OVERHEARD AT A CRONIES’ MEET-UP IN BAGEL BOSS on Long Island:
“They say marriage is an institution. Marriage is being in an institution.”
“Wives want to be catered to. They want to be a princess.”
“They have their habits. I have mine.”
“My wife likes the diner so we went. I picked the table. She made a face. What’s the problem, I said? You’re my problem, she said.”
(Laughter)
“There was gonna be terrible trouble when Jackie and Mindy got married. There were children here…there were children there…”
“They owed too much money together.”
“You can’t keep separate books. They tried. He did not pay for the kitchen. When they give money to the children, it’s gotta be the same. That’s my children, that’s your children. You wanna give your son ten dollars and we should give my son five?”
“That’s nuts.”
“The first thing Jackie said about Mindy? I’m gonna change her!”
“Ach…”
“My mother treated her bad.”
“Your mother treated who bad?”
“My wife.”
“My parents treated my wife good. The problem was I didn’t get along with either of my parents.”
“How did you get that cup? It’s not like my cup.”
“You know Richard Gere? He always went out with beautiful women.
“Why not?”
(Laughter)
“What’s the weather?”
“15.”
“I’ll wear my bathing suit.”
“You should climb Mt. Everest.”
“I did. I fell off.”
“Have you ever had filet of Yak?”
“They didn’t have that in ‘Nam. Filet of Yock.”
“Not Yock. Yak!”
“First time I skied, I went down like I was shot outta a cannon. It was after the war.”
“When, 1812?”
“Did you see the two kids that won that science award?
“Yeah, Chinese.
“They’re very conceptual.”
“Very smart. Violins, math.”
“Conceptual.”
“Did you see that guy that bit into a battery?”
“No.”
“It exploded! You can watch it on YouTube.”
“Let me see your phone a minute.” (holds it up) “Stan got an iPhone.”
“Why is it so dirty?”
“It’s fingerprints!”
“Is that the Cloud?”
“Chrome. This is Chrome.”
“You gotta lotta apps to pick from, Stan. I’ll help you. Slacker Radio – you don’t want that. Hell, no.”
“They got a Dunkin’ Donuts app? I need that.”
“Okay, I got one for you. Who’s the better drummer, Buddy Rich or Gene Krupa?”
“Buddy Rich!”
“Gene Krupa!”
“How do you know? Did you see them playing next to each other?”
“They are both self-taught.”
“My parents could sit down and play anything on the piano. Never took a lesson. Their kids are musicians. They don’t play. They set up equipment for bands.”
“That’s called A.V.”
The Ninth House 