'Time Zone' Launches MONDAY On FMG Radio/Boomer Living-Plus!

Monday, 6/3, my new online radio show “Time Zone,” launches! Weekdays @ noon EDT and 9a Pacific & 7:30 EDT/4:40p Pacific.

Tune in to FMG Radio and click “Listen Live”!! Monday’s show: Sheena Easton’s “Morning Train” & Tuesday ONJ’s “Magic.” Sponsored by FMG and Boomer Living-Plus.

Coming June 3: Chuck Taylor's 'TIme Zone" On FMG Radio Network

P.S. I miss The Smoking Nun... Hopefully we'll be relaunching this summer!

Oh, Mercy, How Time Marches On

With my final final ever (ever) never again apartment renovation at last complete, I took pics of the entire deal Sunday... which I shall post soon, with all the melodramatic before & after picolas. In the meantime, how apropos to post this—on the left, within a month of moving into my new Brooklyn Heights digs, with so much promise—and today, some 12 years later, five renovations later, with that promise... delivered!

After Eight Weeks, Renovation Wrapped!

After eight weeks, at last, my apartment renovation is signed, sealed & delivered. What started out as a fairly simply cosmetic redo in the living room turned into new hardwood floors throughout the unit, an extended bathroom and—god bless my contractor, Angelo—so many extras to make this joint feel like new.

After enduring this five times over the past 12 years, I must say, this is the first time I've blown open champagne to share with my contractor and his son Mike... because it was such a positive experience.

And yes, of course I teared all up while thanking them for so much pristine work as I bid farewell. It's hard to even imagine mornings without the two of them knocking on door and preparing A's coffee with milk and 3 sugars...

And now... so many possibilities: sleeping in a bed, opening cabinet drawers, accessing food in kitchen cabinets and best of all, wearing different clothes each day. For the past two months, I've pretty much donned a uniform of black jeans and a black sweater (yes, clean undies and undershirt). And now... access to my entire winter wardrobe. Oh, the wonder of it all!

Of course, now comes the grand clean-up and oh what a mess it is. Layers and layers of dust, sawdust, sanding dust, dust dust... One room at a time. Good thing I foster great satisfaction with a rag in my hand. Happy holidays, indeed!

2012 Grammy Nominations!

Arghhhhh! It's one of my favorite events of the year... the announcement of the 2012 Grammy Award nominations... and one of The Smoking Nun's premiere opportunities to dish about the best of the year in music... and of course, more fun, the horrendous gaffes. Last year it was all about Adele, whom I supported wholeheartedly. This year, there's no clear leader in the quest to forever mark the best o' the past 12 months.

As a NARAS voter, I take particular interest in the annual expedition of helping select who wins... but as I've stated in the past, in recent years, it pains me that I'm more often voting against contenders rather than piling on kudos.

I mean, Nicki Minaj, critically acclaimed? Seriously? It's enough to wonder if the Grammy Awards more resemble the People's Choice Awards.

Stand by for my take on the best and worst... as soon as I can get a grip on my home office, post-renovation. Soon, no really. Meanwhile, read the major noms here. *

Rainy Days & Fridays

Sequestered... That's my present state, more or less... Yes, it's that damn living room renovation, which I really should redefine at this point. The actual LR reno is done, and as of the end of the week, new hardwood flooring has extended throughout the rest of the unit, save for the kitchen & bath.

That's meant moving furniture from one crowded space to another, as well as intermittent loss of WiFi and, egads, my desk, where all good words customarily come together. One more week to go... and meanwhile, yes, oh so good to get the hell out of the house.

P.S. No, that's not me in the Converse jacket... Hell, my name is Chuck Taylor. That would be redundant, wouldn't it? Pic in Manhattan along Second Avenue. *

You Gotta Have Friends: Trix Moose

On Monday, friend excursion 2.0, as I met Trix Moose, son Jack and sis Chris for the traditional Ruby Tuesday outing—always a highlight, since a kickin' salad bar just ain't to be had in NYC. Didn't hurt a bit that our waiter Eric was a fetching fellow.

