Doubleheader Plus Day==>A+

I am happy to inform you loyal and faithful readers and followers out there in the morass known as cyberspace that Billi Pod’s entertainment doubleheader plus yesterday was outstanding, beginning with ...

EVITA, the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1979 pop operetta about Argentine icon Eva Peron==>A-.

The role of Che, usually played by recording star Ricky Martin, has been played by Max von Essen for the past week. For this performance, however, this key role was played by a younger performer named Daniel Torres and he did an excellent job and got a roaring standing ovation at curtain call.

Elena Roger, an Argentinean herself, in the role of Evita was OK and her vocals didn’t turn me off as they did several of the newspaper critics. Michael Cerveris as Peron is superb.

But the winning points of the show, at least for me, are the music, staging and ensemble choreography.

To add to my enjoyment of the show==>my complimentary seat was terrific, in the prime center orchestra, row L.

Yes, I am soooooooo glad I finally got to see this show and I left the theater with a smile on my face.

And the smile prevailed even though Billi Pod was forced once again to partake of Fallopian food at the Fallopian restaurant known as Meskerem, located on 47th Street in my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood. 

I met up with My Lady, Dian Crystal, and her posse-member Marty Kosarik. This time Billi Pod determined that he would branch out in the Fallopian food world so he ordered a Combination Platter that included meat and vegetables served with and on the usual incredible bread known as injera. It was quite tasty and filling.

Yes, I can honestly say that Billi Pod enjoyed being exposed to Fallopian food again and ... oooooooooooops ... have just been again rather forcefully reminded that it is a Ethiopian restaurant and the food there is, of course, Ethiopian, not Fallopian. Sorry Marty ... my bad.

Our plan was to walk down to Chelsea for our evening show so after dinner we walked over to 10th Avenue and headed south down to 30th Street where we got on The High Line.

The weather was very tolerable and there was a light breeze. There were hordes and hordes of tourists and, honestly, the 3 of us looked like a family of tourists ourselves, especially Dian, who took pictures of what seemed like each and everything she encountered.

Toward the end of The High Line is a small area where water is sprayed on the floor so you can cool off a bit if you want to. Well, of course, Marty and Dian waded in and proceeded to have a water fight. I, of course, took the picture and then pretended that I didn’t know them.

We got to our theater on 16th Street a little after 7:00 and it felt good to be back in an air-conditioned space.

So, I give our dinner and The High Line walk==>A++. 

 Our show was MONSTER, a drama about Victor Frankenstein and his relationship with his creation, the Monster==>B.

Frankly, this show grew (no pun intended) on me as it went on. The staging is excellent and the acting is very good, especially the young actor who plays the Monster. Yes, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting I have to admit that the 3 of us toyed with the idea of leaving at intermission but we didn’t and I am glad we stayed.

So .... Billi Pod says==>worth seeing for the acting.

When the show was over I took the subway back to PHC and settled in to watch the final 4 innings of the final game of the 4-game YANKEE/F**KSOX series in that swirling cesspool known as Fenway Park.

What a great finale to an already awesome day==>The Yankees kicked F**kSox butt winning 7-3 behind another excellent pitching performance from Ivan Nova, who won his 10th game, and the longball, again, from Andruw Jones.

Our record for this 4-game series is 3-1 and for the year thus far it is 5-1, and, they haven't come to Yankee Stadium yet.

All of this means is that at the All-Star break the Yankees lead the AL East by 7 games over second place Baltimore and 9 1/2 games over the reeling F**kSox, who are tied for last place.

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, when Billi Pod crashed at the usual 2:00am it ended a terrific doubleheader plus day for him in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

Today, being a Monday, will be my usual errands and stuff day and then for tonight is ...

7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC @ Avery Fisher Hall - “Tchaikovsky Festival, including: Festival Coronation March; Piano Concerto No. 2; Selections from Act IV of Swan Lake; and, 1812 Overture.” (discounted TDF ticket)

The concert will be conducted by Bramwell Tovey as part of the “Summertime Classics” series.

When the concert is over I plan to walk back to PHC.

OK ... now it is time to do stuff ... so ... 

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.86 miles. Mileage for the last 7 days==>25.96 miles.

GO YANKEES AND 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.”

A Doubleheader Plus For Today

Good morning to all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers. I hope your weekend has been awesome and that today will be a lot of fun for everyone.

Speaking of a lot of fun ... Billi Pod has a doubleheader plus scheduled for today ... starting with ...

2:00==>EVITA - “The revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1979 pop operetta about Argentine icon Eva Peron.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket).

Ricky Martin usually plays the key role of Che but he is out for this performance. He has missed most of the past week. His replacement is Max von Essen, who has generated very good buzz. I am really looking forward to this even though I am confident my comp. seat will be in the upper nose bleed section and a couple of my theater-nut friends have hated the show.

Billi Pod will just have to see it and then make his own call.

