It was a Monday today and it was back to work for me. That hardly happens, having a Saturday and Sunday off from work. The retail world doesn’t allow for such things that often.
Yesterday was a rainy Sunday, I just stayed indoors. I watched Gandhi on Turner Classic Movies. Still a long movie and it also had a 45 minute intermission since I went out and ran an errand during the break.
I never saw it from start to finish before and I never saw it with a trip to the supermarket in the middle of Gandhi’s hunger strike. It ended soon enough to watch True Blood which is finishing it’s third season in a week or two.
Bill came home close to the end in time to see someone kill someone else. After that we watched Mad Men which was surprisingly enjoyable yet again. Bill went to bed after that and I stayed up watching who knows what.
I thought about a 3 minute phone call that I had about 5:30 in the afternoon. Someone was very upset with the fact that I didn’t ask them to see Adele Bertei with the Raybeats and Gail Ann Dorsey with me on Saturday night.
I didn’t really ask anyone. I posted it here on this blog, and also posted it as my Facebook status update a few times. They didn’t see it and only found out about it when I posted the videos online. I did it for myself and went by myself.
No harm intended, no slighting either.
The other person was so upset and their anger started to come through so I told them that I didn’t like their attitude. The phone call ended shortly thereafter and basically set a pall on the rest of my day.
It’s too bad, once we were really close, but the past couple of times we had tried to do something, it didn’t go too well. For some reason I still look to them for recognition but it’s time I moved beyond that I suppose.
Still despite all that I slept really well and had a dream involving a Bill Murphy who used to slam me into the lockers in high school every chance he got. He was in a peaceful state in the dream and was trying to tell me something, or perhaps he did tell me something but I’ve forgotten it hours later.
Work was weird, it being a Monday. And it was steadily pouring out. I was fine when I came in, Raymond came in a few minutes after me, soaked to the bone. I was put on straightening up the inventory causing me to miss out on some sales.
I didn’t really care. Marcus came in later than usual. He had a weekend trip and came back all orange like John Boehner. Calvin was himself, nervous laughter behind most every sentence he utters. Don Birch was diffident, much like he was when I first started working with him, nearly two months ago.
Still I didn’t mind. I have a full work week ahead, off on Saturday, in on Sunday then off next Monday and Tuesday. I told you the retail schedule is crazy. I’ll probably be working Labor Day too, but it’s just another day in retail world.
And the mantra continues, ‘at least I have a job’.
It’s been a lovely Saturday afternoon. A lovely day all around. Last night wasn’t so bad either. I just watched TV, saw the 2nd Kids in the Hall episode on IFC. Forgot about the first. Just as funny as they used to be. They age just like us!
I watched the Soup last night, so I guess it was mainly all about comedy and laughter. Does anyone remember laughter?
I went to bed around 12:45 but was unable to sleep. After 20 minutes I got out of bed, telling the air conditioner, the fans, the pillows and most of all the bed that I was leaving the room and that when I came back I had better be asleep.
Yes, I talk to objects all the time. I hesitate to call them inanimate. I’ve actually done that all my life.
After about a half hour of checking emails and responding to Kevin Crud’s comments I went back to the bedroom where the appliances and the bed were waiting for me and within minutes I was asleep. Slept really well and woke up around 10:00.
Oh it was so nice to sleep in on a Saturday morning. It’s really something special. As I was making coffee Bill walked through the door laden with dry cleaning. I told him I would have picked them up for him and he said he texted me.
He did. I didn’t know it until after the fact. I soon went out for bagels and the paper, and picked up my own dry cleaning. After a nice breakfast, I did my own laundry and after 2 washes I decided to go out. Another stop at the dry cleaners with 2 shirts I had left behind.
Then I headed over to the bibliothèque to drop the Love & Rockets compilation but absentmindedly left it at home. I took the light rail over to the Newport Mall and looked at Rockports in Macy’s.
It was a mess and pandemonium. And they didn’t have the Rockports I had seen online. I did have my 3:00 phone call with Annemarie though.
We both agreed that what happened at the Swell Season show in California was truly a horrible, horrible thing. I feel so bad for the Swell Season. In case you didn’t know the Swell Season is a band featuring the man & woman from the charming Irish indie film, Once.
I went into Justin’s and bought two pair of lavender socks. And then went next door and bought a few pair of OTC TNT’s. No shoes, but had socks. Had a nice walk home, past Bobby Risotto’s building. Didn’t know it was his birthday until I got home.
