Did They Make It????

I am confident that most of you loyal and faithful readers are waiting with baited breath to learn if the two young men written about in the last posting were successful in their quest to break the Guinness world record for the speediest time traveling around the entire subway system in New York City.

Yes, they did it in record time - 22 hours and 51 minutes. Awesome!!

This is an excerpt for the news article in today’s Daily News --
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chris Solarz (center) and Matt Ferrisi get signature from witness Bertie Williams yesterday on the friends’ arrival at Carnarsie-Rockaway Parkway station in Brooklyn, the last stop on their record-breaking subway marathon.

WE RAIL-Y BROKE RECORD - Pals first to ride whole subway system in a day.

“They were not to be derailed. After 22 hours and 51 minutes, 468 train stations, 25 subway lines and a single potty break, two Manhattan marathon runners yesterday hit the finish line of another endurance test, spanning the entire city subway system in record time.

‘I’m gonna go to the bathroom,’ Chris Solarz quipped, as he and Matt Ferrisi reached the end of the L line - and their underground odyssey - at the Canarsie/Rockaway station in Brooklyn.

The longtime friends, who work at a Manhattan Investment firm, bested the previous mark of 24 hours and 54 minutes, but now wait to be certified as Guinness world record holders.

The two had trained early for the four-borough ride by mapping out potential routes and putting in four weeks of trial runs. But as any straphanger can attest, the MTA isn’t always going your way.

Among the holdups, they said, were a suspicious package at Union Square and a long 2a.m. delay on the G line at the Long Island City Court Square station.

‘We went from having perfectly synchronized the trains to missing every one.’ said Ferrisi, 28

Under Guinness rules, the two pals were required to stick to local trains and stop at every station in the system. Solarz snapped a picture at each stop, while Ferrisi had witnesses sign a document stating they had arrived.

And, they were not unfamiliar to some of the subway riders they encountered along their journey. ‘Everyone knew us on the train. We’re like local heroes now. Everyone thought we were crazy, but we made it,’ Solarz, 30, said, crediting three cups of coffee for keeping him awake.

The new subway kings weren’t about to share their formula for crisscrossing the subway system in record time. ‘The route is like our secret sauce,’ Solarz said. ‘We're keeping it to ourselves.’”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I am really proud of these guys and a bit freaked-out to know that my name will be somewhere in the archives of The Guinness Book of World Records.

Much more to report about later.

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Thursday, January 22, 2009 - Was I just part of “history” in the making?

There was an article in this morning’s Daily News about two young men who were going to attempt to break the Guinness world record for the speediest time traveling around the entire subway system in New York City. Under the Guinness rules they must take local trains and stop at every one of the 468 stations inside the system. The record is 24 hours, 54 minutes and 3 seconds.

I had a show scheduled tonight, Thursday, for 9:00pm at a theater down in SoHo so a few minutes after 8:00pm I caught the usual E train at the station at 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue. The car I got on was not crowded. I immediately noticed a large “unattended” backpack and two young men standing near it, one with a small digital camera and the other with a clipboard containing several sheets of paper. The camera guy was taking pictures of the station and the clipboard guy was writing feverishly on the papers.

Man, thought I, this is really strange. I kept my eye on them and when we pulled into the next station at 53rd and 5th Avenue, the camera guy stepped out of the car taking pictures of the station and the clipboard guy was writing feverishly again.

“What the hell is going on? These are two neatly dressed, clean shaven young men - they don’t look like terrorists.” Then it hit me ... my God, they might be the guys who are trying to break the Guinness record, so I got out of my seat and approached them and, yes, it was them. Wow!! How cool!! We started talking, which was interrupted when we pulled into the 7th Avenue station. They took pictures and made notes.

They had started at 1:00pm and were, at this point, an hour ahead of their projected schedule of clocking in at a little under 24 hours. It was obvious to me that they were really pumped and excited. Hell, I felt excited just being with them.

They asked me if I would be willing to sign their “verification” log and I said, of course, so they handed me a sheet of paper that had what I estimated was maybe 15-20 entries. I was asked to enter the time (8:16pm), station (by this time 50th Street at 8th Avenue), car number (which I don’t remember), my name (Bill Norris) and comments (“Go Guys!!”). They took my picture signing the log.

Dammit to hell, I had left my iPhone back in the apartment, something I have done only about 4 or 5 times since I got it over a year ago, so I couldn't take their picture. Dammit!!

They got off the E train at the 42nd Street/Times Square station and raced to transfer to another train but I forget now which one it was to be.

Their names are: Chris Solarz, 28, and Matt Ferrisi, 30, and they both work at the same Manhattan investment firm.

They hope to exit at the Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway station no later than 1:00pm on Friday, thus breaking the record.

Good Luck Guys!!!

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

PS: I know I have been remiss in posting. Nothing is wrong. I just haven’t done it. My bad.

Tuesday - Upcoming events report

Good afternoon everyone. The Big Apple is expecting a cold front to move in starting Wednesday, bringing with it the coldest weather of the winter so far. Not that much snow is predicted but over the weekend it is forecast to be in the low teens and single digits.

Has the weather forecast impacted my entertainment schedule, you ask? Well, if you are a loyal and faithful reader of this blog you already know the answer - of course the f**k not.

This is my entertainment and activity schedule for the next 8 days --

Tuesday - 7:15 - “Terre Haute” - Off Broadway. “A famous author comes face-to-face with America's most notorious terrorist. As the clock ticks on death row, the bond between the two men grows. A scorching new play inspired by Gore Vidal's famous essays on Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh from one of America's greatest living writers, author of A Boy's Own Story.” (discounted TDF ticket)

Wednesday - noonish - lunch some place with student/bartender/manager Scott Reed, if he will just get off his lazy ass and tell me where and when.

