Wednesday - Billi Pod is Back

It is Wednesday and Billi Pod is back in The Greatest City In The World, having completed a wonderful time in Paris aka The City of Smelly People with my former college roomie David West an expat, formerly from Gainesville, FL.

Tuesday started in Paris at 6:00am when my iPhone alarm went off. Finished packing, had some coffee and then David and I left the apartment at 6:50am. It wasn’t raining. He walked with me to the metro station at St. Michel/Notre Dame to make sure I got on the right train to CDG. I did.

Everything went fine from that point on. Checked in, got an exit row seat (Thank you Higher Power), cleared passport control and security without any problems. Was at my gate at 8:15, meaning I had about 2 hours to kill before boarding. No problem.

The flight boarded at 10:45 and we were airborne at 11:20. The plane was only about 1/3 full, the emptiest flight I have been on in years and years. Good for us passengers in steerage, however, because we had plenty of room to spread out.

Time actually went by pretty fast. I couldn’t sleep, of course, but I did play plenty of solitaire on my iBook and worked crossword puzzles, all while listening to classic rock on my Nano.

We were at the JFK gate at 1:50pm NYC time or 7:50pm Paris time. I picked up my duffle, cleared security, passport control and customs (I had bought nothing, nada, zip) and caught an express bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, which, as many of you loyal and faithful readers know, is only is only a block and a half from my apartment building. It wasn’t raining.

It was exactly 4:06pm (10:06pm on my body clock) when I opened the door to PHC, loaded with my duffle, tons of mail and Tuesday’s 3 daily papers, which had been saved for me by the staff.

Fixed a Fresca, unpacked, chilled, went to the grocery store for fruit and stuff, and then got some pizza and wings.

Finally crashed around midnight, which was 6:00am on my body clock.

My sleep pattern is not quite back to “normal” (can that word be used with Billi Pod?) and I feel a bit blah but I’ll be over it soon because I am back to my usual entertainment frenzy.

Tonight-8:00==>DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND-“in the summer of ‘87 strange events are happening in the swamps of Lizard Lick, Florida==>missing people and giant spaceships-Oh My!!”

Now my dear loyal and faithful readers, take a deep breath because I want to give a brief (OK, now stop the clapping==>Billi Pod knows who you are) report on my activities on Monday, my last full day in Paris, done, as usual with David’s help --

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We had a late start because David had a bunch of stuff to do, like paying his rent, making deposits, transferring funds etc. etc. etc.

As planned and previously mentioned we had reserved the afternoon to view the Monet exhibit at the Grand Palais.

David’s French friend, Helene, joined us and with one bus change we are at the exhibition near the Boulevard Champs Elysee.

This is the exhibition the New York Times raved about a month ago and you can check it out if you desire at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/arts/design/05monet.html

It was crowded at the entrance but our 2:30pm reservations helped us get into the museum with only about a 10 minute wait. No photographing was allowed inside the building.

It was also very crowded inside. We each got the audio tour and that added a lot. The exhibition was the largest ever for Monet’s works (177+) and it emphasized what a prolific painter he was, especially during his early and middle career.

The only non-Monet painting exhibited was one by Roy Lichtenstein of the Rouen cathedral (which we visited yesterday) which showed how he was influenced by Monet’s impressionist treatment painted 70 years earlier. (This is here at David’s insistence).

We spent almost 2 1/2 hours at the exhibit and it was worth every minute. IT WAS AWESOME!!

When we left the museum we found a bistro and had some coffee and then Helene left us and David and I returned to his apartment.

We had planned for a “goodbye/thank-you-so-much” dinner, at my expense of course, at 8:00pm but it began to rain and neither of us wanted to walk in the rain so we stayed in and David fixed some stuff and we chilled for the remainder of the evening, planning for an early wakeup call for Tuesday.

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There you have it. Let me close this much-too-long posting with a final==>Thank You David for everything!

Oh, and David==>the check is in the mail.

Billi Pod

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

The Final Day of Billi Pod and David’s Normandy Adventure

Sunday - Well, my loyal and faithful readers, I am now about to give you a report on Day 3 of Billi Pod and David’s Normandy Adventure, probably best described as: “On The Road Again” ... so here goes ... ready or not ...

After an 8:30 a.m. continental breakfast at our Hotel Bayeux, we programed our GPS to take us from our hotel to the Cathedral Notre Dame de Rouen, about 60 miles away.

Interestingly, our hotel was next to the Notre Dame de Bayeux, which was consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror and his wife Mathilde.

Today it is generally considered to be 13th Century gothic. It is a beautiful structure but we did not go inside.

