Report Card No. 1 From Columbia, SC

Good morning my loyal and faithful readers and followers out there in the morass known as cyberspace.

I am happy to report that yesterday’s flight down to Columbia, SC, went OK. We left a crowded and teeming LaGuardia airport on time and arrived in Columbia, SC, a little bit ahead of schedule.

The only downside about the trip was the ride to LGA because, for reasons that are still unclear, my usually reliable car service, Dial7, screwed up and didn’t show up at my apartment as scheduled. I had to use another service and the crosstown streets were all clogged. Luckily I had built my schedule around an early arrival at LGA.

The security lines were long but they moved rather quickly. I learned of another “benefit” of being a senior citizen ... people 75 and older are not required to remove their shoes when going through security. Go figure.

My son, Bill III aka The Bill picked me up at the airport and delivered me to Kathi and Dr. John’s awesome apartment overlooking downtown Columbia.

All was well.

The Bill and my youngest grandson Chris Falletta aka Topher drove up together from Apopka, FL and made great time.

We are all here now so we are set for a big Christmas Eve Dinner to celebrate great-granddaughter Saylor’s very first Christmas. We will head out to Alex and Gina’s house in Elgin, SC, around 3:30pm to begin the festivities, which will include tons and tons of food, games, presents and, of course, lots of pictures.

I have been selected to read “T’was the Night Before Christmas” to Saylor. Awesome!!

So ... from Columbia, SC, Billi Pod says==>MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.33 miles (or, 5,091 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>934.40 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>144.60 miles

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.”

Thank You Marty!!

Good morning my loyal and faithful readers and followers.

I am soooooooo happy to report that yesterday’s early Christmas dinner with our host Marty Kosarik and My Lady Dian Crystal at Marty’s upstate (Harlem) apartment was totally AWESOME!!

Marty, being a vegetarian, had an “interesting” menu that featured: tofurkey, dressing and gravy, candied yams, Brussels sprouts, steamed cauliflower and broccoli, stuffed celery, deviled eggs, followed by an incredible array of cookies and other sweet things for desert.

We had a great time together, talking, joking, reminiscing and basically just being in a holiday mood. We also exchanged gifts.

It was great being with you guys!! Thank You Marty!!

Moving on quickly ‘cause I still got stuff to do in preparation for my flight down to Columbia, SC, to be with family for Christmas ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s entertainment event ... 

WATER BY THE SPOONFUL, about a young soldier recently returned from Iraq and his Puerto Rican family==>B+

The show is emotionally draining with a very difficult-to-follow story line. The majority of the action revolves around dealing with crack addiction, a subject that I find most troubling since I have lost several close friends to this product of Satan.

The acting is excellent and the show is definitely worth seeing.

As I said, this evening I will be heading down to Columbia, SC, for a family gathering. We will celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve at the Elgin, SC, home of my grandson Alex Falletta aka Army Guy, his wife Gina, and my darling great-granddaughter Saylor.

I doubt that I will post on this blog while I am down there. I will most likely post daily on my FaceBook Wall. I will be back in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, around noon on Wednesday.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.40 miles (or, 7,446 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>932.07 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>146.93 miles

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.”

An Early Christmas Dinner==>YES!!

Good morning all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers. 

Today Billi Pod is getting an early start to Christmas. Around noonish he will take the 3-Train up to that foreign country known as Harlem to his theater-buddy Marty Kosarik’s 147th Street pad for an early Christmas Dinner. YES!!

We will be joined by Dian Crystal aka My Lady who will be taking an uptown bus, which will probably take hours from her East Village apartment.

Dinner is being totally planned, prepared, cooked and presented by Marty who is, as most of you loyal and faithful readers know, a vegetarian. Meaning ... Billi Pod has no clue what we will be actually eating.

All of this means that this posting will be somewhat shorter ... stop the f**king applause ... don’t make me come over there and bitch-slap you ... OK?

Moving on rather quickly ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s entertainment event ...

#REGANCROSS, about business, love and relationship(s) in cyberspace==>C+

Tremendous acting saves the utterly confusing story line. Billi Pod is fairly competent in the social networking genre/jargon but even he had difficulty following what has happening on stage. The two older women seated next to me were totally confused and they, and a lot of others, left at intermission.

The show is also way way too long, clocking in at 2:45 with an intermission.

It has a very limited run, so see it at your own peril.

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

8:00==>WATER BY THE SPOONFUL - “A young soldier returns from Iraq to his Puerto Rican family in Philadelphia, to find them in flux and his career prospects limited.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show, in early previews, won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and is playing in a theatre in my immediate ‘hood.

