Category Archives: So how’s band camp?

I Can Never Go Home Anymore

A long long day at work today but I am home and happy to be here. Slept really well last night despite the fact that Bill wasn’t here and I rarely sleep well when he is absent. No melatonin needed last night though the night before it was taking a while to kick in, I was laying there and actually felt it’s effect with my eyes closed.

I felt I was walking through a distinctively feminine portal, almost mirror like. It was a nice feeling and helped me finally get to sleep after much tossing and turning. Last night was a sleep walk through the park and waking up wasn’t so bad either.

I did get up earlier than usual since I had to go to work and also get a few things done before I headed into the cigar shack. The bus ride was uneventful as usual and I headed out of the terminal to get my usual weekend egg sandwich.

After that it was a walk to the theater district where I picked up the tickets to the show that I am taking Bill to see for his birthday. I could probably write it here since I don’t think Bill reads this here blog, but being the paranoid person I am I won’t.

Walking through the theater district took me away from Hell’s Kitchen, where it would have been nice to see the reaction to New York State’s passing of Marriage Equality. But that simply wasn’t to be. I walked in the shadows of the office buildings trying to keep cool and also picked up the Daily News which had the beautiful headline ‘History’ over a photograph of the celebrants outside the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. Years ago I probably would have been there in the crowd celebrating, but not anymore.

It’s just that I am so anti-social lately. I am most comfortable in my apartment, usually with Bill. I leave the cigar shack and I am usually fed up with the people all around me. I guess it is from being weary of having to interact with strangers all day long.

Today was one of those days, and I couldn’t make a connection with anyone except for my co-workers. Thomas and Bradley were the co-workers today and both did very well with their sales.

Way better than me actually. Thomas really hit a home run towards the end. His method is showing the high end pricey stuff and then working down from there. It’s the exact opposite from me, where I show off the less expensive goods and usually make my sales that way. Thomas is exceptional at sales and Bradley is pretty good at it. I just treat people the way I like to be treated when I shop and I guess that’s the wrong way to do it.

I’m not upset with the outcome though. I’m not thrilled about it either. It is what it is and that’s the way it is. Now I am home and happy to be here. I am off tomorrow and I don’t plan on doing much. Bill is driving to Atlantic City tonight so he’ll be home tomorrow morning and more than likely going right to bed. I did think about going to the Gay Pride parade with him but he won’t be up for it and I am not going alone.

It would have been nice but like previous years we will probably go to Pier A in Hoboken and watch the fireworks. I suppose it’s good that I’m not going to the parade since I am anti-social lately but it might have been good to break from the routine. C’est la vie.




I Believe In Love Indigo Girls

It’s Thursday today. It was quite hot, when I checked the outdoor thermometer near the cigar shack it read 98 degrees. A bit much if you ask me. Quite warm out, felt like everything was as slow as molasses, with the exception of tempers. And one of those tempers could have been mine but I kept a cool head and carried a light bulb.

Last night I had fun with Bill. He was auditioning for a part in a play, that involved playing some rock & roll piano. Bill doesn’t know much about rock & roll, so it turned into Bill sitting in one room at his keyboard and me in another room in front of the computer playing songs by Little Richard, Elton John, Joe Jackson, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, the Beatles, and the Kingsmen.

It’s a good thing I played the Kingsmen since when Bill played that at the audition, it was a tune they recognized and jumped in and played along. I mean really, who can resist Louie Louie?

Bill stopped by the cigar shack after the audition since the audition was just around the corner. It was definitely good to see him, made my day. Such a positive force and spirit in my life, I am sure I would have been lost without him. So I am going to keep him.

Tonight the Black Eyed Peas were scheduled to have a show in Central Park on the Great Lawn. A benefit for the Robin Hood Foundation, a free show, but tickets were required. Then the skies opened up, lighting and thunder and now no one knows if the show is going on after all.

LL Cool J, Debbie Harry, MC Hammer, Tony Bennett & Carole King were scheduled to appear on stage but it could very well turn into a Diana Ross debacle. They kept postponing the start of the show from 7:30 until 8:30 when it was officially cancelled.

I remember the Diana Ross show in Central Park. I was driving a van for the school book company and sneaking my way through the park on the eastern drive. It was early enough, around 4:30- 5:00, to see people heading to the Great Lawn and as I headed out of the park I could see ominous clouds on the New Jersey horizon.

Dark clouds, with lightning and thunder approaching. Well they went ahead with that show and it was a disaster. I wasn’t going to the show anyway and I don’t know anyone who was so basically I didn’t care. They were smart enough to cancel the show tonight. Only 60,000 tickets were given out as opposed to the 150,000 people who attended Miss Ross’ catastrophe.

It was an interesting day other than that. I received a message from an old Maxwells friend. Someone I like but can’t afford to worry about. He’s fond of the drink and has sobered up and fallen off the wagon way too many times to count. He asked me to call him and when I did I woke him up from a nap.

He tried to get into rehab again last night and was turned away due to the late hour. He’s also seeing a friend of mine and she’s nice and nurturing and I would hate to see her get hurt from his alcoholic antics. Within moments of calling him I couldn’t wait to get off the phone.

There were customers to deal with and I didn’t want to hear again the story of the last woman he dated who he now routinely calls a skank. Next time I will just communicate via emails or online messages. Sleepy, slurred words don’t help anyone.