Wayback Machine Friday...

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, May 16, 2008

FRIDAY UPDATE: OK, let's see if we can help the IE users out there...is this any better folks? I changed the dark blue to the gray background.


Yeee man... the weekend is upon us...

It appears the situation with some of you seeing a dark background is related to using IE. Honestly, Firefox is a much more stable browser. I am trying to find a fix within my template to help.

Got this email today. It says I should pass it via email. I think I will reach more people here:

Dear Friend,
If you have participated in the National Marrow Donor Program®'s (NMDP) Thanks Mom awareness and donor recruitment campaign, thank you. You are giving hope to patients who need a marrow transplant.

Only a few days remain

Through May 19, 2008 you can still say "Thanks, Mom!" and help thousands of people who search the Registry for a life-saving donor.
  • Forward this e-mail to encourage your family and friends to join free -- during the Thanks Mom campaign.
  • Give a gift today to give hope to patients. It costs the NMDP $52 to add a donor to the Registry. Your tax-deductible gift in any amount extends funding so more donors can join -- especially those who cannot afford to cover the cost to join.
What better way to say "Thanks, Mom" for giving you life? Share that gift with another person. And, grow the donor garden, a community passionate about saving lives.

Update your contact information

Please remember to update your contact information if you have moved, your health has changed or your contact information has changed. Members of the Registry need to be contacted immediately if a patient needs them.

Thank you for making our 2008 Thanks Mom campaign a success!
National Marrow Donor Program





HOLY CRAPOLA! It was not even the season finale and the producers of LOST threw another hard curveball at us fans.

Just in case someone has not seen it yet, I will refrain from talking of it. All I can say is ....HOLY CRAPOLA!!!!




Thought we would leave you with a little taste of the past....This is the first of three installments of something I call "Boy From New York City"

If you would like to read the other two, you can find them along the right sidebar under the Monday Matinee Header. It is formatted as it was back then...including the baby Couches, when we didn't have so many readers..November 27th, 2006 - actually the very first Monday Matinee On The Couch




"BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY"

This is the first installment of what we have decided to call...
MONDAY MATINEE ON THE COUCH


To quote from the Grateful Dead's song Truckin'...

"WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT'S BEEN..."



Boy From New York City
By Manhattan Transfer
Composers: George Davis & John Taylor

After graduating college, it was back to mom and dad's for a couple of years to get some dough together. Hey our first job paid a whopping $7,500.00 a year.

Then about a year later we got offered a job with a huge salary... never would we have to worry about money again...$11,000.00!

That was when it was decided that a move into Manhattan with a commuter friend of mine, Frank was in order. We had a loft on 22nd Street in between 1st and 2nd avenues. Great location, 10 blocks from my office, so within walking distance.

We flipped a coin and
THE COUCH won, getting the bedroom downstairs and Frank had the loft. It had 2 bathrooms a nice size living room and a good kitchen for me to cook in.

In both the living room and bedroom were sliding glass doors onto an iron balcony that was about 2 feet wide, but HEY, you could stand outside!

The building had an interesting mix of occupants. On the first floor was an apartment with 5 flight attendants (they were stewardesses back then).

On our floor, we had a pimp who lived there with one of his ladies, two drug dealers and a "Call Girl." She lived next door.

She had an apartment where she worked from on Sutton Place. This apartment was her home, and she never did business there.

THE COUCH NOTE: Sutton Place in Manhattan was a very upscale street with million dollar townhomes, even back then.

We actually became friends with her and would have her over for dinner on those nights she was not working. Nothing ever happened...she was actually very educated and a great person.

In our building was an upscale health club that had a sun area below us. We lived on the top floor...floor six.

Out our balcony we looked upon a 20 story apartment building. It was probably 40 yards away. One weekend, one of my HS buddies was in the city to go out and hit the clubs with me.

Sunday morning
THE COUCH woke up and walked into the living room to find him sitting on the couch staring out the glass doors.

Asking what he was looking at, he turned with this huge smile on his face. "Your neighbor across the way is cleaning her apartment and she is stark naked."

"Has she seen you?" we asked. "Absolutely, she was not naked at first and she looked across and waved and then went out of sight and came back naked" was his reply.

As he said that, she reappeared. AND WAVED AGAIN...

This became a routine for her each Saturday. One Saturday, well let's just say we did not let her clean alone...

And one New Year's Eve she and her roommate were having a party and so were we, and we waved and they came over for a drink at one point...we never talked again...but Saturdays...ahhh Saturdays!

