HARBOR==>B+

Friday==>Yes, your favorite blogger will give the usual TGIF shout out to all of his Worker Bee friends out there in the workplace miasma.

Just the usual friendly reminder==>your weekend does not ... repeat ... does not get started until at least 5:00pm and you know from prior experience that your bosses are watching you closely. 

Remember ... your bosses are pissed off that they have to stay this late just to make sure you don’t leave early. 

So ... with these warnings, let’s get today’s posting started with Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway show ...

HARBOR, when fifteen-year-old Lottie and her ne'er-do-well mother Donna drop in unannounced on the beautiful Sag Harbor home of Donna's brother and his new husband, all hell breaks loose==>B+

There is a lot to like about this comedy/drama with excellent acting and just enough plot twists to keep the story line moving and involving.

I have to say that the Mother character, played by Erin Cummings, is one of the most unlikeable characters I have seen on stage in a long time. By the end of the 2 hour, with intermission, running time the yelling, screaming and cussing does get a bit old and redundant.

It has received mixed reviews but your favorite blogger enjoyed it so ...

Billi Pod says==>it is worth seeing. It runs through September 8th.

When the show was over I walked back to the apartment (2+ miles) and it felt great.

Today is the beginning of the New York International Fringe Festival (FF) and my first show is ...

5:00==>PERFECTLY NORMEL PEOPLE - “What happens when a clueless NYU freshman from Kansas moves in with a dysfunctional Italian family from Queens, in 1981? The only rule in the Normellino household is, whoever shouts loudest, gets heard.” (Fringe Festival - $9.00 TDF ticket)

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... it is Normel in the title, not Normal. Yeah ... I know ...

It is playing down in The West Village.

At bit of info about the Fringe Festival ...

It is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues for 1200 performances, from August 9th through the 25th.

The FF has been one of my favorite entertainment events over the years and I anticipate seeing at least a dozen shows. The ticket prices are very reasonable. Yes, it is often a hit-or-miss proposition but that is part of the allure/challenge. Usually it is more hit than miss.

Moving on to the sports scene, of course ...

Tonight at 7:05pm at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, The Yankees will host the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a 3 game series.

On the mound for the downward spiraling Wankies will be Ivan Nova (5-4) vs. Rick Porcello (8-6) for the Tigers, who are in first place in the AL Central.

Of course, the main event will be A-Rod’s return to the stadium. He will be greeted with the Bronx Cheer because he is a liar, cheat and disgrace to the franchise and MLB. 

I have only 3 games remaining in my season-ticket package and it is my intent to boo him every time he comes to bat. Why? Because he is a liar, cheat and disgrace to the franchise and MLB.

BTW==>Billi Pod hates Tigers!!

So ... on this happy note ...

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Yesterday was a good walk and wander day ... 

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.02 miles (or, 10,976 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>139.02 miles (average 3.56 miles per day)

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.”

Wednesday==>Billi Pod Was A Wussy Boy

Thursday==>It is a dark and overcast day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, with the temperature at 73º @ 10:00am. Rain is forecast for the early evening hours.

You know, dark and overcast properly reflects the mood your favorite blogger finds himself in as a result of a rather nightmarish Wednesday.

As you loyal and faithful readers and followers know, the “main event” for Wednesday was the appointment with my dentist, Steven Gualtieri.

Well, in all honesty, even though successful and pain-free, it turned Billi Pod into a simpering wussy boy for the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening.

Yeah ... that’s right ... a wussy boy.

Had thought about catching a movie but, no ... instead I opted to remain in a wussy mode and plant myself in front of the tube to watch continuous baseball, beginning at around 4:00pm and lasting, nonstop, until 12:15am. Yeah ... I know ... the very definition of wussiness.

Now, in a bit of fairness, the time between 4:00pm and 8:00pm was spent watching the Little League Regional Championship Games and those games are a lot of fun because the winners advance to the 67th Little League World Series beginning Thursday in South Williamsport, PA.

What wasn’t fun was the nightmare that began at 8:10pm==>the YANKEES/WHITE SOX game, in Chicago.

I won’t bore you non-baseball readers and followers with too many details. Suffice it to say that the Yankees lost again, in nightmarish fashion, to the lowly White Sox. 

This time they lost in extra innings as Mo blew a save in the bottom of the 9th and Warren blew the lead and then the game in the bottom of the 12th. The final score was 6-5. The nightmarish game was over at 12:15am. It was The Wankies 4th consecutive loss.

The Wankies (in a wussy boy mode themselves for most of the game) were a woeful 1-16 with runners in scoring position and with the loss they are now 11.5 games behind the FuckSox and 6.5 games behind in the wild card race.

Mercifully they have the day off today.

When I finally crashed around 2:30am I took my wussiness with me. 

When I woke up this morning at 8:30am, Thank You God, the wussiness was gone ... at least for the time being ... so ... 

Let’s put Wednesday behind us, shall we, and move on to today’s entertainment event ...

7:00==>HARBOR - “When fifteen-year-old Lottie and her ne'er-do-well mother Donna drop in unannounced at the beautiful Sag Harbor home of Donna's brother and his new husband, all hell breaks loose.” (Off Broadway - discounted TDF ticket)

This comedy/drama is playing at the 59E59 Theatre Complex, one of my favorite venues, has a running time of 2:00, with intermission, and runs through September 8th. 

The advance buzz is pretty good and I am really looking forward to it.

OK, everyone out there in the morass known as cyberspace, Billi Pod is now going to attempt to atone for his Wednesday wussiness by having an extended walk and wander session ... so ...

Let's post this and head out ...  

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.03 miles (or, 8,813 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>134.00 miles (average 3.53 miles per day)

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.”

