After rolling in late Friday night and staying up even longer to play an online word game with Mitch, only to abandon it midway because of being extremely tired, it’s no surprise that I wake up kind of late on Saturday morning and head to Mitch’s apartment mid-afternoon to burn CDs, 13 in all this time.After the last CD is burned, we go downstairs to watch a documentary, but for the life of me, I cannot not think to remember the name of it, other than I just know it’s about a character actor who has been in 150 or so movies talking about his life. I mean, what actor doesn’t talk about their life?
I finally leave about 11 pm, go straight home and fall right into bed. I sleep for about 10 hours and wake up sweating and do very little. It’s already too hot to do much. Inside my apartment, it feels more like the Jew-Trapped-In-The-Pizza-Oven with no way out mentality.
I do the laundry mid-afternoon and it is hot meaning for once, the wash has dried evenly. I call Mitch and tell him I’m leaving in the next few minutes to pick him up.
Today, we’re headed over to hang out at the home of two friends of his, to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. All I know about his friend Rob is that his musical tastes are exotic like mine and that Mitch met Rob when he lived in Chicago approximately 15 years ago.
We get there closer to 4 p.m. and are welcomed into Rob’s home. Mitch gives Rob a bottle of champagne in a fancy gift bag, a burned CD copy of McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane Live At The Village Vanguard (Impulse!) and a card, while I am introduced to both Rob and his wife Alice, both of whom I shake hands with.
Oh that name Alice! If only…if only…well, that’s another story for another time. We go out to the backyard and meet a few of Rob’s friends, while Alice disappears into the kitchen. I pull up a chair and make formal introductions with everyone.
Eventually Rob disappears too and more people arrive. A tall and slender dark-skinned woman sits next to me and introduces herself. “Hi, I’m Gina. I dig your hat (I’m wearing a white golf cap, something that old folks might wear). Do you like the sun,” she asks me. I just smile and nod at her.
More people arrive and soon it gets crowded in the backyard, so much so that it makes me want to bolt and I do, straight into the house and walk back to the living room where I find Rob and one other guy, Pete (Gina’s boyfriend), just talking. I sit down across from Rob and listen to their conversation.
Eventually I join in the conversation and ask Rob what kind of music he likes. I begin opening up a bit more and explain to Rob that I came inside because I became too claustrophobic of the bulging crowd outside.
He understands he says, as he passes to me a Mel Waldron CD. Rob explains some of the intricacies of the record and pauses to reflect and comment on the horn section and the brilliancy of the sound itself. I just nod and agree.
Eventually I get comfortable enough with him and tell him about my throat-singing studies and my plans to perform in New York City and the surrounding tri-state area in October.
Rob’s delighted and congratulates me in an informal way by pronouncing me as “a good man.” He tells me he’s glad Mitch brought me along. Almost as if summoned by telepathy, Mitch comes wandering back and I tell him about my claustrophobic tendencies. Mitch understands.
Soon we’re asked to come outside to toast the happy couple. I find a place outside to sit on the grass, while Rob says a few words and then disappears back into the house. Alice also says a few words and then announces the main course is ready. Then she disappears back into the house.
The main course is pork, the other white meat. Rob warned me and Mitch when we first came in, but we both tell him we both eat pork once in a while. I get a plate of food and make my way back to the living room to eat and talk with Rob.
Rob seems more animated now. Beer and alcohol mixed together tend to do that. As Rob switches the music moods and from one extreme to the next, he smiles at me and talks more about music, noting the varying changes within each record.
From time to time, Rob gets up and plays “air guitar” or a musical “air instrument,” in time with the music playing while closing his eyes every few minutes. I just smile.
More people arrive and more people wander back into the living room where we’re at. Then Rob gets up and comes back with a Zip-Loc baggie full of weed. As a joint is rolled, lit and passed around, it seems to me that people are lit up inside the house already.
I sit back on the couch and watch people dance, kiss, eat and smoke, while Rob smiles at me every once in a while, especially when he changes the music.
“Better get yourself a piece of pie if there’s any left,” says Mitch who comes back in with a good-sized slab. He doesn’t seem to sure about the pie though, as I walk into the kitchen and cut myself a slice and slather it with melted vanilla ice cream and return to the couch, just watching the lovely and lively indoor show.
The sun is starting to set and so am I. Mitch wants to stay on for another half hour which turns into another hour, but I don’t mind, as everyone around me is so mellow, just talking, drinking, laughing, dancing, smoking and having a good old time.
Finally Mitch says he is ready. We say our goodbyes to Alice & Rob, head out the front door and across the street to my car.
Tomorrow begins a new work week. Until then, I’ll get my kicks, stay sweet, high and mellow and continue to enjoy the lingering embers of my new friend Rob and the rest of my oh-so memorable crazy weekend.
1 comment:
the documentary is called "Steven Tobolouskys birthday party" , i think thats how you spell it
Post a Comment