This trip, like the rest of the day, was totally unscheduled and unstructured.

Ninety minutes after leaving Bayeux we were in Rouen and began our exploration of the Cathedral Notre Dame de Rouen, which Monet had painted at least a dozen times from the same position, tracing the lighting patterns on its west wall.

Five of those paintings we would see on Monday afternoon at the Monet Exhibit now showing at the Grands Palais in Paris.

Over the years in my travels abroad I have found most gothic cathedrals to be similar in their dark dankness, but still stunningly beautiful.

We could tell the areas of Rouen that had been bombed by our planes, which leveled a great number of cities in Normandy in preparation for the D-Day invasion.

After finishing the cathedral we walked through the old city to an open square where Joan de Arc was burned at the stake.

A modernistic church has been built next to the spot, but it was not open to visitors while we were to be in the area.

So, we found ourselves at 1:30 p.m. with an unplanned afternoon. What did we do you are no doubt breathlessly asking? Well, we programmed the GPS to take us to yet another beautiful, dark and dank cathedral, this time in Chartres, 90 minutes away.

The Notre Dame de Chartres, in Chartres (of course), is generally considered to be the most beautiful of all gothic structures. It is on the pilgrimage route which ends in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Built in the 4th Century, it became a pilgrimage site when in 876 the chemise said to belong to the Virgin Mary was given to the cathedral by an ancestor of Charlemane.

It can be seen from miles and miles away, awe inspiring in itself.

At 4:30pm we had completed our visit and it was time to head back to Paris, a distance of about 60 miles. The trip back to Paris was rather unpleasant because The Frogs, who had been away for the long Armistice Day weekend, were crowding the highway.

Thank God we had our GPS device because without it we would probably still be looking for the rental car return ramp. We turned in our car at Gare Nord at 7:45pm and were back at David’s apartment at 8:15pm.

The 3 day adventure was over and every aspect of it exceeded my expectations and will live in my memories for the rest of my life.

None of this would have been possible without David’s willingness to plan and to be the designated driver.

Thank You David==>you are indeed a friend!

Billi Pod

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

Armistice Day In Paris

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 an “Armistice” was signed in a railroad car in a clearing in the woods near Compiegne, France. Over 1,397,000 French soldiers lay dead. (Later, the Nazi’s used the same railroad car to accept the surrender of France in World War II). Appropriately the French take the Armistice Day very seriously and it is a national holiday with reduced service on all transportation.

Nevertheless, around 11:00am Billi Pod and David made their way to the Cafe Deux Magots for coffee and Danish.

This cafe is famous for the “Lost Generation” of American writers, such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce, Anderson and artists, such as Picasso, who made the cafe home in the 1920s.

Today a pleasant surprise awaited us. As background, David and I have known one another since we were roommates in 1962 while he was an undergraduate and I was in law school. As you can imagine, we have heard each other’s tales repeated ad infinitum (ad nauseum might also be appropriate) over the last 48 years and again for the last 96 hours. But, what a pleasant surprise befell us in the cafe when seated next to us were Dr. James Brookeman, Ph.D and his wife. She is a lawyer and he was a professor at the UF from 1968 to 1984 and is now a physics professor at the University of Virginia. What a surprise and blessing too! Neither had heard our stories before, of course, so basically David was off and running for about 45 minutes and, as usual, Billi Pod assumed the listening role, as is his want.

We had a very nice time with them and we are still amazed at what a small world it is ... think about it ... a cafe in Paris ... in the rain ... on Armistice Day ... and we make contact with a couple who have been part of The Gator Nation ... what are the odds? Oh, I forgot to add ... I was wearing my Yankee hat, not my Gator hat, and they spoke to us first ... what are the odds???

When we left the cafe we suffered the rain to catch a bus to the Louvre where we split. David spent some time in The Apple Store located in the Louvre Entrance Carousel and then came back to the apartment.

Billi Pod spent 3+ hours overloading on medieval art, artifacts and statues. Enough art for awhile, OK.

When I left the Louvre I walked back to the apartment. It was still raining. As a matter-of-fact, it is still raining at 11:00pm.

David fixed another great dinner - salad, fish, rice and peas. We decided to stay in tonight because ...

Early tomorrow we pick up our rental car at Gare Nord and head northward to the Normandy Beaches. First will be Caen for the World War II Museum (now known as the Memorial to Peace Museum), then on to the Pegasus Bridge (much more about that in the next blog) before spending the night at Bayeux - home to William the Conqueror.

Saturday begins early as we board a six person van for an all-day tour of the D-Day Beaches and some inland towns, i.e. St-Mere Eglise., St. Lo, etc.

