Category Archives: Communication Breakdowns

I Can’t Hear The Music

Back in the shack again after a day off. Yesterday was an alright day, nothing to write about even though I did. I can’t say it was entertaining or informative, that would be up to you. Slept relatively well which was good. Woke up to Bill kissing me good bye and telling me he loved me. That’s always nice to hear even if I am such a crab ass when I am laying bed. I did have the idea of actually attending the St. Ann’s feast but it started raining and when it stopped raining the idea had gone away.

At the shack today it’s a full staff. Calvin is back from his sojourn and has called a meeting so that means Bradley, Thomas, myself and Jerry Vale are all in attendance. I don’t know what the meeting will be about, no one does and maybe even Calvin doesn’t know since he is in the man cave writing notes on what to say.

We all got nice packages from Calvin and the convention he attended, a few packs of various cigars that he picked up in Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to having a few. They were given as homework which when the same thing happened last year with Marcus returning with goodies, I took him seriously and wrote down notes and impressions of each cigar. They were never asked for or collected.

So these are mainly for smoking I guess and enjoy them I will. The staff meeting is after the store closes and beer and pizza is provided. I raised a few eyebrows when I said I wasn’t drinking. Not feeling the need to have a beer and talk shop, literally. Not much of a drinker these days. Not unless I am in the bosom of my family. And obviously I am not.

Not so much into running for the bus with beer on my breath and then there is the price to pay tomorrow. Perhaps the adage of ‘one’s too many and a hundred’s not enough’ applies to me or at the very least this situation. The first time I heard that saying was from Nick Lowe but he was singing about kisses and not beer or booze. At least I think he was.

So the pizza is on the way and I got myself a diet caffeine free Pepsi. Calvin and Bradley are in the man cave. Beers were had by everyone but me. I didn’t mind. I was happy with my soda. Calvin ran down his list on how things were and how things should be. It was all mainly positive reports with events on the calendar coming up. Should be interesting.

I have to say I certainly did not expect Jerry Vale to start swearing like he had Tourette’s Syndrome. I know it wasn’t funny but I couldn’t help but laugh. Eventually Calvin noticed the fact that I was checking my watch as things were winding down and Thomas and myself started getting ready to head out. I couldn’t find my bottle of water and was disappointed to find that it was thrown out to make room for the beer they had for the meeting.

I also texted Bill to let him know that I was still at the cigar shack. The text went unanswered leaving me to assume that he was still in rehearsal. I came home and found Bill in bed. He stirred somewhat and asked why I was still at the shack at that late hour.

I told him a staff meeting and he mentioned something that I didn’t hear and so he repeated it, but since I didn’t understand what it was I said yeah and wished him a good night as I walked out of the room.

I hold much in disdain.

I Can’t Git A Nice Loaf A’ Bread

Well it was sort of a good day, working with Bradley and eventually Jerry Vale. Bradley was humorous and quite hung over after an event he participated in at a nearby cigar bar. He mixed drinks last night and paid the price today. Still he was funny and elicited a few laughs from me.

Jerry Vale is not so funny though and tried my nerves after Bradley went home for the day. Nothing that he did intentionally, just that he has that touch. A credit card transaction somehow became a cash transaction.

I intervened and despite the customer being in a hurry, waited for me to sort it out. That meant including calling his credit card company to make sure he was not charged twice. I think it went through with no problems and asked the customer to check his statement when it comes in.

Then another customer came in with five flasks he bought a week ago as gifts for his bridal party. The party opted for things that weren’t flasks and since he had the proper receipt and brought them in on time, I had no choice but to refund his money.

The initial transaction happened on a day that I was off and I had no idea how to search for the proper sale. So I did a straightforward refund and it wasn’t until after that did Jerry Vale reveal that it was he that sold the original items.

For me, a daily goal is to break at least $1000.00 in sales and prior to the returns I was thisclose to achieving that goal. Since I did the refund under my name, I wound up eating the sales taking me away from being thisclose to $1000.00. I had no idea he was such a numb nuts and now he is avoiding me.

Instead of standing around in the front of the store as he is known to do, he is in the humidor. I am just annoyed basically. Jerry Vale avoids me a lot lately. He will walk in a different direction to get where he is going instead of just saying ‘excuse me’ if I am in his way. It doesn’t matter much to me. It’s odd though, he’s 6 years older than I am and yet in so many ways seems about 20 years older.

It’s been a long day. The heat was unbearable, so much so that I decided not to go out for lunch, I stayed in the cigar shack and smoked a cigar with some of the irregulars. It wasn’t too bad though all the comfortable chairs were taken leaving me to sit on the benches designed by the Marquis de Sade. Of course when a comfortable chair was available I only had about 5 minutes left for my lunch hour.

It’s the little things really, that add up and drives one crazy. Tonight I intend to get a good night’s sleep, having bought a new batch of melatonin since I finally finished the bottle I bought last summer. That’s it for now.

Day started out nice with sunflowers…