Heat set & un-see worthy

I tend to judge people but it's mostly just so I'll know how to handle interactions with them in the future. I also try to guess how I am judged for the same reason.

She called me, she needed some checks for some certain things to be filed. She quoted the owner and said that these filings were "Vital" she continued by saying that "So, it's very important that they get done."

I afforded myself a smile.

…

They started to talk about real estate. The guy to my left was saying that real estate is usually the safest bet for investing. The guy to my right was saying that it was too risky. I judged the guy to my right to be someone who tries to talk himself up into something he is not. He was talking about issues to impress the guy to my right; the trouble was that guy was a heck of a lot smarter than he appeared to be.

I smiled at the situation and when Lefty caught my grin he asked what I found so funny. "Nothing" I said but the guy to my right said "He knows a little about real estate. Don't you, Tim." My smile got a little bigger. My friend to my right just made the whole situation even funnier to me by throwing me under a bus.

I usually don't like to argue serious things at the bar but I was sort of called out so I was game.

"Well if you spoke to someone in the Eighties and suggested that they invest in real estate—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm talking about today. What's happening now."

I nearly laughed while he gestured and told me to whoa.

"Yeah I know but you just said "Twenty years from now," so if you want to look twenty years into the future, I can look twenty years into the past." I looked to my overweight point maker to see it he was following me. His eyes had a slight bit of a glazed-over look and he was silent. I chanced that he was processing information. "Twenty years in the past is the Eighties. Real estate crashed in the Eighties but today house prices are three to four times what they were back before it crashed. Real estate might drop but it will increase if you can wait it out. In twenty years it tripled, after it crashed."

"That's the problem, 'if you can wait it out' there are people who have overextended themselves and have three or four properties that they can no longer afford."

"So sell some! You can't blame the market for people overextending themselves. You can't blame the market for people's poor decisions."

"How many properties do you own?"

I held up one finger. He just shrugged, dismissively.

"I'm not going to overextend myself."

I don't mind being asked questions, just don't question me.

She then started to explain some fashion tips to me; she had missed my subtle sarcasm. The truth was I hadn't been clothes shopping for quite some time, and there were some items I needed but I just let her tell me things that I already knew.

Sometimes, I just like to hear her voice.

you see the rumors are true

no thanks is necessary because that's just what legends do.

I hope the rumors haven't stopped

I understand but I don't like it.

...

I'm used to taking the hit, if the choice is between me and a friend.

I really don't like taking hits, it's just that I like it less when a friend takes it.

I'm not afraid to use any email address I have

Hi Danielle,

How are things?

I saw Tony Sablony in Quincy Market while Dick and I were having a coffee and he came over and chatted with us for awhile. You came up in the conversation and Dick mentioned that you "work someplace down the street" now. And then Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out an ad for F e l t from, I'm guessing, the Improper Bostonian.

I thought That's just a little bit odd* and then Dick asked where F e l t was, so, I tried to tell him yet again where it's located and Tony said "I'll tell you exactly where it is" and then reached into another pocket for a business card which had the street address for F e l t written on the back.

Tony's worried that F e l t is just one street away from "where all the h o o k e r s are" on LaGrange Street.

I haven't been at *the bar* too much other then when Jen is working but I have heard from some of your regulars that you are missed. I know Tony, Dick and I miss you. Dick pointed out that you would always make it a point to talk to us whenever we came in and the new girls don't do that. The good times are over.

Anyway, I hope life is going your way.

-Tim

* but then I can't really say too much because I'm sending you unsolicited emails.

...

HI Tim!

Things are so good. Much less stressful than the snake pit. And before I forget none of your emails are unsolicited. Your emails are the only good emails I get. I swear (except for what's new at SAKS Fifth Avenue.)

Tony is too funny I have his old map so I could find my way from Hanover Street to *the bar*. I keep little things like that.

Just last night I called Jen and asked if she had seen you and she said yes on Friday but she was tired and cranky cause she had expected me to come through the door and I didn't.

I speak with her and Lanna and you and that's all I care to keep in touch with. Although I better send Tony a Christmas card he might come looking for me.

Right now I have Friday and Saturday nights at F e l t and I do private parties. So it is good, I only work from 10 till close and the money is great. Some of my Friday night customers have come over to see me from *the bar* and Jen misses me and that so nice to hear. Billy's dad still calls me and he asked to take me out to lunch next week. Hahaha he doesn't like the company Billy's been keeping. He's so funny...kinda like a Tony but 15 years younger and with the times much more. He is very glad im away from those nuts he told me. From what I hear those nuts still are talking about me but I think its hilarious.

I'm still waiting to hear from *some college*, my application went in Oct.15. I'm getting pretty nervous about it so im starting to begin my other applications. They 're all due around jan. 15 so im gonna start on those next week. And that's it really.

So whats new with you? Hows Dick? Still trying to work harder than everyone else in the Co.? Just kidding he's a funny guy. I am planning on coming in next friay to visit Jen but ill make sure to email you my exact plans before I do. Maybe we can do lunch. You me and Jenny like old times. Oh and I tried the chicken saltimbocca for Steven the other day from the cookbook you gave me. Awesome recipe now that spinach is safe.

Love ya,
Danielle

Write back soon

these later days of future lure

I've been called the phantom of the office. I've been called this because I often will show up when nobody is around, do what needs to be done and then disappear into the wee hours of the morning. Not too unlike those magic cobbler elves that would help out that kind old cobbler during the night. Only I've got no magic and at times, I'm probably a little more gruff than those elves. I'm more like a cranky gnome than I am a magic elf.

But I digress

After she walked away, I thought about how I would write about her. My thoughts started off nicely and politely but then I thought: I would drive any train with a nice caboose.

...

I ran out of gas last night.

