Something Lost, Something Gained

Sorry for the delay....yeah right, like somebody is waiting with baited breath to see what I write next. I'm not that conceded or delusional ...yet. Anyway, one of the main reasons for the long in between pause between this post and the last one I did is because I lost my laptop. And I deserved it. I swore I would never drink Vodka again because I end up "blacking out" or doing something completely out of character and I did. Big Time!. First let me explain that I drank Vodka because that was the only alcohol available and offered to me for free and I had no money and I wanted a buzz. Now in the homeless "bum" world, you have to take what you can get when you have the opportunity. You can't say no, I don't want Vodka, I want beer. If you love to drink and have time on your hands and no money and your bum buddy has a half gallon of Vodka he wants to share with you and has no beer, you take it. Or at least that's what I do and did. But I have to tell you, I suffered the consequences this time.
I had just got a nice bike (to protect the guilty, I will not disclose how I acquired my new 2 wheel horse, only to say that there was not a bicycle lock involved) I liked it so much, I registered my transportation with the Key West Police Department to make sure it wasn't "hot" ;) and it wasn't !!... So the next day my "bum" buddy, O.K.... MURPHY!! had some Vodka and I was bored watching him drink it and I didn't want him to get too drunk because he had a whole half gallon of the demon alcohol and he is a good friend of mine and him being a good friend he offered his friend, me, something to drink because he knows when I look thirsty and he hates to see me dehydrated and all he had was Vodka. So as a true friend and not wanting to refuse my friends' offer and hurt my friends' feelings, I accepted my friends' token of friendship and partook in a friendly drink with my friend, Murphy and we had a party among friends. I mean if you don't have friends or family, who do you have? Anyway....Murphy didn't want to go into KOTS that night but I did. So I proceeded to head towards KOTS on my newly acquired form of A to B transportation and took off. I was peddling along the sea wall, slowly slithering like a snake on 2 wheels. When all of a sudden, I went too far to the left and hit the one foot seawall with my front tire which catapulted me, my bike, my back pack which had my laptop, and my iTouch into the water. By the grace of GOD, I didn't hurt myself. But everything that shouldn't get wet was submerged in about 3 foot of salt water. I tried pulling myself out of the water by grabbing on to the top of the seawall which is about 8 feet but couldn't reach the top to pull myself up. Somebody walking by saw me in the water trying to get up out of the water and extended their hand and pulled me out of the drink. Thank you to whoever you are, I owe you a drink, I give you gratitude now. Thanks!! After that, all I remember is waking up lying on my stomach at a bus stop looking up at a Key West police officer. He pointed out the rules of the bus stop which are clearly posted at each one. Guess which one of the NO rules was up there?.....waiting....ding ding... I think we have a winner Johnny... .yes the correct answer is SLEEPING....Luckily and believe me I don't have much good luck, he told me to take off. Thank you officer. Only problem was, I didn't take off on my newly acquired bicycle or with my backpack or my iPod, just the clothes I had on my back and thank the lord I still had those on. Everything was GONE!!!...............>:o
Now I am not a materialistic person, I understand I can get it all back. EXCEPT for the book I was writing; all of my writing was GONE. I have to start from scratch. I get an itchy feeling everytime I think about it.... That and the fact that I lost my music. Music is my life. It's like my air. I live and breathe for music, NOTHING else matters to me. If it wasn't for music, I wouldn't be alive. I don't want to live in a world without music. I always say, you can take anything you want from me but you can't have my music. So, that is what I lost. Now for what I have gained.

Instead of holding a sign and begging for money like some typical bums. I had a flash of inspiration walking down the street. I saw this guy dressed up in a Statue Of Liberty costume holding a sign. But the signs,signs everywhere signs wasn't asking for money or looking for work. It just said Liberty Tax with an arrow on it. When I lived in Mesa, AZ (the worst place I have ever lived in life btw) I had a room mate at the halfway rehab house I was staying at and he did that very same as this guy on the street was doing. So I knew about the sign waving job before and I was collecting unemployment but they stopped it when the State Of Florida found out I was incarcerated. I appealed the decision. SoI didn't have any income while I was waiting for the court date. So after I saw the guy on the street doing it, I figured that would be the easiest job to get and I might be able to get some cash while I wait for the court date. I walked into Liberty Tax and asked the guy at the front counter if they were looking for anymore sign wavers and the gentelman said, "Yes, as a matter of fact we are!" and had me fill out a short application. I explained to him that I didn't have a phone but I have an email account which I check daily. He told me to check my email the next day and we can take it from there. So I checked it the next day and the email instructed me to show up at Liberty Tax at 7am on Tuesday in which I did and started working and am now gainfully employed there. The gentleman at the front desk was the owner btw and he and his wife are super cool nice people. Murphy and his buddy kept telling me that I need to get a job because my unemployment will run out sooner or later. So I bet Murphys' buddy, Bob Wood, a dollar that I would get a job the next day and sure as shit I did!!! I should of bet more!! btw, Bob Wood, is a former professional bowler who actually beat Earl Anthony back in the 70's and he stayed at KOTS. So I don't care how famous you think you are or how much money you have now, it can all change in a blink of an eye. That's why I can't stand or understand people putting people who are homeless down. I think seeing preople on the street is a painful reminder of what can happen and I personally think it scares the shit out of them. That's just one theory and it's not EVERYBODY who thinks that way but that's just my opinion, which I think I am still entitled to even though I am CURRENTLY residentially challenged or what some might say, a bum on the street, holding a sign...uh.. wait a minute..I'm a bum, homeless person, whatever you want to call me holding a sign, BUT I'm not begging for money, I'm actually making money!! Imagine that.I get paid ever 2 weeks. And yes, I still live at KOTS. The job is a lot of fun as long as I have my headphones on and the music turned up. I actually taught myself how to spin the sign and try to spin it to the music playing on the radio. I work the corner (NO, not like a hooker, get your mind out of the gutter!!) of Rosevelt and Kennedy in Key West. I get the stangest looks, have dogs bark at me and had my picture taken a few times.I have fun with it. Some people have a problem with me out there ie. a business ownwer who came out one day and said, "You're fucking up my business" and I said, "O.K. I'll leave" and I started crying and put my tail between my legs and ran as fast as I could. I was so scared!!! I told my boss everything that happened as he wiped the tears from my eyes and said everything is going to be alright but I'm afraid if we can't stand on the corner there, you no longer have a job, you're fired..I said, still sniffiling, "But, aren't there other corners we can work?" My check giver said, "I'm afraid not, now carry your ass through the door and start pounding the pavement and get a fucking job!" On the bright side, I won my unemployment appeal case, hooray!! I just have to pay back the days I was incarcerated, which was 11.

And for all you dumb asses that took that getting fired bullshit story, hook, line and sinker. You either need to get a fucking job or go fishing!!! Cause I still have a job and I'm going fishing this weekend!! It's payday today and I bought a pair of brand spankin new shoes, let's dance!! This was brought to you courtesy of the public library computer.
I now have a smartphone but the keyboard is too small for my big fingers,HEY LADIES!!! and you can request my number if you want and I will give it to you, ONLY if you are worthy of the digits... and for those of you whose birthdays I missed, fuck you, you didn't invite me to the friggin party...just kidding, kids.. Happy Birthday!! XO

With Love,
It's your friendly, neighborhood, dressing up like a Statue of Liberty, poeticdrummer signing off. Remember to spay or neuter your kids..um I mean pets..............:)