I Run Amok

Tonight

42 °F

Clear

Tomorrow

61 °F

Clear

Second Day Of Cold Snap

Tuesday, I stayed under the dock until past noon, wrapped in all my blankets, drinking instant coffee and trying to put the idle time to some good use.

It was no use.

Realizing that it wasn't going to warm up any and would only become colder in the evening, I emerged and made my way towards the warmth of this library.

I couldn't bring myself to hunker down for an entire 24 hours just laying there waiting for warmer weather and bored.

I left the library and returned to Starbucks, where I was able to use my gift card for coffee and refills and to read a Readers Digest Word Power type of book; and to do some writing.

I learned that "amok" as in: "to run amok" is the only Malay word which has found its way into our language.

"Do You Need A Place To Shower?"

I took my last cup with me and headed for the Toulouse Market, where I spiked it with brandy and then continued to walk around.

At Rouses Market, I got a warm welcome.

Several employees, Treva, Tiffany and Helen, to name a few, seemed concerned about my well-being and I actually had to convince them that I had the situation under control; as they seemed to be contemplating inviting me to crash at one of their places.

Tiffany offered me a place to shower, which I didn't grasp the significance of until a look in a mirror revealed that my face had become pretty much soot covered, since I had compacted the tin foil pans which I used to cook in, so as to squeeze them into plastic bags, blackening my hands and then, eventually my face.

Leaving there at around 11 p.m., I walked toward the Lilly spot, well fortified by brandy. There were puddles of frozen water everywhere.

I wanted to kill some more time before going near the Natchez, after my encounter with their security people Monday night.

Arriving at the spot, I saw Barnaby and his lady friend, just standing up on his front steps and about to go inside.

Barnaby became incredulous at the sight of me.

"You're going to play?!? It's freezing out here! There's nobody out here to hear you anyways!"

He handed me 15 dollars and said: "Here. Sit inside a bar somewhere and nurse a pitcher of beer all night or something!"

"Don't die!" he admonished me after I had thanked him and began to walk down Bourbon Street in the general direction of bars where one can sit all night nursing 2 dollar beers.

The 15 dollars just about replaced what I would ultimately spend the entire day; keeping me solvent through the second day of the cold snap.

I commuted his advice about sitting in a bar all night; to buying a pint of brandy, along with spaghetti and corn and peas, to go with some stuff that I had already under the dock.

I managed to avoid security types, as it was almost 1 a.m. when I got to the dock.

I built and sat by a fire; pretty comfortably and was able to eat a hot meal and the only nuisance came with the fact that I had neglected to get diaper pins to affix my blankets together and one of another of them kept sliding off me to the consternation of myself and my pet rats....