I Don’t Wanna Grow Up

Well it is snowing out right now. Some places have power out, most mass transit is a mess. Bill was stuck on a D train for over an hour making him late for the penultimate show that his is stage managing. I sure Bill was at wit’s end while on the train. Most trains between 59th street and 125th street have been messed up thanks to the rain and now the snow. I just hope he gets home alright.

It’s been a long wet day. It started out once again with me reluctantly getting out of bed. Bill was still fast asleep as I shuffled around, making coffee, pouring cereal and headed for the shower. A steady rain fell outside but it didn’t seem that bad. As I was getting myself ready, Bill awoke and gave me a good morning kiss.

I headed out, down the stairs and could hear the rain falling hard on the hallway skylight. Bill poked his head out and wished me a good day. I did the same as I took his picture and proceeded down the four flights.

On the street it was pouring out and out came the umbrella. A walk up to Washington Street and a short wait for the bus with other damp people. Despite the rain I still wanted my egg sandwich so I walked up the avenue to my usual spot. After getting the egg sandwich I continued up the avenue listening to Hot Chip.

Juan turned me on to Hot Chip a few years ago and today I found out that he may be in town next week for his birthday. It would be nice to see him again. At the cigar shack it was Thomas and Jerry Vale and it was good. Since it was so slushy out, I opted to stay in at lunch time though I did step out for the usual phone call to my sister. Things are alright on the left coast and I headed into the shack and smoked a cigar in the man cave.

The afternoon was not so busy and though I am not too keen on selling pens, I sold two pens which brought my sales up higher than Thomas and Jerry Vale into four figures. And as the day turned into night, the snow kept falling, sidewalks getting slippery.

Less customers coming in, leaving Thomas and Jerry Vale and myself to chat with a really nice customer who is a favorite among most of the staff. The customer eventually went home as did Thomas about an hour later. Jerry Vale and I spent the rest of the time cleaning up the store and getting things ready for tomorrow’s shift. I won’t be a part of that shift having tomorrow off but still things had to be done as well as set up.

Then it was Jerry vale’s turn to leave, and I was alone in the cigar shack making sure the money was counted and put away. A long wait for the subway downtown made me miss the earlier bus but it was no problem really.

A 20 minute wait and soon we were hurtling through the Lincoln Tunnel. I wasn’t sure if there would be power at home since I checked some Facebook status of friends and family and it seemed that they were in the dark due to downed power lines. As luck would have it, I was OK, the power was on in Hoboken, no downed trees.

Now I am waiting for Bill to walk through the door and into my arms. Happy to be home and happy to be off tomorrow.









05 That’s Love, That It Is

I Don’t Wanna Go There

I Knew The Bride when she used to rock and roll is playing right now. It’s been a long day at the cigar shack. And it’s been busy, the shack did phenomenal business today. It was Zack and Frank Burns and me today.

The day started off alright. I slept really well thanks to some melatonin, and woke up feeling refreshed. The I realized I had to go to work so that feeling of ‘I can do anything’ quickly subsided. I got myself together once again, shower, coffee, cereal and soon I was on the street headed to the bus stop.

It was awfully cold this morning, temperatures were in the 40 degree range. And snow is expected tomorrow, 6 to 10 inches has been predicted, at least that is what one of the customers told me and he lives in North Brunswick.

No neighbor Deborah on the bus ride into Manhattan today so I stared at my smartphone. No more looking out the window for me. I listened to Patti Smith on the walk through the bus terminal, Easter to be precise. Got as far as Because the Night.

I do love Rock & Roll Nigger though. Could be my favorite Patti Smith song. Her use of the word ‘nigger’ is defined as being ‘outside of society’. Jimi Hendrix, Jesus Christ and Jackson Pollock all made the cut as well as Grandma I think.

A short ride on the subway and once again I found myself in the vicinity of the cigar shack. There was Zack and Frank Burns behind the counter. Somebody had a black eye and it wasn’t me and it wasn’t my fault either. I wasn’t feeling to well and I think the reason is because of an ionizer which has been in use in the man cave.

It really puts out an offensive ozone odor which I find more displeasing than the smell of cigars burning. I never minded cigars being smoked, at least not good cigars. Dutch Masters and Antonio and Cleopatra (what my dad smoked) and White Owls are a whole ‘nother thing.

For lunch I sat on a bench near the park and tried to stay warm. I finished Mojo with George Harrison on the cover and started in on Uncut Magazine, on which the cover is all about bootlegs.Being outside helped quite a bit and when I returned to the cigar shack it was all systems go.

Very busy and that is when the numbers starting increasing. Zack was quite happy about it and surprisingly Frank Burns did alright too, sold 2 crappy pens that seemed like they were bound for the island of crappy pens. Glad to get them out of the store.

Perhaps whomever orders things won’t order crappy pens that merely take up space. Still I would not be surprised if those crappy pens are returned within the next 2 weeks. Just a feeling I get when I look to the west I suppose.

Can’t wait to go home and that should be just about an hour from now. Frank Burns is one of those people that screams at the TV when a sporting event is on. I know this since he is in the man cave screaming at the TV right now. And now his cousin is here with him so the number of voices screaming should increase by one.

This is the cousin that Zack insinuated months ago that ‘maybe they’re not cousins but actually lovers’. Pathetic really. In any event there are now less than thirty minutes to go and I am quite fine with that.

Tomorrow’s players will be Thomas and Jerry Vale with the Frank Burns dancers making an appearance, performing their homage to Isadora Duncan on Crystal Meth routine.









Irma Thomas – Time Is On My Side