This Has Been A WTF Day

Wednesday==>Ever had one of those WTF days when everything goes wrong from the get-go and weird shit happens all day long, for no apparent reason?

Well, it has been one of “those days” for your favorite blogger because weird shit has been happening to him all day long.

What is he talking about I know you are each asking your inner selves ... well ... inner selves ... it has gone down like this, so far ...

My plans for today were built around having a 10:00am appointment with my long-time dentist, Steven Gualtieri, at his office on E. 54th Street. This was to be a followup appointment to my delayed so-called “annual” checkup back on July 17th. The checkup discovered two “large” cavities and appointments were scheduled for today and then on Wednesday, August 7th.

I was given a new prescription for some mega-strong antibiotics to pre-medicate one hour prior to the appointment.

Well last night, for whatever reason, I stayed up later than my usual 2:00am bedtime, setting the alarm for 7:30am so I would have plenty of time to have a light breakfast, shower and medicate. I planned to leave the apartment not later than 9:15am for my 10:00am appointment.

Around 5:30am a loud steady high-pitched whizzing/whirring noise woke me up. WTF? It was coming from directly above my penthouse floor apartment. I couldn’t go back to sleep. When I went down to the front desk around 6:00am to report it there was only one person on duty so nothing could be done.

When the rest of the staff arrived around 7:00am it was determined that the A/C unit serving the hallway was the culprit and it was shutdown and a repairman called. Of course, the hallway began to get unpleasantly hot.

Well, I just read the 3 daily papers, had a small breakfast, showered, medicated and left the apartment at 9:00am for the Port Authority Bus Terminal, where I caught the E train.

Since it was rush-hour the train was, of course, packed. I was standing. When we left the 53rd/7th Ave. station we suddenly stopped. WTF? We waited and waited. Nothing. WTF? Finally the Conductor announced that the train immediately in front of us had to be taken out of service and for us to just be patient. Yeah, right ... it wasn’t pleasant, trust me, it wasn’t.

After a long long 30+ minutes we finally got underway. It was 9:55am when we pulled into the 53rd/Lexington station. No problem, thought I, since Dr. G’s office is just a 1/4 block from the station.

It was 10:00am when I got to his office and tried to open the door ... and it was locked. WTF? Had I written down the wrong date (but ... they had called yesterday to confirm the appointment)???. I rang the door bell. Nothing. Rang it again and again ... nothing. WTF?

I called his number on my cellphone and, thankfully, it was answered by his assistant, Jacquelyn, who was speaking so softly I could barely hear her (I hadn’t put in the hearing aid thingys, for obvious reasons).

She came to the door and was very apologetic, explaining that they were all handling an “emergency” appointment that was very “complicated” and taking much longer than anticipated.

I said ... "no problem" ... and settled in to read some of the out-dated magazines and then play some solitaire on my iPhone. I was the only person there. About every 15 minutes she would come out and apologize and I would give the same ... "no problem" ... response.

At 11:15am she came out. She was looking really stressed. She said that Dr. G wanted to cancel/re-schedule my appointment because the emergency was going to take at least another hour. I told her ... “hey, that’s fine with me ... no problem ... I’ll just come back next Wednesday at the scheduled time.” She thanked me profusely. I left and headed back to the subway station.

Then ... no joke ... the crammed E train was involved in another delay between stations, this time for “only” 15 minutes. WTF, thought I ... well ... at least it is over with.

Not so fast Kemo Sabe ... it was 12:15pm when I was at the door to PHC. I reached into my pocket for my key chain ... and ... nothing ... OMFG!! Not making this up. What else could possibly go wrong? HOW COULD THIS BE HAPPENING TO ME?

I went downstairs and after a rather antsy search-session, got the duplicate key from the front desk. When I got inside the apartment, there was my key chain lying on the table.

Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, your favorite blogger has to admit that he felt emotionally drained. After returning the duplicate key, he plopped onto the couch in the living room and ... 2 1/2 hours later the pain in his back and neck woke him up.

So ... there you pretty much have it ... it is 4:30pm and nothing of any interest has shown up on my ticket services, so ... tonight will probably be a movie.

Thanks for sticking with me ... now ... let’s move on to something very positive ...

Had a great time last night with Justin Allen Pifer @ Joe Allen on Restaurant Row on West 46th Street. We had a great meal and did a lot of long overdue catching-up.

There is a lot going on in his life right now. As I posted yesterday, he is finishing an internship with William Morris, the talent and literary agency, and will then begin his Junior year at Pace Law School in White Plains, NY, which is about 1:15 away from Manhattan via public transportation.

The Big News==>When his internship is finished he will move from Manhattan to Nyack, NY, where he will be living with family members and commuting to school via automobile. It is a much faster trip.

It is ironic. His projected moving date is exactly 5-years from the date he originally moved to Manhattan.

I am so happy about the progress he is making in school. He is a member of the Moot Court team and is on the Law Review staff. Excellent.

