Dad's Paper Route

Mom & Cowboy Bob on 12.31.67

"The royal ass has been wiped!" Mom announced from the bathroom to Rory, me and our neighbors in the air shaft. In the kitchen, Rory and I drank Tang and ate burnt toast with lots of butter. Dad moaned to himself late for work in their bedroom.

Every morning, after Dad went to the bathroom, Mom examined how much toilet paper remained when he was done. If the household product was in a cardboard roll, Dad was out of control; Silver Foil, Wax Paper, Saran Wrap, TP, or paper towels. If he washed dishes of course he'd put too much soap in the sink and the bubbles exploded like a Las Vegas casino's fountain.

If the table needed drying, Dad swung out a roll of paper towel as his lasso, "Yahoo!", Cowboy Bob screamed. Around and around the roll would go, paper filling the kitchen sky like Chinese New Year. Mom went friggin nuts. Rory and I ducked.

All of it, came out of Mom's house money and the money never went up. Year in, year out, Mom made her case and Dad kept the allowance where it was, and he continued using the soap and paper products like he was auditioning to replace Shirley Booth in Hazel.

One rainy afternoon when we were pretty young, he gave Rory and I a lesson in wiping our butts. I kid you not, and Mom put him up to it because at the end of each day our underwear didn't smell that good sometimes.

Rory in 83 St tub

We sat on the edge of the tub, Dad took his position on stage at the front of the bowl.

"You see what I'm doing with my hand? See the way I'm rolling the paper around and around? That's what you do before you wipe. Cover your hand like a Civil War bandaged wound, only then, go in and finish the job."

Rory and I humored Dad with a quick nod, then gave each other a quicker look that said, "He's out of his mind."

Mom came in the bathroom at the end of the lesson, saw Dad's hand and said, "If you use that much much paper, I'll kill the three of you."

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If you would like to check out my memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood," it's available at Logos Bookstore, 1575 York Avenue, or buy it online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or other booksellers.

517 East 83 St bathroom in 2R in 2008, we lived in 4R

Yorkville Creperie Exhibits My Photography ~ Opening Reception @ Tues, Oct 1st @ 7-9 pm

Two nights ago it was cloudy at dusk and I walked through the bushes on the east side of Carl Schurz Park's 87th Street bridge leading to Gracie Mansion. The cloudy sky looked pleasing over the statue of Pan. 

Here are shots from there, the Drive inside Carl Schurz and the path leading out of the park at 84th Street and East End Avenue.

Yorkville Creperie at 1586 York Avenue is currently hosting an exhibit of my photography. The work will be on display through the end of this year. All framed work is for sale and my photographic prints are available for purchase @ Thomas R. Pryor Photography. There is a price list on the wall at Yorkville Creperie. The manager has a flyer describing the exhibit with the price list and my background. Please ask your Creperie server or the manager for a copy.

Also on display are photographs of the Creperie storefront and The Saloon storefront from 1960 and 1962 when they were known as Joe's Candy Store and the Old Timer's Tavern. One is my first photo of Dad and his pals in the bar looking out, and the other is my Dad's shot of my cousin Bobby, Rory and I on Christmas Day with my first two wheeler. That bike and Dad's camera kicked off my interest in photography when we rode all over Manhattan every weekend we could.

There's an opening reception for the exhibit on Tuesday, October 1st @ 7pm to 9pm next door the Creperie in The Saloon. Everyone is welcome, refreshments will be served. Come visit Yorkville, we'll have a nice time.

"Freedom" ~ Carl Schurz Park 1972 & 2013

"Freedom 1972" ~ having the Hockey Field in Carl Schurz Park all to ourselves. My pup, Sparky Lyle and me, running the length of the field over and over and over... then heading up to the playground and letting the water fountain know how we felt about her.








"Freedom 2013 - Carl Schurz Park in the July Rain" - our imperfect liberty is a gift, be grateful and share it with the less fortunate.



Our next "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts," show is this coming Tuesday, July 9th @ 6pm @ Cornelia Street Cafe. Our talented artists: Peter Aguero, Joey Novick, Debby Schwartz & Michael Schwartz with your host, Thomas Pryor. $8 admission includes a free drink. Time Out Magazine says, "Stoops to Nuts," is one cool thing to do.

The Only Living Boy in New York

When I stand behind a wondrous scene looking in, it makes me overwhelmed and alone at the same time. New York City does that. I like bitter with my sweet.  Here are photos from yesterday.

The Only Living Boy in New York ~ Paul Simon


Our next "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts" show is Tues, July 10th @ 6pm @ Cornelia Street Cafe.

Storytelling by Tricia Alexandro, Julia Greenberg, Jim Hawkins, Lisa Kirchner, Thomas Pryor & Debby Schwartz.

Summer is steaming, cool off, come down to the telling.

$8 gets you in with a free drink, too. A nice wash on a hot night.