There was another weekend..that sticks in my mind. It was mid day and there was a bang at the door.

Being the only one home
THE COUCH got up from watching a Yankee game on TV and looked through the peep hole. Not seeing anything we opened the door. There on the ground was a woman, who was obviously drunk.

We looked down the hall and it was empty. At that moment the door at the other end of the floor opens and here comes Roger (the pimp - who was always pleasant and always said hello).

He stops in his tracks and say "Having a problem there Vinny?"
"Not me man, she was here when I opened the door."

He kneels down and says "Ah, I saw her, she is from down the hall, she came in for the weekend from Toronto and is at Steve's" (a guy who lived on our floor, who I really did not know).
"Well what do we do?"
was my question.

At that point Roger notices a wad of bills in her bra, removes them and hands me $100.00 and says "Go back inside, I will deal with it." and proceeds to lift her to take her back to the other apartment.

Cue music... da da da dum dum the stores...
da da da dum dum times square...da da da dum dum (hello) city life...

We began dating a woman at work - she was actually married, though separated. But then we also started dating one of the flight attendants.

Frank's
dad got sick at one point and they brought him into NYC to a hospital a few blocks from us. This meant that his mom moved in with us for over two months.

This put some pressure on our relationship and when his dad was released from the hospital Frank moved out and one of my fraternity brothers moved in.

Around this time, we also changed jobs and the "affair" with the married lady ended.

The relationship with the flight attendant also ended and she started dating my new roommate. It was a tad awkward at first, but they were happy and there was another woman in our life, another woman going through a divorce and who we worked with. This got serious and at a point, she moved in.

And then the flight attendant moved in also. The four of us living together.. sort of cozy wouldn't you say!

Now, none of them could cook a lick, so that was my responsibility. One night it was late when THE COUCH arrived home from work, and when we walked in the three of them were smiling like cheshire cats. "We have dinner all ready, we wanted to surprise you, it just needs to be cooked."

Well this was a welcome thing, as the day had taken a lot out of us. So, walking into the kitchen something looks odd. They had "prepared" chicken parmigiana.

Only problem is they had layered raw chicken and covered it with cheese and gravy!

We ate very late that night as we had to take it all apart, clean the chicken and then start from scratch. It was the last time any of them were allowed in the kitchen except to clean up!

These were happy times.. but they would not last....

More to come...


Thanks for sitting on THE COUCH, hope you enjoyed your stay.


Remember .. Nets For Malaria - UNFoundation.org/malaria - find the big SI's Nothing But Net logo ... Or call 202.887.9040. Every cent goes to buying nets to place over the beds of children in Africa to stomp out Malaria. PLEASE HELP.

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.



ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND....


37 Of Your Sparks

  1. TopChamp Says:
  2. I'm internet explorer and I'm getting the dark blue background. Which is hurting my eyes so I'll read again when I get to work on my google reader.

    Just thought I'd comment to say hello while I can.. so Hello!

     
  3. Dana Says:
  4. Great story ... and I got to listen to Manhattan Transfer while I read it - even better!

     
  5. DrillerAA Says:
  6. It seems that several of the television shows are throwing their fans strange twists this season. I am a huge fan of CSI (the original) and last night they whacked on of the lead supporting actors! Then, on Without a Trace, the lead actor is told to clean out his desk! That can't be right.
    Have a great week-end.

     
  7. TOPCHAMP: Yup an IE problem

    DANA: Thanks glad you enjoyed

     
  8. DRILLERAA: I kind of saw that coming on CSI...as he walked out of the club...but not where it came from!
    Not a WAT fan especially with it up against LOST.

     
  9. Liz Hill Says:
  10. Have a great weekend sugar.

     
  11. TURNBABY: SMOOCH

     
  12. Travis Cody Says:
  13. I remember reading this. I was still an infant blogger back then.

    We actually have spring happening and it's right outside my door! Can you believe it? I better get out and photograph it, or nobody will actually believe me.

    Cheers!

     
  14. Julie Says:
  15. Very interesting stuff here dear man!

    Have a wonderful weekend!

     
  16. I remember this from before. Enjoyed reading your early adventures again. Ah, youth!

     
  17. Well done with "The Boy from New York City." I will have to stop in and read the other two parts.

     
  18. katherine. Says:
  19. yeah...I'm catchin' up and I'm Vista IE....which is my preference.