I will, of course, miss him, but he promised me that we would remain in touch and that he would make periodic trips back to Manhattan.

So ... Billi Pod says==>Justin ... let the new adventure begin.

When we split I spent about 45 minutes on a walk and wander session in my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood and then came back to the apartment and settled in to watch the 10:10pm YANKEES/DODGERS game.

The Dodgers won 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th before a sold-out crowd of 52,447. Andy Pettitte pitched a decent game through 7-innings.

Tonight, again at 10:10pm, is game 2 of the 2-game series. On the mound for The Yankees will be Hiroki Kuroda (10-6) vs. Clayton Kershaw (10-6) for the Dodgers.

Moving on ...

As I said above ... at the moment I have nothing entertainment-wise scheduled for tonight. Nothing of any interest has shown up on my ticket services so I might just catch a movie. For sure, I don’t want to stay in waiting for the 10:10pm Yankees game.

ALERT==>tomorrow, with Marty Kosarik aka Whatever and Dian Crystal aka My Lady, and her posse, I will be seeing a taping of the Jimmy Fallon show. More details in the morning.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... thank you again for sticking with me through this overly long and delayed posting.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.03 miles (or, 11,006 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>107.83 miles (average 3.59 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

LET IT BE==>A-

Tuesday==>Good afternoon to everyone. Your favorite blogger still has a bunch of stuff left over on yesterday’s to-do list, the usual errands and chores day, so we will get this posting going with ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Broadway musical ...

LET IT BE, about The Beatles’ meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through the heights of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces, featuring 40 of their greatest hits==>A-

Despite the nay-sayers and snarky chat-room postings, I found this to be a totally delightful, enjoyable and entertaining event.

Folks, it is what it is ... a rock-concert performed in a Broadway theatre. The four very talented young musicians do an excellent job of re-creating The Beatles' sound of the 60s.

The visual projections before and during the performance are outstanding, with emphasis on the TV ads for cigarettes (now I know why almost everyone back then smoked).

My comp. seat was excellent, in the 4th row of the center mezzanine.

The audience was really into the performance and, as directed from the stage, we often clapped our hands and/or stood up. Everyone around me seemed to be having a really good time.

The one song that I missed was “Yellow Submarine.” The song that seemed to get the most applause was “Hey Jude,” done in the encore.

Billi Pod says==>If you like The Beatles then see this show ... if not ... then stay far away.

Moving on ...

This evening I am having dinner with my friend Justin Pifer at Joe Allen on Restaurant Row on West 46th Street. 

This will be a long overdue facetime/catching-up session. Justin is about to begin his second year of law school at Pace University and is finishing up an internship with William Morris, the talent and literary agency.

Hummmm ... he will be leaving work at William Morris to have dinner with William Norris, whose mother’s maiden name was Ruby Morris.

Moving on to just a bit of sports ...

Tonight at 10:10pm The Yankees will begin the first game of a 2-game series against The Dodgers, out in Los Angeles.

Andy Pettitte (7-8) will be on the mound for The Yankees vs. Zack Greinke for The Dodgers.

The internet is alive with buzz, predictions and speculation that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is preparing to ban Alex Rodriguez for life by invoking a clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement to==>“preserve the integrity of the game.”

Yes ... Bud ... just do it and let’s get this mess over with and move on.

On this happy note, will post this and then go back to working on my to-do list.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.16 miles (or, 4,728 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>102.80 miles (average 3.54 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

CASTLE WALK==>Thumbs Up

Monday==>It is a beautiful Back To Work Monday here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, with azure blue skies and a temperature of 78º at 11:00am. The forecast high will be in the low 80s and that is very manageable, especially with the nice breeze coming off the Hudson River.

With the nice weather your favorite blogger has no legitimate excuse for not getting in a good walk and wander session later in the afternoon, something that has been woefully missing in his regimen for the past several weeks.

And, as most of you loyal and faithful readers and followers know ... this being a Monday ... it is Billi Pod’s usual errands and chores day, and, dammit ... he has plenty of them on his to-do list. So ... let’s get this posting started with ...

Billi Pod’s report card on yesterday’s New York Musical Festival (NYMF) show ...

CASTLE WALK, in 1938 RKO is making ‘The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle’ with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, with Irene Castle herself as an advisor==>THUMBS UP

The show has an incredibly talented cast, great songs and dancing. My only quibble is that perhaps 15 minutes needs to be cut from the 1:45, without intermission, running time.

I saw this show with my theater-buddy Marty Kosarik aka Whatever. He is the one who insisted we get tickets. Well, luckily for him, it wasn’t a bad decision. I liked the show a lot and it was well worth the time and money.

This show was my 13th NYMF production and I have basically enjoyed all of them. My favorite show was THE AWAKENING OF ANGEL DELUNA, which featured magic tricks, juggling, acrobatics and amazing trapeze work, in addition to a great cast.

