Today Alan is morose as his dad is still in the hospital for his 7th day. He was supposed to come off the respirator yesterday, but did not. Alan is the most unemotional person in the world, but you can hear in his voice that the news is not good.

The old man founded the place and is the rock, the accountant, the player. But he's not in good shape. He reflects what it's like to have been at the shop for so long: he's 71, but looks and acts like he's 85.

Even as there is the stink of death filling the place - just like last year at this time - some animal has decided to die in the space between the floors.

Meanwhile disgusting co-worker Ron tells tales of his leasing of various prostitutes.

Bad times are all around.

:(

There's a cold wind blowing, too. Gray sky.

bummer

Bad times were all around and the sky was gray
UT was down at the pawn shop the other day
He'd of been safe and warm in virtual PA
In The Cellar dreamin' on such a bitter day

Alan was morose 'cause his dad's not in good shape
Coworker Ron was leasing hos and telling the tales
An animal got between the floors and died in that space
There was the stink of death filling up the place

Bad times were all around and the sky was gray
UT was down at the pawn shop the other day
Good thing that he told us so we can pray that he's
In The Cellar dreamin' on future bitter days.

Excellent, sexobon!

I forgot to document this, but last Saturday Richard came in and made the last payment on the keyboard. It's his now, if he can keep it.

Sitting in the back doing my job, I didn't realize it was him until the last minute. But he was loudly joyous, and he and Alan recalled that it had been a year since he decided to put money down on this thing. I was the one who took his first payment. And I said it 10 months ago, but I will always remember how Richard fell in love with that keyboard.

Alan, being the unmovable sociopath that he is, did not take any joy in this day. Richard praised him up and down for keeping it in the back, and Alan hates that kind of treatment. Richard doesn't know that it was only the shop's laziness on layaway processing that kept the keyboard around for him, and Alan gave it no thought and deserves no credit.

In fact Alan gave a loud "Ugh!" after Richard left the store and he could feel free to register some emotion. Alan has contempt for anyone who wants to assign him humanity. His favorite customers are the ones who register no emotion and simply run their transactions.

Maybe he's right. Alan has seen plenty of people finish payment on items, only to bring them back a month later to be pawned.

Maybe to be happy with some part of the ghetto is to have your heart broken.

Good for Richard. Everyone needs a little joy in their life

It's a fool, that plays it cool, by making his life a little colder.

Amazing that he pulled it off. Good on him.

I hope Richard writes a song called "Fuck You Alan" and gets rich and famous off of it.

Yeah, I'm in a foul mood today.

I'm happy for Richard.

Me too. Even if it's only temporary. Which I hope it isn't.


Sent by thought transference

Burned-out ER docs know this tune.

A banner day today as I stood outside my car, looking at the meter and thinking I'd have to get back in the car to get to my change there, when a black woman comes up to me and hands me 2 quarters, and walks away without saying anything.

Thank you ma'am MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The gents felt this was an impossible event and that it must have been someone I was nice to while I was working the counter.