I don't know what's going on.

 346th day sober.  I practiced last night, and was able to play high notes fine, and put in an hour. That on top of about two hours of busking. And I didn't even switch over to the Schilke mouthpiece, but did it all on the 3C. 

I went to bed, woke up at 2:30 which is 8 hours considering I went to bed at 6:30AM. So I wasn't up early enough to play for any lunch crowd, but was probably, I figured, too early for busking in the early evening. So I took my time having coffee and vitamins and nuts. 

I got going somewhere around 5, I think, and rode without hurrying because I'd worn a light sweatshirt under my jacket which turned out to be just right. 

As I rode by San Pedro Square I noticed that not only was there no loud band, but there was quite a crowd milling around. Why not busk here? So I set up and there were tons of people hearing me but they were all in a hurry and not buzzed on beer and wine yet. I think I got a dollar after a half-hour. 

So I went over to Whole Foods and set up, and it was slow also. But I stuck it through and made $21. I figured I'd put something like 2 hours in at 7:30 so I packed up and went into Whole Foods and got some vitamins and macadamia nuts that used up the busking money from yesterday. 

Then I went to San Pedro Square again and set up and tried again. Maybe people have got a few drinks in them now and would be a little more free with their money. But ... not really. After about half an hour I'd made $3.50, with $1.50 of it in coins. 

This makes the day's total $24.50. 

I don't know what's going on. I don't know if it's just too early in the season, or if I got good tips last summer because a ton of Whole Foods shoppers were leaving California and feeling generous, or if everyone thought we were done with the virus and they were happy about that, or maybe they just got enough of me last summer although that doesn't explain the lack of tips at San Pedro Square. And I don't think it's my playing since I think I sound as good as I ever have and probably a bit better because the new trumpet is really nice sounding.

In any case, $24.50 after playing a couple of hours is a pay rate I'd find completely OK back in Hawaii. I could happily move up and down Kalakaua Avenue playing no longer than an hour in one place so store owners etc don't get annoyed, and having a good ol' time. 

After I was done at San Pedro Square I rode over to the Amazon place to pick up bubble mailers and realized they're closing earlier on the weekends. I took a tour around the "SoFa" area and the guy who's always sitting there begging with his cat and his dog was sitting there begging with his cat and his dog. I waved Hi as I rode by. 

I'd gone over there to look around and perhaps busk a bit if there were people around but it was pretty dead. In front of the opera hall was a young guy with a guitar and amp, noodling around. He had a couple of friends or hangers-on with him and I can't really say if he was busking as I didn't see any box or anything for tips. 

I rode through Japantown on my way home and it was dead too - even 7 Bamboo was more noisy than actually crowded. In front of Nijiya there was a homeless guy staggering along, cussing horribly and bothering people for matches or a lighter. There were a few people actually eating at the tables and waiting to go into Sushi Kazoo, and I circled back to see if he was actually hassling anyone. He kept asking for a lighter. I said, "I think I have one - I keep finding them on the street" and the guy scoffed at the idea of a picked up off the street lighter, but I looked in my bike bag and sure enough there was a red Bic right there. I tossed it to the guy and now he wanted me to smoke something with him. "I don't smoke!" I said, and took off. 

So in other words: Here's a lighter, you scumbag, since you can't even seem to keep yourself in cheap book matches or look for lighters in the road, and now you can smoke, which I'd never do because I'm not a scumbag, and only scumbags smoke. So go smoke your shit and leave us normals alone. 

I got back here and as I often do, take a look for anything interesting being tossed out around here. Tonight's offering was a Topeak bike rack with the extenders. That was almost $100 worth of hardware several years ago so it's safe to say it'd be that now. Needless to say I grabbed that and it will go into my stash of bike stuff.