Hope to be able to give a report tomorrow night after we reach our hotel in Bayeux.

Oh, as most of you loyal and faithful readers are no doubt aware ... David has been a major contributor in the preparation of these postings.

GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

Billi Pod & David Go Artsy in Paree!!

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, after a near-record, gasp, 9 hours sleep to get over jet lag, Billi Pod and David finally started our second day on the rues of Paris.

After a pleasant 15 minute walk along the Left Bank of the Seine we arrived at Museum d’ Orsay - my favorite Paris Museum. Generally considered the world greatest Impressionist museum, we spent two and one half hours looking at scores of Van Goghs, Manets, Degas, Reniors and Toulouse-Lautrecs. A sign apologized for not having the dozen or so Monets on display. They have all been loaned to the Museum Grand Palais which is exhibiting history’s largest Monet display consisting of 177 of his works. We have reservations to see it at 2 p.m. Monday.

When we left d’Orsay we took off to the Right Bank where I left David in a cafe to work his crossword puzzles while I sought out more modern art at the Jeu de Paume. Spent about 90 minutes there.

We got back to the apartment around 5:15 and after a quick salad and soup we caught the bus for tonight’s highlight, the musical MAMMA MIA at the Mogador Theatre.

It was in French. I had seen it several times on Broadway and had no problem following the show with Abba’s lyrics in French, however, David (who speaks and understands very basic French) had never seen it. Since the majority of the musical is song and dance, he came out with a big smile even though our seats were nearly even with the height of The Eiffel Tower. The house was sold-out.

After a circuitous coupling of bus and metro we returned to Pont Neuf where we crossed The Seine on foot to arrive back at his apartment around 11:30.

It was a wonderful, exciting, exhilarating and tiring day.

Tomorrow’s plans are yet to be decided at the moment.

GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

Billi Pod’s Report From Across The Pond

Hi my loyal and faithful readers. It is 10:45pm, Tuesday evening, in Paris, France, and Billi Pod is soooooooo very happy to report that I am here, safe, sound, happy and very tired. Let me give you a quick (for moi) report.

The trip to JFK went fine. This time I used a car service rather than Super Shuttle. Arrived in plenty of time. Had no problems checking in and clearing security. When I got to the gate I was able to change my seat to an exit row aisle. Yeah!!

Just before the boarding process began a group of Hassidic Jews, who I later learned were returning to Paris following a worldwide conference in NYC, stood and began praying and stuff, about 25 in number. It really spooked some of the other passengers.

Anyway, the flight boarded on time and pushed back from the gate on time, and then ... tada ... we were stuck on the tarmac for almost an hour.

One of the Jewish group was seated next to me but we really didn’t get a chance to talk because he immediately went to sleep and didn’t wake up until we began our descent into Paris, 7 hours later.

The flight went fine and, of course, I was unable to sleep. I spent the time finishing my reading assignment and working crosswords. Actually, the time went by very fast.

We made up some of the lost time and actually touched down at CDG basically on schedule, however, there was a mechanical glitch at the gate and we were delayed almost 30 minutes getting off. It was 7:18am and it had begun to lightly rain.

I am happy to report that: my duffle bag arrived; I had no problems with passport control and security; was able to find the right train into Paris; got off at the proper station; found David’s building; buzzed myself in; and was in his apartment on The Seine at 9:10am. It was raining. Yes, I was tired. We had lots of catching up to do and we did.

At 11:00am we headed out to the outdoor market at Rue Buci for fruit and veggies. Then an aimless walk around St-Germain-des-Pres and the labyrinth of streets around St-Michel. It was raining.

When we got back to the apartment I have to confess, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, that Billi Pod napped for almost 2 hours, gasp!!

At 4:30p.m. we did a series of on-again off-again bus rides to Pigalle, Moulin Rouge and other spots for sinning (David’s words, not mine).

Then we went up Montmartre to Basilica Sacre Coure and our traditional first night view of Paris lights. It was raining

We bussed back to Centre Pompideau, walked through Les Halles and then caught a bus home. We were back at 8:00pm. It was raining.

David then prepared an excellent home-cooked meal.

Our plans tomorrow will probably include some art galleries and then we have an 8:00 performance of Mamma Mia.

OK, everyone is almost 11:30pm and I am very very tired, so ... talk with you later. Please excuse any errors, etc.

GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

Billi Pod's Paris Adventure Schedule

Hi my loyal and faithful readers, this is Billi Pod’s schedule for the upcoming Paris (aka The City of Smelly People) Adventure, beginning on Monday, November 8th and ending on Tuesday, November 16th:

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Monday - 05:55pm - depart JFK AA #44

Tuesday - 06:30am - arrive Paris CGD

I will be staying with my former law school roomie, David West, formerly of Gainesville, FL, in his very nice apartment on The Left Bank, directly across the Seine River from The Louvre.

Wednesday - 08:00pm - Mamma Mia

Thursday - Armistice Day (a very important day in France, I am told)

Friday - 08:00am - pick up our rental car and drive to the Normandy area where we will overnight in Bayeux at HOTEL LE BAYEUX. No Billi Pod will not be driving.

Saturday - 8:30am to 5:30pm - American Highlights Tour, which includes: Sainte Mere Eglise (the first town liberated by US troops); Airborne Museum; Airborne Drop Zones; Utah Beach; Pointe du Hoc (infamous German gun position); Omaha Beach; and Colleville US Cemetary (resting place of 9,387 US service personnel)

On Saturday night we are not certain where we will overnight.

Sunday - return to Paris in the evening via our rental car

Monday - 2:00 - Monet Exhibit (dammit I can’t remember the location)

Tuesday - 09:55am - depart Paris - AA #45; 01:15pm - arrive JFK

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I will have my iBook with me and will have internet access while in David's apartment. Not sure about when we are in Normandy. Hopefully I can post both to my FaceBook Wall and to this blog.

If you are interested, the projected weather patterns in Paris almost mirror NYC this time of year.

Billi Pod is very charged, to say the least.

Sunday is the New York Marathon. Did you know that Billi Pod (actually that wasn’t his name back then) ran in, and successfully completed, the 1978/79 Marathons--no joke==>got pictures to prove it. No big deal back then. Only about 10,000 runners and all you had to do was pay your entrance fee and show up. You didn’t even get a T-shirt or anything at the end of the race. Not that way now, that is for sure.

Have a theater double header for tomorrow that I will post about in the morning.

GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

Tuesday - April in Paris

On Wednesday evening I will fly out of JFK headed to Paris to spend 8 days there with my former law school roommate David West, of Gainesville, FL, and Paris, France. My exact schedule and details are:

Wednesday - April 22 07:00pm - depart JFK - Delta #8581
Thursday - April 23 08:35am - arrive Paris - Charles De Gaulle

David West
55 Quai des Grands Augustins
Apartment 1, Building 2
Paris, 75006 France

Telephone when dialing from Paris: 01-77-1054-01
When dialing from outside France: 33-1-77-1054-01

Thursday - April 30 01:35pm - depart Paris - Delta #8550
Thursday - April 30 03:35pm - arrive JFK (hopefully)

I will have my laptop with me and my iPhone, but the iPhone won’t work once I leave the US of A.

On Thursday the 23rd I will celebrate my 75th birthday (barf and double barf - I hate being old).

David has planned a lot of things and stuff for us to do, including some out-of-Paris day trips, the details of which he hasn’t shared with me. I will also have plenty of on-my-own time to revisit some of my favorite museums and art galleries.

I am very pumped about the trip.

Tonight student/bartender/manager Scott Reed is taking me to Randall’s Island for an early birthday party. We will be seeing Cirque du Soleil’s newest show called “Kooza.” Really pumped about this.

And, speaking of being pumped - the past week was really one of the most interesting I have had in a long long time. It was full of towering highs and gut-wrenching lows, experiences of a once-in-a-lifetime nature.

So, my loyal and faithful reader, here are the details --

On Monday the 13th was an outstanding benefit concert called “BROADWAY FOR A NEW AMERICA - Standing Up for Marriage Equality and A Progressive Agenda for Change,” and featured numerous broadway and TV performers including: Stockard Channing, Jim Dale, Kathleen Turner, Rosie Perez, Richard Belzer, Anne Meara, Tovah Feldshuh and Norm Lewis. It was performed at Symphony Space at 95th and Broadway, on the next block from The Williams Residence where I would check in later on in the week for my “introductory visit."

Tuesday was the taping of The Colbert Report at his studio located on West 54th Street, as I mentioned in the last posting. It was quite an experience. The studio seats only 106 people but there were only 25 people ahead of me when I arrived around 4:30 for the 5:30 door-opening. About 5:15 my friends Ben Sears and Justin Pifer arrived. They had also gotten tickets. I was able to sneak them in line with me so we were able to sit together once we finally were admitted into the studio.

