PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

A FUN DREAM LIKE MEMORY OF TEA TIME WITH ELOISE AT THE PLAZA HOTEL IN THE EIGHTIES...I WENT ON THE JAMES DEAN WALKING TOUR AND MET A FRIEND OF DAVID AND LENNY'S MICHELE GARVAL WHO LIVED IN THE VILLAGE...SHE OFFERED TO SHOW ME SOME SIGHTS WHILE I WAS THERE. I REALLY WANTED TO GO TO CONEY ISLAND SO WE WENT THERE ONE DAY AND WALKED AROUND...WE WENT ON THE WONDER WHEEL..I WANTED TO STAY THERE TIL NIGHT TIME CUZ I WANTED TO SEE ALL THE CARNIVAL RIDE LIGHTS ON AT NIGHT BUT SHE SAID IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS AT NIGHT THERE...I WAS DISAPPOINTED BUT I GUESS BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY....SHE HAD A LOT OF DOLLS AND STUFFED ANIMALS...SHE HAD AN ELOISE DOLL AND SUGGESTED WE GO FOR TEA TIME AT THE PLAZA HOTEL WITH ELOISE...THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING SILLY AND FUN TO DO...I DON'T REMEMBER FOR SURE  IF I ACTUALLY HAD TEA CUZ  MY PREFERENCE IS COFFEE BUT WE DID GO THERE FOR TEA OR AT TEA TIME WITH ELOISE AND SO MANY PEOPLE STOPPED BY OUR TABLE ASKING IF THAT WAS ELOISE WE WERE WITH AND TO SAY HI TO HER...IT WAS JUST A SILLY FUN TIME... I CAN'T STOP WATCHING IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU AND ONE PART IN THERE THEY END UP GOING TO THE PLAZA HOTEL WHICH BROUGHT BACK THE MEMORY OF GOING THERE ONCE  UPON A TIME WITH ELOISE  AT TEA TIME...IT WAS KINDA SURREAL AND DREAM LIKE SO I SUPPOSE THAT IS WHY THE MEMORY FEELS THAT WAY...

 I ASKED ALEXA WHAT TIME IT WAS

AND THIS WAS HER REPLY

IT'S GONNA BE A THRILLING THURSDAY

I HAVE TO WONDER WHY

IS SHE A FORTUNE TELLER NOW

WHAT A STRANGE THING TO SAY

I ASKED HER AGAIN

IT WAS THREE THIRTY FIVE A.M.

