It was 20 years ago that I worked for Putnam Lovell. Things were going well, and by the end of the year, things would be pear-shaped in 2004. I was in the top 3%. By the end of 2005, I was persona non grata. The writing was on the wall, and I knew I had to leave as other people had left before me.

I jumped from a very corporate financial firm to a laid-back situation at a creative firm, but run by a creative nut like Mariane Sobatini. She was nuts, not very supportive, and she was the woman I reported to. Before going to a company party, I had to go to her apartment where she opened the door nude, and I was nonplussed.

She’d offer me drugs, and I did take them, so there was that. But I didn’t fit in with most of the people; out of 150 people, maybe two or three people I got along with. And I don’t know where they are nowadays, so the connections were quite superficial at best.

It is another gray day in Manhattan on a Monday morning. I got in early enough and found out that I have off on Thursday, which is Juneteenth.
And it’s a paid holiday!!!
That’s something nice.

So I cashed in some favors and added some codes, and took Mike to see the musical Chicago. We wandered through the theater district to get to the theater where we were going but it was a surprise for Mike so he kept thinking we’re going to see this, we’re going to see that when I got very close to the theater with that Hell’s Kitchen was playing I think he thought we were going to see that but that was way out of my price range.

He enjoyed Chicago. The seats were good, and while it was raining on the way there, it had stopped raining when we left the theater. I lit up a cigar and we walked over to 5th Avenue just to have a stroll down to the PATH train. Passing a Barnes & Noble, I suggested he run in there and see if they’re hiring, hoping for some birthday magic on Mike’s behalf.

He went in, came out a minute later said they were not hiring. Then he announced that he did not appreciate me sending him in there on his birthday when he did not want to think about looking for a job. He was greatly upset and let me know. I apologized, stating that was not my intention, I just thought maybe something could happen.

And so another angry discussion with Mike. It had been 72 hours of angry discussions with Mike, and this was the cherry on the cake, albeit a birthday cake. We stopped, we talked, and things did not improve. A list of things of grievances that he had with me was brought out. I explained that the grievances that he has with me, his complaints, but just as easily be applied to him, as that’s how things go, you complain about somebody, and those things that you can complain about can easily be applied to you.

I mentioned that he was very quiet, and he took offense to that. He claims that he’s not the type to go talk, talk, talk when looking down the street, talking about inane things (my choice of words, not his). And he’s so quiet and he tends to walk behind me that when I saw the open door for the PATH train, I took it thinking he was behind me and he was not.

I was in the PATH station when he called, furious that I had abandoned him. He was dead set on going home to his crib rather than coming back to the apartment in Hoboken. That was fine with me because I was getting tired of this.

It was too bad that this happened on his birthday. When we got back to the apartment, we had a couple of hours of therapy where he stated his problems and I stated mine while mainly listening to what he had to complain about. Things got better. I went to bed, he stayed up taking cigar photos and videos for his many admirers.

The next day was somewhat better. We went to the really big grocery store and walked back, and actually had a fun walk back. I guess that was the talk that we should have had after the play, walking to the PATH train. We stayed in, watched a lot of TV, and I took some photos and videos with Mike giving directions.

There was a plan for him to leave this morning and come back tomorrow, but that plan fell by the wayside, and I left him at home this morning. He has a trial run on Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 at a restaurant in the West Village. Mike needs to get a job, any job, as soon as possible.

Now I am trying to find out what to do for Bill’s birthday, which is fast approaching at the end of the month. It all depends on Bill’s availability, whether he’s working or not. I don’t know his availability, and neither does he, so it’s hard to plan in advance.

The ideas that I do have can be taken care of on the day of the event. Bill’s birthday is a Sunday, and a Saturday night could be a good night to do something.