Padron | johnozed

It’s finally Friday and we all give thanks for it. Who do we thank? I don’t know, I’ll just put it out there in the ever expanding universe. Not that the universe runs on an earthly calendar. Could be a Mayan calendar, but I doubt it.

In any event, it’s good to be home and resting. I just ordered Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros for my brother Brian’s birthday present.

Hopefully it will get to Hillsdale by Thursday and hopefully his son Brian won’t open the package thinking it’s a present for him. Little Brian’s gift is a gift card from Pac Sun, his sister Cassie got $2000000.00 and my niece Cory got $30000000.00 since she’s an adult and could use the money for gas or whatever. I just hope they don’t cash the checks.

Brian’s oldest daughter, Hillary has her birthday at the end of July which gives me some breathing space. The four birthdays in the middle of the month lightens my wallet somewhat. I’m glad the rest of the birthdays are spread out through the year.

Today was a bit of a purple nurple. Slept well, Bill was off to work, kissing me goodbye as I said hello. I got motivated and did my thing and was out of the apartment before 7:00 since I don’t like the morning show team on TV. They changed some anchors and they didn’t ask me.

I rode the bus, reading about the saber rattling towards Iran. Man this country is in a mess thanks to that buffoon on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The headphones I bought a few weeks ago are shot, or at least on their last legs. Made listening to David Bowie a little bit difficult but I managed. Work was quiet since it was a Friday. Most of the major players were out, still some were in.

I entertained the idea of leaving early today, like around 3:00 but having only worked four days this week, it didn’t seem likely. Last week I dropped off my eyeglasses that I got in November, broken arm on the frame. Evan who seems to like me a lot said he would have them fixed.

Today they came in and I went across the street to pick them up. They looked brand new as Evan cleaned off the lenses, mentioning that the lenses are no longer a problem. They were not fully in the frame the whole time I had them and I thought thats how they were supposed to be.

I walked out of the store, into the sunlight wearing my like new specs. I came to the office and they seemed a bit dirty so I cleaned them. Still dirty. Cleaned them again and I noticed they seemed stained. I went back across the street, the lenses were dislodged again.

I spoke to Evan who said he’d order me new lenses. I was frustrated and called my insurance company to find out when I would be able to get a new set of lenses. That wouldn’t be until November, at least the getting the prescription, and actually getting a new set of glasses wouldn’t be done until January.

Since I had the insurance company on the phone I asked how my appeal for my dental work was going. I resubmitted my claim in June. They told me once again that since I had two procedures done on the same day my claim was rejected.

I resubmitted with a letter from my dentist while explaining that while I maybe out of the network I was saving them and myself money. I got a letter from the insurance company today telling me I have to submit my periodontal chart as well as the x-rays.

I have to do this myself, the dental school doesn’t do paperwork. So I have to make arrangements to go to the dental school and pick up these items next week.

I didn’t leave the office until after 4:30 this afternoon. I had my Padron and walked across town, not staying around for Manhattan-henge. That’s when the sun is in a perfect position as it sets and all the cross streets in the grid of Manhattan are illuminated with sunlight.

I came home on a crowded bus, trying to read Tweak while next to me a woman standing up, her purse kept landing on top of my book, making it difficult to turn the page. She of course was oblivious. I came home and decided to have hot dogs for dinner.

Then I realized I let Bill finish off the bread leaving me without bread. Out to the supermarket where I ran into Stine and Alexander, making the end of my day so much better than the day that came before it.

Here’s some snaps

The Kiss Army at 7:30 waiting for Gene Simmons to show up at 12:30.

The shin

My building reflected

Last night, I didn’t get to sleep at all. No, no. Well the hole in the street got bigger and at 11:00 there were two jackhammers going off. Bill, slept right through it, with the windows open five floors above.

I was towards the back, in front of the computer, TV on and I needed to close the windows to hear the TV. We slept with the windows open a little bit. They must have finished working around 11:30. We haven’t put the air conditioner in the window yet, just getting by with fans which is nice. I haven’t had the fear of the window unit falling out and killing someone. It’s something I obsess about.

Before that we watched Nova Science Now, hosted by Neil de Grasse Tyson who you might recognize from his appearances on the Daily Show and The Colbert Report. He’s an amiable chap and reminds me of Bill. He reminds Bill of Bill. Bill mentioned that he could have hosted the show, but I had to remind him that he’s not an Astrophysicist. Something he had forgotten.

I watched the final disc of Michael Palin’s New Europe. He was in Prague and East Germany, winding up in the former East Berlin. One of the people he visited was a holocaust survivor who was in a propaganda film from the early 1930’s about how well the Nazi’s were treating the Jews.

Fooled most of the world as well as the Red Cross. Footage of inmates tending gardens, harvesting food that they couldn’t eat. If someone stole a tomato they would be punished and sent to the camps for extinction.

Then Michael Palin took part in a Laughter Yoga session which was quite the opposite of the Nazi footage. My sister has been involved with Laughter Yoga in Arcata and she’s been enjoying the benefits.

It was interesting to see how a Laughter Yoga session proceeds. It’s laughing and clapping and maybe a little sing song in German. Or if in Arcata, more than likely English.

Then it was the news in a stuffy apartment with jackhammers muted through closed windows on a summer night. The uneasy sleep I had certainly was a contrast from the night before of spooning with Bill. And it set the tone for the day today.

I was just a little bit out of it. Did my job but really could have used an hour or two more of sleep. But it was too late for that. It was Thursday so I saw West Indian Tony and got my egg sandwich, surprisingly Tony didn’t ask about Bill. Just as well I was out the door and headed to work.

It wasn’t humid as it was the past few days and while I still had to change my t shirt when I got to the office, I wasn’t sweating as much. The day didn’t fly by and it didn’t crawl either. Thursday not only means an egg sandwich from West Indian Tony, it also means penne, pesto and chicken for lunch.

I have such a boring appetite. It’s a healthy appetite mainly. Salads everyday except for Thursday. I also try to keep it cheap.

The day finally ended, and I left work, walking across town, taking various snapshots as I enjoyed a Padron 5000. Saw the homeless guy I see almost everyday who calls me ‘soldier’. He started calling me that months ago while I was in a suit and tie, and now it’s every time. He salutes me and I give him some change.

Got on the bus crowded yet air conditioned, cracked open ‘Tweak’ by Nic Sheff and of course, he fell off the wagon and started shooting up meth again as well as just about anything he could get his hands on. Most everyone around him is telling him he’s making a big mistake, but he’s fallen in love with a fellow junkie and that leads to yet another relapse.

Stupid kid. Junkies ruin everything.

and how about that Jesse Jackson? Asshole or what?

Snaps!

A scary looking storm that passed overhead