THEN ASKED FOR CHICAGO WEATHER

AND AFTER SHE ANSWERED

WENT BACK TO THE MOVIE THAT JUST ENDED

OR SO I THOUGHT

BUT IT STARTED PLAYING CHICAGO INSTEAD

I HAD JUST WATCHED GET SHORTY

WHEN I BACKTRACKED TO SEE WHY IT PLAYED CHICAGO

I SAW HERE IS WHAT I FOUND

SO GUESSING IT WAS WHEN I ASKED FOR CHICAGO WEATHER

ALEXA WENT THERE FIRST BEFORE SHE ANSWERED MY WEATHER QUESTION

HOW BIZARRE

WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY

IT STARTED AS A POEM THAT TURNED INTO PROSE

GONNA BE A WEIRD DAY I SUPPOSE

JUST WATCHED FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF AGAIN...ONE OF THOSE MOVIES I LIKE TO WATCH EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE CUZ IT'S SO FUN...I REMEMBER SEEING AN AD IN THE SUN TIMES LOOKING FOR EXTRAS FOR THE PARADE SCENE BUT I HAD DONE PAID EXTRA WORK AND KNEW WHAT WORKING CROWD SCENES WAS LIKE AND PREFERRED SMALLER GROUP WORK ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS UNPAID CUZ THEY COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY THAT MANY PEOPLE FOR A HUGE CROWD SCENE LIKE THAT SO I DIDN'T DO THAT MOVIE...IT WAS FUN TO SEE ALAN RUCK AND JENNIFER GREY IN THAT MOVIE. I USED TO SEE ADS IN THE CHICAGO READER ALL THE TIME THAT THE APOLLO THEATER WAS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER USHERS FOR PLAYS. I OFTEN THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THAT SINCE IT WAS ON THE WAY HOME ANYWAY FROM WORKING AT WATER TOWER MOVIE THEATER DURING THE DAY...WHEN I SAW AN AD ABOUT A PLAY CALLED ALBUM THAT HAD ADAM BALDWIN IN IT I RECOGNIZED HIS NAME FROM  THE MOVIE MY BODYGUARD CUZ WE HAD IT SHOWING AT THE THEATER I WORKED AT SO HAD SEEN IT A FEW TIMES AND ENJOYED IT AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE COOL TO SEE SOMEONE I HAD SEEN IN A MOVIE IN A PLAY. SINCE I HAD NEVER USHERED BEFORE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MOST VOLUNTEER USHERS JUST USHERED ONCE FOR A PLAY TO GET TO SEE IT FOR FREE AND THEN USHERED AT OTHER THEATERS TO SEE OTHER PLAYS FOR FREE.. I FOUND THAT OUT MEETING OTHER VOLUNTEER USHERS THAT CAME TO SEE THE SHOW. WHEN I FIRST SIGNED UPTO USHER I ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD USE SOMEONE ON MONDAYS WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE A MONDAY SHOW BUT DCOULD USE ME ON WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS SO SAID OK...SO I USHERED THERE TWICE A WEEK UNLESS THEY NEEDED USHERS ON SOME OTHER DAYS I WOULD COME AND HELP OUT CUZ I REALLY ENJOYED THE PLAY AND USHERING WAS FUN. I LOVED THE MUSIC IN IT...A LOT OF MY FAVORITE MUSIC WAS IN THE BACKGROUND PLAYING IN THAT SHOW CALLED ALBUM. WHEN I SAW IT ADAM BALDWIN WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE CAST I HAD SEEN IN A MOVIE...THE OTHER THREE I HAD NOT SEEN IN ANY MOVIES YET...SO IT WAS FUN TO SEE ALAN AND JENNIFER IN FERRIS BUELLER... MEGAN MULLALY WAS THE FOURTH CAST MEMBER. I HAD SEEN HER AND ALAN IN A PLAY AT DRURY LANE  WATER TOWER AFTER ALBUM WAS OVER...AN OLD THEATER PAL FROM WHITNEY YOUNG ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE FOR THEATER PROGRAM WAS IN THAT PLAY TOO DON FRANKLIN HAD PLAYED DEATH IN ON BORROWED TIME WITH ME IN H.S. I PLAYED GRANNY....I WAS ALWAYS FALLING INTO THEATER JOBS. I WOULD START OUT VOLUNTEERING AND END UP GETTING HIRED TO WORK THERE...AT APOLLO THEY ALWAYS SAID AS SOON AS THEY HAD AN OPENING THEY WOULD HIRE ME TO WORK THERE ON SOMETHING AND MY FIRST PAID JOB THERE WAS WORKING PROPS BACKSTAGE ON TINTYPES...I MOSTLY DID ASSISTANT HOUSEMANAGING AND WORKED BACKSTAGE ON A FEW SHOWS THERE AND DID COAT CHECK AND EVENTUALLY BOX OFFICE DURING THE DAY AND HOUSEMAAGING AT NIGHT. I WAS ALWAYS DOING POSTERING AND PASSING OUT FLYERS FOR SHOWS TOO...I USED TO SAY I WORKED PART TIME FULL TIME....I USED TO HAVE THOSE HALLMARK LITTLE SCHEDULE BOOKS TO WRITE DOWN WHICH DAYS I WAS AT WHAT THEATERS TO KEEP TRACK OF MY CRAZY SCHEDULE... APOLLO THEATER WAS THE MAIN PLACE I WORKED THE MOST DOING THE MOST DIFFERENT THINGS BUT ALSO HOUSEMANAGED SOME SHOWS AT THE THEATER BUILDING AND DID RUNNING CREW ON ONE SHOW THERE...I DID BOX OFFICE AND HOUSEMANAGING AT IVANHOE LATER CALLED WELLINGTON THEATER AND THEN BRIAR STREET THEATER AND SUBBED AT A BUNCH OF OTHER THEATERS...I DID A LOT OF FILM EXTRA WORK ON MOVIES AND TV. I RAN INTO A LOT OF THEATER PEOPLE ON FILM SETS AND FILM PEOPLE AT LIVE THEATERS...WE ALL WENT BACK N FORTH BETWEEN THOSE PLACES...I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF WORKING IN THEATER AND FILM. I MISS THOSE DAYS. WHENEVER PEOPLE WOULD COME UP TO ME ON THE STREET SAYING HI AND KNOWING MY NAME IF I DIDNT RECOGNIZE THEM I FIGURED THEY WERE EITHER A VOLUNTEER USHER OR EXTRA OR FILM OR THEATER PERSON OR MAYBE A JAMES DEAN FAN....IT USED TO BOTHER ME WHEN PEOPLE KNEW WHO I WAS AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHO THEY WERE OR WHERE I KNEW THEM FROM...I ALWAYS FELT LIKE IF THEY KNOW ME I SHOULD NOW THEM TOO...I USED TO THINK I WANTED TO GET INTO ACTING BUT JUST BEING AROUND IT WORKING ON FILM SETS IN THE BACKGROUND DOING EXTRA WORK OR WORKING IN LIVE THEATER JUST BEING A PART OF IT WAS FUN FOR ME...IT'S FUNNY WHAT  WATCHING DIFFERENT MOVIES MAKES ME THINK OF...BRINGS BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES...ANYWAY I LOVE FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF AND IT IS A FUN MOVIE TO WATCH EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE. I ALSO LOVE THE VERY END WHEN FERRIS SAYS ARE YOU STILL HERE IT'S OVER GO HOME...I WAS ALWAYS ONE TO SIT THROUGH ALL THE CREDITS AT THE END OF THE MOVIE AND STAY TIL THE VERY END SO IT WAS A FUN BONUS FOR ME...HA HA...OH YA IT WAS ALWAYS FUNNY TO ME WHEN  USHERS WOULD ASK ME WHAT MY REAL JOB WAS....LIKE YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A JOB YOU GO TO IN AN OFFICE OR SOMEPLACE THAT FEELS LIKE WORK AND YOU DREAD  GOING TO...HMMM...I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I SPENT MOST OF MY LIFE WORKING IN THEATER AND FILM AND MOVIE THEATERS TOO WHICH WERE ALL FUN  PLACES FOR ME TO BE AND I ENJOYED EVERY MIINUTE OF IT. I LOOKED FORWARD TO BEING THERE. I WAS ALWAYS FALLING INTO JOBS TOO WHEN I DID VOLUNTEER WORK...LIKE AT THE CHICAGO THEATER WHEN IT FIRST WAS A LIVE THEATER AGAIN AND I USHERED FOR A LOT OF STUFF THERE TO SEE FOR FREE THEY HAD A FANNIE MAE CANDY STAND IN THE LOBBY FOR AWHILE AND OFFERED ME A JOB THERE TO WORK THAT...HA HA...I REMEMBER ONCE GETTING A BETTER RAISE AT THE APOLLO DOING ASSISTANT HOUSEMANAGING AND SUBBING WHEN I MENTIONED I MADE MORE MONEY SELLING CANDY IN THE LOBBY AT THE CHICAGO THEATER THAN I DID HOUSEMANAGING THERE...I EVEN USED TO VOLUNTEER AT A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD FESTS AND FOUND OUT CHICAGO SPECIAL EVENTS HAD WHAT THEY CALLED PAID VOLUNTEERS WORKING THE GATES AND BEER TENTS AND STUFF...SO I DID A LOT OF THAT SEASONALLY TOO...GONE FROM VOLUNTEER TO PAID...IT WAS INCREDIBLE HOW I WAS ALWAYS FALLING INTO PAID WORK THAT WAY...OK ENOUGH RAMBLING HERE...THANKS FOR JOGGING THESE MEMORIES FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF MOVIE...

