: Turning 25?
Hard as it is for me to believe, my kids – Josh & Hannah – are turning 25 tomorrow (if it wasn’t obvious, yes they’re twins). It’s still a little hard to accept the fact that I can’t pick them up, hold them in my arms and cuddle them. At best that would be a little strange, at worse it might get me arrested. But meanwhile, 25? In some ways 25 is the ideal age. I remember being 25. You’re all grown up, but you’re not old. When you turn 26 – then you start realizing that soon you’ll be thirty, and by then it’s all over – you might as well check into a retirement home.
Speaking of birthdays, here in the Korn-Heilner household getting the right birthday card has become sort of a competitive sport. Typically the conversations start a week before someone’s birthday .
“Did you get a card for [….]?”
“I got one but I don’t know if it’s good. Here, what do you think?”
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s not appropriate, he/she will not get the joke”
“I think I saw one at CVS last week that was perfect, but then I didn’t get it”
Etc
Etc
I think I’m partly to blame. I can’t resist the greeting card aisles. You can take me anywhere – to the supermarket, to a hardware store, to an antique shop filled with expensive and beautiful furniture – and I’ll end up at the greeting card rack. I’ve built up quite a collection over the years. It’s not really a hobby. I buy them, show them to my wife (unless they are intended for her) and then throw them in one of several drawers and forget about them. Who knows. Maybe one day they’ll be worth some money – like very rare baseball cards or comic books.
Needless to say this is not part of my retirement plan.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Nov 1, Saturday, 9:00PM-12:00 – Arthur Neilson and his Kick Ass Band, The Lincoln Inn, 13 Lincoln St, Jersey City (201) 659-8686
It’s been a long, long wait to get the opportunity to pay with Arthur. There are very few people on this planet for whom I will kick ass, and Arthur is on that short list. For those of you who are not familiar with him, Arthur is a phenomenal guitarist and singer who tours world wide with Shemekia Copeland (google her) and rarely gets to play locally with his own band – so this is a special occasion. The Lincoln Inn is a new venue for us North Jersey blues folks. I t’s in the heart of Jersey City Heights, it’s comfortable, and while the menu is small the food is good.
http://www.arthurneilson.com/
http://thelincolninnjc.com/
Nov 8, Saturday, 8-9:30 PM – Lunatic Fringe, Chatham Playhouse, 23 North Passaic Avenue, Chatham NJ, NJ Reservations: (973) 429-1527
Speaking of milestone birthdays, Lunatic Fringe is now in its 18th season which means it’s old enough to vote. Hey, and why not? If corporations have freedom of speech and religion, then comedy improv groups should have the right to vote. Anyway, this is a brand new (and very cool) venue for “The Fringe”. Come and laugh. Tickets are $12; $10 with a reservation. Seniors (hey that’s me!) and Students: $12; $10 with a reservation
http://www.lunaticfringeimprov.com
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53938723078&ref=ts
Nov 9, Sunday, 4:00 PM-7 PM – Shuffle, Jump, and Moan at Maxfields on Main, 713 Main Street, Boonton, New Jersey 07005 973-588-4450
If you’ve never been there, I recommend a sight seeing visit to Boonton. It’s at the top of a hill, and the downtown has these winding narrow streets that remind me of some towns in Italy. OK, maybe that’s a little bit of a stretch, but it’s still really neat. Maxfields is a cute location tucked in the middle of the block. The owners are music lovers and the food and vibe are great. SJ & M was in great form last week at Hat City and we’ll be full of energy, since this is the middle of the afternoon. You should be able to get home in time to catch most of 60 Minutes.
http://www.maxfieldsonmain.com/
November 22, Saturday, 9:00PM-1:00AM – Better Off Dead at The Great Notch Inn, Route 46, Little Falls (973) 256-7742
There was a neat write up of the history of the Great Notch Inn recently in Weird New Jersey magazine; it’s worth checking out. This place goes wa-a-ay back in time. VD King and Better off Dead do not go quite as far back, but they are a Great Notch institution. Come out and boogie – and work off a few pounds to get ready for Thanksgiving.
http://www.betteroffdead.com/home.htm/
http://www.agreatertown.com/little_falls_nj/great_notch_inn_new_jerseys_rockin_roadhouse_00089580