I have to comment at this point that the security system was very tight, which included bag/briefcase/etc. searches and walking though a metal detector. Once we passed that we were all crowded into a smallish waiting area, and wait we did for a long time while the rehearsal process was completed. When we finally were let in we were directed to our seats and given instructions about laughing loudly and clapping fast so it would sound like a larger audience.

A semi-funny comedian did a warmup bit and then Colbert came out and talked with us, not in character. He is soooooooo funny. Then it was time for the taping. They had to reshoot his introductory monologue because he made a slip but that was the only “glitch.”

I didn’t check the time when the show began, but once it got started it zipped through. We were outta there at 8:00. As I said it was a very interesting experience and I look forward to seeing the taping of The Jon Stewart Show on July 13th.

Ben, Justin and I walked over to Restaurant Row on 46th Street where we had a great dinner at Joe Allen.

Wednesday night was an outstanding New York Philharmonic concert at Lincoln Center. The program was: Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G; and, Shubert’s Symphony No. 9.

Thursday was Opening Day at the new Yankee Stadium, something I had been anxiously awaiting. Two preseason games were played there but I opted not to get tickets because I wanted my first experience to be at a game that really mattered. The game was against the Cleveland Indians and first pitch was at 1:05 with the Opening Ceremony at noon. I got to the stadium at 11:00 so I would have plenty of time to walk around and check things out. I took lots and lots of pictures on my iPhone which I will share in a later posting.

Now about the stadium - it is as awesome as I expected with the Great Hall being jaw-dropping. My seat location is satisfactory but ... and a huge but ... despite all of the pre-season hype about larger seats and more leg room - not true in my $70 section, in fact, my seat seems to be smaller and more crowded than my comparable Loge seat in the old stadium. Now, I know what some of you are thinking, and, no, I haven’t gotten bigger, in fact, I weigh the same as I did this time last year, the usual 162 pounds.

Everyone around me in my section are season ticket holders and they were all bitching about the seat size and lack of additional leg room. Thank you Yankee Management, thank you so very f-ing much.

But, I was still pumped about the start of the home season until the Yankees tanked, losing 2-10. The one place I would not have wanted to be was in the Owner’s Suite with GeorgeS. Oh well ...

On Friday around 2:00 I checked myself into The Williams Residence for my “introductory visit” to help me make a decision regarding where I will live for the next several years. I will post my thoughts, mostly positive, about this facility when I get back from Paris.

Saturday afternoon was the 2nd game of my 41-game package and the weather was terrific. It took me a little longer to reach The Bronx from my Westside location because of weekend service changes. No matter, I was in my seat in plenty of time to watch ace pitcher Chien-Ming Wang make his 3rd start of the season - he lost the first two starts and pretty much sucked. It felt good when he had an easy first inning and the Yankees took the lead ... then ... OH MY F**KING GOD - what happened next is still difficult for me to process even 3 days later.

If you are a baseball fan you know that Cleveland scored 14 (yes that is the number) runs in the top of the 2nd inning, a record in the history of the Yankee franchise. It was a nightmare that cannot be described. I kept thinking that I had died and was in purgatory, or that someone had slipped LSD into my diet coke - I wish. I stayed in my seat through the end of the 5th inning and then I left it and wandered around the stadium and then left at the end of the 7th inning. To say that the remaining fans were upset is a gross understatement. So, bottom line -- the Yankees lost in record fashion, 4-22, F**K!!

Sunday night was an excellent Off Broadway show called “Offices,” 3 one-act comedies written by Ethan Coen and starring Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham. It was funny and very well performed.

Monday morning I checked out of The Williams Residence and returned to Midtown East, and you know what? It really felt good to be back in my ‘hood, in my building and in my apartment, alcove studio that it may be.

Last night was a special benefit concert at Lincoln Center by the New York Philharmonic, with guest conductor Marvin Hamlisch, called “New York Moments” and featuring Joel Grey, Jennifer Holliday, Kelli O’Hara, Paulo Szot, and ending with Liza Minnelli, who looked and sounded great.

So, my loyal and faithful readers, this is what has been going on in my life in the Big Apple. I need to post this and then get ready to head out with Scott to the Circus, so ...

Paris - here I come.

Billi Pod

PS: I just got back from the Circus and had a great time. Thank you Scott. You are a good and caring friend!!

Tuesday - Billi Pod Is Alive And Well In The Big Apple.

I know that it has been a long time since I posted to this blog and I do appreciate the emails and telephone calls from you, my loyal and faithful readers, about what is going on in my life.

Why haven’t I posted? Well, the simple truth is - I have had a lot of “stuff” going on, mostly in my head, and I just haven’t felt like writing about it until I sorted through most of it and made some tentative decisions. Rest assured - it has nothing to do with either my physical or mental health, that I promise you.

