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.

I Kissed A Girl Jill Sobule

2 Replies

And now today was back at the cigar shack. Oddly enough, no dread, no anxiety and no pharmaceuticals. Just a general ambivalence I suppose. Bill has been phenomenal. Last night we watched Veep, starring Julia Louis Dreyfuss. Very good, very funny.

It is hard to write with Thomas standing two feet away from me, just itching to see what it is I am writing. But now he is gone and I maintain the flow. Bill went to bed after Veep and I of course stayed up watching anything but the news.

I can’t take it anymore really. So much bad stuff and that is just MSNBC and the three shows, The Ed Show, Rachel Maddow and the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. Thomas has returned and is telling me how easy it is to make a pot roast. Such enthusiasm.

I watched the Colbert Report, followed by 30 Rock I think but I’m not sure. I don’t think 30 Rock holds up after repeated viewings. So waking up was no big deal, Bill was up and out at 5:30 and off to the gym with 2 hours on the treadmill. His farewell kiss to me was sweeter than ever and I of course rolled over after he split.

3 more hours for slumbering me suits me just fine. I was at the bus stop at my usual time, staying away from the other commuters as I smoked a cigar. My bus came and quickly filled up.

I saw a guy I used to work with in the cigar shack, I keep running into him from time to time, each time he is closer to the bus terminal. This morning he was right across the street from the depot. No time for chit chat, just a flashed peace sign and I was on my way.

I was listening to the English Beat. Someone uploaded the entire Dance Craze movie from the 1980’s and I have been enraptured by it. I saw it at the Eighth Street Playhouse back in the day with my dear late friend Jet Watley. Dancing in the aisles was encouraged. So I have Two Tone on my brain lately.

I got to the cigar shack on time once again and set about doing the things no one asks of me, but since no one else will do them I do them myself. It’s been fairly slow in the cigar shack so I try to find things to do since I am not one to stare at women’s breasts and asses as they stroll by the shack.

A lot of the time that means sales go to my co-workers, today they were Thomas and Jerry Vale. Jerry Vale has been doing quite well lately saleswise. Zack has been throwing sales mainly to Thomas, perhaps a show of favoritism.

I have no problem saying that since it happened quite often today, in fact one time he was giving some leads to Thomas but Thomas was going to lunch so he wound up giving them to Jerry Vale and myself, 7 leads in total. That’s the nature of the beast I reckon. And interestingly enough, my boss didn’t even ask how my excursion to the Eagle on Tuesday night went.

Exactly what team do I play for? I mean is there a team if the coach plays favorites? It’s what was written on my status report, I should be a better team player. Give me a team worth playing for and I am there.

Less than 30 minutes to go. A few guys are in the man cave watching the Rangers play someone. Stanley Cup playoffs or something like that. Lots of yelling and screaming going on. I wouldn’t mind getting away from that.





Save it For Later

I Kissed A Girl Katy Perry

2 Replies

Well today had been a day off and I was somewhat busy. But first last night. I left the cigar shack about a half hour earlier, had some cigars in my pocket, some business cards and I was on my way. Bill recommended taking the M11 bus down Ninth Avenue to get near the Eagle. I thought the Eagle was on 27th Street, but it’s actually on 28th Street, just a block and a half from where the bus dropped me off.

On the way I was listening to Nirvana, Nevermind. I hadn’t been since October of 2010 and it was different from when I was last there. Last time I had to check my shoulder bag on the first floor, but not last night. The first floor was closed and there was a bloke sitting on a chair in the stairway on the second floor. He said I could just walk on up so that is exactly what I did, to the third floor.

There was an outdoor rooftop lounge, about a couple of dozen guys standing around smoking cigars. The guys all had some kind of leather on, jackets, pants or a full outfit. There was I in my wool overcoat over a suit & tie. I was out of my element but then again I’m not really into leather anyhow so no matter what I was wearing I would have been a bit out of place.

Still I put on a brave face and ordered a Corona and lit up a cigar. The guys were mainly in groups, talking amongst themselves and I just wandered back and forth. I did make some small talk with guys that were wandering around and handed out some business cards for the cigar shack. I met a guy named Mark, from Bordentown NJ who I was friends with online.

He’s a lot bigger than his thumbnail photo and took it upon himself to say hello to me which was good since I didn’t recognize him at all. I had another Corona before they closed the bar on the roof deck, it was still too cold on an April night. Some more giving out cards before I finished the second Corona before I finished my cigar and headed out.

I caught a cab and took it to Sixth Avenue and got to the Path station just in time to see the Hoboken train pulling out. It was only a 15 minute wait until the next one so I bided my time and walked in circles on the platform.

The next train pulled up and I sat and read more of Retromania by Simon Reynolds. A lot more scholarly than I hoped and in my buzzed state I sat and read, and soon I was in Hoboken running up the stairs to the train station to use the men’s room since I had to get rid of the Coronas as soon as possible.

There was a bus headed up Washington Street and since I really didn’t want to walk I got on board. Bill was fast asleep in bed once again and I stayed up for a while, watching the television. Woke up later than usual since it was a day off and took my time getting things done.

Emails sent out, rejections accepted, dates postponed all before a trip to the supermarket. And there was no mighty Isis at the supermarket today which was a drag. Home again, breakfast and whatnot before heading out to the bibliothèque and the dry cleaners. It was an OK day, nothing spectacular. Tomorrow is back to work at the cigar shack. That’s it.

Really nothing to write home about though that is what I just did.



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