Showing posts with label DDP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DDP. Show all posts

10.08.2008

Mr. Clicky is Albanian & Other Fun Stuff


I have officially completed seven weeks of the Drinking Drivers Program. Seven weeks of videos.
Father Martin
My Name is Bill W.
Drunk and Deadly and,
I'll Quit Tomorrow, A powerful three part drama about the progressive of alcoholism. I'll Quit Tomorrow tells the story of Steve Miller, his family, friends and employer and their continuing struggles with his progressing alcoholism.
Seven weeks of Mr. Clicky
Clickety-click. [Pause.] Clickety-click. [Pause.] Clickety-click.
Seven weeks of The Mouth.
Why don't you get up and let us see you walk?
You know you the only female in here, right? You should get up and let us see you walk.
You should come in last and leave first so we can all see you walk.
All for this:Then.

Four Drinking Drivers Program graduates walk into a bar ...Yep. That's them. Top - Pop Star. Bottom, Left to Right - Mr. Clicky and The Mouth. Not shown, Me - Seated between Pop Star and The Mouth. Not since the days when I lived with Duck have I found myself in an Old Man's bar at 11:30 in the morning. But, let me tell you, it didn't take me long to get reacquainted. As a matter of fact, I was the one who sniffed the bar out.

We had wandered around Brooklyn Heights for almost half an hour following Pop Star. "Really. I know there's tons of them right around this corner." Finally I offered to go into a liquor store to find out where the bars were that were open to degenerates like me and my DDP pals. Three people were working the counter (a good sign that booze was a big hit in the area and that we were sure to find a spot). I asked the old guy who looked like he had been living hard and sure enough ...
The diner across the street has booze. There's one down at Henry. Those two spots down the block serve mimosas on Saturday. Montague there's about 5 or 6 regular bars. That's where I'd go.
And that's where we went.We opened the door and found three people already seated at the bar. God love the Irish. We all "bellied up" and the orders began.
Shot of Hennessy and espresso - Mr. Clicky
Shot of Hennessy and a beer - The Mouth
Shot of Patron and a beer - Pop Star
I ordered a vodka-tonic because I rationalized that if I were at brunch I could have ordered a Screwdriver and it would have been okay. I got enough shit as it was.
Aww! You weak! What's that shit you're drinking?
(To the bartender) Yo! Get this girl a shot!
I explained to them that what I was drinking was, in fact, alcohol -- liquor even -- and that I only had my chaser in the same glass. Before I could get through half of my drink, the boys were already ordering the second round.

You may be wondering at this point something to the effect of, "Susan. What the fuck is wrong with you?" I answer, "I don't know. It's a problem." I've been making foolish choices for my whole entire life. Mainly in the interest of excitement -- or hoping to get a good story. For example, one night, my old blog partner, HRH and I went to the ballet. We dressed and played fancy pants and thought we were spectacular. As I remember, we didn't enjoy it very much, or we enjoyed it enough but were disappointed in the long lines at the bar. The point is, we left. And somehow we found ourselves caught in the rain in Times Square. We hid out under some scaffolding to smoke and wait for the deluge to ease up. That's when Apache showed up.

Apache was an actual Apache-American who was an electrician on the construction site we were standing under. We chatted for a second and then he asked, "Hey. You wanna go up?" Well, of course we did. Next thing you know, we find ourselves in a construction hoist with Apache, heading to the 37th floor of a building that had no walls. It was incredible. I stood on the edge of the floor looking over the new Madame Tussaud's on 42nd Street thinking, "Jesus Christ. What is wrong with me? I'm standing here, on the 37th floor after riding up in an elevator clinging to the side of a building by aircraft cable (which I incidentally also have to use in order to get down). There are no walls. I'm wearing heels. I hope this guy isn't a killer." He wasn't. And it was a rare chance to ride up the side of a building in a construction hoist in the middle of Times Square. And I'm glad I did it. So there. How many of you have done it?

Alright then.

Still, I know it's stupid. But I guess I keep doing these stupid, risky things because I keep getting away with it. Which is why I ended up inviting Pop Star and Mr. Clicky back to our house. (I would have invited The Mouth, but after I told the boys I was gay, he waited for me to go to the bathroom and then he left.) Our impromptu party happened because after his third or fourth shot, Pop Star insisted that we were going to find weed and then we were going back to my house to smoke it. I thought, "Ooh! An adventure!" and said that I thought it was a fantastic idea. After stopping in at a Fort Greene pizza joint to buy pot, the three of us ended up in my backyard with Erica.