I am about to watch Wargames that I haven't seen in ages...I know it has  Ally Sheedy and Matthew Broderick in it and that I enjoyed the movie but the main thing I remember about it is that it was playing at  Water Tower Place Movie Theater where I worked at least a few years or so and one night I was working concessions John Travolta came to see that movie...it was the last movie of the night and I waited around for it to get out to meet him...I had a five page letter to him I kept in my locker cuz I figured if I ever ran into him it would be downtown somewhere and I  shook his hand and gave him the letter and he thanked me for the letter...his eyes sparkled when he smiled and he was very  nice. I used to have a scrapbook with pictures and articles about him and threw it out shortly after that. He could not have been any nicer and I thought that a strange reaction but it took meeting him in person and realizing I didn't really know him to get over the scrapbook  phase....I got most of that stuff from friends in h.s. who got those teeny bopper magazines and would give me the articles about him or pictures. I never bought any of those magazines myself...I remember my senior year in H.S. I had all theater classes at Whitney Young Magnet H.S. in the Access to Excellence Theater Program which it was the first year of that program when I was a senior... but had to have a fourth year of English  so I had creative writing and had done a term paper on him and kids in school thought I knew him cuz I knew so much about him from all those articles I read and stuff...prety funny...I even had a Vinny Barbarino poster on my wall from Welcome Back  Kotter I used to watch all the time...I remember going to see him in Carrie when I was too young to get in to see it...I went with a friend the same age as me and my sister almost a year younger than me less than a year by  four days...They both sheepishly went up to the box office to ask for a ticket and were refused by the box office attendant...I walked up acting confidently like I belonged there and was old enough and said that's OK they're with me...three please and we got in...ha ha....I always looked young for my age so it was the matter of fact way I asked for the ticket that worked...my acting skills ha ha....then again too young for Saturday Night Fever I went with a H.S. friend who was old enough to get in and she had a second I.D. for me but they didn't even ask to see it probably cuz I was with her. I remember other girls from our school tried to get in and wore lots of makeup and dressed fancy and everything and they didn't get in and were mad that I got in and they didn't...cuz I never dressed up just jeans and a Tshirt and always looked younger than I was...anyway...that movie makes me think of the time I met  John Travolta when he came to see it...I always knew I would meet him one day just didn't know when or how....ok rambling with memories off to watch the movie now...

