Back at the major fruit stand today aka the belly of the beast. It’s not as bad as it’s been no fires as far as I can tell. Taking it slow means I’m not taking my time. And it’s a beautiful Wednesday afternoon September 9th 99 I am in the concrete Park having a small cigar.

Bill is running around somewhere he’s going to be driving tomorrow coming back on Friday or Saturday. (Like I said) Mike is in his crib. We had a good talk last night about how I don’t believe in myself or I don’t think I’m handsome. Both are correct. He tries to reassure me that I am sexy or at least when I’m smoking a cigar walking down the street. I walk like I’m black whatever that means. Can’t be too conscious about it because I won’t know how to do it correctly so I’ll do it subconsciously.

And it’s true I do not believe in myself. I never got any attitude of ‘you could do it son’ from my parents or my family; if anything it was just encouragement to get by. Which works for me up to a point I suppose but I certainly lack ambition and smoking weed took care of whatever admission was left. I was not encouraged to go to school meaning college when that time came I realized that it was not for me, being a waste of time and money.

So it worked which I enjoyed somewhat and then fell into a various crowds of college graduates and/or graduate students. Remember half a dozen graduate students from Columbia University working on a project for William Jovanovich. They seemed to like me and I seemed to like them and I don’t think they’d suffer pools gladly so as welcomed into the fold.

Don Bollinger married Michelle (McCarty) Ricciardi. I went to their wedding and reception. I don’t know how I did. I’m sure I didn’t stay for the whole thing. Michelle was nice but she turned out to be HR which I knew, but I didn’t know what HR did then. They married, they moved around the block from me in Hoboken on Jefferson Street and they moved away and they moved away from each other (I) got divorced.

Don moved to Hollywood and I’m sure he has a presence on IMDb, Michelle did her own thing and passed away a few years ago. She read a staffing agency for college graduates called red cup staffing. I found that out looking her up trying to find a job for my niece Hillary and when I saw she died I realized there was no point in it at all.She was nice and rather pretty.

And I am now working in the belly of the beast. In two days it will be September 11th, 25 years from that awful event 2001. I remember it like it was yesterday and I’m sure I’ll do something about it or write something about it when the time comes. But today not really

Crestfallen: Yancy: the extended week
Drips and (traps) drabs (but) bought a favorite cigar yesterday salesman took four bucks off I came in again tonight to get the same thing different salesman got one buck off

Bill has taken to eating my bread and he’s been good at replacing it but not this time you had all day to replace it but he’s not and he’s getting up crazy early in the morning so he’s not doing it tonight or tomorrow which means I have to be cautious with the use of bread.
I have scheduled 3 days of work this week. Federal holiday on Monday, personal time off on Friday. I thought I was in the belly of the beast for today only but Yancy mentioned that I was in the belly of the beast tomorrow as well. So that three day work week feels like a five day work week. Not really. I am being dramatic. But still…

And Bill went to go pick up his laundry. On the way to the laundromat, he went out of his way to buy bread for me.

This guy, Bill.

It is Tuesday the day after Labor Day the second Tuesday in September AKA September 8th. It was a good weekend. Bill came back on Saturday (my) Mike came over on Friday. With Mike it was mainly showing all the episodes of Ted Lasso before we get into the new season.

Bill and I have watched the new season so far and all the episodes that have been released. Mike has not, so we did a deep dive going through seasons one and two he left yesterday after season 2 ended.

I did a bike ride on Sunday about 14 miles it was very good. There is not much automobile traffic on Sunday which made for a (present) pleasant ride. (We) There were quite a few pedestrians around and that was fine. I do keep an eye out for them including errant children on scooters not paying attention to anything but then again they are children and why should they pay attention?

The children are clueless, their parents are apologetic and I am understanding.

It is a Tuesday which feels like a Monday. I am working Tuesday Wednesday Thursday this week taking Friday off and the following Monday since Saturday is my birthday and I will turn 64 if everything goes right.

(Still) Bill has told me not to make any plans for Saturday. There will be a barbecue on Sunday at Saddle Brook. My niece (making) Meghan and her husband Rob and their daughter Shelby are hosting. Shelby’s birthday is September 10th.

(Making) Meghans sister Corinne will be in town so that should be fun. I haven’t seen her in a couple of years. I did ask if Mike can join us and I was told yes (the bank) but Mike is unsure about depending on the parole officer.

I am back at my fruit stand location and I am happy about that although they have me going to the larger food stand tomorrow for some reason it’s a convoluted mess involving Yancey which I suppose I’ll find out later on tomorrow or this afternoon actually.

This is once again being dictated which will mean I will have to edit it later when I get home in corrections in parentheses etc. And I spoke to Mike. He’s trying to get the internet for his crib but it’s a problem since they do a credit check and he does not have the best credit. Who does?

It is a lovely summer day and I am outside at my lunch hour having a small cigar and sitting where I used to sit, which for the past couple of weeks was filled with construction equipment, nothing major just some fencing and barricades but they were moved I guess sometime between last Thursday and today. I am grateful I am sitting in the shade and I’m not doing much of anything else

Two members of the NYPD just walked by wearing bulletproof vests and walking into a yoga shop

I was talking to a co-worker named River Jordan she was saying that if she had to do my job she’d go crazy because so much of it involves not doing much of anything. I remarked that I do some writing and then I edit it when I get home so that should work out for the best.
I would hope that I really can’t say.

Streets are crowded right now a lot of people wondering around I guess they are done with their summer breaks even though it’s still summer. People are back from work, Asian Indians walking around wearing down jackets. It’s in 70° and it’s much too cold for them

Something is going on with the NYPD there’s about half a dozen officers standing around two or three cars flashing lights and I am older than almost all of these if not all of them LEO

It seems it was a momentary police action they are all gone now/