12:03 PM on Monday, June 15. It was a decent weekend. My sleep was interrupted on Saturday into Sunday when Mike announced the New York Knickerbockers won the finals. I did not need to know that. It could have waited until the morning, but Mike was enthusiastic and felt the need to share his enthusiasm. No harm, no foul, and not much sleep.

I made my pesto, pasta and chicken thing on Saturday and made some ravioli for Mike. Then soon after eat8ing, Mike was fast asleep on the couch. I watch intermittently to make sure he is still alive and breathing. When it was time for me to go to bed, he woke up with the NBA finals still going on.

I did need to return to the supermarket to get some items that slipped past my memory the day before. Mile joined me. It was his birthday on Sunday, June 14. He is now 45. Though he still maintains a boyish charm like he is in his 20’s or perhaps his 30’s. Mike joined me on the walk. It was not that hot out and we had a good walk and talk.

After that, I got myself together for my Sunday afternoon bike ride. It occurred to me that growing up, getting away from our family that would yell at the TV during sporting events. Annemarie and I would go bike riding on Sundays. I guess it was a good day to go out. We would ride to Saddle River County Park in Saddle Brook, and sometimes would go the distance to Paramus. This was before bike paths and cell phones. No one could know where we were, and if there was trouble, we would be unable to contact anyone, only by pay phone.

I continue the tradition by bicycling on Sundays. Yesterday, instead of going to Jersey City, I went in the opposite direction to North Bergen. It was quiet and not crowded, and quite boring. I’m not complaining. It was also a mile or two less than the Jersey City excursion. It was mostly peaceful until I got to my building, where I almost collided with another cyclist who came out of nowhere and did not alert me to their presence. I yelled out ‘Jesus Christ’ as they pedaled past. It was unnerving and gave truth to the adage that most accidents happen close to home.

I had planned to take Mike to a birthday dinner at Grimaldi’s, but when I came home, he was napping, and after an hour or two of that, I tried to motivate him to get up and out, but he begged off and wanted a burrito from Qdoba, which he had the other day and liked it enough. I was disappointed, yet relieved since it would be a lot cheaper to get takeout rather than sit in a restaurant.

I am back at the fruit stand. My fruit stand desk phone is still inoperable.
This morning I was direct messaging with someone from India and though they tried, they did not achieve much of anything.

12:27 PM

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.