Wednesday Through Friday

• 20 Dollar Thursday
• I Catch A Thief
• Bike Stolen Again
• I Pay Back Tanya And Dorise
• 20 Dollar Wednesday
• 20 Dollar Thursday
• 35 Dollar Friday

20 Dollars Wednesday
Early Thursday morning I went to sleep at the Harrahs Casino spot.
Daylight was only a couple of hours away.
I slid my cardboard well into the coffin sized opening in the shrubbery and then pulled the purple bike in behind me.
I took care to place my hat out of any ones reach, and put my cigarettes and lighter and cell phone into it.

A Critic
I had made about 20 dollars that day, playing off and on from about 9 til midnight.
A version of Mexicali Blues, by The Grateful Dead brought applause from a couple people on the sidewalk across the street, to include Barnaby, who was sitting on his front steps.
Barnaby (right) walked over and threw 5 dollars in my case, and two other people each threw a dollar.

So, I guess, outside of that one song, I had a 13 dollar night...
Barnaby has become a good critic.
If I am boring, he goes inside and slams his door behind him (it closes hard).
Sometimes he will come outside and sit on his steps sipping expensive gin out of a crystal glass.
As soon as I start to do "Imagine," by John Lennon, or any other song that he has heard a dozen times, I will hear a slamming sound before I get to the end of the first verse.
This has helped motivate me to learn new stuff; for; in keeping Barnaby entertained I am keeping my case full of bills...
The irony of the fact that Barnaby is a "Social Worker/Addictions Councellor" who sits and watches/listens to me doesn't escape me. I guess he's not afraid to bring his job home with him..
The Kleptomaniac
I had 16 dollars left, as I lied down, making sure that my pockets were out of reach.
At some point after the sun had risen but was occluded by the behemoth building to my east; I heard a twig snap.
Thinking that it might be a raccoon or a large rat, I quickly lifted my head to see something much worse.
It was a medium sized black man in his 30's who was squatting down on the other side of the hedge about 3 feet from me. He was wearing a clean white tee shirt.
"Aha!," I almost said.
He jumped back a bit. I think he was reaching for the empty cigarette box, which I had discarded on that side of me.
"Are you alright? I'm just making sure you're alright," he stammered.
Having just woken up, I couldn't think of anything more clever than "Yeah, I'm alright. Don't worry about me."
Bike Re-Stolen
Thursday night was pretty much a repeat of Wednesday
Lillian and Angelique made an appearance. Lillian was very complementary of my music and the patchouli oil which I was wearing. Angelique was not as evasive..
I lay down and took all the usual precautions with the exception of leaving the purple bike a few feet further from my body than usual.
When I woke up it was gone.
I think the guy is a Kleptomaniac because he has stolen something just about every morning.
It would be easy to set a trap for him.
Make A Dummy Of Myself?
I could make a dummy, by stuffing some of my clothes with newspaper; place my hat upon its head; and lay a pack of cigarettes on the ground next to it; open to reveal that it was full.
Then, I could crouch nearby with a baseball bat in hand.
That would be worth sitting up all night and drinking coffee out of a Thermos, wouldn't it??
"Now We're Going To Have To Keep Track Of It..."
Minus the bike, but with almost 20 dollars on me; I set out Friday morning, looking for Tanya and Dorise on Royal Street but didn't see them.
Figuring that they had taken the day off, I began to walk around and spend some of the money.
By 4 p.m., I had come back around to Royal Street where I heard them playing.
"I had your money, but I didn't think you were coming out today and so I spent some of it," I said; not really thinking that they were sweating 10 dollars..
I gave Tanya my gold dollar coin, as a down payment.
"Why don't you just wait until you have all of it?" asked Tanya as she inspected the coin (I thought she might bite into it..).
"That's a lucky coin, as a down-payment," I said.
"Yeah, but now we're gonna have to keep track..." she lamented, and then gave the coin a dismissive toss into her basket where it made no clinking sound, as it landed upon paper....
"Just remember '9'" I said and promised to pay back the rest all at once.
I then went and made back everything that I had spent, plus a few drinks, and returned just as the two were packing up. 
Tanya was counting money and seemed relieved when I handed her 9 singles.
I think she was happy to see me making money; and happy to not have to "keep track" of 9 random dollars.
"Aren't you going to count it?" I said, as she was about to drop it in the basket..
"No, I trust you..."
"Maybe I gave you 10 just to see how honest you are!"
She counted it...
As she was about to drive off in her van, she said "I hope you make a lot of money," as I was on my way back out to play from 11 until whenever.
I made a lot of money.
I went to sleep with 48 bucks on me, having paid back Tanya and Dorise, and hadn't spent a dime on food or drink; it was everywhere....