Monthly Archives: February 2009

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Back to work after a three day weekend, leaving a four day work week. That’s nice. Paid holidays are generally enjoyable, I know I enjoyed mine, but you knew that already. The new coffee maker is behaving itself. This morning I had maybe two cups here and a few more at work.

I’ve already programmed the coffee maker for tomorrow morning so that’s one less thing I have to worry about. Also picked out what I’m wearing tomorrow. Tomorrow is a special day. I’ll actually go somewhere for lunch.

Bill won a contest at his workplace yesterday, a free lunch for him and his valentine, which would be me. Bill’s cafeteria is something else, I’ve eaten there before. There are several stations and the chefs make whatever it is you would like, but tomorrow the chef will be preparing a rack of lamb for Bill and myself as well as a bottle of wine.

So in the morning I will have to give notice at work that I will be going out for lunch, and might not be returning. Lunch is at 2:00 and since I would be a few blocks from the bus terminal I think it would make sense for me to just leave early. So I have to notify the powers that be that I more than likely not be back. Unless they say otherwise.

Vivek and his partner got to and from Florida with no problems, and they also got their rented car. And their wives got their Valentine’s bouquets that I ordered as well. I didn’t hear any complaints so I can only guess that it went well. They still haven’t paid me yet for fourteen hours of work and this afternoon was two more hours.

I had to go to Chinatown to pick up Vivek’s partner’s business cards. I left for the day at 3:00, getting on the local 6 train downtown. The first train was too crowded so I waited for the next train which was ordered out of service when it got to my station. So there were a few hundred more people waiting.

Squeezed into the next train after that and as the train approached Union Square it was announced that since their train was behind schedule the next two stops would be Bleecker Street and Brooklyn Bridge. That meant I would have to get off at Bleecker and walk down towards Chinatown.

I called up Bill since he’s been attending public meetings to protest the upcoming fare hike, which is a done deal, despite people like Bill protesting. The subway is presently $2.00 and promises to go up. Picked up the business cards and lit up a cigar while walking down Centre Street. Bill called with menu information for tomorrow.

Of course he calls as I’m trying to navigate crossing Canal Street at rush hour. People and cars coming in all directions. I sounded like my father saying ‘yeah it sounds good but can we talk about it later when I can actually pay attention to what it is that you’re saying?’

Not that my father would actually have used those words, it was more the tone of, ‘I don’t have time for this right now’, said in quite a terse manner. That made me feel bad so when I was able to find a quiet spot, I called Bill and told him I loved him.

He was facetious and started going off about how special he was that someone like me could love him. He said this in a slightly higher register than his normal speaking voice. He does this when I call, all humble and contrite after sounding like such a dick on the phone.

Something I try not to do that often but apparently I do. He laughed when I called him an neck bone. But I said that in a joking manner which he chuckled at.

E-Pro

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It’s a Monday again, but it’s a federal holiday, Presidents Day. I have the day off but still I write at the usual time. Been active today, don’t know about busy. Active is better but it creates the image of exercise. I don’t exercise.

I don’t even consider riding my bicycle 40 miles exercise. I call it bike riding. I couldn’t fall asleep last night, been drinking a lot of juice so I thought maybe the sugar in the orange juice was keeping me awake but upon reflection I would say it was more than likely, the Cuisinart coffee maker Bill got me for Valentine’s Day.

I drank a lot of coffee, all in the name of making sure the coffee maker was working properly. I think I drank more than 10 cups. I know I made 2 pots and each pot is 10 cups so you do the math while I sit here vibrating. I do like the coffee maker though, I like it very much.

I’m sure Bill was nervous getting me the present, since a few years ago I was a bit sniffy about an expensive sauce pan he bought for my birthday a couple of years ago. In fact, I was so sniffy I didn’t use it for a year, just kept it in the cupboard still in the box.

I resolved never to behave like that again and to be grateful for whatever it is I got. It has now gained a position in my pantheon of cookware, and it is now the ‘special’ sauce pan.

So either because of the sugar in the orange juice or all the coffee I was up until 1:30 watching From G’s to Gents on VH1. It’s about taking some thugs and thug wannabes and turning them into what passes for gentlemen on VH1.

Farnsworth Bentley is the host and the final judge on whether these hoodlums from around the country, (including Union City) have what it takes to be a gent. They also get 100k if they make it to the end. It was mindless entertainment and perfect for someone who couldn’t fall asleep.

Then I fell asleep and woke up around 7:30, coffee pot a brewing and since I didn’t have to go to work today, I went back to bed, waking up at around 9:00. I showered and after watching the second half of A Hard Days Night on IFC I went out, bought some bagels, the papers and was able to get a haircut.

It wasn’t too crowded at Mr. L’s but apparently I got there at the right time since midway through my haircut, the place got crowded. Tony worked his magic, earning his tip by trimming the goatee and reducing the gray hair, as well as trimming eye brows, ear hair and nose hair. Above and beyond the call of duty.

They were watching Angels with Dirty Faces on TCM. Tony remarked about how well dressed everyone was back then, mentioning that even when they would show footage from baseball games the men were all dressed in suits and ties, not to mention hats, which seem to be coming back.

I was home soon enough in time to head out to have lunch with Casey Chasm. He suggested McSwells, but they weren’t open. I suggested the Malibu diner which was adequate. It was good catching up with Casey who is going to be a father and also studying for the New York Bar exam next week.

He’s nervous about the whole thing and I tried to reassure him. It was good to see him, both of us doing a rapid recent history much like one of those 5 minute date things you see in the movies. I did think it was odd when he left almost immediately after getting the check.

Lunch was on me as was planned, but I figured we’d walk afterwards, he back to his law books and me to Shop Rite but he was fast out of there. The man has got the Bar review on his mind.

I wound up walking alongside the viaduct, past the 5 screen movie theater under construction, past the recently completed and still quite vacant mini-mall and past 3 fire fighters who were doing some kind of training in the northwest quadrant of Hoboken.

I walked into Shop Rite which is much larger than the A&P a block away from my apartment. Shop Rite is maybe a 20 minute walk which is cumbersome if you’re carrying a few bags of groceries. That was basically my day. Really nothing much else to report so I think I’ll just stop it here.

Or here.

Or maybe even….here.