So I had to move #TheMillenniumFalcon this morning… Well, I could wait until 3am when the time is up but if you wait till then, all the #ParkingSpots will be taken by #folks who have to endure this laboress chore every few days… If no one knows why we do this, it’s for street cleaning… Which is lovely to wake up to at 3am… lol.

Here’s a picture of my old spot taken from my new space under the #QueensMidtownExpressway… I’m on the corner of #ParkAve and #VanderbiltAve in #Brooklyn,NY… And it’s definitely not as nice as the Park Ave you are thinking of…

Right when I woke up I saw a huge space under the #bridge and jumped right on the opportunity before I did anything… One thing you learn quickly in #NewYork is that procrastination is an unforgivable approach… If you really think that space will be there in 5 minutes from now then you don’t know the laws and physics of #NewYorkCity… But you will learn quickly or fail miserably… It’s inevitable…

The #BucketOfBolts looks like it is parked on #LandoCalrissian’s planet… #CloudCity from #StarWars… I have not been bothered at all! Knock on wood… It’s noisy as hell but what do you want for free living in one of the most expensive cities in the world… I am flabbergasted and in total debt to my friend G for taking this approach… I would have never dreamed of this being so easy and care free if it wasn’t for G’s last minute suggestion…

So, I was still feeling a little rough this morning… Considering I only had a bowl of oatmeal and lost a good portion of my body fluids, I was feeling a lot better than I thought I would… To think, in my twenties, I used to do this shit almost every night… And I would go and work 10 hour shifts at CarolinesOnBroadway on top of it… The hardest job I have ever had…

On weekends we would work from 6pm to around 3 to 4 am, go out drinking after until like 8am, go to bed, get up and do it again… People would always ask me in #LosAngeles why I never went out… I would tell them because I did all of that to the 5th power in #Manhattan,NY…. I definitely burnt myself out on the drinking in my twenties and I definitely can’t keep up now!

So, I went and finished chores so I could launch off on Thursday morning… I had plans to meet my good friend RayRay at #CarolinesOnBroadway around 5… He was running a #NewTalent show and was going to be one of the last #comedians… I couldn’t wait to see his set because I knew him when he just started out as a comedian about 10 years ago… The last time I saw him on stage was about 4 years ago… I was excited to see his progression… His timing was impeccable by the way… Great set…

I went to a nice #vegetable&fruit store… The prices were quite reasonable and they had nice fresh produce… I also enjoyed two slices at a place called #Mario’s,Brooklyn… A recommendation from my friend G… It was as amazing as I expected it to be… It was nice to get something greasy and cheesy in my hollow, acidy stomach… It was a risk but one I was willing to take..

I cleaned the #Falcon, which smelled like stale beer farts, cigarettes and sour milk… How’s that for an atmosphere to wake up to… I sprayed, took out all of the linens, scrubbed and got it smelling normal again… There’s still a faint hint of the past debauchery but I think it’s more in my head than anything…

Here I am on #50th&Broadway… slowly making my way to #Carolines… Getting off that #subway at the #50th&8th stop on the #CTrain, brought back a flood of memories… How many times I walked to this job from around the corner.. Either rushing because I was late, walking as slow as I could because I was early or walking slowly because I was out that morning tying one on with my co-workers…

I started out at Carolines at the age of 24… I walked in looking for a job, any job… I met this manager named #BobbyFunaro, who would later hit a role on the infamous show #TheSopranos… He liked that I brought him my work resume and a head shot & resume… He laughed at me and said I have to hire you… So I started out as a #doorman and a challenging job that was especially in the #winter… Carolines was a very popular place… There was almost always a line down the block on weekends and you were the guy who was controlling it…

I would soon get a chance to prove myself with Caroline’s #HotelRelations… They offered #VIPSeating for any concierge’s guests they sent over and free tickets for the concierges’ who kept on sending us guests but their list of hotels was only 20… Well, I figured I would change this… I walked #Manhattan from 34th street to 60th street, each block from east to west… Now this was before the popularity of advanced #SmartPhones and #GPS’s… I figured if I walked up and down these blocks, I would hit every #hotel in the area…