After the show, at 4:45, I will meet up with My Lady, Dian Crystal, and Marty Kosarik at the Fallopian restaurant Meskerem, located on 47th Street in my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood. 

Really looking forward to seeing them and having some Fallopian food again and ... oooooooooooops ... have just been rather forcefully reminded that it is an Ethiopian restaurant and the food is, of course, Ethiopian, not Fallopian. Sorry Marty ... my bad.

Anyway ...  after our whatever meal we will then walk down to Chelsea via The High Line for the next entertainment event, which is ... 

7:30==>MONSTER - “This chilling stage adaptation of Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' takes an eerily disturbing yet poignant look at one man's obsession with creating life and the relentless and destructive consequences of abandoning his creation.” (Off Broadway -complimentary ticket)

This sounds very interesting, doesn’t it?

So, there you have it ... a Broadway show, early dinner with friends, a walk on The High Line and then an Off Broadway show. Yes, it is indeed a doubleheader plus day, isn’t it?

I know that you loyal and faithful readers and followers are breathlessly awaiting my report on Saturday ... 

Well ... bottom line ... Billi Pod was indeed in a couch potato modality for the entire afternoon and evening ... so here is his summary ... 

Yesterday’s baseball doubleheader was a split, with the Yankees winning the first game of the day/night doubleheader against the Boston F**kSox by a score of 6-1 with an excellent outing from Freddy Garcia and 2 homers from Andruw Jones.

In the second game The Wankies got the s**t kicked out of them, losing 9-5, with our pitching staff giving up 16 hits and the defense imploding with 5, yes, that’s right, 5 errors. It was a very difficult game to watch, trust me on this ... it was.

Yes, Saturday was basically a baseball overload experience for Billi Pod. I don’t expect to have this option recur during the rest of the season - Thank God!!

Tonight at 8:00 on ESPN will be the final game of the 4-game F**kSox series with Ivan Nova (9-3) on the mound for The Yankees vs. John Lester (5-5) for the F**kSox.

The All-Star Game break is next week and our next game isn’t until Friday the 13th against The LA Angels @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built.

I will close this posting with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to GINA LYN FALLETTA, of Elgin, SC. Love ya Gina!! 

Please give our darling Saylor a hug and kiss from her great-granddaddy and, I guess, a hug and kiss to Army Guy too. God, it’s hard to believe that this time last year it was just you ... now you have Army Guy and the little one with you to celebrate your birthday. Doesn't get much better than this, does it==>AWESOME!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.14  miles

GO YANKEES AND 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.”

SHAME ON YOU YANKEE STADIUM BEER VENDORS

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... this is the complete email that I sent this morning to customer service about the disgraceful and shameful conduct of the beer vendors at last night’s ROGER WATERS: THE WALL LIVE concert @ Yankee Stadium.

******************

From: William Norris

Subject: Complaint - The Wall - Friday, July 6th

Date: July 7, 2012 @ 11:49:52 AM EDT

To: customerservice@yankees.com

To Whom It May Concern:

I have a major complaint about something that happened at the ROGER WATERS: THE WALL LIVE concert at the stadium on Friday, July 6th.

My seat was Section 216, row 17, seat 20.

Once the concert started two vendors kept walking up and down the aisle shouting in loud voices: “Beer Here. Beer Here. Get Your Beer Here.” They would stop, blocking views while holding beer bottles in the air.

Several people, including me, asked them to be quiet but they kept on, giving those of us who dared to say anything angry stares and glares. In fact I heard one of them say to a young man who had just complained ... “oh go fuck-off”.

The whole scene was very annoying and very rude.

At intermission I found a Supervisor, whose name is Henry, and expressed my aggravation to him. He was very nice and polite and suggested that I put my complaint in writing to you.

He also said that he was surprised himself that the vendors were working the aisles once the concert started.

I was at the Paul McCartney concert last year and have no recollection of anything like this occurring once the concert started.

After intermission the two vendors were still going up and down the aisles but, thankfully, now they weren’t shouting.

But, they still blocked views (fortunately not mine) and caused annoyance when they dispensed their beers after shining a light into the crowd to check IDs and to make change.

How could management allow something like this to happen?

You need to know that this was a major PR gaffe for the stadium because the prevailing comments in my area were: “This is Yankee Stadium, what do you expect, they always put the dollar over the individual customer.”

I think I should also tell you that I am very familiar with the operations in the stadium because I am a 41-game season ticket holder and I have no major complaints about your operations.

I hope you will address this issue so that it doesn’t happen at future concerts.

I am also posting this email on my blog Billi Pod Blogs

http://www.wanorrisjr.blogspot.com/

William A. Norris, Jr.

****************

I will let you know what, if any, response I get.

GO YANKEES AND 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.”

THE WALL LIVE==>BEST EVER!!

I hope all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers are having a great weekend because Billi Pod certainly is.

