ALEX MADE IT!!

Alex arrived safely at Tampa airport late yesterday afternoon, ending his mega-long flight from Kuwait. Thank You God!

Gina met him at the airport. She had driven over there by herself because she/they wanted some “alone” time before the hordes of family and friends descend on them.

I have a 7:00am car service pickup tomorrow morning to begin my trip down to Polk F**king County aka PFC.

We have a family dinner scheduled for Thursday at Gina’s dad’s (Dave) place in Winter Haven. Gina has been staying there and will remain there after the baby is born, until Alex returns ... probably in May.

Gina will go into the hospital in Lakeland at 7:30pm on Friday and we are “expecting” the little Falletta sometime on Saturday. Great-granddaddy-hood is almost here. AWESOME!!

My dear friends Maggie and Jim Vandewalker are hosting a small dinner party in my “honor” on Monday night and I am really looking forward to it.

I will try to post timely on this blog but I know I will have other things and stuff on my mind that may keep me from it. I will, however ... most likely ... post daily on my FaceBook Wall.

Now on to other stuff ...

It is freezing cold in the Big Apple==>13º @ 7:30am - wind chill down to 0º. It has warmed up to 17º @ 11:00am.

Unfortunately the cold wave has also made its way down South but the forecast is for much better weather down there for the weekend and following week. Hope it is correct.

Nothing scheduled yet for tonight. Unless something really interesting shows up within easy walking distance I will remain in the cozy confines of PHC because the wind is really gusting off of the Hudson River and it is extremely unpleasant outside.

Billi Pod’s report cards on last night’s Broadway show ...

RELATIVELY SPEAKING - “Three one-act comedies about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, parents and children, written by Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen.”

Ethan Coen==>D<==please stop writing plays - ‘nuff said.

Elaine May==>C<== some parts were funny and the acting was pretty good.

Woody Allen==>B<==funny but totally unbelievable story line but then it is written by Woody Allen. The cast was uniformly excellent.

So ... will next report to you loyal and faithful readers from down there in PFC ...

GO GINA AND GO ALEX!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-133

The Gators Win!!

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers, John Scott Reed aka Fabson was indeed with me from the opening kickoff to the final knee during the Gator’s 24-17 win over Ohio State in The Gator Bowl.

This photographic evidence will serve as confirmation because I am confident that in the future he will deny his involvement in this “sporting” event.

Actually, we ate Domino’s pizza and wings as the Gator’s special teams rose to the occasion to lead us to victory, thus ensuring a winning season, pathetic though it may have been.

Soooooooooooo ... Billi Pod and Fabson say==>CONGRATS to The Gators and Coach Muskrat!!

In the name of fair and unbiased reporting I have to admit that I have reached college football overload. I can’t believe I was glued to the tube from 1:00pm, until after midnight - but I was.

Great games but ... enuff is enuff until the BCS Championship game on January 9th, when I will be down in PFC aka Polk F**king County.

Billi Pod has a Broadway show scheduled for this evening ...

7:00==>RELATIVELY SPEAKING - “Three one-act comedies about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, parents and children, written by Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket).

This show has received very very mixed reviews and my theatre-buddies are equally divided.

Despite this I thought I would give it a shot ... I mean ... a Broadway show for $4.00 ... why pass it up? Right?

Moving on ...

Folks ... I don’t know about you, but Billi Pod doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the results of the GOP caucus in that pathetic hinterland known as Iowa.

Does anyone ... and I mean ... anyone ... actually believe that the results of this will have any influence whatsoever on who is ultimately the Republican nominee?

That decision will ultimately be determined by the power-brokers in the party, behind closed doors.

Trust Billi Pod on this ... he knows how the political process works. Been there - done that.

Anyway ... in closing ...

As I write this ... oldest grandson Alex Falletta aka Army Guy should be about to arrive in Tampa, ending his long trip from Kuwait.

His wife and soon-to-be Mother, Gina, has elected to meet him at the airport, alone, so they can have some time together before the wave of family members and friends descend on them. Good! Billi Pod totally agrees!

See you guys soon!!

GO GINA AND GO ALEX!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-132

Some Downtime & Univ. of Florida Makes Another Top Ten List

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, yesterday was the usual errands and stuff day and that was about it for Billi Pod.

What am I talking about you are no doubt breathlessly asking out there in the vastness of cyberspace ... WTF does he mean by ... “that was about it”...?

