a perfect world

Twas a long night o' gradin' papers. But now i am chilling and listening to On Time, the first Grand Funk Railroad album, and it's great. 

Pants are a long gone memory. I drift off to a place were children never starve and progressive rock is wildly popular on the radio. 

Bless us, every one. 

The Senseless Slaughter of the English Language

I just graded the writing finals for the third level the University.

"I went home and sleeped for 9 hours."

"It taked a long time."

And the Arabic students always mix up P and B. Ugh! There's not enough whiskey in the whole of Ireland to make this less painful. They do okay with reading comp., but the writing is just scary. I'm going to have nightmares about this. But they have made progress in the past 4 weeks.

Fairfield University said all the students at the beach have been displaced and are asking for families that can house them. They said it will be at least 4 - 8 weeks. Yikes. Scary stuff. 

Music to keep the slaughter of the English language to minimum;

The Night Watch - King Crimson

Arriving Somewhere - Porcupine Tree

Isabel Revisited

Hey Izabella

Girl, I'm holding you in my dreams every night.

Yeah, but you know good well baby,

You know we got this war to fight.

Well, I'm calling you under fire

Well, I hope you're receiving me all right.

-Jimi Hendrix

September 19th, 2003 - Old Town Alexandria, VA

Hurricane Alexandria was the worst hurricane i ever experienced. I was living in Mclean, VA at the time. Sue, ironically, was in Florida (where it was 75 F and sunny!) for work. We lost power for 4 days. I had to throw out the entire contents of my refrigerator. And parts of MD, VA and DC were underwater.

New Haven schools won't have be open tomorrow, but ESL will because our session ends on Friday. 

Frankenstorm

Jersey Shore

How i miss Madrid and her predictable boring weather! Mum and i did fine here in Ansonia, CT, but my home state of NJ is barely recognizable. The boardwalks in Belmar and Point Pleasant are gone. But the Seester and Jan are fine, as are all my friends in CT, though several are without power and lost several trees. 

And me? Well i spent the evening sipping some Jameson and put a desk i bought together (75% done.)

Soundtrack for a Frankenstorm;

Genesis Revisited II - Steve Hackett
Clockwork Angels - Rush
25 years of Fleetwood Mac
Live Rust - Neil Young (contains a Like a Hurricane)

"If conditions are not safe on Wednesday for Trick or Treating, I will sign an Executive Order rescheduling #Halloween.” - NJ Governor Chris Christie


It's a lovely sentiment.

oops

Had a feew beers with Smith tonite at a bar in Newtown. Always fun. I somehow forgot my pants at the bar.

Fair Warning

I am just a dreamer,
but you are just a dream,
You could have been
anyone to me.
Before that moment
you touched my lips
That perfect feeling
when time just slips
Away between us
on our foggy trip.

You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
To somewhere safer
where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but
I'm getting blown away
-Neil Young

Crazy week at work - both academies are plagued by disorganization and I had to threaten to quit EduBoston (Stamford) because they've haven't paid me for any of Oct. yet, which is bullshit. So I told them that if I am not paid by Monday morning that I won't go to work on Monday.

But we may not even have work on Monday with Hurrican Sandy on the way. I put the glass windows in the screen house yesterday. Today will be filled with battening down the hatches and getting supplies.

16:27
Done and done. I got batteries, candles, matches - all that shit.

30 years later

First saw Rush on Dec. 2, 1982 at Madison Square Garden.

Mel and I went last night, Oct. 20, 2012.

Mel and I have been seeing them together for 29 years.

I have been seeing them for 30 years.

It's enough to melt my mind. They were backed up by the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble for the second set and the new album. Both sets were great with the second one with some particularly ferocious guitar by Alex. It was great. I was as impressed as ever by their almost three hour show (with an intermission.)

Rudderless

Days go by.... I can't wait for the Election to be over. I am so sick of it all. If someone is still undecided when the candidates are so OPPOSITE, i have to question why you are allowed to vote at all?! When Jimmy Kimmel asks Honey Boo Boo who she is endorsing, how can we not consider ourselves rudderless as a nation?

Almost Cut My Hair

11:43

The highlight of Never Ready's show last night was Todd singing Almost Cut My Hair by CSN. It was killer. And George was great on guitar. 

Seahawks play the Patriots today so I can actually watch them in my house! Mum is in NYC seeing a play with Aunt Vivian. 

So... I am finally attcking the office. It's a wreck. It's looks like Fred Sanford's house.

15:28

I was supposed to Skype with Sue Annie, but Annie took an early nap, so i'll catch them this week. But i saw Maria was on Skype, so i got to talk with her. She is teaching English and doing well.

I can't wait for the elections to be over. I have been innudated with commercials for the CT Senate. Linda McMahon, wife of WWE's Vince McMahon, is running. Bitch is driving me nuts. She's a crazy billionare Republican. And judging from the amount of ads, she has spent most of his money. She tried to run in 2010 and lost. If she wins i am going to Portland. I cannot have that witch as my Senator. 

