Not So Much In Pennies

2 Dollar Sunday, If That...

Maya In Santa Monica

I stayed under the dock until the 2 p.m. cruise left; reading and writing a bit and drinking a Rip It Energy drink.

I had 66 dollars, plus the 5 dollar casino chip, which I am going to bet on black at the roulette table, one of these days.

I emerged and walked up Saint Louis Street, past Tanya and Dorise and to The Unique Boutique where I capitalized upon their 2 for $6 special on half pints of E&J Brandy, grabbing "one for today and one for tomorrow" (ostensibly).

Then, I went across the street to get batteries for my spotlight which, along with instant lighting briquettes is becoming one of my "major" expenses.

Lilly was just coming out of the store and talking in Portuguese on her phone and we talked a bit; her promising (once again) to come out and sit next to me on the stoop as I played.

A man standing behind me, as I counted out pennies on the Walgreens counter; offered to buy my batteries; saving me $8.50.

One wonders if being seen talking to Lilly had anything to do with that. Both of her daughters work at an upscale restaurant diagonally across the street; and Lilly is there every night to chaperon them home.
Jar Hits $22.64

I was counting out pennies because I have been trying to launder them out of the "3%" jar, and was attempting to get rid of 10 of the nuisances.
I've been pulling out change and replacing ones with fives. The jar could hold 10 thousand dollars in 100 dollar bills; but not so much in pennies....

The man behind me might have thought that I was spending every last cent of my money on them.

I had already taken a gulp off of my brandy right in front of the guy as I waited in line (something one can do in NOLA) but I still felt a bit guilty accepting his charity...if you've got money for liquor; then you've got money for batteries!

Then, I walked up Canal Street towards the Jamaican herb dealers, and encountered Maya Glasgow playing in front of McDonalds. 

She is a fair singer and novice guitar player, but she is also female (see above) and from Los Angelos and is a college student and had made about 50 dollars. She told me she had only made 20 to my 35 the previous (Saturday) day.

She would out-earn me 50 to 2 on this particular Sunday, though.

I wound up spending about 26 bucks the whole day, capped off by the 10 dollar purchase of a bag of briquettes along with a 24 oz. Tecate beer on the way to the dock at about midnight.
Musically, I thought I wailed pretty well on the harmonica, fueled by brandy and herb

Travel

My plans to travel are starting to solidify and take the shape of me moving to the sign spot to sleep, now that the 2 light blankets there are enough for the current temperatures, and from where it would be easy to get up early in the morning and go to a nearby off ramp and busk with the harmonica and guitar around my neck.

This would hopefully help me acquire traveling money in that apropos setting; and give me the satisfaction of bumping a skeezer off of the spot; who would sit somewhere and watch and sulk and mentally count the money that people handed me with the "at least you're not just sitting there with a sign" appellation attached; so that he could try to skeeze some off me...Damn, it looked like you were cleaning up out there, say, I'm trying to get a hamburger and.....
Career

Other than that, it is Monday afternoon and this should be a day of rest and recreation other than busking, but the 24 dollar setback of yesterday kind of stings even though I have batteries and briquettes to show for it...

I suppose that I will put in at least a couple hours of work tonight, to put a finger in the hole in the dike, depending upon what the brandy and herb mandates...

Health

The "quinsy" in my throat has been lingering; almost going away but then coming back, lately. I have also been getting numbness in either one or both arms in the morning; possibly from the thing pressing on a nerve in my neck.

Busker In London whom I hope owns a metal detector!