Bill was awake from his nap and was getting ready to drive a bus back to Atlantic City. Before he went out he asked me to drop some shirts and a tie at the dry cleaners, making it 3 visits to Cary’s today.
On the way there I ran into Rand and Lisa coming back from the supermarket. A nice chat with a few laughs was had. A quick jaunt to the supermarket for myself, and now I am back home.
The Dark Knight is playing behind me. I am going out tonight, to Joe’s Pub to see Adele Bertei, backed by the Raybeats with Gail Ann Dorsey on bass. I’m excited. I hardly ever go out these days.
I doubt I will write tomorrow, but I might add a post script to this here entry when I come back tonight. But I am not guaranteeing anything.
Have a good night.
“First they came for the Supermen, and I didn’t say anything since I wasn’t a Superman…”
Post Script 1
I got back from the show at Joe’s Pub about an hour. There are some pics and some videos but I’m having some difficulty with the programs to edit them. Adele Bertei was first up, opening the show. The Raybeats and Gail Ann Dorsey came on to silence. I started a round of applause.
I think they did Slaughter on 10th Avenue, I’m not sure. It was a song like that from a 1950-60′s detective show or film noir. Then Adele Bertei came out and sang Shakin’ All Over. They did mainly covers, Sam & Dave Wrap It Up, The Marvellettes The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game, James Brown There Was A Time and a handful of other songs. They played for about 45 minutes and came back for one encore.
I saw Pat Irwin from the Raybeats and told him what a fun show it was. I asked if the Raybeats were getting together again and he said it was unlikely. Pat’s other band Command V is playing on Wednesday but I doubt I could make it.
I didn’t stay for the headliner and I was back in Hoboken by 10:40 and that’s about it. A nice early night.
Jody Harris with Adele Bertei
Pat, Jody & Don- Raybeats with Gail Ann Dorsey
Post Script 2
It’s Sunday. Not doing the 500 word thing, but I am bending the rules. They’re my rules and I will bend them as I see fit. I really had a good time last night. I went by myself. I posted on Facebook a few times that I was going, and even wrote about it here on this blog. So it was really no secret what I was doing.
I got off at Christopher Street which I hadn’t done in a while and checked out a few shops on the way. Shops that a certain someone would have more than likely been freaked out about. I’ve gone to these shops with Pedro so it’s not so much a gay thing, since Pedro is as straight as Six O’clock.
After that I meandered over to Washington Square Park where I watched the crowd watching the acrobatic performers. Had a little cigar as I sat there, taking it all in and getting a wee bit damp from the fountains by my back.
Started to head towards Lafayette Street, walking along west 4th Street. Been a while since I’d been around there. Bottom Line gone. Tower Records gone. Dojo is still there though. Not much of a line outside Joe’s Pub. I was behind 2 lesbians who were there to see the headliner, Bettina Koster. They asked if I was there to see Bettina and I said no, I was there to see Adele Bertei. They seemed unimpressed.
Soon I was inside and turned down an offer of a table with it’s 2 drink minimum and $12.00 food order minimum. I opted for the bar which was not crowded. Had a nice sight line too. A few minutes later, out come Pat, Jody and Don with Gail Ann Dorsey. Followed by Adele Bertei.
It was a good set, but way too short. I left after their set, not staying for Bettina Koster. A quick walk back to the Path train on Ninth Street and I was back in Hoboken.
It would not have been done this way if I had gone with someone else. I was accountable to no one but myself. It was no secret. All one would have to do is read my Facebook status, like Dave Bell did, or this blog.
I had a good day today, just fartin’ around. Raining on and off. Finally was able to upload the videos which are below. I don’t regret going and I don’t regret not calling anyone up to tell them what I was doing. Some people are upset by this but I can think of two events where I went with someone and it went so badly, hurt feelings abounded.
With all of the fun and relative calm this weekend, it’s surprising that a 3 minute 42 second phone call came thisclose to ruining the good time that I had. Je Ne Regrette Rien.
It’s now Friday and lucky me, I have off Saturday and Sunday. Maybe now I will see what all the fuss is about. It’s been a while I think that I’ve had Saturday and Sunday off. This was arranged a few weeks ago when I requested to have August 22nd off to see the Specials at Summerstage.
Then to my dismay, the State Department wouldn’t give the band visas. So the show was canceled but I still have 2 days off. Instead of a free show to see the Specials, I am going to Joe’s Pub tomorrow night to see Adele Bertei, backed by the Raybeats with Gail Ann Dorsey from David Bowie’s band on bass.
It’s so unlike me and I’m going alone. There may be tickets still available so feel free to join me. It’s only $20.00. I felt I should see some music over the weekend.