I have begun the mental countdown process for my Sunday trip down South to Columbia, SC, to be with my family for Christmas. It will be: my daughter Kathi and her husband Dr. John; my son Bill III aka The Bill from Orlando; youngest grandson Chris Falletta aka Topher from Apopka, FL; oldest grandson Alex Falletta aka Army Guy and his wife Gina; and ... celebrating her first Christmas, my darling great-granddaughter Saylor.

Really looking forward to being with you guys.

Yesterday wasn’t a very productive walking day due to really nasty and cold weather ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.06 miles (or, 4,505 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>928.67 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>150.33 miles

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.”

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO==>Terrific!!

Well, it’s December 21, 2012, and we are all still here and that is pretty good news and a great reason to have a major TGIF shout-out to those of my loyal and faithful readers and followers who are also Worker Bees.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

I want to start this posting with a rather detailed report on last night’s entertainment event ...

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO de MONTE CARLO, the all-male ballet troupe,  which was totally 110% enjoyable. A terrific evening’s entertainment.

Now, I am not a huge fan of ballet. I usually like the first 30 minutes and then begin to get bored and antsy for the remainder of the performance.

In this instance I knew what to expect because I had seen this group perform several times and knew that they would mix excellent dancing skills with just enough humor to make the time fly by. And, this is just what happened last night.

The show was done in 3 segments with two intermissions. The house was virtually sold-out and the audience was very much into the performances as was Billi Pod.

I left the Joyce Theatre with a nice smile on my face.

Now, just a bit of background ... this company (now known as the TROCKS) was formed back in 1974 by a group of ballet enthusiasts for the purpose of “presenting a playful, entertaining view of traditional classical ballet in parody form.” They have toured the World and have developed a very rabid cult following.

Each of members has created an assumed name(s) for his on-stage persona. For example ...

Chase Johnsey==>Yakatarina Verbosovich and Roland Deaulin.

In the Playbill the bio for Yakatarina Verbosovich is ...

“Despite possessing a walk-in wardrobe so large that it has its own post code, Yakatarina remains a true ballerina of the people. Indeed, she is so loved in her native Russia that in 1993 the grateful citizens of Minsk awarded her the key to the city. That might well have remained the ‘golden moment’ of this great ballerina’s career had they not subsequently changed the locks.”

The bio for Roland Deaulin is:

“Having invented the concept of the ‘bad hair year’ or ‘annus hairibilis,’ French born Roland now devotes his spare time to selling his new line of Michael Flatley Wigs on the QVC shopping channel.”

Why am I taking all this time discussing this particular “character” I know you are rather snarkily asking your inner selves? Well ... selves ... the reason is because ... tada ...

When I was reading the PlayBill back in PHC after the show was over I discovered that Chase Johnsey was born in Winter Haven, Fl, just 12 miles away from my hometown of Bartow, FL, and that he is a graduate of Harrison Arts Center in Lakeland, the same as my friend John Scott Reed.

Small world, isn’t it?

One final funny bio, this one for Irina Kolesterolikova ...

“Was discovered, along with Rasputin’s boot, adrift in a basket on the river Neva by kindly peasants. Her debut at the Maryinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, was marred by her overzealous grand jete into the the Tsar’s box, impaling a Grand Duchess. She was subsequently banished from Russia.”

Yeah ... I know ... more info than you needed/wanted but ... hey ... remember ... it is my responsibility to keep you loyal and faithful readers and followers out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks informed on what is happening in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. Meaning ... Billi Pod is only doing his job ...

Moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

8:00==>#REGANCROSS- “A social media mogul and an ad man sell a young couple as an overnight internet sensation in an ill-fated attempt to redefine hype. A story about how technology irrevocably alters our sense of time, memory, and each other.” (Off Broadway - $9.00 TDF ticket)

The show is in very early previews and is playing in a theatre on my block.

Moving on ...

The local papers have pretty much sided with Timmy Tebow and have blasted the Jet’s organization for their cynical exploitation of Timmy’s ardent fan-base.

The depth of his misuse is shown in the following analysis in today’s NY Post ...

“TIM-BERRRR! Tim Tebow arrived in Florham Park on March 25 with unparalleled hype. Nine months later, the icon has taken a mighty fall. Here’s a look at what he did - and didn’t do - with the Jets:

0 - Times he Tebowed to celebrate a play.

14 - Appearances on The Post’s backpage.

8 - Passes thrown, completing six.

76 - Snaps played on offense.

0 - Touchdowns scored.

3 - Games missed due to cracked ribs.

32 - Running attempts.

141 - Yards of total offense.”

The consensus in the respective news sources is that the Jets will either trade him or if no trade is viable, then release him outright before free agency begins on March 12th.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, it is time to post this and then try to get in some outdoor walking and wandering time.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.60 miles (or, 12,238 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>926.61 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>152.39 miles

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.”

