Posts Tagged ‘Mr. L’s’

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I Care

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

A day off and a Saturday. It doesn’t happen often and I am glad when it does. Last night was a mellow night at home, Bill was driving to Atlantic City and I just watched TV until late. I slept alright, reaching out for Bill even though he was sleeping on a cot in a bus depot employee lounge.

I got up around 9:00, about an hour earlier than I usually do when I have off. I wanted to get busy since there was a load of laundry to be done, errands to be run and groceries to be bought. And I was able to get them all done early enough.

I also watched some more TV, Burlesque at around noon, and then a few hours later, The Lovely Bones. Both featured Stanley Tucci. In one afternoon I watched him being Cher’s gay sidekick to being a serial killer. I don’t know which was more frightening actually.

I walked around Hoboken after getting my haircut at Mr. L’s this afternoon. My regular guy Tony was in and he once again did an excellent job, trimming as much white out of my goatee (which I am growing back again, having shaved it to look ‘more professional’ for interviews that never happened).

Tony also does my nose hair, ear hair and eye brows earning his 71.5% tip (just used the tip calculator). I asked where his son Nick was and he told me that Nick was running an errand and started feeling ill, so he went back to the barbershop where he called his doctor.

The doctor told him to get to the hospital so he drove to Morristown (!) where the doctor met him and diagnosed 3 blocked arteries. 5 stents were inserted, just like his father who also has 5 stents, and was once known as ‘5 Stents Tony’ or it may have been ‘Tony 5 Stents’.

It was a very nice day and I walked around a bit, down Washington Street. Didn’t see anyone I knew and after a while just came back home. Bill came home around 10:00 and immediately went to bed and when I came home he was up and getting ready to drive once more to Atlantic City. He had me worried last night since it was raining so hard, today I’m not so worried since it really is a beautiful day.

Back to work at the cigar shack tomorrow, where I will be working with Thomas and Jerry Vale. It shouldn’t be so bad, I already have low expectations. Monday is going to be more difficult since I have to be at the cigar shack on the east side at 8:00 for an extremely wasteful refresher course from the New York State tobacconists group.

I did it already in June 2010 and now I have to go in 3 hours early. It’s pure bullshit and I am not looking forward to it. I do feel somewhat bad for Thomas since Monday is his day off and he still has to go. He does have the option of going to Inwood, Long Island and sitting there like I did last June, but he’ll be there on Monday.

I would much rather go to Inwood. Just for the change of scenery and to keep my day off for myself.

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I Don’t Want To

Monday, March 7th, 2011

A day off and it’s been a good one. Yesterday I worked with Calvin and it wasn’t so bad, and though I wrote the other day that I felt I was accepting of the retail situation, I’m not so accepting after all. I am still trying to get out of the habitrail called retail.

Calvin was alright to work with, he was in before I was and at the end of the day I was the one to leave first which rarely happens.

I came home and watched the Fantastic Mr. Fox again on cable and I love the movie. It’s just so sweet and quick. Oh that Wes Anderson, he can do no wrong. Though the Darjeeling Limited left me wanting, most everything else has been superb. After the Fantastic Mr. Fox, I watched Shameless.

Shameless was so damn good last night. It’s really one of the best shows on I’ve never seen the British version, but this one is top notch. And the return of Chloe Webb was a surprise. Showtime has the best shows on TV lately. Nurse Jackie is returning in a few weeks as is the United States of Tara.

I don’t watch Tara that often but it is very good and I do enjoy Nurse Jackie a lot. And then there is Weeds and The Big C. It’s all very good, adult television. After Shameless I watched Southland which Bill & I both like a lot.

Bill had the foresight to record the episodes and it has been worth it. We watched the show when it was on broadcast television and skipped a season but now we watch it regularly. It helps to be a fan of the great Regina King and the other actors are almost as good. We love Regina King.

And then it was bedtime for me. Slept really well and vaguely remember Bill kissing me good bye once again. He was up crazy early though I do believe the sun was up already. I got up at my usual time and made some coffee before jumping in the shower.

After a couple of cups I was on the streets, dropping off shirts to be laundered, getting the paper and some bagels. I also made time to swing by Mr. L’s where I got a much needed haircut. It’s been growing quite thick and unmanageable. Tony was available, only in 2 days a week.