7:00 - “Third Story” - Off Broadway. This show stars renowned actress Kathleen Turner and the press blurb is: “A mother and son screenwriting team hunker down in Omaha after fleeing Commie-obsessed 1940s Hollywood. A romantically-inclined but socially-inept princess makes a deal with an ancient witch. And tommy guns meet test tubes as a way-too-well-dressed first lady of the mob forms a desperate alliance with a cloning scientist whose experiments have had, um, less-than-consistent results. Gangster flicks, fairy tales, and B-movie sci-fi collide in this epic comic fable from the imagination of Charles Busch.” (discounted TDF ticket).

I think this show sounds very interesting and Kathleen Turner is usually great.

Thursday - in the morning I have my semi-annual finger-up-the-butt (aka a DRE or Digital Rectal Examination) appointment with my urologist, Dr. Erik T. Goluboff, who is Director of Urology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

7:30 - “Krapp, 39” - Off Broadway. “A voyeuristic prefiguring of Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape, and a deeply personal window on one man's last moment of youth. Reeling on his 39th birthday, an actor's obsessive identification with Beckett's famous character compels him to examine his own quixotic life and failures. His hilarious and heart breaking self-scrutiny plays out through intimate audio tapes, archival video, raw journal entries, haunted letters, racy confessions, and recorded conversations with the living and the lost.” (complimentary ticket).

OK! OK! - stop your snickering. I know that I have scheduled a play called Krapp after having someone stick his finger up my butt. I get it, OK? Stop it. Don’t make me come and get you.

Friday - 8:30 - “Ride” - Off Broadway. “When a man and a woman wake up in bed together naked, neither can remember how they got there, or who the other is. In the harsh light of the morning after, they attempt to make sense of what may or may not have happened between them. As they are forced to reveal more of themselves, a complex snapshot of modern intimacy gradually comes into focus.” (complimentary ticket).

Saturday - 8:00 - “Oscar and the Pink Lady” - Off Broadway. The star of this one-person play is Rosemary Harris. The press blurb is: “The play tells the story of a young hospital patient and his uplifting relationship with an elderly volunteer "Pink Lady," whose daily visits provide him with inspiration and hope.” (discounted TDF ticket).

I am really looking forward to this show. Rosemary Harris is a true theater legend.

Sunday - a day/evening of football, first the 3:30 Philadelphia vs. Arizona game for the NFL Championship and then at 6:30 the Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh game for the AFC Championship. You know, I really don’t care who wins these games, I am just looking forward to good football.

Monday - open at the moment.

Tuesday - 7:30 - New York Philharmonic Orchestra @ Avery Fisher Hall. The program is: Knussen’s Violin Concerto performed by Pinchas Zukerman; and, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. (subscription series)

So, I hope you will agree with me that it looks like a very interesting 8 days.

Some observations about shows and stuff since my last postings --

“Home” (Tuesday, 1/7) - was a very well performed drama about a black farmer and his life from the 1950s through the Civil Rights era.

“For Lover’s Only” (Friday, 1/9) - this show-case production featured 5 performers weaving together 100 love songs and it was outstanding. I hope it can find backing for an Off Broadway run.

It was bitterly cold on Friday and I had scheduled a show called “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind,” which I described in an earlier posting, for 10:30. It was a complimentary ticket so I had to go or face problems with the ticket service, so ... gasp ... at 9:30 I braved the frigid weather, went downtown to The East Village, picked up my ticket and then ... gasp ... came on back to my warm and cozy apartment. My bad.

“The Wrestler” (Saturday, 1/10) - I had very mixed emotions about seeing this movie, starring Mickey Rourke, about a washed-up former wrestler who wants to make a comeback and also reestablish a relationship with his estranged daughter. Well, folks, it is terrific. Rourke recently won the Golden Globe award as best actor in a drama. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is a must-see, trust me on this ...See it!!

“LIGA, 50% reward & 50% punishment” (Sunday, 1/11) - In the January 6th posting I said: “Without a doubt this will be a ‘love-it or hate-it’ show for moi” ... so my verdict is: I actually loved it a bit more than I hated it because the performers were excellent. I haven’t a clue, however, about what point the playwright was trying to make.

Finally, on Monday night I saw a very interesting Off Broadway show called “The Event” - “The Event is a one-man, comic ritual. Armed only with his memorized words, can an actor say something else? Dealing directly, honestly and humorously with the technician, the stage manager, the critics and the audience, the actor moves into dangerous and slippery territory.” (complimentary ticket). I liked this show a lot.

Have lots more stuff I could write about, but I think this posting has gone on long enough, so ...

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

2008 Report - An Awesome Year!!!

I am pleased to be able to finally post the much anticipated report on my activities for 2008, perhaps in more detail than even you, my loyal and faithful readers, desired. But, what can I do? It was an awesome year for me personally in The Big Apple and I want to report honestly about the things and stuff I have done.

Without a doubt the highlight of the entire year was the election of Barack Obama. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to witness this historic event. He must now lead us out of the malaise caused by the ineptitude of the Bush/Cheney administration and I have every reason to believe he will.

I understand that it may seem almost blasphemous to segue from the 2008 elections to my personal activities, but, hey ... this posting is about moi and the year 2008, so ...

In checking my daily log (log, not diary - real guys don’t keep diaries) and the contents of this blog, I find that during 2008 I saw/attended/did the following: 35 Broadway shows; 173 Off Broadway shows, plus 12 shows at the New York International Fringe Festival; 37 classical music concerts (mostly with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, including their Opening Night and New Year’s Eve Galas); 5 rock music concerts (Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Ringo Starr, Bon Jovi, and Neil Diamond); 18 movies; and 33 Yankee baseball games, including the final game in The House That Ruth Built - their record for the games I attended was only 19-14, and that sucked, but what sucked most was the fact that they didn’t even make the playoffs. I was out of NYC 44 nights and stayed in the apartment 33 days/nights without going out for some entertainment event (down 10 from 2007 and still mostly due to nasty weather).

