Tag Archives: Juan

I Don’t Care If the Sun Don’t Shine

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It’s a Monday and it feels like a Sunday. Sunday was actually nice. It was Halloween which in Hoboken gave an excuse for grown ups to party in costume on Saturday night and for kids to do the same the next day.

The kids in Hoboken don’t knock on doors, they just go to the various stores and hit up shop owners for candy. Eventually the stores run out of candy and post signs on doors and windows saying just that. I went out in the middle of the afternoon, Washington Street crowded with kids and adults.

I missed the Ragamuffin parade, but still there were large groups in costume, going to parties or wherever. It was amusing to watch and I took some snapshots. Most of the action was on the boulevard so after walking to the post office, I opted to swing round back via the river.

I walked out onto Pier A, it was chilly but sunny as I enjoyed a cigar. Ahead of me were two teenage girls, one of whom turned out to be Ruby, Jim and Meghan’s daughter. She was having Halloween hijinks, the two of them dressed up like characters from Pokemon. After my time, for sure.

Came back home and just chilled out. Bill was headed to the gym and I made myself a nice dinner. Bill and I watched Bill Hicks Live, a compilation of some of his live shows. I totally missed the boat on Bill Hicks when he was alive, and only in the past few years have I ever really heard of him.

And that was from reading about him or seeing ads for a DVD or CD release in Mojo or Uncut magazines. The UK certainly took him to heart. Bill who loves watching stand up comedy hadn’t really seen Hicks’ act before but really liked it a lot.

Enough so that he went online to look up Bill Hicks on Wikipedia. Bill Hicks died at 32 from pancreatic cancer in 1994, in his parent’s home. Bill sussed out that my dislike for Denis Leary is because Leary stole bits of Bill Hicks’ act, sometimes word for word. My antipathy for Denis Leary seems validated.

Boardwalk Empire was on after Bill Hicks and after that Bill went to bed. I stayed up for a while, started watching Poltergeist when midway through I quit and went to bed.

I tried watching that Walking Dead show on AMC, but after the high intensity of Dead Set, this one seemed to be a bit plodding. Maybe it was a zombie script, and a zombie director. Perhaps this is post-Lost television, the hope that the series lasts a few years and they could have an unfolding plot.

It hasn’t really caught on, in fact besides Lost, all the other attempts for an episodic series have failed thus far.

Tonight feels like a Sunday night, feels like I have school tomorrow and homework to be done. Just thinking about work at the cigar shop is unnerving. I always have the feeling I’ve done something wrong.

I usually haven’t, but still I feel like the other shoe is about to drop. It usually gets better once I’m there. It’s all the scenarios in my head that run through my mind beforehand is what can be a real spoiler. Perhaps it’s just an unease about tomorrow, and it being election day. Don’t forget to VOTE people!

Juan is supposed to be in the area. I haven’t seen him since July, at Maxwells and then Rand & Lisa’s. He said he might stop by around 9:00 which could mean 10:00. He’s having dinner with his family, who he hasn’t seen since July as well. It will be nice to see him.





I’m Alive

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What a long hot day. For some reason Papa Gene’s Blues by the Monkees is the song I’m playing right now and could really relate to it. Now I’m playing Pleasant Valley Sunday. Why the Monkees? More than likely because they require little or no thought.

It’s been in the upper 90 degree range, no matter where you are, in the shade it still feels like an exhaust fan is blowing. Bill is napping right now in the air conditioned bedroom. He came home last night, not completing a drive down to Atlantic City due to a collision on the parkway.

It wasn’t his fault and the woman who sideswiped his bus admitted so to the police. He was nervous that he would be fired but right now he is on stand by for yet another drive to Atlantic City tomorrow morning.

I, of course worked today and it was slow going. The only people that bought cigars and whatnot were mainly tourists. The first customer I had was a guy named Guy who seemed nice enough I suppose. He was very interested in buying a $200.00 lighter.

That was the price I quoted him, but when I ran it through the computer it came up as $175.00. Raymond mentioned that there was a mistake after I mentioned it to him (in front of the customer). The customer wasn’t too pleased by this and felt we were screwing him.

Still he bought the lighter at $200.00 and then asked about the return policy. I explained there were no cash refunds, just store credit and then the guy named Guy got all huffy and decided to not buy the lighter after buying it.

That was the first customer and I hoped the rest of the day wouldn’t be going in the same direction. It didn’t really but it was an arduous day nonetheless.

One more day then I’ll be off on Tuesday, then three days of work then three days off. One regular came into the store, a wanker named Nelson who gladly shook hands with Raymond and Sean but scowled when I nearly offered my hand.

I didn’t mind but said to myself that I will minimize any future contact with this wanker. I could swear he gives me dirty looks and I’m not being paranoid. Perhaps he too is yet another one in the closet and sees me as a disruption to their life of deceit.

In any event, I just wanted the day at the shop to end and go home. I thought most of the week I would take the Path home but decided to take the bus since I have a bus pass. On Sundays the buses run every half hour.

I got to the bus terminal in 14.9 minutes, listening to what was the first side of the Ramones first album. There was a bus at 6:30 and I was at the escalator to the gate at 6:25. Unfortunately there were a lot of people in the queue before me so the bus at the gate filled up leaving me 25th in the queue.

A half hour wait, luckily I had You Never Give Me Your Money to read and that made the time go by faster. Snagged a nice seat. Lot’s of people walking around with beach chairs, headed towards the river.

Last year Bill and I met up with the Mastros. This year they’re not here and Bill & I are more than likely staying home, or at least very close to home.

Just heard from Juan, he’ll be up next Sunday for the party. Heard from Pedro who won’t be at the party as he’ll be working.

Bring cake.