The TV was playing Mutiny on the Bounty, the one starring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. The other barber Nick was there, Tony’s son. They didn’t know that Mutiny on the Bounty was a real story. They did know it was remade a few times.

I mentioned the Marlon Brando version and Nick said there was one with Humphrey Bogart. I corrected him and told him that was the Caine Mutiny, with Bogart as Captain Queeg. I never saw that movie, but I knew of it from my mother comparing my father to Captain Queeg a few times when I was growing up. It was on TCM the other week, and I saw a bit of it but figured it would make more sense if I watched it from the beginning.

I had a lot of laundry to do today and it was done, now it’s hanging on racks and in the bathroom. Miss one week of laundry, then pow! Too much laundry!

Bill is off doing theater things and I look forward to some quiet time, just sitting around and watching TV. I am off again tomorrow, then its five days straight.

Another reason to get out of retail- Crap scheduling.




Bessie Banks – Go Now

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I Can Help

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Today was a day off. I had about 8 hours of sleep, it was so good. Slept until about 8:45 this morning and got out of bed. I had a meeting with Donald the K this morning at 11:00 and did not want to be late or miss it.

All I had was a little bit of milk for coffee and not enough for cereal, so I fortified myself with a few cups before heading out. I donned a grey wool pinstripe suit, a Paul Frederick shirt with a black & white & grey flowered tie.

It was chilly outside so I wore an older overcoat as well as my apple jack or newsboy cap. I was about 15 minutes earlier than I usually am and found a totally different scene. Different commuters, different bus driver and instead of sitting on the left side, I sat on the right and looked at things I normally don’t look at.

And once again the bus filled up with people, some of them not having correct change and asking the people already on the bus if they had change for a five dollar bill. I made it into the city and headed east to 6th Avenue.

I walked past Bill’s office building and merely took a camera phone picture as I passed by. I made it to the building where Donald the K’s company is and after a few minutes with security, I gained access to the 19th floor.

I met with Donald the K and we sat in a conference room. I was impressed with the size of their offices. Donald the K was dressed casual and mentioned that I didn’t need to be wearing a suit & tie. I told him I didn’t mind. We talked for a while and he seemed sincere in trying to get me into the job.

The whole meeting lasted about 20 minutes and while I waited for the elevator, he asked what I was making at my last job. I told him the extravagant figure I was paid and that I would have been happy with 15 thousand less.

During the meeting Donald the K told me about how a former co-worker Andrea comes in once a week to do whatever needs to be done on the secretary side of things. She commutes from down the shore in New Jersey and Donald also told me that she had died for a few minutes while delivering her second child.

That was something I did not know about. I did send Andrea a message on Facebook telling her I was meeting with Donald and how I did not want her to think I was gunning for her job. She responded a few hours later saying that she would love to work with me again, so that was cool to know.

I also got an email from another former co-worker, Brenda who’s last day was today for the now non-existent Putnam Lovell. I responded and tried to be supportive. At least she knows from my experience how hard it is out there. But she’s smart and savvy and should have no problem getting something lined up. Exploit those connections!

Made it back to Hoboken safe and sound. I needed a haircut but my barber Tony was not in today. He only works Monday and Saturday now and I guess I will have to wait until next week and get it done. It’s been an adequate day off, not the best but far from the worst.

Back to work tomorrow and off on Thursday. How I yearn for a Monday to Friday job.


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I Hear a Rhapsody

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

And it was back to work for me today. And I went reluctantly. I took 2 melatonin tablets last night and had a really restful sleep, including a dream where I was planning on traveling to Africa, and was worried about Somali pirates even though I wasn’t going anywhere near Somalia.

I got up this morning, made some coffee and went back to sleep for a few more minutes. It was pouring rain and sleeting outside with ice covering sidewalks making walking somewhat difficult and slow. I took my time, getting ready before I headed out into all that mess. Coffee and cereal after a shower and a shave. Soon I was out in the slosh, walking carefully up to Washington Street.

I walked by Mr. L’s. They took Tony off of Tuesdays so now he only cuts hair on Monday and Saturday. According to Tony it was all orchestrated by his son Nick, but I think Nick is trying to ease Tony out ever since he fell a few months ago and hasn’t completely recovered. In any event, the day where I have to find a different barber will be somewhere down the line.

I waited in the rain for the bus, carrying Bill’s boots in a plastic bag. For some reason he’d forgotten the boots and was going to need them tonight. I didn’t mind bringing them in for Bill. He’s been so great, so supportive for me, how could I not help him out? It’s love baby. Nothing but love love love.

