Bill « johnozed

Posts Tagged ‘Bill’

I Know Him So Well

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

It happens often. I call someone who is unavailable and leave a voicemail. I usually say “don’t call back, I’ll call you later”. 9 times out of 10 they call back. I am guilty of this too. Just had terse words with Bill. I use a hands free headset and as I am putting it away after leaving a voice mail- he calls. It’s raining, my hands are full with phone, ipod, and umbrella looking for shelter. It’s love and it’s frustrating.

I call him almost daily on my walk from the apartment to the bus stop. I get the voice mail and leave a message telling him not to call back, I would call when I am in the city. I unplug the hands free headset I use for the phone, put it away and plug in my headphones for the iPod, all the time smoking a cigar and using an umbrella while striding to the bus stop.

Of course, Bill calls at an inopportune moment, asking if I would be interested in going with him to his high school reunion in June. It’s a 30 year reunion and he liked his classmates. I am exasperated of course and probably a little bit snotty. I explain the situation that I don’t know if I can get that time off or if there will be time to have off.

I try to recover and make light of the situation but by this time Bill isn’t having it. The call ends abruptly. I make my way up to the cigar shack, on the way I get cut off by a delivery guy on a bicycle who knocks my smoke out of my hand. He apologises and I just keep walking. I make my way to the cigar shack in the drizzle and text Bill, telling him I am going to run an errand and I will call him back.

Apparently he still doesn’t like the fact, after 12 years, that I am not a morning person. We talk as I do the errand and he suggests taking a Xanax, to use the tools I have at hand since he is fed up with me and the way I am in the morning. I try to end the call on an up note but whether or not I hit that register, or whether Bill heard it it remains to be seen.

I did suggest earlier during the initial call that maybe we can talk about the high school reunion when I get home tonight. That is, if Bill is still awake. I get to the cigar shack and notice it really seems smoky and smells like cigars. Now normally it doesn’t since the cigar shack has a very good ventilation system going, but apparently not this morning.

Since I have been persona non grata lately I try to stay out of sight, keep my head down and do some work work work. So the man cave had to be closed which drove down sales, but I did spectacular. Just looking for a team to play for.

Oh and Bradley was upset since I questioned the fact that he had a sense of humor or any sense at all. He doesn’t. He can be quite hilarious but that hasn’t happened in a few months.

Charisma eczema. For some reason, I remember asking my sister in the 1970’s after hearing an advert on the radio about reminiscing how in the 1960’s, everybody had charisma. I asked my sister what charisma was and she told me it was a skin disease.

01 El Camisón De Pepa (Pepa’s Dress)

Tags:Bill, Charisma, Danielle Perry Cruz, Eczema
Posted in Interesting Things as of Late | 2 Comments »

I Know A Place

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

777-9311 by The Time is playing right now. I remember having an in depth discussion with Peter Holsapple of the dB’s when he was working at the Music Maze at 23rd and Third in the city and when I was totally enamored with the dB’s. He explained what sounded like a drum machine was actually Jimmy Johnson and here we are 30 years later and it still sounds incredible.

Yesterday was a day off and it went well. I did my usual shuffle about Hoboken, Bill came home from his reading and it sounded like a very good reading, something I should have attended if only I was invited. He stayed up for a little while before going to bed and I watched the Daily SHow, followed by The Colbert Report.

I usually watch the Daily Show in the morning but I was planning on being busy this morning. I had a meeting with a company that liked what they saw when they came into the cigar shack a week ago. I would like to think the meeting went well but I really couldn’t say since it was up to them and not me.

It lasted about 45 minutes, met with 2 representatives from a well placed cigar manufacturer. I think they are trying to pick my brain about how the big cheeses run things and since Zack is unavailable for somethings and Bradley being a possum at times, they asked me and how could I refuse? It was eerily close to the cigar shack anyhow so I had to watch who I saw when I entered and exited the building.

Beautiful loft space where the meeting was held, so much so that I felt the view warranted a picture. I left feeling pretty good about myself, no trade secrets given away. A slow and easy walk to the cigar shack was had afterwards, heading in the opposite direction, then turning around and retracing my steps.

