Stephen Mejias

Some days just can't hold onto their hours. This day — Wednesday — has butterfingers. It feels as though only seconds ticked since I phoned Jon Iverson this morning. In fact, an entire day has gone by. People are walking out the door, saying "bye," without looking back. Meanwhile, I'd like to start from the beginning.

It's hard for me to believe that all of today's sunshine will soon be replaced by clouds and rain. Then again, there's no reason to trust in whimsical April. The forecast calls for the sky to fall at about 6pm EST. Right now, at 4:55pm EST, the tall, brick buildings outside my window are blanketed in golden warmth. I'm usually not so in touch with the weather's hourly report, but there's a special circumstance keeping me curious.

There's a knock-knock at my door.

On the corner of Monmouth and Third, in the parking lot of the Genesis Educational Center, where">http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=317+Third+Street,+Jersey+City,+… the blood lines erase the color lines, a drummer needs practice. I wasn't expecting this. It might interfere with our listening session. The bad beats are hopping into my third floor window and making themselves comfortable, crowding the sweet spot. The singer, it seems, needs practice, too. And is that a preacher hollering the gospel, or a drunk abusing his wife? Around here, one can never be certain. Perhaps it's both...

Swinging jazz dances from Abbey's Pub and floats up into Jersey City's cobalt blue sky. Two men stand near a white rental van.

He was looking at me. I acknowledged, nodded politely, turned away.

Okay. We just squeezed a full day's work into four tight and furious hours. The company granted us a half-day, so that we could all get a head-start on the holiday weekend. This, of course, is very nice. However, we started shipping the wonderful June issue just yesterday and had much work to accomplish this morning. In addition, for various reasons, we've had to accomplish that work without the help of an ad coordinator or production manager, and all while employing an entirely new pre-press system. Shipping days, as a rule, are intense. These have gone beyond intense.