Comparing Apples To Grapes

It is Saturday morning in Mobile; I slept in until about 8am., woke up with $23.46.

I left the library yesterday, and walked up to get some more apple juice.
Then, it was across the street to CVS, to buy some hair conditioner, (and enjoy their air conditioner.) I was looking forward to brushing my hair out and removing all of the snarls. I was still half craving a cigarette (I''m not really fasting, because apple juice is food,) so I walked towards the store. I felt bad about spending money and wished that I could just buy one or two.

An impulse overtook me as I passed the liquor store, and I went in and got a single shot of brandy, to chase down with the juice. I think I did it to suppress the guilt over buying cigarettes.
The Spring-Water-Only-Phase

It burned like hell, and tasted more of alcohol than of grapes. I thought that I should have been over the craving for a cigarette, but, I suppose that doesn't occur until the spring-water-only phase of the cleanse.



I Attract A Bum
I drank the brandy behind a nearby store. As soon as I went back there, one of the bums who hangs out across the street, began to skulk my way. I realised that his lot in life is to sit by the liquor store and wait for some other homeless guy to come out of the store to seek a covert place to drink, and descend upon him, begging "Let me get a pull off of that."


It was like a lesson in the connection between drinking liquor and the descending of bums upon one.

The brandy didn't do much except to give me the beginnings of a headache in the back of my head. The cigarettes were not very satisfying, and the combination made me feel slightly poisoned. I was determined to forge ahead with the cleanse and just consider that a mild setback; I would shake it off then probably sell off some of the cigarettes.

I got back to finishing my apple juice and went into town to wash up and then play somewhere.
Five Bucks, A Poem And Apple Juice

In town, I sat in Cathedral Park and was joined by Israel, a 20 year old who plays guitar, and frequents Serda's Coffee House. He is some kind of student, and plays on the street for extra money sometimes -the same 4 songs, which he wrote, over and over. He didn't have his guitar. We talked about fasting and cleansing and detoxifying, as he bummed cigarettes from me. Then, a Navy guy, who is visiting from San Diego joined us. He had his own cigarettes. Then a gay young guy joined us. He bummed cigarettes off of the Navy guy. Then, he started steering the conversation away from cleansing and detoxifying and towards "guys who are really girls," and we soon dispersed; Israel towards Serda's, with the Navy guy; and myself towards the big clock spot to play; and the gay guy, he went the other way, I suppose.

The clock spot produced 5 bucks, and a visit from a couple guys, one of whom was a poet. The one who was a poet spoke a poem about "Incredible people," which he wrote while attending a Mass, even though "I hardly ever go to Mass," he said.

They didn't have any cash, but offered to get me a drink from Serda's. I opted for an apple juice.

That was really about that happened yesterday, of note. Most of the interesting stuff resides in my head lately. There is a lot of serenity, but very little action.

Switching Juices
This morning, I walked up to the Save-A-Lot and got grape juice, instead of apple. Something told me to pay the extra dollar for it, maybe because it has vitamin C in it.

Then, I went across the street to the CVS, and bought a pair of socks for a dollar.
The juice was delicious and has improved my finger picking-style guitar playing already; and I am wearing the socks, and they are comfortable. I will take the socks off later and try playing the guitar, to see if it was them and not the grape juice...