When all of these statistics are factored in it means, my loyal and faithful readers, that during my time in The Big Apple I went to some entertainment event 9 out of 10 days/nights, and I think this statistic in and of itself represents what Billi Pod’s New York City lifestyle is really about. I know it isn’t everyone’s cup-of-tea, as “they” say, but it is mine and it is why I am here and why I will remain here for as long as I am physically and mentally able to.

I celebrated my 18th AA birthday on March 18 and my 74th birthday on April 23 (barf and double barf - I don’t like being 74 years old). Although I remain devoted to my various iPods (4 in number) and my name legally remains Billi Pod, I must report that I have become one with my iPhone to the point that he/she/it is my constant companion, with whom I share, among other things, my bed.

During the year I: was honored to be present when oldest grandson, Warrant Officer Alex Falletta, received his Wings as an Apache helicopter pilot; saw Alex’s wife Gina receive her BS degree from the University of South Carolina; re-subscribed to 3 concert series with the New York Philharmonic for the 2008/2009 season; made an application to upgrade my Yankee season ticket package to the new 41 game package in the new Yankee Stadium (I haven’t received notification yet whether my application has been accepted); and, on December 31st completed 14 wonderful years of retirement and I know that I am the type of retiree that drives pension-plan actuaries absolutely crazy.

I was out of the Big Apple for 44 nights, including: 5 nights in Fort Rucker, AL, and Columbia, SC, for Alex’s penning ceremony and then the move back to SC; 20 nights in San Francisco, Japan and China as part of my awesome Globus tour; 5 nights in Orlando to be with my son Bill as he underwent a procedure to correct an ear problem; 4 nights in Columbia for Gina’s college graduation; 7 awesome nights in Paris with my fraternity brother and former law school roommate David West; and, another 3 nights in Columbia, SC, for Christmas with my daughter Kathi and her husband Dr. John, son Bill and his massive Rottweiller Zeko, and grandson Alex Falletta and his wife Gina.

During the year I was able to spend time in the City with lots of folks, including: my daughter Kathi and husband Dr. John Bendeck of Columbia, SC; Dwight and Joanne Wells of Key West, FL; former roomie David West of Gainesville and Paris; retired Circuit Judge Susan Roberts and her husband, attorney Dan Brawley, of Lakeland, FL; mega-Bull Gator Stumpy Harris and his wife Dottie, of Orlando, FL, along with Dottie’s friend Sue from New Jersey; Gina Falletta and her friend Kelly, of Columbia, SC; Sandy Mullon of Anna Maria, FL; Gordon Warner and his now wife Carole of Taveres, FL; University of Florida classmate, attorney Stephen Gardner of NYC; Dian Crystal of NYC; student/bartender/manager Scott Reed of NYC and his mother Donna of Lakeland, FL; student/waiter Ben Sears; and not to be forgotten or overlooked - my AA buddies - you know who you are.

In April I became part of the blog community by creating this blog at 7:19pm on April 6th. It has been fun for the most part. I posted 166 times during 2008. Additionally, I forward the confirmation email from the blog website to the roughly 125 remaining cyberspace friends who were on my original newsletter email list.

As I have written many times before on this blog, 2008 was a wonderful year to be a part of The Gator Nation as the football team began its march toward the National Championship, culminating in 2009 with the win over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game. Our only misstep was the inexplicable loss to Old Miss. In the 2007 summary I made the following prediction: “The 2007 Gator football team didn’t live up to my expectations, but I have a feeling that the 2008 Gators will be a powerhouse.” Will Tebow return? My gut tells me yes, and, if so, the Gators could go all the way again. (since I prepared this for posting Tebow has announced that he will indeed be back for his Senior year - awesome!!).

Other highlights include the surprise birthday trip to Staten Island via a Mini Cooper with Scott Reed and Ben Sears and the awesome Thanksgiving dinner at Spitzer’s Corner in the Lower Eastside with Scott, his mom Donna and his friend Ava.

Every year has downsides and, unfortunately, 2008 was no exception, highlighted, I think, by the economic downturn that has touched so many people I know here in the Big Apple and in Florida. Hopefully, our new President will push all the right buttons to get us back on track. The crane collapse in March at the building site on my block that resulted in 7 deaths still remains unresolved. The year also marked 5 years since I lost my dear friend Ray Coker, 4 years since Marvin Mounts left us; 2 years since Randy Bentley passed, and 1 year since Bill’s mother Donna Warner left us. During the year the mind boggling ineptitude of the Bush/Cheney administration continued, but, Thank You Dear Lord, it is almost over. As mentioned above, the Yankees basically sucked. It remains to be seen if their multi-million dollar spending spree will get them back on track. I think it will.

I am happy to report that my health remains very good and I still see my cardiologist briefly every 6-8 weeks to monitor my meds. I have experienced no major problems with my left knee and it remains pain free. During the year I maintained my weight within the targeted range of 162-164 pounds and I have pretty much achieved my target of walking 21 miles a week over and above the “normal” stuff. So, my Higher Power willing, I guess I will just “keep on keeping on” - one day at a time.

What do I think about the upcoming year? My predictions in this area haven’t been so good - last year, for example, I made the following prediction: “I think Hillary will be the Democratic nominee and probably Giuliani the Republican, with the winner being - tada - Hillary.” Really missed the boat on that one. Like most folks, I am looking forward to the first 100 days of the Obama administration. In April, over my birthday on the 23rd, I will be in Paris with my roomie David West. At this point I haven’t made any other travel plans although I am considering adding a week in London following my week in Paris with David. A lot depends on which, if any, season ticket plan the Yankees offer me and the exchange policy within that plan. Hopefully the Yankees will open the new stadium with a return to the World Series and, of course, bringing another World Championship to the Bronx, where they belong. Go to hell Boston Fucksox, go straight to hell.