OK - this is it - I have decided not to renew my lease on my alcove studio. My lease is up on July 31st and I have been here for 8 years. Before moving to 51st Street I was in a studio (known as the “dorm room”) on the 4th floor of a walkup building on 53rd Street, for 2 years. This means I have been in a studio apartment for the last 10 years.

I love the location of my current apartment, the building and the staff. The apartment itself is in need of some major upgrading, which will be a huge pain in the ass for whoever is occupying it.

The main reason for making a change, however, is my determination that I am no longer in NYC on “vacation.” I admitted to myself that I am a full-time resident of the Big Apple and as a resident I need more space. I have grown tired of living in a motel room/suite. I also acknowledged to myself that I really want to stay in NYC for the remainder of my life, however long (or short) that may be.

So, I have been 1 BR apartment hunting and have pretty much narrowed down my choices to: apartments in a new high-rise building located on West 42nd Street, in the heart of the theater district, or a Senior facility known as The Williams Memorial Residence, located at the corner of West 95th Street and West End Avenue and run by the Salvation Army. No 1 BR’s are available in my current building.

OK - stop it - take a deep breath and go to the website: www.salvationarmy-newyork.org/housing/williams

I am considering a very nice and large 1 BR located on the 15th floor, the top floor. The rent includes: 2 meals a day (required); all utilities; weekly maid service; security; and, many in-house activities.

I have been approved by this facility, having passed the examination by the Admission’s Committee and passed the physical exam requirements. This coming Friday through Monday morning I will be staying there as part of what is called “an introductory visit.” This will be in one of their guest rooms and will include 3 meals a day.

I think I need to emphasize - this is not, repeat NOT, a nursing home. It is a well-maintained facility directed at healthy and financially secure seniors who are at least 50 years old.

Yes, I know this would be a MAJOR lifestyle change but it is what I am considering under circumstances where I will be making the final decision, not someone else (read between the lines). Luckily I have some time before I have to make my final decision(s). However, next week I am going to notify my landlord that I will not be renewing my lease.

Now, on to other stuff, briefly. Of course, I have been going and doing lots of things. So far the highlight for this month was a wonderful Easter Dinner Sunday with my theater buddies Michael Pederson and Dennis Dohman, and some of their longtime friends, at M & D’s apartment in Chelsea. Thank you guys!!
Today I will see a taping of The Colbert Report. I am really pumped over this. I have to be at the studio not later than 5:15. To be safe I plan to get there around 4:30 because it is still on a first-come-first-served basis even though I have a "reservation."

Thursday afternoon is the Opening Day at the new Yankee Stadium - awesome!! I will take lots of pics and will post some of them here.

In closing - on Wednesday, April 22 I will leave JFK to fly to Paris to spend 8 days with my former law school roommate David West, in his new apartment across the Seine from The Louvre - awesome, again!! My 75th birthday (damn and double damn - I hate being old) is on the 23rd.

When I return I will make the final decision(s) about where Billi Pod’s next pad will be.

Go Yankees!!

Billi Pod

October 2008 - Another Awesome Month!!

I know, I know - I use the word “awesome” too much, especially as it relates to the life-style that I am so blessed to be living in The Greatest City in the World, but please understand, I am not bragging or anything like that, I am merely reporting. OK?

I have just finished reviewing my daily log (log, not diary - real guys don’t keep diaries) for the month of October 2008 and it confirmed my feeling that it was another “awesome” month entertainment-wise. I find that during the month I saw/attended/did the following:

2 Broadway shows (Speed the Plow and American Buffalo); 18 Off Broadway shows; 2 New York Philharmonic concerts; and, 1 movie (Nick & Nora’s Endless Playlist). Noticeably missing is any reference to post-season activity on behalf of The Yankees.

Was able to spend an evening, including dinner and theater, with Sandy Mullon of Anna Maria, FL, and have face-time twice with student/bartender/manager Scott Reed. Got my annual flu shot and finally got around to filing my 2007 tax returns (we won’t go into the reasons why I always, and I mean always, get an extension).

Reconnected with some of my old AA buddies (you know who you are) and we have been able to share and discuss some of the stresses caused by the current economic implosion. It ain't pretty. Hang in there guys, One Day at a Time.

I was in Paris for 7 nights with my former roommate and fraternity brother David West of Gainesville, FL, and Paris, FR, in his rental apartment in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank. We had a terrific time together, including out-of-Paris day trips to Giverny to visit Claude Monet’s residence and to Napoleon and Josephine’s chateau at Malmaison. We also had excellent meals at various restaurants. I had several days on my own to visit the Pompidou Center, Napoleon's Tomb at the Hotel des Invalides, which also houses The French Army Museums, and the Musee d’Orsay.

