"Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans" -John Lennon

Sunday morning, I woke up with about 21 bucks on me and planning upon going out to the rail yard.
It being Sunday, the local busses were few and far between, which was a consideration.
Also, there was a possibility of rain, which was a consideration.
The Best Layed Plans
I made my way down Royal Street, where I bought a pack of cigarettes (to take with me on the trip) and then left my phone to charge at the Royal Blend Coffee House (plugged into an outlet which is part of their landscaping and hidden in the surrounding shrubs) while I ran to get some herbs from a certain Jamaican (to take with me on the trip)
I grabbed a half pint of gin on the way there and was thus down to 10 dollars, but had everything that I "needed" for the trip, given that my other stuff was still where I left it by the rail yard.
I lent a dollar to an old drunk whom I've know a while and who promised to pay me back because he was on his way to jump into a certain fountain and remove "at least 20 bucks" in change from it.
Then, I ran into Nervous Duane, who was playing solo electric slide guitar and singing without a mic on Tanya and Dorises spot. T&D were nowhere to be seen in the Quarter.
Duane was fascinating enough for me to have stood and listened to him for almost an hour; a time during which he had to move to under the overhang as a light rain started to fall.
Then, Nervous Duane and I talked a lot about music.
He got a phone call and then informed me that he had been asked to host an open mic night at Checkpoint Charlies.
He asked me if I would show up to "help out," as he was going to have to fill the evening with entertainment on short notice.
I promised him that I would, thus effectively cancelling my plans to travel that night.
The 5 dollar strings of which I had bought 2 packs had been breaking left and right and I was already using the "g" string from the second pack and it had already broken and been re-strung once.
I bought a Hurricane and went to the Bourbon Street spot, which was pretty deserted; and 8 o' clock seemed to arrive pretty quickly before I had made anything.
Remembering my promise, I made my way towards Checkpoint Charlies with about 8 bucks on me.
After I packed up at that untypically early time, and before I left, I had the urge to look through Lillians gate, as many tourists do because of her hanging plants and 300 year old? sidewalk and patio.
I looked through the wrought iron gate just in time to see a fast moving Lillian disappearing into her house.
It made me wonder if she had been at the gate listening to me and then ran when she saw me coming. I usually leave in the other direction...
Duane let me go up and play, which I did, before breaking a string about 3 minutes into the first song. It was the one which I had already repaired twice. I was finished before I had started.
I sat and listened to the other musicians, who were at various skill levels, but none of them as good as Nervous Duane, or myself, in my humble opinion.
I thought that one of them might let me play his guitar, but then realised that they all had expensive Martins or Taylors which sounded great just strumming a C Major chord on.

I eventually left and went up the street for a beer, then wound up returning the same way.
They were just breaking down the stage equipment, and Duane handed me several packs of used strings, before I made my long and lonely walk across the Quarter, to my sleeping spot; where I lay there wondering what lesson I should have learned from that pretty miserable Sunday.
I had woken up in time to go to church that morning, but had decided against it; which may have been my first poor decision...
I am certainly not going to buy any more Darco brand guitar strings. I have set a new personal record for snapping strings using them...
So, it is Monday, and the uphill battle resumes, as I wait upon the very next half-decent tip and try to get out of here before a tropical storm or hurricane comes...