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 Believe in You

Woodland Reserve. My bourbon of choice. Does the trick in silencing a toothache and enables a good night’s sleep. Not slugging from the bottle, just a couple of fingers does the trick.

I was talking to Pedro on the phone yesterday, playing catch up. Mentioned the bourbon and that’s one liquor he won’t touch. No to bourbon.

Once again I woke up, the inner voice pleading with me to take the day off, play hooky. With the toothache I had a legitimate excuse. And I was thisclose to actually calling in, but no. I rallied and shuffled along.

Much care in the drinking of coffee. That went well actually. I eventually found myself on the bus which actually was on time this morning. And the bus wasn’t crowded.

No Angie Baby on the bus either. Her bleached blond hair was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps sitting next to me has caused her to catch an earlier or later bus. I didn’t mind. I’ve been such a zombie lately that I don’t even read in the morning, I just sit and look out the window.

Made it to the shop on time. Actually with time to spare which I spent in the backroom and just chilling out and cooling off. No humidity today, just heat. And it was hot. And of course I wear a suit & tie.

I had a flask which I filled with some Woodland Reserve and not long after getting to work I took a few sips that quieted down the toothache. I alternated the sips of bourbon with sips of water which did the trick.

Bill stopped by the store since he called me before I left the apartment and asked if I could bring his keys to work. He noticed the bourbon on my breath. It was nice to see him in the middle of the day. It was actually the highpoint.

I called Bill’s dentist to tell them what was going on in my mouth. Bill scheduled an appointment for me on Friday and when I called on my lunch hour I spoke with Dawn. I told her the story and she told me that there was a cancellation and that they could see me on Thursday instead of Friday.

That was fine by me, the sooner the better. I went back to the cigar shop after my lunch and told Calvin the latest news. He mentioned that I could go on my lunch hour on Thursday.

The backroom was crowded with cigar smokers including one who had smoked too fast and got dizzy and dehydrated. He had to lay down on the floor of the bathroom and get himself together for about a half hour.

I neglected to mention that Marcus had posted on Facebook and Twitter this morning, that the first 10 people to call the cigar shop with a $50.00 order will get a free lighter or cutter. The phones went crazy and the first 8 calls were some of Marcus’ NYPD buddies.

Apparently he has quite a few of NYPD buddies. They stop by, a few patrolmen each day. On top of that, or perhaps under that, there were a few bent nose types hanging around. Guys you wouldn’t want to mess with.

Guys that look like they were from Lodi, or even Hoboken back in the day. They don’t take part in Facebook/Twitter viral contests. And they only pay cash.

Made it from the cigar shop to the bus terminal in 16:30 thanks to the Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady.

I need a new job.

I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We’ve Never Met)

It’s Monday I know that much. I had off on Sunday and back to work today so that makes it a Monday. It was an OK day. Yesterday was very quiet, didn’t go out much. To Washington Street and the supermarket.

I did have plans to go out and ride the bicycle but it looked like rain. Plus I realized that I have to deal with people all the time at work and here was a chance to not see anyone, not deal with anyone. And it’s not so bad to not see or deal with anyone. On my terms that is.

I watched Kick Ass which was very good and very violent. Nicholas Cage was very funny. You’d have to see it to understand why. Also watched True Blood was was even more gruesome perhaps. With a touch of wit as well. Mad Men was pretty good too. Didn’t take much to get me interested.

After that I went to bed with Bill waiting in Garfield for a train ride home. Slept really well too. Saw Bill when he was kissing me goodbye for the day. He was dressed in a somewhat business casual manner which made me ask if he was going to work.

He has a few chances to dress business casual and was taking the opportunity to dress that way again while the summer was still around. I eventually got up despite my inner voice telling me not to go in today. I didn’t listen to the inner voice and got out of bed.

Shuffled over to the shower after making coffee and pouring milk on the cereal. I was up and ready to go an hour later and soon found myself walking to the bus stop on Washington Street. I was early enough to catch the 10:30 bus but it never showed up like it usually does.

I called the cigar shop and spoke to Don Birch, telling him I was running late. Apparently people don’t call and say they were coming in late. The bus did arrive and we soon were rolling down Washington Street.

A few stops later a woman who I sort of know came in and sat next to me. Her name is Angie and I’ve seen her several times. She’s a friend of Karen Natapouf who is also a friend of my friend the lovely Rita.

I’ve seen Karen around a few times in the past year and she acts like she doesn’t know me, and the friend Angie does the same. Here she was sitting next to me. Me, with my nose in a book and she in the same thing I always see her wearing to work in her orthopedic shoes.

She usually gets off the bus before me but I always get to the subway platform before her. I always go where no one else seems to go. I don’t follow the flock. I see Angie as she looks the other way.

On the subway platform, there was a guy playing Town Without Pity on a steel drum with some taped backing.

I got to the cigar shop a mere five minutes late. Marcus was back from his convention, and Calvin, Don Birch and Raymond were behind the counter. It took a few minutes to get myself situated but I was soon at the counter with Larry, Moe and Curly.

I have a confession to make. My teeth are messed up and I made a deal with a certain quadrant to keep quiet until Annemarie went back to California. Well, now it’s been a few weeks and the teeth are back to their shenanigans.

I’ve been in a sort of pain on and off for the past 5 days or so. Finally was able to make an appointment with Bill’s dentist, who has an office around the corner from the cigar shop. The earliest they can see me is Friday at 12:30 and I’ve already told Calvin that I will be late this Friday.

So that’s that.

I made it from the cigar shop to the bus terminal in 15:30, listening to selections from the Cars first album.