What Kids Dream

If you enjoy this blog please vote for it in Category #5 "Best Neighborhood Blog, " in the Village Voice 2010 Web Awards at this link:

http://polls.villagevoice.com/polls/nyv/webawards2010/

The 59th Street Bridge Song in Pictures

Walking to the river in 1967 took one minute from my 83rd Street stoop to the park drive. Our $64 rent included free deep fall sunsets that washed the 59th Street Bridge in last light colors.

Hello lamp-post, what cha knowin'?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KZi-aV0VTk

If you enjoy this blog, please consider voting for it in category # 5, "Best Neighborhood Blog," in the Village Voice's 2010 Web Awards. If you did vote, thank you, so much, Tommy

The link to vote:

http://polls.villagevoice.com/polls/nyv/webawards2010/

Village Voice 2010 Web Awards ~ Please Vote For "Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts," as Best Neighborhood Blog

The Village Voice is running a Web/Blog Award poll. One of the categories (#5) is "Best Neighborhood Blog."

If you enjoy my neighborhood story blog, " Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts." If you enjoy my pictures.

Please go to the Village Voice link below and vote for http://yorkvillestoopstonuts.blogspot.com/

thank you, Tommy

Here is the Village Voice link to their poll, please make sure you vote for "Yorkville Stoops to Nuts, in category #5 "Best Neighborhood Blog."

http://polls.villagevoice.com/polls/nyv/webawards2010/

History of the Village of Yorkville ~ Anthony Lofaso

My family’s history in Yorkville goes back to 1896 when my great-grandfather, Antonino Cuccia, came from Italy directly to York Avenue. Anthony Lofaso, my radio guest this Tuesday night has deeper Yorkville roots than I. Anthony’s family settled in Yorkville in 1900 and he’s written a terrific book, “Origins and History of the Village of Yorkville in the City of New York,” http://www.amazon.com/ORIGINS-HISTORY-VILLAGE-YORKVILLE-CITY/dp/1450019404 that takes you back to the area during the American Revolution, brings you forward to 1826 when the area was first officially referred to as Yorkville, and takes you through the rest of the century when the hamlet becomes a bustling urban center.

Before it was a thriving Manhattan neighborhood, Yorkville was a small village cut off from the downtown city, linked only by the Eastern Post Road (part of this road’s route was the future Third Avenue). Anthony’s book carefully tracks the growth of Yorkville from its modest village beginning through its explosive expansion in the last quarter of the 1800s.

Anthony and I will discuss Yorkville, the 19^th Century village, its’ growth, and ultimately, how transportation whipped it into the 20^th century.

Fun stuff, too. We both grew up in Yorkville and have lots to say about its characters, its places, and the many things left behind by Yorkville’s rich past that you only need to stop and notice. We’ll give you the clues and then we’ll point them out. Please listen @ Nov 9th @ Tuesday night @ 9pm @ Centanni Broadcasting Network link below.

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/id56.html

Halloween's Aftermath

Dad thought is was funny to take pictures of Mom sleeping. Mom got even, leave it at that.

On a 1961 night on 83rd Street right after Halloween, Rory & I were sent to bed at 9pm and 10pm. Mom fell asleep on the small couch, and Dad painted while he watched TV. I took one crack at sneaking back into the living room to watch more TV, but decided dealing with Dad or Mom coming out of her couch coma wasn't worth the trouble so I went to our bunk bed and listened to Bob Sheppard announce the ballplayers, and Mel Allen call the Yankee game in my head.

Rory was relentless. He returned to the living room over and over again, passing through the kitchen where there was a giant mixing bowl with the leftover Halloween candy, mostly chocolate, Mom & Rory were chocolate fiends. Mom looked over our trick & treat stash like she was Fagan and we were pickpockets on assignment. Dad was wise to Rory but lazy about picking him up and running him back in. Dad gave up if Mom was asleep. I got up to look into the living room and saw Rory settled in behind the couch with his head peeking out resting on his Crusader Rabbit stuffed animal. During a comedy, Mom woke when she heard Rory laughing behind the couch. She barked at my father, "Kick him in!" Dad got up and threw Rory over his shoulder heading back to our bedroom. Rory's butt was near Dad's nose, Dad smelled something and said back to my mother, " His ass smells like chocolate." Dad pulled the bottom of Rory's footsies down. Attached to Rory's thigh was a half-eaten Milky Way candy bar.

