Mondays Dreary Recapitulation

Yes, Wednesday night, a guy gave me 20 bucks on Canal Street as I was playing...

Thursday night, a guy on Dauphine Street gave me 10 bucks after just talking to me about music. I then took out the Jasmine and played some very good stuff for him. He was from Philadelphia, and wished me luck. He said that he listened to "everything from Metalica to Yani." (to me...)

Then, Saturday night, I had my 55 dollar night, first one of those in about 5 weeks.

I was down on Decatur, looking for Brad, actually seeking the companionship of another musician; appraising it to be more valuable than any loss of revenue which might come after splitting the tip jar with another soul.

Brad was at "his" spot, which had once been my spot before I realized that it was a minimum wage kind of place.

Brad and I only made one (1) dollar after jamming for about a half hour.

I think we sounded good but I notice that Brad (like myself) goes into a "zone" when he plays and the zone is an end to itself.

One time I stood and listened to him play, standing almost in front of him; until such a point that I thought that he was ignoring me; maybe didn't want me to jam with him; but, after 29 minutes or so when he was bent over the fretboard entranced by himself; he looked up and saw me and became very animated and invited me to jam...

So, Brad goes into a "zone" and we have had some very interesting (to Deadheads sitting around the hearth at least) jams.

But, Saturday night, in an attempt to increase our odds of making money, I abandoned the totally random free style jams in favour of more recognizable songs, such as Beatles songs.

Brads playing became softer, as if deferring to me or not wanting to play the "wrong" notes. 

That is the "problem" inherent with playing Beatles songs, for example, which everyone has heard countless times the "definitive" version of, and that you are either parroting back what was recorded or you are NOT parotting it back and thus are playing it "wrong."

So, Brad came down from the astral plane and mentioned us splitting the 1 dollar that we had made; a gesture that I have learned to take to mean that he wanted to sit and play his astral music.

I then went up to the Bourbon Street spot and made the 55 dollars or so, aided by the cardboard sign which was propped behind my case, upon which was written a check list; items on the left and boxes on the right, some of which were checked off.

The items on the left read:

• "New strings" [check]
• "Laundry" [check]
• "Coffee" [check]
• "A Home" [not checked]
• "Cigarettes" [not checked]
• "Asian Massage" [not checked]
• "Food" [the first box checked; second not]
• "Razors" [not checked]

Well, one couple arrived and the guy, reading the sign said: "Well, here's 5 dollars for cigarettes. Here's another 5 for food...Asian massages are like 65 bucks, I don't think I can help you there, or buy you a house...but here's another 3 for razors"

And, in that way, the sign which took me 2 minutes to construct, made me 13 dollars...

It helps to have as much peripheral stuff as possible; not limited to stuffed animals. 

Lately, I have been putting a piggy bank in my case. If people put coins in it; I can't get at them unless I destroy the piggy bank....

Sunday

And so, Sunday was the day to go the the Great Goodwill Store and buy a pair of pants. I had become tired of the stained jeans and felt that I had garnered all the sympathy that they were good for; and so I got a nice pair of blue slacks which fit excellently.

I grabbed the Dave Matthews Band CD, which is something that I know the library doesn't have, having checked already.

And, a UNIX book, which will have me tweaking and geeking with this computer for fun, skill and health.

And so, last night (Sunday) I didn't make a plug nickel.

I played, and thought that I played well, but it just wasn't happening
Then, rain started to threaten.

By the time I was across the river and laying down, it had begun to sprinkle.

Rob, the new guy who has been camping with Howard and I, wanted to set up his (one man) tent immediately upon feeling the first few drops.

The problem was that I sleep upon the only spot which is flat and which conceals the tent from view.

I wanted to lay there longer to see if the shower was just a passing one; he was rattling his tent poles, ready to put the thing up.

The rainfall intensified until even the American Red cedar trees couldn't contain it; and so I relinquished the spot to he and his tent and went and found a place on the flanking balcony of the ferry terminal where I was out of the wind and out of the rain; even though I wasn't out of the cold; but was soon out cold and slept very well.

Howard stayed under the trees and, by the looks of his sleeping bag this morning, took on a lot of moisture; while Rob stayed dry in his one man tent.

It being Monday, now; I have a lot of plans, a lot of things to be done.


NOLA Law

I went to court on the 7th.

I spoke to the City Attorney for a while.

He has decided to (waive the 200 dollar fine and) send my case over to "homeless court."

Yes, they have a Homeless Court here, where they pair people up with organizations that evaluate them and try to pair them with organizations that can help them get off the street; possibly by giving them the key to a house somewhere, which is empty and which the government probably owns, or who knows.
Homeless Court

On March 20th, I have my date in Homeless Court.

Yes, they have a "Homeless Court" here.

They might send me for a psychological examination.

My only concern with a psychological examination is a fear that I might screw up the person who is interviewing me by talking to them at length and elucidating issues which might evoke things that they had buried in their subconscious minds, afraid to confront them...

Psychologists who evaluate me have a high suicide rate; is all I'm saying...

So, should Unity give me a house for free in Algiers; and help me get some kind of job; even washing dishes, which would ultimately give the means to get all of the stage gear necessary to succeed as a street performer; this would be good.

These are the same people who tried to help Sue (the Colombian Lady) and who made her very suspicious, especially at their mention of a psychological evaluation.

I could understand her concern that they might put her on some kind of drugs that would make her literally slap-ass-crazy; and thus justify the means by the end...

And so, that is where it stands.

I woke up with 25 of the dollars that I made throughout the weekend.

This coming week is Saint Patricks Day and yet another opportunity for the astute busker to profit. The astute busker will be playing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" across from the Hotel Monteleone after midnight...