The Outfit

      There is a certain outfit I wear when going to buy a new phone/tablet/watch.  I go directly to the phone/tablet/watch store to check them out in person.  I can’t just order it online.  The option is there but with purchases like this, walking out of the store with the item in hand is the preferred experience.
     There is a satisfaction derived from riding home with a new phone/tablet/watch on the passenger’s seat.  I can feel it tempting me to open it.  I want to open it but I also want to wait to get to the comfort of my own home.
     The job at the tech sales company was good for a few things.  Sometimes if you did well enough vendors would give you shirts, sweaters, pens, and other general swag as a thank you for selling their items.  Most of those things were donated to the local charities as soon as the job ended.  No point in having useless items around to harbor bad memories.
     Some things were kept for their practical use.  There was a fleece that was as warm as a comforter.  There were multiple water bottles.  Each bottle had it’s special purpose.  There was a UV light bottle.  There was a stainless steel bottle.  There was a recycled plastics bottle.  There was a crazy coffee mug and state of the art thermos.
     There were pens galore.  I gave these to bartenders and waitresses on top of tips.  There were minimalist wallets, umbrellas, snow globes, mirrors, and backpacks.
     I just happened to have a t-shirt, zip up hoodie, pen, and water bottle combo from the phone/tablet/watch company.  The last time I walked into the phone/tablet/watch store wearing this little combination you’d have thought I was a naked supermodel.
     The color of the outfit was different from the people working the floor.  It was also different from management.  Whispering hinted that an exec from corporate was in the building checking up on customer service.  I was respectful.  I answered only the most basic questions.  I was treated like royalty.
     Unfortunately this time the outfit didn’t help.  The color I had set my sights on was out of stock.  Apparently Black was that years new Black and it was flying off the shelves.
     The next delivery would be in two weeks.  There was something going on in China.  I thought back to Tony and Amber’s worry about him. 
     “Is there another location where I might pick one up sooner?  I don’t know if this little phone will make it two weeks.”
     The crew that works at this store were so perky and happy it was almost sickening.
     “I can check the system to see if there are any in the general area,”  She said.  Her deep brown eyes sparkled against her olive skin.  Her face reminded me of someone but I just couldn’t place it.
     “Thank you, Kyiana,” I said reading her name tag.  “That would be wonderful.”
     The phone/tablet/watch store is a sight to behold.  There was pristine presentation, friendly staff, and experts ready to answer any questions you might have.  They were doing everything possible to justify the incredibly high prices they charged.
     “There are six available.”
     “Awesome.”
     “In the state.”
     “Damn it.”
     “You can always have it delivered to your house.”
     “I know,” I said tapping the beautiful wooden table.  I thought about the drive home with the phone in hand.
     “Where is the closest one?”  I asked, determined to walk out of a store with phone in hand.
     “No problem, sir,” her energy was infectious.
     I looked at the screen and laughed to myself.  Grocery Girl’s cell phone store was on the way to my Mom’s house.  It wasn’t the closest but it was pretty high on the list.
     The only place more comfortable than my house was my Mom’s house.    The only thing more satisfying then the thought of driving home with the new phone on the passenger’s seat was knowing I now had a rock solid reason to get good with Grocery Girl.

35

      “What is with you and this 35 age cut off?”

     Tessa.  Tony and Amber had kind of talked through their respective worries and had now focused their concentration on me.  I had become wary of any interaction at anyone’s house lately except Marrianne’s.  There was a lingering fear that an intervention was somewhere around the corner.

     There were no drugs.  The drinking was under control.  It was more of a lifestyle intervention.  Next week began the 4 to 5 month hiatus.  The idea was no visits, no trips, just back and forth to work with a trip to see Mom every two weeks.  If I could’ve worked from home I would’ve.  Corporate wanted us in the office. 

     The goal is always the same: meditate, work out, clear the mind and body, get myself back on track to find out what I want and where I want to be for the next 7 months.

