Wishing You the Bluest Sky

Casey wishes everyone a Happy, Healthy & Peaceful New Year.

Casey's feeling poorly but she licked my nose for good luck (and because she loves me.)  As I left, Casey waved her paw at me with a little flip like a princess.

2015 will bring tons of new stories and photos from your Yorkville Nut. (me!) 

A win-win New Year resolution from Casey:

"Help someone in need, give it away, and you'll find better things."

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A few words from Monty the Bulldog who's still upset for not getting credit as the inspiration for the New Yorker cover below that followed Monty's portraits shown here on the blog in 2012.

Hello, Monty here, delighted to meet you. Thank you, to all my neighborhood chums who snagged a copy of Tommy's smashing memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." I hope his stories cheer you.

After you finish the book could you please write a few honest words about the book on Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble. 

You don't need to buy anything or give credit information to leave a remark. Your critique helps Master Thomas and your comments encourage others to check the item out. Please give it a shout.

Thank you, to the 44 readers who gave the book 44 five star ratings on Amazon, and the 19 readers who put 19 five star ratings on B&N.

The book is available locally at Logos Book Store at 1575 York Avenue; and online at Amazon, B&N, and other booksellers.

Cheerio!

Monty & his blue booties

Stoops to Nuts Wishes Everyone A Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from "Stoops to Nuts." I'm thankful for this past year. It's a short ride I do my best to acknowledge the brevity and embrace whatever time I'm given.

Thank you to all my neighborhood buddies who snagged a copy of my memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." I hope my stories cheer you.

After you finish the book could you please give me a few honest words about the book on Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble.
(You do not need to buy anything or give credit information to leave a remark.)

Your critique helps me and your comments encourage others to check it out. Please give it a shout.

Thank you, to the 44 readers who have given the book 44 five star ratings on Amazon, and the 19 readers who gave it 19 five star ratings on Barnes and Noble.

The book is available locally at Logos Book Store at 1575 York Avenue; and sold online at Amazon, B&N and other booksellers.

"I Hate the Dallas Cowboys"

Pat & Bob @ 12.31.67

John & Tommy 12.31.93

My New Year's toast goes out to Mom and Dad seen here on New Year's Eve 1967 dancing the night away (not really). And the toast continues with a pix from a great Maplewood New Year with the Harveys' many years ago that included a slew of balloons with paper fortunes in them that we busted at midnight, one fortune example:
In the near future you will make many new friends. Unfortunately, this will occur in prison.

Whiny TMR postcard

Here are two postcards I wrote to my parents during my two visits to Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp in Narrowsburg, New York in 1967 and 1968 ~ as you can read, by the second year at TMR I got the hang of it ~ Our Troop 654 out of St. Stephen's of Hungary on East 82nd Street was led by Al and Bobby Hauser.  We had a ball and those Boy Scout stories are on my stove. They include Sammy the Catfish, too many C batteries, too few Lps and one Panasonic portable record player, the Muck track, why Menesick and I out canoeing decided to ram and flip a war canoe in the middle of the lake filled with ten Brooklyn scouts singing "Kumbaya", one girl named Helen who lived on the other side of the lake, learning a large raccoon gets first dibs on my *Nanny Cuckoo's Bundt cake that came by mail, and cans of tuna sent by *Nanny Dutchie without mayo or a can opener.


*Nanny Cuckoo ~ had a German cuckoo clock and Mom loved calling her mother-in-law, Nanny Cuckoo, and telling Rory & I to do same.

*Nanny Dutchie ~ in the backyard of 1616 York Avenue the next door neighbor had a beautiful German Shepherd named, "Dutchess." Nanny Dutchie did not mind her nickname, unlike Nanny Cuckoo.

Getting the hang of it TMR postcard

Spooky Sleigh Ride @ Central Park

Toulouse, France @ 12.31.07

30 Rock Straight Up

Tommy & Rory, 1962, Bethesda Fountain

Casey & Tommy

Casey & Tommy

Fitness Regiment for Writing a Book

You know this book didn't happen by itself. 

First, Rory and I groaned through thousands of sit-ups, push-ups and we pumped iron. Our nightly assignment, crawling around the living room rug picking up lint pointed out by Dad while he sat in his chair and Mom yelled from the kitchen, "they're not goats, we have a vacuum, get off your bony ass." 

Without this JFK designed presidential fitness regiment (so Dad said), "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood," would be kaput.

It's on sale at Logos Book Store in Yorkville, or if you are not in the neighborhood buy it online at Amazon, B&N or other booksellers.

"If you like to laugh, move your ass." says Tommy's Uncle Mommy.

Casey, Ralphie (A Christmas Story) & Shepherd Wong from "What's Up Tiger Lily?" each gave the book five stars.

"I Hate the Dallas Cowboys"

Shepherd

Ralphie

Casey

Christmas Morning Clothing Rules

In 1960 Yorkville, it was considered good luck to wear all new clothing you received for Christmas over your pajamas (usually from one out of touch no nonsense grandmother who forgot or didn't care kids only wanted toys.) Here you see my new boring polo shirt. I later added two crappy sweaters and one pair of ill fitting dungarees to my outfit.