As many of you know, I have been a diehard Pink Floyd fan for most of my adult life (much to the chagrin of many of my older judicial colleagues, I might add) and I have seen the original Pink Floyd in concert at least 5 times, maybe more.

I had never seen The Wall performed live, however, I have the DVD of the movie, and, of course, several The Wall CDs issued by Pink Floyd.

Then on October 5, 2010, Roger Waters performed THE WALL LIVE @ Madison Square Garden and I was there and later reported that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and that the concert was AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, I have to tell you that last night’s concert, ROGER WATERS: THE WALL LIVE @ Yankee Stadium was my VERY BEST live concert==>EVER!! OMFG!!

I was at the concert with my theater-buddy Marty Kosarik and our seats were excellent. This was Marty’s first visit to Yankee Stadium.

The concert was sold-out. It began around 9:00pm and was over around 11:15, with an intermission. Waters, at age 68, has a mesmerizing on-stage charisma and he was backed by a band that remained true to the Pink Floyd sound.

Terrific projections, 3-D effects, huge inflatable puppets and, of course, The Wall, helped explore the themes of fascism, conformity, alienation and death.

It is difficult to explain the vastness of the set and the complexity of the projections. The sound quality was also excellent.

When The Wall came tumbling down, ending the concert, I felt emotionally drained and so did Marty. I am not being overly dramatic, just trying to convey to you loyal and faithful readers how I/we felt, and, frankly, how I still feel.

Yes, I do indeed feel blessed that I had this opportunity in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

Now, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, I do have to share with you that there was a major distraction during the concert and that was the presence of beer vendors who went up and down the aisles audibly hawking their product despite requests to shut the f**k up. I was pissed and talked with a supervisor about it at intermission.

I won’t go into any more details in this posting but this morning I sent an email to customer service and it will be the subject of a separate posting, I think.

Moving on ...

 As an extra bonus, The Yankees beat the pathetic F**kSox 10-8 in that cesspool known as Fenway Park. Mark Teixeira's 2-run triple in the 7th inning was the winning blow.

Yes ... Friday was indeed AWESOME!

As anticipated, I will be a couch-potato today and stay in the cool and comfortable confines of PHC to watch both games of the YANKEE/F**KSOX day/night doubleheader at fetid Fenway Park.

The first game starts at 12:30pm with Freddy Garcia (2-2) on the mound for The Bronx Bombers vs. Franklin Morales (1-1) for the F**kSox. 

Game two starts at 7:00pm with Phil Hughes (9-6) for The Yanks vs. Felix Doubront  8-4) for the F**kSox.

I might try to catch a movie between games. We will see.

OK, need to post this and settle in for some Yankee baseball.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.37 miles

GO YANKEES AND 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 Activity Report for June 2012

It is now time for me to share with you loyal and faithful readers and followers Billi Pod’s entertainment stats for the month of June 2012 ... so ... here they come ... get ready ... take a deep breath ... tada ... here they are ... 

In checking my daily log (log, not diary - real guys don’t keep diaries - but then you know that by now, don’t you?) I find that during June 2012 Billi Pod attended/saw/did the following:

1 Broadway show (Jesus Christ Superstar); 18 Off Broadway shows; 3 classical music concerts (2 with the New York Philharmonic); and 7 Yankee baseball games (their record for those game was 5 wins and 2 losses - nice!).

There were a total of 3 entertainment doubleheaders during the month

During the month the only face-time with John Scott Reed occurred at, of all places, a Yankee game. I was also able to briefly meet his friends Bernard Lam, Ashley Zandy and Maria Claudio.

Was with some of my AA buddies (you know who you are) on several occasions, including watching the Gay Pride Parade. Let's keep on keeping on guys!

Was honored to still be an active member of Dian Crystal’s posse, along with Marty Kosarik and others. 

A thank you shout out goes to Dian and Marty for introducing me to Fallopian ... ooooops ... I mean ... Ethiopian food.

Another shout out goes to Dian for giving me the Weight Watchers Pedometer on June 20th. I have worn it every waking hour since. During the last 10 days of the month Billi Pod walked a total of 36.24 miles in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

I posted daily on my FaceBook Wall and 33 times on this blog website.

Billi Pod Blogs had 1,583 page views during the month, bringing the total for the past 12 months to 18,856. (Awesome!!)

June 27th marked 11 years since I was admitted into a hospital due to congestive heart failure. My cardiologist still favorably comments on my total recovery.

Perhaps one of the most amazing/awesome stats is the fact that during the month there was only 1, repeat, 1 time that I stayed in PHC without attending some entertainment related event either during the day or the evening.

This means, my loyal and faithful readers, that Billi Pod remained on his frenetic Big Apple schedule of attending some entertainment event 9 out of 10 nights. Actually for you number crunchers the percentage is 96.7%. AWESOME!!!

So ... there you have it. I humbly think that it ain’t bad for a 78yr. old guy ... but ... it is up to you loyal and faithful readers and followers to determine because ...

I report ... you decide.

GO YANKEES AND 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.”