Tag Archives: Cigar Shop

I Zimbra

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And it’s Friday for some people, Tuesday for me. Somehow that makes sense. Probably not to you. Let’s see. Another day. Today was an interview day. It was for a sporting goods store.

In my desire to work a Monday through Friday job, I found the posting on the NY Times Monster job search and tried to schedule an interview a week or so ago. They rescheduled and I never heard anything from them again.

Still I maintained contact and finally they got back in touch with me. So it was arranged to meet this morning before I headed to the cigar shop. That meant a lie was needed. I came up with no buses going into the Lincoln Tunnel since there was a car fire and I had to get off the bus and take the Path train into the city instead.

And take the Path train into the city is what I did. A brisk walk down Washington Street, nerves a jumble. Uneventful train ride to 34th Street and a quick walk to the corporate offices of the sporting goods chain stores.

Before I went into the building I called the cigar shop. The phone rang and when it was answered I heard, ‘ Benny’s Pizza can I help you?’ I was taken aback. I mentioned I was trying to reach the cigar shack and heard, ‘What? You don’t want no pizza?’ No, I replied and then heard laughing.

It was Calvin having a laugh. I told him the lie and he understood telling me to come in when I come in. That bought me some interview time and I signed in at the front lobby desk. Handed over my picture ID and got a photo pass, for “Jonh Zeed”.

My name is properly spelled out on the ID but the security card just could not handle a qwerty keyboard. This woman has a job, whereas someone like me who can spell properly can’t get a foot in the door.

Anyway, I made it to the 20th floor and was given a form to fill out as I sat in an oversized catcher’s mitt. I met with Tina who seemed nice and she seemed to like me. She was ready to send me onto the next interviewer, but interviewer number 2 wasn’t responding to her email.

She didn’t want to keep me too long and asked if I could come back next week. I said sure, telling her that I was off Tuesday and Wednesday. She was hoping for Monday and I said that was possible and I would prefer to meet before 11:00.

I suppose I would have to wait to hear about that. It’s Friday night, and as of 10:38PM, there is no word forthcoming. I’m not holding my breath.

I saw Bill for a few minutes after the interview. He’s so great and he is my rock. He doesn’t seem to mind and enjoys playing the role. We parted and I headed to the subway. He’s driving to Atlantic City tonight so I won’t see Bill until tomorrow.

The cigar shop was fairly busy with a cigar promo and a rum tasting. So many smoking rummies in the back room. I decided to make peace with Bradley once again, a new start. It seems to have worked and we actually had a decent conversation for the first time since he started working there.

I treated myself to a hamburger for dinner which was quite good. Haven’t had a burger in a few weeks and of course I walked it off after work on my trek from the cigar shop to the bus terminal. Now I’m tired and don’t feel like writing anymore.

One other thing. I was supposed to work overtime for a Monday Night Football showing in the backroom, food, booze and cigars. My distaste for most sporting events is now well known and I was asked if it would be OK if Bradley worked the event instead of me.

I have no problem with that and now I don’t have to stay in the cigar shop until midnight, and catching the 1:00 bus. Let Bradley get the overtime, for I certainly do not care. Such is my largesse.

I’m Sure of It

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What a long day it’s been. Of course any day coming back after a day off is bound to be a long day. And today was just that. No weird dreams that I can recall from last night, no sightings of Stine and Alexander this morning. No, none of that.

Positive reinforcement from Bill before he left in the morning came in handy as I trundled through our messy apartment. Made some coffee, poured cereal into the bowl, added milk and then stepped into the shower.

It made for a perfect mess, milk and cereal, and coffee in the bathtub, but I was not one to care. Lucky for me it was a hot shower, which made for some decent, albeit soapy coffee. I dried myself off and ate whatever I could salvage from the shower water, taking out random hairs as I ate and shaved.

Soon I was out the door, but had to turn back when I realized I was naked. And I still had about 90 minutes to get things right. I used the time wisely, sending out resumes to people that didn’t want them. I did get some things together for an interview scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11:00AM.

Send those positive thoughts at that time please, eastern standard time of course. Anything before or after 11:00 would be a waste and could go to someone else, someone who might be up for the same position. That wouldn’t be good at all, at least not for me.

After donning a suit and tie and daring to wear a pair of shoes that are still new enough to make my foot bleed by the end of the day, I walked up to the bus stop on Washington Street. It was a bit drizzly and wet.

I stood there and let the 10:15 bus go on without me, preferring to catch that elusive white whale of NJ Transit, the 10:30 126 bus. Call me Ishmael. And don’t tell me you lost my number you bastard. An uneventful bus ride, followed by an uneventful train ride.

I sat across from the cigar shop and talked to Bill on the phone. I’m seem to be somewhat more coherent hours after waking up. It was a fun talk, but as we chatted I heard a thud or two. The call ended and as I started to head to the cigar shop

I noticed a starling nearby, looking like it was in bad shape. It took me a minute but I figured out, the starling was what made the thud. It flew into the building behind me, and there it was breathing it’s last. I could have put it out of it’s misery but really, it isn’t my style.

Instead I headed to the cigar shop where there was no one to put me out of my misery. Instead I merely did my job and wound up selling a lot of cigars and cigar related paraphernalia, close to $2000. Gimme that 1/3 of 1%!

Today at the cigar shop it was Calvin and Don with Sean coming in at 4:00. Bill texted me, telling me he got me a present and he wasn’t going to tell me anything about it. He figured I’d probably guess what it was.

The rest of the day at the shop was boring and bland. Not much at all to write about except for once again, one of the neighbors is complaining about the smell of cigar smoke. I can’t say whether or not they actually smell cigars, since I smoke cigars myself.

This time the complaint was from the bank two doors down. The bank the cigar shop does business at. I told Calvin that if they’re going to go after our livelihood, we should take our money out and go to a new bank and deprive them of their livelihood.

Calvin did his usual nervous laughter, like he does after almost everything he says. It goes on even more after he has a few drinks.

And he was nearly busted by a customer who every now & then, leaves a bottle of booze in the store’s pantry. Apparently someone finished off the bottle and most of the signs pointed to Calvin. But he’s the manager of the store so no fingers were pointed, just shoulders being shrugged and murmurs said under non alcoholic breath.

I closed the store with my drawer being over $51.00. I counted a few times but figured I could figure it all out tomorrow. I hustled on down to the bus terminal, where I ran into Hyman Gross. He asked if I had an interview today and I told him it was tomorrow.

He asked where and I told him, and also mentioned that all I really want is a Monday through Friday job. He responded, ‘Why would you want to work there? It’s a job for a high school graduate!’ I told him to knock it off, I didn’t need his undermining and I was looking for a Monday through Friday job.

And I am a high school graduate.

He got the message and said he would say a prayer at 11:00, saying that if this what I wanted, then he wanted it for me. That was nice. Hyman got off at his stop and I got off at mine. I had to walk up to Washington Street to get some coffee since I did not want to be out tomorrow morning.

I came home and there was Bill, opening the door for me. And there was a gift wrapped box from Bill, with my name on it. I unwrapped it to find a new camera. Quite happy and thrilled. Haven’t read the instruction book but already took some pictures of Bill and uploaded them onto my computer.

Back in the Weegee business I suppose.

That's my Boo.



The Dying Starling