Category Archives: Iron my Shirt

I Am I Said

I am I Said. That’s the song I woke up to this morning. It was an odd song years ago and it still is today. That Neil Diamond. It’s how the day started for me. Slept a deep sleep, and could barely remember Bill kissing me good bye. He’s off driving the bus again so I won’t see him until Sunday night.

I do recall telling Bill to be careful.

It being a holiday weekend meant that there weren’t as many people as usual commuting to work. The fact that I was traveling after the rush hour, at 10:00 probably accounted for the lack of people. But that was filled up by people with suitcases, getting out of town for the weekend.

It was a breeze getting to the bus terminal and that too wasn’t too crowded except for the Greyhound and other bus ticket counters. Not too many people on the subway either and I made it uptown rather quickly.

Decided to get my shoes shined. I sat and read the Daily News while the shoe shine guy did his thing. Next to me was a guy who looked like a character from Amelie, so much so that I asked him if he was an actor.

The character in Amelie was the bloke who’s boss thought he was dimwitted. It wasn’t him but he was certainly handsome enough. I still had time to kill so I decided to sit in my usual spot but had to go out of my way due to something being filmed along the way.

Almost got my newly polished shoes dirty thanks to overzealous production assistants.

Spoke to Bill for a few minutes on the phone and headed to the shop a few minutes after that. Some young woman asked if I worked in the building I was just leaving the shade of. I told her no and kept walking towards the shop.

Just Calvin and Marcus in, Raymond expected in a few minutes. Marcus didn’t stay long, it being a holiday weekend and 10 days until his wedding. Calvin, Raymond and I made a good team. I sold a humidor and a few other nice items.

I did make sure my name was attached to those sales but still have to remember to do so most of the time. Whomever opens the register gets the sale unless the name is changed manually. I’m sure there’s a better program. And I’m sure there’s a better register.

The register Raymond and I used today jammed after closing. I closed the register for the day and came up $10.00 short. Actually $9.00 and change. We recounted the till and looked under and behind the register to no avail.

Since Raymond and I used it the most and we’re the ones who came up short, we put $10.00 in. Actually I put in $10.00, Raymond is still on the hook to me for $5.00. After that we hurriedly got out of the shop, Raymond going his way and me headed to the bus terminal.

It took me 16.9 seconds minutes, listening to the Pretenders first album. Actually from Precious to half way through Space Invaders. Home a little after 10:00 which wasn’t so bad. Working tomorrow and Sunday as well as Monday.

Next weekend, Annemarie comes to town (!) and that Sunday is the party. Fast approaching!

I’m a Believer

Off today. And so far no rain. It is supposed to rain tonight. Have a few things to do, some running around, so in a little while I will be heading out to get a start on it. Need one or two new shirts for work and maybe a pair of shoes that are good for standing around in for 9 hours.

Last night had some nice dreams, mainly about making new friends. One dream involved me driving around Washington Heights, Harpy territory. Narrow streets in what seemed to be a Mini Cooper. That dream was like a conclusion that happened on the other side of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee.

Another dream took place in an airport where I made friends with a woman sitting next to me at a bar. Then I was on a bus, more than likely driven by Bill and I talked to my Uncle Joseph about the new friend.

The last dream involved me talking to a very big man, almost a giant, who was very sensitive and didn’t have many friends. That last dream seemed to take place in Hoboken on Pier A, and I brought the giant friend into a function at what a cross between the W Hotel and the Saddle Brook VFW.

Yesterday at work, after I was entered into the system I checked my name and in doing so I found my cousin Randall who now lives in Ronkokoma on Long Island. I hadn’t seen Randall in 35 years or so and couldn’t find any reason to get back in touch with him.

His info was last updated in 2002. I much preferred my cousins from my mother’s side of the family to my father’s side. And hopefully I will be seeing some of the good cousins next month at the party. The party which is causing me some anxiety.

I’ve already asked some people for help. Some friends are helping set up, another friend is making salad. Yesterday the song that kept playing in my head was Ringo Starr’s You’re Sixteen. Right now it’s Chicago, Just You & Me. I prefer Ringo of course.

Part of my running around involved going into the city and also the Newport Mall in Jersey City. Instead I’ve only made it to the Burlington Coat Factory where I bought 2 new dress shirts for work, on sale.

Now I have to go to the Post Office and drop off a package to be repaired by Eagle Creek. Zipper broke on my bag and it has a lifetime warranty. It’s being shipped to Inwood which is on Long Island.

I also have to go to Inwood at 2:00 on the 28th to take a class in being a tobacconist. According to Don Birch, it’s mainly things that I know already. In a bad neighborhood. And then it’s back to work after that.

So it’s been a good day. Despite the overcast clouds which have largely disappeared, I enjoyed walking around Hoboken. Back to work tomorrow, next day off is Tuesday.

And then I have the last weekend in June off. Would be nice to go to the beach, but I doubt that will happen, unless you, dear reader shows up on Saturday morning in a car ready to drive down to Sandy Hook.

I’d be willing to help pay for gas. And if not Sandy Hook, Monmouth Beach will do.

Now I am off to pick up Bill’s laundry and dry cleaning which includes some of my shirts. So I guess it’s our dry cleaning and laundry.

Ah, the civil unioned life. Quite civil.