The Routine

 It's not much of a routine, just washing all the dishes in the sink and wiping down the counter in the kitchen....

On the street car into the Quarter, sipping on kratom tea with Jacob Scardino (left) circa. September, 2022

But, there is something to be said about the discipline of it. Before, I would feel overwhelmed by the chaos of the day. I suppose, if I started on some other task or project; in the back of my mind would be the dirty kitchen.
Now, once I have that out of the way, I can tackle the next thing.

I try to wash just a little bit of my clothes in the tub, so that the pile doesn't grow into every stitch of clothing I own except the stuff I never wear, and for good reason...
Other than that, I just wanted to come here and write something; anything, just to tick off that box.

I started to get to the list of songs that I'm compiling, which are ones that I used to do, in some cases "every night," and that have fallen out of my memory for whatever reason. The harmonica playing had something to do with it, as, stuff in keys that don't fit any of the harps I have kind of got lost.

I keep finding myself saying: "Wow, I used to do that song," when coming across stuff like "Dock of the Bay," the Otis Redding song that I know how to play, but haven't thought of, when out there at the Lilly Pad.

So, the list will help, even if I don't bring it out there with me (right now it's on a huge cumbersome poster board). I can just read through it to refresh my memory. When I was drinking to the point of blacking out a lot nights, it promoted a kind of laziness whereby I would just do the same dozen or so songs that I knew so well I could play them "with one hand tied behind my back."
But, that's the order of the day, this November 7th.

I suppose I'll go and vote tomorrow. The last time I was there the poll worker, who looked like a "woke" lesbian ignored me as I stood at the bay of the fire station, with nobody in front of me. Did she really think I was going to be deterred from voting because nobody had come and taken my ID and all that?

Then she had demanded that I put a mask on, as if still looking for a reason to turn me away. As part of apologizing for taking so long to get the thing on my face, I had told her that it was the first time I was putting the thing on. I could see the gears turning in her blue hair covered head. Could she turn me away for a reason such as: "You can't just put the mask on to vote if you never wear it otherwise; I can't let you in," type of thing....