Get Back Honky Cat
Do you ever have one of those days? You go way back. Get back. Way-back machine. Yet it all seems to come full circle. Or parallelogram. Or whatever.
First we must go back to yesterday. Because that is where today really started.
At 3:40 yesterday the boss says to me “Where are you going to be at 7:55 tomorrow morning?”
Aw, well, I, no fool, full well know the answer to this. You see we had an All Hands scheduled for 8:00 this morning. You know, where you show up with all of your hands. (Or, as someone said to me last night - “An all hands at 8:00? I guess you need “all hands” to hold your face up.” Yes, now you understand.)
So I said, “I will be parking my car behind building 9. No actually, I will be turning from River Oaks onto Zanker and two minutes away from parking my car behind building 9.”
You see, I am not a morning person. And my boss full well knows and appreciates this. Yet I am NEVER late. NEVER. If I am late, there is a problem. Like I am dead or deathly ill and about to be dead. Call the authorities. I’m just sayin’.
Now we are on today.
At 7:43 I’m driving to work. This is exactly one hour earlier than I drive to work on any other day. The radio is also one hour earlier. There is a trivia question about some tenor sax player who did this and that and tried to steal Ella Fitzgerald from Chick Webb and what all ,but it’s a bit too early and the mind cannot compute. Then there is music to help you figure out the answer.
The first song is good. Never heard before but like. The second song I know. And the third song reminds me of Open the Door Richard. But it’s not Open the Door Richard. Oh, you remember Open the Door Richard. But I haven’t thought of Open the Door Richard in some time.
And I think - “wouldn’t it be funny if it was Open the Door Richard? I’d have to text John.” (John being Deborah’s boyfriend who has a thorough appreciation for Open the Door Richard. But perhaps more thorough for More Beer. Oh, you definitely remember More Beer.)
But I’d forgotten about More Beer.
So I turn the car from River Oaks onto Zanker at 7:51. (4 minutes early. YES! NEVER LATE!) Then into the back of building 8 and park behind building 9.
So long Richard or whatever.
Cut to many many hours later and I’m leaving 7. (OK, I know you’re shocked. Whatever.)
It was hot today and I didn’t want to put the top down getting there at 5:30 in 95 degrees and black pants but thought that it was going to be a great night to drive home roofless.
And right I was.
So I reclined the roof and the radio was playing Jazz at Lincoln Center. Only it was Bill Cosby with Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Perhaps the Cos deserves a post of his own, but I have very fond and very distinct memories of my parents playing his standup on records (yes, I said records) when I was a kid. I was maybe 8 when this started. Long LONG before The Cosby Show. You know, when the Cos was actually funny.
We would just laugh our asses off. There is something about his comedy and just LISTENING not seeing it. He tells a story so well that I think it’s funnier if you only hear it.
So I’m driving through downtown SJ with the top off and the Cos turned up full blast talking about wanting 15 cents for some box top and the demons and whatever and cracking up.
Then.
Then KCSM pauses for a station break. You know, just one of those short identification things. “This is KCSM. Blah.” Finished.
Except.
EXCEPT.
They follow it up with
………..
Open
the
Door
Richard
(Yeah, I don’t get the fish at all. But whatever. You get “the picture.”)