I woke up with pain in my hamstrings. I didn't want to go to work. Pips made me go. Not one of her better ideas. →[More:] About a half hour after we opened, there was a kerfuffle at the side door near my station involving the security guards and Joey, the likable kid from Jackson Heights who works on the van picking up big lots from estate sales and the like. They weren't mad at him, they just seemed to be trying to get him to calm down. From various sources, including Joey himself, I pieced together what happened. Apparently he was leaning against the van lighting a cigarette when this 'huge' (Joey's description) guy came up and sucker-punched him right in the mouth, then said 'you guys are all alike,' and ran off. I saw Joey's face later and this guy hit him pretty hard, his mouth was bloodied and bruised. Turns out the guy was the boyfriend of a girl who works in the basement (I still haven't figured out which one) who didn't like the way Joey looked at her. or so the rumor mill says. Who knows. Still pretty fucked up.

Later on, the local bunch of Hare Krishnas decided to orbit the store for about 40 minutes banging their bongos. A few years back, I saw a bunch of them on St. Mark's Place and they had a boombox playing some beats and had worked out some snazzy syncopated dance moves. Somebody's been watching MTV, I think. Oddly they accompanied that with an accordion.

I also ahd some crazy talkative old fart who made me unload about 400 unboxed, ubagged books from his car and didn't tip me a dime, the cheap bastard. and he never shut up once and held up the line.

Amberglow stopped by, too. he says hello.