And though I’ve seen the Raybeats several times back in the eighties, and I’ve met Gail Ann Dorsey, I’ve never seen Adele Bertei, having missed the Contortions and the Bloods back in the day.
I had to set reminders to let me know about the show, so rarely do I go out these days.
I even thought about checking out some galleries tomorrow, perhaps an early start. Some things to do about the apartment, laundry, general cleaning up so an early start should occur. I wrote that with a straight face.
Straight meaning, not laughing.
Today was a pretty good day at the cigar shop. Pretty busy and money was made. I did almost $2000.00 worth of sales. Still I was in third place. I do like working at the cigar shop, the staff is alright to work with and the customers are mainly OK.
My Friend, My Friend hasn’t been in the shop the past couple of days, I hope he is well. He’s an intelligent bloke and is good for smart conversation.
I suppose reinventing oneself for a job goes on everywhere, but it’s not a total reinvention, more like the tweaking around the edges. I thought I would have to do a complete overhaul but obviously it wasn’t to be.
Some people know me as one person, others know me as someone else and my co-workers know me as someone entirely different. Or am I. It’s all in perception I guess. We all see things differently.
It’s all like Rashomon, but where and who is the ghost?
I treated myself to a Good Burger dinner tonight. I ate at the shop in the back and figured I would work it off as well as walk it off, which I hope I did when I walked from the cigar shop to the bus terminal.
Tonight’s musical journey was courtesy of the Pretenders first album, called Pretenders. 16 minute, 57 seconds, from Precious (not based on the book Push by Sapphire) to Space Invaders.
Funnily enough, I think I bought the Pretenders first album at EJ Korvettes in Paramus, the same day I bought the Specials first album.
It’s a Thursday and I went back to work today. I didn’t mind, it’s something to do and the mantra continues, ‘At least I have a job’. It was a relatively easy day, bottle of water nearby, flask of bourbon hidden in my bag.
I made it to the bus stop and saw the 10:15 bus loading but I didn’t take it. I waited for the 10:30 bus. That’s the bus I like. It wasn’t too crowded and the tooth wasn’t bothering me too much. Water did the trick as usual and I made it to the shop early once again.
It was Marcus and Don Birch today, Sean scheduled to come in later. Marcus was busy rearranging things on the shelves before he headed out for the day. Calvin had off for the day. I was sent an email yesterday telling me that the protocol is to call and leave a voice mail message rather than an email.
I suppose they like to analyze the voice on the recording to make sure I am who I say I am, in the state that I say I’m in. Protocol is never revealed until the line is crossed. Marcus never brought it up and the email was from Calvin.
I had a dental appointment this afternoon and instead of lunch that is where I was. It was actually Bill’s dentist that I saw and since Bill has such a winning smile I figured he could do some periodontal magic on my teeth.
I got there on time and was in the dental chair almost immediately. The dental hygienist took the x-rays regarding the lower left quadrant of my mouth. Apparently I had a cavity under my filling which is what was causing me some extreme discomfort.
Rock & roll radio was playing as the dentist worked on my numbed mouth as he sang along to Billy Idol’s White Wedding and Blondie’s One Way or Another. ‘Roger never sang while he worked on my teeth’ I thought to myself like I was in a Roy Lichtenstein painting.
A root canal was in order and I’ve had so many of them it seemed, that it was not much at all. The good doctor completed 75% of the work, with plans to finish the other 25% next month. And a cleaning and more x-rays at the end of this month.
I am going to have to check in with the insurance and the doctor’s office to see what will be covered under Bill’s dental plan. In any event I was soon out of the office and headed back to the shop a changed man, the thorn had been somewhat removed from my paw, or in this case the pain in my tooth was removed.
I was certainly in a good mood, better than it was when I left. Also increased my sales which were pretty much lackluster before then.
Tonight thanks to Soft Cell’s Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go, The English Beat’s I Confess and Erykah Badu’s Tyrone, I made it from the shop to the bus terminal in 17 minutes, 24 seconds.
Well I listening to the inner voice which was yelling today. I needed a rest and the tooth was acting up so sleep wasn’t as easy as it should have been. Had a dream that took place down the Jersey shore with my family.
I saw a water spout as I looked out the window and tried to get everyone interested in checking it out with me. No one cared, not even Annemarie. I wanted to walk to the beach to get a closer look and take some photos but had to jockey cars around instead.
I only saw the water spout from a distance, through a window.
