Monthly Archives: January 2012

I Got The Blues

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Well it is a day off today and overall it’s been so so. Really lackluster. It had the potential to be that type of a day and it certainly did it’s best to live up to my low expectations. There was a tentative plan to go back to Chelsea with RoDa and see the Doug Wheeler installation that was too crowded to attend last Friday, but it fell through.

To tell the truth I didn’t really want to head into Manhattan today, but left it open for RoDa to approve or veto, or even postpone. As it turned out, RoDa was unable to go so that left me in on the Jelly Side of the Hudson River.

A trip to the supermarket, a wave to Tony the Barber, things seemed to be going nicely. Isis was the cashier again, she said she hadn’t seen me in a while and it was true since I hadn’t seen her in a while either. My schedule and Isis’ schedule are not in sync so there are more moments when we don’t see each other than when we do. The life of retail clerks.

I came home and had a nice breakfast. I stopped buying the newspaper a few weeks ago, so I just reread parts of old books as I eat. I surfed the net and read some emails and Facebook postings for a while as I waited for the laundry cycle to end. There is always laundry to do it seems. I decided to get a new pair of Airwalks since my last pair were falling apart, coming apart at the seams.

That meant a trip to the Newport Mall in Jersey City. It was a nice day as I walked down the avenue, stopping into the local record store to see if the latest Mojo and Uncut were in. Empty handed I headed to the train station. I figured I would take the light rail to the mall but just missed it when I got to the platform. The next train was in 15 minutes which would be almost the amount of time it takes to actually walk to the mall, so I decided to walk there.

For some reason ‘My Little Town’ by Simon & Garfunkel was in my head so I played it on my iPod. That’s the song they came up with when Simon & Garfunkel reunited in the 1970’s. I bought some socks at the Sock Store and walked into Payless which seems to be the only place that sells Airwalks lately. And of course they did not have them.

While there I got a text from Thomas. I found out yesterday that the cigar shack will be having a little to-do in the man cave for the super bowl. And Jerry Vale will be working it and since Jerry Vale is a part timer, a full timer has to be there too. And I am sure it will be me. Having written that just now I realize it is no big deal. I’ll have a few cigars, watch the game and eat some food and get paid for it too. A positive spin if you will.

I left the mall with a few pairs of socks and saw the light rail headed back into the station. As luck would have it again I missed the train. And since it was still a nice enough afternoon, I walked back to Hoboken. I decided to treat myself and get a milk shake at Ben & Jerry’s, the aptly named Chocolate Therapy. But they were all out of Chocolate Therapy, I walked over to Crumbs instead and got myself a Chocolate Blackout cupcake to salve my soul. I haven’t had it yet, it sits in the fridge just waiting for me.

Like I wrote, a lackluster day.








Tom Verlaine 1982 Words From The Front 06 Coming apart

I Got Stoned And I Missed It

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Yesterday started with Bill meeting me on the bus on my way to the cigar shack It was quite nice, if only fleeting. A nice kiss was given which got a few suprised looks from other passengers. Bill rode for one stop then he was off the bus and headed home as I continued my ride into the city.

A nice- if cold, walk up the avenue, getting my egg sandwich. I walked on the sunny side of the street. I was working with Thomas and Jerry Vale and figured I would be early enough for a quiet start, thought about playing the Beatles Live at The BBC. I was dismayed to walk through the door to see Thomas in already, counting money and listening to Skrillex, dubstep at quite a loud volume.

Apparently my reaction as well as Jerry Vale’s made Thomas mention that that was how he felt, and what he hears when we play our classic rock or classic soul. Apparently yesterday morning I became an old fogie, if only for my reaction which surprised me as well. I had such animosity to dubstep for which I equated my dislike to death metal.

Obviously it was not to be played when the cigar shack opened at which point I took over the music, choosing something not as jarring as dubstep. Later in the day Kurt Russell came in followed by Goldie Hawn. He browsed and she stood by the register. She was pleasant and really gota kick out of Thomas’ compliments on her Stella McCartney handbag.

I went to lunch at my appointed time and called Annemarie. During the call I got another call from Thomas. Apparently 2 shoplifters who had hit the other cigar shack across town made an appearance in the cigar shack where I work. I flew back to the shack with my game face on but they were gone. What would I have done anyway, really?

That was taken care of and I went back to my phone call with Annemarie before heading into a diner for a Ma & Pa Special, which is Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli. I had top sales once again though it wasn’t from anything extraordinary, merely from the volume of cigar sales, being at the right place at the right time.

I made it to the bus terminal and waited with the other stiffs on line eventually finding a seat. I watched Portlandia on Netflix on my smartphone. It really is very funny and I highly recommend it. I came home, Bill happy to have me back. He was cleaning and looking for something.

I turned on the Screen Actors Guild awards which Bill enjoyed greatly, then when that ended I changed the channel to a documentary on Fishbone, a great band from the 1980’s who are still around. They came close to grabbing that brass ring but never quite got it while lesser talented bands took it and ran.

Bill was thoroughly engrossed by the whole thing but went to bed before it was over. I stayed up and watched the whole thing and would see Fishbone again if the opportunity presented itself.

Today was really nothing much at all. Brian did top sales today even though he was out. Zack is back and Bradley is back to being a schmuck again. I guess he likes being number 1 and resentful of being number 2 in every sense of the word & number. Without the responsibility of last week he is free to be the sexually ambivalent snort that he always was.

I suppose it was a vacation from all that and now he too is back. As Thomas and I discussed the other day, Bradley did make for a good manager but then again he does not have the pressure that Zack has. Things are back to ‘normal’ for what it’s worth.




2 – Spooky