Oh it’s so god damned hot. The sun beaming painfully on us. This morning I woke up, very warm from the heat. I did my Saturday thing, going out for bagels and the papers, after having taken a shower and had some coffee. It was too hot to do much else. While waiting in the bagel shop I ran into Mike Korman, former guitarist for the late, great Gutbank.

Mike is married to the former Clara Suarez a sweetheart that I used to work with back in the early nineties. We both worked at a video store, a David versus the Goliath named Blockbuster. It was a fun gig and she was cool to work with. Now she’s married to Mike and they have a kid with another one on the way. Mike mentioned something about morning sickness while we chatted on line waiting for our bagels.

Mike and Clara live around the block from me and Bill, and Mike mentioned that I should stop by and hang out and reminisce about McSwells and whatever else might come to mind. I agreed and made tentative plans to meet up with them at some point in the afternoon. I regretted it as soon as I almost said yes, not anything against the two of them but I just didn’t want to be hanging out inside when it was a nice Saturday to be outside.

As the way things go I got a phone call from Rey who was coming into the city with his fiancé Connie and going to Summerstage. I didn’t really know what was going on but I agreed to go. I did know there were some chick DJ’s spinning and some neo soul/house bands happening. I mainly went though to hang out with Rey. I’ve known him for about 20 years, he’s a big and brawny corrections officer at Riker’s Island. I knew him when we both worked together for Rupert Murdoch.

We’ve been through a lot together both good and bad, but he’s always been there for me in some ways and I’ve been there for him. We’ve partied hard and swore off whatever chemicals or booze the next morning on the phone after waking up from our respective comas. I consider myself the Jimmy Olsen to his Superman. He likes to look after his friends and family and I am glad to be of that grouping.

We hung out at Summerstage which we had done many times before, only this time Connie was with us. She’s fun and a fellow corrections officer with Rey, that’s how they met. They’ve just bought a house upstate and I am obligate to visit. Actually committed to visiting since Rey is on vacation in a week or two, and he has absolutely nothing to do. I will be bringing the New York City vibe up to their house and crashing for a night or two.

It should be fun, hanging out with two corrections officers up by Mount Hope. I’m not being facetious either.

Today made for my three month anniversary at McMann and Tate. It went well. Very interesting situation, very busy not put off by certain people and I kept getting job offers, or job postings from Lawrence, Virginia and Michelle’s company. Virginia has me set up for an interview tomorrow but I’m not so sure I could make it. It pays well but I don’t know if I can get out of the office in time to do it. I’m already thinking of excuses to get me out of that. Next week, I may have other interviews, but since I have notice of the possibilities I can get out of work when needed.

There of course is a twisted aspect to the whole thing. I’ve been getting along with some new employees and I think I may have hit my groove at work. It’s starting to be a walk in the park, but Bill reminded me about how I felt last Tuesday going to have dinner with Annemarie and Earl. Sometimes I hit the groove and everything goes well, and other times it is nothing but shit. The thing is I feel I will let them down if I leave, and these are the people who’ve told me to think about whether or not I want to continue working there only three weeks ago.

That is the actual event that started the new job search. I cast the fishing lines out and they seem to be biting right now, actually it’s more like they’re nibbling. On one hand I feel like I’m fitting in, and on the other hand I still feel like the rank outsider. It’s a strange position to be in. And with everything happening on the third month anniversary it truly makes for a strange brew.

Of course, nothing could happen at all. Yesterday I thought I’d be given a hero’s welcome at Michelle’s office, and I wasn’t (though that 10:30-6:30PM gig she told me about today was mighty sweet and tempting). This could all be me building this up in my head. It might just be a good day at the office. I think there is the other shoe waiting to be dropped. So much on my mind.

I’m glad Bill was here to talk me in off the ledge. I was a bit out of sorts, alone with my thoughts walking down to the World Trade Center Path train, listening to Talking Heads and smoking a Padron, it’s was all I could think of. I’m glad Bill was home tonight, not just for his support, but we are watching a documentary on the drug culture and music from the sixties and I’m pointing out who’s who. It’s an eye opener for Bill, learning about the sixties culture. Not that I experienced it first hand, just had easy access to the information, I experienced the sixties twenty years later, and in some ways I still am, but with a touch of punk sensibility and the whole DIY thing. Then again, Do It Yourself (DIY) is probably a hold over from the sixties. The more things change, the more they stay the same.