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The thrift shop finished for the week. Progress has been made, I've managed to clear the entire floor - meaning the donations can now be taken to the back. So - on schedule, or thereabouts, to be unemployed. In the meantime I've set up a box in the back for "my things" - stuff I don't want to be carrying with me that will eventually find it's way to the locker - and - hopefully - a studio. SO far, a broken old fiddle and cuckoo clock.
Now the back end - and this is no trivial task, as it is filled with things that everyone has picked up, looked at, second guessed, set down. This is the problem - watch the veterans walk around the floor, comparing finds they've unboxed, laying them aside until they have time to do "more research", this - "more research", it becomes unending, get rid of it already, if it sells for a few dollars less than it could have that's a great thing, it brings people back, and it's out the door, room for more donations - and there's always more donations.
After work, a cheap meal in town, stock up on booze and cigarettes, carrying - laundry, sleeping bag, computer and writing stuff, too much shit. And the weather is turning for the weekend so a bus to Balfour so I can sleep inside the next few days. Fully employed and entirely homeless.
And - just when I'm thinking I might be making some money it's time to make a dentist appointment. Not time, overdue, and whatever I'm earning isn't going to be enough - not by a long shot, this will be one of a series of regular trips to misery and discomfort, death on the installment plan, but - fucking hell, it's overdue and sometimes you just have to suck it up and resign yourself.
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The other night, at the restaurant, an ursine visitor. Senior describes it, a clatter in back, on the loading dock, comes down to confront a black bear on it's hind legs. Somehow, cozy on the sofa inside the restaurant, I missed it.
Last night, a comfortable bench by the Prestige on lakefront. Homelessness I'm used to, but without a vehicle it sucks. That should resolve itself in a month or so. In the meantime I'm carrying my bag, laundry with me, light sleeping bag, as well as a notebook and laptop and chargers, etc. 40 lbs of "essentials". It gets a little old walking around with all this shit, but - what are you going to do?
Anyways, eat in town yesterday, 3 squares, a vegan wrap and side at "Sprouts", a Pho at Yom Sum, and then again later a Yogi Burger at the Yellow Deli.
These weekends at the restaurant - I eat there as well, but a lot less, the food bores me (after 5 years, yeah, of course). And so I'm trying to catch up, balance my diet while I have a chance.
8:00, I'm down on the waterfront, watching the blue-bottomed (swifts? swallows?) comb the water for insects. There are dozens. Watch the people. A couple fighting, she's going off for an extended stay at a "Hot-Tub" party, he wants to break up, she's pleading with him that it's just a "Hot Tub Party" and it's more work than it sounds like. Joggers, Dog walkers. Later, after the sun sets, an Eagle in a nest across the lake makes it's appearance. When the sun goes down I spread out my sleeping bag on the bench and go to sleep.
1:00 AM I'm woken by a drunken asshole swearing into his phone, he's surprised to find me there, he came down to the waterfront looking for privacy.
Eventually he wanders off and I drift off again.
2:00 I'm woken by a large splashing in the water. A lot of noise. I strain my eyes against the darkness. Nada. About a minute later more splashing, then I see it - a very large black bear has swum to a pier about 30 yards away. I sit up and light a cigarette. I don't want him swimming over to me and finding me in surprise. He's a big one, maybe 400, 500 pounds, larger even. He cuts a big silhouette against the stars on the water. I watch him pacing, before eventually jumping in the water and swimming to shore. I watch to make sure he's not heading my way, he's not. Back to sleep.
By 3:00 AM it's getting cold. Curl in and cover up.
6:00 AM and I'm awake, shivering, waiting for Oso to open so I can get a coffee, warm up, charge my phone...
And - for the moment, this is life. Coffee, 7:00 until 8:00, then off to work at the thrift shop.
Finish at 4:00, find somewhere to eat and kill time until the sun goes down...
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It goes. From this:
The foreground mess is unsorted donations. This was 2 weeks ago. Now, the area is largely clear.
Finds along the way (and I should be taking more pictures, really) include an "electric paring knife", like - wtf? And this:
Now, nothing extraordinary about this - we get dozens of "similar" as seen on TV "labor saving" K-Tel or Ronco devices every day. Mostly they don't sell. We give about half of them a week on the shelf before they're culled for the dump. What I found - haunting - about this one - look at the woman's face:
I mean, that smile, those eyes, it's like she thinks she can win back some marital affection by making all these sweets and devilled eggs. Clearly from the "Isn't Princess Diana Beautiful" days, there's just something a little off about it all. Anyways....
