Category Archives: the day after yesterday

I Don’t Know Much

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Friday for most, some other day for me. What else is new? Slept really well last night, woke up groggy, barely remembering Bill kissing me goodbye in the morning and telling me he loves me.

Nice thing to wake up to and sweet dreams were followed by an awful alarm clock, the radio banter of the DJ’s on the oldies station. They were making an appearance at some food court at some mall somewhere in New Jersey.

I got my act together and after checking emails, I checked to see if there were any worthwhile jobs that I should send my resume to. But sad to say there weren’t any jobs worth sending anything to. I’m not reeling like I was yesterday.

The ‘coming in second place’ really knocked me for a loop. I was so certain that I did well and perhaps I did well coming in second, hopefully it was not a competition between me and someone else. Come in cousins, this cousin needs your help. I write that knowing that the cousins don’t read this here blog.

It was quite a blustery morning today. And with rain expected I wore a rain coat of Bill’s that he doesn’t or hasn’t worn in a while. Looks better on me anyhow. I had a quick cigar waiting for the bus and then headed into the city, walking through the bus terminal to the subway.

Figured out how to get to the exit that I really wanted to find which was basically a high point of the morning. Made it into the shop on time. It was Don, Calvin and Bradley.

Bradley is the new guy and really tries too hard to be friends with everyone. Last week he tried humor which I missed most of, only coming in to hear a remark about John Lennon being dead. He knows a lot about cigars after working in a cigar shop in North Carolina for 12 years.

Now he’s up here and trying to fit in, but stepping on toes as he tries. And those toes are mine. I’ve tried to help him out, letting him know where he can get good suits on the cheap, where to get a good lunch cheap, or even breakfast.

But it seems he doesn’t trust me and would rather eat his Pay Day candy bar for breakfast and going to Subway everyday for lunch. Me, I’m like Andrew Weil next to him. I eat breakfast at home and bring a sandwich for lunch.

But after a week of extending an olive branch, my arm is tired and simply couldn’t be arsed to be his friend. Co-workers, sure. friends- doubtful. He’s very much a kiss up anyhow. It’s only been two weeks that he’s been working at the shop but the hickeys on Calvin’s derriere are truly tell tale.

Marcus hasn’t been around much this week so can only guess that his butt is relatively hickey free.

It was a long day today. Tomorrow might be shorter. I switched with Don, I’ll be opening and he’ll be closing. I am going to see Bill in a play at the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe, so I’m leaving at 6:00 to catch the 7:00 off off Broadway curtain.

I’m also going with Hyman Gross who is a character in the life of Bill and myself for the past couple of months. I don’t know why I haven’t written about Hyman Gross earlier, and I’m not sure if I will write about him tonight. Probably not.

I have to go to bed soon since I have to get up early. Smell ya later.

I Know But I Don’t Know

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In June, after Raymond’s debacle after hours, I was told by Calvin to never let anyone in the store once it is closed. It’s a rule I follow, even when a woman says she’s from next door and needs help.

So last night, at around 8:45, Sean and I are winding down, wanting to leave after working all day. The phone rings. It;s some guy, saying he’s in a cab and wants to know when the store closes. I tell them 9:00.

He says he is trying to get here in time and I tell him he had better get here by 9:00. 9:00 surely comes and the guy doesn’t show. The door is locked and I start the final closing of the store, running credit card receipts, and printing out data and counting money.

There is a knock on the door. It’s the guy who phoned. I tell him sorry, but he’s too late. The computer says 9:03, his iPhone shows 9:01. I still tell him I’m sorry, the computers are now in closing mode. If it was a customer I knew or recognized I would have given him the cigar and written a note saying So & So owes blah blah blah.

But I never saw this guy before, this wasp vaginal slang. He moaned and walked away dejected. I finished up the closing of the store, Sean was gone by now and I headed out. I thought that would be the last of it.

Came home, saw Julio & Stine for a few minutes, watched some TV and went to bed. Woke up, needed milk and it was off to the supermarket for me. Came home, had breakfast and soon was wiaiting in the rain for the bus. Off the bus onto the subway and soon I was back at work.

Things were weird. Don was there, as was Marcus and Calvin. Apparently the wasp vaginal slang wrote an email saying that I was rude, and that I led him on promising cigars and then not letting him in the store.

He also wrote, (or so I was told) that he will never shop at this store again. Never mind the fact that I sold over $5000.00 worth of products yesterday, earning that big 1/3 of 1% commission. The fact that I followed the rules and did not let someone in the store after hours (or after minutes) was enough of a red flag to call me out.

Marcus was upset that we did not get this wasp vaginal slang’s $20.00. He asked if it were my store would I have done the same and I said yes. He was worried that this wasp vaginal slang (who no one has never said no to before probably) was going to have his ‘end of the month’ celebratory cigar somewhere else and bad mouth the shop.

As if the shop isn’t bad mouthed by some regular customers sometimes while sitting in the backroom smoking cigars. Marcus tried to smooth things over and I merely told him the whole situation was weird.

He thought a better word could be used but I insisted weird was the proper word. I have got to get out of this place and the sooner the better. They want me to work these god damned Monday Night Football events, and extra hours will be needed for the holiday season.

I have an interview scheduled for Monday afternoon with Macy’s in Jersey City. I may be unloading trucks for the holiday season and that seems alright for me. At least I can walk to and from there.

May 31, 2010. Happier and heavier.