Support your local bookstore! Logos Book Store sold my book out and just got a new supply of "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys -tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." If you're in Yorkville and need a gift for the big kid in your life - go to Logos Bookstore, New York, New York - my book's the ticket. If you're not in Yorkville, then order it online at Amazon , B&N, and other online booksellers.


If you like Jean Shepherd's 'A Christmas Story" you'll love my book, promise. Amazon's been shipping it out 3-5 days. B&N about the same.

 "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood," 

is the perfect stocking stuffer for the big kid in your life.

Praise for the book ~ ( if you read it, please say a few honest words online in booksellers reviews section)

“Thomas R. Pryor has written a sweet, funny, loving memoir of growing up old-school in a colorful New York neighborhood. A story of sports, family, and boyhood, you’ll be able to all but taste, smell, and feel this vanished world.”
—Kevin Baker, author of the novels Dreamland, Paradise Alley, and Strivers Row

“Tommy Pryor’s New York boyhood…was the mid-century coming of age of all of us. A rousing read.”
—Robert Lipsyte, author and former city and sports columnist, The New York Times


“Pryor could take a felt hat and make it funny.”
—Barbara Turner-Vesselago, author of Writing Without A Parachute: The Art of Freefall


“Pryor burrows into the terrain of his childhood with a longing and obsessiveness so powerful it feels like you are reading a memoir about his first great love.”
—Thomas Beller, author of J.D. Salinger: The Escape Artist

“I wasn’t alive for the New York Thomas Pryor writes about, but thanks to his brilliant, honest, and hilarious book, I feel like I was there.”
—Dave Hill, comedian and author of Tasteful Nudes

Ain't Nothing But a Party ~ The J Geils Band

Peter Wolf and Richard Belzer may share genealogies. Saw The J. Geils Band last night at Westbury. They gave an advanced class in the College of Musical Knowledge. The year my memoir ends, I copped a ticket for J Geils at The Academy of Music. It was an 11:30pm show. Opening acts were Jo Jo Gunne & Frampton's Camel. J Geils came on at 1:45am and played for near four hours. When we left the place dawn was breaking on 14 Street.

Here's a link to a photo album from the concert.

 "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood," 

is the perfect stocking stuffer for the big kid in your life.

Praise for the book ~ ( if you read it, please say a few honest words online in booksellers reviews section)

“Thomas R. Pryor has written a sweet, funny, loving memoir of growing up old-school in a colorful New York neighborhood. A story of sports, family, and boyhood, you’ll be able to all but taste, smell, and feel this vanished world.”
—Kevin Baker, author of the novels Dreamland, Paradise Alley, and Strivers Row


“Tommy Pryor’s New York boyhood…was the mid-century coming of age of all of us. A rousing read.”
—Robert Lipsyte, author and former city and sports columnist, The New York Times


“Pryor could take a felt hat and make it funny.”
—Barbara Turner-Vesselago, author of Writing Without A Parachute: The Art of Freefall


“Pryor burrows into the terrain of his childhood with a longing and obsessiveness so powerful it feels like you are reading a memoir about his first great love.”
—Thomas Beller, author of J.D. Salinger: The Escape Artist


“I wasn’t alive for the New York Thomas Pryor writes about, but thanks to his brilliant, honest, and hilarious book, I feel like I was there.”
—Dave Hill, comedian and author of Tasteful Nudes

Ray Berry Got His Wish

Dad brought home a bulletin board when I was kid to pin up my sports heroes that I cut out of magazines and newspapers. Mom made him do it after saying to me while wagging her finger real fast, "I'll kill you if you put up one more piece of friggin scotch tape on the wall we just painted." Even though Ray Berry was the enemy this is my favorite quote. Mom offered to kill me many more times, you can read about it in my memoir when you get it for Christmas. "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood."

40 five star reviews for the book on Amazon

Don't Be a Ninny, Be a Loser

The Losers Lounge has inspired my writing since 1999. It took four years to write my first story and then I couldn't stop. Each show rich tales are laid out in song. If you want a creative push see the The Losers Lounge at Joe's Pub. Here is a photo album from Thursday night's Elvis Presley show.

Founded by Joe McGinty and Nick Danger in 1993 at the Pink Pony, the revue grew into a musical force when it merged with the Kustard Kings led by David Terhune (David formed the band in 1992.) Four to five times a year, the Losers pay tribute to a band or songwriter (sometimes two artists in a show down like the next show in February: The Pretenders versus Blondie.) Here's the plan: each night, 20 or more artists spill their guts on one song with the band behind them. Today, The Losers Lounge are brilliantly led by Joe McGinty and David Terhune on lead guitar in the Joe McGinty 7 (Kustard Kings merged into the 7.) The band roster changes a bit but the steadys are: Julian Maile, Jeremy Chatsky, Clem Waldman, Eddie Zweiback, Connie Petruk, Katia Floreska, Tricia Scotti, Claudia Chopek, Garo Yellin, Jeff Hermanson & Eleanor Norton clear your minds of worries with fabulous music at each show. The sensational Nick Danger continues to perform at each show.

My first Losers show at West Beth in 1999 blew me away. I followed the music to Fez under the Time Cafe, and later north across Lafayette Street to Joe’s Pub. Where they go, I go. Don't be a ninny, be a Loser. 

My memoir, “I Hate the Dallas Cowboys – tales of a scrappy New York boyhood,” is a great stocking stuffer.   

The book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and all other online booksellers.