Bill and I watched Barack & Michelle Obama last night at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). It was compelling. Michelle was on point and Barack made us long for his intelligence and way of speaking. It was great and reminded me of 2008 when Juan was with us and voted in his first election which happened to be a winner.

Bill was wonderful last night even when I turned into my father at some point. I was frustrated like my father but sober, unlike my father. He stood by as I ranted impotently and gave me a hug when I asked for it. Was it a deserved hug? I can’t say but I do know that our love is unconditional.

The first night of the DNC we watched Jaws. Bill didn’t think he saw it from start to finish before and he did not see it in a cinema. I saw it with my brother Brian when it came out, the first movie we had to get in a long line to see. I hadn’t seen it from start to finish in a long time and was surprised at how fast it moved.

In the summer of 1975, like other summers whichever kid had a pool was the most popular kid on the block. That summer it was Jeffrey Telep and we played Jaws in his pool, the kids making up the theme song while one of us thrashed about in the water as if they were being attacked by a great white shark.

Last night it was the DNC and we were psyched to see the Obamas. They delivered. Prior to that was the roll call which had DJ Cassidy playing the state’s theme or popular artist as each delegate stepped up and announced their support for Kamala Harris. It ran longer than anticipated both Bill and I went to bed a bit later than usual.

This morning I woke up and had a headache like Zeus giving birth to Athena. After the talk with my supervisor’s supervisor before I left the office yesterday I decided to succumb to the headache and take care of that instead of having to deal with a nitwitted woman from the other side of the planet.

This nitwit, when I first met her, asked me for help so she and her husband could find a new apartment. Apparently, they had been living on the Upper East Side paying a rent that was over $5000. I had no leads to help her with and suggested that she post on the office BBS and maybe someone could help her out that way.

That was out of the question and with her deep pocketed husband they stayed on the Upper East Side until a few months ago, moving to somewhere in Queens. Still too close for my comfort and I wonder if she burned a lot of sage before laying down roots on Long Island.

I did have a very nice nap this afternoon, window open, fan blowing above my head. It made for a nice reset. And not a smidge of temperature.

The job I started three years ago is not the job that I have today. The company is the same, some of the personnel have changed, and my daily tasks are more defined than they were. I used to wake up and not mind going to the office. The dread that generally accompanies the waking hour wasn’t there. It was noticeable enough for me to notice.

Nowadays it is dread, nothing but dread. And not good Rastafarian dread. Bill has said in the past and said it again earlier that I am there to work not to make friends. But I guess I was lucky because I’ve had jobs from forty years ago and there are coworkers from then that I am still friendly towards. It’s not the same friendship but there are still pleasant vestiges.

These people today I won’t have anything to do with. I try not to have anything to do with them on a daily basis except when I have to. I generally keep to myself. I mentioned a few posts back about an encounter with the Legume that I get along with.

He opened that aborted meeting with ‘Do you remember that last day before you went on vacation?’ I saw the Legume for about 30 seconds that Friday afternoon, he was coming in as I was headed out the door. Apparently, I said something to someone that was taken the wrong way, enough so that they had to complain about me, again.

The Legume said that I knew who it was but really I have no idea. I am pretty good at leaving the job in the office and not thinking about it until I absolutely have to. I am starting to suspect people which is not good. A woman who I got a job for this company did tell me that a coworker was afraid of me.

The terrified woman is part of a clique from the other side of the world and half of that clique does not like me at all and more than likely poisoned the well. And after the woman who I got into the job told me that I jokingly laughed and when I saw the terrified woman, making spectral voices and laments while laughing.

I have a mouth on me. That’s it. ‘John makes ghost sounds around me and I don’t like it.’ And to their general lack of credit, HR and the Legume said the person from the other side of the world is being a little bit too sensitive. It makes sense in a completely nonsensical way.

The queen bee of the clique from the other side of the world poisoned the well which this woman wholeheartedly drank from. And in so doing felt empowered enough to claim that she is afraid of me. I am all bark and no bite. Even Pedro knew that years ago. I had the mouth and he was the muscle. But the world has changed and so must I.

George Harrison was right.

At least at Alger I sort of knew most everyone (2 out of 150 were OK) was my enemy but with this place I know I can’t trust anyone…