Last Night Was Fun

Good afternoon my loyal and faithful readers and followers out there in the hinterlands, boondocks and wastelands.

Billi Pod is happy to report to all of you that last night’s entertainment event was a lot of fun ...

HOLIDAY GUYS IN HAPPY MERRY HANU-MAS, Marc Kudisch and Jeffry Denman bringing their unique sound and irreverent point-of-view in an 80-minute holiday concert==>A

A melding of prominent Christian and Jewish winter celebrations into one fulfilling evening that is very funny, sometimes almost irreverent, but always well performed.

I saw this with my theater-buddy Marty Kosarik who also gives it an A. 

This was opening night and the audience was really into the performance. It runs through December 31st.

Billi Pod says==>Need a smile? Then see this.

Tonight’s entertainment event is something very very different too ...

8:00==>LES BALLETS TROCKADERO de MONTE CARLO - “The all-male troupe whose brilliant pointe work and hilarious parodying produce paroxysms of giggles and wild applause throughout the World.” (ballet - discounted TDF ticket)

I have been this amazing company of dancers perform several times and it is always an evening filled with smiles and appreciation of their multi-talents.

It is playing at the Joyce Theatre down in Chelsea.

Moving on ...

In the Yankee Universe==>"The New York Yankees have re-signed 10-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to a two-year contract."

In 67 games with the Yankees, Suzuki batted .322 (73-for-227) with 28 runs, 13 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 27 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

With this signing (Billi Pod highly approves) the Yankees have filled their starting outfield roster with 3 left-handed batters, Gardner LF, Granderson CF and Suzuki RF.

They are now looking for a right-handed batter to fill the DH spot.

Moving on some more ... 

Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, if the Mayan’s were correct and tomorrow, Friday, December 21, 2012, is THE END, then Billi Pod says ...

So long, farewell

Auf Wiedersehen

Adieu, adieu, adieu

To you and you and you!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.53 miles (or, 12,085 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>921.01 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>157.99 miles

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.”

TIMMY TEBOW/JETS==>WTF??

I am very unhappy to report to you loyal and faithful readers and followers that the Jets/Tebow fiasco continues unabated.

Last night Coach Rex Ryan benched Mark Sanchez and replaced him with ... not Timmy Tebow ... but 3rd-string backup QB Greg McElroy. WTF???

This is what the local papers had to say about all of this drama ...

“SEND OUT THE CLOWN! - Rex benches Sanchez” - front page of the NY Post

“BAN-CHEZ - No ifs, ands or butts: Jets should bench Mark forever.” - back page of the NY Post

“MERRY EX-MAS - Tebow wants out if Jets go with McElroy for rest of season.” - back page of the Daily News

“NEW DEBACLE IS JUST ANOTHER DROP IN JETS’ BUCKET.” - front page of sports section of the NY Times

It is beyond my comprehension how the Jets have treated Timmy. Last year he won 8 games as the Denver Bronco’s starter, including a first-round play-off overtime victory over Pittsburgh.

As a Jet he had not played a full series under center until Monday night’s game. Then, on Tuesday, he was again slighted, this time for a QB who has thrown only 7 career passes. WTF???

Oh well ... ain’t nothing Billi Pod can do about it ... so ... 

Moving on ...

Thank God!! Finally we have a decent morning here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. It is bright and sunny, with azure blue skies. Still cold, however, 41º at 10:00am.

I am happy to report to you loyal and faithful readers and followers that last night’s entertainment event was outstanding ...

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC @ Avery Fisher Hall, Handel’s “Messiah,” with the New York Choral Artists==>WONDERFUL!!

Everything was perfect, especially the soloist, including the Countertenor Tim Mead. I have to admit that it still bothers me a bit to have a guy singing what is written for a female Alto voice. Now don’t get your panties in a wad, this is just how Billi Pod feels. He would also be a bit disturbed/distracted to have a female singing in a Bass voice.

Anyway ... back to the concert ... it was a wonderful evening and the 2-hours flew by. I left Avery Fisher Hall in a holiday spirit.

Tonight’s entertainment event will be more holiday festivities, but it couldn’t be more different from last night’s event ...

8:30==>HOLIDAY GUYS IN HAPPY MERRY HANU-MAS - “Whether you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas you’ll enjoy Marc Kudisch and Jeffry Denman as they bring their unique sound and irreverent point-of-view to this 80-minute holiday concert.” (Off Broadway)

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? It is playing at the York Theatre, one of my favorite Off Broadway venues. I am seeing it with my theater buddy Marty Kosarik, who scored the tickets.

Will post this now and then take advantage of the better weather for a little outdoor walk and wander session.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.51 miles (or, 9,859 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>915.48 miles 

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>163.52 miles

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.”