There was Bradley, sitting on Zack’s throne since Zack was off doing a public access radio show downtown for most of the morning. Bradley of course felt like he was the big man and Thomas and I let him think that he was. He’s not that tall so opportunities like this don’t come around too often.

Lunchtime came at the right time for me so I was able to sit on a bench near the park once again and read Retromania while smoking a damaged cigar. It wasn’t unsmokable but you realy can’t sell a $20.00 cigar with such obvious defects on it. And Retromania is entertaining though a bit dry. It’s rare that I read a book that you have to meet halfway where most of the other books just open up and fall into your lap.

I did hear about a dirpy program that allows you to convert videos into mp3’s. My niece mentioned it last summer but never came through on the details. Now I have the details and I was going through my favorites on YouTube but it turned out I have just about everything I want (a major subject of Retromania), so I downloaded Robert Wyatt singing Shipbuilding which it turns out I had 3 downloads of it already.

C’est la vie. The hope thing is springing eternal and the waiting game goes on.

06 When You Dance I Can Really Love

Tags:Bill, Danielle Perry Cruz, Peter Holsapple
Posted in uncategorizable | 2 Comments »

I Know A Little

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Well today was a day off. Yesterday wasn’t. Yesterday was working with Thomas and Jerry Vale. Thomas and I finally had our talk, about how upset I was when he stole a customer from me. According to Bill when I am upset with someone I freeze them out, or in Bill’s words I send them to Siberia.

I got that from my father. Not the best way to handle a situation, but it beats biting someone’s head off. But the talk was had and Thomas seemed contrite, saying that if he ever does that to me again to let him know and he would rectify the situation. It made for an easy afternoon.

Jerry Vale was out of sorts though. He messed up a shipping order earlier in the week and still has difficulty on the cash registers. So after all this time, he still needs to be watched closely. I came home last night, closing my register and leaving Jerry Vale in the shop. He’s been hiding out there avoiding his roommate until it is time to go home.

I had a cigar and walked down the avenue to the bus stop. It was a great feeling knowing that I had a single day off which is better than no day off. On Saturday the sales were very good and warranted an email from Zack telling us what a good job we had performed. Yesterday the sales were not as good therefore no email was forthcoming. I had top sales both days by the way which was nice.

I got home, Bill fast asleep. I chatted with him as he slept and grumbled, eventually watching Nurse Jackie which was very good thanks to the appearance of Rosie Perez. The Big C was also very good as well, once again with guest stars Susan Saradon and Victor Gerber.

I saw John Benjamin Hickey on the street the other day, he plays Laura Linney’s brother. Being in New York I didn’t say anything or make a scene. I think I saw Rupert Murdoch the other day as I was heading into work. He had a big bodyguard as he left the overpriced supermarket nearby. I didn’t say anything to him though I did meet him twice before. I shook his hand which felt like I was squeezing mashed potatoes and thanked him for the great party that I was attending.

I watched Mad Men which was good but not as good as the week before which had Roger’s trip on LSD as the centerpiece. I stayed up for a while watching the news and whatnot, Bill had gotten out of bed for a little while before heading back.

This morning I had a telephone interview which went well. Whether or not anything comes of it remains to be seen. I can’t afford to invest hope in these matters since my spirit gets crushed each and every time. So ambivalence is the way to go.

I called Bill as I do most mornings and tried to tell him about the interview that I just had but he wasn’t much interested since I had so many of these things the past few years. I should try apathy next time he goes up for an audition. I won’t but the devil on my shoulder insists.

I also heard from Pedro who I had no contact with for the past few months. He wrote that he hates my Trayvon Martin Facebook hoodie profile picture, labeling it white guilt. He’s getting to be more of a reactionary conservative (probably because of the lack of contact between us, me offering the liberal voice of things which usually opens his mind somewhat).

For me there was no white guilt involved, it had more to do with a sense of injustice. Of course I didn’t tell Pedro that, the guy who was so upset when Radio Raheem gets killed by the police in Do The Right Thing.

