Amici:
Today, June 1st, this handsome marathon running fella (pictured dancing with his lovely bride, Leslie) at their wedding this past September 11, 2010 gradumacates (Popeye speak) from Baruch with an MBA. Charles (not Charlie) delivers the goods on his Phat Dad’s 55th Birthday ... it’s a beautiful thing.
Don’t ask me WTF an MBA is, but I suspect it has to do with making fazools (legitimately) ... or at least under the guise of legitimacy ... whatever, the kid worked his ass off (going to school nights while working days and barely missing an opportunity to work OT when it was available) ... toss in a couple of marathons (Delaware and New York) and a sudden love of opera (that’s what I’m talking about) and what you have is Sir Charles of Stella. We’re all very proud of the kid. Today we’ll be at his ceremony at the Javitz Center ... I love me some gradumacational celebrationals ... that boy, he’s so edumacated ...
See, all very legitimate.
That’s a picture of my sister (his Aunt Del) and her dog (Lilly) on his shirt (what he wears when he runs marathons). We’re all proud of that too. Adele and Lilly both passed a few years ago.
She talkin’ to me?
Okay, I didn’t think so. Enough with that beast talk.
That’s what I’m talkin’ about ... out of work and no place to go ... but back to work? Bummer, dude.
Walking to Beethoven ... okay, so I’ve now finished four long Symphony Number 9 walks (up and down hills) in the heat of the day (an hour and nine minutes, start to finish) and although the shin splints were plenty painful come the evening, the pounds are melting off (oy vey, was that a softball served to Doc or what?) ... I’m coming down like a rocket ... 7 pounds down in 9-10 days; the combination of long-ass aerobic sessions (gym and walking) and really watching what I consume is definitely making a difference ... that or its cancer. Bottom line, I may just break three bills before my return from Shutter Island end of June.
It’s been a productive summer (thank you, Blank Rome) ... I finished a full-length 3 Act play about my crazy family ... I wrote a draft of one novel, junked it and started another (that one is just beyond the midway point and will survive--Jimmy (Bench Press) Mangino is back). I’ll be working on the literary novel in the MFA program (and hopefully won’t junk it ... again).
In the meantime, life is good. At 55, it could end tomorrow and I’d still be a happy Phat Dad ... forgetaboutit ...
And here’s a 3-Year Old Flashback interview from Gelf Magazine’s Non-motivational speaker series ... the Baltimore Noire Short Story (Ode to the O’s) ... click on this link and hear/watch the ugly one explaining Ode to the O’s ... and reading a bit from it ... 3 years ago ... check out the Pavarotti-like towel.
I will be slipping off the diet wagon this evening with a stop at our favorite Mexican joint for dinner and a few beers ... but then Thursday I’ll be back on the wagon with gusto.
And happy birthday to two hot tomatas in their own right, Florian Maas & Marilyn Monroe (us June 1st babies ... hey, what can I say)? We’re on fire ...
—Carmelo/Charlie/Knucks/Spiranza’s Sonny Boy ... the ugly one