Real finds: a 50 year old Chinese Alarm Clock, with a party slogan and (?? Chairman Mao ??) on the face. Many new pots and pans, a pretty crystal necklace, various items of clothing, old clock, treasures too many to list and now that I'm on the turtle carrying my possessions on my back I'm ill inclined to add to the weight...so it's just look and don't touch.
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And, homelessness impending I've been looking for a pair of shoes. And a sleeping bag. With no luck.
Shoes, expensive, even used, especially given their condition. I bought a new pair last week - but - still breaking them in, and 5 hours in to a shift and they are hurting like hell.
And sleeping bags, we donate those to "Stepping Stones", a charity that helps the homeless. SO, no, can't just buy or scoop one off the floor there.
Yesterday, a thrift shop staff meeting. About 8 people in attendance, the "full timers", I'm there as well, I've got nothing. Everyone says their bit, has their say, a full hours conversation on nothing. They ask me - I'm too new - and planning on making myself redundant ASAP - so - knowing my place - I've got nothing.
Today, donation, a brand-new never-used "Bounty Hunter" metal detector. A cheap one, maybe $200, $300, but I pick it up for Chris. He's been wanting one.
Going to give it to him after work he's broke. So I give him money for batteries, then buy his coffee.
Bloody hell. Never a good deed goes unpunished.
From there to the locker. Lock up all my mixed-media treasures, suffer the rain of rocks, mispacked possessions, rummaging through the top couple of layers to find some balloons (for work), a pair of beautiful brand new brown dress shoes (breaking in, again, will be heinous), some eyeglasses (I have ten back-up pairs with me at all times) and a sleeping bag.
This, extruded from a crack at the three foot mark up the back wall.
Try, for a minute or two, to repack - impossible, I've not time, or enough boxes, and so - press it all in, listen to the creaking - the groaning - of the pile of rubbish, drop the door - and then - and then - it all comes tumbling down, you can hear it rattling and clattering on the door.
This locker, it's the repository of broken dreams.
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Now, homeless and vehicle-less. Now - I can do one but not both, and so I've decided to get a vehicle. Looking online, Facebook Marketplace, there aren't so many options. Older Tundras with 300,000+ KM selling for $18, 000 plus dollars. Bollocks.
And then I see it. 2004 White Ford Econoline Van. 200, 000 KM and only $2000.
This gets a little fantasy going in my head. First of all, I could sleep in it. I can sleep anywhere, but the back of a van - fix it up a bit - could be comfortable. And it would beat sleeping in parks and wherever else have you.
I'm mulling it over.
But what's really selling it for me is the possibility of doing art on the sides. Like, proper 70's and 80's Van Art.
Like...
The silhouette of a wolf's head howling against a full moon...
The "shadow" of Bigfoot filled in with trees and stars....
A wizard, holding a crystal ball, a long beard and a twinkle in his eye that people would look at the wizard and recognize as me...
Most definitely a mostly naked woman dressed in furs lying prone on the right side of the van, not sure of the pose just yet but she probably should be looking longingly at the wizard...
A Unicorn. Maybe the Wizard could be sitting astride the Unicorn?
A dragon. Definitely a dragon, probably an Asian styled one as Smaug is a bit overdone...
And maybe the wizard that looks like me can be pulling back his robe to reveal his radiant, red blazing heart...just like Jesus does in that popular photo of him...
Aliens, somewhere, a saucer and one of the greys, maybe succumbing to the telepathic influence of the Wizard?
Peace signs...
Bumpers stickers that read "Shaggin Wagon" and "If this Van's a rockin', don't bother knockin'...".
If the wizard can't look like me maybe he could look like Donald Trump?
A mermaid. Definitely need one of those.
And on the other side of the van I would have a "Fortune-Teller" Motif. Fortunes told, all sorts of Masonic Imagery, Tarot Cards, I -Ching, the all-seeing eye, pyramids, advertise my prognostication, my healing abilities, my intuitive nature and skill at hypnosis, mesmerism and ventriloquism. Other trades I might advertise include "Womb Masseuse" and "Listener" and "Aromatherapist" and "Lifestyle Coach". Man, once I get started on my skills list it gets hard to quit...
Maybe paint the back with Chalkboard Paint so I can do a variable travelling art exhibit as well as provide contact details....maybe a "How's My Driving?" and then write random people's phone numbers there. Or give details as to the parties I can be found at.
And you see, I haven't even bought the van yet, and still my mind is racing with the possibilities.
Now to revisit the interior...