Wow, time flies doesn't it?

Lots going on. The job hunt continues. I dropped an application for a job that seemed really cool, but it seems they want someone who walks on water. After I contacted someone at the office, and was told to drop my resume and cover letter "by the end of the week," they kept the job listing open for two more weeks.

My spider senses tell me that that's not a good sign. My guess is they weren't happy with the pool of applicants, and wanted to keep the posting up longer to see if anyone better would apply. Well, it finally closed last Friday, but it's been a week, and I still haven't heard anything. Oh, well, I'm hoping they're willing to settle with someone who can grow into the position. We'll see.

Meanwhile, major grief at the office. People just plain old fucking with me. I can't wait until I can tell them where to go. I ran into an old boss this week, and she's hiring! I need to contact her next week. She says an IT person left recently. Funny thing, it's at an all girls school.

Anyway, lots of drama on the home front. A bartender at one of my favorite bars had a stroke, on the job, and lay in a coma for about three weeks. They finally stopped life support, and he stayed alive for nearly three more days before he passed on, at 6:05 am on Thursday morning.

He was a tough SOB. He used to be a crazy gangbanger back in his day. I think he even did some time. He mellowed with age, though, and suffered from diabetes. He even lost two legs, but used artificial legs. It seemed like nothing could hold him back. Until that stroke.

The sad thing was, he was working on the job, and there were people there when it was happening. It took place so slowly, some people just thought he was "acting funny." Someone who was there thought he was buzzed on something. The last time I hung out at the bar on one of his shifts, he did have a couple, and acted kind of stupid. He even pissed me off with a homophobic comment that night.

But this was serious. Two of the people watching him didn't do anything, and some people hold that against them. I don't - it takes some experience to recognize what's going on. Take Ron Gonzalez, mayor of San Jose, for instance. He was having a stroke while being taped giving the state of the city address, and no one thought it was unusual. It wasn't until he took a break backstage that someone figured out he was in serious trouble and called medical attention.

I don't know how long this poor guy was suffering, but a friend of mine came in and she saw he needed help immediately. He resisted it, though. By the time he got to the hospital, just a block and a half away, it had progressed pretty badly. He was pretty much non-responsive for a while at that point. It's been so stressful since then - people have been pretty emotional, and it's been pretty hard getting accurate or even useful information. Most of my friends in the mission don't have much experience in health issues, so all I get are vague descriptions of things.

Well, at least he isn't suffering anymore, if he did feel anything at all. A couple of us hung out on Thursday night. We were joking that if there was a heaven, he was dancing right now, whole again, with both his legs, drinking a beer and listening to some old school jams.

That was something he and I had in common. He worked on a weeknight, and it got pretty slow sometimes. There'd be three or four people in the whole bar, and I'd just take over the jukebox and play oldies. He told me he liked that. Now I'll never be able to play an oldie on that jukebox and not think of him.

I kind of feel bad - the last time I saw him I didn't speak to him. I was still kind of mad at him because of what he said the last time I saw him. It wasn't real anger, it was the kind of anger you feel toward a family member. You know, that "you jerk...." kind of anger, where you just need a break for a whlie, then it's all good.

Well, it was an anniversary party for the bar, and he was out barbecueing. I got some food, and dropped a couple of dollars in his tip jar. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see he was about to say thanks, but I turned away. Now I regret that. I really do.

Okay, I need a break. I'm starting to feel the tears well up in my eyes. Rest in peace brother Jimmy.

music:

night life:

sex life: