This is the answering machine tape from my parent's place at 46 Great Jones Street.
It won't be of much interest to you if you're not Maggie Nachlin, Wendy Young, Jason Leaf, Matt Israel, Ben Posnack, Sonya Newell, Isabel Pippolo, Lisa Townsend Rogers, Mikaela Frank, Doug Margolis, etc.
Side A
The first message is from a real estate agent wanting to show the place, so this sets the date around Spring 1992.
The place was two lofts, the third and fourth floor, of an 1880s factory building, in which my sister Maggie and I grew up. My parents bought them in 1970 or 1971 when they were cheap and their friends said "why the hell are you moving all the way over there", so let that be a lesson to you, real estate speculators, not that you haven't learned it already. It was great growing up there. New York in the late 70s and the 80s sucked, so I spent a lot of time indoors. I learned to ride a bike in there. These were big apartments.
Ben sounds jolly; Mikaela Frank sounds hurt as she asks me to a party. There are recorded messages, clicks, and beeps of the analog phone system, all left in for your edification and pleasure.
I haven't seen Mikaela since I was at Hunter College and she was my manager at New World Coffee on 68th and 3rd Avenue. Actually, she got me the job. During the time I worked there, and she worked in the company headquarters, we became less friendly. Maybe it was that she took the company seriously, and in my eyes that made her uncool. As an adult, I now realize (though haven't fully accepted) that someone has to take things seriously.
Carlos is there, inviting me to a rave. Jeremy inviting me to Sticky Mike's, the club under Time Cafe. Jim Mastoros from Brooklyn College is at Mona's. Matt's still in Conneticut. Then he got shoved and kicked in front of Tower Records. My parents got to the country OK.
Side B
Jason Leaf was one funny guy and he still is. His delivery when he's inviting me to a party is exquisite. That's the first thing on this side.
Then it's me inviting Maggie to come on the Circle Line, where I was working at the time. I'm affecting a New York accent. Everyone at the Circle Line had a New York accent. Not the kids working the concession stands, but the regular workers, the deck hands and engineers, who worked the tugs in the winter.