Free Dinner

Back at it. It’s Monday, July 6. Obviously, I did not write for the past few days. Just didn’t feel like it. It was a decent weekend. Mike came over on Friday, and Bill, Mike, and I had a good time hanging out. It was so hot on Thursday, July 2, my fingers were sweating, or actually, the sweat from my arms had trickled to my fingers.

My brother Brian had given me an air conditioner a few years ago and I have used it intermittently. It’s not very strong but can cool off a small room. The air conditioner I bought 26 years ago still works and so that one is in the bedroom. The one Brian gave me is now in the TV/Computer room window. It really makes a difference.

Mike loves hearing Bill’s tales of the road. Bill loves telling his tales of the road. I have heard them a few times so I interject here and there as the stories unfold. I myself have been known to tell a story a few times. I try not to, and find it distressing when Bill tells me otherwise.

July 3rd blended into July 4th, and it was even hotter. The three of us decided to check out the tall ships, but we missed most of them. We walked to the Hudson River on 4th street, making it as far as 3rd street before deciding that was too much and heading home after getting some lunch at the nearby, overpriced supermarket.

More TV was watched in the darkened, air-conditioned room, more food was eaten and more weed was smoked (by me). Mike wants to rent the Michael Jackson biopic. I am reluctant. It is a $20 rental and if he wants it, he can rent it. I’d be willing to wait for the streaming.

The schedule for the night was watching the fireworks that were to begin at 9:25 PM. We were hemming and hawing as to going to the river. We opted to gland found the streets deserted mostly. Hoboken anticipated hordes of people roaming around but it was not to be.

Before we left we saw on TV that the fireworks were starting earlier than 9:25 but we thought we would still have time to see them. We saw the people walking away and figured out for ourselves that we missed the show. Mike was disappointed and Bill and I were ambivalent. I try to maintain a sleep schedule even when I am not working so I went to bed, Bill soon joined me and MIke slept on the couch.

I woke up yesterday to a text from Mike who had to leave before we woke up due to his parole officer being outside his apartment. On a Sunday. During a holiday weekend. Mike had hoped to stay until the afternoon, but it was not to be. We were all very much bummed out at this turn of events.

I did go bicycling yesterday. I did not go the week before, so I had some mileage to make up for. A little over 14 miles. It was not as hot as it had been. I did think about bike riding on Friday, but it was way too hot for that, but yesterday was good.

It was a bit rushed since on the horizon were storm clouds. Those clouds almost prevented me from going cycling but Bill encouraged me to go. No time for the usual 15 minute break under the tree I like with one eye on the gray clouds approaching.

There was a plan for me to go home after bicycling 14 miles, take a shower and change clothes and head out to the supermarket but since I was on the bike I decided to ride up there, get what I could carry in my backpack and head home. That worked out well and I was able to stop and chat with RoDa as his son Logan looked on.

I came up the four flights of steps and was a basic zombie. More physical than mental. It was good to be home in front of the air conditioner. Bill was rehearsing his play that Mike and I are going to see in a week or so, and Mike was at his crib.

I thought about taking a nap but did not want to interfere with my sleep schedule. When I did finally go to sleep I had a disturbing dream where I had signed up for a self-help group that turned out to be a very mean cult. I realized this before I got deeper into it, when I was pursued by henchmen who insisted that I go with them despite my efforts to hide among the people.

It was such an unsettling dream that I got out of bed to pee even though I really didn’t have to, I did it just to get away from the dream.

Tonight I am going to attend a dinner hosted by the company that has placed me at the fruit stand. It’s a free meal and I can’t say no. It starts at 5:30 and is supposed to end at 7:30. It’s at a restaurant in Times Square. I call it a tourist trap though I’ve never been there. Bill has taken his passengers there though and they were mainly tourists.

If the weather was better I would walk but it’s drizzling outside so a subway is in order.

It’s unbearably hot

It’s unbearably hot. The real feel is 110°. The actual temperature is 99°. The fruit stand is quiet and cool, though. The air conditioning is on, so it’s comfortable. It does mess with one’s mind, this heat.

Annemarie flew off yesterday. There was a delay when her plane left the gate and a passenger was ill and had to be taken off the plane. It’s not an easy thing to do. One can’t just turn around and go back. Everything is scheduled and flights are stacked up for arrivals and departures. It was a bit distressing when I hadn’t heard from her. It turns out her phone was not fully charged and she was trying to save power.

The visit this year was not like other years. Where there was time I took off and spent as much time with Annemarie, this year was not that. Everything was stressful. I should make another trip out there but with finances being what they are right now, who knows if and when that would happen.

Nothing is going on at the fruit stand. Hardly anyone is around so that adds to the slow creeping of time through the day. It was just like that yesterday. When I came home yesterday I was fried. I did my best to be pleasant but it took more effort to be comfortable and it is not easy being pleasant when one is uncomfortable.

I heard from my old friend while outside in the shade smoking a cigar. They posted an Elton John reference which I got immediately and for a few minutes there we texted back and forth. It ended when I texted that I was listening to Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees and the Spinners Greatest Hits. I’m comfortable living in the past.

Mike texted me as well, saying he was sorry for not answering the phone since he was napping. I may have surprised him when I told him I did not phone him at all today. I did yesterday when he was napping. And when he’s not napping he’s talking to his beloved Wade. In both instances his calls go to voicemail and I just gave up on contacting Mike.

Bill has been around. Not much work this week. And he had a dental visit this morning. Now he is at his actors club where it is air conditioned so he’s taking care of himself. I have two and a half hours left at the fruit stand and while I am looking forward to a three day weekend, getting home will be like walking through a furnace, I fear.

It’s nothing I haven’t done before, though it is hotter than I can recall. I like working at the fruit stand. It sure beats working at Barry McGarry and the twats that I worked alongside.

Mike plans on coming over this weekend. I am thinking about putting the other air conditioner in the window by my computer. Not sure how that will work out. It’s something I should discuss with Bill when I get home. Or when he gets home.