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Published: November 27th 2007
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It has been an eventful two weeks. The first three days involved some serious drinking and sandwiches in the bars of New York’s lower east side, with Stevie Bumfleece and Kevin Bacon’s brother Ryan. I decided not to crash with Nell Oliver and her fiancee Ashley the first night out of respect, and so me, Ryan, and Stevie could have a good ole chin wag and catch up. Steve’s gigs seem to be going well and he is over the mild illnesses such as cheap motel bed bugs which have haunted him of late.
Got a lock in on the first night at McCormack’s bar where the owner told me I was sat in Ray Winstone’s chair and that the barman Paul (despite being married) had nailed his daughter. I forgave him though as he got us a free round as he bet Steve Carl Weather’s was Lando Kalrizzian in Star Wars and both Steve and Ryan denounced him with cries of Billy D Williams. Then he gave me the number of his auntie Maggie who worked in Orleans - a bar in Sommerville, Boston, which was a nice start.
I had been up for 24 hours and am
in serious need of vegetables and have put on 3kgs already
I went across Brooklyn Bridge with Ryan my old flatmate from Southampton, and Steve played a couple of great gigs, and kissed the famous naked cowgirl of Times Square and I went up the Rockefeller Centre at sunset for an awesome view. The only thing I have really yet to do in NYC is get the Staten Island ferry as it’s the only borough I have not been to now. Nell (she a friend of mine - see facebook) was on good form and her design business with her mum is going well. Her flat on lower east side was awesome location and lovely but on the small side, but she seems to be having good fun which is the name of the game in the city that never sleeps I I should think. Steve and I also managed to go back into Flashdancers Strip club for old times sake, which was funny but not as good as I remembered. Well I wanted to watch the pennies more this time and that’s never fun in a place like that when two nubile Russians are rubbing their bits on
your shoulders.
On Wednesday morning, full of pastrami and nearing a fatal heart attack, I caught a 13 hour train to Toronto in Candanavia and on the way to the station found a $100 bill in the back of the cab (get in!) and met two of my Beaver friends, Heather and Peter, whose view of the city from their aprtment was awesome I chatted on the way to a nice Kiwi girl who I bought hot dogs and tea (with my $100) for and played cards with to pass the time. The journey up to Albany (first 2 hours plus) was gorgeous, a proper New England scene of vibrant reds, oranges and yellow trees and misty rivers and lakes. After that it got more industrial and not as nice and we got stuck at the border for ages while the guards went through the trains asking simple but necessary questions. Where are you from? Why are you here>? What is your purpose? Well even if you are innocent like me, you couldn’t help feeling slightly unncessarily guilty and eye contact seems more difficult.
Spent 4 whole days in Toronto and at first i thought it was a
bit soulless, but then having met the people, who are funny and hospitable I changed my mind. The place is full of it and no one had a chip on their shoulder like some New Yorkers who thought I was gonna mug them when all I wanted was directions etc...The maple leaf strewn suburbs of cabbagetown and the northern suburbs was gorgeous and it is very multi-cultural. Had Vietnamese, Korean, Greek food and they have Little Italy, Greece, Portugal, Chinatown, you name it etc...and the hospitality shown to me by Peter and Heather was unbelievable. She has mellowed a bit but hardly changed and it didn’t seem like 7 years since our last meeting. They both seemed to get on well with Steve too, which was good as he arrived from New York, ctashing in a hostel off Augusta avenue.
Went to Kensington (like London’s Camden), up the CN Tower, and to Niagara falls with Heather, Peter, who should be a ruddy tour guide, and Steve. Little sleep and lots more drinking and a groovy house party where Steve and I got very stoned and were like the smashed party celebrities - very funny - they are still talking
about us apparently, haha Steve played an awesome impromptu gig on West Queen Street with an old folk country band and went down so well they invited him back. Funny to watch nhim exchange numbers with the jewish violin player, a woman of at least 70 years. Very cold here.
Got to Boston on monday night after another epic 13 hour train and plane journey (via JFK 4 hour stopover, drinking with journalists and ballet dancers) in which I took pity on an old lady who had to get to the airport for midday to fly to Virginia to see her grankids. She would not have made it by bus, so I let her jump in le cab and she was very grateful, as her replaced metal knee always means she takes ages getting thru security
Boston has been great so far and its been nice hanging out with Laura (as we had the house to ourselves for a few days). Just been downtown and to a couple of markets and done alot of sleeping and playing/walking with Reilly (her brother's cute dog). Watched the footy - had to pay $20 for the privelege - yesterday, how very gutting
Oh well, you get what you deserve I suppose. Needing only a draw I thought playing 4-5-1 was very negative and he should have been going for the win. Maybe we would have won if only a win would have done? Who knows at least McLaren is gone and we can all get on with our lives. i wonder who is next for the hardest job in the world?
Went to Cheers where everyone knows your name and drowned me sorrows, taking in a brief trip to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.
Thanksgiving and the adverts on TV are crazy (every 5 mnutes literally declaring 4am sales etc), which makes it annoying if you wanna watch anything (especially films) although the 'Mike Reed' medical adverts still crack me up, vykanol - making you bnetter than you really are...side effects may include saly discharge, dizzyness, shortness of breath, spots, liver dysfunction, lung failure, heart implosion or in extreme cases death etc...
Anyway stuffed my face with Turkey at Laura's brother's mother in law's (Judy from South Bwoston) house up the road in a creased black shirt and a pair of jeans. i am SO classy Well
I ate far too much turkey, mash, squash, gravy, pumpkin bread, pie and ice cream, and cranberry pie too. Stuffed. On Friday walked up Newbury Street and bought an Idlewild CD in an awesome CD shop for $4 and paid $25 for the first season of Flight of the Conchords. If you all get a chance look them up on you tube - very funny. Also Heather told me about the following which she was watching in Japan. The world of golden eggs, snl dick in a box, and prisoners do thriller on youtube..
On Friday went up to Harvard and ate in John Harvard’s pub, which was gorgeous. The beers here are awesome, real ales and tasty IPA’s. Then went to Davis Square and played candlepin bowling (where I somehow managed to level a two game series (to be continued) with laura) and then a few beers and caught the bus back to Medford, which is a glorious little quiet town to the north of Boston, with a local pond/lake wher I walk Reilly the dog. Saturday after a day of vedging and watching the football on the Fox Soccer Channel, Kevin, Sheila, their three kids arrived home
with Laura’s mother and sister in tow also, from Orlando where the kids got all high on Disney.
On Sunday, Laura and I went to watch American gangster at the cinema which was awesome and today (Monday 26th November) she was at work while I walked the dog and looked after the house. Steve has a gig here on Wednesday and I think we off to Maine art the weekend. Cool!
Until next time, Cheers and don’t forget to tip your waitress!
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Helen of Potter
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The meat tour 2007
Sounds like you're havin an amazing meat-fuelled time dwaarling(s)! Just had a quick peek at your photos on facebook (during my tea break at work, obviously.. Ahem..) Tell naked cowgirl to put some clothes on! It's November!! Brrrrr!!! Fritzer McTitzer!!! Ha! x Likes your stories, so keep them coming... I shall continue to read..x Peace love and hair grease... Mwah mwah mwah! HP.x