    The change happened for me the day I commented on it.

    reading in reader and then comin' over...

    on the donor program...I wonder if they have the same wait time after tatooing that blood donors have.

    The LOST curveball was not appreciated.

    I never had a room mate who could cook...sheesh

     
  20. Ken Says:
  21. Great story but very difficult to read with your new background.

     
  22. TRAVIS: HURAH for spring...go enjoy my friend

    JULIE: And you also enjoy the weekend...

    SONGBIRD: LOL MY adventures? I never said this was autobiographical!

    RWA: TY Sir hope you enjoy the others

    KATHERINE: Not sure about the wait time for tattoos...ummm have something new to tell us?
    LOL..I was stunned by the curveball... Jack...Claire... WOAH!
    I will cook for you anytime

    MICKEY-T: I think I made it better for all y'all

     
  23. KATHERINE: I'm catchin' up and I'm Vista IE....which is my preference. You are such a rebel! LOL
    I saw the other day a new definition for VISTA
    Virus
    Inside
    Switch
    To
    Apple

    heheheheh

     
  24. Ken Says:
  25. All Better! Thanks, I had to get real close to read the blue print about naked ladys and pimps, ha.

     
  26. DrillerAA Says:
  27. Whoa!!! I can see! I can see!
    thanks for the tweaking. Looks like the blue got lighter and/or disappeared.
    Glad you liked the mugs.

    Have a great week-end.

     
  28. MICKEY-T: And how can you miss the naked ladies and pimps...so I had to fix it!

    DRILLERAA: I replaced the dark blue with the gray ...Enjoy!

     
  29. katherine. Says:
  30. whoa......WAY better.

    thanks Vincent! (for accomodating the rebellion....smile)

     
  31. On IE here at the office and I see the gray with blue sidebars just fine.

    That was an awesome collection of memories, Vinny. Right up until the raw chicken :P

     
  32. KATHERINE: Glad it is better and to quell the revolution, sometimes you have to work from within!

    STARRLIGHT: Yup...I deleted the dark blue background...

    LOL..that raw chicken was true ...all true

     
  33. Vinny, thanks for telling me about my monitor's resolution... and thanks for the New York story - one lly interesting one in 8 million. Do you miss NYC? What a dumb question! Of course you must! :D

     
  34. The "Boy from New York City" was my fave! Thanks!

     
  35. THE TEACH: Mary...I have had others mention that and they all were set to 800 x 600 so that was easy.
    Yes, I miss NYC...but having someone here makes it easier...

    RUNNING: Well TY...And welcome to THE COUCH...

     
  36. leelee Says:
  37. YA IT'S GRAY!!

    Thanks Vinny!

    HUGS!!

     
  38. Fred Says:
  39. Totally agree with you about Firefox. Unfortunately, my posts will sometimes look a little out of whack when IE users look at them.

    I've never seen Lost. Am I missing something?

    Have a great weekend!

     
  40. Bud Fisher Says:
  41. Great feature! Looking forward to the next tale!

     
  42. j Says:
  43. I enjoyed reading this very much. If I were to write about my younger life and times it would be about as exciting as watching water drip. You on the other hand seem to have lived an interesting life!!

    Be blessed.

    Jennifer

     
  44. Meribah Says:
  45. Sounds like SOMEBODY has had an interesting life....;)

     
  46. Mimi Lenox Says:
  47. The grey is back. Yes!
    Now, can you help me figure out how to restore my page? PUHHLLEAASEEE???

     
  48. Tug Says:
  49. MUCH better! I have never had a problem with IE...so why change, huh? ;-)

    Have a great weekend Bond!

     
  50. Unknown Says:
  51. Wow - more, more! All my stories seem quite boring now :P

     
  52. Unknown Says:
  53. No, grown women are saying, "Gosh, he's cute, and I hope I get to meet him!" :P

    Wait - you're my computer guru, the guy I turn to for answers, and you're having problems? Isn't that one of the signs of the Apocalypse?

     
  54. TopChamp Says:
  55. I came back and spotted the change earlier - great thanks.

     
  56. Went to Coney Island today, Vinny. I put up some pix if you want to see them. Had Nathan's hot dogs... :D

     
  57. leelee Says:
  58. Great story..

    :-)

    HUGS!

     
  59. Jeff B Says:
  60. Hey Vinny, finally getting some time to do some catch-up. What a great story about your past. It's always fun to hear details, it helps to paint a bigger picture.

     

Music On The Couch