Well, a good plan that was because I ended up adding 90 more hotels to the list, adding up to 110… A lot of hotels in Manhattan let me tell you… I would build relationships with the concierges and some weeks would get as many as 300 guests… That’s a sold out show in the showroom… Very useful when we had those rare slow weeks…

That would land me a job in the back office where I would work for a year, most of the time as #LouisFaranda’s assistant, the #EntertainmentDirectorAtCarolines…

I tell you, Carolines and #NewYorkCity forced me to grow a backbone… After, I decided office work was not a fit for me, I took 8 months off and then came back as a #waiter… I had little to no experince and you needed a resume to work at Carolines… But Louis, who is like a father to me, gave me a shot… He let me know it wasn’t going to be easy and the staff are like an army… strict, fast and no bullshit… Well, he wasn’t wrong… It was hell the first year but I kept to it and prevailed… I would work there for 6 years as a waiter until I left #NYC to move to #LosAngeles,CA…

It was great seeing everyone at Carolines… I saw Louis who gave me a huge hug and his cousin Lucille who watches Carolines while Louis retires for the evening…

After, I met my good friends at #Playwrights… The hang out every night when I was in my twenties… I could tell you stories that would blow your mind…. I should be dead by now… If I ever claim to have no luck, remind me of PlayWrights and I will shut the f%$% up! I could write stories about these #maniacs for hours… I will spare you such but will give short introductions…

I’m of course, the one on the left… Next to me is Louis… One of the best #bartenders on this planet and I don’t claim that lightly… When there was smoking at Carolines, yes I’m that old folks, Louis would have a lighter in each of his pockets… When a lady went to light her #cigarette, she would be interrupted by a friendly “Whoo,” a surprisingly graceful spin and a flame perfectly placed at the tip of her cancer stick… I had seen him light two women’s cigarettes at the same time, using both lighters, like a magician… If Louis was behind the bar you knew you were in for a good time… But the ladies had to watch out because Louis is one smooth Mother F%^&er and even on his worst day, always has some spare time to try to seal the deal…

Right next to him is Frankie… Frankie is a man from the streets… He never had an easy life and his street smarts showed it… A great guy who always chose to look at the more positives things in life instead of dwelling on the bad stuff… This maniac, who kept on buying #PatronShots for everyone, even though he quit drinking himself (My head thanks you Frankie!) was my confidant and demise combined in one… No matter what night it was, he would be up for going out… He would convince me to go play #pool with him after work… Well, I wouldn’t get out of that place until 11am… I would be smelling hot dogs being cooked as people went to lunch and I was just getting to bed, having to be up by 4pm to go to work… I used to flinch when Frankie would suggest to go play pool, knowing he would finally convince me and I would be out all night and half the next day…

Then last but certainly not least is my friend G… A nickname he aquired at Carolines but really doesn’t say much about the man… You would think he would be some sort of thug rapper with that name but he’s the complete opposite… He is by far one of the most intelligent people I know… He knows everything you could ever know about #films… and I’m not just talking about films from his time, I mean them all… He would visit me out in #L.A. and I have this older friend named Fred, who collects films and #HollywoodMemorabilia… His place looks like a museum… Now Fred is an expert on old films and once gave G a quiz on all of them… G got every single question right, completely shocking Fred and becoming someone Fred always asks about…

I will touch on Fred more when we go visit him in L.A… He is the kindest person on this planet… #MotherTheresa doesn’t even compare!

Well, we drank a lot… again! I am just as stupid as I was when I first appeared in this crazy city… It’s like my brains go out the window right when I cross the bridge into #TheBigApple… I would get to bed around 4am… No one had the energy for an after hours night… Age has taken its toll some…

I went to bed happy to see all of my mates… I love these guys… My friend RayRay was there also but I will get into his story when I take him #camping on Thursday… Yes folks, we are going to have a #ChewBacca in The Millennium Falcon… Not that he looks like him, just that he will be my right hand man… Goodnight…