Early October, Bastard Style

This is my busy season- between the annual resumption of my volunteering gig, and the busy month at work, I typically leave the house around 8 A.M. on Saturday morning bearing so many bags, an observer would think I was leaving for a week. I typically drag my ass home around 1:30 or 2 A.M. Sunday, looking like four miles of bad road.

Today has been an especially beautiful day- the weather has been pristine. I got to my typical parking vicinity, and found that all the spots were taken. There were a lot of charter buses, which had shuttled cross-country runners from the entire tri-state area to Van Cortlandt Park. Running in the park is a ritual for all local distance runners- I run a tab- the park is also where this stalwart fellow would go to beat his balls with a club. Of course, this did not help me find a spot by the 238th St Station, so I drove south so I could pick up the subway at 231st St. The 1 train wasn't running north of 168th St, so I took the free shuttle bus to 207th St and hopped on the A train.

After the gig, I walked out on a cloudless, mid-seventies degree day. I walked north to Central Park, which was packed with people commemorating the 70th anniversary of the birth of John Lennon. The Merchants' Gate plaza was packed with people, many wearing "IMAGINE" t-shirts. I felt a minor pang as I entered the subway station- to be underground on such a lovely day was a shame, but duty beckoned (as I reckoned). The A train is a much quicker ride than my beloved 1 train, so I arrived at the Bronx in a trice, and was able to get to work on the early side.

Work has been pretty hectic, hence the tardiness of my post. Today has been one of those days when everything seemed to be pushed back an hour, and I have been running around more than usual. A month now, all this will seem a blur, and I can settle back into routine (although the 8AM to 1AM slog is pretty typical of my entire mid-fall to late winter reality).

I'm not kvetching, though- work is good, and my co-workers are fantastic. I always joke about my job being extremely cushy, except when it's not... this is just the "not" season.

Before I sign off on this rambling post, I just want to say that, in honor of the John Lennon anniversary, I'll post one of my favorite Beatles songs... for all the good people in the "IMAGINE" t-shirts:





I primarily dig this song because it has a real "proto alt-country" vibe, much like another Bastard favorite, the 'Stones' Dead Flowers. While most commercial country music is utter crap, I tend to love the alt-country stuff.