Tag Archives: Annemarie

I Am Loved

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Back at work today. Woke up to a maelstrom outside my window. Definitely a day to sleep in and how I would have loved to have done that. But no, some misguided sense of duty called and I just had to answer that call.

I granted myself about 15 extra minutes of sleep which eventually amounted to about 10 minutes. What I bargained with for those extra minutes I have no idea but something would come up eventually no doubt.

Last night I should have gone to see Lois DiLivio performing in a shop window on Washington Street, one of the few shops I did not apply to. I thought about going, and thought about not going but once I was settled in at home, it was extremely doubtful that I would head out again. My loss, truly.

Just one picture from Lisa Rigoux Hoppe’s camera made me realize that I should have at least made an appearance. Regardless, home is where I stayed, waiting for Bill to come home from the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe, a celebration for Miguel Algarin.

By the time he came home I fell into the comfortable rabbit hole of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Yes, I own the super deluxe version but this was so comfortable and familiar that I opted to watch it.

Bill walked in, tired and happy to be home. He did some computer stuff on his iPad or Mac Book or possibly both before he went to bed. I stayed up and watched the Simpsons before I went to bed. I should have taken a melatonin like I did the other day and like I did a few months ago.

Things were going well for a while but lately I’ve been stressed and my sleeping has been a bit fitful, so a melatonin tablet is on the menu.

Got a text from my brother Brian this morning as I was getting ready to go to work. He was 2 blocks away. I would have loved to have met up with him, but no, it wasn’t in the cards. He did warn me about the maelstrom and told me to be careful and I told him the same.

I walked up to Washington Street, to the bus stop and called Bill as I waited. He was his usual effervescent self and I was the usual grouchy baby on the other end. After getting off the phone with Bill I decided to call my brother Frank to see how he was.

It ended badly once again with Frank last week and figured I might catch him at a moment when songs from Sweeney Todd weren’t being sung. The songs weren’t being sung, but he had no time as he was heading out the door for an appointment.

He did mention that he was worried about me and I told him I knew that. I didn’t say it was from Annemarie telling me.

Soon I was at the cigar shop working alongside the Bradley. Let’s face it, there is no love lost between us. It was sort of fun working at the cigar shop when Raymond and Don were working there, but they’re no longer around and the only fun comes from Sean who works part time.

It was a long day and there was the Big Smoke event going on a few blocks away this evening. The Big Smoke to-do is a show where cigar makers as well as scotch makers hand out free cigars and samplings of scotch all for the admission of $250.00 in advance, $265.00 at the door. Some cigar makers did stop by the cigar shop and blessed the staff with free cigars which was quite nice.

Marcus hung around the cigar shop most of the afternoon making things a bit uptight. He eventually left, leaving Sean and the Bradley and myself to man the shop. And it’s been not as busy as it’s been the past few weeks.

The Bradley left later than usual hanging out with David Dexterport, a fairly regular customer. I have to admit, I enjoyed chatting with David Dexterport in the past but now I’ve been superseded by the Bradley. That’s the way things turn out I suppose.

As I got my ducks lined up to close the store and make that 10:30 bus the cigar shop door opened and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, that guy looks just like Marcus.’ It was Marcus. He was coming back from the Big Smoke event with yet another cigar maker who blessed Sean and myself with cigars once again.

I flew down to the bus terminal, a few steps removed from my closing the store since Marcus was there to finish what I could not do since he was staying behind. Made it to the bus terminal, next to last passenger before the doors closed.

And now here I am, at home in Hoboken on the mainland.

Dedicated to Jet Watley.

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And now I find myself on a Saturday night. Some friends are probably seeing Tiny Lights somewhere on Ludlow Street, other friends are doing who knows what. For me it’s been a long day and after having to deal with people all day, the last thing I want to do is actually be around people.

Bill is about all I can handle and he’s 3 feet behind me watching something on PBS with the volume louder than usual. I sit and type, my back to Bill listening to Brian Eno and J. Peter Schwalm on my computer with the headphones on, though I can still hear the TV behind me despite the fact that the volume is all the way up on the computer and headphones.

Last night was an interesting night somewhat, at least it was to me. Had a talk with Bill on the phone while he was in Atlantic City, and then a talk with Annemarie. Both conversations were concerning the job which I interviewed for and was told I would start on December 6.

Now at this moment in time it seems like that is unrealistic. I don’t have the paperwork they require for the background check and even if I did the fudging of the start date on the resume would seem certain to derail any offer. Live and learn I suppose.

Today at the cigar shop, it was Don’s last day. He’s leaving to work for a start up internet company. So the cigar shop is in the lurch with Don’s departure and if I left, it would more than likely cripple them. Yeah I have problems sometimes with working at the cigar shop, but more often than not, it’s manageable.

And I am loyal, loyal enough that today when Calvin asked me if I could work, dangling the prospect of overtime to entice me into such a situation. I said I would work half a day if needed, since he was trying to convince Marcus into coming in to fill in.

Calvin is driving to Ohio with his wife and kid at 4:00AM Sunday morning, taking his first vacation in a year, or so he said. Now at home, the news is on and the volume is a little bit lower, making it bearable, though the news is still generally bad.

Calvin said a few minutes later that I would not have to come in, an employee from another cigar shop will be coming in to help out Bradley. I also spoke with Bradley when he called to ask about the alarm when he comes into the shop.

I told him to call me if he had any problems while he worked. Now with Ron gone, I’m the senior employee. Of course there is no extra money in the new title.

After dealing with people all day long the last thing I want to do after work if deal with idiots. Unfortunately I missed the 9:35 bus by 1 minute and had to wait for the 9:55 bus which idled at the gate for 10 minutes. And this bus seemed to be filled with inconsiderate self centered people all headed to Hoboken.

That’s it. I’m done. Over and out.

Not posting tomorrow.