Halloween in Healdsburg

Healdsburg, CA

People who know me well - and they number in the millions - understand that this monkey is always very happy to be in Sonoma County, especially right here in bucolic Healdsburg. My good mood was interrupted today, however, when Frankie (pictured here) appeared on my doorstep.

I don't like characters who think they actually deserve other people imitating them for Halloween. Besides, he continues to be mad at me for leaving Dr. Frankenstein's care many years ago. Hey, I couldn't help that my Blue Cross plan declared Dr. Frankenstein to be out of network.

No sooner did I get away from Frankie in Healdsburg Square, however, that I was confronted with another situation. Here's Gibster trying to give me away to a parade of little monkeys. What the.......? Hey, come to think of it, I really do deserve to be honored with people imitating me on Halloween.

Snail's Pace

New York

I've been the toast of the town this week here in the Big Banana; I mean the Big Apple. Last night's show with John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey at the Carlyle Cafe was wonderful. I introduced these two a number of years ago and now, predictably, they're married. Ah, that monkey touch!

That jazz groove was topped tonight by seeing James Gandolfini and company in the God of Carnage on Broadway. Jimmy didn't get the joke when I yelled from the audience, "Yo, Tony, how ya doin?" Hey, I shut my cell phone off, right?

Jessica, Auntie Pat, and I started this evening's fun with some escargots at Balthazar in Soho. We were always running out of garlic and drawn butter when we found snails in the jungle, but they had plenty of it at Balthazar.