Countdown (-9) - Dinner with Michael & Dennis - Billi Pod’s Upcoming Schedule - The Yankees - Tom Brady & Deflategate

Tuesday==>The highlight for Monday was having dinner with my dear friends Michael Pederson and Dennis Dohman at Joe Allen on Restaurant Row on West 46th Street here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. In the pic it is, left to right, Dennis, Moi, and Michael.

Our reservation was for 8:00pm and I was really surprised at how full the restaurant was at this time on a Monday evening. And, it remained that way until we left a little before 10:00pm.

The food was excellent, as usual, and we had a great time talking about the theater scene and the things we had seen and done together here in The Big Apple.

As I posted yesterday, Michael and Dennis included me on their guest list, over the years, for outstanding social events at their Chelsea apartment.

I have to admit that it got pretty emotional when we finally said our “goodbyes” outside the restaurant ... but ... guys ... remember==>I will be back and I/we promised to remain in touch.

As much as this was a highlight ... the earlier part of the day was just the opposite. 

Yeah ... I spent the entire afternoon on the phone contacting: Con. Edison, Time Warner, AT&T, the New York Times, the New York Post, the Daily News, Mitchell’s Delivery, and, Natural Wireless to terminate my services. 

By the end of the afternoon I thought that if I heard ... “your call is very important to us, so please continue to hold” ... one more time I would take the easy way out and simply jump out the window and end everything.

I had really dreaded this and it was every bit as frustrating as I anticipated but ... it is now done and it is time to move on ... so ...

Let’s do move on to what Billi Pod’s present schedule is for the remainder of his time in The Big Apple ...

Tuesday - open at the moment

Wednesday - 2:00==>Les Miserables (Broadway)

Thursday - 2:30==>Churchill (Off Broadway)

Friday - open at the moment

Saturday - open at the moment

Sunday - John Scott Reed and I will Uber up to Yonkers to attend a 12:30pm family luncheon celebrating Justin Allen Pifer’s graduation from Pace Law School

Monday - open at the moment

Tuesday - 7:30==>New York Philharmonic @ Avery Fisher Hall - special concert, narrated by Joe Torre, celebrating Concerts in The Park.

Wednesday - 9:00-11:00==>mover arrives; 8:00==>An Act of God, with Jim Parsons (Broadway)

Thursday - 2:29pm - depart LGA; 5:19pm - arrive Orlando.

Moving on ...

On the sports scene ... for you Marty ...of course ... 

Last night at that disgrace known as Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the Yankees beat the Rays 11-5 on 5 HRs and, finally, a decent outing from the struggling CC Sabathia.

Tonight at 7:10pm is game 2 of the 4-game series. On the mound for the Yankees (21-12) will be Nathan Eovaldi (3-0) vs. Chris Archer (3-4) for the Rays (17-16)

Unless something of special interest shows up on my ticket services I will stay in and watch the game.

Now ... some more sports ... and that is the local press reaction to what came down yesterday regarding The Patriots, Tom Brady and Deflategate.

These are the headlines in today’s papers ...

BALL BUSTED! Brady banned 4 games. Patriots fined $1M; lose picks.

front page of the NY Post

ROGER THAT! Goodell does his Patriotic duty by sacking Brady and cheating Pats.

back page of the NY Post

KICKED IN THE BALLS. ‘Soft’ Brady banned 4 games. Pats lose 2 draft picks, $1M.

front page of the Daily News

BALLROOM BLITZ. Brady, agent set for all-out battle with NFL over ‘ridiculous’ 4-game ban.

back page of the Daily News

And, in the Gray Lady ...

SUSPENDED: 4 GAMES. Punishment Is a Matter of Perspective.

front page of the sports section of the New York Times.

Oh the drama ...

Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, it is time to post this and then begin some packing ... probably just my books and CDs and stuff like that ... so ... 

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.51 miles (or, 7,686 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>516.79 miles (average 3.95 miles per day)

Billi Pod

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

Departure==>-9

The Countdown Begins (-10) - The Yankees - Michael and Dennis

Monday==>The mental countdown to my May 21st departure from The Big Apple down to The Sunshine State has begun and, frankly, it is much more emotionally conflicted than I had anticipated/expected.

Yeah, I know ... moving is always a pain in the ass ... but ... not only am I moving but I am also closing the door on a remarkable adventure that began back on June 1, 1995 when I arrived at 155 E. 49th Street to begin a 3-month sublet in apartment 4B.

Yep, that’s when it all began and the rest is history.

I know I have made the right decision but ... man ... it seems that everything I do lately brings back mostly fond memories of Billi Pod’s Big Apple Adventures.

I have finally made myself create a to-do list and it turned out to be much longer than I anticipated. 

Oh, well ... I need to get to work on the list ... so ... we will start this really bland posting with ...

