the barry beck report....

I have to start off with my favorite overheard quotation of the week - A flamboyant gay guy on West 4th street last night asking a couple, "so are you having dinner for Cinqo de Mayo or Holocaust Remembrance Day?" What kind of question is that?

One of my favorite things about working in a sterile office park is the mobility and freedom that automobiles provide. Today I got to work nice an early and before any of the executives I report to so I sent out a few early morning emails to make it look like I was working real hard. Unfortunately, I had to lay off my cup of joe this morning because I had a dentist appointment at 10am and didn't want to go with
dragon breath. Without letting anyone in the office know I took off to get a filling that I had put off for approximately 8 months. I drove the half hour to the dentist office and got to listen to Imus wrap up the week. I was let down by the new dentist assistant they hired. She is old. I liked the young and attractive one who used to
be so pleased to see me. My dentist attempted to make lame conversation about fishing by way of, "Do you like fishing as much as your father?" and "My son caught a 25 lb. salmon in upstate NY last summer." So he then drilled the shit out of my molar and put some of the new white material up in there.

Just about 10 mins from my parents house I was so tempted to go home and play with my dog. With one side of my mouth numb I drove back to the office keeping myself entertained by pinching and biting my cheek really hard as I couldn't feel a thing. I came back and I only had a few voice mails to answer and sent a few more emails and asked a few questions to make it appear to my colleagues that I cared and maintain
my enthusiasm throughout the week. As lunchtime rolled around I got back in my car a little after 1:00 to be sure that I could maximize my drive with Mike & The Mad Dog on 660 WFAN. I wanted to hear them bash the Yankees and talk Kentucky Derby.
I drove another 15 minutes to Morristown and hit up Cosi for lunch.

Cosi is a high end lunch offering in these parts as those privileged few who have seen my photo journals can attest. I ran into a girl who was a year ahead of me in highschool but I ignored her because I had enough small talk at the dentist for one day. I had no idea that Cosi made such great tuna melts. I ate it on the way back to the office listening to Mike and the Mad Dog talk to Jockey Jerry Bailey and
about The Boss possibly firing Mel Stottlemyre.

The reason why I tell these tales is because I am reading Jack Kerouac's On the Road right now. I have never read it before although it was assigned in Professor Scott's American History Class I took. I see many parallels between Sal and Dean's adventures and experiences across the country and my everyday excursions at lunchtime, or when I just feel like leaving my desk so I can get back where I belong - on the road.