Wednesday Was Indeed A Strange Day

Good morning all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers. I have posted something for all of my readers and followers who are on FaceBook to consider ...

You are so very welcome.

Boy, was yesterday a strange day. It started with my first entertainment event for the day’s doubleheader, which was ... 

DREAM BABIES, a musical about teenagers living in foster care. It was DREADFUL and that is giving it the benefit of the doubt.

Now don’t get me wrong ... I am totally in favor of shows that give young performers exposure at the beginning of their careers and I account for things like nervousness and inexperience. But I can’t accept lack of talent and basically this is what doomed this production for me and many of the rather small audience in the cavernous performance space at The Theater at St. Clement’s.

At the end of the seemingly forever, almost 90 minute long, first act I was outta there. I was not alone in my exit.

The weather got progressively worse and I began to have deep concerns about the second part of my entertainment doubleheader, the 7:05pm YANKEES/RANGERS game out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built.

The weather forecasts were for storms and lightning for most of the Tri-State area. I kept monitoring the situation out in the Bronx but there was no mention of whether the game was to be delayed or postponed.

I usually leave for the game at 6:00 but at 6:00 it was raining in Midtown Manhattan. I was really conflicted about whether to head out or just wait-and-see.

At 6:30 I decided to give it a shot, so I headed out, this time carrying an umbrella. It began to rain harder and, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, I have to tell you that about halfway to the Port Authority Bus Terminal I stopped and started walking back to PHC.

Then the inner-baseball-fan took over and Billi Pod turned around and continued on to the Port Authority.

Made excellent time out to The Bronx. Got there at 7:00 and ... tada ... it was raining. Thank God I had my umbrella because I would have been drenched going from the subway station to the stadium.

I went to my seat ... as you know, it is beneath an overhang and thus protected from the elements. Of course the tarp was on the infield. Thank God I had remembered to fully charge my iPhone because I spent most of the time playing solitaire and texting.

Well, long boring story somewhat shorter, there was an hour and 45 minute delay but the game finally started at 8:50pm. WHEW!!

The game was excellent baseball with a stellar performance from journeyman pitcher Freddy Garcia who went 6 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. We scored 3 runs in the 3rd inning on hits from Swisher, Granderson and Chavez and that was the margin of victory. We won 3-2 for our 3rd consecutive win over The Rangers, the best hitting team in The American League.

The 4th game of the series will be this afternoon at 1:05 with Ivan Nova (11-6) on the mound for The Bronx Bombers vs. Derek Holland (7-6) for The Rangers.

It was midnight when the last out was made. I finally got back to PHC at 12:50am. Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, I was tired and starving.

Heated up some pizza, had my usual Fresca, and reflected on what an unusual day/evening it had been for Billi Pod in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

It was almost 3:00am when I finally crashed.

Today’s entertainment events will be ... 

Stay in to watch the 1:05 YANKEES/RANGERS game and then for the evening it will be a Fringe Festival show ...

 6:30==>DOGS: A BITING COMEDY - “A theater director sets out to create an Arab-Jewish Romeo & Juliet musical but the rehearsal room soon becomes a battlefield and the production threatens to be a hysterically spectacular disaster.” (Fringe Festival - $9.00 TDF ticket))

The show has a running time of 1:30 and is playing at a venue down in The West Village. I will probably walk back to PHC after the show.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.71 miles

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>195.84

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>883.16

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 Hump Day Doubleheader For Billi Pod

Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, let’s get this Hump Day posting started with something for you to think about ... 

I am happy to report that last night’s MOSTLY MOZART FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA concert @ Avery Fisher Hall was every bit as wonderful as I had anticipated, especially Schubert’s Symphony in C major (“Great”). 

My seat was excellent, in the rear orchestra, on the aisle. Nice.

As planned, when the concert was over I walked back to PHC. I didn’t listen to the Yankees game because it was over, having lasted only 2:35 and ...

OMFG!!==>The Yankees beat The Rangers 3-0 on a complete game 2-hit performance from Hiroki Kuroda. He had a no-hitter going into the top of the 7th inning and then he gave up an infield single. The Rangers are the best hitting team in the AL.

In the bottom of the 7th inning Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira hit back-to-back homers. This is the second game in a row that Swisher has driven in the winning run with a homer. OMFG!!

Today is an entertainment doubleheader for Billi Pod ... first ...

2:00==>DREAM BABIES - “About teenagers living in foster care and attending Royal Academy High School in NYC, and their mentors and teachers who inspire them to strive for GREATNESS!” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This is playing at a theatre in my immediate hood.