Seeing a taping of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report also remains on my to-do list.

OK, this is enough information and details. You, my loyal and faithful readers, are now up-to-date on my 2008 activities. At this point the annual question recurs: “Has this 74 year old guy slowed down any?”

You be the judge. I report - you decide.

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

PS: I apologize in advance if I have omitted anyone or any event. My bad. Please forgive me.

THE FLORIDA GATORS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

There is really nothing more I can add. It was a great game and I am so proud and happy to be a part of The Gator Nation.

Sorry Billyboy - you lost and your dear ole Dad won.

The Gators Rule!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Thursday - LET THE GAME BEGIN!!!!

THE AWESOME FLORIDA GATORS AND TIM TEBOW --





AGAINST THE OKLAHOMA MOONERS AND SAM WHAT'S-HIS-NAME --



My prediction - very close game for the first half, with the score 21-14. Not sure which team will be ahead. But, when the second half begins the Gator offense and defense will take control and the final score will be: GATORS 35 - Mooners 21.

Now, my bet with my son, Bill, who lives in Orlando and has been a longtime Mooner fan. He is a math teacher at Lake Howell High School in Seminole County. If the Gators win, he must wear Gator gear when his picture is taken for the next class year book. If the Mooners win, I have to end each blog with the phrase “Sooners Rule,” for a year.

There you have it.

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Rant - I f**king HATE tech manuals - they suck!!

OK, I gotta rant a bit about things and stuff, mostly about the virtually indecipherable manuals that are packed with various technological devices.

What am I talking about, you ask? Well, my loyal and faithful readers (who, ahem, have been strangely silent lately), this is what I mean ...

This Christmas I was given two state-of-the-art thingys ... a new digital camera from my son Bill and a digital picture frame from my daughter Kathi.

First, the camera - Olympus Stylus 1010, with: 10.1 mega pixels; 7x optical zoom; 2.7” LCD monitor; double stabilization; face detection; shadow adjustment; perfect shot preview; in-camera help; in-camera panorama; and, an 83 PAGE INSTRUCTION MANUAL

The instruction manual, all 83 fucking pages, has print so small that you really need a magnifying glass to read it. When you open the manual you find a “Quick Start Guide” so your first reaction is ... hey, this is gonna be easy, right? I mean, it says “Quick Start Guide,” right?... Then you notice that the so-called “Quick Start Guide” is 15.5 pages of material so draconian in nature that Einstein would have been baffled.

But, on I go, by first unpacking the rest of the box and placing the camera, camera strap, lithium Ion battery, battery charger, USB cable, AV cable, and Olympus Master 2 CD-ROM in front of me on a table. I pick up the manual and begin. Then I notice that I must first charge the Lithium Ion battery (specially designed for this camera only), and it will take at least 2 hours. Fuck!!

Oh well, what can I do, right? I figure out how to place the battery in the charger and plug the charger into an electrical outlet. I will read the “Quick Start Guide” while I wait for the battery to be charged. So I sit on the couch and start reading and ... 90 minutes later I wake up with the “Quick Start Guide” on my chest and drool coming down the side of my face. OMG!!

Everything goes back into the box. Since then, on 3 different occasions, I have braved the “Quick Start Guide” with about the same results, and as those of you loyal and faithful readers who are members of my family know ... Billi Pod rarely naps under any circumstance.

To make matters worse - I am the world’s worst follower of written instructions and have been so since I was a little boy trying to make model airplanes from scratch. Never was able to finish a single one, never ever.

Will I ever get this wonderful device up and running? Yes, but only because I am not satisfied with the camera function on my iPhone.

Now about the other techno-thingy - the digital picture frame --

Sony S-Frame DPF-D70 - stores 500 images to a 7” diagonal display, featuring: auto orientation sensor; 256MB internal memory; direct card slot; and 800 x 480 pixels.

And, the instruction manual for this nice thingy is a mere 46 PAGES, also of very small print. In many aspects this manual is filled with more techno-babble than the camera manual, mostly involving the process of transferring pics from other storage devices/sources.

I have to admit that all I have done to get this thingy up and running is read the first 5 pages of the manual. My priorities will be to get the camera going first and then the frame.

Well, I kinda feel better. At least I have something to do while waiting for the BCS game on Thursday and/or when it snows and/or when I need to go to sleep quickly.

On to other things - this is what the next 7 days look like --

Tonight at 7:30 is a New York Philharmonic concert @ Lincoln Center. The program is: Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2; Strauss’s Burleske for Piano featuring Emanuel Ax; Szymanowski’s Symphony No. 4; and, Mussuorgsky/Ravel’s Pictures at an Exhibition. (subscription series)

Wednesday - 9:00am - annual sit-down appointment with my cardiologist Dr. Fred Feuerbach. He will determine if I need any tests or anything like that. This is a routine appointment. I haven’t been experiencing any problems.

8:00 - “Home” - Off Broadway. “Home is a wonderfully theatrical tale of one man's struggle to stay true to himself amidst a rapidly changing and turbulent America. Leaving behind his family's farm in North Carolina, Cephus Miles seeks refuge and prosperity in the North. Three actors portray more than twenty-five characters over the course of Cephus's epic journey from adolescence to adulthood, spanning the 1950's through the Vietnam War and Civil Rights eras.” (complimentary ticket).

Thursday - in the morning I will have blood work (for a PSA) and a urinalysis in preparation for my semi-annual appointment with my urologist on January 13th. Again, this is a routine appointment - I haven’t been experiencing any problems.

