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 Don’t Care Raheem DeVaughn

Well thanks to some melatonin I was able to get a good night’s sleep. It hasn’t been happening so much lately so anticipating a crazy day at the cigar shack, I decided to get a good night’s rest. I thought Bill had a good night’s sleep as well but I think he might have been over tired to do so.

I woke up early enough, three hours before I actually had to head in today. I was able to take my time and get things done, coffee, cereal and a shower. Good to do such things at my leisure. A walk to the bus stop, ominous clouds approaching from the west.

I waited for my bus, enjoying a cigar, telling a woman with a baby that the 89 bus was approaching and if that was the bus she wanted I would flag it down for her. I then helped her on the bus and waited for my own.

I did see the clod who is fond of throwing garbage into the bushes rather than the garbage can 10 feet away. He avoided me as I avoided him. I did see him throw the cellophane wrapper from a pack of Marlboro Lights in the middle of the street as he jaywalked, but felt he was too far away to do anything about it.

The ride into the city was eventful. My usual bus driver, my #2 favorite is on vacation this week so I had someone from the legion of substitute drivers. He was doing alright, picking up passengers but going rather slowly.

As we approached the tunnel, there was not much traffic and he opted to go through a different lane than most buses do. He rolled on through at an easy pace when all of a sudden there was a crash and a dragging sound.

Apparently, one of the toll booth attendants decided to open her door at the same time as the bus was passing and had her door torn off and the glass shattered. We stopped, the driver got out to see if everything was alright. We weren’t going anywhere it seemed since he now had to fill out an accident report.

Luckily another bus pulled up alongside and offered to take all of us onto his bus. It was crowded but we eventually made it to the bus terminal with no problem. I texted Calvin to let him know I might be late and received no response, but that may be from having a crappy phone on my end.

I was wary on Calvin’s behavior today since the computer crashed yesterday but he was actually alright, not too pissy. It was a relief. I worked with Jerry Vale all day, Calvin going to another organ donor meeting, trying to line up a Korg.

How that worked out I don’t know but here I am and everything seemed to be alright. Just a little over an hour to go before I am able to go home and that is something I am definitely looking forward to.



RIP Yellow Birdie

I Don’t Care Angie Stone

Another Monday. Another opening, another store. Well not really another opening, that was Bradley’s job today, and the store is the same as it ever was. It’s been quite muggy here, high hummus all around.

Yesterday was a day off, and I went to the art and music festival on Washington Street a few times, each time with a fresh undershirt since I was generally drenched. 3 or 4 undershirts were worn yesterday.

I agreed to help Ahndi at Hoboken Daily News and take some photographs. His son just got married in India and since he was unable to attend he figured a nice picture of himself in a suit and tie would suffice.

We talked about doing the pictures at 1:00 and of course I got there on time. But Ahndi wasn’t ready and asked me to come back at 2:00. So I went back at 2:15 and he had a helper in the store, plus 2 policemen.

I convinced Ahndi that it wouldn’t take too long and when things quieted down I took about 6 photos of him. Then I wandered around the festival for a while before heading home with a sweaty undershirt.

Got in contact with Rand & Lisa when I came home, they were out and about. So after a little while I headed back out but couldn’t find Rand or Lisa. I stopped by the Guitar Bar but no Mr. Wonderful either. I did see Alice, whom I walked with last week but she was going in the opposite direction.

After a phone call with my sister I headed back home again. Had a nice lunch and after emailing and whatnot set my alarm clock for an hour for a nap but only managed about 15 minutes which turned out to be enough. Then I decided to go out yet again.

A text from Rand saying they ran into the city to run an errand. Thought they would be back but there was no response to my texts. Maybe there was a response but my cellphone seems to be on it’s last bars so if they replied I might not have gotten it. I didn’t see anyone I knew, so maybe they saw me first.

I but the guy with the drinking problem might have burned so many bridges that he wisely stayed away. I went home again after sitting by the river and smoking a cigar and getting sweaty all over again. Bill came home a little while after I did and we watched some TV, Boardwalk Empire which really started things off with a bang and then we watched Pan Am which we both liked somewhat.

Off to bed for Bill after that, I soon followed. I think I slept really well but Bill said that I was jumpy which I don’t remember being. I dreaded going to work today, me like all the other people dreading Monday but it wasn’t so bad after all. Bradley was taking a class in checking identification which I took twice already, Thomas and me manning the fort and Calvin at an off site meeting regarding organ donations. He has a Farfisa he wants to donate, they’re only looking for Hammond B3’s. Such is life.

Looking forward to going home. Bill’s play ‘Destinations’ is doing the last performance tonight since the last shows originally scheduled for the end of August were cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Irene. Give the troupe some closure, it was a good show, a good run and they deserve it.

Things were going well mostly today at the cigar shack. Thomas and I did alright, Thomas knocked it out of the box actually. With a half hour to go I went in the back to have a seat for a minute. Just about then Thomas gives a yell for some assistance, apparently his register was crashing, might be under attack from a virus.

He was looking at wedding bands online when it all went pear shaped. Tomorrow I expect that the excrement will be in the HVAC system. Both Thomas and Bradley are out so I guess I’ll be the one. Not looking forward to it. But it will more than likely give me something to write about.