Well it’s now Tuesday. A cipher wanders around the fruit stand. They misplaced their laptop and immediately came to me and Brian who were having a nice chat. The cipher wanted us to contact the housekeeper, who is on vacation and Brian is filling in for.

The cipher was on a different floor and was understandably anxious, though Brian and I had nothing to do with it. The cipher looks like my cousin Madelyn’s son Carl. It’s remotely unnerving.

Once again, the day started with a fine mist of a drizzle to walk through on the way to the Path train. Last night Bill and I watched John Oliver once again, then followed it with bits of Rachel Maddow and Auntie Mame.

The news from Rachel Maddow was a bit uncomfortable, and since I wielded the remote, I settled on Auntie Mame. That reminded me of an unfortunate thing that happened 36 or 37 years ago. I was going out with the ignoble Gus Mackenzie.

Gus was my first boyfriend. I may have been his entry into gay life, and I was an imperfect entry since I did not have much to do with gay life. I preferred to hang out at Maxwell’s with my gay and straight friends, and Gus was a closeted Jamaican fellow.

The memory is a but hazy but involved being at the bar in the Village called Uncle Charlie’s. It may have been Thanksgiving eve or even worse, Christmas Eve. In any event I was with Gus instead of my family and watched Auntie Mame projected on a large screen.

Everyone was laughing and I wasn’t. It’s not much of a classic and Gus was doing his best to get into it. I really should have been with my family though I did not know then that my mother was not going to be around much longer. I’d like to think it was 1989 but it was more than likely 1990.

Gus and I broke up a few months after that and I never had much contact with him after. We met up once. He was vehemently anti weed when we were dating, and a year or so after breaking up he was somewhat into weed.

I did take him to see Morrissey at Madison Square Garden and that was a good show. I went to a party afterwards on the Lower Easy Side and I don’t think Gus joined me. I did make out with someone on the roof but cannot for the life of me, remember who it was. Gus was very much into Morrissey which made sense then.

This morning while showering Moz’ Interesting Drug played in my head leading me to play the Bona Drag collection when I got to the fruit stand. I did contact Ignatious Mackenzie online in a social media situation. It was awkward and I regretted it soon after, I had forgotten what an asshole he was.

I was just looking Ignatius MacKenzie up on social media and could not find him so I guess it’s all for the best. But like a dog with a bone, I could not let it go and found him once again. And once again I regret it.

A dreary gray Monday morning, this third Monday in August. It was a gloomy weekend, tinged by the blues. Jimmy Chile dropping a bomb on Friday before leaving for the day made Saturday and Sunday collateral damage. More Saturday than Sunday.

I came home Friday night and within 10 minutes I was out of my clothes and doing laundry. It was the third weekend without Mike being around and it was OK on our end and Mike did not say it was like being in jail. That’s his usual line when he is told to stay home by his parole officer. When it’s a voluntary position, it’s not like prison, I reckon.

I have been at the fruit stand for 3 hours and have seen 2 people. That’s it. I’m not complaining but when I hear I should be more of a team player, it’s not easy when there is no one around to be a team player with.

Saturday was the day of the blues. I went to the supermarket with Bill and that was OK. He wanted to know what was going on. I mentioned Jimmy Chile, I mentioned that not going anywhere this summer was getting me down as it has been two summers in a row. He claimed he couldn’t afford it, but if he had let me know I could have done something and perhaps saved some extra money. But Bill does not like to talk about money or sex.

I was thinking about getting a haircut and did have an idea to get up early on Saturday to do just that. But I slept in instead, which was good. I keep catching my reflection and thinking I look like my brother Frank which is a bit unnerving. Frank’s widow Elaine is having a tough time with her house.

I spoke with Elaine last week and listened to her tale of woe. I plan on going out there, perhaps in a week or two. I have gone out there a few times already and my sister Annemarie was compelled to tell me I should go out there again. Elaine could have asked but she wouldn’t. And no one asks Brian and so Annemarie took it up herself to tell me what I should do, stamping my ticket for a guilt trip.

I don’t ask for much, I do enjoy my Sunday bike rides, it is good for the heart and mind and soul but apparently I should rearrange that for people who complain they never hear from me even if their phones have my number programmed into them should they ever have a need to call me.

Needless to say, I plan on going up the last Saturday in August. The next weekend is somewhat booked already and that depends on the weather.

Bill and I watched Project Hail Mary on Thursday. We both enjoyed it. We watched Gravity last Monday. It starred Sandra Bullock. It was good, and had me at the edge of my seat. In-between Gravity and Project Hail Mary, we finally got around to finish watching Hacks which we both enjoyed.

Annemarie texted me about it a few weeks ago. I thought we had finished it, but apparently we didn’t. Happy Days Are Here Again and Get Happy by Barbra Streisand & Judy Garland was the ending theme. Hacks involved making end of life decisions and that was also touched upon in Project Hail Mary.

Bill and I also enjoyed Brilliant Minds, ever so loosely based on Dr. Oliver Sacks books, placed in this modern era. That show was cancelled and so there was no closure following the final episode which definitely left us hanging, knowing that no one else would be picking up the show. At least Hacks gave us closure.

Last night we watched Merrily We Roll Along. It was good, and I suppose I will watch it again. Then we watched a documentary on the original Broadway cast in 1981 and how the show closed after 16 performances, greatly affecting the lives of these young people.

We had seen it before, and it seemed most apt after watching the latest version with Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsey Mendez. Even though they are the three leads, it’s mostly about Franklin Sheppard played by Jonathan Groff.

At work I find myself missing Marcus and Jimmy Chile. Brian who has been filling in for the housekeeper is leaving Friday. Brian was bemoaning turning 33 in October. I am 30 years older than him.