Tag Archives: Garfield

I Didn’t Know What Time It Was

And here we are, two days after Christmas. And it was a snowy day, in fact it was such a snowy day that it was a snow day. Meaning that I had off from work, officially. I started the suggestion last night, sending an email to Calvin who stated that it was up to the building management some Kumpus Group, or Unrelated Companies nonsense in which they excel in a lack of subtlety as well as genuine bad decision making all around.

Calvin actually got back to me and wrote that he had gotten in touch with Marcus who declared the store to be officially closed. I don’t know if the customers knew about the store closing but if the staff from Long Island couldn’t make it in with the subways being shut down and NJ Transit buses not running at all, you really can’t have a store being open.

I found this out around 10:00 this morning, about 4 hours after I had been awake. Too late for me to go back to sleep so I puttered around as well as made use of the new HP computer I got from Bill for Christmas.

I was also up until about 2:00 last night exploring the computer and filled with wonder when YouTube videos loaded and played almost instantly with no jumpiness involved. I have to admit, I had gotten used to the videos loading forever so when the video for The Hardest Part by Blondie played almost instantly I was taken aback.

Bill also had off from work today and for most of the day, we were just hanging out in the apartment, watching TV and listening to music. I made a trip outside to the supermarket. Someone shoveled the steps and sidewalk in front of the building and I was glad it wasn’t me.

A lot of people were digging out their cars and a lot of cars were stuck in the snow and ice. I maneuvered my way around them and got the basics from the market.

I came home and had something light to eat. Bill and I had plans to go to Hillsdale to see my brother Brian and his family, as well as seeing my brother Frank and his family again. We were going to rent a Zipcar but the roads seemed too treacherous.

Brian phoned and suggested the train which made the most sense. We decided on the 5:35 train and left with enough time to find out the train had been canceled and the earlier, 5:16 train would be the one to be on.

So that’s what we did. Brian met us at the station and soon we were in the warm and cozy house of love. Brian and Karen and Hillary and Cassie as well as their brother Brian the prodigal and Cassie’s boyfriend Dylan were soon joined by Frank and Elaine with Meg and Rob and Corinne’s boyfriend Vic.

Annemarie was once again in California with her family and made her presence known by way of my cellphone. Dinner and gifts and some guitar playing by my nephew Brian was all enjoyed greatly.

But being tied to a train schedule we had to make it back to the train station a little after 9:00. Still cold and windy in Hoboken as Bill and I walked down the streets, stopping by neighbor Claire’s apartment to help the people who were staying there turn on their heat.

And now, thanks to Bill’s help, the old computer, Randenstein is now sort of hooked up to the new computer. I have two towers going and about 3 internal hard drives as well as the 2 iPods and one screen.

I actually finished this a while ago, just got very distracted by District 9, a very good movie, worth seeing. Out of the ordinary.


and down goes Uncle John with a left hook!

I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night

Well the last posting was a bit intense, all about the managerial shenanigans at work. That was then, this is now. I worked yesterday and as it turned out Calvin’s holiday get together was postponed until January. It was busy and we were supposed to close at 5:00 but at 5:15 people kept coming in.

I didn’t leave until a little before 6:00 and walked down the avenue listening to the first 4 songs on the B-52’s second album, Wild Planet. Chasing rainbows in the mud. I caught a waiting bus and soon I was home for only a little while.

I called my sister in law Elaine and told her we would get there around 8:00. Bill got the car as I got things ready. He texted when he was outside and I joined him, trying to figure out how to operate the controls on the car seat.

Garfield was nice and warm and cozy as we sat in the house where Frank and Elaine live. Elaine made a leg of lamb which was very good and I ate a lot of it as well as couscous, potatoes and veggies. And a whole lot of cookies and brownies to bring home. Rob & Meghan joined us a little after we got there and it was a good thing they ate already since Bill and I were starving.

Corinne surprised me and Bill with Guinness cans and pint glasses from Dublin, when Corrine was last in Ireland earlier this year. And a lovely Beatles fleece blanket which came in handy last night. Bill and I came home a little before midnight.

We were both tired from the previous 24 hours, with Bill driving a bus to and from Washington DC and me working retail and as being sick midweek Still, despite being oh so very tired, we managed to exchange presents once it was officially Christmas.

I got Bill an electronic keyboard which rolls up. It’s quite flat. We don’t know what it sounds like but there are supposedly 100 sounds available at his fingertip. I gave him his leather jacket last week since I had a limited amount of time if it needed to be returned and it didn’t need to be returned.

He’s been wearing it more often, but not for work as it’s not long enough to cover the hem of his suit jackets. Bill gave me a brand new HP computer, my first ever brand new computer. I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet since I don’t know how to join this computer and the new one, or at least transfer files.

If anyone has any ideas or directions on how to do such a thing I’d be glad to follow them.

Bill was much more frustrated with the breakdowns of the computer this past summer and Rand, who created this here computer reminded me that ‘you get what you pay for.’ That’s going to be my project the next few days, at least Tuesday or next weekend which will be my next time off.

Juan was here for a few hours. We basically had some sparkling wine, ate some pasta and watched the Freaks and Geeks marathon. He just left a little while ago. He’s always good to have around, if only for a little while. He’s headed back to Trenton tonight.

Back to work tomorrow, Boxing Day. Back to ‘normal’ hours, which means earlier hours. Monday night, a trip to Hillsdale. Hope you had an excellent Christmas holiday or whatever it is you choose to celebrate.

Be good.