Tag Archives: Greg Stevens

The Wolves (Act I and II)

Fucking hell. That’s the type of day it’s been. Didn’t start out that way surprisingly despite the fact that I wasn’t able to go to sleep when I wanted to. Wound up falling asleep around 1:30. It seems the 2 hour nap that I had taken earlier stole some much desired sleep. I lay in the dark and laughed about how fat I am.

Still with about 5 hours of sleep I felt pretty good as I woke up and got my act together and headed out to catch the bus. Almost finished with the Lennon bio and of course it’s due today. I figured I would be able to find some time and read it, maybe at lunch, maybe on the bus ride home. It was not to be.

On Friday I got an email from Tom Chin telling me to get a few expense reports together and he wrote especially that I shouldn’t wait until Monday to do it. I took care of most of that as well as some expenses Vivek had me do for his other company that he and his business partner are doing.

They claimed $8000 and change, I found they were owed $8200. I could only do so much on Friday since I was the only one in my company in. Greg Stevens seems to be fading from the company. I guess being the president of nothing in particular will diminish one’s enthusiasm, Vivek was travelling for his other company and Tom Chin doesn’t come in on Fridays.

So today there was a lot of things that hit me as I walked through the door. Some company needed our tax ID number which I tracked down and when I sent an email to Tom Chin and Vivek, Tom Chin said he was working at home, feeling ill. He told me I had the info available but I couldn’t find it.

That’s when I found it looking in other years files. He started yelling at me telling me what I had (which was what was asked for) was wrong. He’s a jerk in person and a fucking bitch when he’s sick on the phone.

Then it was the expenses which out of $1700 was listed, I found $1600. I told Vivek about it and he insisted I call the bookkeeper. I decided not to call her and figure it out myself. An hour after I usually leave, I was still there. I had everything spread out on a table and showed Vivek, ‘I have this, I have that. This is that, that is this.’

After a day of looking at these expenses I was toast. I even told him I was toast, two hours after I usually leave. He had me call the bookkeeper and started screaming at her. It was ugly. Apparently he was on a yelling kick today, going so far as to scream at his pregnant wife that she’s ruining his life over the phone.

I didn’t hear that but heard about it. I cleaned up whatever I had on the table which was no longer in neat stacks. I was really toast and all the stress started to mess up my back. Back in his office I can hear Vivek yelling at Tom Chin that he had to fire the bookkeeper after tax season. I know this will bite me on the ass tomorrow as well as Thursday when the bookkeeper comes in.

But I didn’t do anything but just tell him that he might be getting less than $1700. My name was mentioned but it was about ‘why should John have to file those papers? Why doesn’t the bookkeeper do it?’ I don’t mind doing the filing, I’ve been doing it since day one at the firm. But man, I don’t think in all the jobs that I’ve had, I’ve never bore witness to such an ugly scene.

I asked a question which opened a whole can of worms which I will hear more about this week. Usually I rearrange the deck chairs on this Titanic, but now the captain is losing his mind and the crew is turning on each other. Left the office feeling lousy and even though I smoked a Padron, it didn’t really give me the satisfaction it usually does.

Made it to the bus where I had to stand, lower right part of my back throbbing. No reading the Lennon bio. I should return it tomorrow, it ends badly I know.

Came home, my brother Brian called. He’s stressed and I talked with him for a while but I don’t think it helped either one of us.

I really hoped to talk to someone, but it turns out, I don’t have anyone I can talk to. Julio is busy with Stine and Alexander, no time for this big baby. Annemarie is too far away and plus she was unavailable since she was working or en route from work.

Forget about my brother Frank, he’s no help these days unfortunately, and Bill is directing his first play tonight and when he calls later he’ll be all about how the directing of the play went, and I wouldn’t want to rain on his parade.

Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day, but I obviously have my doubts. It’s all about the economy, my company trying to stay afloat and get whatever monies owed to us and it is stressing everyone the fuck out.

Oh yeah, the coffee maker crapped out and I spent a good part of the day filling it with white vinegar to clean it out.

On Some Faraway Beach

Ok here we are, on Bill’s Mac. The day started out with my iPod skipping songs in a playlist. The other day they were there, today they aren’t. A while ago I logged into a website for determining the life of your iPod. My iPod is scheduled to die on December 1, 2008, which is right around the corner.

I couldn’t figure out what was happening and couldn’t find any easy answers online. It wasn’t the end of the world and I figured though it would be time consuming I could replace the missing songs when I got home. But that would depend on my computer working properly, and it isn’t which is why I am on Bill’s Mac.

I seem to have a very good wireless connection, excellent it tells me, but it’s trying to acquire a network address. That does me no good.

One thing I learned today during some downtime was sewing. I was able to tighten up some buttons that were loose enough to make me worry about losing them. It was so much easier to grasp the concept of sewing watching it on video and it didn’t involve pricking my finger constantly.

So I didn’t lose too much blood and was able to re-sew a few buttons, which was a check mark in my accomplishment column.

Jeez, Bill’s Mac is so much easier and friendly. Not as temperamental as mine.

Greg Stevens returned from his vacation in Arizona. It was good to see him and it’s an interesting thing, our friendship. He really looks out for me and sat me down to tell me what Vivek told me a week or so ago, about how my job is relatively “stable”. Of course anything could happen overnight.

Greg mentioned that he lost quite a bit of money due to the distress of CitiGroup. He worked for them for 20 years and acquired stock. Now that stock is basically worthless. He was looking forward to retirement but doesn’t know how that will go.

He and his wife might sell their Manhattan apartment and live in Southampton and Arizona. If he’s worried about things then we’re all basically on shaky ground.

Greg also mentioned that I wouldn’t be getting a bonus this year. To tell you the truth I wasn’t really expecting one. I told him that, and also that I have had jobs where I didn’t get anything so not getting something that didn’t really exist isn’t really that much of a problem, though last year’s bonus was quite nice.

I think Vivek has a plan for me to work with another partner of his for a different company. It would be nice if more money was involved, but we have to have a sit down to discuss his plans for me.

Last night I watched the season finale of True Blood, which was very good. Edge of the seat type of thing. Turned out the woman that Tara was living with, with the musician known as Egg, wasn’t the devil. Still a scary chick though, that’s for sure.

It was very very good though and I won’t say anything else in case some of you hadn’t seen it yet and will wait for the DVD. Entourage was also very good, also a season finale with a happy ending and cameo appearances too.

My computer is still on the fritz but obviously it isn’t all bad since you’re still reading this.

And I suppose if all else fails employment wise, with my new skills sewing I could perhaps start a career as a tailor. Buttons only though, don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.

Ahem.