Friday Afternoons Quick Rant

Jake played next to the red door (far left)

Thursday morning has been historically the point in the week when I "hit bottom" financially.
I can remember getting my first couple Hurricanes on credit from Sam at The Unique Boutique, as recently as a year ago, before going out and usually making at least enough to pay him back, buy a couple more and pocket about 7 or 8 bucks..
I have had about a month long streak of not waking up broke. Since acquiring the Indiana guitar; actually.
Thursday morning, I had $3.25, after making the minimum deposit of 35 cents into the-jar-which-will-never-be-touched.
I had slept rather fitfully, after having eaten glazed yams and corn with cold cuts of ham, sauteed in olive and sesame oils with garlic powder, salt, pepper etc.
I woke up at one point with an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach, thinking about the 5 dollar chip which I had carried around for almost two weeks, which was now gone.
The 11 Black Matter
The "coincidence" which I blogged about yesterday was actually higher in

magnitude:
When Sue, the Colombian Lady and I went into the casino almost 2 years ago now, I had wanted to bet, but didn't because of the minimum of $25, and the number which came up that time was the same one which "jumped out at me" when I walked up and took my first close up look at a roulette wheel
"What are those green numbers and what do they mean?"
"Well, can I play the green zero?"
"There is a minimum bet of 25 dollars..."
A bit too rich for my blood at the time...
Then, the green zero came up.*
Then, being drunk, I said something like "I would have let it ride on black 11," before Sue and I walked off.
People scurried to place bets on black 11, apparently ready to suspend their judgment of a homeless looking drunk guy with a Colombian lady with a cat in a cat carrier in tow when it comes to "luck." I guess Lady Luck comes in different disguises...
We left before finding out if we had been good luck charms or not...
Then, after getting this 5 dollar chip 2 weeks ago, I had attempted to place it on black, but was rebuffed by the same 25 dollar minimum.
It came up black 11. I would have won.
Then, today, after finding a table where one could bet as little as 5 dollars, I placed the chip on black and it came up black 11 (again).
But, then I lost it to a black 6 after I bet it on red....as blogged about already.
11 Dollar Thursday Night
Thursday evening I tapped into the-jar-that-will-never-be-touched for about 13 bucks over the coarse of the night (I had thrown it in my backpack before coming out; seriously considering carrying only $3.25 on me, but deciding to borrow against the jar instead).
Something told me to play at the spot vacated by Jake (who was reportedly suffering from cancer, and who had not been seen there in weeks; after having been a fixture there for years).
I played at "Jakes spot" and was thrown about 8 or 9 dollars, an amount made more significant by the the fact that there were musicians to my left and my right, less than 100 feet away.
I was wailing on the harmonica and only did two songs: "Golden Slumbers," by The Beatles, and"Wild World," by Cat Stevens, both with extended harmonica solos.
I was taking advantage of the distance from Barnaby (with his aversion to the harmonica) to "let it rip."
After I finished and walked past the girl 100 feet away who plays a harp (a real harp, but a miniature one) said "Your harmonica sounded really good."
Regardless of what Barnaby say's, I feel like I can always make at least something with my harmonica playing.
I still owe the jar 17 bucks...it is Friday afternoon. It has been raining all day, with especially hard downpours early this morning which caused me to actually re-arrange the rocks under the drain spout because I was being splashed...heavy downpours.
I hope to play tonight and will probably start at the Jake spot.
I learned this morning that Jake died.
He died 3 days ago, on the night when I first felt compelled to play at his spot, as if it was calling to me with a red carpet rolled out.
I think I play as well there as anywhere, especially since I don't have residents (who have extended the courtesy of letting me jam in their neighborhood and who might have aversions to the harmonica) to worry about there. And, now the spirit of Jake is there for me. I was one of the few people whom he got along with, I think.....