And we had a good time. I wish I had something more outrageous to tell you about the evening (which lasted until 10PM) but it was just a fun night. We all chatted and joked and laughed and it was cool. Pop Star took a nap on the sofa, we ordered pizza, Mr. Chatty informed us that he hates Russians. He is Albanian, dammit, and Russians, apparently, suck.
Me:OOH! I know what matz means!
Mr. Clicky:Matz? You mean cat?
Me:Yeah! Cat! Isn't that cool? I know the word for cat in Albanian!
Mr. Clicky:Yes. Matz. Cat. Very good.
Eventually the night grew to a close, we woke up Pop Star and the boys made their ways home.

In Mr. Clicky's car.

9.27.2008

The Mouth, Pop Star & Me

Characters

The Mouth - A tall, heavy set, middle-aged African American man who dresses in urban gear and sleeps in class. (But when he's awake, he has a comment about everything.) He has a lot of fun flirting with Me.

Pop Star - Attractive, well-dressed, 30-something man who has the same name as a famous alleged child abuser/confirmed plastic surgery addict/pop star.

Me - The only female in class. She is constantly being hit on by The Mouth. Because he's non-threatening, she finds him humorous.

Mr. Clicky - 50-something Russian immigrant with a thick accent and the world's most annoying habit of constantly clicking his pen.

Fat Albert - Fat Albert is a Puerto Rican male who strongly resembles the cartoon character except he has those jailhouse scars on one side of his face. Although he is very sweet and gentle in class, he's probably the kind of guy who would cut you.

Above It All - A 25 year old guy of undetermined Slavic heritage who is condescending and frequently informs his fellow students that he can't get anything from the class videos because they're from the 70's.

The Teacher - The instructor of the Drinking Driving Program for New York State (DDP).

The Counselor - The counselor who is in charge of sending students in for psychiatric evaluations and assigns makeup classes for the DDP.
SCENE: New York State Drinking Driver Program classroom. The teacher has just announced that session 6 is over and that he will see all of the students on the following Saturday for their last class.

THE MOUTH
Indicating Pop Star and Me.
Yo. Lemme see you after class.
Exasperated because Pop Star and Me wait in the room.
Not here. Outside.

ME
He could have been more clear about that.

POP STAR
Yeah.


Pop Star and Me walk into the hallway and wait for The Mouth.


THE MOUTH
Yo. Not in front of everybody.


After the class has entered the elevator, The Mouth motions for Pop Star and Me to join them for the ride down.


ME
Shrugs and follows The Mouth, but wonders why he said, "Not in front of everybody," then wanted to continue the conversation in the elevator with everybody.

THE MOUTH
Under his breath.
Y'all go see dis guy about the makeup class?

ME
Yeah. I told The Teacher that I needed to make up a class and he gave me a form to fill out. Next week after we're finished with this class I have to stay an extra two hours. Just ask him.

POP STAR
Don't say anything, man. They won't know.

THE MOUTH
Louder as everyone exits the elevator.
I didn't talk to The Teacher. I talked to the other dude. (meaning The Counselor) Yo. Dis nigga gave me an envelope and tell me to "buy him lunch" and we be straight.

ME
Shocked.
What?

POP STAR
He did the same to me. I put a twenty in the envelope and gave it back to him. He said we're cool.

ME
Shocked.
What?

THE MOUTH
Yup.


Fat Albert and Mr. Clicky walk faster to catch up with The Mouth, Pop Star and Me.


FAT ALBERT
Y'all talking 'bout that counselor dude?

THE MOUTH
Yup.

FAT ALBERT
He give you an envelope when you ask about the makeup class, right?

MR. CLICKY
He do same with me. He say, "Don't tell teacher. Buy lunch and you me okay." I give him twenty dollar.

FAT ALBERT
That's what I gave him.

ME
Shocked.
What?

THE MOUTH
Louder than ever. This mutha fucka be milking these bastards twenty bucks at a time lettin' them out of makeup classes. Know what else? When he give me mines, he say, "Don't come back here with no twenty, neither."

ME
Shocked.
Get out!


Above It All, overhearing the conversation, catches up to the group.


ABOVE IT ALL
Really? He said not to give him a twenty? I went in there today and told him I needed to make up two classes and he said to just give him a twenty and we'd be good.

THE MOUTH
Get the fuck out of here. Are you serious? When you go in?

ABOVE IT ALL
During the break.

THE MOUTH
Mutha fucka! I went in after you. I ain't givin' him no fifty bucks for no fuckin' makeup class. You give him twenty for two classes? Fuck that. I'm givin' him ten bucks.
Now thoroughly pissed off. Dis mutha fucka! I knew he done talked to one of y'all. And he talk to all of y'all? "Don't gimme no twenty dollars." Fuck that nigga! I sat in the rest of the class 'bout to blow up. Naw, naw, mutha fucka! Dat shit got me burnin' up. I ain't givin' him twenty dollars. He gettin' ten bucks.

ME
What an asshole! We should report him!

POP STAR
See? That's why he didn't give you no envelope.