After din din, I was invited to join Trix and Jack—who has suddenly evolved into a high school senior and a handsome 17 year old (I remember when the critter was a roly-poly 9 year old) at their home to decorate the Christmas tree!

That was a spectacular event for meese, since I no longer fix up my apartment in Brooklyn Heights. Now that I'm a bachelor, it's just not the same to decorate for the holidays for the sake of Abby & Spencer. They'd probably view the tree as a relief post, anyway.

A lovely family holiday celebration, as good as any of the seasonal Hallmark Channel flicks I watched over the past week with my mama. *

Trix and Jack live beside a Methodist church, which, with a full moon above, created occasion for some wonderfully dramatic spooky picolas, below...

You Gotta Have Friends: Donna Mae Moose

While my trips home to Virginia usually comprise staying putting with the parents, fortunately there's time for a couple escapes from the Big House... On Sunday, I hooked up with Donna Mae Moose for supper at the parents' complex, then a shopping excursion to Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl's... Once again, like Black Friday in Lynchburg, we sailed through the stores with no lines, no mobs, no madness... *

Living Room Renovation: Week 3 Begins!

Despite the fact that Hurricane Sandy walloped NYC, my dedicated contractor Angelo and his team missed only one day of work on my living room renovation last week. In fact, they were the only contractors (among at least four) that reported for duty last Monday, as that bitch approached the Northeast.

Tuesday there was no way to navigate the roads, but Wednesday, they were back... and again Thursday, despite more than two-hour commutes from inner Brooklyn, thanks to all tunnels and highways being closed to traffic.

And by Friday, he was concerned he might actually not have enough gas to make the trek, since that has become the latest challenge post- hurricane.

Over the weekend, Angelo waited for two days... manning shifts with his son Mike—in order to fill up the tank at a gas station that was expecting the tanker to arrive Sunday... so that he could make it through the borough. Not only is my contractor dedicated, but—to my great favor—he is one hell of a perfectionist.

So here's where we stand:
* As of Monday, sub-floors were installed in the living room!!
* All drywall has been completed, seams have been sealed and skimmed.
* New ceiling with smooth drywall installed, sealed and skimmed.
* Electrical work, including pot lights under the sofa cove, a couple new outlets and—for the first time—an outlet for cable TV (instead of a random wire that snaked under the carpet) complete!
* Radiator relocated from the wall beside the fireplace, now neatly tucked into the window sill.
* In addition, my landmarked windows, which have always shaken in their frames, have been anchored with secure molding, at last.

Next: framing for my brand new fireplace, scraping of the beautifully revealed brick accent wall above it... and FLOORS! New hardwood will run throughout the living room, connecting the hallway and into the bedroom (to replace laminate that was installed during the Dear Genevieve redo, the one element of that reno I was not happy with).

We're aiming for completion just before Thanksgiving... And I will be ever thankful to have this mess wrapped... although as dusty and packed in as it is, I still love this process. *

Vintage Victory! The Ambassador Double Burger & Sandwich Maker

As an ever-resourceful shopper, one of my favorite destinations is Unique Thrift Store in Downtown Brooklyn. Last week I gamboled around the premises for goodies and happened upon a vintage double burger cooker/sandwich maker that had to have been from the late 1970s.

When I opened the box, I was giddily amazed to discover that the item had never been used. All of the original packing was in place, it was pristine clean and even included the little recipe booklet. It was almost too good to be true. Perhaps the only thing better was the price: $7.99. Oh, come on, how could I resist?

Not only is the Ambassador "Burger & Sandwich Maker Double Size" capable of cooking burgers in one minute, but you can also make grilled cheese sandwiches and tuna melts, while using the "grill" to cook eggs, bacon and steaks. Eureka!

Once I brought my prize home, I searched the web for retro ads and any info I could find about the appliance... I found nothing, except one newspaper advert from a department store in 1978 offering the item on sale for $24.88.

On Friday, I cooked my first burger, and indeed it was better than any previous means I've used with modern technology. George Foreman Grill is a mess to try and clean, while a frying pan makes a spattered mess of the simple task. Of course, there are comparable devices made today, but every once in a while, they got it right way back when. And retro... even better. Delish! *

At Last... I Am Renovating the Final Room Of My Apartment

Let the games begin! In 2000, I bought my humble (dumpy) 940-square-foot apartment in Brooklyn Heights, knowing that I had no choice but to renovate it room by room. Twelve years later, at last, I am preparing to complete a makeover in the final room of the joint: the living room, starting on Tuesday.

