Bill | johnozed | Page 185

Another opening, another show. Here I am a year later, from June 1, 2010 to June 1, 2011 in the cigar shack. I’m surprised to be here as are some of you I’m sure. Last year I was working with Raymond, Sean, Don and Harold as well as Calvin and Marcus.

Now it’s just me and Calvin. Raymond, Sean and Harold were let go and Don left on his own. In their stead are Bradley and Thomas. A good team and totally different from who I started with. Of course if you’ve been reading this during the past year you know all about whatever dramas ensued.

Today has been an interesting day, me & Calvin manning the boards. Of course as soon as I start something goes wrong with my register leaving me unable to process credit cards, only able to handle cash.

Calvin was in the humidor a lot today so that left me shifting back and forth between his register and mine. I would ask will this be cash or charge and depending on the answer I would move to my left or to my right.

And of course since it was just me & Calvin I was tied to the cigar shack, unable to leave for any ‘real’ amount of time, lunch included. I really didn’t mind since it was too godddamned hot outside, the few moments I had outside felt like I was wearing a damp wool overcoat.

I really don’t know how sheep can manage in this weather. Perhaps a visit to the Sheep Research Clinic in downtown Bala Cynwyd would give me the answers I so desperately crave. If not, then a séance near Livingston NJ might have to do the trick, since it seems to be all about tricks in Livingston. No treats, all tricks and these tricks are not for kids.

Calvin was kind enough to bless me with a La Aurora 107 Gran Toro cigar for my anniversary. Don’t know if I will smoke it tonight since I am opening up the store tomorrow. It was my idea actually.

A friend, Karen Kuhl is playing at Pier 13 here in Hoboken tonight and I like her and her music. So I decided to switch hours with Bradley tomorrow, me opening and him closing.

I sort of regret it though, just the change of pace, the diversion from my routine. I will get over it of course. Hopefully Rand & Lisa will be there, it’s their type of thing. I guess I should text Rand and find out.

Now I am at home. Bill is watching ESPN, something about the Knicks/Pacers rivalry from 1994. I was very much into basketball then, thanks to Julio’s influence. Lots of things going on, the Knicks had a great team that didn’t bring home any rings.

Of course there was a sexual element involved, Charles Oakley & Anthony Mason were big old bears, Mason particularly thuggish. One time during the playoffs Julio & I with my Rasta friend Marcus and my dear friend Miriam went to Madison Square Garden with $5.00 tickets to watch the Knicks lose an away game on the big screens. Despite the loss the four of us had a good time.

Now it’s a mellow night at home and happy to be here. All the windows are open and a nice breeze is blowing. Tomorrow should be a nice day at the cigar shack, Thomas and Bradley and me running things. It definitely nice that we’re all getting along, at least I think we’re all getting along.

We shall see tomorrow I guess, won’t we?

Well I’m writing early. Usually I don’t start until later but here I am, a little after 6 O’clock and I find myself writing. It’s been a bust day, busier than yesterday. And like yesterday today is a day off. I thought I would go bike riding but never got around to it.

I woke up too late to really get started and actually yesterday would have been a better day for a bike ride than today, less people around today and most everyone seemed relaxed. Today the majority went back to work so everyone was uptight and the roads were more crowded.

I woke up not knowing what day it was, it took Bill to tell me after he kissed me good bye for the day and was walking away. I slept longer than I expected but I was happy to be able to have hot water when I took a shower. A cup of coffee did me some good as I walked out to get some breakfast items and drop off some clothes at the dry cleaners.

My favorite cashier was there again at the supermarket, the mighty Isis, who actually asked if I had enough coffee this morning. She knows, I must have told her some other time. It was already hot out so I stayed inside for a few hours, making iced coffee and enjoying it greatly.

I avoided the news and things like that since I wanted an easy going day. I figured if there was something worth knowing about, someone I know would have told me about it. No news proved to be good news. After a few hours of nothing in particular I decided to head into the city.

A last minute phone call to Harpy only resulted in getting his voice mail which I declined to leave. I wanted to see a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition in Chelsea and today would have really been my only opportunity to see it. It was called ’50 Americans’ and it was 50 portraits & photographs picked by people from across the USA.

The pictures were picked from the Mapplethorpe Foundation and the majority of the everyday Americans that picked the images never heard of Robert Mapplethorpe. It wasn’t my usual gallery hop since I only went into maybe 3 galleries before I decided to head home and avoid the rush hour rush.

And I just made it too, a not too crowded air conditioned Path train which was nice. I took the elevator to the street since I’ve been avoiding stairs whenever possible. Nearly had a few words with one of those idiot adults who use a razor scooter to get around.

She was waiting for the elevator as well but staring into space as I walked by her. As I entered the elevator, that was when she decided to get in as well, hitting my leg with her razor scooter. She mumbled something which I ignored and held the door for an elderly woman with a cane who actually needed to use the elevator, not so she wouldn’t have to carry a razor scooter up the stairs.

Still quite warm out, I just checked Google latitude where I see Bill is currently in Weehawken, no doubt headed home. He had to get a new iPhone since the one he left at the gym was never turned in. He’s not too happy about that and I certainly can’t blame him.

Hopefully he’ll be happy to be home with me. If he isn’t well there’s nothing I can do about that. But he’s a positive thinker and maybe he will remember not to leave his iPhone behind next time.