Monthly Archives: December 2010

I Didn’t Know What Time It Was

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And here we are, two days after Christmas. And it was a snowy day, in fact it was such a snowy day that it was a snow day. Meaning that I had off from work, officially. I started the suggestion last night, sending an email to Calvin who stated that it was up to the building management some Kumpus Group, or Unrelated Companies nonsense in which they excel in a lack of subtlety as well as genuine bad decision making all around.

Calvin actually got back to me and wrote that he had gotten in touch with Marcus who declared the store to be officially closed. I don’t know if the customers knew about the store closing but if the staff from Long Island couldn’t make it in with the subways being shut down and NJ Transit buses not running at all, you really can’t have a store being open.

I found this out around 10:00 this morning, about 4 hours after I had been awake. Too late for me to go back to sleep so I puttered around as well as made use of the new HP computer I got from Bill for Christmas.

I was also up until about 2:00 last night exploring the computer and filled with wonder when YouTube videos loaded and played almost instantly with no jumpiness involved. I have to admit, I had gotten used to the videos loading forever so when the video for The Hardest Part by Blondie played almost instantly I was taken aback.

Bill also had off from work today and for most of the day, we were just hanging out in the apartment, watching TV and listening to music. I made a trip outside to the supermarket. Someone shoveled the steps and sidewalk in front of the building and I was glad it wasn’t me.

A lot of people were digging out their cars and a lot of cars were stuck in the snow and ice. I maneuvered my way around them and got the basics from the market.

I came home and had something light to eat. Bill and I had plans to go to Hillsdale to see my brother Brian and his family, as well as seeing my brother Frank and his family again. We were going to rent a Zipcar but the roads seemed too treacherous.

Brian phoned and suggested the train which made the most sense. We decided on the 5:35 train and left with enough time to find out the train had been canceled and the earlier, 5:16 train would be the one to be on.

So that’s what we did. Brian met us at the station and soon we were in the warm and cozy house of love. Brian and Karen and Hillary and Cassie as well as their brother Brian the prodigal and Cassie’s boyfriend Dylan were soon joined by Frank and Elaine with Meg and Rob and Corinne’s boyfriend Vic.

Annemarie was once again in California with her family and made her presence known by way of my cellphone. Dinner and gifts and some guitar playing by my nephew Brian was all enjoyed greatly.

But being tied to a train schedule we had to make it back to the train station a little after 9:00. Still cold and windy in Hoboken as Bill and I walked down the streets, stopping by neighbor Claire’s apartment to help the people who were staying there turn on their heat.

And now, thanks to Bill’s help, the old computer, Randenstein is now sort of hooked up to the new computer. I have two towers going and about 3 internal hard drives as well as the 2 iPods and one screen.

I actually finished this a while ago, just got very distracted by District 9, a very good movie, worth seeing. Out of the ordinary.


and down goes Uncle John with a left hook!

I Cover the Waterfront

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I am writing this on Bill’s new iMac, dual core processor. “An Intel iMac basically” says Bill. He’s on my own new computer, trying to set up the computer so I can get on the network, and get the new HP computer up and running.

So far it’s up, but not running far. It certainly looks pretty though. Bill’s pretty excited about it and I am too.

I just got back from the cigar shop about an hour ago. I thought it would be easy getting from the cigar shop to the bus terminal and once again I was set to listen to the B-52’s. As soon as I left the cigar shop I saw that walking down to the bus terminal would have been much too risky.

So I opted for the train. I waited on the platform with other dazed riders, when finally my train appeared. I avoided the crowds and once in the bus terminal I rode the escalator less traveled and wound up waiting on a queue.

It wasn’t too crowded and it was about 7:24. I thought I would have missed the 7:20 bus but with these people standing around and with the weather being what it is, I figured the bus was late and I was glad that it was.

I gave up my seat so a son and his elderly mother were able to sit together. As people got off at their destinations, I moved up into their seats, entranced by the near white out conditions ahead of us. A few taxis and cars spinning out and fishtailing.

I got off a stop before my usual so I could take some pictures and apparently a young woman did too. The two of us taking random pictures of the snowstorm. I even took a picture of her in the snow with her iPhone.

It was windier than I expected and my uncovered ears certainly stung. As soon as I entered my apartment building I immediately untied the laces on my boots so they would be loose enough to slip off after climbing four flights of stairs.

Bill opened the door and he settled back into the space before my computer as he worked on my computer. He seems to be making good progress, though he did try to contact Rand about transferring info and files from my old computer to the new one.

No response from Rand as of yet, but Bill’s doing a bang up job so far as he listens to the DVD commentary of Jeremy Piven in PCU.

I also sent an email to Calvin, asking if there was a number to call the building where the cigar shop is housed, to find out if the building will be open tomorrow. 18” to 24” are expected by tomorrow and I would hate to head into the city and trekking up to the cigar shop only to find that it’s closed.

And Calvin, being Calvin has not responded as of yet. Such dependable managerial skills.

Still I am glad to be home. Not a night fit for man or beast, or cigar shop assistant managers.

I will try to post photographs later.