Posts Tagged ‘Harpy’

« Older Entries

I Got Nothin’

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

This morning started out OK with regards to the weather. A bit nippy with occasional drizzle. Now it is mainly cold and damp. Tomorrow is a day off and from what I have heard, it is supposed to be warm and damp. January 2012 has had some crazy weather.

I’ve taken Harpy’s suggestion and decided to remove music from my smartphone. Do I need music on my smartphone, especially when I have a 30GB iPod? No, not really. According to Harpy it takes up too much space on the smartphone and with extra space the phone operates better without music.

I don’t really know about that since there are maybe two people I speak to on the phone, Bill & Annemarie. Well maybe three if I include Harpy, and I will include Harpy since no one includes Harpy enough if you ask me. And waking up was difficult this morning. I could have used at least another hour of sleep but obviously that was not going to happen.

I watched Chronology last night. It is a collection of live clips of Talking Heads from 1975 to the 1990’s. I don’t think it includes any footage from Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads- Jonathan Demme movie from 1984. I stopped watching the DVD when they showed Talking Heads at the Capitol Theater from November 1980.

I went to that show with my brother Brian and we had seats in the 2nd row. The Psychedelic Furs opened up the show and I didn’t know them then and did not like them much. I thought Richard Butler was a weird mix of David Bowie and Johnny Rotten, sounding like Rotten and throwing shapes like Bowie.

Anyway Talking Heads were fantastic and I remember dancing in front of the stage, I don’t recall anyone else around, just me dancing in front of people sitting down. I had seen Talking Heads in August 1980 with my brother Frank and that was quite magical. A couple of thousand of us, all dancing to music that no one had heard yet, Remain in Light had not come out at that time.

I’m sure that by November Remain in Light had come out and I was more than likely blown away. It is my favorite album of all time. As much as I love the Fabs, I still think Remain in Light is the best. Perhaps it is my generation’s Sgt. Pepper, as I can hear it’s influence on a lot of music in the years that followed it’s release.

The DVD is excellent, interesting to see them as a three piece for a few clips then seeing Jerry Harrison really flesh things out. And by the time I saw them there were ten people on stage. I’m sure my brother Brian was embarrassed by my frentic dancing but I didn’t care. I remember leaving the Capitol Theater and hearing that Jimmy Carter had just conceded the election.

It was election day after all. I voted for John Anderson in my first election, voting with my conscious. Brian told me I was supposed to vote for whomever I thought was going to win and he voted for the ‘winner.’

another shop bites the dust



asbestos kills



01 Positive Vibration

Tags:, , ,
Posted in What's it doing outside? | No Comments »

I Will Wait For You

Sunday, February 13th, 2011

I know, I know it’s Sunday. Why am I writing? Doesn’t John Ozed take Sundays off? Well after last night’s maudlin report, the suicide hotline called me to see if everything was alright. I was despairing last night over $49.50. It was pointless.

After writing I just wallowed. Bill came home and noticed my emotional absence. We watched Saturday Night Live and Bill laughed a lot. I was hollow in my wallow. I also took half a Xanax to help me get over it and thought it helped a little bit.

Bill went to bed as I watched Chris Brown as the musical guest and realized that all auto tune songs sound like they all have the same singer, which is pretty stupid when you look at it, or listen to it.

Bill was soon fast asleep in bed and I stayed up to watch the whole show. It was not worth staying up but I was waiting for the Xanax to kick in. Eventually I too was in bed, taking my position on the left. Bill was wearing his sleep apnea mask which interrupted my sleeping, the air was leaking out quite loudly and to me it sounded like a tornado at a beach resort.

Whatever stage of sleep I had reached, the sound of the apnea mask quickly brought me to the surface. And the Xanax did not achieve its desired effect for I was pissed.

I once again followed my advice and got out of bed and after about 20 minutes of sitting in front of the computer I went back to bed and found Bill had adjusted the mask and it now sounded like a steady hissing which did not interfere with my sleep.

I still only got about 5 hours of decent sleep. I was awake a little after 8:00 this morning and got myself ready for work. Bill had just gotten out of bed a few minutes before I left, and kissed him goodbye as he sat on the edge of the bed.

The 9:30 bus arrived and I got on, another uneventful ride above ground and under ground. I was opening the store with Der Fred (the Palindrome) who was scheduled to come in at 11:00. I got some breakfast and coffee and recounted all the money I was in contact with and it turns out that I was so burnt out last night that it was my miscount over and over was needless since I wasn’t getting it right, at all.

This morning, after some rest and fresh eyes, I found what happened. A few misplaced/miscounted bills were found and a $49.50 weight was lifted off my shoulders.

