:00 Prepare for bed

1:00 - 5:00 Sleep

Friday:

5:05 Wake up

6:00 - Noon - Volunteer at WFUV

Noon - 12:20- Drive home

12:30 - 2:00 - Take my mother to the doctor

2:00 - 3:30 - Do laundry and update

3:30 - 4:15 - Take mother to bus station

4:15- 4:45 - put clothes in dryer and get ready for the evening.

4:45- 7:15 Drive to the Outpost in the Burbs in a thunderstorm. Route 3 was totally impassible for a while from flooding.

7:15 - 8:15. Walk around Montclair and ate dinner:

8:15- 12:10 - See Tom Landa and the Paperboys with Mark Erelli

12:10 - 1:00 - Drive Home

1:00 - 2:15 - Clean up and prepare for Carey's visit

2:15 - 7:15 Sleep with several interruptions

Saturday:

7: 15 -10:00 - Shower, eat, more cleaning.

10:00 - 11:20 - Drive to Manhattan, search for parking and take the subway up to Penn Station

11:20 - 11:50 Wait for Carey's train, which was late.

11:50 - Meet Carey and get big hugs.

11:50 - 12:50 take subway back to car and search for legal parking for the day.

12:50 - 5:00- Eat lunch, go shopping for toys and busk with Carey.

5:00- Meet Lisa

5:00 - 6:30 Drive to White Plains

6:30 - 7:00 Eat

7:00 - 11: 30 - See Slaid Cleaves with Mary Gauthier

11:30 - 1:15 - Drive Lisa home and drive back to my house.

1:15 - 2:30 - Make mad monkey love with Carey (whoops that was in the alternate universe. In this one she called Neal and we talked and did the presents thing.)

2: 20 - 6-30 Slept

Sunday:

6:30 - 7:30 - Morning ablutions.

7:30 - 7:50 - Drive to Fordham

7: 50 - 11:00 - Volunteer at WFUV

11:00 - 12:30 - Drive and take the subway to the South Street Seaport

12:30 -1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 1:17 - Try to find Deni Bonet Concert

1: 17 - 3:30 Deni Bonet Concert

3:30 - 4:40 hang around Seaport

4:40 - 5:25- Subway and Drive to Penn Station

5: 30 - Carey Boards Train

5:30 - 6: 15 - Drive home.

6:15 - 7:15 - Shop and eat.

7: 15 - 11: Collapse

11:00 - 7:00 Sleep!!

Now for some details of what happened.

The ride to the Outpost was a nightmare. As I mentioned Route 3 was totally flooded and traffic was at a standstill. There were also trees blocking the roads, which were a general mess. When I got there I thought I was late. I thought doors were at 7, they are at 8. I also found out that I didn't have to get there early. I got my tix from WFUV and I had a reserved seat front row center. I ate at a fun little retro Soda shop before the show.

When I got back to the outpost I was put right to the front of the line of people waiting to get in. The show was delayed because Tom Landa and the Paperboys had as much trouble getting there as I did. They drove up from VA that day, they had played at Jammin' Java the night before. While waiting this little girl in the third grade started asking me when the show would start as if I knew. She then proceeded to make fun of my voice. Her father said, "You can see why all the boys in school hate her." You'd think he might have said something to her about not acting like that. It didn't bother me but how is she going to learn to deal with people if they don't teach her?

As I expected Howard and Cheryl were there, they are big fans of the Paperboys. I went alone and I was glad to see them, I had someone to sit with. Jane who Volunteers at WFUV also Volunteers at the Outpost so I talked to her too.

I probably shouldn't have gone to the show though. I was exhausted. I had fun but sleep might have been a good idea. Of course then I'd have missed a fun show. Mark Erelli opened. I know I saw him at FRFF and I think I might have seen him open for Fruvous. He is one of those guys who sing very sad songs and have very funny talking between them. He suffers from Logorrhea as bad as Mike Clem or Bernie. He was under doctor's orders to not talk, just sing, he couldn't shut though. The Paperboys are always wonderful, this is the first time I saw them outside of FRFF. They have so many different sounds, Celtic, Bluegrass, and Spanish, one song even sounded like Slaid.

Saturday was a magic day. Busking with Carey was so much fun. After eating and shopping for toys and sticks (yes I said sticks) we went to Washington Square Park. Even though it was raining off and on we still busked. We did the classic Gamera/Gregory medley; Gamera/Gregory is Really Neat Into I'm Gamera/Gregory the Eight I am. We played Kazoos and the Jews Harp, danced, acted silly and basically made spectacles of ourselves. Carey started off shy and we performed in an area far from any people. There were a few people that really enjoyed us though, not enough to give us money but we put big smiles on their faces. Carey loosened up enough that she actually sang Enormous Penis by Da Vinci's Notebook. We even did the "jump rope" choreography. I followed that up by singing Boob Fairy by Deirdre Flint; So much for gender roles. Next time we'll have to prepare a list of songs that we know and print out lyric sheets. It's hard coming up songs off the top of your head.

After that excitement we met Lisa who was right on time. We walked to the car and drove up to see Slaid in White Plains. I had planned on scattering my father's ashes but I got a call from Alison on Friday and she told me she wanted to be involved so I left them at home.

