Monthly Archives: August 2010

I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair

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Well I listening to the inner voice which was yelling today. I needed a rest and the tooth was acting up so sleep wasn’t as easy as it should have been. Had a dream that took place down the Jersey shore with my family.

I saw a water spout as I looked out the window and tried to get everyone interested in checking it out with me. No one cared, not even Annemarie. I wanted to walk to the beach to get a closer look and take some photos but had to jockey cars around instead.

I only saw the water spout from a distance, through a window.

It wasn’t an easy day out of work. It was tinged with despair. I do want another job, a normal office job, 9 to 5. But I worry that the longer I stay out of that world and in the retail world, the more difficult it will be to get into that corporate world.

I went out a few times today, running errands. Always a bottle of water by my side. Rinsing water through my mouth does the job well of reducing the pain. Better than bourbon. The catch is I have to drink it a lot and then go to the bathroom a lot.

Good thing there are a few public restrooms in the area. I did go to the bibliothèque and every time I would turn around another librarian would say ‘Hello John’. That was nice. I picked up a collection of Love & Rockets by Los Bros Hernandez, aka Gilbert & Jaime.

Another errand involved UPS. I have a shoulder bag from Eagle Creek and the strap broke. Eagle Creek has an excellent lifetime warranty on their bags. Last month the zipper broke after about 10 years of use.

I sent it back and it came back repaired a week or so later. A week after that, the strap broke. I’ve been using Bill’s larger bag in the interim. Apparently it was sent back via UPS, but with the hours I’ve been working I of course missed it.

And the door tags they leave behind tend to fly off and wind up in the gutter.

I made arrangements for Bill to pick the package up tonight, but since I was not working today I went myself. There is supposed to be a truck at the main post office from 5 to 8PM for pick ups. At 5PM there was no truck.

Nor at 5:30 or 6:00. I went home and had something to eat, then went back out and finally the truck was there. The usual driver wasn’t there. He knows me and always greets me with a hearty hello. But this guy was new. I just had to sign for the package.

No headaches, no hassle.

Now I’m home, a bit sweaty. Watching South Pacific on PBS. There is nothing else on to watch and it’s not so bad. I had seen it once before when I knew someone in the show years ago at some theater somewhere.

It was enjoyable then and it’s even more so now. I had hoped to take Bill to see it but things being what they are it wasn’t going to happen. So we’re here at home on a hot August night, watching it live on television. Not so bad at all.


I Believe in You

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Woodland Reserve. My bourbon of choice. Does the trick in silencing a toothache and enables a good night’s sleep. Not slugging from the bottle, just a couple of fingers does the trick.

I was talking to Pedro on the phone yesterday, playing catch up. Mentioned the bourbon and that’s one liquor he won’t touch. No to bourbon.

Once again I woke up, the inner voice pleading with me to take the day off, play hooky. With the toothache I had a legitimate excuse. And I was thisclose to actually calling in, but no. I rallied and shuffled along.

Much care in the drinking of coffee. That went well actually. I eventually found myself on the bus which actually was on time this morning. And the bus wasn’t crowded.

No Angie Baby on the bus either. Her bleached blond hair was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps sitting next to me has caused her to catch an earlier or later bus. I didn’t mind. I’ve been such a zombie lately that I don’t even read in the morning, I just sit and look out the window.

Made it to the shop on time. Actually with time to spare which I spent in the backroom and just chilling out and cooling off. No humidity today, just heat. And it was hot. And of course I wear a suit & tie.

I had a flask which I filled with some Woodland Reserve and not long after getting to work I took a few sips that quieted down the toothache. I alternated the sips of bourbon with sips of water which did the trick.

Bill stopped by the store since he called me before I left the apartment and asked if I could bring his keys to work. He noticed the bourbon on my breath. It was nice to see him in the middle of the day. It was actually the highpoint.

I called Bill’s dentist to tell them what was going on in my mouth. Bill scheduled an appointment for me on Friday and when I called on my lunch hour I spoke with Dawn. I told her the story and she told me that there was a cancellation and that they could see me on Thursday instead of Friday.

That was fine by me, the sooner the better. I went back to the cigar shop after my lunch and told Calvin the latest news. He mentioned that I could go on my lunch hour on Thursday.

The backroom was crowded with cigar smokers including one who had smoked too fast and got dizzy and dehydrated. He had to lay down on the floor of the bathroom and get himself together for about a half hour.

I neglected to mention that Marcus had posted on Facebook and Twitter this morning, that the first 10 people to call the cigar shop with a $50.00 order will get a free lighter or cutter. The phones went crazy and the first 8 calls were some of Marcus’ NYPD buddies.

Apparently he has quite a few of NYPD buddies. They stop by, a few patrolmen each day. On top of that, or perhaps under that, there were a few bent nose types hanging around. Guys you wouldn’t want to mess with.

Guys that look like they were from Lodi, or even Hoboken back in the day. They don’t take part in Facebook/Twitter viral contests. And they only pay cash.

Made it from the cigar shop to the bus terminal in 16:30 thanks to the Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady.

I need a new job.