As I waited for Bill to come down from his office I got a phone call. It was a 330 area code and it was in response to a resume I had sent out earlier. The office was in Colorado but the job was downtown for a position I feel I am uniquely suited for.

The phone call was brief but it went well and I told the caller that I would be available on Thursday for an interview if that would be possible. I am off on Thursday and I hope I can set something up tomorrow.

I got to the cigar shop a little late but not caring about it. I was bound to be late what with the weather and all. Marcus was out sick and so it was me and the Bradley. Calvin was out today since he and his wife were going to see Prince, deciding to do so after my glowing review last month.

It was a weird day. Yesterday the back room man cave was shut down due to a ventilation problem and it hadn’t been corrected yet. The HVAC people were supposed to be in around 8:30 this morning, they didn’t arrive until 12:30. And the second cash register was broken down due to a power strip problem.

Not much money was made today. The regulars stayed away in droves, the ones who did show up were quite upset with the fact that they couldn’t smoke their cigars in the man cave, walking out dejected. It made for a long day. I wound up working with Sean and the Bradley and we all got along fine.

I forgot to write about the bus ride in this morning. I was sitting behind Linda Weinstein who was using the bus as her office, making arrangements and planning Ray’s memorial service, scheduled for the first weekend in February. “Ray’s a bigger pain in the ass now that he’s dead than he was when he was alive!”

I thought about offering her my resume but thought again and decided not to.



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I Haven’t Time to Be a Millionaire

Monday, January 17th, 2011

A day off which happened to coincide with many others (but not all) having off for Martin Luther King’s birthday, or the recognition of it as a Federal holiday. And it was a good day. I went to bed earlier than usual last night after watching the Golden Globes with Bill on TV.

We both enjoyed the telecast, thought Ricky Gervais was pretty funny with his accurate putdowns on Hollywood and the star system. I watched the second episode of Shameless last night after Bill had gone to bed. But there was so much going on in the episode I couldn’t keep up and went to bed halfway through, around 12:30.

I slept fairly well, Bill get up this morning around 5:00. He was off to Philadelphia on his day off to meet some people in a casting agency and was on a Greyhound bus around 6:30. I was up and about at my usual time, 8-ish and set about starting my day. Shower, coffee before heading out to the grocery store.

I walked by Mr. L’s barber shop on my way to the supermarket. Tony my barber was cutting someone’s hair so I would have to wait until later to get my hair cut. Came home and had a nice breakfast and started my laundry.

Plenty of clothes to wash so I was busy. After the washing was done I headed out once again and walked to the barber shop where Tony was available. He was sitting watching an old movie on Turner Classic Movies with another bloke who turned out to be Joe Pantoliano.

I didn’t let on that I knew who he was and let him watch the movie undisturbed while Tony set about cutting my hair. Soon other customers came in and Joe Pantoliano made his way out without anyone paying him much notice. He was bundled up somewhat and also wearing sunglasses.

Another customer and I started talking about the current situation. He used to work at JP Morgan Chase and now he’s an engineer for the MTA. I explained that I was an office manager for an investment bank which went belly up and now I sell cigars and expensive pens.

I think he was looking for sympathy to which I replied that he was making more money than I am, mentioning that I took a 20 thousand dollar pay cut where he is still making a lot more money than I am. He does have a Master’s degree which he pointed out. He was trying to blame the economic climate on government being out of control, and I agreed that it was out of control and has been for the past 10 years.

He wasn’t expecting to hear that, nor was my mentioning that invading Iraq which cost billions of dollars helped put us where we are now. And also the deregulation of the banks which the right wing (who I did not mention by name) had been working on since the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I ended it with that and came home looking rather snappy with my hair nicely trimmed.

Hadn’t gotten a haircut since November I think and it was getting to be unmanageable. Came home and ran into Stine who told me she was making her excellent meat sauce and would make me a package when she was done.

When she was done and Julio came home, she invited me to have dinner with them. Alexander was wonderful as usual, sometimes putting on a show for me, fake laughter and all that. He does love being the center of attention and does not hesitate to scream my name to get my attention.

A wonderful spaghetti dinner with Stine, Julio and Alexander, some wine and some grapes for dessert. Alexander was getting sleepy when I made my way back upstairs, soon after Bill had come home. Now it’s now and here I am, a container of meat sauce in the fridge and me trying not to think about going to work tomorrow.