Again, David, thank you so very much for your continued friendship and hospitality. I look forward to seeing you back in Paris in the Spring of 2009.

With all of these activities I was somewhat surprised that I had, gasp, a total of 4 days/nights during the month without some entertainment event. Oh well ... what can I say?

In accordance with my promise to keep my loyal and faithful readers up-to-date I posted 23 times to this blog, making a total of 144 postings since the blog was created on April 6, 2008. Yes, you are indeed welcome.

I have lots of other things and stuff to write about but will post this and then will probably write another post when I get back from tonight’s show, an Off Broadway play called “Romantic Poetry.”

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Tuesday - The Orsay - adventure almost over

When I woke up this morning it was dark and gray out and then later it began to lightly rain. Not good for my last full day in Paris. Over the evening David and I had discussed our plans and had decided that if the weather was bad he would opt out of the Orsay venture and that was fine with me. It would be another day on my own in Paree. We had our usual Parisian breakfast - croissants and coffee - and basically just chilled for the morning. Around noon it stopped raining but it was still nasty and chilly. I wisely decided not to walk to the museum this time, electing instead to take two connecting buses.

I left the apartment at 1:30pm, was on the first bus at 1:40pm and at the Orsay at 2:00pm. Big problem upon arrival - it had begun to lightly rain again and there was a long line at the ticketing area. Damn and double damn.

Now about the Orsay - the Musee d’Orsay houses French art of the 1800s (specifically 1848-1914) and picks up where the Louvre’s art collection leaves off. This means Impressionism. The Orsay houses the best general collection anywhere of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, van Gogh, Cezanne , and Gauguin. It is my favorite Paris art museum. The reason for the crowd? Well, the Louvre is closed on Tuesday, that is why, and this is something I knew about but had forgotten to take into consideration in my planning.

This is what it looked like outside when I arrived --

Dammit - no way was I going to leave Paris without the Orsay, no way, so ... at 2:05pm I took out my umbrella and got into line. Luckily in about 15 minutes the rain stopped but it still took a long time to get inside the exhibition area because of a thorough security check and mandatory checking of backpacks. I was inside and ready to go at 2:50pm.

This is the main concourse inside --

I walked the bottom floor and then went to the upper level, 5th floor, and began making my way through the various rooms. There was a special exhibition investigating Monet’s influence on Picasso but the line for it was way way too long so I reluctantly passed.

Somewhere around 4:45 I came upon 2 Monet paintings that seemed to capture the same scenes David and I saw on our Giverny day-trip. Here they are --


And these are the last pictures I took on this 2008 Paris Adventure - how very fitting.

It had stopped raining so I again decided to walk back to the apartment. I walked nearly the entire length of Boulevard St. Germain to rue Monge and later calculated the distance to be 2.5 miles.

David had a plan for my last night in Paris. We took the Metro back to the St. Germain des Pres district (through which I had walked) and went to a restaurant called the Brasserie St. Benedict. It was a great choice because the meal was outstanding - I had soup l’onion, baked salmon and then shared a creme brulee with David.

We were back at the apartment at 10:30pm and I began the packing process. Will get up around 7:00am in the morning so I will have plenty of time to get to the airport no later than 11:00am for my flight departure time of 1:15pm. David remains adamant in his plan to go with me to the train station Gare Nord, although I really don’t need to be escorted there. But, this is his decision.

This will be my last posting from Paris. The next one will be when I get back to The Big Apple and get settled in.

This wonderful time far exceeded my expectations and I want to thank my dear friend and fraternity brother David West for his hospitality and friendship. THANK YOU ROOMIE!!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com.

Monday - I Venture to the Tomb of the Known Soldier

As mentioned in the last posting, today was to be another “on my own” day. I had a multitude of options, of course, and I ended up electing to visit Napoleon's Tomb at the Hotel des Invalides, which also houses The French Army Museums, so I would get two cultural events for the price of one.

David urged me to take public transportation but the weather was so nice that I opted instead to walk, a distance I later calculated to be a little over 3.5 miles on the route I took from the apartment to the Seine and then along the Seine to des Invalides. I left the apartment around noon and was at the tomb at 1:30pm. On arrival I discovered that it was undergoing substantial maintenance in the entrance area but that was really no problem.

This picture is ... tada ... Napoleon’s Tomb.

Of course others besides the Emperor are buried in the church, including family members and other war heroes.