Well, what he means is that nothing showed up on any of his ticket services so he opted to stay in and watch the 8:00pm YANKEES/WHITE SOX game.

Yep, Billi Pod admits, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, that he felt he needed a bit of “downtime” following his weekend double-doubleheader, so he spent the evening in front of the tube.

In doing so he broke a string of 41 consecutive days/nights of attending some entertainment event. Yes, even Billi Pod needs an occasional bit of “downtime” to rest, recharge and refuel, so don’t judge him, OK?

It was a very exciting game. The Yankees won 3-2 with a journeyman outing by our ace CC Sabathia, who won his 16th game even though he wasn’t as sharp as he had been in the last several starts.

The FuckSox lost so we are only 1 game behind in the AL East.

Tonight is game 2 of the 4 game series against The White Sox with Phil Hughes on the mound. If Hughes doesn’t have a better outing than his last two games he will probably (rightfully) lose his spot in the rotation to Ivan Nova.

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

7:00==>TRICKS THE DEVIL TAUGHT ME - “A contemporary drama set in the fiery confines of West Texas where once invisible imperfections begin to poison the air. Right and wrong are swept up in a whirlwind of lies, hope, and haunting memories.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

I have serious misgivings about this show, in previews, because every one of my theatre-nut friends who have seen it have HATED IT!! We will see.

BREAKING NEWS==>The Princeton Review’s 2011 list of the nation’s top party schools has just been released and Billi Pod is happy to report that The University of Florida ranks #9.

Here is the list of the Top Ten:

1. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio

2. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.

3. University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.

4. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

5. University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.

6. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W. Va.

7. Penn State University, University Park, Pa.

8. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.

9. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.

10. University of Texas, Austin, Texas

Note that the SEC has 3 schools in the Top Ten.

The website is:

http://www.wltx.com/news/article/145819/2/USC-Makes-List-of-Americas-Top-Party-Schools-

GO GATORS AND 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.”

Why Billi Pod Loves The Big Apple

Wantta know why I love living in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, even during the Winter months?

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, just check out Billi Pod’s entertainment stats for the month of February 2011 --

5 Broadway shows (Driving Miss Daisy; La Cage Aux Folles; That Championship Season; John Leguizamo Ghetto Klown; and, The Importance of Being Earnest); and

20 Off-Broadway shows; and

5 Classical music concerts; plus

Face time with friends, including Scott Reed, Paul Hughes, Dian Crystal and

Vera Olichney.

And, despite the nasty ugly cold weather, the number of days/nights that Billi Pod stayed in PHC without attending some entertainment event -- A BIG FAT ZERO!!!

I rest my case==>AWESOME!!

Report card on last nite’s NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC CONCERT==>A<==as in amazingly terrific.

Billi Pod’s entertainment event for tonight is:

7:00==>WHITE PEOPLE -“Set on a single day in 1975 the play is a bruising family comedy in which the long repressed conflicts of a middle class WASP family finally explode.” (Off-Broadway - complimentary ticket)

Oh yes, another dysfunctional family so-called comedy.

And, speaking of entertainment, I am happy to report that the rest of the month should be just as amazing because I have just scored discounted tickets to 3 of the most highly anticipated Broadway musicals, in previews:

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, with Daniel Radcliffe; and,

THE BOOK OF MORMON by the creators of “South Park;” and

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

And how about this -- starting with today, Friday, March 4th through Wednesday, March 23rd, there are only 2 days/nights that I haven’t already scheduled/booked some entertainment event.

Yes, I know it sounds a bit obsessive/compulsive, but it is what it is --- Billi Pod’s lifestyle in The Big Apple and why he loves living here, so ...

Have a great weekend everyone ...

GO GATORS AND 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.”

BREAKING NEWS==>AGREEMENT REACHED ON PHC!!!

Breaking News==>Billi Pod will remain in apartment PHC, on the 41st floor (penthouse) of 420 W. 42nd Street, with an awesome northern view of Manhattan, for the next 2 years, beginning June 1, 2011

Thank You Higher Power!!

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers, I have just reached an agreement with the leasing office and will sign the new lease agreement tomorrow. There is an increase in the monthly rent, but it is substantially less than their original proposal of almost 18%.

I have greatly appreciated the supportive emails, texts and face-to-face over the last 10 days.

I cannot express how relieved I am to have this issue behind me. Now I can make some plans for the future.

GO GATORS AND 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.”