Yesterday your favorite Big Apple blogger divided his time between watching baseball on his 42” flat screen TV and several walk and wander sessions.

The multiple walk and wander sessions resulted in some excellent walking stats==>6.15 miles.

Not bad for an 81-year old guy, IMHO.

Anyway ... 

The Yankees beat the Orioles 6-2 out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, on a stellar outing from Michael Pineda, who struck out 16 batters in 7 innings.

With the win the Yankees remain in first place in the AL East by 3-games over the Rays.

Tonight @ 7:10pm down in Tampa at that disgrace known as Tropicana Field the Yankees will begin a 4-game series against the Rays.

On the mound for the Yankees (20-12) will be our former ace, the struggling CC Sabathia (0-5) vs. Alex Colome (2-0) for the Rays (17-15)

Moving on ...

Tonight @ 8:00pm I am taking my dear friends Michael Pederson and Dennis Dohman to a “Thank You” dinner at Joe Allen on Restaurant Row on West 46th Street. Over the years Michael and Dennis have included me on their guest list for multiple dinners/events at their Chelsea apartment.

I will close this posting out with something I found on Facebook, which I think is very funny ...

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>6.15 miles (or, 13,442 steps)

Total mileage for the week==>31.80 miles (average 4.54 miles per day)

Total mileage for 2015==>513.28 miles (average 3.95 miles per day)

Billi Pod

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

Departure==>-10

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY RUBY M. NORRIS (1907-1978)

Dear Mother:

I am who I am, what I am and where I am because of you, Ruby - my muse, my teacher, my mentor, my role-model, my best friend ... my Mother.

I am now, and forevermore will be, your loving and devoted Son.

Peace and Love!!

Bill

(picture taken in Tampa, FL, circa 1937)

New York Philharmonic Concert - The Yankees - Plans for Today

Saturday==>Your favorite Big Apple blogger extends happy wishes to all of his loyal and faithful readers and followers for an enjoyable weekend out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks.

Billi Pod’s weekend got off to a good start with excellent weather on Friday, which resulted in some decent walking stats==>5.10 miles.

So ... why don’t we get started with Billi Pod’s report on last night’s entertainment event, a classical music concert at Lincoln Center ... 

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - The program was:

Eotvos - Senza sangue (US Premiere); and,

Schubert - Symphony in B minor, Unfinished

Senza sangue means “Without Blood” and it is a one-act opera based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco, in which a female civil war survivor seeks revenge, 20 years later.

It was performed by mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and baritone Russell Braun.

This was an interesting work although, once again, the lack of projected super-titles in Avery Fisher Hall made it extremely difficult to follow the story line since it was not performed in English. The text and translation was in the program but the lighting was so dim that it was virtually impossible to read.

The highlight of the evening for me was Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, which has only two movements. This is a beautiful piece of classical music and I love it.

Honestly, when the concert was over I felt kinda sad because it was last NY Phil concert before my May 21st departure. Oh well ...

The weather was great so I opted to walk back to the apartment while listening to the final innings of the YANKEES/BALTIMORE game on my Walkman.

The Yankees won the game 5-4 behind another electric performance from the bullpen duo of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller.

After the game manager Joe Girardi officially named Miller as our closer.

This afternoon at 1:05pm at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, is game 3 of the 4-game series.

On the mound for the Yankees (19-11) will be Chase Whitley (1-0) vs. Wei-Yin Chen (0-1) for the Orioles (12-15).

Of course, I plan to stay in for the afternoon to watch the game.

Moving on ...

At the moment my entertainment plans for the evening are in flux. I have multiple choices so it is just a matter of which one I choose ... so ... stay tuned.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.10 miles (or, 11,143 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>502.98 miles (average 3.93 miles per day)

Billi Pod

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

Updates Again - The Spoils - Urologist Appointment - Lenny & Marie - Clinton The Musical - New York Philharmonic - The Yankees

Friday==>Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, your favorite Big Apple blogger is happy to report that it is a beautiful Spring morning here in Gotham City. Yes, we have azure blue skies, a few puffy clouds, a nice breeze coming off the Hudson River and a temperature of 75º @ 11:00am. The forecast high for the day is 79º. Yes ... a nice way to begin the weekend.

Sorry about not posting yesterday but a lot was going on and I just didn’t have the time/energy to write anything ... so ... please forgive me.

So ... we will get underway with updates in a kinda summary form, beginning with ...

WEDNESDAY. Most of the day was spent going through stuff, throwing things away and then making a trip to the Salvation Army store on West 46th Street to donate a whole bunch of clothes.

My entertainment event for the evening was an Off Broadway show written by and starring Jessie Eisenberg ...

