Tag Archives: Cigar Shop

I’ll Cry Instead

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The Beatles. John Lennon. Me. That’s what I hoped to write about today. I thought today was going to be an easy day. I did everything right, everything else was wrong. Last night I asked Bill to make sure I was up by 8:30 when he was supposed to be heading out.

I woke up before Bill did. No matter. I did my thing, shower, breakfast, coffee, email. Bill was super supportive before heading out, kissing me goodbye, telling me I am adorable and smart and things like that.

A few minutes later I headed out around 9:20. My barber Tony is back for a few days and I had hoped to see him for a haircut. But as I walked by someone was in his chair so I kept walking and picked up some dry cleaning instead.

Came back home and got dressed for work. Saw the 10:15 bus go by but had no worries since I was going for the 10:30 bus. A bus arrived at 10:55 and I asked the driver if this was the 10:30 bus. He said it wasn’t, they were late and it was behind the 10:50 bus.

Of course with one bus being late that meant the bus would be very crowded and it was. Luckily I phoned in and said I was going to be late. Don answered the phone and suggested that I take the train.

As if the trains run normally on weekends. In fact last night on the news they said all trains running this weekend will be running on a service schedule. Oh and they’re raising the fares to $2.50.

I made it to the shop a half hour late. No one minded. They were playing the Allman Brothers for some idiotic reason. The only reason to play the Allman Brothers in my book is a reason of idiocy.

The day proceeded without incident but the new guy, Bradley is really trying too hard to make friends with everyone and tried showing off his ‘dark humor’ by making jokes about John Lennon’s murder. Truly that is how to score points with me.

I did have a nice phone call with Annemarie for a few minutes. She seemed to be having a good day, so that was nice. After lunch, the usual jerk offs and vaginal slang came in today and I did my best ti minimize contact.

I was able to play selections by John Lennon and the Beatles which was nice. Some people complained and I did want to plug into the celebration of John Lennon’s life. I had wanted to see the documentary they were showing for free in Central Park and I had hoped that I would be able to attend, but working the joyous hours of retail made it impossible.

I left the store on time, after closing up the shop and made it to the terminal only to find a long line waiting for the bus. I was the absolute last person allowed on the 60 person capacity bus, unable to stand behind the white line, I hung on for dear life while the driver sped through the Lincoln Tunnel.

People eventually got off and other people got on the bus but hardly anyone made room for myself and the new people hanging on by a thread. Now I’m home, feeling beaten.

Happy 70th Birthday John Lennon.

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

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Today it’s Friday. It wasn’t such a bad day, at least not as bad as yesterday. Yesterday I wrote over 800 words, today I feel it will be a struggle to reach 500 words. But here I go again, once more into the breach.

The day started with Bill running around, upset that he wasn’t able to burn a disc on his mac. He needed to have a few discs burned for the show he is working in tonight at the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe. It’s also the rare show that he is in that I am unable to see since I am working the horrid hours of retail.

Bill was out later than usual this morning and I was up and out of bed soon after he left. Woke up to the sounds of Eddie Money, Baby Hold onto Me. That song is always on the radio, or at least the oldies station.
I did my thing, breakfast, shower, coffee and emails and got dressed early enough. I was planning on being late today, since I would be working with Calvin I thought I’d let him open the register and therefore have to close the register.

Don and Bradley had the early shift leaving Calvin, Sean and myself to close. But as usual, as late as I try to be, I generally wind up being on time. Not a bad thing I know, but it never works out that I can be fifteen minutes late.

So I made it in, and still I had to open the register, Calvin lurking about nowhere near the register. It was a full staff what with Bradley filling in Raymond’s vacant position.

I was prepared in case the Susie Essman damaged clone made it in today or someone of her ilk came in. I brought my digital voice recorder in to the shop today to record any heinous conversations that I might be privy to.

But there was no need for it. Most of the conversations were nonchalant and not worth recording in any event. I had a nice lunch on a bench by the park, enjoying a cigar and reading the biography of Paul McCartney that Julio gave me as a Christmas present last year. I’m enjoying it more now than I did when I originally tried reading it earlier this year.

Back to the shop, more boredom, but Calvin was out of the way, enjoying his two hour lunch, supplemented with alcohol and cigars. My co-workers used to get upset about his long lunches until I reminded them that he’s out of the picture for two hours at least.

Don and Bradley left at 7:30 leaving Calvin, Sean and myself to close the shop for another long 90 minutes. I spent a good part of the 90 minutes in the humidor with Sean while Calvin chatted with a customer who though being a very nice guy, won’t shut up.

Finally I got them out of the shop and I closed the store by myself in about 11 minutes. I prepared beforehand behind Calvin’s back.

I made it from the shop to the bus terminal in 15 minutes, 41 seconds. Hot Chip, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Heptones and ESG guiding my feet through the clogged sidewalks of the avenue.