Tag Archives: Jeff

I’m Telling You Now

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Well today has been an off day. Started out that way, me being out of step with just about everyone. Nothing bad mind you. Just unable to get it together throughout the day. It started off with Love Me Do by the Beatles on the radio. Not a bad track to wake up to.

I puttered around, showered. Not enough milk for cereal but enough for coffee so I went out caffeinated but still fasting. Not too much of a problem, there’s plenty of places to get some food in Manhattan and I do know some cheap spots.

Made it to the office, nothing going on. I just keep rearranging the deck chairs. Right now, I’m pretty beat. Had some bourbon and a cigar with Steve a former co-worker. It was good seeing him.

Last week we basically had the cigar lounge to ourselves, this week it was crowded with men in suits smoking cigars. I of course was not suited, it being a Friday I went casual. Strangely enough after dressing casual or even more laid back than that, I can’t do casual anymore.

It’s more like sloppy than anything. I prefer the suit and tie. We finished the bourbon in Steve’s flask around the same time we finished our cigars. We plan to meet every Friday for cigars and booze. I walked back to the office, feeling good but still out of step.

A nap would reset my body clock but I couldn’t do that until I got home. I left the office around 3:30, caught the bus and did some food shopping at the supermarket. I was planning on going out to McSwells to see Jeff from Empire Coffee with his band, The Poconos and also see Roda but the way I’m feeling now, the way I’ve been feeling all day and the fact that it’s very cold out, makes me want to just stay at home.

Plus there is Chaz’ party tomorrow and that’s supposed to be in the middle of a snow storm. Hearing about the snow storm approaching made me think of 2 snow storms. One was back in 1970’s. It snowed enough that my father didn’t go to work and I had no school.

I mainly recall the 2 of us walking to the A&P which was usually a 20 minute walk but the snow made it an hour long jaunt.

The other time was in 2000 when Bill and I started going out. I was working at Farfetched and living in Weehawken. It was snowing quite heavily and enough so that NJ Transit ceased operations on everything.

Bill had told me about NJ Transit shutting down, but I wasn’t so sure. We had just started going out you see, and I didn’t know how in tune he was with bus schedules and information.

I was in the city and needed to get home somehow. No one was shopping so I got the go ahead to close the store and go home. I wound up taking the train to Herald Square and catching the Path train to Hoboken.

From there I walked up the middle of Washington Street since there wasn’t any traffic at 2:00 in the afternoon. I couldn’t see past a block ahead and anyway I was walking directly into the storm and my glasses had caked with snow and ice. All I could do was look at my feet as I trudged through the snow, telling people waiting for the bus that there was no bus service at all.

It took me about 2.5 hours to get from the Path train to Jane Street. By the time I got home I was plenty tired. Now I’m just tired and there’s no snow.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll make it up there after all. Maybe I won’t. I did give Jeff the heads up yesterday, letting him know that my afternoon would consist of scotch and cigars and he said he understood. Plus I’m generally reluctant to see friends in bands play. If they suck you have to lie and I find it hard to lie about music.

Tone Zone

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I think I set myself up. Yesterday, I was feeling rather upbeat and positive, today was the test. Last night Bill actually stayed up and watched Weeds. Well he was watching the Olympics and at 10:00 he switched over to Weeds, which was a bit gross yet funny. And Shane is creepy. Bill was grossed out.

Then it was back to the Olympics, Bill caught what’s his name win another gold medal then he was off to bed, me following not too long after that. Woke up a little before 6:00 this morning, and definitely did not want to get out of bed, but still I mustered and headed into the shower.

I continued with the latest routine of heading out before 7:00. Haven’t seen Casey on the bus the past two days, so I’ve just been reading the New Yorker. Headed across town listening to the Raybeats. I was in a decent mood and got to the office a little before 8:00.

Yesterday the phones were a bit fucked up and today was the same. I left work early yesterday and headed to the NYU Dental School and picked up my X-rays and charts to resubmit to Oxford insurance who denied my initial claim. The phones were working when I left.

I made the phone calls on my cellphone to find out what exactly is going on with the phone system. Luckily the company I work for doesn’t do stock trading, they work in mergers and acquisitions so the phones weren’t interfering with the job, calls could still be made on the phones.

Some drama going on with a former partner of Vivek, the managing director and various visitors were showing up, with me only finding out about a minute before. That was nerve wracking and the phones kept crapping out and causing an adverse effect on access to the internet. I could feel whatever positivity draining from my body.

I got through it though, no blood on my hands. Walked across town, had a Padron and listened to the Raybeats again. Nice bus ride, almost finished with Rip It Up by Simon Reynolds. It’s gotten to the point of New Pop, Culture Club, Flock of Seagulls and Spandau Ballet. Just as well since I have those 2 Alan Bennett books waiting for me. Not to mention the countless books I have collected over the years.

Saw Jeff at Empire Coffee which was pleasant. We both chatted about not going to All Points West and had a laugh at the holding pen for drinkers. The allotment of 5 beers over 10 hours seemed ridiculous. It was also a lot better than the last time I was in Empire Coffee.

I interrupted the workers hanging out and I ordered my usual, Brazilian French Roast. The girl said, Brazilian American Roast? I said no, the Brazilian French Roast. ‘So, 3 pounds of the American Roast?’ This went on for a minute or two. I knew I didn’t have aphasia, she was merely daft.

Good to be home now, but I didn’t exactly get a chance to rest since I got a phone call from the office IP, about having to shut down the system for some tests. I tried calling to no avail and finally gave the go ahead to shut it down so they could do what they had to do.

Should make for an interesting morning I think.