“Why don’t we do this tomorrow?” I was happy in my SRO room on West 11th Street.
“B
Last January my good friend Alan Lage passed into eternity after a long life on planet Earth.
I was listening to the Youngbloods’ GET TOGETHER and thought back to meeting ‘Jim Rockford’ on Moonlight Beach in the summer of 1974. We remained friends all that time and beyond and I had the luck to see the old hippie weed-grower in his native state back in 2009. My travel companion, Brock Dundee, loved meeting “Jim’ and his son.
“He is a real American.”
And so much more.
One of his last request was that we don’t eat meat.
Today is for you and hopefully tomorrow.
Rockford, wherever you are my thoughts are with you.
To hear The Youngbloods’ GET TOGETHER please go to the following url:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ9xUE4TvRAecause I’m not spending another night in this dump.” My hillbilly girlfriend hated the warped linoleum floors and sweating wallpaper. The twenty-one year-old had just graduated from an art college in Ohio. This was the actress’ first summer in New York. It was my second.
“It’s not that bad.” A slight breeze was crawling through the single window.
“Only because you’re near-sighted.” Alice threw a bag on my chest. Her eyes were two different colors; green with tints of red. The latter was the color of fire. “Start packing.”
“Okay, okay.” I crawled off the soggy mattress and we loaded my books, clothing, stereo, and a black-and-white TV into five boxes. The clerk at the desk gave back my security.
“I get us a taxi.”
The driver of the Checker was reluctant to head into the East Village.
“I’ll give you a good tip.” I loaded the boxes into the trunk.
“I’m not going into Alphabet City.”
“No one said that you needed to go there.” I signaled for Yanne to get in the Checker before the driver changed his mind. He looped around the block to 12th Street to turn down 5th before heading east on 10th Street.
“Easy.” I kissed her.
“Happy to be out of there.”
“Happy to be with you.”
Happiness doesn’t last long in New York.
The driver