John Ozed Shrugged.

I was able to watch some of the morning shows as I ate my egg sandwich and drank some coffee. A little before 11:00 the Palindrome arrived and announced himself by knocking on the glass doors. Soon after that the Palindrome started complaining.

It’s too cold. I’m bored. What time is lunch? Whine whine whine. I’m reluctant to touch the thermostat in the cigar shack and so I suggested he do some work in the humidor where it’s always 70°.

It’s too humid in there, the Palindrome whined, and what would I do?
Straighten things out I suggested.
Straighten what out? The things I straightened out before I left last night?

That is the cigar shack experience. The Palindrome was so upset that he actually stopped talking, after he mentioned that he felt like quitting right then and there. If you recall, he constantly mentions how he is the assistant manager at a big hotel and doesn’t need the part time money.

I even offered my suit jacket so he would be warm. But he was method acting the role of martyr. Little did he know I teach a master class in martyrdom.

The Palindrome has worked weekends before and it’s generally colder for some reason. You would think that he would figure out how to dress when working a Saturday or Sunday. And not wear a tight black sweater and black trousers which show off the muffin top quality of his 33 year old torso.

Overall it was like working with an old woman. And he was dressed all in black so you can probably figure out what kind of old woman the Palindrome resembled both inside and out.

The closing went well, everything accounted for. Bill stopped by before closing with some Hoboken chocolates that he picked up after he say Hyman Gross in the hospital. And also harpy made an appearance in the cigar shack and so it was a very nice day after all despite the old lady dressed in black.

I really appreciated the fact that the Palindrome didn’t really speak to me for the next 5 hours.

Oh yeah, one more thing…it was Beatles day today. I played Live at the BBC, Let It Be, Abbey Road, 4 Tracks from Yellow Submarine, White Album, Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt Pepper, Revolver & Rubber Soul. That definitely helped my day along.

That’s it. A Sunday Edition.






You can't out martyr me.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Happy? | 2 Comments »

I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby

Friday, December 17th, 2010

And it’s Friday and I’m tired. Been a long day. Did not sleep well. I repeat, Did not sleep well. My pillows did their best to make for an uneasy night of sleep and when I woke when Bill was kissing me goodbye, I couldn’t really go back to sleep since my shoulder was troubling me.

It’s fine now, but at some point during the night the pillows decided to do whatever they wanted to do and what they wanted to do was make my sleep uncomfortable. They succeeded and I eventually surrendered the bed to them.

I shuffled about, cold once again, but not as cold as it’s been. Today was in the 30 degree area so that made it somewhat warmer. Still it was cold as I waited for the bus into the city. I missed the 11:15 bus which I’ve been taking instead of avoiding since it’s been so damn cold outside.

The 11:30 bus came rolling up in it’s own time and we rolled towards the tunnel. Once inside the tunnel we sat and waited for a few minutes, an absolute standstill. After that it was smooth sailing about one hundred yards into the bus terminal where I made my way down to the post office dropping off some Christmas cards and Shutter Island off to Netflix land. Shutter Island, a big ‘meh’.

I was on time at the cigar shop and immediately went to work. I found out the computers crashed for about 3 hours yesterday, putting a major dent in holiday sales. Well we have some cheap, old computers that when the sales process is going slow, I remark to the customer, apologizing and saying that we bought the computers at the Soviet Union garage sale a few years back. That usually gets a chuckle.

The day was topsy turvy. I couldn’t get a grip on some customers despite my trying to connect. Two times I would be working with customers who didn’t know what they wanted and as I tried to steer them to a product they might like they just didn’t get it.

A co-worker nearby would see what was going on and essentially repeat whatever it was that I said and the co-worker would make the connection. I’d still get the sale but for some reason they would not hear what I was saying, but they would hear the Bradley or Sean. It was frustrating and I decided not to talk to any customers from there on in.

I made it to the bus terminal from the cigar shop in 18 minutes, 10 seconds. Puffing on a cigar and listening to I Am the Walrus, Baby You’re a Rich Man, Flying, Dear Prudence and Revolution 1. Not my usual stomping, getting the hell out of my way music, but it was enjoyable regardless and I was able to catch the 10:30 bus.

Sorry I did not take Harpy’s call as I was trying to close the store but I can’t afford any distractions in that last half hour of closing. Harpy was the one who hipped me to the surprise news that Captain Beefheart aka Don Van Vliet passed away after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.