There was lots of traffic but we found the venue with no problem. While looking for parking we saw Slaid outside. We didn't say anything but then decided we should so we went around the block to pass him again. He was back inside by then though. We parked about a block away and grabbed a quick bite. Carey and I just had ice cream and Lisa had Mexican.

By the time we were finished there was a small line in front of the Mainstage Coffeehouse. The Mainstage is run by a friend of mine, Cliff, from WFUV. I knew his partner was Jody but I didn't know till we got there that it was the Jodi of "the Vance and Jody" show fame, the signer from FRFF.

We got seats at the front table, the people who were there before us could have taken it but didn't. We were happy about that. We grabbed and extra chair because we were saving seats for my friends Lucy and Peter from WFUV.

While waiting I ran into John Platt, the Sunday Morning DJ at FUV, where Carey and I were volunteering the next day. By coincidence he had the table right next to ours.

Mary Gauthier opened, Lisa and I like her, Carey didn't. She did a good set and Carey liked her more than she did before. Of course anyone would sound good compared to the bad neuro pianist who "entertained" us before the show. He sort of danced at the piano to the insipid songs he was playing. I didn't know anyone could be That white.

Slaid didn't see us before the show but he saw us from the stage. He inserted my name in , Horseshow Lounge . When the song was over I asked Carey if I heard right, I had. Lisa, Peter, and Lucy didn't notice it. Slaid still hasn't written new songs. He is keeping very busy performing. I love the old stuff though and he resurrects enough really old stuff, and covers to keep the show fresh. Carey I'm sure will give the details of what he played.

During the break, Slaid always does two sets, we went over to buy CDs and talk to him. He forgot Carey's name, I gave him a hard time for that, he won't forget it again! He is always such a fun guy. Carey and I decided he reminded us of Steve Martin, the Fruhead not the comedian. If he were camping at FRFF with his friend's be the guy who helps everyone else out.

On Friday Slaid called WFUV and made a pledge. The person who took it didn't know him but I noticed it when I was running it in to be tallied. I immediately brought it in to Darren Devivo se he could mention in on the air. Slaid rules.

After the show we raced out of there because we wanted to get a little sleep that night. We drove Lisa home. Lisa's old place in the Bronx would have been right on the way home; her new place is way in the wrong directions. I'm going to have to find some places she is on the way to, to go to shows. Not that I really mind, the ride just gave us more time to talk and have fun.

On Sunday morning we got to WFUV bright and early. I trained Carey and gave her the choice spot by a computer so she could play online during the lulls. She was nervous at first but of course she had no trouble taking pledges. One woman took a pledge before I trained her and then refused to let me train her. She kept making mistakes of course. People need to understand that it is not an insult to be taught something. Even if it is simple there are often little details that people miss if they aren't warned.

It was Sunday Breakfast, which has the best food of any shift at WFUV. I ate like a pig as usual. There is nothing better than an open breakfast bar.

Karin brought her son Andrew, he's about 7. He is as cute as it is possible to be. Carey and I had lots of fun playing with him. I played him my Jew's harp and he told me about the haunted stairway and chapel. I told him there were werewolves in the chapel and he said there weren't. A bit later he asked Carey where I was because he had to tell me something important. When he found me he told me I was right, there were werewolves. I'd like to find out the story of how he found that out.

I was glad that Carey got to meet my WFUV friends, especially Gary and Jim. It's nice when your different worlds collide. I wish she could have talked to Nora more. They could have discussed Buffy.

When the show was over Andrew acted as if he was going to leave with us. He also kept hitting me with an inflatable baseball bat, which amused Carey to no end.

We then drove down to The South Street Seaport. Good thing there were signs saying not to drive down there, I had forgotten that there was the MS walk going on then. We parked in Greenwich Village and took the subway down there.

After we ate we couldn't find the stage where Deni Bonet was playing we asked information and the guy had no idea there was a concert at all. We decided to check near the festival food booths set up for the walk. There was a hip-hop band playing and I spotted Deni standing around. I asked her where the show as and she told us she was following the hip hoppers. OK I don't really know if it is hip-hop. I don't really know what hip-hop is, shoot me.

Deni was really fun and cool though. She doesn't look the part but she could totally be a friend of mine.

We were a bit surprised that there wasn't a total turnover in the crowd between acts. One thing that always bothers me is the segregation of music audiences. I so rarely see minorities at the shows I go to. This was a nice exception: The black family sitting in front of us even knew all the words to her songs.

Deni started out with her big attention grabber Sunshine. You get people's attention when the first lyric you sing is "I want an orgy!" Deni has an unusual combination of talents. She has very amusing lyrics in the Deirdre Flint/ Amy Rigby style. She is also first-rate musician, I'm sure her first training was in classical violin. She is talented enough that she could make a career as an instrumentalist. She also played the mandolin and a really funky guitar shaped like a Daisy.

After the show Carey bought her CD and we talked to her some more. Then we played at the seaport some more. I'll let Carey tell you about her brand new PJs she bought.

When we started back to the subway things got difficult. There was some sort of Hassidic prayer vigil, which had just let out. The streets and subway were packed. It took us forever to walk the few blocks to the subway. We got on the train and made our way back to the car though. We drove up to Penn Station got parking about 4 blocks away and got inside about 3 minutes before Carey's train started boarding.

I was exhausted but it was a great weekend. Deni Bonet had a line in a song that describes it perfectly: "I can't get anything done 'cause I'm having too much fun."


I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.





Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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