It wasn’t an easy day out of work. It was tinged with despair. I do want another job, a normal office job, 9 to 5. But I worry that the longer I stay out of that world and in the retail world, the more difficult it will be to get into that corporate world.
I went out a few times today, running errands. Always a bottle of water by my side. Rinsing water through my mouth does the job well of reducing the pain. Better than bourbon. The catch is I have to drink it a lot and then go to the bathroom a lot.
Good thing there are a few public restrooms in the area. I did go to the bibliothèque and every time I would turn around another librarian would say ‘Hello John’. That was nice. I picked up a collection of Love & Rockets by Los Bros Hernandez, aka Gilbert & Jaime.
Another errand involved UPS. I have a shoulder bag from Eagle Creek and the strap broke. Eagle Creek has an excellent lifetime warranty on their bags. Last month the zipper broke after about 10 years of use.
I sent it back and it came back repaired a week or so later. A week after that, the strap broke. I’ve been using Bill’s larger bag in the interim. Apparently it was sent back via UPS, but with the hours I’ve been working I of course missed it.
And the door tags they leave behind tend to fly off and wind up in the gutter.
I made arrangements for Bill to pick the package up tonight, but since I was not working today I went myself. There is supposed to be a truck at the main post office from 5 to 8PM for pick ups. At 5PM there was no truck.
Nor at 5:30 or 6:00. I went home and had something to eat, then went back out and finally the truck was there. The usual driver wasn’t there. He knows me and always greets me with a hearty hello. But this guy was new. I just had to sign for the package.
No headaches, no hassle.
Now I’m home, a bit sweaty. Watching South Pacific on PBS. There is nothing else on to watch and it’s not so bad. I had seen it once before when I knew someone in the show years ago at some theater somewhere.
It was enjoyable then and it’s even more so now. I had hoped to take Bill to see it but things being what they are it wasn’t going to happen. So we’re here at home on a hot August night, watching it live on television. Not so bad at all.
Woodland Reserve. My bourbon of choice. Does the trick in silencing a toothache and enables a good night’s sleep. Not slugging from the bottle, just a couple of fingers does the trick.
I was talking to Pedro on the phone yesterday, playing catch up. Mentioned the bourbon and that’s one liquor he won’t touch. No to bourbon.
Once again I woke up, the inner voice pleading with me to take the day off, play hooky. With the toothache I had a legitimate excuse. And I was thisclose to actually calling in, but no. I rallied and shuffled along.
Much care in the drinking of coffee. That went well actually. I eventually found myself on the bus which actually was on time this morning. And the bus wasn’t crowded.
No Angie Baby on the bus either. Her bleached blond hair was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps sitting next to me has caused her to catch an earlier or later bus. I didn’t mind. I’ve been such a zombie lately that I don’t even read in the morning, I just sit and look out the window.
Made it to the shop on time. Actually with time to spare which I spent in the backroom and just chilling out and cooling off. No humidity today, just heat. And it was hot. And of course I wear a suit & tie.
I had a flask which I filled with some Woodland Reserve and not long after getting to work I took a few sips that quieted down the toothache. I alternated the sips of bourbon with sips of water which did the trick.
Bill stopped by the store since he called me before I left the apartment and asked if I could bring his keys to work. He noticed the bourbon on my breath. It was nice to see him in the middle of the day. It was actually the highpoint.
I called Bill’s dentist to tell them what was going on in my mouth. Bill scheduled an appointment for me on Friday and when I called on my lunch hour I spoke with Dawn. I told her the story and she told me that there was a cancellation and that they could see me on Thursday instead of Friday.
That was fine by me, the sooner the better. I went back to the cigar shop after my lunch and told Calvin the latest news. He mentioned that I could go on my lunch hour on Thursday.
The backroom was crowded with cigar smokers including one who had smoked too fast and got dizzy and dehydrated. He had to lay down on the floor of the bathroom and get himself together for about a half hour.
I neglected to mention that Marcus had posted on Facebook and Twitter this morning, that the first 10 people to call the cigar shop with a $50.00 order will get a free lighter or cutter. The phones went crazy and the first 8 calls were some of Marcus’ NYPD buddies.
Apparently he has quite a few of NYPD buddies. They stop by, a few patrolmen each day. On top of that, or perhaps under that, there were a few bent nose types hanging around. Guys you wouldn’t want to mess with.
Guys that look like they were from Lodi, or even Hoboken back in the day. They don’t take part in Facebook/Twitter viral contests. And they only pay cash.
Made it from the cigar shop to the bus terminal in 16:30 thanks to the Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady.
