Crazy Fingers

I’m listening to 11/21/73. It’s totally amazing. I’ve got a really good copy. It’s a rich, juicy 1973 Wall of Sound show.

Something changed at archive.org. I haven’t been able to download entire shows. The only way to get music now seems to be streaming. Stay tuned.

11/21/78 has a sweet Eyes of the World. It was worth listening to.

Work ended up being not so unremarkable, but I’m not going into it here.

I met Brian at his office. We went to the gym and did lats and traps (and traps). We had dinner at Venus and said good night on the corner of 22nd and 8th.

I stopped at Gristedes on the way home.

When I got home, I called Sean to talk about work.

11/21/78. It seems like an unremarkable show. I should have chosen 11/21/73.

11/20/78 has a rare and beautiful “If I Had The World To Give.” It made me think of Brian, so I sent him the lyrics.

If I had the world to give
I’d give it to you, long as you live
Would you let it fall
Or hold it in your arms?

If I had a song to sing
I’d sing it to you, long as you live
Lullaby
Or maybe a plain serenade

Wouldn’t you laugh, dance and cry or be afraid
At the change you made?
I may not have the world to give to you
But maybe I have a tune or two

Only if you let me be your world
Could I ever give this world to you
Could I ever give this world to you

But I will give what love I have to give
I will give what love I have to give
I will give what love I have to give
Long as I live

If I had a star to give
I’d give it to you, long as you live
Would you have the time
To watch it shine, watch it shine?

Or ask for the moon and heaven too?
I’d give it to you
Well maybe I’ve got no star to spare
Or anything fine or even rare

Only if you let me be your world
Could I ever give this world to you
Could I ever give this world to you

You see down below this post, where it says “comments?” If you click there, you can post comments about a post. Don’t email your comments to me. Don’t talk about it in IM. Post them here.

My friend Sean said:

[16:01] MCGTI: your blog made me laugh
[16:04] Larry07052: why?
[16:05] MCGTI: brian’s comment about your tattoo
[16:05] MCGTI: he’s great
[16:05] Larry07052: LOL
[16:05] MCGTI: i can see him delivering it now.
[16:05] MCGTI: the comment.
[16:05] MCGTI: it made me laugh.
[16:05] MCGTI: and your description of it.
[16:05] MCGTI: it’s like a perfectly timed comedy routine

And Brian said:

do i sound like a prima donna… making you schlep boxes and cleaning your car so it doesn’t smell like dog for my mom?

No hun, you don’t. That post wasn’t about you. It was about me and my priorities.

Thursday night

• Took my accumulated change to Commerce Bank and walked away with $115 in paper money.
• Stopped at the Gap on 23rd and 8th and purchased a red long-sleeve thermal shirt and a green striped sweater.
• Went to the Springsteen concert with Brian, which involved way too much traffic stress (an hour to get to New Jersey because of traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel), getting there way too early (it started an hour after the start time printed on the tickets), and a solo acoustic show which neither of us was thrilled to see. He played Born in the USA (one of the few Springsteen songs Brian knows) and neither of us recognized it, because of the rendition on harmonica with some weird microphone. Nice Meeting Across the River. He did play Thundercrack, but without the band, I was underwhelmed. We left during Thundercrack and missed Born in the USA, which pissed Brian off a little bit (that’s the other Springsteen song he knows).
• Argued with the Law And Order people, who had those mayor’s film office no-parking signs up on Brian’s block, effective at 3am. We were there at midnight, and I was only going up to say goodnight, but they busted my balls anyway. I busted their balls back, which upset Brian, who said something about the hypocrisy of me having a big peace sign tattooed on my shoulder. (I explained to him that it’s a reminder, because I’m prone to such incidents, so it’s appropriate to have it there and it’s doing its job.)

Friday

• Dropped my Jeep off, before work, to get detailed, because Brian’s mother refused to get into the car because it smelled like dog. Brian and his mom and his brother and I are all going to his cousin’s on Long Island for Thanksgiving dinner.
• Work was uneventful. I apologized to Tilak for raising issues on Wednesday about my frustration with the company, while he had a client on hold. He seems to have accepted my apology and my promise that I wouldn’t confuse actual work with ranting about the state of the company.
• Left work early because Brian needed my help setting up for a trade show. Which meant that I …
• Interrupted the guys who were working on my car. They had done everything but simonize it, so they agreed to let me bring it in on Saturday, and they would finish it then. The seats were still wet. It smelled good inside, though.
• Drove to Brian’s office, picked up some boxes, then drove over to The Javits Center.
• Helped Brian set up the booth.
• Dropped the car off at the garage (with Brian).
• Decided not to work out, because we were both exhausted and even though it was only 7pm, it felt late because it was dark out.
• Went to Bombay Talkie for dinner, then across the street to Billy’s to pick up dessert.
• Went back to his house, had a fire, ate the dessert, watched tv, dozed, and generally hung out. I slept over.