Then for the evening ... tada ... 

7:05==>YANKEES/RANGERS @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, for game 3 of the 4-game series.

On the mound for the Bronx Bombers will be Freddy Garcia (6-5) vs. Scott Feldman (6-7) for the Rangers.

The weather forecast is a 60% chance for rain at gametime. Damn!!

BREAKING BASEBALL NEWS==>Last week disgruntled Boston FuckSox players staged a near mutiny against Manager Bobby Valentine, forcing management into a meeting that quickly turned ugly as several players declared that they no longer wanted to play for Bobby V.

I will keep you loyal and faithful readers and followers advised as more details emerge.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.09  miles

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>192.13

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>886.87

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.”

My Yankees Kicked Butt!!

Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, I will start today’s blog with something for you out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks to ponder, so ...

Yeah ... I know ... you are welcome! I have a gut feeling that Billi Pod will be posting more of these in the foreseeable future, so stay tuned.

Last night at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, The Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 8-2 on 5 good innings from our starting pitcher David Phelps, 4 shutout innings from newly acquired veteran pitcher Derek Lowe and the longball, including a grand slam homer from Nick Swisher.

The weather was nice and balmy. It was a great game to watch, if you were a Yankee fan. The four Ranger fans sitting directly behind me were not happy, to say the least, and, of course, we did our best to add to their grief and misery.

This was my 27th game of the 2012 season and The Bombers' record for those games is 16 wins and 11 loses, or a percentage of .592.

Tonight is game 2 of the 4-game series and it will be Hiroki Kuroda (10-8) on the mound for The Yankees vs. Matt Harrison (13-6) for The Rangers.

Billi Pod’s entertainment event for tonight is ...

8:00==>MOSTLY MOZART FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - The program is: Mozart - Symphony No. 32; Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3; and Schubert - Symphony in C major (“Great”). (discounted TDF ticket)

Man, this looks like an awesome concert. I love all three of the works.

When the concert is over I will walk back to PHC while listening to the final innings of the YANKEES/RANGERS game.

Think I will do a bit of walking and wandering ... so ... 

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.08  miles

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>187.04

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>891.96

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.”

Another Terrific Fringe Festival Doubleheader!!

Well, everything good must come to an end all of my Worker Bee friends out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks. 

Yes ... your weekend is over==>now it’s time to head back to your desks, your cubicles, your broom closets, your wait-stations etc etc etc and help in maintaining our Gross National Product so that we poor pensioners/retirees can survive in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. No whining ... just get to it ASAP!!

I am certain that you loyal and faithful readers and followers want to know about yesterday’s Fringe Festival doubleheader, so let’s get right to it with Billi Pod’s report cards on the two shows, as follows ...

G==>for good;

B==>for bad; and

?==>for “I have no f**king clue.” 

LOVE DEATH BRAINS==>G<==lots of fun. Hard working cast. This time the Zombies win.

SLEEPOVER==>G<==really earns an A+.

The acting is spectacular, especially the two young performers, Marcus Maurice and Brandon Reilly, who really make their teenage characters believable. The back-and-forth between their characters sounds sooooooooooo real.

The highlight of the show is the writing by the 17-year old playwright, Max W. Friedlich, who is still in High School. He is the recipient of a 2012 Young Playwrights Award. Folks, remember this name.

The running time in the Fringe Festival program was 2:00, with an intermission, but they have shortened it to about 90 minutes, without intermission, and that works.

The sold-out house gave this production a well-deserved roaring standing ovation.

So, my theater-nut buddies ... see this show if you possibly can. The remaining performances are:

Friday, 8/17 @ 2:00

Tuesday, 8/21 @ 8:30

Wednesday, 8/22 @ 7:00

Saturday, 8/25 @ 5:30

Hopefully it will be invited to participate in The Fringe Festival Encore Series September 7-30 at the SoHo Theatre.

Major kudos go out to my friend Julie Miller for this production==>YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!

Oh ... Billi Pod doesn’t shill ... he just calls’um as he sees’um ... so ... 

In yesterday’s blog I posted that I would probably see a movie between the two Fringe Festival shows. Well, that didn’t happen. Instead I came back to the cool confines of PHC to watch the final innings of the YANKEES/TORONTO game.

The Yankees lost to The Blue Jays 10-7 as Phil Hughes had yet another putrid outing. The Yankees staged a late-inning rally but it fell short.

After the Yankees game I then watched The Mid-Atlantic Regional Little League Championship Game. It was New Jersey vs. Delaware and the New Jersey team won 1-0 to advance to The L.L. World Series in Williamsport, PA.