8:00 - BCS Championship Game. The Gators will kick butt!!

Friday - 3:00 - “For Lovers Only” - Off Broadway. “Five Broadway actors, two pianos, 100 love songs! Joyous, moving, funny, smile-inducing, tear-inducing and just the right mix for the start of a new year. This is a fully staged, off book performance of a work in progress. Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Always, 'Swonderful, All the Things You Are, You're the Top, Moon River are among the 100 songs performed.” (complimentary ticket).

10:30 - “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” - Off Broadway. “This show is an ever changing attempt to perform 30 original plays in 60 minutes. Off of sold out performances in Chicago since the Reagan era, Too Much Light... invaded New York and has continued to entertain late night audiences around the boroughs with its critically acclaimed energetic show of random original short plays. For each performance the audience chooses the order and the New York Neo-Futurists create a non-illusory collage of the comic and tragic, the political and personal, and the visceral and experimental while embracing chance, change and possibly a little chaos. (complimentary ticket)

Hey, I know that these are strange times, but, come on folks - remember, this is New York City, not Norman, Oklahoma.

Saturday - open at the moment.

Sunday - 7:00 - “LIGA, 50% reward & 50% punishment” - Off Broadway. This is the press blurb for the show being performed at the renowned Public Theater: “LIGA starts with the end. On a video we see how the highs and lows of the just-completed performance are re-lived as the actors enthusiastically congratulate and console each other. A live "flashback" follows as the actors begin to perform their play. We observe five characters. Young and easily influenced, the human need to conform makes them susceptible to manipulation. With rapid speed they learn how to please and how "to pretend." Meanwhile, the audience is left wondering just what kind of performance these characters are learning to give.” (complimentary ticket).

Without a doubt this will be a “love-it or hate-it” show for moi.

Monday - open at the moment.

Tuesday - 7:15 - “Terre Haute” -Off Broadway. “A famous author comes face-to-face with America's most notorious terrorist. As the clock ticks on death row, the bond between the two men grows. A scorching new play inspired by Gore Vidal's famous essays on Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh.” (discounted TDF ticket).

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

December 2008 in The Big Apple

There is no doubt about it, December 2008 was an excellent month for me despite periods of very cold and nasty weather.

Before listing the actual statistics I have to state that the highlight of the month was being in Columbia, SC, for Christmas. I have found that as I have gotten older the opportunities I have to be with family members take on a deeper, almost spiritual meaning for me, that sometimes I neglect to adequately express while everyone is together. During these difficult times FAMILY is so important and we must never ever forget it!

December marked 2 years since my dear friend and colleague Senior Judge Randy Bentley of Lakeland, FL, left us. He and his wife Sue and their families remain in my thoughts and prayers. I really do miss him.

Now, on to other things, that being what I did during the last month of 2008. In reviewing my daily log (log, not diary - real guys don’t keep diaries) I find that during the month of December 2008 I saw/attended/did the following:

4 Broadway shows (Spring Awakening, Shrek: The Musical, Pal Joey, and The Tommy Reunion Concert); 17 Off-Broadway shows; 7 classical music concerts (mostly with the New York Philharmonic, including their New Year’s Eve Gala); and, 2 movies (Milk and The Day the Earth Stood Still).

I was able to spend some quality time with my fraternity brother and mega-Bull Gator, Stumpy Harris and his wife Dottie, from Orlando and their friend Sue, who lives in the foreign country known as Jersey. I did have some face-time, albeit too brief, with student/bartender/manager Scott Reed.

My friend Georgie retired after serving as a doorman in our building for over 20 years. I miss you already Big Guy.

I was out of the City for 3 nights for Christmas in Columbia, SC, with: my daughter Kathi Bendeck and her husband Dr. John; son Bill from Orlando and his massive Rottweiller Zeko; and, oldest Grandson Alex Falletta and his wife Gina. As I have written before, unfortunately, youngest Grandson Chris and his fiancé Sally were unable to join us due to work related issues, including moving back to Gainesville, thereby leaving that cesspool known as “Fleasburg.”

December was a great month to be a part of The Gator Nation as the Gators won the SEC Championship by beating Alabama, and as a result, will play the Oklahoma University Sooners on January 8th in the BCS Championship game. The Gators will kick butt in the second half of the game and win their second National Championship in 3 years.

I was disappointed that Tim Tebow didn’t win his second Heisman Trophy but I can certainly understand the rationale behind giving it to Sooner QB Sam Bradford. As you faithful and loyal readers no doubt remember, back in the December 1st posting I predicted that Bradford would win: “...let me make a prediction [about] who will win the Heisman Trophy - it will be Oklahoma Quarterback Sam Bradford.”

There were only 3 days/nights during the month without some entertainment event, each as a direct result of the nasty weather. This maintains my history of attending some entertainment event 9 out of 10 days/nights.

In closing, as part of the fairness doctrine, I have to report that I failed in the promise I made to you, my loyal and faithful readers, in the December 1 posting wherein I promised to be more timely and current in my postings. For the month I only posted, gasp, 10 times. My bad. I will do better in 2009, I promise.

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.co,

Saturday - OMG!! - Am I becoming a COUCH POTATO???

OK, OK, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting to you, my loyal and faithful readers, I must confess to personal shortcomings that have overtaken me since I returned to the apartment around 10:00pm on New Year’s Eve, following my New York Philharmonic Concert at Lincoln Center.

I must confess to being - gasp - make that double gasps - unable to focus on anything other than the college and professional football games that have been flooding my TV screen from 11:00am in the mornings until after midnight in the evenings and it doesn’t much matter who is playing who ... top-10 team vs. top-ten team or Poedunk State vs. Slimy U or Rose Bowl or Spit Bowl - if it is on, then I have to watch it.