Oh, speaking of members - did you know that it is alleged that Napoleon's penis was removed during the autopsy following his death and ultimately made its way into the hands (pun intended) of a recently deceased American urologist. For reasons unknown to me, David seems to be obsessed with this little known so-called “fact,” so I want to share with him and you, my faithful and loyal readers, a website that debunks the myth:

www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2487/what-happened-to-napoleons-penis

Hey, I report - you decide.

Anyway, after completing my tour of the tomb I then went to The Army Museums. The east wing traces uniforms and weapons through French history, from Louis XIV to World War I, with emphasis on Napoleon. I have to admit that I was about to OD on Napoleon so I pretty much just walked through this exhibition.

The west wing is devoted to weapons through the ages, including World War I. I spent a bit more time here.

The World War II Wing was the highlight. It is a series of rooms devoted to different aspects of the war. beginning with the Treaty of Versailles and ending with the surrender of Japan. I’ll bet you, like me, didn’t know that it was General Charles de Gaulle who won the war for us. Yes, the message was loud and clear - without his leadership and the courage of the brave French military, the Eastern half of the US would be under Nazi rule and the Western half under the Japanese. Now you know.

Anyway, at 4:15 I had had enough, so I headed out. Thought I would take buses back to the ‘hood, but the weather was still awesome so I decided to walk back. I took a different route which took me up to the Montparnarsse tower and the district and then back along Boulevard Montparnarsse to rue Monge and the apartment. I calculated the distance to be 4.0 miles, making the total for today 7.5 miles, not including the walks inside the museums. Not bad, Billi Pod, not bad at all.

It was 5:45 when I got back to the apartment and I have to admit to being a bit tired. In fact, I took a brief nap to rest my aching legs.

I told David that no way was I walking outside of the ‘hood, so dinner later in the evening was at the same restaurant where we dined the night of my arrival. I had a great Veal entree.

This was another awesome day in Paree.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I think I will go to the Musee d’Orsay, just across the Seine from the Louvre. Not sure if David will join me or not. Rain is predicted. I can feel the beginning of the mental countdown to departure.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Sunday in Paris with Bill, David, Napoleon & Josephine

It was a chilly but beautiful morning. After having the usual croissants and coffee we headed out to Napoleon and Josephine’s chateau at Malmaison. We took the Metro (subway) for about 20 minutes to La Defense and then switched to a bus for the 5 mile trip to the chateau.

This was the home, with three hundred acres, Josephine bought for them while he was away fighting in Egypt. He brought back obelisks, but not the money she had expected.

We arrived at the property at noon to find that the house was closed for lunch. We had double-checked the hours of operation before leaving Paris but we were informed that our information was in error. No problem because it gave us time to walk around the grounds where Josephine had planted acres of roses and other flowering bushes.

It also gave me an opportunity to talk with David about his recent trip to the Scandinavian countries, something that is still on my “places-to-go” list.

At 1:30 we, and approximately 15 other history buffs, went in and wandered through the small three story chateau. The two most interesting rooms for us was Napoleon's small consul room and his study were he wrote the Napoleonic Code which still is the basic law in France and some areas of the law in New Orleans. After their divorce, due to his unfilled desire to have an heir with her, she lived at the chateau until her death in her formal bedroom, which still has the original, bed, furniture, etc. She died before he was defeated at Waterloo, but he chose to return to this small empty chateau to await what the British would do with him. They eventually decided he should be shipped to the island of Helena, where he died.

His bed is on the top and hers is the bottom.



After leaving the chateau we took the bus back the the La Defense area to switch to the Paris Metro. It was around 3:30 p.m. When we got to the terminal David insisted that we take the escalators up and out of the station. I didn’t know why, but what the hell, why not, thought I - if this is what “he” wants to do. Well, the reason he insisted became evident when I saw the awesome complex outside. No joke, it was breath-taking. The ultra-modern high-rise buildings that make up the complex of La Defense, where 150,000 work each day, is very very strikingly different from any other place in Paris, to say the least. This picture doesn’t do it justice.







When we got back to the ‘hood we went into a brasserie to hear one of David’s friends perform. The guy’s name is Jessie and he is an Apache Indian and is a very talented performer.

Headed back to the apartment, chilled a bit and then had dinner at a restaurant in the ‘hood.

This was an great day. I am certain that I would never have gone to the chateau on my own and I have David to thank for this excellent experience.

Monday I will be on my own again and I think that I am going to do Napoleon’s Tomb and then The Army War Museums.

Again, thanks roomie for your help in preparing this post.

Hum ... maybe I will start “A Moveable Feast” tomorrow.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com.