Category Archives: the day after yesterday

I Can’t Get Started

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Back to work today after a night of not so good sleeping. Nothing major but did not want to wake up when I woke up at 9:30. Bill kissed me goodbye 3 hours before and after that I slept the sleep I should have slept.

I got out of bed and puttered about, glad to be going in later actually. Won’t be opening the store for the rest of the year. I was on Washington Street waiting for the bus at 11:15 and caught the 11:15 bus. I had enough time and decided to head uptown on the train and go to another Borders bookstore.

I phoned them last night and they said they had the Beatles Yellow Submarine 3D poster and would leave it waiting for me at the register. I took the train to the Wanker Banker Putnam Lovell NBF neighborhood where I used to work and hoped I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew.

I lucked out since I did not see anyone I knew. I walked into Borders and went to the register and was given the poster I asked for. I even got a free customer card from Borders which is supposed to give me deals and whatnot.

I thought I would take the bus across town but there was no bus to be found. For me, it was shank’s mare. I didn’t mind but as I got closer to the cigar shop I found that my t-shirt was soaking wet from sweat.

I dressed a wee bit too appropriately for the cold. I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to wear a wet t-shirt, especially since I was not going to be in any wet t-shirt contests, or at least did not know of any that may have been scheduled.

I went to Duane Reade about bought a pack of t-shirts and when I got to the cigar shop, I changed t-shirts. Felt a lot better and a lot drier after that. It was Marcus and Calvin in the shop as well as a few customers in the back that don’t particularly care for Marcus nor Calvin. I know this since the customers tell me so.

Still I didn’t mind much. Marcus was soon out of the store on his way to who knows where and Calvin was his usual self, ending most of his sentences with a nervous laugh. A new guy started on Wednesday, Vince, who used to work part time at another cigar store in Manhattan until they decided to fire all the part timers.

So we took him on. He’s a nice dresser and so I felt compelled to step up my game. I dressed as impeccably as I could and according to Bill who stopped by later in the day, I looked great. ‘Bangin” he said, quoting those girls on the street from 15 years ago.

The day ended with Vince and myself closing the shop, Calvin leaving around 8:30. I sent Vince on his way at 10:00 since he would have hung out talking while I manically closed the shop. I was out in 10 minutes.

Soon I was out in the night, in the cold, listening to the Smiths. Six songs in 18 minutes, 34 seconds. Made it in time to catch that 10:30 bus where I sat and read about Freddie Mercury and how he started Queen. Nice read.

Back to work tomorrow and Sunday. Off Monday which isn’t so bad, is it?

I Believe in You

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Well today would have been the day I started the new job. I was supposed to be training for a week during the day, then I suppose next week I would switch over to the 5:30PM – 1:00AM shift. We all know how that turned out don’t we? The home office in Bala Cynwyd undoubtedly chuckles at the outcome.

Instead I had a day off. And it was a day off where I got somethings done and other things were postponed. I stayed up last night and watched a crap movie, Legion. I’m an occasional sucker for biblical apocalypse stories. They’re almost always bad and this was no exception.

Like the night before I was physically tired but mentally awake. But unlike the night before I was able to fall asleep rather quickly rather than tossing and turning and then getting out of bed for a melatonin tablet. Bill was fast asleep of course by the time I hit the hay.

I woke up hours later when Bill was getting ready to go to work and while his was in the other room, his alarm went off a few feet away from my ears. Somehow I managed to switch it off without smashing it to bits. A few minutes later, Bill was kissing me goodbye for the day as I lay there trying to get back to sleep.

It was relatively successful as I eventually got out of bed around 10:00, later than I anticipated. I shuffled about, made some coffee and showered. After a cup of coffee I decided to head out. I walked up to Washington Street and got some bagels and the paper, then headed over to the bibliothèque to pick up some things that were on hold.

I forgot the Patti Smith book at home and figured I would drop it off later in the day or tomorrow. I picked up The Dead, a movie on DVD directed by John Huston, starring Angelica Huston, based on a James Joyce short story in his book, Dubliners.

After the bibliothèque, it was off to the supermarket. A visit to the dry cleaners was not needed since the shirts I dropped off, were picked up and paid for by Bill. He loves taking care of me. It’s quite a nice position to be in. I came home, had some breakfast and watched The Dead. It was as I expected, a very good DVD, and I believe it was John Huston’s last movie.

I also packed up and left at the curb several empty boxes of cigars. I accumulated quite a bit and was only hanging onto them in anticipation of a gate sale. That usually occurs in the warmer months and since we’re starting the colder months, rather that keep them stacked up it was time to get them out.

All in all I left the apartment twice. It was too cold to do much of anything and I was content to stay in. It’s not like my phone was ringing off the hook anyhow. I didn’t have any plans. Now I am full of distraction, Jeopardy is on TV, Scritti Politti is playing on YouTube, I’m writing this.

I’m content but a bit anxious about going back to work tomorrow. No particular reason but this is how insidious the retail experience is. It really takes a lot out of you. Of course it helps if the people or badgers you are working with get along with you. If not, then it’s perfectly arduous.

Tomorrow and Wednesday I am opening up, then it’s off Thursday and back to the late schedule the days following. It’s quite a drag but I’ll get through it and start a new search in January.