Monthly Archives: December 2010

I Can’t Stop Loving You

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Wow, it’s been a long day. I am just so tired, wasn’t even sure if I should or could write and right now I am still not sure. Started out alright enough, I was able to see Alexander and Stine before they flew ff to Denmark.

Alexander doesn’t see me that often these days and it took a while for him to warm up to me. He was playing shy, hiding under the table. Sure enough though, he warmed up and ran around the apartment showing me his latest artworks and toys much to the dismay of Julio and Stine.

Julio is flying to Denmark on the 23rd. Alexander was more interested in making scratching sounds on the 3D poster of the Beatles in Yellow Submarine than the actual poster itself. Ah to be 2 and a half years old and easily amazed.

I was downstairs for about a half hour before I headed back upstairs to gather my things so I could head off to work my 10 hour shift. An easy ride into the city, caught the 11:15 bus since the 11:30 bus has been so unreliable lately.

I was in early enough, strolled up the avenue, buying organic chocolate chip cookies at the Farmer’s Market. I noticed that my pants were feeling a bit larger than usual, or rather the belt I was wearing did not fit right. I had enough time so I went to Daffy’s and bought a 38 inch belt. I put it on when I got to the store it felt just right.

Apparently, I’ve taken 2 inches off my waist, which I suppose is a good thing. Imagine if I applied myself!

It was the Bradley and myself for most of the day. For some odd reason Calvin scheduled Sean to come in at 4. It’s only the holiday season, and it’s been getting quite busy, so why have an extra body working? Jeezy Creezy, Calvin can be quite stupid sometimes. Sobriety should be a prerequisite when doing the work schedule.

It was a relief when Sean came in though and I was able to have something resembling a break. The backroom was filled with cigar smokers, not leaving me much of a chance to sit down and enjoy a cigar myself.

We closed the backroom at around 7:00 as scheduled and finally I was able to sit, if only for a few minutes and have a couple of puffs on a choice cigar. The Bradley was quite agreeable to work with so that was nice.

He left after 8:00 since he opened the store, leaving Sean and myself to watch a handful of people come in over the course of 90 minutes. Some good people and a pain in the ass who was upset that his credit card wasn’t being approved fast enough.

An entire 40 seconds had passed before his approval came through. It wasn’t anyone in particular’s fault, the credit card networks were more than likely overloaded.

With Sean’s help I did almost $4,000 earning a nice piece of that 1/3 of 1% commission. I usually buy Sean a hamburger as a way of saying thanks for his help. No one else does anything like that, which is why Sean will ring things up on my register.

The store closed, Sean and I leaving at the same time, he headed to the subway and I headed down the avenue to the bus terminal. After wresting with the wires on my earphones I plugged in and listened to Cosmic Thing and Dry County by the B-52’s. Midway through Deadbeat Club I was in the bus terminal headed to gate 323.

There were several long lines and I asked the people at the end of one line if they were waiting for the Hoboken bus and they said they were so I dutifully stood behind them. The bus arrived and the line crawled. I was within a foot from the door when the bus pulled out, filled to capacity.

There was a woman walking parallel to me and I knew she was trying to cut in front of me. We found ourselves staring right at each others faces. Neither one of us was willing to look away when she asked how I was doing. I said I was OK, that I was hoping to get on the bus after working a 10 hour shift on my feet.

She said I was lucky to have feet and I agreed with her, saying yes that it would be worse if I had tentacles. She tried the old, ‘other people have it worse than me’ routine, a routine I am quite familiar with and often perform it for other people.

She starts saying that when she was hurt (?) she realized that somethings that we get annoyed with are really nothing to worry about, that other people don’t have these things, also saying ‘you have food at your house, don’t you?’

I hope she wasn’t trying to invite herself over.

Not posting tomorrow unless something happens. And hopefully it won’t.

I Can’t Get Started

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Back to work today after a night of not so good sleeping. Nothing major but did not want to wake up when I woke up at 9:30. Bill kissed me goodbye 3 hours before and after that I slept the sleep I should have slept.

I got out of bed and puttered about, glad to be going in later actually. Won’t be opening the store for the rest of the year. I was on Washington Street waiting for the bus at 11:15 and caught the 11:15 bus. I had enough time and decided to head uptown on the train and go to another Borders bookstore.

I phoned them last night and they said they had the Beatles Yellow Submarine 3D poster and would leave it waiting for me at the register. I took the train to the Wanker Banker Putnam Lovell NBF neighborhood where I used to work and hoped I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew.

I lucked out since I did not see anyone I knew. I walked into Borders and went to the register and was given the poster I asked for. I even got a free customer card from Borders which is supposed to give me deals and whatnot.

I thought I would take the bus across town but there was no bus to be found. For me, it was shank’s mare. I didn’t mind but as I got closer to the cigar shop I found that my t-shirt was soaking wet from sweat.

I dressed a wee bit too appropriately for the cold. I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to wear a wet t-shirt, especially since I was not going to be in any wet t-shirt contests, or at least did not know of any that may have been scheduled.

I went to Duane Reade about bought a pack of t-shirts and when I got to the cigar shop, I changed t-shirts. Felt a lot better and a lot drier after that. It was Marcus and Calvin in the shop as well as a few customers in the back that don’t particularly care for Marcus nor Calvin. I know this since the customers tell me so.

Still I didn’t mind much. Marcus was soon out of the store on his way to who knows where and Calvin was his usual self, ending most of his sentences with a nervous laugh. A new guy started on Wednesday, Vince, who used to work part time at another cigar store in Manhattan until they decided to fire all the part timers.

So we took him on. He’s a nice dresser and so I felt compelled to step up my game. I dressed as impeccably as I could and according to Bill who stopped by later in the day, I looked great. ‘Bangin” he said, quoting those girls on the street from 15 years ago.

The day ended with Vince and myself closing the shop, Calvin leaving around 8:30. I sent Vince on his way at 10:00 since he would have hung out talking while I manically closed the shop. I was out in 10 minutes.

Soon I was out in the night, in the cold, listening to the Smiths. Six songs in 18 minutes, 34 seconds. Made it in time to catch that 10:30 bus where I sat and read about Freddie Mercury and how he started Queen. Nice read.

Back to work tomorrow and Sunday. Off Monday which isn’t so bad, is it?