Tag Archives: Juan

Outdoor Miner

Last night was very cool, very quiet. Thought I’d get a call from Julio, inviting me down for a drink, we were talking about Gin and Tonics but he never called so there was no alcohol to be had. Not bad, I had enough the previous days. Bill mad it home again last night, midway through my watching of Recount, an HBO movie about the 200 election and how Florida screwed up their voting system. I remembered some of the events that occurred, Bill didn’t.

I also watched a documentary last year about the election scandal, and that’s what it was, a scandal. I didn’t realize that all these republican congressional aides were flown down to Florida to disrupt and slow down the recount making the election officials miss the deadline. Laura Dern was great as Katherine Harris, a woman with a sieve for a brain and a colander for a hat.

Laura’s looking a lot like her mother Diane Ladd I think, but we love Laura Dern ever since Blue Velvet and she also gets points for marrying Ben Harper who seems like a cool dude though I’ve only seen him on TV, not owning any of his music. From what I got from the movie, if the Democrats perhaps pushed harder and earlier there might have been a different outcome.

I have doubts that we would be in an endless war in Iraq, and if the 9/11 attack occurred on Gore’s watch perhaps Bin Laden’s family wouldn’t have been flown out when every other plane was grounded in the US and we might have had stupid jerk face neck bone in custody. Bin Laden, not Bush. His time will come though. Went to bed after that and woke up 6 hours later with Bill kissing me good bye. I made it to work in some on again off again drizzle.

Came into the office (which I visited to get some ice water while waiting for a train to take me to see Miriam and family) and it was a mess. One of the friends of Vivek had a meeting and left all the leftover food and wrappers all over the place as well as empty bottles and cans of soda. It pissed me off but then I realized I get paid for this and it’s a nice paying job to do it. It only took about 10 minutes to clean up and then it was done.

I knew that since I am out of the office at various points in the day running errands, they werre going to realize that they need a front desk person. I didn’t push the idea since it was shot down, I decided to let them find out for themselves.

I did talk to Vivek about the mess later on and he spoke to his friend about it and then Vivek came back to me saying that we should get a receptionist to replace Linda who left last week. He inquired about my friend’s son coming in. The friend’s son is Juan. For some reason I thought it would be better if i introduced the concept of Juan as a friend’s son rather than some guy I get jazzy with from time to time.

Unfortunately Juan is incommunicado since he still doesn’t have a cellphone and his internet at home is non existent. So on the off chance that Juan sees this I implore him to get in touch with me as soon as possible, if he wants a good job for the summer. It beats working at Applebee’s, don’t you think?

The Bulrushes

A very mellow day. Presently watching a documentary on the Hippies, narrated by Peter Coyote, former Digger and the go to guy for narration duties for this type of thing. It’s not the ‘everything was great’ documentary, it’s more like “look it had it’s dark side.” I’m not really paying much attention to it. It’s rather bland and it’s nothing I hadn’t heard before. Last night was very quiet, didn’t do much of anything.

Juan called at 11:30 wanting to go out, and I told him that I would need a little more time to prepare, and Saturday Night Live had started, so I was basically in for the night. Fifteen years, while living in Weehawken I would wait until midnight on Saturday nights, phone in my unemployment claim then walk down to McSwells where I wouldn’t leave until after closing and somehow make it home usually by taxi, or depending on the kindness of strangers.

Now, I’d need enough notice, a disco nap and probably some Red Bull just to get me out the door. Juan did go out, solo and was the belle of the ball from what he said. I probably would have maintained my persona non grata status. Just as well that I didn’t go out since my niece Meghan and her husband Rob were participating a 5 kilometer run in Hoboken.

I found out last night with Meghan calling me. Last year she called me an hour before the race and I went, but this year I was able to prepare myself and have coffee and breakfast beforehand. This year, brother Frank, his wife Elaine and their other daughter Cori were able to make it. They called, wanting to come over to use the bathroom. I asked them where they were and they were closer to the train station so I steered them there and got myself together.

I met up with them on the street, Frank jonesing for an Egg McMuffin so it was off to McDonald’s for him while Elaine and Cori and I waited outside. Various families running off to early brunches and breakfasts for Mother’s Day, including McDonald’s. WE walked over to the river where there was a mass of runners waiting to start running. A couple of hundred I would say. They were soon off vanishing into the distance.

We sat on benches where Frank ate what turned out to be cinnamon buns, not an Egg McMuffin. The runners made their way back, Rob coming in 10th place for men and Meghan coming in 2nd for women. Meghan also received a trophy for her efforts. It was great to spend some time with the Garfield contingent this morning. Everyone seemed healthy and happy. Rob and Meg gave me a ride home with everyone headed back to Garfield.

I came home had some coffee and read the papers and I’m content. A very low key day is just what is needed at this point. No complaints, no stress. And here are some snaps from this morning’s activities. See you tomorrow….

Rob on the run

Meghan on the run

The Garfield Contingent

Cory and Me

Meghan gets her trophy

Me and the nieces