     “35.  How do I explain this?  Usually by age 35 you have kind of filtered through at least one or two levels of bullshit, either with your partner/spouse/live-in whatever or yourself.  You have bought something together, not something huge like a house or a car but a couch or a chair or a mattress.  Not something overtly major but something that has required a compromise and a quiet promise.

     “In your 20s you’ve argued to win.  Hopefully by 35 you are discussing to evolve, move forward, or at least learn why winning isn’t always in your best interest.”

     “You hooked up with that French doctor.”

     “She was older.  She might even be 55.”

     “There was the girl, a few years ago, from the theater…”

     “Who I did not know was 28 and didn’t believe me when I told her about hibernation.  She thought she was being humped and dumped.  I told her the truth and it didn’t fly.”

     “How about the teacher from Massachusetts?”

     “Man, that woman showed up with a whole bag of toys.  I could have used one of them to jackhammer the sidewalk in front of the ... what is that?” I asked distracted by the bottle on his kitchen table.

     “This is the new Motor Oil. High Mileage.  It was five years in the making.  Brewed in cherry bourbon barrels.  It is the strongest thing they’ve brewed.  17.1 abv.”

     I almost felt a tear welling up in my eye.

     “How did you get this?  This isn’t supposed to hit the market for a month.  Did you know that as strong as that is, if you let it mature for a year it will just get stronger?”

     “They’re one of Amber’s top clients.”

     My confused look asked the question for me.

     “She handles national and international accounts.  This is one of her national accounts.”

     “Is this … a … bribe?”

     “Think of it as an offering.”

     “You’ve got to be kidding!”

     I was tempted to call Derich.  And tell him about the…

     “No, This is not an offering.  This is mine but I will share it with you in three weeks.”

     “God damn it.  I’ll be in hibernation.”

     “Oh, really?,” he smiled a knowing smile.

     “Clarity, this time gives me clarity.  You can always come to visit me.  You know that right.”

     “Yeah I know.  Sunday afternoons between 2 and 8 pm.  Calls and texts are good during the week but it takes you a little bit longer to get back.”

     “See.  It’s not all bad.”

     “You know Tessa is the oldest one of the crew, right?

     “Is she 35, yet?” I asked picking out last year’s 12.3 abv Motor Oil out of the fridge.

     “No.”

     “The only thing under 35 I will actively be pursuing is that High Mileage Motor Oil and I might even let that mature for a year so it’s at least 18.”

Impromptu Interview

      There is a certain outfit I wear when going to buy a new phone/tablet/watch.  I go directly to the phone/tablet/watch store to check them out in person.  I can’t just order it online.  The option is there but with purchases like this, walking out of the store with the item in hand is the preferred experience.

     There is a satisfaction derived from riding home with phone/tablet/watch on the passenger’s seat.  I can feel them tempting me to open them.  I want to open them but I also want to wait to get to the comfort of my own home.

     The job at the tech sales company was good for a few things.  Sometimes if you did well enough vendors would give you shirts, sweaters, pens, and other general swag as a thank you for selling their items.  Most of those things were donated to the local charities as soon as the job ended.  No point in having useless items around to harbor bad memories.

     Some things were kept for their practical use.  There was a fleece that was as warm as a comforter.  There were multiple water bottles.  Each bottle had it’s special purpose.  There was a UV light bottle.  There was a stainless steel bottle.  There was a recycled plastics bottle.  There was a crazy coffee mug and state of the art thermos.

     There were pens galore.  I gave these to bartenders and waitresses on top of tips.  There were minimalist wallets, umbrellas, snow globes, mirrors, and backpacks.

     I just happened to have a t-shirt, zip up hoodie, pen, and water bottle combo from the phone/tablet/watch company.  The last time I walked into the phone/tablet/watch store wearing this little combination you’d have thought I was a naked supermodel.

     The color of the outfit was different from the people working the floor.  It was also different from management.  Whispering hinted that an exec from corporate was in the building checking up on customer service.  I was respectful.  I answered only the most basic questions.  I was treated like royalty.

     Unfortunately this time the outfit didn’t help.  The color I had set my sights on was out of stock.  Apparently Black was that years new Black and it was flying off the shelves.