My how we’ve grown since 1989.

there is a hawk in this photo

10 Five Years

Tags:Bill, Pedro
Posted in Interesting Things as of Late | No Comments »

I Kissed A Girl Jill Sobule

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

And now today was back at the cigar shack. Oddly enough, no dread, no anxiety and no pharmaceuticals. Just a general ambivalence I suppose. Bill has been phenomenal. Last night we watched Veep, starring Julia Louis Dreyfuss. Very good, very funny.

It is hard to write with Thomas standing two feet away from me, just itching to see what it is I am writing. But now he is gone and I maintain the flow. Bill went to bed after Veep and I of course stayed up watching anything but the news.

I can’t take it anymore really. So much bad stuff and that is just MSNBC and the three shows, The Ed Show, Rachel Maddow and the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. Thomas has returned and is telling me how easy it is to make a pot roast. Such enthusiasm.

I watched the Colbert Report, followed by 30 Rock I think but I’m not sure. I don’t think 30 Rock holds up after repeated viewings. So waking up was no big deal, Bill was up and out at 5:30 and off to the gym with 2 hours on the treadmill. His farewell kiss to me was sweeter than ever and I of course rolled over after he split.

3 more hours for slumbering me suits me just fine. I was at the bus stop at my usual time, staying away from the other commuters as I smoked a cigar. My bus came and quickly filled up.

I saw a guy I used to work with in the cigar shack, I keep running into him from time to time, each time he is closer to the bus terminal. This morning he was right across the street from the depot. No time for chit chat, just a flashed peace sign and I was on my way.

I was listening to the English Beat. Someone uploaded the entire Dance Craze movie from the 1980’s and I have been enraptured by it. I saw it at the Eighth Street Playhouse back in the day with my dear late friend Jet Watley. Dancing in the aisles was encouraged. So I have Two Tone on my brain lately.

I got to the cigar shack on time once again and set about doing the things no one asks of me, but since no one else will do them I do them myself. It’s been fairly slow in the cigar shack so I try to find things to do since I am not one to stare at women’s breasts and asses as they stroll by the shack.

A lot of the time that means sales go to my co-workers, today they were Thomas and Jerry Vale. Jerry Vale has been doing quite well lately saleswise. Zack has been throwing sales mainly to Thomas, perhaps a show of favoritism.

I have no problem saying that since it happened quite often today, in fact one time he was giving some leads to Thomas but Thomas was going to lunch so he wound up giving them to Jerry Vale and myself, 7 leads in total. That’s the nature of the beast I reckon. And interestingly enough, my boss didn’t even ask how my excursion to the Eagle on Tuesday night went.

Exactly what team do I play for? I mean is there a team if the coach plays favorites? It’s what was written on my status report, I should be a better team player. Give me a team worth playing for and I am there.

Less than 30 minutes to go. A few guys are in the man cave watching the Rangers play someone. Stanley Cup playoffs or something like that. Lots of yelling and screaming going on. I wouldn’t mind getting away from that.

Save it For Later

Tags:Bill, The Eagle
Posted in So how's band camp? | 2 Comments »

I Kissed A Girl Katy Perry

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Well today had been a day off and I was somewhat busy. But first last night. I left the cigar shack about a half hour earlier, had some cigars in my pocket, some business cards and I was on my way. Bill recommended taking the M11 bus down Ninth Avenue to get near the Eagle. I thought the Eagle was on 27th Street, but it’s actually on 28th Street, just a block and a half from where the bus dropped me off.

On the way I was listening to Nirvana, Nevermind. I hadn’t been since October of 2010 and it was different from when I was last there. Last time I had to check my shoulder bag on the first floor, but not last night. The first floor was closed and there was a bloke sitting on a chair in the stairway on the second floor. He said I could just walk on up so that is exactly what I did, to the third floor.

There was an outdoor rooftop lounge, about a couple of dozen guys standing around smoking cigars. The guys all had some kind of leather on, jackets, pants or a full outfit. There was I in my wool overcoat over a suit & tie. I was out of my element but then again I’m not really into leather anyhow so no matter what I was wearing I would have been a bit out of place.

Still I put on a brave face and ordered a Corona and lit up a cigar. The guys were mainly in groups, talking amongst themselves and I just wandered back and forth. I did make some small talk with guys that were wandering around and handed out some business cards for the cigar shack. I met a guy named Mark, from Bordentown NJ who I was friends with online.

