Schenectady (two)

(Monday October 31)

Schenectady Two:

So after being away for a couple of days with my Spectrum News gig for last night’s political debate between Chuck Schumer and Joe Pinion, up early Saturday for a two hour drive and a 10am crew call at Union College up the Albany way in Schenectady, a crash at my Sister’s place later but only after two wonderful hours of just sitting at her kitchen table, catching up, telling stories, hanging with her four-fur, one-upping each other’s laughs, nephews Matt and Jacob getting home from their respective jobs in the middle of such including Jake bringing pizza from his new pizza thing, screw you old job, and amid arguments with Matt as to who is the best local pizza “that’s not REAL pizza!” joining the stories while getting Beck “I see you” evil eyes for giving Razzy (the sweetest of old girl Lab family constants) bits of my extra sandwich made from the free work lunch sandwich platter earlier and tucked away in my little seltzer water cooler for just this kitchen table sit down (unexpected pizza crusts to come with more evil eyes) and the ruining of all of Beck’s efforts to try and get Razzy to stop begging at the table … damn that Uncle Steve! … “but she has her awwwww chin on my leg Beck?! What am I supposed to do?!”, a 12 noon crew call yesterday finishing the overly annoyingly meticulous debate stage dressed/camera’s view set-up, check check check … more check check checks, did I mention check check checks? meeting part of a security detail who, future reference, I would always work my best to make sure to keep on the good side of if I could in a need be, maybe a dark alley where I’m a bit out of luck (a really big and really nice imposing fella who is a Ravens fan by the way I found, though I obviously would not hold that, as a Steelers fan, large dude with a coiled wire under his collar earpiece Raven’s fan thing against him (hell, I wouldn’t hold anything against him) then event/debate, a blah blah blah, nothing distinguished for either, though thankfully no Q, credit you that conservative guy, a finish and breakdown into multiple trucks while grabbing the best of shortbread jelly treats from the green room on my way out, a two hour back with a Mickey D’s fries and a too large coke in hand for the ride home, a make my way upstairs past the sleeping dog gang downstairs who don’t wake or bother with me, haven’t for years now in my sometimes late post gig nights like this, as they might with other driveway arrivals, loudly, usually, and there is a comfort in that, in that knowing, in that me being part of the gang and making it to a too long breathless a sentence here …

I don’t really do caffeine. Especially late. After long days. A wired tired tired.

So I made my way upstairs after a couple of days of being away, Celie doing me the best favor for a crazy cat lady guy of cracking a can for the two of mine Saturday while I was out.

Bella on the where the fuck have you have been?

A wait at the kitchen door, a rub and a boop on a button nose and a follow follow follow “dude, let me tell you cat things” follow follow follow.

Meanwhile waking Cricket the Blind to say hello on her Steve bed sleep spot with an under chin scratch?

She’s so excited it’s like I’m at a service for a dear lost Cricket cat friend.

I almost thought to buy flowers.