What this means is that since 10:00pm on Wednesday night I have been out of the apartment only 3 times for trips to the grocery store and a pizza place and once, Friday night, to attend a theater event, a Broadway show in early previews called “American Plan,” which sucked. As soon as the show was over I raced back to the apartment to plop down in front of the screen for the rest of the Sugar Bowl.

Today, Saturday, was the two NFL Wild-card games and I have nothing scheduled for Sunday except the two NFL playoff games.

Oh, I had planned to see a couple of movies this weekend, “Doubt,” with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Clint Eastwood’s just released action/drama “Gran Torino,” but thus far the TV screen and cold weather (low 30s) have kept me inside and on the couch.

And, oh God, the upcoming week is also scary because the only thing I have scheduled so far is a New York Philharmonic concert on Tuesday. There is the OSU vs. Texas game on Monday, and, of course, everything is building up to the BCS Championship game on Thursday. I am nervous, I am antsy, but I am also confident that the Florida Gators will kick Sooner butt!!

On a positive note, I have finished the stats for December 2008 and also for the year 2008 and they are both truly awesome. Hopefully sometime within the next several days I can post them for your review and analysis.

So, as I said earlier, I write this confession so you, my loyal and faithful readers, can decided whether Billi Pod is in immediate danger of becoming a Couch Potato? The issue is: have I started down that slippery slope leading to the nether-world of Couch Potatoism?

I report - you decide.

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

December 31 2008 - Happy New Year’s Eve Everyone!!

It is early afternoon on December 31st and it is lightly snowing, a rather fitting way to usher in the end of 2008, a year of mixed blessing, to say the least. Oh, it was a great year for me entertainment-wise but so many other things were going on that I feel strange about even reporting all of the good things and stuff I did during the year. None-the-less, for you loyal and faithful readers, I am working on the 2008 statistics and will post them in the next several days, I promise. First the month of December, then the year 2008.

Tonight at 7:30 I have a special concert by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Lincoln Center. This is the program: “Ring in 2009 with an evening of festive music perfect for the occasion: overtures by Rossini and Verdi, dances by Brahms, Saint-Saens and Offenback, and popular arias by Mozart, Lehar and Bizet’s Carmen featuring opera superstar Susan Graham. It’s New York’s most glamorous New Year’s, and you’re invited.”

This special New Year’s Eve concert has become a tradition with me. When the concert ends around 9:30 I will come back to the apartment and settle in to watch the ball drop in Times Square. No way will I brave the crowds and snow to be there in person, no way. It is predicted that the wind-chill will bring the temperature down to -4 degrees. Nope, been there, done that, and each time I almost froze to death. The last time, I think, was in 2001, something I just had to do following the horror(s) of 9/11 2001. So, I will bring in 2009 in front of my TV while enjoying a Fresca and noshing on fruit and cheese.

Had a wonderful Christmas in Columbia, SC, with daughter Kathi and son-on-law Dr. John, son Bill and his 165 pound Rottweiller Zeko, and oldest grandson Alex and his wife Gina. Unfortunately, youngest grandson Chris and his girlfriend Sally were unable to join us due to work related issues. The Norris Travel Curse reared its ugly head on the return trip, however, when my flight was delayed almost 2 hours due to weather conditions.

I got back very late on Friday the 26th. Of course, for the following week I returned to my usual entertainment routine, as follows:

Saturday - 2:00 - “The Black Monk” - Off Broadway. “A stunning new musical inspired by Anton Chekhov's story, The Black Monk, follows the life of a gifted young artist. After five years at school in Moscow, Andrei returns home to his adopted father Igor and childhood love Tanya. As his artistic talent blossoms, will Andrei be able to hold on to love, family, and his sanity or will the power of the mysterious Black Monk drive him into the unknown?” (complimentary ticket).

Well, The Black Monk did indeed drive Andrei into the unknown and the show almost drove me crazy. Music and Chekhov? I should have known better.

8:00 - “Pig Tale: An Urban Faerie Story” - Off Broadway. “Set in the wilds of the East Village, Pig Tale is a witty, sexy urban faerie tale with a twist. When the handsome love interest suddenly turns into a real pig one night, his boyfriend has to wonder: doesn't that break all the rules of casual dating in the city? A look at what it takes for some humans - and especially some New Yorkers - to come to terms with commitment, cuddling and settling down together in that mythical house upstate.” (complimentary ticket)

This is a funny and very well performed show and it saved my day.

Sunday - 7:30 - “The Day the Earth Stood Still” - Movie. This is a remake of the classic 1951 movie, this time starring Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, who is on a mission to save earth by eliminating its destroyer, the human race. I really wanted to like this movie, which opened to very mixed reviews, but it just fell short. For example, they omitted the classic line “Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!”

Monday - 8:00 - “My Sinatra” - Off Broadway. “Cary Hoffman turns his highly-rated PBS Special and concert show "My Sinatra" into a musical play about his obsession with the legendary Frank Sinatra and the affect it had on him, a Long Island teenager growing up after losing 2 fathers and moving in with his 3 studio musician uncles, who played on some of Sinatra's ground breaking records. Using his strong, surprising Sinatra-like voice and over 30 Sinatra songs, Hoffman creates a musical score to his and his hero's life by weaving them into a compelling story of how an exquisite vocal obsession affected his life.” (complimentary ticket)

I had very mixed emotions about this show but the options for Monday night are pretty limited, so I decided I’d give it a shot and I am so glad I did. It is a very well written and performed production and if you close your eyes Hoffman’s voice will bring up the picture of Sinatra singing into your head.

