Today was the type of day that moved so slowly that there were times I would’ve sworn that it moved backwards. I just wanted the day to end. I had no evening obligations so I felt very hopeful at what I might get into. Today was also the most perfect day this June has seen. I wanted nothing more than to be in it.

On the way home I began to think up some sort of errands that would include minimal contact with the public and maximum contact with the outdoors. I came to mowing the lawn for Sarah. We went shopping for garden supplies last weekend. We opted for a lawnmower that used no gas or made any sound. It is one of those vintage mowers that have the blades going round the axle like a staircase. A little out dated and not nearly as effective, but we will not disturb a soul. Perfect!

To round off our oil defiance, we bought the power operated weed-wacker. So I got outside and got to cut things, pruned the tiger lily bush and edged the yard in the back. It looks great and was completely satisfying to manicure something while having the sun on my back. Yard work has always appealed to me. A sense of Zen the liberty to create is pretty much all I need to be wholly content.

When I was in my late teens I had a job landscaping with a good buddy of mine. It was a great job, we did huge accounts and we rode the mowers then. They had 36″ decks and we stood atop a little wheel trailing from the back with foot racks on either side. It was a fun ride, especially when you would hit a tree root either knowingly or completely off guard. At lunch, Jason and I would climb the nearest tree with our lunches, get high, eat and laugh, then put in a couple more hours riding the “SCAGS” and riding out our buzzes watching the sun set. Good times…

Last night I received a rather amusing e-mail from Rita, my largest fan to date in Pennsylvania. She found this photo of me while surfing the net and wondered if my eyes really were different colors. Totally genuine, I’m really surprised the people at Rascal didn’t have acfew words with me, for changing my eye color in one eye. But as you remember from my tattoo mid way through the making of “Bolt” I like to push the buttons and tug at the limits a bit.

The broccoli stems turned out to be amazing, by far the best part of the meal. I peeled the outer skins off to where the flesh was a light green color and no brown hues remained. They took about as much time as the squash, 6 mins. total. What was surprising was the texture, a rich fibrous firmness you would get with a sweet potato. Broccoli has an already inherent buttery taste, at least to me it does, and the stems were a perfect reflection of that. They kept their shape and were able to be cooled and chopped with ease for this afternoon’s lunch time wraps for me and Sarah. The grill itself is my new best friend. We have started a relationship. This being my first time with gas I have a little to learn; like what my Med High is vs. its Med High. All in good time, but for now I must endure the occasional dry chicken and scorched portabellas.

This afternoon I was required to work Lunch. The city has pretty much emptied out as far as those 9-5 ers go so I knew we would not be at our busiest. At 11:30 the other server came into the back and said “OK, were either going to pick a number or draw straws”.

“Why”, I replied.

“So we can see who goes home”.

“Why can’t I just go” I asked surprisingly and persistently.

“Because I want to go, too” he shot back.

Damn! Alright then, we were going to settle this diplomatically with a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. I said, “Best out of 3?” He seemed fine with that. I love that game and usually win. This time was nothing unexpected. I was out the door at 12 noon. I had my bed to pick up and wanted to get a haircut; plus I had some Jalapeno peppers that were going to go bad if I didn’t create some sort of salsa soon.

I walked into the Futon shop to pick up the bed I ordered yesterday. I was met with an enthusiastic smile and “Hello” from the guy behind the counter. Surprised and happy to receive such a warm welcome I matched his gusto. When he walked me outside to put the box into Milo’s bed he offered his hand and said “It’s really good to meet you.” I said sort of cautiously that it was nice to meet him as well.

“Welcome to Boston” he said. At this point I knew that I had been recognized and he was a fan. I totally forgot all about it. I often forget about it these days; especially being out of CA and in a place that I consider home. The people who knew me in the BJ (Before Johnny) years live here so I have pretty much put that personality on the back burner for now until someone makes a comment or compliment. My Mother has always said to make sure that you are always nice to people b/c you never know who knows who. She was speaking more to being Italian and having a very well known last name and being in a well known family. That aside, that same knowledge applies to my life right now perfectly.

So that little video I did out of boredom in SF to “Spellbound” has created some sort of stir. Last word was that if a video is ever done, I will be dancing in it. That’s HOT!!!!! You have to love the internet. I know I do. So a shout goes to my gal Sherrie Lea and the writer of that great little ditty, James Collins. Thanks for showing such interest in the video and keeping me and Boy Wonder in the loop. For those of you in Canada, check out About Magazine next month for a small piece about the Spellbound buzz I accidentally created.

I spent the weekend on the Cape getting my summer place ready for occupancy. I have a deal with my roommate here in Boston and my good friend, also here that involves the sharing of the place among the three of us. It’s a common occurrence for summer rentals; friends renting it out to others, switching weekends, etc. I have the convenience of having it during the week if I choose. They are both 9-5 ers, inaccessable during the week, in addition, my job is such that I can easily give away a shift or have somebody paid off to take it. I love my job(s)!

We had hoped for a weekend of cleaning, reminiscing, planning cookouts and sitting on the beach letting the Atlantic air come through the windows and sweep away the winter stale. Instead we sat indoors and fought back the Atlantic rain as it came through the windows. Oh well. It made for a day of jumping into puddles and strolling through town, unfortunately we were not the only ones looking to spend the afternoon like that. Not a big problem, I can share and play well with others. I do have a problem though, with people who are so unaware of those around them that they end up being a nuisance.

Umbrellas. A nifty tool and a must-have for city living. Also a convenient, unintentional weapon in the hands of the chronically oblivious. Upon opening the umbrella, does the brain close even further? The reminder of not only those sharing your space, but for the 5 foot long plastic rod and the 3 foot diameter dome atop it should be administered through electro shock therapy and severe cash penalties. People were swinging those things around in an alarming manner. The times that I came close to losing one or both of my eyes began to happen so frequently, I actually feared for my sight! I asked Sarah if perhaps we should retreat home. She agreed and we ducked underneath a huge Lady bug sticking out from the shoulder of a self-absorbed blonde talking to everybody around her.

Aside from the perils of the umbrellas we also had the misfortune of another terrible East Coast problem: Mosquitoes. They must be some sort of curse from when we took the land from the natives. If you tune into the news every so often, you will hear that we had a lot of rain this spring so far. The more rain we have, the more water collects in those “off the beaten path” spots that in turn serves as breeding grounds for the blood sucking terradactyls. They were absolutely remarkable in their ability to withstand sideways rain and bite you. It can almost be pictured as if they are riding the air stream and water like a surf board, surfing right into our arms and legs. Bastards they are. You couldn’t walk 3 feet without fighting them. “Off” and like products were flying off the shelves of local stores. Everyone I encountered, myself included, had a sharp, imposter citrus scent to them that sort of became nauseous after a couple of hours.

We got things cleaned up, broke the bed frame, and waved goodbye. I will be back this weekend with a new Futon frame. Don’t ask. It is still wet here, but I do not mind, I am well aware of what is to come. Meanwhile, Sarah and I bought a gas grill and I plan on christening it tonight with some good ole fashioned grilled chicken kabobs. I am feeling adventurous and I am going to try something on my new toy. Brocolli stems. I throw them away every time I get the stuff and wondered if there can’t be some use for these things. It’s just too much to throw away. So all suggestions are welcomed as well as any grilling recipes, rubs, marinades, techniques etc. I’ll let you know how they turned out.