Good times, bad times … you know I’ve had my share
I awoke today, head still pounding and spinning around my dry mouth and aching belly. The string of green beads and plastic clovers is still on the floor where it fell at some point last night. The blurry details are coming clearer as the morning sun rises. The start of all my weirdness apparently began on Friday and spilled over into Hoboken’s infamous Parade Day.
An Unplanned Friday
My original dinner plans for Friday were canceled at the last minute, so I decided to stay in, eat some leftovers and go to sleep. But then my phone rang and it was my friend and long-time songwriting partner Eric Schmitz. He was in town from Florida working and wanted to meet for a few drinks at Louise & Jerry’s (329 Washington St, Hoboken). We hadn’t seen each other in a while and it was good to catch up.
I filled him in on a slew of good news. My gig at MensFitness.com, my nephew’s film being accepted in the Garden State Film Festival, one of our songs being included in that film and so on. He filled me in on his more laid-back life in Florida and his family. I soon caught the eyes of a lovely young lady at the bar. When Eric got up to use the bathroom, I scooted over to talk to her. This is not something I normally do off the cuff, but she looked so sweet.
Her name was Sarah and we talked about who knows what. By this point I lost sight of Eric, but found out he was off talking to this girl’s friend. Both of them being married, they traded tales of family life. My mind wandered back to the pretty girl next to me and we kissed just a little. Pat the bartender teased me because again, this is not normal for me. We drank some more and she was starting to feel unsteady. I offered to walk her home and told Eric that I’d be back.
And that is just what I did. She only lived a block away but the sidewalks were icy. I got her thru the door, up the stairs and into her apartment. One last kiss to make sure she was OK and I went back to the bar. When I walked thru the door, the pensive stinkeye I had gotten from her friend a few minutes earlier had changed to a thankful grin. A few drinks later, I saw Eric walk out. I yelled to him, but he didn’t hear me and he was gone. He was supposed to stay at my place. I thought maybe I’d fine him on my front stoop, but no. I’d find out the next day that he was fine, he just felt like leaving early.
Is That a Parade Over There?
Greeting morning with a slight hangover, I was really looking forward to my day. My friend Adriane–who helped me thru my sushi adventure–had invited our friend Mary and me over to watch the parade. Despite the supposed significance of Hoboken’s Parade Day kicking off the St. Paddy’s season in the NYC area, I’d never watched it. Oh sure I’ve been to tons of parties, but with Adriane’s apartment offering the perfect vantage point, I could not resist. Plus I’d get to hang out with a couple of really cool girls–and of course Adriane’s dog Madia.
My contribution to the day was a nice bottle of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey. A bottle that would later serve as a catalyst to an odd bit of circumstances. But for now, it’s simply a fine elixir to brighten my day. We danced around, drank champagne and whiskey and hung out the window, watching the various firemen, policemen and pipe & drum corps go by. It was then that I noticed a curious thing.
Hordes of young, aspiring drinkers were waiting to get into the bars. They stood with their backs turned to the street as the parade of colors and sound passed them by. Seriously kids, if you gotta stand out in the cold, you can at least turn around and catch a good show. It reminded me of a party I had gone to many years ago. There was a band, dancers, light show, film, a giant tire swing hanging from the ceiling for all to enjoy as well as plenty of food and booze. Still everyone stood around as though they were waiting for something to happen, while it was happening all around them.
