Month: September 2004

There’s a a weird thing about what I’m doing here. My mind has no reference points with which to deal with the situation I currently find myself in, so it kind of flits between various options, trying them on for size but none of them quite fit.

Option 1 that it tries from previous experience is “this is a holiday lasting no more than 2 weeks”. This is patently wrong as I have shaken things up way beyond that. No job to go back to. This version also makes me feel like I should be going out every day and night.

I’ll try to work out the other options and then put them up here, more for me than for you. You realise that you are all my therapists? Tell me about your mothers.

Yesterday I was mundane. I tidied the apartment a bit. Tried to learn how my new sound card works a bit. Played a bit of guitar. Played a bit of (very bad) piano. Had a very nice phone call. Listened to a lot of UK radio on the wonderful BBC website. Ached from falling down the stairs the other day (That really hurt by the way!). Had a nice evening eating, lounging and chatting about our fears.

This morning I woke up with no new bites, my worry that I had bed bugs proved unfounded. It really was all that one very hungry and now very dead mosquito. And yes, if you didn’t know already, I really do pick up any worms I find on the pavement and put them back on the grass so they don’t get trodden on. Hippy.

Found him last night. He’d been so disciplined. Hiding during the day. Biding his time. So patient, cool, calm, still. Waiting for his moment so carefully. Playing by the rules of the game handed down to him through generations of his kind. Then his target changes routine. The lights are on into the small hours. His hunger builds yet still instinct tells him “not now”, to be seen is the end of the game. But slowly the pain in his gut starts to outweigh logic. The awful emptiness starts to tear at his sense. He knows he must do something. Surely he can get away with it by just being small and discrete? He breaks cover. Weak with hunger, he flies to his target and ahhhh stabs and starts to drink. The sweet, life-giving warmth filling him, intoxicating him, making him careless. Then the hand. From nowhere it seems. The rush of terrible wind that he knows heralds something far worse, but he is so full and so tired. There’s nowhere to run. It’s over…

I got the bastard mosquito that’s been taking chunks out of me last night.

Yesterday I mostly played with my new soundcard which is a very good little thing. I also scalded my hand on the kettle and fell down the stairs on my butt which has left me a bit on the achy side today. This morning I woke up and lay in bed for 5 minutes thinking “wow it’s so quiet today” before remembering that I put ear plugs in before I went to bed… still not getting any cleverer…

This is the view out of the apartment window…

So yesterday despite all efforts to become cultured I ended up lying in the park by the lake listening to Henri Salvador on me headphones. Ah well there are worse things you could be doing I guess. Especially when it’s so bleedin’ humid. I mean really, yesterday you could drink the air it was that wet. There were puddles everywhere cool as the moisture condensed into liquid again (that’s chemistry that is), and I felt like I had an inch thick layer of crap all over me. Had a shower and dried myself only to end up more wet than when I started.

Still mustn’t grumble, could be working instead.

Bought my new soundcard yesterday which is eminently boring for all but a select few of you and have played with it this morning and, oh yes, it rules. Music recording madness can now commence and if I wanted I could take me guitar and laptop to the park and record there. But I won’t because I may present a bit of a target for muggers…

Ended the day in a pub. Well outside a pub, and now that we understand that it is a capital offence to buy a drink inside then take it to a table outside, we are accepted as locals. Somewhat strangely the pub is named the Red Lion which reminds me of the name of another pub where I have spent far too much time… now what was it? It’ll come back to me at some point.

Home to a spot of dinner, a G+T and the entertainment of Geoff trying to catch a big flying beetle that was much more lively on its feet than he…

Tell me if pictures of Central Park start getting boring won’t you?

You know what I did yesterday? Nuffink. Well I helped Geoff with his new website about living in New York with me. It’s actually about more than that but that’s the important stuff right? (check it out from link on the left, propur ritin n evryfink). I tried to buy a soundcard for my laptop but companies won’t deliver stuff to you if you’re ordering on a British credit card. Doh. I played my guitar a bit. Watched a bit of a french TV show about ballet. Ate a salad with lots of rice and sweetcorn in it. Phoned my mum. Phoned another friend. Drank a lot of tea. You get the idea.

It was raining yesterday and a building collapsed under the weight of rain in SoHo (SOuth of HOuston (pronounced HOWSTEN not like “Houston we have a problem” although they do)) so going out wasn’t really on the agenda. Kind of good actually as if I carry on spending money like I have been then it’s time to get a job next week. Modigliani at the Jewish Museum today and going into a shop to buy the soundcard so music stuff can start happening. Oh and just found a way that I can phone in audio posts on this so I might give that a go later. Get your speakers on…

Here’s another pic from the park… Tip for you. When taking photo’s always face directly into the sun. They look far more 60’s that way.

So yesterday went up to Broadway and shopped a bit, got meself a new pair of black jeans for my predictable dress sense. Then back to a nice air conditioned diner for dinner of big veggie burger and chips… mmmmm Elvis! Did i mention it’s hot and sticky here? well it is, both hot and sticky. And there’s a mosquito lives in my apartment who likes the taste of English men… Fee Fi Fo Fum and all that. He’s a big bugger.

After that, back to the apartment which feels strangely like home now. Probably because I haven’t actually got a home anymore. Pre going out G+T’s and then off down to a place called the Knitting Factory to see Electrelane. They weren’t great since all they seem to do is play the end of old Stereolab songs. Their guitarist rules though. Support was a lady called Scout Niblett. Whacky name, whacky girl. She was ace. Then the singer from Cibo Matto played with her new group who made lovely pop music. She was very funny too.

Then back to the apartment for more Gin… ooops, ouch, snooze… night night…

So we wandered past Dave’s house but he was in bed poorly and couldn’t even be enticed out to play by the offer of free lollipops so off to Coney Island we went. Wandered around the Russian exile part of Brighton Beach (no relation), ate big food which was like donuts the size of a mans head stuffed with cheese and chives, went up on the boardwalk (but not under) then off to Coney island proper for a look-see. Had a go on a shooting game. I’m ace at shooting. Went to the beach for a paddle in the Atlantic and waved in the direction of old Blighty, then off to a real live freak show where people pushed ice picks up their noses, did crazy contortionist stuff and lay in beds of nails. Cool!

It’s Labour Day today here which means NY is probably heaving out there and that no-ones allowed to wear white clothing from now on. Today I’m off to Coney Island (baby) featuring a quick wander past David Bowies apartment in Soho. Chances are I’ll be there for cocktails and lollipops most of the afternoon but Coney Island will still be there tomorrow.

Yesterday all the work caught up with me and I had to lie down a lot.

So New York then! Done it.

After 3 months of house crap, it’s really odd to get some sleep and not have to think about the next thing that needs doing. Don’t think I ever worked that hard in all the time I had a proper job. The upside of it was that jet lag is soooo not an issue. I’ve not slept more than 4 hours a night for weeks so even a day like yesterday being awake for 24 hours but only having to sit on a plane then go out for a few drinks felt like utter relaxation in comparison to constant decoration and then a nice 10 hour stretch of sleep followed.

Today is “going to sit in the park with a book day” bought to you by the letters R, E, L, A and X.

Webcam is live when we’re in… If you see us in our pants please look away…

And now the house is done,

the flat packs made,

the factor max that proved the fact is melted down

and soon I’ll be lying on my pillow.

With apologies to DB

Keys are with letting agents. I’m shattered, blistered, bearded and in a strange in between place. Does that count as philosophy? Sorry Cliff.

But I just found a can of lager at the back of my fridge and damn it tastes good.

Next post from NYC… See ya.