The Closing Night Ceremony was last night and I will report on the award winners as soon as the results are posted.

Back to yesterday ... 

When the show was over it was lightly raining and neither of us had brought our umbrellas. Oh well ... 

We split and I came back to PHC, dried off, and settled in for the remainder of the evening, watching baseball on ESPN.

Tonight’s entertainment event is a Broadway show ...

8:00==>LET IT BE - “Relive The Beatles’ meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through the heights of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces, featuring 40 of their greatest hits.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket)

The show opened on July 24th to very mixed reviews. The main criticism is that the show is virtually identical to RAIN which ran in 2010. In fact, there is an active legal battle between the producers of the two shows.

Hey ... I love The Beatles and it is a comp. tix, so how could I pass it up?

Moving on ...

Yesterday afternoon Derek Jeter made a mega-dramatic return to the Yankee lineup when he drove the first pitch he saw into the right field stands for a homer. The stadium went nuts.

Unfortunately, Phil Hughes couldn’t protect the lead and left the game after 4-innings with the score tied 5-5. I think Phil’s days with the Yankees are numbered.

More drama==>The Yankees won the game 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th on a walk-off single from Alfonso Soriano, who also homered in the 3rd.

It was a very emotional game that got started with a very touching retirement ceremony honoring Hideki Matsui.

The Yankees have the day off as they travel to the West Coast for 2 games against The Dodgers and then 3 games against The Padres.

OK everyone out there in the boondocks, hinterlands and wastelands, it is time to post this and then begin work on my to-do list ... so ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>1.48 miles (or, 3,245 steps)

Total mileage for the week==>20.01 miles (average 2.89 miles per day)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>100.64 miles (average 3.59 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

STORYVILLE==>A

Sunday==>It is an overcast day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. The temperature at 11:30am is a pleasant 75º but rain is in the forecast for the afternoon and into the evening. As usual, there is a nice breeze coming off The Hudson River. I guess you could call it a “Lazy, Hazy Day.”

I am happy to report that your favorite blogger is having an excellent weekend, so ... let’s get down to it with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway musical at The York Theatre ...

STORYVILLE, about how The American Songbook is forever changed by the birth of jazz in the seedy saloons and brothels of New Orleans in 1917==>A

Wow! What an exciting entertainment event! The cast is super excellent, the staging and sets are terrific and the music and lyrics are enjoyable. 

The rivalry between the sexy Tigre Savoy (Zakiya Young) and the manipulative Fifi Foxy (Debra Walton) propels the story line, aided by another rivalry between Butch “Cobra” Brown (Kyle Robert Carter) and Hot Licks Sam (Michael Leonard James).

The supporting orchestra, on stage, is excellent, as is the choreography.

The sold-out house was totally into the performance and we left the theatre with big smiles on our faces. It was simply that much fun.

After the show I ran into my Facebook friend, Daniel Nickle, and he said he also enjoyed it a lot.

It is playing at The York Theatre @ The Citigroup Center on E. 54th Street, one of my favorite venues, and is running through August 17th.

Billi Pod says==You gotta see this show!!

Moving on ...

Today’s entertainment event is my final New York Musical Festival (NYMF) show ...

5:00==>CASTLE WALK - “It’s 1938, RKO is making ‘The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle’ with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and they’ve hired Irene Castle herself to be an advisor on the film. Torn between her wish to honor her late husband and the director's desire to bring in the movie on time and under budget, Irene sifts through a lifetime of memories – and some of the most romantic dance sequences ever created.” (NYMF - full price ticket)

I am seeing this with my theater-buddy Marty Kosarik aka Whatever. The show is his idea, so he will get credit or blame. Only time will tell.

After the show we will probably catch a bite at a restaurant in my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood. I am leaving the selection up to Whatever.

Moving on to the usual sports reporting ...

As most of you loyal and faithful readers and followers know, The Wankies are continuing their downward spiral, triggered by a total lack of offense. Yesterday afternoon, out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, The Wankies squandered an excellent outing from Ivan Nova, losing to The Rays 1-0. 

We now trail the division-leading Rays by 8-games in the loss column.

In almost every offensive category The Wankies are at the bottom of the AL. That is simply pathetic and is sooooooooooo totally frustrating for their loyal fan base in The Yankee Universe.

Man, there is no getting around it==>The Yankees Suck!!

This afternoon @ 1:05pm The Rays go for the sweep. It will be Phil Hughes (4-9) on the mound for The Wankies vs. the red-hot Matt Moore (14-3) for The Rays.

The only good news==>it is reported that Derek Jeter will start the game at shortstop.

The local papers are all reporting that this week MLB will announce the suspension of A-Rod and others involved in the PED scandal.

On this happy note your favorite blogger will end this posting with ...

HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.01 miles (or, 4,411 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>99.16 miles (average 3.67 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”