MIA

Apologies for being MIA. I started teaching three classes this month a UNH and it's going well. And then the Nationals choking in Game 5 to St. Louis last night took years off of my life. Tonight I went and saw George's band, Never Ready, and they were great.  They played in Bridgeport, which is quite close. 

...Shit together

All of the companies I work for have their heads so far up their asses that slip on their own tongues. I now have 3 classes at UNH, but my boss forgot to include me on the email last night. Luckily, another teacher had asked me to sub for her and I said I couldn't until I found out what my hours were. And she was like "..didn't you get the group email? I saw your name on it." Luckily I found out from her. 

And I'm supposed to have 6 kids in Stamford and I have 11. It's be 3 weeks and the other kids haven't signed up. So i said, "If they aren't in the class let's get them OUT of the class or pay me more $$$." That's just good business sense. 

It's madness, really. The lunatics run the assylum. I really don't mind being a lunatic or running the assylum, but if that's the case, i'm ransacking the treasury before i go!

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

-Mark Twain

Today is not Yeterday

The Washington Nationals won their first playoff game since the franchise moved from Montreal in 2005. Woo hoo!

The Yankees also won, which is cool as I hate all things Baltimore and I have to live with my mother if they lose. 

Went to Boxborough, Mass. for an Octoberfest at Kathy and Dave's on Sat. It was a great time. Beer and brats!

I will find out tonight if I'll have my own classes at UNH in Oct.  I worked today, testing new students for First Monday. Then 4 weeks of classes start manana. 

Friday was 80 F and sunny, but it is starting to get cool. It's been rainy too.

Nats are getting punked, 5-1 in the 4th. Zimmerman lasted only 3 innings. It's St Louis' day.

They got shellacked 12 - 4. Today is not yesterday. Nor is tomorrow today. See you on Wednesday you Cardinal MF's. 

I will be teaching three classes at UNH this cycle. Woo hoo!

Ansonia Day

Today is Ansonia Day - oh joy, oh rapture! I got up at 8:00 to help Mum set up the booth for friends of the library. Small town America is an acid trip.

And then around 13:00 it's up to Boxborough (seriously?) MA to Dave and Kathy's for Ocktoberfest. Mass. 2 weekends in a row? What has happened to my life?

The Baseball playoffs have begun. It's really rough to tell who will come out on top, but I'm going to say it'll be a Washington / Oakland World Series with The Nats coming out on top.

Acid Rain

11:18

MUSICA:

The Sky Moves Sideways - Porcupine Tree
Live in NYC 2003 - King Crimson
The Great Deceiver (disc 2) - King Crimson
Satchurated - Joe Satriani
Reflections From the Firepool - Djam Karet






It's here I sit and rust amid this ruin and rancor like tire irons 
Toothy grills and car parts before me...the acid rain floods my 
Floorboard, burns my pores, and rots my upholstry.. once I was 
Worshipped, polished magnificently, now I lay in decay by the dirty Angry bay... 

-King Crimson

It's been rainy as hell. The streets have flooded and the pool cover will need to be siphoned off as soon as the rain stops. Didn't stop me from barbecuing salmon, though. The secret ingredient is acid rain.

20:25

The A's won the AL West. The Texas Rangers are the Choke Master Generals. 

Yankees up 5-1. O's down 2-0. And the Washington Nationals are the top seed in the NL. Oh, how many klunkers i sat thru in '05 and '06 in RFK when they had just come to DC.

Expunging Spain

I cleaned out one of my old back packs that I used to use in Madrid that I left here two years ago and then threw it in the washer. It had the typical crap; pens, a packet of two of analgesics that had fused to the bottom, a lighter, etc. All my clothes are unpacked and put away. What I didn't wear anymore, I get to the Vietnam Vets association. So now, on day 57 of my return, i have finally vanquished the ghosts of Madrid. But I did celebrate Bender Tuesday at the Hilltop Bar here in Ansonia. The local yokels are quite friendly.

Turn the Page

Little Awesome Annie

Mully, Mum's cat, hangs out with me a lot. He likes to sleep on your head (Bayside Woman can attest to such things.)

But it's awesome to live with him after losing Fripp. I loved that guy. I've never had a pet like him - i'm not sure that i will again. He saved me during the divorce. And Mully is a delightful nut bag, much as his brother was.

And so the page is turned towards the future

Annie started kindergarten. Wow! - Time goes by. She's adorable. 

the new world

It was great to see Carolyn, someone from my old life. A dear friend. It appears we are both starting to rebuild a life for ourselves here in the New World. The Big E was surreal; it was a redneck celebration of life and fatty foods. I got around fine with my cane. 

Music to start a week with; 
No Pussyfooting - Fripp & Eno
Eelctronic Meditation - Tangerine Dream
Up the Downstair - Porcupine Tree
Get all you Deserve - Steven Wilson

3:36 - Not sleeping tonight. Very strange. Insomnia seems to be a by-product of the New World.

The Seahawks played a real klunker today and lost to the Rams in STL. They have not won on the road yet. Next week; in Carolina.