"THE" day

 Here it is "the" day. I sorted out 25 little packages of capacitors last night while watching YouTube. I actually found a documentary about that trumpet player dude who did the voices for some of the Schoolhouse Rock episodes which is the only reason anyone my age or younger would know him at all and even then, not by name but as "the dude who did 'Conjunction Junction'". The guy was a hell of a trumpet player and was best buds with Chet Baker before he got old and very rotund, but the docu was mostly all these other "big names" in Hollywood like Clint Eastwood and Billy Crystal talking about how great he was - all white guys too. 

I read the first chapter of "Going Solo" by Roald Dahl, about his sharing a cabin on a ship to Africa with one U. N. Savory which he swore was the guy's actual name. 

I woke up, finally, around noon and read a few more chapters. It's no wonder the guy came up with so many good works of fiction, with the life he had. 

I left around 4, and dropped off some books and stuff at the Japantown little free library, then spent about $20 in $1's in Nijiya on various things. 

It was dead-dead-dead out there and I mentioned it to the guys. "I wish it was like that in here" one observed. No curiosity about the instrument case on my back. There's only so much chit-chat you can make, though. 

I rode to Christmas In The Park. I'd been mulling over all kinds of plans, perhaps going to Mountain View, then stopping off in Sunnyvale on the way back, or riding down to Willow Glen and trying those waters. But I remembered Pee-Pee Lady telling me "By the Ferris wheel!!" as the place to go, so I set up in front of the museum there, right across from it, and played. 

I made about $15 in about as many minutes, but wow it was loud. There was canned music coming from everywhere, plus the rides make a lot of mechanical noise on their own. I felt like I had to play too loud, and that it was not worth it. 

Besides, I was feeling weird and faint. I was like this all through tonight's session, like my blood pressure was low and I was having things happen like if I crouched down to do something then stood up, I felt faint. This is indeed a sign of low or lower-than-one-is-used-to blood pressure, which I'd take as a good sign even if I worried about myself a bit. 

I'd play by Johnny Rockets, I decided, but one of the vendors there had very loud music. So I moved further in, across from where the gym used to be, a door or so down from where the theater used to be. You can't miss it, really, it's right around the corner from where the market used to be and down from where the skateboard shop used to be. Where Johnny Rockets used to be is on the other end of that walkway. That's how San Jose is now; everything's where this or that used to be. 

Anyway I set up and played, and although there were far fewer people, a much greater percentage of them tipped. I kept feeling faint and my lip got worn out right on time, in the same time Pearle Vision used to promise they could crap out a cheap pair of glasses for you, "in about an hour". I made $28.

I did a few minutes more and one more tip to make sure it was an hour, and packed up. I'd made $28. With the faintness, I wasn't hungry and wasn't keen to go to this or that restaurant, so rode for home. Partway there, I decided I'd go to the casino. 

So I got back here and put things away and headed over to Casino M8trix. I was hoping they'd have some kind of Christmas special, maybe have prime rib but that's Sundays and Thursdays only, sorry,  I was told. It was very busy and the restaurant was packed. So the "Lotus Cafe" it was. Not only was M8trix one of the few places open, but they had the football game on too. 

I ordered my food - Mongolian Beef - and got one of those little stand-up things with a 4 on it. I went to sit down at just about the only place I could, at the sushi bar. The couple next to me were surprised that I had number 4 as that was "their number" and they'd been waiting "forever" for potstickers. So they, and I, went to the counter to tell them about it, with the result that they got their potstickers pretty quickly, as I did my Mongolian Beef. 

I chowed down and then went back to the counter and got a double latte. With the food and coffee and my tipping generously, I spent $29, which was just right. I sipped my latte and watched the home team get beat by the Baltimore Ravens haha. 

Then I just saddled up and rode home. So that was my Christmas.  If one is a busker, I can't imagine being in any kind of a place suitable for busking at all, and not going out busking for Christmas. Even if you don't on "the" day because of family obligations or you just don't feel like it, at least *around* Christmas. Just like Jews say "Next year in Jerusalem," I think, "Next year in Waikiki".