SOUL DOCTOR==>B+

Wednesday==>Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, your favorite blogger is happy to report that his rescheduled dentist appointment this morning went OK, without any drama, and, Thank God, without any of the subway glitches that I experienced, and reported, this time last week.

Yep, my appointment with my longtime dentist, Steven Gualtieri, whose office is on E. 54th Street, was for 10:00am and it got underway on time. The session was to be the first of two to take care of the two rather large cavities that had been discovered at my long-overdue cleaning session several weeks ago.  Well, everything went so smoothly that Dr.G, with my permission, took care of both procedures.

Yes, it was very very intense but totally pain-free. It was over at 11:15am and I left his office with a totally numb mouth and feeling just a bit lightheaded (no, I don't use any of the gas stuff etc).

Walked back to my Hell’s Kitchen apartment and it was a bit after noon when I opened the door to PHC.

Well, thought I, I’ll just sit down in front of my iMac and get today’s posting done. Wrong!! I was suddenly overcome with an intense desire/need to lay down on my bed in the fetal position and suck my thumb.

And, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, that is just what your favorite blogger did, drifting in and out of sleep. 90+ minutes later I feel somewhat better ... so ... let’s get this posting done ... shall we ... starting with ...

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

SOUL DOCTOR, the true story about the musical journey of Shlomo Carlebach, the father of popular Jewish music, including his friendship with the legendary jazz singer Nina Simone==>B+

The show is very well performed, especially by Eric Anderson in the lead role of Shlomo and Amber Iman as Nina.

The show begins in Vienna in 1938, before the Carlebach family escapes to New York City, and concludes in 1978 when the now musical-star Shlomo returns to Vienna for a concert and to finally seek closure.

The entire story line is totally involving and it is extremely educational, especially for a Gentile like moi.

Before the show I ran into my Facebook friend Daniel Nickle, and his friend Erik, and have subsequently learned that they both liked the show a lot. Also ran into Julie Miller but she changed her seat location at intermission so I don’t know her feelings.

The show is still in previews at the Circle In The Square on West 50th Street and has a running time of 2:30, with an intermission. It opens on August 15th and runs through January 5, 2014.

Billi Pod says==>see this show.

When the show was over I walked back to the apartment while listening to the final innings of the YANKEES/WHITE SOX game, which the Wankies lost 3-2. It was their 13th loss in the last 19 games.

Oh, yes ... A-Rod has certainly revitalized this team ... NOT!!

Tonight @ 8:10pm, in Chicago, The Sox go for the sweep with our former ace, the basically ineffectual CC Sabathia (9-10), on the mound for The Wankies vs. Hector Santiago (3-7) for The Sox.

At the moment, I haven’t anything scheduled entertainment-wise for the evening. Seriously considering the just opened comedy WE’RE THE MILLERS, starring Jennifer Aniston.

OMFG!! I suddenly feel emotionally drained again ... so ... better post this now ... 

GOD ... I HATE GOING TO THE DENTIST!!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.27 miles (or, 7,163 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>129.97 miles (average 3.51 miles per day)

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.”

Monday==>BLAH AND BARFY!!

Tuesday==>Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, has to admit, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, that yesterday was pretty much a BLAH and BARFY day.

Frankly, he thinks that you deserve better, so ... he will basically just report on yesterday in a brief, truncated narrative, similar to what he posted on his Facebook Timeline ... so here it is ...

Billi Pod’s Monday==>Errands and boring crap. Not much walking. Stay in. A-Rod suspended for 211 games. He appeals. He starts. Jeter back on DL. Pettitte sucks again. Wankies lose 8-1. Still 9.5 games back. 

BARF AND DOUBLE BARF!!!!!

That was Billi Pod’s day ... so ... now ... let’s move on ...

To perhaps get you in a somewhat better mood I want to share with you the results of some recent internet research ... and that is ... which colleges are still the best party schools?

I know all of you out there in the hinterlands, boondocks and wastelands are anxiously awaiting this pertinent information ... so here it is ...

AP’s Annual Ranking of America’s Top Ten Colleges for Getting Bombed

1. University of  Iowa, Iowa City, Io.

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

3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Ill.

4. West Virginia University, Morgantown W. Va.

5. Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.

6. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.

7. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio

8. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis.

9. Penn State University, University Park, Pa.

10. Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.

You are so very welcome. GO GATORS!!

Still have to do the weekly trip to the grocery story, which is delayed until today to take advantage of the additional 5% discount for senior citizens.

Then for the evening will be a Broadway show ...

8:00==>SOUL DOCTOR - “The musical journey of the Shlomo Carlebach, the father of popular Jewish music, including his friendship with the legendary jazz singer Nina Simone.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is still in previews and there hasn’t been much advanced buzz. It has a running time of 2:30, with an intermission.

Now, just a bit of sports ...

Tonight @ 8:10pm will be game 2 of the 3-game YANKEES/WHITE SOX series in Chicago.

On the mound for The Wankies will be our ace Hiroki Kuroda (10-6) vs. Chris Sale (6-11) for The Sox.

With the appeal process underway A-Rod will probably remain in the lineup through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs if we should, by some miracle, make it.

You know, as a diehard Yankee fan, I have to admit that I would gladly, and I mean gladly, give up any chance of making the playoffs this season if A-Rod would just shut up and go-the-fuck away==>FOREVER!!

Oh well ... ain’t gonna happen.

I want to close this posting with a major CONGRATULATIONS shout out to my son, William A. Norris, III, aka The Bill, a math teacher at Lake Howell High School, Winter Park, FL, for just being named Coach of the Lake Howell Boys Golf Team and Assistant Coach of the girls team.

Very proud and happy for you BillyBoy!!

On this very happy note, will post this and head out to the grocery store ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>1.41 miles (or, 3,094 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>126.70 miles (average 3.52 miles per day)

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.”