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 Loved Her

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Oh it snowed and snowed last night. Not a million inches, but maybe a foot or so. I had difficulty going to sleep since I went to bed a little bit earlier than usual and remedied the situation by getting out of bed and popping a melatonin tablet which seemed to have done the trick.

I also watched a good part of David Cronenberg’s The Fly which while good has dated somewhat. I remember seeing it in a theater in Secaucus with Chaz and maybe Steve Saporito perhaps under the influence of lysergic or psilocybin. Good times.

As usual Bill was up before me and wasn’t sure if he was going to go to work. I wasn’t sure if I was going to work myself. The news was on and all reports were saying that if you didn’t have to go to work, if it wasn’t an emergency, stay home.

And NJ Transit buses were said to be suspended. Even though Calvin was not going to work today, he was taking his kid to school, I sent him an email letting him know what was up. I figured since he’s the assistant manager, he should be kept abreast of what was going on.

I guess since he was off today, he would not be answering any emails since 12 hours later, no response from him. He was probably too busy to respond, since the NYC schools were all closed due to the snow.

Bill made it to Washington Street with no problem and let me know he was on the bus. Apparently bus service had been restored. I got myself together and basically wore the same suit I wore yesterday. That’s something I never do, wear the same suit twice in one week, but lately I just don’t care. Who am I trying to impress?

I made it to the bus stop after walking in the streets and sidewalks and got on my usual bus which was on time. The bus filled up rather fast and it was soon standing room only. Most of the twenty somethings on the bus were too busy playing with their crackberries and their iPhones to listen to the bus driver asking them to move to the back and make room for other people trying to get on the bus.

Other than that, the ride was uneventful. The bus terminal wasn’t crowded, most people heeded the advice and stayed home. I got to the cigar store on time and was disappointed to see Marcus in the shop.

The Bradley was working with me, he texted me earlier letting me know it would be him and me basically. Fred the part timer was not coming in having phoned in sick. I didn’t mind, even though it meant I would be a prisoner in the cigar shop most of the day.

No escape for lunch, no visit to the internet café. Marcus eventually left and after the Bradley had his lunch, I was able to get a Shepard’s pie which I greatly enjoyed. Perfect rib sticking meal for a day like today.

The day progressed oh so slowly and the Bradley and I had a few laughs throughout the afternoon. The Bradley left around 7:00 and I had the store to myself which was alright if it weren’t for the last 3 customers who were just obnoxious.

I also kept getting the stupidest customers today which seemed to be par for the course. Now I’m home, and quite happy to be here. One more day of work and then I’m off on Saturday which is when another snowstorm is expected. I don’t care, I thought most of the snow fall was quite beautiful.

Bill heading off to work










Snowy rooftops

I Love You

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Well there was a snow storm when I left the apartment this morning and there is a snow storm right now, 12 hours later. I enjoyed it more in the evening and hope that a million inches of snow falls. And two million inches of snow to fall upon Bala Cynwyd since they seem to be lacking in cheerfulness and snow angels, among other things.

In between snow storms it rained, it sleeted and snowed a bit with high whipping winds and slush everywhere. Still no word from the Susquehanna Investment Group, wanker bankers they seem to be, but their phallus fallacies are not my immediate concern.

Slept OK last night, no great shakes. Bill was up and out around 5:30, hitting the gym and all that. I stayed in bed until 8:15, finally getting out of bed, making coffee, cereal and jumping into the shower. I neglected to mention yesterday how I had gotten a phone call from an agency that I’ve been signed up with for about five years.

They had an offer, to start on Thursday, a temp to perm job for a hedge fund. I mentioned that I was working already but in retail and looking to get out. The woman who called, named Emily understood my reluctance to leave something permanent (and hellish) to go to something that was merely a temporary job.

And I gave the line that I wanted to give some sort of notice to Marcus and Calvin since they’re just so bitchin’. Of course, if I was offered really good gig, I would leave the cigar shop in an instant and never return unlike Raymond who was at the shop again. I mentioned to him that I see him more now than I did when he was working there.

It was a sluggish day today, not much in sales although Calvin had done a few thousand more than me, and I didn’t even reach a thousand. Oh boo hoo. I went to the Moon Rock Diner again for lunch and finished last week’s New Yorker and started this week’s issue.

Then a walk to the internet café where I checked email and updated my Facebook status. Not much to report on either front but that was alright.

It was Calvin and Sean for the second half of the day, Calvin being out tomorrow made it seem like a vacation of sorts. Nature does not abhor this vacuum. And it continues to snow outside, crazy winds whipping about.

It would be nice to have a snow day tomorrow but it seems to be unlikely. Plus with Calvin being out tomorrow who really cares? It should be an easy day. Marcus was in Florida on Monday and Tuesday and has been having difficulty getting back to the New York metropolitan area and with all the snow falling now, who knows if he’ll make it in tomorrow? He could still be in Bimini.

Both Jersey City and Union City are hidden by the snow storm and that’s how I like it, at least right now I do.

A million inches. That’s all I ask for. Perhaps in a million years.






And Bill is feeling a bit under the weather.