so, I helped the guy out

he just needed to gut one bedroom and the adjoining bath

I got there at nine, the other guy showed up fifteen minutes later

the homeowner had Dunkin Donuts coffee and donuts out for us. I really didn’t want either because I can do without the donuts and I was trying to hold off on any drinking until I found out what the facilities were, I like my facilities to be of the flushing kind.

I concluded that he and his pregnant wife where still living there during construction so I helped myself to a cup of coffee.

Things went pretty good. The guy seemed to know what he was doing for the most part despite his desire to wear a hard hat.

We probably had an hour worth of work left when I got a call

“Booze bag, do you mind if I sit in your seat?” – it was my buddy Joe

Joe was calling from our regular place, he told me Jen, the barkeep, was asking for me and wanted to know if I would be showing up.

After I was finished with helping the homeowner, I went home, showered, filled the truck up with gas ($40 dollars worth) and gave Joe a call.

“Hey Booze Bag, you coming down?” – Joe has caller ID

“I’m heading down there, now”

“Alright, I was about to leave and then come back but I’ll wait and have a quick one with ya”

We had a one beer together, and then a 5oz shot of Skky Melon Vodka, I ordered lunched, Joe already had ordered onion rings, we sat a bit and after some discussion he picked up the bill. He left but said he would be back.

I started talking with the regular to my right, he was still impressed with the Godiva Chocolate episode. He was sitting next to me that night, so he was a first hand witness.

“That’s was class, man. You left, came back, just dropped the chocolates off, then you downed that big woo woo or whatever it was Lauren made for you and just left. That was cool”

He started telling me about how others who have brought stuff in previously wanted to know why I got such a big reaction, he answered their question by saying “It’s because of what was brought in, that makes all the difference. It was a huge bag of Godiva Chocolates!”

I started to worry that he needed to get a life because that seems like it was forever ago to me even though it happened May 13.

Jen joined the conversation as I was explaining why things went the way they did that day.

“I had money in my pocket, because I was playing poker the next day…” I also told of how I could not convince myself that 3x6 was eighteen while I was estimating the total price for everything. I also said I lost at poker the next day.

“Yeah because you were…” and Jen made like she’s smoking a joint. “I know all about it”

“Yeah, all said and done I probably dropped $500” (which now seems crazy to me but it was a good time)

Then the dude started talking about baseball and pitchers and sliders and sidearm pitching – things I really don’t know much about and then Jen, stands right in front of the two of us and looks at me and says “Do you care about any of what he is saying? Anything at all?”

“Some of it is interesting” – which may have been a half lie because I thought someone might find it interesting, just someone other than me.

“No, really don’t you just want him to shut up? Because I know I do”

and then Jen turned to the dude and said “Just shut up. Shut up. Shut the fuck up!”

so I turn to the guy and said “Wow, dude, that’s rough”

during the whole shut up episode a female patron approached the bar for a drink, she was right next to me, and I noticed she looked a little shell shocked so I said “She really very friendly, just not to this guy” but I don’t think my words convinced her.

The dude and I still talked after that but he didn’t have much left in him and as he was leaving Joe came back in.

“Yeah, and Timmy’s over here being nice to him and just lets him go on and on over something NOBODY cares about” I heard Jen say to Joe as my attention made it’s way back to them.

“What’s wrong with you?” Joe asked of me.

I just shrugged my shoulders

Jen then looked me in the eye and said “He’s the enemy. I don’t like him. Nobody likes him. He’s not even a chef. He works in a cafe-ter-i-a. He’s a loser”

The barkeeps refer to him as ‘the chef’ mostly as a joke, it appears, he’s told me he has gone to some culinary school and I know he does catering. Is he technically a chef? I dunno.

I just shrugged my shoulders again which exasperated her.

hey, what could I say? I’m a loser too