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE MOVIE U TURN...IT'S A MEGA DOSE OF MURPHY'S LAW...ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER AND THE HITS KEEP COMIN... IT STARTS OUT ON THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE  WITH A SONG SINGING IT'S A GOOD DAY...NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH....IF  THAT'S A GOOD DAY I'D HATE TO SEE A BAD ONE...IT FEELS LIKE KIND OF A DREAM LIKE STATE...LIKE LIVING IN A NIGHTMARE...INTERESTING TO WATCH  NONETHELESS EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE...SEAN  PENN STARS IN IT...SOME OF THE INTERESTING CHARACTERS HE COMES ACROSS THAT I RECOGNIZE ARE  PLAYED BY NICK NOLTE AND JENNIFER LOPEZ AND BILLY BOB THORNTON...LAURIE METCALF FROM STEPPENWOLF IS IN THERE TOO AT ONE POINT...IT'S A TRIPPY UNUSUAL FILM FROM THE EIGHTIES WHRE I OFTEN GET LOST...LOST IN THE EIGHTIES...IF YOU EVER THINK YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY WATCH THIS MOVIE...YOU KNOW HOW YOU HEAR COULD BE BETTER COULD BE WORSE WELL THIS  SEEMS WAY WORSE THAN ANYTHING COULD BE....INTERESTING ESCAPE YOU WANNA ESCAPE FROM...CAN'T HELP BUT WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT...IT  GOES FULL CIRCLE ...CHECK IT OUT IF YOU GET A CHANCE.