Monthly Archives: October 2010

I Gotta Be Me

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And now it’s Saturday night. Around 10:30. I got home about a half hour ago. A bit tired. Two more days of work, then two days off which is quite nice. Just got to make it to Monday night. Still relieved at I am not working the Monday Night Football thing.

My distaste for most sporting events is now known. No distaste for the athletes though. Apparently a Jason Taylor came into the cigar shop this afternoon. I think he plays for the Jets. I wouldn’t know, but I can guess since one of his kids was wearing a New York Jets t-shirt.

A long day at the store. 11:30 to 9:30. I was glad to be able to go outside for lunch this afternoon. Yesterday, Calvin asked that I take lunch ad sit in the back room to make the already overcrowded backroom look fuller than it actually was.

Reluctantly I did sit there, re-reading David Rakoff’s Don’t Get Too Comfortable. This afternoon I sat on a bench near the park and started reading Rakoff’s latest, Half Empty. Quite funny indeed. It was too short a lunch in the middle of too long a day.

But it was an awfully nice day outside and I was glad to be able to enjoy it, as well as a fun phone call with Annemarie, out in rainy Northern California.

Woke up this morning with Free Man in Paris by Joni Mitchell in my head. Last night I went to bed with Todd Rundgren’s It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference. I don’t know why, there is no explanation as far as I can tell.

I saw Bill for a few minutes this morning as I was getting ready for work. He had just come home from driving a bus to and from Atlantic City. He had some bagels which I could not partake of since I had no time.

A brisk walk up the avenue to the cigar shop with a stop at the Farmer’s Market where I bought the usual organic chocolate chop cookies. This time I did share them with Don & Bradley. Tomorrow it’s work with Don & Sean.

Still no word from the sporting goods corporate office, and all I can say is C’est la vie. They seem a bit flaky, what with the rescheduling and my pursuing them to set up an interview. Perhaps it’s all for the best and perhaps something will happen. The woman who interviewed me seemed to like me enough I suppose.

Tomorrow some emergency drills are taking place at the Lincoln Tunnel in the morning which means I might actually be late for a valid reason. No need to lie, but with some foresight, I should leave earlier than usual to be on the safe side.

I got a late text from Rand inviting me over for drinks tonight, but I had to turn him down. After a long day today and another tomorrow, I’d rather not be hungover. It was an open ended invitation, allowing me to come over and blow off steam which is very nice of Rand & Lisa.

I Zimbra

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And it’s Friday for some people, Tuesday for me. Somehow that makes sense. Probably not to you. Let’s see. Another day. Today was an interview day. It was for a sporting goods store.

In my desire to work a Monday through Friday job, I found the posting on the NY Times Monster job search and tried to schedule an interview a week or so ago. They rescheduled and I never heard anything from them again.

Still I maintained contact and finally they got back in touch with me. So it was arranged to meet this morning before I headed to the cigar shop. That meant a lie was needed. I came up with no buses going into the Lincoln Tunnel since there was a car fire and I had to get off the bus and take the Path train into the city instead.

And take the Path train into the city is what I did. A brisk walk down Washington Street, nerves a jumble. Uneventful train ride to 34th Street and a quick walk to the corporate offices of the sporting goods chain stores.

Before I went into the building I called the cigar shop. The phone rang and when it was answered I heard, ‘ Benny’s Pizza can I help you?’ I was taken aback. I mentioned I was trying to reach the cigar shack and heard, ‘What? You don’t want no pizza?’ No, I replied and then heard laughing.

It was Calvin having a laugh. I told him the lie and he understood telling me to come in when I come in. That bought me some interview time and I signed in at the front lobby desk. Handed over my picture ID and got a photo pass, for “Jonh Zeed”.

My name is properly spelled out on the ID but the security card just could not handle a qwerty keyboard. This woman has a job, whereas someone like me who can spell properly can’t get a foot in the door.

Anyway, I made it to the 20th floor and was given a form to fill out as I sat in an oversized catcher’s mitt. I met with Tina who seemed nice and she seemed to like me. She was ready to send me onto the next interviewer, but interviewer number 2 wasn’t responding to her email.

She didn’t want to keep me too long and asked if I could come back next week. I said sure, telling her that I was off Tuesday and Wednesday. She was hoping for Monday and I said that was possible and I would prefer to meet before 11:00.

I suppose I would have to wait to hear about that. It’s Friday night, and as of 10:38PM, there is no word forthcoming. I’m not holding my breath.

I saw Bill for a few minutes after the interview. He’s so great and he is my rock. He doesn’t seem to mind and enjoys playing the role. We parted and I headed to the subway. He’s driving to Atlantic City tonight so I won’t see Bill until tomorrow.

The cigar shop was fairly busy with a cigar promo and a rum tasting. So many smoking rummies in the back room. I decided to make peace with Bradley once again, a new start. It seems to have worked and we actually had a decent conversation for the first time since he started working there.

I treated myself to a hamburger for dinner which was quite good. Haven’t had a burger in a few weeks and of course I walked it off after work on my trek from the cigar shop to the bus terminal. Now I’m tired and don’t feel like writing anymore.

One other thing. I was supposed to work overtime for a Monday Night Football showing in the backroom, food, booze and cigars. My distaste for most sporting events is now well known and I was asked if it would be OK if Bradley worked the event instead of me.

I have no problem with that and now I don’t have to stay in the cigar shop until midnight, and catching the 1:00 bus. Let Bradley get the overtime, for I certainly do not care. Such is my largesse.