Bill and I are watching Shameless and William H Macy reminds me of someone.



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I Know I’m Losing You

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Maybe I go looking for trouble. But when I see something that seems fishy I will speak up. Now it seems inconsequential to most, but to a music fan on a tight budget it seems strange. It’s a problem that happened a number of years ago when I bought a birthday present for Julio, The Name of This Band is Talking Heads.

I bought it at the local record shop, Tunes and it was in a plastic envelope, not factory sealed like most new products are. As I was wrapping it I heard something rattling inside. The jewel case was broken. It could have scratched the CD.

They had no answer except the robotic line that just because we played it in the store doesn’t mean it’s been used, it’s still new. So today after hearing about the stripped down version of Double Fantasy I felt I had to get it. A treat, a reward for a pretty good day for me.

Before I left the apartment I called to see if they had it in stock. They said they did so I went before doing some errands. Stopped by Mr. L’s where I saw Tony the barber. He cleaned me up nicely this morning.

I walked over to Tunes and sure enough there was one copy, in a plastic envelope, next to Milk & Honey, Walls & Bridges, Mind Games, Imagine etc, all factory sealed. I asked why Double Fantasy wasn’t sealed like the others and was told because it was in the listening post.

I asked wouldn’t that make it used? No, that’s how we do it here. I decided to push it along a bit and said, if it was played wouldn’t that make it used? No, that’s how we do it here.

Once more, I asked the girl behind the counter, clearly annoyed with my question what’s the difference between something being taken home and played and something for sale that was played in the store, to which she replied, that’s how we do it here.

I made the purchase anyway but couldn’t let it go. I called the other Tunes store in NJ and asked for the manager who I figured would be the owner. The one whom I had the almost exact same chat a few years ago.

The girl who answered the phone couldn’t handle my question after a few minutes and then some guy came on the line. He asked what was the problem and I repeated it. He too had the same answer as the robot girl, “No, that’s how we do it here.”

Then he mentioned they had a shrink wrap machine in the back and sometimes they repackage used items which seems dodgy to me.

He said he was sorry I felt the way I did and I said I accepted his apology which greatly upset him, causing him to say that he wasn’t apologizing to me exactly.

I did mention that I do try to support bricks and mortar record stores but I wouldn’t have this problem with Amazon or iTunes. ‘Well, we’re not Amazon’ said the manager. ‘What is the point of this call’ he asked and I said I just wanted an answer to why used items are sold as new.

I also mentioned that I was writing this for an article (this here article). ‘Why did I buy the CD then?’ he asked and I mentioned that I bought it because I wanted the package. I could have just as easily gone to the bibliothèque and gotten it from there and burned it. I’ve already burned the two discs (one stripped down John & Yoko, the other the originally released 1980 version).

According to the receipt, If I still have the original packaging and the receipt I can get a full cash refund within 14 days. I might just do that. The CD is back in the plastic envelope and the receipts are intact.

What do YOU think about this ‘issue’? I’d really like to know.

It was a good day regardless. I had two interviews scheduled, one asked for a reschedule and the other went as planned. And it went well. Really well. Well enough that I have an interview with the client tomorrow.

Things seem to be moving fast. It’s similar to 8 years ago, when I first moved back to Hoboken, almost to the date. I was between jobs and the first night (or close to it) I plugged in and went online searching for a job.

The next day, Matt Semegram from ATS called and asked to see me regarding the position. I scheduled an interview with Matt the next day. He said I was a good fit and they would probably like me. He emailed me some tests which I completed and sent back after I finished it at home.

Matt called the next morning and said that they wanted to meet with me that afternoon. I went in the middle of a monsoon and spoke with Bobby Risotto. I started the job the next day.

Today while filling out the forms at the staffing agency, and after I met with Angela and her supervisor Lorraine I came home after seeing Bill for a few minutes and dashed off a thank you email. I wrote I would be able to start October 18.

About two hours ago, I got a call. The client wants to see me tomorrow morning at 9:30. They will be calling me tonight to confirm and let me know where to go. Fingers crossed.

Do not call me between 8:00 and 10:00PM tonight. You know who you are.

That's him. That's my Bill. Over there.


After a shave and a visit to Tony the barber at Mr. L's.

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