In what I’m guessing was summer 2003 (I was a new cellphone owner, and we were at war with Iraq), my friend-since-junior-high Jeff was visiting from San Francisco. We would be meeting up later with our other friend Steve. I was greatly looking forward to the day. The only problem: I lost my voice!
I decided to use a yellow notepad to communicate that day. The following are my comments from the recently unearthed pad. The questions that prompted my comments, and the replies to them, have unfortunately been lost to history. But if you’ve ever wondered what men really talk about, here is a primary source.
• I’ll try to rest my voice for a while. I text-messaged Steve—asked him to be here at 5.
• Cheesesteak? After:
—ATM
—Record store
—Call Steve
• All hippies! I am in a left-leaning field, so everyone is anti-war. But NYC + SF are ultra-liberal.
• What new dishes have you perfected? Any friends on the Atkins diet? It’s popular here.
• I dropped some carbs/sugars from diet + lost 10 lbs. w/ regular exercise.
[Question must’ve been: “Have you written about this place—Piccolo’s—for the New Jersey section of the Times?”]
• [Former roomie] Joe did, a few years ago, in an overview of NJ cheesesteak places. I was waiting to pitch a feature article on their 50th anniv. But my Hoboken rival recently wrote one of the 300-worders!
• How long is train trip to Providence?
We’ll look it up on amtrak.com.
• So, Steve sent me a text message. I didn’t pay for that feature, so I don’t think I can reply from my phone. But I can reply from the Web? i think. I have no idea how this stuff works.
• Maybe HE pays for it. Or maybe you can send a short message for free. I need to read the instructions! I am usually able to figure out technology intuitively but now I’m lost!
• I read about [Dictators’ 1978 album] “Bloodbrothers.” Some called it a “sellout” but [critic] Cub Koda thinks it is their best. Springsteen sings backup on Let’s Twist.
• Probably like some people hate that very-listenable MC5 album?
• Polyphonic Spree LP has 10 “sections”—not songs—without titles. #10 is just electronic noodling. The rental car CD player timer couldn’t understand songs over 10 minutes—it went on for 30, I think.
• This girl is too pretty for this guy in baseball cap!
• She’s Latina, I think.
• The downstairs one is good—old vinyl, etc.—but kind of creepy.
• He’s a creepy old collector guy. Could be us in 20 yrs.
• Try half.com—no bidding—owned by ebay, of course.
[Now we are with Steve at Brooklyn’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in Edgewater, NJ.]
• I like meat toppings.
• What’s your fave meat?
• Patsy’s of Harlem still exists.
Grimaldi’s of Brooklyn still exists.
A 2nd Grimaldi’s is in Hoboken.
• This place is not “officially endorsed” by the family—and they probably do not have a “traditionally-built” brick oven.
• East coast girls are hip; I really dig those styles they wear.
Oh come on! Don’t keep us guessing! What IS your fave meat? Mine’s tofu.
Pizza-wise, at least at the time, sausage was my absolute favorite. Since then, meatball has been a contender. The occasional pepperoni is real good–though apparently not the one I had two nights ago (and counting)….
My favorite meat is big red dog.