Category Archives: Interesting Things as of Late

isn’t it all?

I’m Affected

1 Reply

Notes from today. On the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) then a transfer in Jamaica to Far Rockaway. A woman sits across from me eating an ice cream cone with a spoon.

Last night before heading out to watch the fireworks, I watched True Blood. Bill phoned midway through causing me to miss some plot points. No worries I think, I will just catch the west coast broadcast later on.

And I do. And Bill calls once again at almost the exact same part of the show. So I will have to catch it some other time, perhaps when Annemarie is within the vicinity.

I got a phone call before True Blood from Rand. He and Lisa & Lois and Fred were going to have a cocktail and then go see the fireworks. I tell Rand my plan. Watch True Blood, go drop off a birthday card to Bill’s office and a note to my cousin Joe at the Post Office, and then watch the fireworks on Pier A.

Rand gently mocks me, for wanting to ‘watch my shows’.

As I headed over to the Post Office, sans iPod, I overhear a male couple returning from the Gay Pride parade talking about me, saying ‘Yeah, he is.’ I smile.

Train kept a rollin’ en route to Jamaica.

The fireworks were nice, would have been nicer if Bill was around, but he was driving a bus back to Wallington. Rand & Lisa and Lois & Fred watched the fireworks from Stevens Point. Difficulty sleeping last night.

Awake at 2:15 after going to bed at 12:15. Got up when Bill came home. Of course he’s out cold, minutes after his head hits the pillow. I think I finally feel asleep around 2:30. Luckily I didn’t have to wake up early.

While waiting to buy tickets for the LIRR, I get a phone call from Calvin. He had forgotten I was out on Long Island to take a certification test to sell cigars and tobacco related products in New York State. He arranged the whole thing for today a few weeks ago.

Thanks to train schedules and Bill’s planning (I love him for that) I am an hour early. I sit in the shade of a first story garage underneath an office building and smoke a cigar. I go inside the air conditioned building and sit and wait in a class room that also serves as a conference room for a lawyer that shares the office space.

The class is supposed to start at 2:00. At 2:10 I am the only one there. 10 minutes later 2 guys come in, gas jockeys, one of them wearing a BP polo shirt.

We watch a videotape of Linda McKenna teaching a room full of actors how to ask for ID when someone who looks under the age of 25 tries to buy tobacco. What to say, what not to say, how to handle the situation when a teenager needs his nicotine fix and has the potential to get cranky.

I remember buying smokes for my parents, Marlboro for mom, Kent for dad with no questions asked at Gallo’s drugstore. But there were no laws then regarding the sale of tobacco to minors then.

The class itself was directed by Ralph, an amiable older bloke with a passable toupee on his head. It was over in 90 minutes. Ralph pointed out the contradictions from the VHS tape and the Power Point presentation.

Immigrations cards are/are not valid forms of ID.

At the Lawrence trains station waiting for the train back to Jamaica to transfer to a train to Penn Station.

At 4:30 the town siren goes off.

At 4:44 the train arrives and I am once again leaving Long Island, heading towards Manhattan.

It’s Bill’s birthday tomorrow!

I’m Coming Down

2 Replies

Written the night before as I am working the late shift again. It was an interesting day again. I opened the store after having Wednesday off.

Don Birch had opened at 9:00, a half hour before me. Marcus came in after me. It was a little bit busy, but when Raymond showed up at 11:30, there wasn’t enough busyness to go around. I took lunch at 1:00, Marcus was soon off for the afternoon going wherever it is that he goes.

I said I would see him tomorrow and he replied that he might be back. He says that often enough and never comes back. I had a decent cigar after eating lunch but felt a bit of a chill as I sat on a bench by the park.

I decided to head in when the cigar extinguished itself and finished it in the back room. No World Cup on the flat screen, but rather boring old golf. Fifteen minutes later I was back at work behind the counter.

Raymond mentioned that with Calvin off today and Marcus away from the office I could have easily relaxed for a few more minutes instead of rushing to finish the cigar. I didn’t mind. The afternoon crawled a bit and I thought I might have been getting sick.

Mind over matter I said to myself and had a banana shortly afterward. I did feel better after the banana. I eat a banana almost every day that I work. Sean, the part time employee was a bit late coming in and Raymond, Don Birch and Sean almost immediately fell into sniping at each other.

I wisely stayed above the fray. When Calvin and Marcus are out, they do something called Round Two, which is basically a chance to sit in the back room and have a small cigar and relax. It was Raymond and myself in the back room when Don Birch who was supposed to watch the counter, decided to go to the lavatory while Sean maintained the humidor.

Raymond was a bit upset at that and went to the counter when Marcus came back, surprising everyone. Don Birch had left the lav and told me Marcus had returned. My timing was perfect as I was also talking to a customer in the back room when Marcus came in with some representatives.

No one was caught sitting down, least of all, me. My three co-workers stood around the counter and continued sniping at each other while Marcus and company sat and smoked and drank in the back room.

I didn’t feel comfortable hanging around the counter so I opted to check the inventory in the humidor. Eventually Marcus’ fiance came in and a few minutes later Marcus and company with the fiance headed out and the three co-workers continued sniping.

This is how it is at the Cigar Shop. It will more than likely be repeated on Saturday when it will be the four of us again. This time Marcus and Calvin will definitely be away. And we can dress casually. Not because Marcus and Calvin won’t be around but on weekends we can dress in a nice shirt and trousers.

Tonight, I made it from the shop where I work to the bus terminal in 17.8 minutes, thanks to Beck.
I may not write tomorrow since it’s been so ling since I’ve taken a day off from writing. Still, if something happens then I more than likely will write. But if not, then I won’t.

I might be hanging out with Walt Turske.