He’s a lot bigger than his thumbnail photo and took it upon himself to say hello to me which was good since I didn’t recognize him at all. I had another Corona before they closed the bar on the roof deck, it was still too cold on an April night. Some more giving out cards before I finished the second Corona before I finished my cigar and headed out.

I caught a cab and took it to Sixth Avenue and got to the Path station just in time to see the Hoboken train pulling out. It was only a 15 minute wait until the next one so I bided my time and walked in circles on the platform.

The next train pulled up and I sat and read more of Retromania by Simon Reynolds. A lot more scholarly than I hoped and in my buzzed state I sat and read, and soon I was in Hoboken running up the stairs to the train station to use the men’s room since I had to get rid of the Coronas as soon as possible.

There was a bus headed up Washington Street and since I really didn’t want to walk I got on board. Bill was fast asleep in bed once again and I stayed up for a while, watching the television. Woke up later than usual since it was a day off and took my time getting things done.

Emails sent out, rejections accepted, dates postponed all before a trip to the supermarket. And there was no mighty Isis at the supermarket today which was a drag. Home again, breakfast and whatnot before heading out to the bibliothèque and the dry cleaners. It was an OK day, nothing spectacular. Tomorrow is back to work at the cigar shack. That’s it.

Really nothing to write home about though that is what I just did.

Powder Finger

Tags:Bill, The Eagle
Posted in the day after yesterday | 2 Comments »

I Just Want To Celebrate

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Back home after a day back at the cigar shack. On board today were Zack, Bradley and Thomas as well as myself. It was a long day, and not because of the cigar shack. I went to bed earlier than usual last night and did not sleep well. At 1:30 I was up again at the computer just to get out of bed since trying to get to a deep sleep was proving to be impossible.

I took a melatonin but it did not do what I hoped it would do. About 30 minutes later I was back in bed, tossing and turning and having vaguely violent dreams. Luckily I did not hit Bill. But I kept waking up every hour and tossed and turned again. Kept thinking about the cigar shack and kept thinking about two phone interviews that I had earlier in the day.

Nothing was guaranteed but I could not help but think about the combination of jobs and job offers and it didn’t exactly make me relax. I had to get up early in the morning and start my day with a meeting in midtown. A familiar neighborhood with unfamiliar faces. It went well though nice space, nice people and now it’s all wait and see.

Of course in the back of my mind it’s all ‘you’re in over your head here’ even though it is all about things that I had done before and did them quite well. Will Google (oops!) call me back? Who knows? It would be nice though. The hours promise to be a bit crazy but manageable.

And throughout the day I kept getting phone calls from the really cool company with the ping pong tables in Newark. I’m not taking them too seriously since I am way cool enough and they’ve been stringing me along for a number of months already. The whispering tones of Jerry Vale waft through the air, singing ‘you may not like it here, but you do have it good here’. I will ask him to elaborate more on that tomorrow when I work with him again.

Today was pretty good at the cigar shack. I did get top sales though Bradley did grab the official title since he had the big money account from a rinky dink cigar lounge a few blocks away. The rinky dink cigar lounge orders several times a week, dealing mainly with Bradley. Scott Raspberry runs the rinky dink cigar shack and when he calls he asks for his ‘boyfriend’ Bradley.

And the guy who works at the rinky dink cigar lounge and picks up from the cigar shack occasionally makes ‘fag’ comments when he talks to Bradley. For these two reasons I don’t have anything to do with the rinky dink cigar lounge and won’t set foot in there ever again.

I did have my going away party at the rinky dink cigar lounge when I was leaving Wanker Banker but never knew of the goings on behind the scenes, like how the the guy who picks up the cigars for each order can procure young women for sex if a customer wants one. Apparently you can get in a limo and cruise the streets and get a blow job in the back seat as the driver makes his way through the streets. No, it’s not my scene.

Now I am home and happy to be here. Bill is asleep once again and Bill Maher prattles on the television behind me. Back to work tomorrow and hopefully Sunday Bill will be singing the national anthem at CitiField, if the weather permits.