THE SPOILS, Ben (Eisenberg) has been kicked out of grad school, lives off his parents’ money, and bullies everyone in his life, including his roommate Kalyan (Kunal Nayyar). When he discovers that his grade school crush is marrying a straight-laced banker, he sets out to destroy their relationship and win her back==>B+

Eisenberg has written and portrays one of the most unlikeable characters I have seen on stage in a long long time, a drugged-out lying total asshole. Yet, you are focused on him for the entire performance from his entrance until the rather unfathomable final scene.

The rest of the stellar cast holds its own as they unite to attempt to combat Ben’s unrealistic quest to win back his former grade school crush.

The dialogue on stage is pretty much delivered machine-gun-fast.

You need to be warned that some of the topics/scenes, especially a scene involving a dream Ben had when he was 8 years old, are cringe-inducing.

Billi Pod says==>if you like well-performed in-your-face theater, then this is the show for you ... if not ... stay far far away.

It is playing at the Signature Theatre Complex on West 42nd Street, has a running time of 2:20, with intermission, and runs through June 28th

Wednesday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.01 miles (or, 6,594 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>493.58 miles (average 3.92 miles per day)

THURSDAY. This was really a jam-packed day ... starting with ...

At 1:30pm Billi Pod had a "routine" appointment with his Urologist, Dr. Erik Goluboff, who is now associated with Beth Israel Medical Center at Union Square. The appointment included the usual Digital Rectal Examination (DRE). Yepper, it was time again for the old “finger-up-the-butt” exam. The picture pretty much sums it up.

I was very concerned about this appointment because the PSA results from the fasting blood work I had done for my appointment last week with my cardiologist had taken a very big bump upwards.

Dr. G and I discussed this at length, including my plans to leave NYC on May 21st. I am happy to report that the DRE was “no apparent change up there.” We are now awaiting the results of the confirmation PSA test and the urinalysis.

Whatever the results, I will give all the info to my new urologist when I get to the Orlando area and find one.

Moving on ...

At 5:30pm I met up with my friends Lenny Gordon and his wife, Marie Taylor, at Angus Bistro on West 44th Street.

Lenny is a retired college professor and Marie is a real estate broker.

As many of you will remember, they are my seat mates for one of my New York Philharmonic series and, last May, they treated me to a weekend getaway at their waterfront house in Sag Harbor, in the Hamptons.

We had a great time together and the food was excellent.

So==>Lenny and Marie ... thank you for your friendship.

My entertainment event for the evening was a recently opened Off Broadway musical ...

8:00==>CLINTON THE MUSICAL - “A satirical look at the two very different sides of the 42nd President of the United States: ‘WJ,’ the wholesome, intelligent one, and ‘Billy,’ the randy, charming one. With Hillary Clinton at their side, the two will handle issues from The White House to Whitewater, the sax to the sex, social security to social climbers, and in the process make history. Maybe.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

Billi Pod’s report card==>A.

This is an in-your-face funny show that is extremely well-performed by a stellar cast headed by: award-winning Kerry Butler as Hillary; Tom Galantich as WJ; Duke Lafoon as Billy; and, Kevin Zak as the sex-crazed special prosecutor Kenneth Starr.

To give you a hint of what to expect ... one of the show stoppers is Monica Lewinsky singing: “I’m Fucking the Fucking President,” which she proudly sings while dancing on the president’s desk, belting out lines like “I feel like we just click when I’m sucking on his … thing” and “You put a mark on my heart … and my dress.”

The reviews have been very positive, including a rave from the New York Times==>“smartly silly, hilariously impudent and sneakily compassionate, it is nearly guaranteed to leave you humming.”

Billi Pod says==>need a good risqué laugh producer, with excellent acting ... then see this show.

This show is playing at New World Stages on West 50th Street, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and is an open run.

I made it back to PHC in time to watch the final inning of the YANKEE/BALTIMORE game from Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built.

The Yankees won 4-3 as A-Rod hit No. 661 to move into sole possession of 4th place on the all-time home run list.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... you are now up-to-date ... so let’s move on to today ...

Well, without a doubt your favorite blogger will do a major walk and wander session during the afternoon, probably in the Upper Westside in order to take advantage of the shade.

Then ... for the evening is a classical music concert at Lincoln Center ...

8:00==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - The program is:

Eotvos - Sanza sangue (US Premiere

Schubert - Symphony in B minor, Unfinished

The Philharmonic returns to Lincoln Center after a highly acclaimed European tour. This will be my last NY Phil concert before my departure on May 21st.

And ... on the sports scene ... for you Marty ... 

7:05==>Game 2 of the 4-game YANKEES/BALTIMORE series, from Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built.

On the mound for the Yankees (18-11) will be Adam Warren (2-1) vs. Miguel Gonzalez (3-1) for the Orioles (12-14)

The Yankees lead the AL East by 3-games.

Now it is time to post this and then head out for some much needed/wanted walking ... so ...

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.30 miles (or, 9,406 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>497.88 miles (average 3.92 miles per day)

Billi Pod

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