Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...

Sunday began ospiciously when I woke up. I still had a decent amount of money left over from the mardi gras. It was too late to go to church. I went into town, instead.
I Am Burglarized
That was not before discovering that a bag, which contained all of the stuff that I don't carry around with me, had been torn open and the contents splayed out in a corner of a parking lot. A laundry bag full of my clean clothes was missing, along with my bible. Yes, they stole my bible.
It seems that there is some law in the universe whereby, if you gain something, like the money I made during mardi gras, you will have to lose something. I stuffed what remained back into the bag and "hid" it back where it was.
I Play A Saw; I Conquer
Once in town, I ran into the guy who plays guitar and the girl who plays the saw.
I had sat down at my "hot dog cart" spot and was tuning up and warming up, when I heard the sound of a couple singing, a guitar and a saw.
They were parked by a tree near the outdoor tables that Spot Of Tea has set up along the sidewalk.
This is a good idea. Someone once told me of a guy who used to play there for the people that ate breakfast at the tables. The person said that several people threw lots of money in his hat, because they liked being serenaded over eggs and toast. I haven't played there because I prefer better acoustics than the open air there offers, but I actually thought seriously about it, before going across the street.
The guy and girl played their particular style very well. She is an excellent saw player, and, I suppose, can do a little carpentry work on the side if the music business is slow.
They were dressed like hobos. Not actual hobos, but the kind of hobo that you would see in a play. They had hobo hats and the kind of jeans that come with holes already in them. The girl had died her hair orange and looked like Raggedy Ann come to life. It looked like she had put makeup on her face to similate brake dust from the train which they purportedly rode into town on.
I heard the guy say, as they were taking a break, that they had made 50 dollars. I had the sense that he wanted me to hear him say that. He definitely had a bit of arrogance about him.
He might have thought that I was there to mock, as if I might play gigs in clubs and hence, think that I was superior to them.
They took every opportunity to boast of their accomplishments, which include playing in some large band which wasn't enguaged at the time, and selling CDs, which they burn at The Blind Mule. The Blind Mule staff are in their corner (because they know excellent guitar and saw music when they hear it), and are willing to help them out by letting them use their CD burning equipment, as a way to further The Arts.
I Get A Bike
I think that was the night that Thomas sold me a bike for 5 dollars.
He then turned around and bought me a beer, out of the 5 dollars. We were near the store and he suddenly seemed to recall that he had money. I think he was too drunk already to remember where the money came from. "Hey, I just remembered, I got like five bucks. You want a beer?" type of thing...
Monday was forgettable, as evidenced by the fact that I don't remember it. I just remember that The Garage was silent that night- no blues to sleep under a trolley to.
Tuesday night, the guy and the saw girl were playing at the same spot.
It looked like they had only a few dollars in their tip jar, which is made of transparent plastic, so that people can see how well appreciated they are.
I went down to my acoustically superior spot and played for about an hour. I was playing "The Man Who Couldn't Decide What Flavor He Wanted," when one of the few groups of pedestrians out, paused a little ways down the sidewalk.
One of them came back and told me that I sounded excellent and threw what turned out to be a twenty in my case, which, coincidentally was the same amount that I made the entire evening.
I played a little longer, spurred to do better music by the comforting thought of the twenty sitting in my case.
When I finally knocked off, I walked up the street to see the guy and the girl with the saw still playing. It looked like they had about 20 bucks on display in their jar. I was tempted to say "It looks like we did about the same," but held my tongue.
I actually did better, considering that they have to split theirs two ways, plus keep the saw oiled.

I found this on Google, but it might as well be her...

They were in the same hobo costumes. I guess when something works for you, you stick with it; plus, those costumes were probably pretty expensive at some costume shop. Quality clothes (that look like they are falling apart) aren't cheap.
Wednesday I was on a mission.
I went to CVS and bought a bottle of conditioner for 85 cents. Then, I went to the graveyard to retrieve my Dawn dishwashing liquid from a tomb. Then, to a construction site on Royal Street attempting to get a 5 gallon bucket to use as a washing machine. They weren't parting with any.
I spent the next hour in Cooper's Park, conditioning and brushing out my hair.
I washed what little clothing that I own, and hung them by the tracks.
Green Headed Man
I found a green halloween mask in the corner of my backpack. I decided to become "Green Headed Man." I composed a theme song for him, and was at Serda's by 9pm, ready to entertain.
The guy and the girl with the saw were onstage when I got there.
Jimmy Lee said that he hated the fact that the guy was "the best guitar player I've ever seen, and younger than me," as he put it.
I was going to argue that he wasn't "that" good, but didn't because I hadn't heard what he did before I had gotten there. Maybe he played like the best guitarist that Jimmy Lee had ever heard. I wonder if he's ever heard a better saw player.
Green Headed Man supposedly had just gotten into town, and to keep his private life and his show business life seperate, played incognito.
Of course, everyone knew that it was me, but I kept the ruse up, to their apparent amusement.
Elizabeth Elliot dedicated one of her poems to Green Headed Man.
But, the guy with the guitar and the girl with the saw were the buzz, on this particular evening. It seems that they are kind of "from" Mobile and knew a lot of the people there.
I saw the girl walk over to a well dressed man, at one point, and say something to him, whereupon the man pulled out his wallet and handed her something. I think it should be up to people to voluntarily give you money if they think that you are an excellent saw player. But, maybe it doesn't cross a lot of people's mind's that one might need money...despite hobo costumes...
Tonight is the open mic at Island Thyme, and I think Green Headed Man is going to be there.