Giants 6-2, Cowboys 1-6

Tomorrow, at the end of the day, the Giants may have a five game lead on the Cowboys at the half way point of the season.

I was brought up not to gloat, all bets are off when it comes to Dallas. The best part of the end of the World Series, was once the Texas Rangers lost all the Dallas newspapers could refocus on the 1-6 Cowboys. Cowboys play the Packers tomorrow and though the Packers have played wishy washy, I'm expecting a strong game, because the Packers hate the Cowboys almost as much as the Giants do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-aKfTK2LiM

Deja Vu ~ Feel Like I've Been Here Before

I believe there is a point and time when your career fate is sealed. Your life's path is chosen. It happened early for me, but took 49 years to figure it out.

I'm a mechanical idiot. My cousin, Jimmy, taught me,"lefty loosey, righty tighty," seven years ago. Before learning this helpful rhyme I stared at screws, helpless, bringing myself to tears not knowing which way to turn the screw driver. I did know, if I went the wrong way, too hard, I'd strip the screw hole and mess everything up.

Above, you see me making a bathroom decision at two years old. Even then, I needed something to read in there. Faced with a choice between the practical "Popular Science," and "True." I chose "True," the man's magazine loaded with high adventure, sports profiles and dramatic conflicts. At two, writing was ready for me, but I'm plodder and I wasn't ready to write. But I was thinking about it.

I wish I occasionally grabbed a "Popular Science." Come Monday, Jimmy, his son, Matt & I are painting my Aunt Barbara's apartment in Elmhurst. I expect to be used as a water boy and everyone is right with this choice. Painting an apartment brings back a complex memory.

In 1967, my parents decided to paint our new place, they asked me to help. My father gave me a gallon of white paint and told me to do the closet in my room. Somehow, I got the ladder, the paint and me into the small space. It was hard to breath in there.

About an hour into it, I left the closet and asked Dad for more paint. He looked me up and down, went to the closet, shook his head like a horse, turned, shook his head in a downward motion towards me, walked to my mother in another room and said something. Mom came back to the closet, looked in it, looked at the empty gallon of paint, then walked over to her handbag and pulled a bill out, then came back to me and said, "Tommy, throw your clothes away, take a shower, here's ten dollars, go into the city and stay with your grandmother for the weekend."

I fear paint, I fear Monday. May God have mercy on my soul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bolzTSDdOa8

Jimmy, Peter, Tommy, Rory ~ Sparkle Lake ~ 1961

Slow Turning

Thank you to my old soul pals, Marie Sicari, Stefanie Demas & Stacey Kahn for being my guests on the Yorkville radio show on the Centanni Broadcasting Network. We got silly. Marie will be back in the near future as my co-host, and Stef & Stacey will be back to share their work.

Stefanie and Stacey are terrific writers ~ I promise you'll be reading their work in many publications. Stacey is an assistant editor at Epiphany Literary Journal, a prominent small press, an excellent submission target for young writers. Stefanie is an editorial reader there, and freelance writes and edits. Their bios are in yesterday's blog entry.

http://www.epiphanyzine.com/

Here are two tunes Stef & Stacey picked out for our show that fell off because we gabbed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEY6_jcrzI8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQHstA0cZDw

If you like to listen to last night's radio show please go the archive link or the main Centanni link:

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/id56.html

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

Pardon the technical issue on last night's show. We fixed it. We'll have no problem going forward, be well, Tommy

ps here are two for Marie & me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK2xD0bM5IA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UrueP3aM40&feature=related

Slow Turning ~ John Hiatt

When I was a boy,
I thought it just came to ya’
But I never could tell what’s mine
So it didn’t matter anyway

My only pride and joy
Was this racket down here
Bangin’ on an old guitar
And singin’ what I had to say

I always thought our house was haunted
But nobody said boo to me
I never did get what I wanted
Now I get what I need

Chorus:
It’s been a slow turnin’
From the inside out
A slow turnin’
But you come about

Slow learnin’
But you learn to sway
A slow turnin’ baby
Not fade away

Now I’m in my car
I got the radio on
I’m yellin’ at the kids in the back seat
’cause they’re bangin’ like charlie watts

You think you’ve come so far
In this one horse town
Then she’s laughin’ that crazy laugh
’cause you haven’t left the parkin’ lot

Time is short and here’s the damn thing about it
You’re gonna die, gonna die for sure
And you can learn to live with love or without it
But there ain’t no cure

It's a slow turning