Author Archives: johnozed

About johnozed

I'm 50+ years old, 210-ish#, 6'2", reddish blonde, blue eyes with glasses (and without) masculine, funny, relatively intelligent, enjoy the company of assorted friends and family especially sordid friends and family. I love music, reading, writing, conversing, laughing, going to films, shows, concerts and smoking cigars. And I also enjoy looking nice in a suit and tie. Looking more like Lewis Lapham than Tom Wolfe. I'm sure there is more, but we'll just have to find out when I write about it. In a lifetime relationship with partner Bill Vila.

Tempting Providence

Saturday in November. Bill is on the road, just a few miles away, within walking distance. But he needs his rest and the hotel that he is staying at is not pedestrian friendly at all. And with my current financial situation, a taxi or instead of dating myself, an Uber or Lyft is unreasonable. Bill considered coming over for the night but that was even more outlandish. I convinced him that it’s best not to push our luck and stay close to the bus.

Bill was here yesterday during a four hour lull in the charted proceedings. He brought a bagel and a breakfast sandwich, then a thick chocolate pudding parfait thing. He started to complain about not feeling well, so I offered him an orange which he duly ate. Still he didn’t feel all that great which made me lightly berate him on his eating habits.

I wrote lightly because I am ever so careful to not be a nag. He got the point as he always does when this happens. I don’t have the healthiest diet but compared to Bill I DO have the healthiest diet.

He was off on the road again. I had to meet him around 10:00 PM on Washington Street and hand off his luggage which was too much to handle on the initial drive and there was a plan to park his vehicle in Hoboken but that fell through.

It was locked up in the hallway on the first floor for an easy exit. We’re on the uppermost floor and who wants to move from those flights? Not me! Because the plan fell through Bill asked me to move his luggage when he passed through Hoboken on the way to the nearby hotel.

It was no problem at all and it was good to get out in the cool crisp air, something I rarely do these days. Once I climb those flights of stairs, I ain’t leaving if I don’t have to.

Bill just called for the night, he was off on the road again. No longer will he be within walking distance. Soon he will be south of the Mason-Dixon line. He’ll return later in the week. Usually, I melt down somewhat when he’s away for a few days or more. This time I’m alright with it.

So far, at least. I know it will be a matter of time before he walks in and in only a few minutes, start to drive me crazy. As I wrote that, I thought ‘Uh oh…here comes the irony. Having written that about Bill walking through the door…’

Tempting fate I suppose.

My former roommate William always called it tempting providence. I explained that providence was a good thing, and definitely worthy of temptation. Google tells me it’s the protective nature of god or a spiritual power.

The weather has been nice and I’ve been getting my steps in. Tomorrow I will tackle Jersey City. No destination set as yet, but it does seem to be an agreeable day.

Uh oh, here comes the irony…

The wrong side of caution

Did not write last night. Was it inspired by Michael Palin not writing diary entries on a daily basis? No. There were, and still are many plates spinning in the air. Not just my plates, but Bill’s plates as well. And other people were invariably involved with the plate spinning and they were of course, not very dependable.

I signed the paperwork for the law firm resignedly. I just want the whole thing in the past. It would have been too much of an uphill battle with a law firm. It was suggested by some a supervisor to sue their fleshy asses. I did send an email to the people I met with last week, but I sent it around 7 PM and they weren’t getting back to me, at least not yet.

I also contacted the inhuman resources director, asking if she got the original paperwork that I sent a week ago via the USPS. She did not. I blame Louie DeJoy, the postmaster general appointee of L’Orange Merde in the first go round.

It is taking over a week for an envelope to get across the Hudson River, from Hoboken to Manhattan. I think it was faster when Benjamin Franklin was the postmaster general, almost 250 years ago.

I made copies of the document and informed the inhuman resources director that I would drop them off tomorrow. Then minutes later I decided to not wait until tomorrow and just go in an get it done today. The inhuman resources director was confused by this and wound up calling me when I was on my way to the Path train.

She told me earlier that she would be in a meeting and would not be able to see me, but would send her assistant and offered to give her number to me. I told her I was walking to the train and told her to text me and of course, she didn’t. She asked how long the trip would take and I told her it would depend on the train.

Then Raoul got involved as the train pulled into the final destination. I didn’t realize it then but the inhuman resources director more than likely roped him in to meet with me. They are still somewhat afraid of me I reckon, not that I did anything violent, just words, only words. They seem to be erring on the side of caution.

It was brief seeing Raoul again. I met him my the lobby desk manned by the ever affable Sam. He was happy to see me and told me he missed out on our little chats when I would go out on a break.

Raoul seemed happy to see me as well. Or maybe glad to see me. I took a photo of Raoul holding my signed document and was soon out the door wishing them a merry Christmas. I also stopped by the deli to tell the salad guy goodbye, explaining that I was let go.

The cashier thought I was lying and I explained why I wasn’t. She was never a favorite of mine, and where in better times I spent about $12.00 a day plus a $2.00 tip for the salad guy. He used to include a chopped egg in my salad and one day when the cashier was new, saw it and added $1.00 to the bill.

I was shaken from my stupor and was somewhat indignant. Of course, I paid, and found that a co-worker saw the whole thing and labeled me a ‘Karen’ since I ‘made a scene’. I laid low for a week or two, coming back for my usual sans egg. I wasn’t spending $3000 a year on salad anymore.