Captain Beefheart, Don Van Vliet

Oh I might not write tomorrow since I am going to see Prince at Madison Square Garden. Sunday I will write. I promise I will.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Iron my Shirt | No Comments »

I Love The Flower Girl

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

So tired. Been a long day. Close to 10 hours on my feet. Now, Bill is in Washington DC, supposed to be dead heading back to Manhattan, estimated time of arrival 6:30 tomorrow morning. I wish he were here, but he isn’t so I am enjoying a little time to myself.

Juan is around somewhere, he could be making the trek up from Trenton back t Union City. He said he might stop by if it isn’t too late. But what is too late? Now is too late. Still I would welcome him here, no matter what.

I heard from the former president of my former job this morning. He asked for the info, a copy of my resume so he could tailor a letter to mail to my prospective employers. He’s using snail mail, not email since he’s not that computer savvy. I have no idea what he is writing.

Perhaps he’s writing that I am the absolute worst and the company would be smart to change their address lest they receive contact from me again. But I doubt it. Harpy made an appearance at the cigar shop today and that was nice, it was good to see him. Not much time spent, he was off doing things and I was off standing on my feet for the first of many hours.

Marcus split the scene soon enough, leaving Bradley and myself. And lately Bradley has been pretty funny. Funny ha ha, not funny strange though he is a bit strange in a funny way as well. It certainly was a busy day, lot’s of people, the majority were men, buying cigars for a long weekend.

I remember those long weekends. And quite a number of those guys sat in the backroom, and drank and smoke the afternoon away since they were off of work early. It got so crowded that we had to turn people away from the boisterous, smoky scene.

Sean came in and worked but mainly talked on his phone, out of the view of the cameras. If we wanted him to do something, like his job, we had to ask him. Large packages came in, quite unexpectedly as well as cigars ordered earlier in the week.

I put a box on the side and called a customer who asked me to call him when the cigars he liked came in. Got his voice mail and after a few hours figured he wasn’t coming in so I put them back in stock. The time did not fly by, it was quite a long day.

Eventually I left the store, closing the register and ignoring a $0.40 discrepancy in the receipts. I was too tired to figure it out and it would have taken some time. I just wanted to go home. I’m sure that will come up in a week or two.

I made it to the bus terminal, listening to Mezzanine by Massive Attack. At the gate was Hyman Gross and we chatted while we waited and as we rode on the bus to Hoboken. He expressed doubt that Bill would make it back in time for dinner and I took exception to that, and told him so.

Until then, I had no doubt that Bill would make it and if it wasn’t for Hyman’s negative attitude I would have had 100% positivity that Bill would be there. I suppose if you make it to 80 something years old, you can be as grouchy and curmudgeonly as you’d like.

I did speak with Bill a few minutes ago, and he said he should be back here, in the NYC area on time. Hyman might have picked up on my discomfort and changed the subject to Marcel Proust, Thomas Mann and James Joyce. He recommended that I read The Dead by Joyce, it’s supposed to be quite beautiful.

So I just requested the DVD from the bibliothèque as well as Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Will I have the time to watch the DVD or read the book? Will you have the time to read this?

What are you looking at?


ghent university endocrine nolvadex Sildenafil cipro and cost
clomid success Cialis Tadalafil Canada withdrawals lexapro

Tags:, , ,
Posted in What's it doing outside? | 2 Comments »

I Want You Around

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Let’s face it. Most of the time lately, I have no idea what day it is. I was trying to help a customer on the phone, someone who was trying to get cigars sent to his home in Connecticut. I remarked that if he called early enough tomorrow morning, he should get them by Friday.

He said, that tomorrow was Friday. There went my plan for him to satisfy his cigar needs. It didn’t really matter since I was fobbing him off to another cigar shop in Manhattan. But I was taken aback by the fact that today was Thursday for most people but for me it was Tuesday.

And Harpy is somewhere in New Jersey. Attending some wake. As long as it isn’t Harpy’s wake I am fine with it. Hopefully the border will be open when he decides to leave the mainland and return to that island off the coast of America.

Last night I slept especially well. Bill was somewhere in Pennsylvania and didn’t come home until 5:30. He was off from work today so he lay sleeping as I was the one dressed up and headed out the door.

I saw the 10:15 bus at the stop but decided to wait for the 10:30 bus. I sat there on a bench and finished last night’s cigar which would have horrified my cigar shop co-workers. I had no problem with it and stayed far enough away from anyone who was waiting for the bus and might have had problems with the cigar.

I walked through the terminal listening to New Order, Blue Monday. I guess there was a karma pay off with the fact that when I got to the subway there was a train at the station. An express train at that.

