Blog Post from 2005

I went to Jerry's a few days ago, and I remembered a run in I had there a few years ago. I blogged about t then on myspace, but since I don't really use myspace anymore, I decided to pull that blog over here so I never forget about it. This was written November 4 2005.

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Jerry's has quite arguably the best steak subs outside of genos in Philly. They are amazing... top that off with the hilarious commercials mocking bush, and it's the best place in the world hands down. The problem is, there isn't a Jerry's in the dena... at least, not one that I know of. It's very seldom that I'm in the vicinity of a Jerry's. The commercials while hilarious, leave my brain as quick as they enter, and I basically forget that the place even exists. Today I went to Jerry's because I heard the commercial on the way to drop off some papers in Annapolis-Junction (location of a Jerry's I used to frequent when I worked over in Annapolis-Junction). Of course the sub was delicious and terrible for me, and the bread was amazing, but this blog isn't about Jerry's. It's about Dave and Chris.

Dave is 38 and Chris is his 16-year-old son. Dave is about 5'9", skinny, long hair, and a gruff ass black beard. Chris is quiet, overweight, enjoys computers, but his heart is in shredding his guitar. He has a black jackson guitar that Dave bought him for Christmas last year, but he has been playing guitar for about 6 years now. His favorite bands are pantera and other assorted metal bands. Dave makes $17 an hour working as an apartment maintenance man in Laurel. That seems like decent cash, but also add on the fact that he gets to stay in this apartment rent free, and he gets free cable and electric, and that's the deal of the universe. Dave decided that it was too nice to work today, so him and Chris headed to Jerry's to get a pepperoni pizza, and a cheese steak. You see, outside of that salary, Dave also gets $350 a month child support from Jenny (his ex-wife). Seems that cheating whore was cheating on him since Chris told him that mommy had another man in the house when he was only 5 years old. It was probably going on much longer than that, but that was Dave’s first indication. Dave just went to the grocery store to get his father some stuff... his father had just suffered a stroke and was bed ridden. When he came home a few hours later, Chris told him what mommy did while he was gone. After leaving her, Dave kept taking her back... but after 3 strikes (like in baseball) she was out. On the third strike it was the ultimate fuck you because she was fucking 3 of Dave’s coworkers at the same time. Pretty much a Jerry Springer story in the making. Since then Dave has had a hard time opening up to girls. He checks em' out.. you know... always on the lookout... but he just can't trust them anymore. Fucking Jenny has basically ruined all women kind for him... He just goes to bars alone a lot, and hangs out waiting for a chick to approach him. At least then he'll know she is attracted to him, and he can start to trust them again. It's been three years since he finally split with Jenny and he hasn't hit any bait yet... but he's still looking.

You must be asking yourself right now. How do I know all these details? Do I know Dave from high school? No.

Have I seen Chris at a Silent Film show and he was talking to me? No.

Was Dave talking with a really close friend about all this, and I happened to overhear the conversation? Nope.

Dave confided all this to me, a complete stranger, while we waited for our food to finish preparation. This conversation was about 10minutes of him talking to me non-stop like we are old friends catching up. I was so freaking uncomfortable the entire time. I kept praying that his number would get called and he would pick up his food and leave me alone.... after he did, my food came up right afterwards. He was walking to his car, and I opted to eat in... he was looking through the window at me, gave me a wave and got in the car, and I thought... you know what, I wonder if Dave would like to sit here and keep talking to me. What else could I learn from Dave? How much of a crazy life story could he tell me if we were given an hour to talk as opposed to 10 minutes? Why is it that this was so crazy that I needed to blog about it? Was there ever a time in the world where strangers had conversation without being considered weird? This man gave me his address. Not that I can remember it, but he told me exactly where he lives (behind the pep-boys, make a left... I don't really remember). He asked where I lived... he heard Pasadena was a nice town, wanted to know if it was more country or built up. I didn't give him any details or anything about where I lived, but he was genuinely interested. He asked what line of work I was in... if I enjoyed my job. If I was dating anyone... wanted to make sure she treated me right. How lucky I was to go to work every day without my name on my shirt.

When Dave walked away, he shook my hand and said "You know what Chad, I hope to see you around man... it's a small world. Me and Chris eat here a lot, take care." Dave is probably a child molester, but dammit he just seemed like a really nice dude that really needed someone to talk to. Who else is he going to talk to? His son has heard it all before... he has no woman... his coworkers have all banged on his ex-wife...