Tuesday - 7:30 - “Striking 12” - Off Broadway. The press blurb is: This Zipper holiday tradition returns! Take a hip trip with the indie pop-rock band GrooveLily as they spread some holiday warmth on cold winter nights performing their critically acclaimed musical, Striking 12.  Combining pop-rock, musical comedy and old-fashioned uplift with a healthy dose of 21st-century skepticism, Striking 12 is the story of a Grumpy Guy who decides to avoid the hectic, loveless world on New Year's Eve, until he’s visited by an incandescent salesgirl with the promise to chase away his winter doldrums.” (complimentary ticket).

The house was sold-out for this performance, which was excellent. The 3 member group is extremely talented. This was a very enjoyable evening of theater.

OK, this is the past - what about the rest of the week? Well, tomorrow I have nothing planned by design. I intend to spend the entire day/evening watching bowl games.

On Friday I have a Broadway show, in early previews, called “American Plan.” The press blurb for the show is: “Lili Rabe and Mercedes Ruehl head the cast of this Broadway revival of Richard Greenbergs acclaimed play set in the Catskill Mountains in the early 1960s. Lili Adler and her mother Eva are spending the summer across the lake from a bustling hotel where comics entertain and buffets overflow. When a handsome young stranger enters their world, the emotionally fragile Lili finds herself falling in love. But once her imperious mother learns of their relationship, lies are exposed, alliances are forged and Lilis one chance to escape her mothers control may be lost forever.” (discounted TDF ticket).

At this moment Saturday and Sunday are open but I know I will spend time watching more bowl games.

Speaking of bowl games - I can hardly wait for the BCS Championship game on January 8th. My son Bill, who is a longtime Sooner fan, and I have made a very interesting bet on the game, the details of which I will post later.

Closing on a personal note - today my favorite doorman, Jorge Ramirez, (I call him Georgie) retired after over 20 years of service in the building. It is both a sad and joyful occasion. We will all miss him. Be well, Georgie, and have a great time in your new life!!

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Saturday - the Big Apple is freezing

It is very very cold in the Big Apple at the moment as a result of the snow we got on Friday afternoon which accumulated and turned the streets and sidewalks into accidents waiting to happen.

I had a show scheduled last night downtown in The East Village. The show, “Here Comes the Change,” was at a venue I like, Theater for the New City, and the press blurb is: “The premiere of award-winning playwright Bina Sharif’s hilarious and timely new play is a satirical look back at the recent Presidential Election. We are taken on a whimsical journey to the Presidential debate, where Senator McCain appears more worried about losing his own house than winning the White House. His opponent, cool, collected Senator Obama, calls for both social and economic change, in an effort to win over his most ardent opponents.” It sounded very interesting and I had a complimentary ticket, meaning I had to go or face problems with the ticket service, so I headed out.

Well, first of all, it was very windy and bitterly cold and the sidewalks were covered with slush in the process of turning to black ice, the most dangerous kind because it is so difficult pick up. I walked very slowly and made it to the theater OK, and the use of OK about arriving was the only OK thing about the rest of the evening. It sucked!!

There were 8 people in the cast and 10 people in the audience, one of whom made a very noisy exit during the show. I have to say that the show was one of the very worst, writing and acting, that I have seen this year, bar none. It was worse than TERRIBLE. It was 90 minutes without intermission and the clocK stopped moving. I seriously thought I had died and was in purgatory. When it was finally over everyone bolted for the exit.

I put on my coat and gloves and headed to the bus stop where I had a long wait for the bus, of course. When it finally arrived there was another one right behind it, something that always drives me crazy and one of the reasons I rarely ride buses.

When I got back to the apartment and thawed out I checked the weather forecast for today, Saturday, and the projected high was 23 degrees. I had nothing scheduled for either Saturday or Sunday so I decided that unless something really really good turned up on my ticket services I would opt to stay in Saturday for sure and maybe Sunday too.

Well, nothing showed up so in I stayed. I don’t think it has gotten over 23 degrees all day. I had a couple of errands to run, picking up my ‘scripts from the Duane Reade drug store on the corner, picking up the laundry from the laundry across the street and getting some fruit from the grocery store on the next block.

When I first went out the sidewalks were still very icy and on each of the 2 trips (I combined the ‘scripts and laundry) I slipped and almost fell even though I was walking as carefully as I knew how. That was it - no fucking way was I going to go out for the evening, no way. And I didn’t.

Not sure about tomorrow. Time will tell. It is supposed to warm up just a bit but probably not enough to take care of the accumulated ice and snow.

On to other things.

I will be heading down to Columbia, SC, on Tuesday to spend Christmas with my daughter Kathi and son-in-law Dr. John Bendeck. We will be joined by my son Bill, who lives in Orlando, and oldest grandson Alex Falletta and his wife Gina. Unfortunately youngest grandson Chris Falletta and his girlfriend Sally will be unable to be with us and they will be missed. I will come back to the Big Apple on Friday evening, the 26th.

Have lots to report about the shows and stuff since the last posting and will probably do that tomorrow, so ...

Go Gators!!

Merry Christmas.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays To Each and Everyone:

".......and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty GOD, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."THE MESSIAH, G. F. Handel

Yes, I am still alive and well in New York City, the greatest City in the World. I pray that 2009 will be as wonderful for you, your families, and your loved ones as 2008 has been for me.

Bill
wanjr@aol.com

Condom on the sleeve - NYC 12/22/95

Several people have emailed for the now almost classic, and true, “condom on the sleeve” story back from the winter of 1995, my first December in the Big Apple, so here it is in the original form:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Fri, Dec 22, 1995 11:53 PM EST
From: Wanjr
Subj: December 22 - Only in the Big Apple
To: Email list

Fellow cyberpersons:

This is just too good to wait until the newsletter. It just happened to me.

Picture this - coming home from the theater at about 10:45 and riding the E train to the Lexington Avenue station. It is very crowded with a lot of shoppers and a lot of women. At the station there is a long escalator ride up to the exit and transfer platform, I would guess it to be about 3 stories. People are crowded onto the escalator and no one is racing up the steps due to the crowded conditions.

To my left, dressed to the nines in a very expensive fur, is everyone's matronly Grandmother. Immediately in front of us is a very very blond young man of about 20, I would guess. Very Nordic looking and rather tall. He has a large back-pack and a very large duffel bag which he puts down beside him. About 1/3 of the way up, he bends down very awkwardly and opens the duffel bag, reaches in and starts to pull out a scarf, which apparently is stuck on something. He gives it a tug and when he does, out fly two condom packages.

One of the condoms lands at my feet. The other one lands on, and sticks to the right sleeve of Grandmother, who does not appear to be aware of what happened because she is staring straight ahead with that far away look only New Yorkers can get. The kid turns ten thousand shades of red, as only blonds can do. I reach down and pick up the one at my feet and hand it to him with a smile but without saying a word. He mumbles something. Grandmother, however, is still staring straight ahead, with the condom on her sleeve, so the kid just turns back around facing up the escalator.

Nothing is said and I decide that silence on my part is the better part of valor. When we get about 20 feet from the top, Grandmother reaches over with her left hand and takes the condom off of her right sleeve. She holds it in her left hand and taps the kid on the shoulder. He jumps a foot. Just before we get off, I hear her say, with the sweetest Grandmotherly smile: "You forgot this one young man, you may need it in this city." She gets off the escalator and walks to the exit without looking back, the kid heads to the transfer platform, still red in the face, and I can hardly walk because I am laughing so hard.

Only in New York, folks, only in New York.

Bill
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

“WHAT I SAW IN ATLANTA" - by an Alabama fan

This is making the rounds on the internet, so I thought I would post it here for you, my loyal and faithful readers --
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“I saw the third quarter. I saw Tebow get sacked. I saw Florida go 3 and out. I saw the Tide go 91 yards in workman like fashion. I saw a helpless UF defense. I saw Bama tie the game. I saw UF respond by missing their only FG of the season. I saw Bama march again. I saw a UF team that was beat. I saw a defense with hands on hips gasping for breath getting absolutely trucked. I saw an Alabama team rolling downhill through Gator players. I saw the UF players give all that they had left to keep Bama out of the end zone. I saw the Tide take the lead heading into the 4th quarter. I saw the end of a championship dream.

No way could the UF defense recover from the extended pounding they had just endured. With two DTs out there was simply no reserve left to call upon to stem the Tide. All that had been claimed pregame by the Crimson and White faithful about how their lines would wear UF down and control the game had come true. There was no hope.

And then things changed. I saw Tebow rally his offensive teammates and take them down the field. Run after run after run after run after run and they had Bama on their heels at their own 27. A throw a run and a throw and Tim has UF on the doorstep. Two more runs and Demps is leaping in the end zone. Florida has wrested the lead away and hope is reborn, dreams live again.

But this was not enough. Tebow leads this team, this university, not just its offense. He comes down the sideline toward the end zone where the Gator fans are thickest and exhorts them to cheer, to roar, to believe. He turns and runs to the special team players huddled for the upcoming kick. He slams into their huddle like a bowling ball knocking aside so many pins. He urged them to make the stop, to finish the play. And they did. He turns to the bench and gets in the face of his defensive teammates and makes his will theirs. He inspires them, he challenges them, he leads them. They face the same Bama players who had owned them in the third quarter, who had worn them down and controlled them. They faced those same Bama players and they stuffed them. Julio Jones who had tormented the Gators all afternoon saw a pass come his way only to have Joe Haden drill him so that the ball fell harmlessly to the ground. Julio would never see another pass (Mark’s editorial note here…I was amazed a 5’11” guy could take on a guy 6’4” and beat him). They held the line and stopped Coffee for a short gain. They crushed the line that had moved them at will and finally sacked Wilson. With the game on the line they had stuffed Bama for a 3 and out.

Then Tim Tebow went out to win himself and the University of Florida a championship. Two runs and it was 3rd and short. Tebow keeps it, meets Mount Cody in the hole and carries all 360 pounds of him for the first down. Tebow thr ows for 33, Tebow throws for 15, Tebow runs for 5. Bama is done. Tebow throws the last five yards to Riley Cooper on a pass that had no room for imprecision resulting in the TD that made dreams into reality. I have never seen a single player so impose his will on both his teammates, his opponents and the crowd as Tim Tebow did in that fourth quarter. I am in awe. His teammates understand. Carl Moore: "You knew he was going to lead us to victory," Louis Murphy: "I have never doubted him. He's our quarterback." Jeff Demps: "That's Tim Tebow. That's what he does, He's been putting us on his shoulders ever since the Ole Miss game, but I've never seen him like he was today." His opponents understand too. Rashad Johnson: "He kept those guys motivated. He kept them in the game when they had the opportunity to give up and wouldn't let them." Terrence Cody: "You give him a chance, and he's going to beat you,"

He's not Superman. He's not unbeatable. But he will never give less than everything he has and he will never shy away from a challenge. He is the best team leader I have ever seen in college sports.

He willed a victory for UF, not on his own, but by giving his teammates the strength to believe and an example to follow.
And that they did.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Does he deserve to win The Heisman Trophy for the second time? Remember, it is supposed to be awarded to the best "overall player,” not just the best quarterback.

I report - you decide.

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

IT’S GREAT BEING A FLORIDA GATOR!!

FLORIDA GATORS 31

CRIMSON TIDE 20



BRING ON THOSE OKLAHOMA SOONERS - THEY WILL GO DOWN TOO!!

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com