2001: When I moved in, the apartment's kitchen had plywood cabinets, vinyl flooring and appliances from the '70s. That gut reno entailed blue tile flooring, all new electrical, cherry red cabinets, granite countertops and a rebuilt pantry, along with all new appliances. Love it to this day (though I still need a stainless steel microwave).

2004: A biggie. The tiny second bedroom and long hallway of my railroad apartment were gutted, and after seeing the space, I decided to leave the room open as an office, building a half wall to separate it from the hall. To this day, I think it was a primo decision. It changed the entire texture of a dark apartment, opening up the office into the rest of the space.

2008: Man, oh, man, the bathroom was as bad as the kitchen. I completely relaid out the sink, tub and toilet, requiring major reworking of the plumbing, and added elegant quartz floors. What a joy.

2011: Appearing on HGTV's "Dear Genevieve" allowed an out-of-this-world gift to have a bedroom makeover, deluxe, all over the course of five days. Pristine, perfect and not only great memories attached, but a damn TV show, to boot.

And now, at last, as 2012 begins to fade away... the grand finale. On Tuesday, I begin the renovation of the living room, comprising getting rid of the last of the hideous dark green indoor-outdoor carpet that once pervaded the entire apartment. I tell you, just pulling up pieces here and there seems to have made the (dark) room a bit brighter. Plus: all new hardwood floors, fresh moldings, skimmed walls and a raised fireplace hearth. Stay tuned to The Smoking Nun for regular updates on all the good clean fun. *

William Levy Ultimate Fans Sister Blog Reaches 60,000 Unique Hits!

On August 23, the William Levy Ultimate Fans blog reached a milestone of 50,000 unique visits, five months after its official launch on March 26, 2012. I'm delighted to report that just one month later, The Smoking Nun's sister sub-blog has climbed to 60,000 hits! That's just plain hot!

If you hadn't noticed, Levy has long been The Smoking Nun's fave grade-A beef man of choice, and as we attempt to evolve past so many posts about hot guys, blah blah, hot men, blah blah, underwear, blah blah and Speedos, what other choice was there to satiate our love for Mr. Levy than to offer him his own dedicated online space, especially as he reached mainstream fame last Spring via his star-making turn on ABC's Dancing With The Stars?

If you haven't yet checked out the most comprehensive English-language William Levy fan site on the Internet, right here, what in the world are you waiting for? *

The Big Reveal: After 2 Years, Scaffolding At Home Comes Down

Man, oh, man, what a difference. After two long, enduring, frustrating, irritating, maddening years (they weren't so good), the scaffolding in front of my residence in Brooklyn Heights at last has come down.

It took a good week for crews to methodically deconstruct scaffolding from the rooftop & 10th floor down to street level—including the shed that has been outside my second-floor windows—but as of late Thursday afternoon, it was all good & gone at 62 Montague Street. And I said a little prayer of thanks that went like this: "Fuck, yeah!"

From 4 to 5 p.m., I kept cat-calling to the workers from my front window: "You're gonna finish today, right? All of it, yes? Everything, yeah?" I was itchy that when the 5 o'clock whistle blew, they'd flee before finishing.

The 1880s' Queen Anne coop, originally known as The Arlington, not only has the distinction of being a cornerstone to the entrance to Brooklyn Heights' Promenade, but is the featured pic on Wikipedia's Brooklyn Heights entry. The detailed, full-on facade rejuvenation at 62 Montague began almost exactly two years ago. And pretty she is. At last. Long last. After a near eternity. Get it?

That's the pleasant news. Unfortunately... the massive eight-story residential building just two doors up, at 68 Montague Street, has now begun its own rooftop and parapet renovation, with scaffolding going up today that will likely be in place for the next year. Why the hell would you start a project with winter only a couple months away? So in essence, one set of unsightly scaffolding is supplanted for another. Sigh... *