I really enjoy watching these Little League games, with the emotions and ups and downs of talented young players in pressure filled games.

When the game was over I then walked from PHC on West 42nd Street down to my Fringe Festival theater venue, which was located deep in the bowels of The West Village. The weather was great and it just felt good.

Moving on ...

In response to some snarky texts and emails ... sorry, but I didn’t write anything about the Olympic Games in London because Billi Pod thinks they were==>BORING!!

Still moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event will be ...

7:05==>YANKEES/TEXAS @ Yankee Stadium, The House The Greed And Ego Built, for game 1 of a 4-game series. The two teams are fighting for the best record in the American League.

It will be David Phelps (2-3) on the mound for The Bronx Bombers vs. Ryan Dempster (1-0) for The Rangers.

As you loyal and faithful readers and followers know, Billi Pod will be at The Stadium 4 times this week. The projected weather is good, so keep your fingers crossed for me, please.

This is Monday, as I think most of you know, so it will be my usual errands and stuff day ... so will close this with ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.64  miles

Mileage for last 7 days==>40.06

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>182.96

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>896.04

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.”

Fringe Festival Doubleheader Was Excellent!!

I hope that all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers are having a great weekend. Enjoy yourselves and have lots of fun and whatever!!

Yesterday was my first Fringe Festival doubleheader. 

As I have in past years, I will be using a different grading system for these shows, as follows ...

G==>for good;

B==>for bad; and

?==>for “I have no f**king clue.” 

So, let’s begin with ...

THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN==>G<==Funny and very profane. The Zombies didn’t win. The audience was really into this show.

SALAMANDER STARTS OVER==>G<==excellent acting. Written and performed by Armando Merlo about his transformation from a ghetto punk to a Catholic High School wrestler to a NYU student.

My first show was over around 6:30. My second show was at Astor Place @ 9:15 so I had about 2 3/4 hours to walk and wander in The Village area. It was great. The weather was acceptable. Did tons of people-watching. A movie-shoot was going on in Washington Square Park and that was interesting to watch.

When I finally got back to PHC @ 10:45 I noted on the Pedometer that I had walked a total of 4.75 miles for the evening.

During the afternoon The Yankees won over Toronto 5-2 on a 3-run homer from bench-player Casey McGehee (who???) and an excellent outing from Ivan Nova.

This afternoon @ 1:05 The Bronx Bombers go for the sweep. It will be Phil Hughes (11-9) on the mound for The Yankees vs. J.A. Happ (0-1) for The Blue Jays.

Bad News==>Our ace CC Sabathia was just put on the 15-day DL for the second time this season, this time for inflammation in his left elbow.

Yankee talking-heads say this is of “low concern.” Yeah, right! No guys ... no one in The Yankee Universe believes you on this ... NO F**KING ONE!!

Anyway ... moving on ... OH ... DID YOU GUYS GET THE MESSAGE==>NO F**KING ONE BELIEVES YOU!!

Anyway ... again moving on ... 

Today will be another Fringe Festival doubleheader for Billi Pod ... 

2:00==>LOVE DEATH BRAINS - “A well-meaning scientist brings his son, James, to a secretive community where things are not what they seem. Dogged by conspiracies and government agents, ‘Z-Town's’ mysteries begin to unravel. James finds himself battling Zombies for his humanity and his future.” (Fringe Festival - $9.00 TDF ticket)

The show has a running time of 1:20

Then, for the evening ...

9:00==>SLEEPOVER - “16 year-old Matt and his mom live in Park Slope. When Theo, an acquaintance from school shows up out of the blue to crash for a night, everything changes. Power, race and friendship clash. And no one sleeps at this sleepover ...” (Fringe Festival - $9.00 TDF ticket).

This show, with a 2-hour running time, is being produced by my friend Julie Miller. The playwright, Max W. Freidlich, is only 17-years old and is the youngest person with a full-scale production in Festival history. Interesting.

What will I do between shows you are no doubt breathlessly asking your inner selves? Well, walk and wander, of course, and then probably catch a movie, either TED or the just opened Will Farrell show THE CAMPAIGN. Yeah, I know it basically got killed by the critics, but I don’t care because I like Will Farrell.

Yeah, my loyal and faithful readers, it’s gonna be a long day/evening for Billi Pod because he will leave PHC around 1:00pm and it will be at least 11:30pm before he returns, but ... this is why he lives in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>7.06  miles

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>177.32

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>901.68

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."