And I'm not talking about how I hit some wall from working too many hours at two different jobs. I'm talking about gasoline.

The low gas light chimed in yesterday and I paid it the usually lack of attention because it comes on way before the white colored needle touches the red colored 'empty' line. I've been here before and have driven to and from the second office to home twice after the pale orange little gas pump shone forth from under the speedometer.

(How come we don't say that word speed-o-meter? Or maybe you do. I don't.)

Anyway, I figured I had two trips in the tank so I drove and parked. The spot I got was on an incline and as I was just about to cut the engine, it started to buck. I thought maybe a tune-up was needed and then I thought nothing of it.

Until, I tried to drive back home.

The truck started but sounded like it was choking. I thought once I get it running, that it would be fine. It wasn't. It stalled. I thought maybe the air filter was clogged because a few months earlier my lawn mower had done something similar an it needed a new air filter. I popped the hood, found where the air filter went and hoped that it truly was where the air filer was as I pried it opened. It was indeed the air filter but even with the filter disconnected the engine wouldn't start.

I checked the time. It was eleven at night; too late to call friends but not too very late to call family. I thought the worse. I thought, even though I knew I was low on gas, that my truck needed a truck doctor. I called my sister to come pick me up and I asked her to bring the lawn mower gas just in case.

As I emptied the gas into my tank, I worried that I was just wasting gasoline that I would have to replace later because when the snow falls, the lawn mower gas becomes snow blower gas and although it hadn't snowed yet, I surmised that someday in the future it would.

About two gallons went in; I cranked the engine and got nothing. I cranked it again and got the same results. Then I cranked it good and long and got nothing again. I figured the good news was that I wasn't a jackass and ran out of gas because only a jackass would run out of gas when he knows the 'low gas' light is on. The bad news was that my truck was broke.

I sighed a bit and sat a bit wondering to which place I could push my vehicle to where I wouldn't get too many tickets. No place was close or even known so, I cranked the engine again wondering how many times one was supposed to crank an engine that wasn't starting when I got a slightly different noise.

I smiled a bit as I called myself a retard for possibly just running out of gas and also for bothering my sister. I cranked it again and the engine roared to life.

So, now I need more mower gas.

He is Tony

He's retired from the place of which I'm currently employed. He was also a regular at the bar and a big fan of Danielle. He was my only rival to Danielle's 'favorite customer' title. At the very end there, after three or four years, is when I think I finally edged that old man out.

I haven't seen him much, mostly because neither of us has been frequenting that place. Today, while I was having coffee with a co-worker who was also a regular, Tony walked by and we called to him.

Tony's been retired for seventeen years; he must be in the ballpark of eighty years old but he still gets around pretty well. He's always telling me about the going-on's of other places around. Our conversation happened upon Danielle. It was pointed out that she would always talk to each of us whenever we where there and today the bartenders no longer do that.

Sometimes, I miss the casual relationships the most.

the invite people were nice and polite when they spoke to me - cause I'm a bully

unconventional rhythm

Sometimes, I'm bold as brass.

I was just handed forty dollars. It's part of that whole sometimes-you-have-to-let-people-be-nice-to-you thing...

It's part of that whole "sometimes you have to let people be nice to you" thing.

I like the quotes.

He's clueless.

I'm a 'no shit' wonder

"I need an eraser. A white eraser for erasing stuff from mylar," he said as he was helping himself rummaging through my drawers. He got the right drawer on the first try and there bright as day where three white erasers but he closed the drawer anyway.

I just turned away.

"Do you have one?"

"You were just looking at all the white erasers I have."

"I need them to erase stuff on mylar."

"These are the ones I use. This one, that one, they're all the same. You can use the blue one if you want to."

This really isn't a good day for being stupid around me

I'm a 'no shit' wonder.

she had tooth

I have no problem with people liking me but I do have a problem with people loving me. I always think they are making a mistake.

Except for that nearly toothless crack whore, it was alright for her to love me but too much crack ended that.

and really that not what the boss said either

I don't get intimidated too easily and I don't let folks push me around so when I got a panicked phone call from the office that stated someone needed the invite emailed right away. I simply said that it was not possible and I told them why.

I was asked if there was any other solution; she sounded scared. She works for the owner and not for the charity requesting the invitation. I didn't hear the request first hand but what I do hear, from the office assistant, makes me think the requester was rather adamant about it, possibly even pushy.

I responded with a diatribe that could be best summed up as "Screw that bullshit," and told her to feel free to pass that message alone.

"Tell them you spoke to me, you tried, and I said it can't happen right now."

...

"No, that's not true."

"Oh, I didn't know."

Then why are you talking like you know?

...

"The boss wants to have a meeting with you about the design you came up with."

"I didn't design nothing. I just draw shit up."

"Well, he said you did it and--"

"I drew up what he told me but I 'came up' with nothing."

"Well, anyway he wants a meeting."

"I think it's too much paint--"

"It's less paint."

"It's less paint to put down but it's more paint in one location. Have you ever tried to walk over twenty four inches in paint? When it rains and that gets wet, it's going to be slippery. I don't like it."

out of order

Maybe old age is catching up with me.

Maybe I'm losing heart.

I'm weary today.

I was lying awake before the alarm was set to go off.

"I don't think I got any sleep."

I got home at two and turned the TV on for about thirty minutes.

"So, you've been lying awake for three and a half hours?"

That didn't seem possible so I surmised a got some.

{yawn}

So, boredom hit kind of heavy and when that happens I have a couple options available: suck it up, do some work, get a coffee, go for a quick walk, visit the ATM or buy a CD.

I went to buy a CD, which I promptly imported to iTunes. I listened to it and was unimpressed so I went to get a second CD which I also imported.

Boredom is pricey.

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