90th day sober. Up at around 3, packed things that have to go to the post office because the post office isn't open on weekends.
I got out of here at 6, with not only the post office packages but my tip box and the trumpet on my back. And my "explainer" for the ride home. I dropped off the packages then rode south on the street the post office is on, and went to the King Egg Roll place that's in one of the strip malls a major intersection or two down. The area has a strong suburban vibe although it's got tons of condos, and the egg roll place was being mobbed by doughy suburban people - it turns out they close at 7 and it was a quarter to 7.
I got a "serving" of fried wontons which means 4, two egg rolls (they only had vegetarian left) and a bottle of water. It was expensive, around $10.
I sat under a tree and ate. The egg rolls were not exciting at all and I only ate one. The friend wontons were amazing - they had shrimp and pork inside and the way they were made, they had big "wings" that, being deep fried, means you get your oil in case you're a quart low, plus lots of crunchiness. I saved an egg roll and the bottle of water to give to someone.
I rode further down that street until I got to King, then turned toward downtown and pretty soon was on good old Santa Clara street, heading for Whole Foods. I looked for someone to hand off the bag with an egg roll and bottle of water to, and found one down-and-outer sitting on the sidewalk and handed the goodies off.
I got to Whole Foods and got a spendy little can of coffee that I'm getting in the habit of getting there, drank that and used the bathroom and got ready to play, I figured for a couple of hours. I checked the time when I started and it was exactly 8.
Playing went OK I guess, but the tips were not coming in very often. I still got thanks for people and the guy checking me out when I bought the coffee asked, "Are you the one playing trumpet out there?" and I said I was and he'd said it sounded great and was "a hell of a lot better than the people begging out there".
Eventually a short, fat guy came up and listened, and asked me how long I'd been playing etc., and what other trumpet players I knew, and I said I'd taken lessons from so-and-so years ago and knew another highly regarded guy (didn't mention I'd sold him a mouthpiece) and the guy said he plays guitar and we both agreed we missed Cafe Stritch, and I finally mad a comment about his contributing to my "string fund" and he put in a $5 and we bid each other adieu. That was what I'll call the TGGT or Talkative Guitar Guy Tax.
When it was 9 I felt that this was just not "my" night and I packed up and went over to the Old Spaghetti Factory. I set up there and played another hour. That place is not conducive to attentive listening, and I played tons of Saints, in every variation I can think of. Tons of drunks, and my final tip of the night was from some drunk gals (with a drunk guy) who started questioning me as I'd already packed the trumpet away but I got it out and one of them wanted to hear La Vie En Rose so I winged it and did fairly well for winging it.
Then I packed up and didn't even count the money as I didn't want any more drunks getting in my face, and rode on home using my usual meandering route from St. John to 3rd then over to 5th after a few blocks, through J-town then 7th to Hedding to 10th and back here. Zero zombie problems. The thing is, while people go to 1st for their drug and prostitution needs, and there *are* two casinos along there, no one really goes to anywhere on my normal route for things like that and the only possible trouble area is where I go under the freeway because there are zombies camped there but even they, at this time of night, are busy doing zombie things or probably all drugged or drunk for the night. So it was a very peaceful, uneventful ride.
Overall, I'd made $36.25 for the night. Someday, when I'm back home and playing around Waikiki and have made $36.25 for a couple of hours playing, I'll feel pretty good because that's plenty of money on a day-to-day basis.
The drunks stumbling around at the Old Spaghetti Factory were annoying and I'm not sure if they were drunker than usual this night or if they're more noticeable to me when I'm sober. I'm also not sure I may not have been better off just staying for the 2nd hour at Whole Foods. Less drunks, but probably less tips too.
My main failing was starting so late.
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