It is Friday, June 12. Bill came home last night and it was good. Mike stayed around so that he could help Bill up with his luggage. Bill was touched by that, as was I. It’s 93 degrees out today and the real feel is 99 degrees. It felt like that last night though I didn’t check. Bill had his stories to tell which Mike loves to hear. I hear them whenever Bill is around and it does not have the same effect on me as it does Mike.

It’s funny, when Bill is on the road he tells me every thing in the smallest detail as to what he is going through and what had happened that day. It’s an onslaught of words and it takes a lot out of me to maintain the energy it takes to hear his incredibly detailed story, I have been trying to get Bill to edit his stories, to make them more interesting to someone like me, but it’s fruitless.

And speaking of fruitlessness, I am back at my desk once again, where nothing is going on at all. Marcus and I have been working together a bit. He was the one who gave me the tedious task and now Yancy and Janis are involved. I overstepped my duties when I sent out an email using a template that Kimberly created.

I thought it was approved but it was not. So about 70 people received an email and less than 10 had replied. Yancy was flabbergasted and his involvement complicated the matter when it did not need to be complicated. It’s a simple matter that could very easily take care of itself but as the saying goes, ‘too many cooks in the kitchen, spoil the broth’.

I created the broth. That was all part of a camera meeting that Marcus set up this morning. I kept my mouth shut whenever possible and deferred to the higher-ups, which was everyone else in the 4 person cam meeting. It was the smart thing to do, and I did just that, for once.

Bill is on the road again tomorrow, not scheduled for a return until June 19. That usually means Mike will be around to keep me company, and for him to get out of his apartment so he will not be alone as well. That is the plan, and it worked the past few days this week and should hopefully work again next week.

Sunday is Mike’s birthday. He will be turning 45. I have a plan to take him to Grimaldi’s for dinner. I’ve been trying to avoid eating pizza this week though yesterday I did have a free slice of pepperoni pizza which was room temperature, although it was not exactly hot. Bill’s birthday is also fast approaching. I am taking the day off from work that Monday as well as the previous Friday.

And the week before is Juneteenth, which is also the day that Bill is to return to Hoboken, safe and sound.

Whereas yesterday was a bit on the crazy side at the big fruit stand today promised to be a bit more chill. Or so I thought. I did get a good night of sleep, uninterrupted except for one trip to the loo. Mike was over again doing what he does after I hit the hay at 10:30.

Bill phoned a few hours before that. He was ready for bed and phoned while in bed, while I sat in front of my computer doing whatever it is that I do, and Mike napped on the couch. This morning I was up with the alarm clock and started the day puttering around while Mike slept.

And as far as promises go, thinking today was going to be chill was not going to happen. I looked forward to working at my humble fruit stand and got my bagel, and walked to the PATH train. Me & Julio by the Schoolyard played in my head and I tried to figure out the lyrics in my head. I figured I could sort it all out when I got to my desk.

After changing from my sweaty clothes into dry clothes, I got a phone call from Marcus. It seems that it was a very busy week at the fruit stand, and today was going to maintain that craziness. I did not want to move from my comfort zone to a less than comfortable zone, but Marcus insisted that this was not a request.

Yancy was out of the office today and knew how it was going to be and trusted us enough to manage it. Kimberly was out as well. So I was needed once more. Janis was running late, but I did not know if she was going to make it in. That left Violet and me.

I sat at Kimberly’s desk, which was where Janis was going to sit, and found the password I used a few weeks ago was no longer valid. I was frozen out on this day that was supposed to be crazy. Help was offered and then withdrawn when they realized that they could not help me.

Janis made it in and I figured I would be free to go back to my fruit stand but there was Marcus blocking my path. I mentioned to Violet that today was certainly not as busy as it was yesterday. She could not tell the difference though it was obvious. Obvious if you’re not on the spectrum and it seems that Violet is on the spectrum, said a well placed source.

Violet ran off to the post office on her break. She wants to take lunch at 1PM and I am accommodating her so I will take lunch at noon. I don’t want to but then again, nothing that I want is going to happen today.

The day is rife with bullshit, and the day is not even half over yet. My plans have fallen by the wayside. Nothing crucial just inconsequential I suppose. Yesterday was so crazy that I was unable to write. Today I have written before 11 AM.

I took the PATH train twice today, both going in the same direction. The second time, I stepped over a pool of urine that an elderly woman was letting go of on the steps descending into the station. When the trains arrived, I was astounded by how crowded it was.

What a difference an hour makes.