I made it into the cigar shop early enough and explained to Calvin the problem with the printer not being connected to the network. He didn’t think it was that much of a problem since all the info was in the database and easily accessible. I didn’t know that and my worrying was all for naught.

It was an interesting day at the cigar shop. In the afternoon an elderly gent came in and I of course welcomed him with a ‘Hello Sir’, like I do with all the male customers. Women get a ‘Hello Miss’. It makes the older women feel younger and the men feel like gentlemen (though most of them aren’t).

I asked the elderly gent if he was at the shop to buy a cigar and he said that he wasn’t, he didn’t smoke anymore. His name was Bill and he was 81. He just wanted to come in and talk about how he first started smoking cigars when he was 13 years old, growing up in an orphanage.

It was a convoluted story but that was the gist of it. He had a few jobs when he was 13 years old, and thrilled at that age when he was making $14.00 a week for stocking the shelves in a grocery store.

He mentioned that his whole life was stories and that he needed a ghostwriter to get them all down before it was too late. I suggested that he go to a nearby college and speak to someone in the English department, maybe they could suggest a student to help him out with what he wanted to do.

I don’t know if that’s how things get done on campuses these days, but it was an idea that he seemed to like.

Just another day I suppose in Manhattan, working in a cigar store. Thursday’s with Old Bill.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in STFU | 1 Comment »

Day After Tomorrow

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Heat rises. As I climb the four flights of steps it’s readily noticeable. Top floor, my floor is like an oven. Nowhere for the heat to go. There is no Now/Here. It’s been in the 90 degree range today. Quite oppressive.

I would prefer 20 degrees less but what can I do? It’s supposed to be like that tomorrow but with that temperature drop there will be rain. Or blood. Or a reign of blood.

I’ve noticed that my mind is more prepared for the new job on top of the Empire State Building that I am somehow. Last night as the 11:00 news was on I found myself getting ready for bed, which is about 2 hours earlier than it’s been the past 9 months.

I know I’ve been out of work 10 months and change but the first month of being out of work I still had that routine. Then somewhere in the past 10 months I was up watching Craig Ferguson until the end. The other night he had Ben Stein on so I didn’t watch, so maybe it started then.

Going to bed earlier meant waking up earlier and that meant around 8:00. I was refreshed, not groggy. I had to head into the new job and pick up some paperwork to fill out so I could properly start next week.

Don’t you ever stop, long enough to start/get your car outta that gear!

Showered and did my thing and was soon on a crowded bus. I gave up my seat so a woman and her kids could sit and sat next to guy who very much did not want to sit next to me. So much so that I had to ask him to move so I could sit.

Oh how I miss that commute. I had better get my machete cleaned up.

Walked up to the 86th floor, regretfully no giant apes around. Got my paperwork and talked shop. Asked if it would be alright if I brought my suit in a bag and changed it there since I tend to sweat like a horse when the summer arrives. They had no problem with it.

They did mention that I could wear a Guyabera like I was wearing today when I work on weekends. No shorts though. That’s fine with me. The unknown is before me and though I anticipate it, I’m not terribly worried. It’s nothing I haven’t done before.

Saw Bill after that. I love him. He loves me. He drives me crazy. I probably drive him crazy. Last night Bill was feeling like he was ill, had a cold he said. Today he seemed fine. But last night not so good.

He bought me some Godiva truffles once again. He’s spoiled me. The past 3 weeks, each time I’ve seen him he’s bought me Godiva truffles, so I’ve come to expect it. I walked him back to his office and I know he is thrilled that I have a job once again.

The Path train was fairly empty and the air conditioning was kicking. Walked along the waterfront when I got back to Hoboken. Some function going on, on Pier A. No Tariq in sight and it was too hot to go back and get the guitar and head back out again so I came home and had lunch.

Ran into Stine. Today is her birthday, AND IT’S HARPY’S BIRTHDAY AS WELL. I left a note on the apartment door wishing a happy birthday to Stine and I thought I wrote it in Danish using Google translate, but actually it was in Dutch. The price you pay when you use Google translate without having had a cuppa.

Just got back from spending some time with Rand. He suggested meeting up so I went out. We talked about a lot of things, including what was bothering me. It cleared the air and I’m glad we met up.

I have just returned from a walk around Hoboken and checked out the Memorial Day parade.

What?

It’s Hoboken and they do things their own way. More marchers than spectators and there are fewer veterans with each passing year.
5.26.10 Today 002
5.26.10 Today 003
5.26.10 Today 004
5.26.10 Today 009

Rand

Rand


the few remaining members...

the few remaining veterans from back then...

Tags:, , ,
Posted in So how's band camp? | No Comments »

« Older Entries