Tag Archives: Greg Stevens

The Underdog

It helps if you pay attention to EVERYTHING. I should have done that today. It would have spared me a lot of frustration. It started at 9:23 this morning. Bill at work being snarky and feigning surprise that I was up at that time.

Then he ‘caught’ himself, realizing that I was going to help Greg Stevens today. Mindless chatter back and forth. I mention that I would be able to swing by his office and pick up a money order from him. He asks what time and I suggest 2-ish.

No, he didn’t use the standard line, ‘Funny you don’t look 2-ish’. Not his type of humor, didn’t grow up at 13 Riverview Avenue.

He suggested that 3:00 would be better.

The thing with instant messaging is that sometimes you write and focus on what you’re writing so much so that you don’t read what the other person is writing. In this case, I did not read the 3:00 he wrote and just continued on what I was writing.

Totally missed it. So there I was, helping Greg Stevens and I was finished early. I called Bill a little after 1:00 and got his voice mail.

I continue walking my way down towards his office, enjoying the day as well as enjoying a La Flor Domincana cigar that I picked up. Bill has 3 phones. His work phone, his iPhone and his former T-Mobile phone which is now Verizon. Same number as he had when I signed up with T-Mobile.

Every couple of blocks or so, as I got closer and closer I would call one of his phones and leave a message. Eventually I made it down to his office and stood outside, killing time and enjoying the cigar. If it weren’t for the cigar I would probably be freaking out, but I was mellow.

After waiting outside for about 45 minutes I decide to head to the Path train. No calls, no messages, no texts forthcoming. I finish the cigar a block away from the Path train and head downstairs. Finished a New Yorker from January and came home.

The phone rings and it’s Bill. He must have gotten all of my messages. He asked if I had gotten his text and I didn’t. He mentions that we had chatted this morning and then I answered yes, that I did get his instant message.

I pulled it up and there it was at 9:26, Bill saying that 3:00 would be better. I felt like a schmuck. Bill’s message did not register at all, I was too wound up in what I was writing instead of what Bill was writing. No, it’s not the end of the world.

I’ll get the money order tonight when Bill comes home.

I watched the first half of ‘Oliver!’ when I came home. It was a funny thing. A Facebook friend mentioned that she saw a production of Oliver last night at Bloomfield High School and I commented ‘Consider yourself at ‘ome!’.

It was one of the first movies in a movie theater for me so it has a special memory for me. It was also on Turner Classic Movies last night which I recorded. I’m not sure whether or not Oliver or the Jungle Book was the first movie, at least the first movie I can remember.

I’m sure I was at the double feature of A Hard Day’s Night and the Last Man on Earth at the drive in with my family, but I definitely do not remember that at all.

I was probably paying too much attention to what I was writing and not paying attention to what was going on before me.

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Lucifer Sam

Tired again. I used to walk around a lot, now when I do a lot of walking around, I invariably get pretty tired. It’s more than likely from sitting in at home and not walking much during the winter months. And also I’m usually wearing a lot more clothes than I do during the warmer months so that makes me heavier.

And then there are the boots which make for trudging. I know these boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. But in the wintertime, it’s a schlep.

Bill was off to drive a bus this morning at 2:30 this morning. Somehow I was conscious enough to ask him to turn on his Google Latitude so I could track his progress. I was a bit worried since big snowstorms were headed for the Albany area and that was where Bill and his theater group were headed.

Not worried enough to stay awake and pace the floor. I went back to sleep.

I’ve been setting my alarm clock lately and so I’ve been waking up around 8:30. I know, 8:30. Those of you who are employed like I once was can all roll your eyes at the luxury of waking up at 8:30. The others can just put their clothes on instead of walking around their homes naked.

You know who you are.

I had plans to head into the city to help out Greg Stevens so instead of watching Gilmore Girls which is what I watch at 11:00, I headed out midway through. It was actually the last episode so I recorded it.

Ah, Stars Hollow. In some ways Hoboken reminds me of Stars Hollow. In very vague ways of course. When looking at it on paper it seems absurd. Then again, one of the categories for various entries, is Abstract Absurdist Otherness which is what I sometimes am.

I waited for the bus on Washington Street and ran into a neighbor from my building who was also heading into the city. Deborah from the fourth floor was off to her therapy. I asked perhaps brazenly if it was physical or psycho therapy.

It was psychotherapy.

We had a good talk. I told her of my experiences seeing a therapist, how I couldn’t commit to a long term relationship with them since the problem that got me there in the first place usually solved itself or subsided.

Deborah told me the therapist wasn’t charging her for the sessions, but she was stuck for something to say. I explained to Deborah that sometimes when I was going, I would feel fine and also wondering what I would talk about.

Like, if I had a session on a Tuesday, Wednesday through Monday I was fine, yet anxiety ridden that day trying to come up with something to say. I also did not appreciate being fit into a textbook, as my therapists would usually try to apply those lessons to me.

Not your average bear or wolf, me.

It was a good ride though and me being me, was all blah blah this and blah blah that. A walk across town, stopping at Barnes and Noble to get the latest Mojo. Syd Barrett on the cover, Syd Barrett influenced CD inside.

Made it over to Greg Stevens office and on the way up in the elevator I talked with Alex the IT guy who’s also helping Greg out. Alex mentioned that it would make sense for Greg to hire me as his assistant and I couldn’t help but agree.

Money being tight meant that it isn’t meant to be at this moment. Greg was as flustered as usual as Alex and I moved things around in his office. Soon I was out on the street again trying to find a 25 foot DSL cable.

No luck with that so we decided to order one online and have it delivered by Monday, which is when I will be back in Greg’s office. Walked back to the Path train and then back to the apartment which is where I am now, watching the final episode of the Gilmore Girls.