Saturday

• Woke up too late.
• Had brunch at The Dish.
• Dropped the car off so they could finish detailing it.
• Went into the office and worked for a productive couple of hours (it was pristinely quiet).
• Did shoulders (shoulders, shoulders) with Brian at NYSC, 23rd and 8th.
• Went back to the Gap on 23rd and 8th and purchased a black long-sleeve thermal shirt and a yellow and gray striped sweater.
• Went with Brian to a going-away party for Sid and Donna at Lyn’s house. We also saw the Kayaking goddess Bonnie, Jack (who gets more bitter and cynical every time I see him, which thankfully is not all that often), Andy, Rachel, Ilene, Dave and Diane. Both Dave and Diane have new jobs; Dave is encouraging me to apply to his new company, and I am excited about that opportunity.
• Went home with Brian.

Sunday

• Woke up too late.
• Had breakfast at The Dish.
• Went over to The Javits Center, set up for the show, then worked the show from 12 until almost 6.
• Packed up the booth, and drove all the stuff back to Brian’s office.
• We counted the lottery entries we received. Brian and I, along with Patrick and Steve, two of his employees, kicked ass. We got more entries in a single day than they ever have before. It was great working side by side with Brian.
• Didn’t work out, because we were both exhausted again.
• Went to Brian’s house, ordered dinner from Dallas BBQ at 23rd and 8th, and hung out until he kicked me out at 12:30.

Today

• Did 40 minutes of cardio before work at NYSC, 16th and 8th, during which I …
• Listened to 11/20/78 (still!). I heard the space>Jack-a-row>Playin’>Shakedown>If I Had The World To Give, which was absolutely amazing.
• Came to work, which so far has been uneventful.

11/20/85. Lovely Iko, Lost>Saint>Terrapin>Don’t Need Love to start the second set (Don’t Need Love playing now). High Time in the first set (”You told me goodbye, but how was I to know, you didn’t mean goodbye, you meant please don’t let me go.”) and Don’t Need Love are appropriate for my mood today.

11/20/78 is up next. That show has my favorite Jack-a-roe. I had fragments of it from my friend David Gans‘ Grateful Dead Hour, but I recently got the whole show. I’m looking forward to it.

Heading out to take my change to Commerce Bank, then to pick up the car, then to pick up Brian, the out to NJ to see Bruce! He played Thundercrack last night; hopefully it will come out again tonight. Wearing lined jeans for the first time this season.

11/18/78, Uptown Theater, Chicago.

11/17/73. A very sweet “Here Comes Sunshine” playing now. The Playin’>Uncle John’s>Morning Dew>Uncle John’s>Playin’ looks amazing. I can’t wait to hear it later.

By the way, there’s good information about each of the shows I mention at deadlists.com. Unfortunately, there is no way to link to an individual show. If you’re interested, you could use the site interactively.

Brian and I saw an advance screening Brokeback Mountain last night. It was great. Very evocative. We went with 2 of his coworkers and assorted friends and boyfriends, and ran into our friend Jan Stuart. We went to the gym after the movie as planned, and dragged our asses through a biceps workout.

Because Brian has to work late tonight, we’re skipping the gym (although I did 45 minutes on an arc trainer before work today) so we can watch Lost.

We’ll do triceps tomorrow before work (well, before work for Brian; I’m taking the day off).

After work tomorrow we’re going out to the Meadowlands in New Jersey to see Bruce Springsteen. We’re both very excited. I’m thrilled that Brian is open minded about the kind of music I like. (I’m working up to shlepping him to the Allman Brothers run at the Beacon Theatre next spring.)

11/16/78. A nice, mellow 1978 show. I recently downloaded the complete show from archive.org, but I’ve had a circulating fragmentary copy of the show for a while.

This is the show in which Bobby tells us that Mickey’s hi-hat “gave its life in service of the muse.” (That was familiar to me from the old copy of the show I had.) There is a fun Dancin’>Deal, too. I hope to listen to the rest of it this afternoon.