Clowning intensifies

 I was up in time to turn my alarm off but then went back to bed until about 10. Then did some crunches and glute stretches and finally got up and turned on the radio. 

They're doing a thing on RFK, Jr. The guy's done a lot of good stuff for minorities and the environment. Tons. But he's also anti-vaccine, thinks the CIA killed his uncle, JFK. He's 70, had a decades-long heroin addiction and goes to 9 things like AA meetings but for heroin, a week. The Right loves him needless to say. 

Based on the "vocal fry" in his voice, he'd win. It's a 2020's thing that the more "fry" in your voice, the more seriously you are taken. The guy sounds like he gargles with gravel. 

I'd be worried, though, about the heroin thing. Addicts tend to relapse. He's also pro-Putin, so he wants to ride to the Presidency on the blood and bones of millions of murdered Ukrainians.

A good motto: "JFK = Go To The Moon. RFK jr. = Go To The Loon" 

I'm getting up early enough that I now have a slim chance of being able to go to Kodesh Judaica in Palo Alto. They're open 9-2 so I'd have to get a good early start. But like so many things here, it's placed such that it's a major pain in the ass to get to for those without cars. It looks like I'd take the train to the California Avenue station, then take a cab to the place. So if I go it will be a special trip and I'll be prepared to spend a serious amount of money.  And I don't want to do that until I've sold some stuff around here so I don't have to take the needed big wad of money out of the bank. 

Other way I could go is, get that backup, "train bike" as  I term it, take my faithful messenger bag, and just hop on the train and ride over to the place. No cab needed. Those 20-inch bikes at the bike shop are light as feathers and there's a bright red one. But again, that's $500 or so, so better sell some stuff first. 

Although that might amount to spending $500 to save $50. I also want to research BMX bikes because I believe they're plentiful used, simple and nearly indestructible, and a lot of kids my size ride them. 

As someone is asking on Reddit, "What is the end game here?" For me, I'm either going to Israel to retire or ending up staying here in San Jose, in either case, gonna Jew as hard as I can. 

In the nearer term, I need to get my papers in order. At least that's a lot less expensive than memorial plaques. 

I had trouble getting myself going, but then in my idle thoughts of a 2nd bike I thought of Good Karma Bikes and had noticed they're not on Lincoln Avenue any more. So I looked them up and they're on Montgomery near Diridon station. I could check 'em out on my way to Whole Foods. 

Also I saw a guy in the parking lot, using 2 crutches and barely able to crawl along. I rushed out and gave him a big bottle of water and a $20. That could get him a cab right to the light rail at least, or something. And in this hot weather, you need water. But that left me $9 in grocery money. 

That got me going. I also felt motivated all of a sudden and photo'd my musical instruments that I want to sell. So I did that, and then got my trumpet stuff together, some trash, and a big bag of donation stuff, and took off at about 3. 

After dropping off the trash, I went to Japantown and stacked my donations in the little free library box, and got a book. Then I went down to Third to check another little free library, where I got a big book of all the Madeline books. These were books about this little girl in a school for girls in France. I remember my school had one where Madeline had to have her appendix taken out, and had to stay in the hospital, where "a crack in the ceiling had the habit, of sometimes looking like a rabbit". 

Next I went to Good Karma Bikes and they're bigger than ever. I've been following their progress for years, into bigger and better places, in better locations. I told them I like this location because it's easy to get to by bus, light rail, or train. And told the guy that I'd been looking at very expensive folding bikes, Bromptons, that start at about $1200 and had been considering just getting a little 20-inch bike, like a BMX bike. 

They had a few of those, nothing very exciting, but then the guy said they had something that "just came in today" - a Mobic folding bike. He unfolded it, and it looked pretty good, especially for $100. I said I'd take it, and will pay now and come pick it up on Tuesday (they're closed Mondays). So, done deal. I'll take the light rail there on Tuesday to pick it up. 

I went to Whole Foods and got my Cheech & Chong chicken and broccoli and a bottle of water, and ate and people-watched. Got my mouth all clean to play and figured, hell, I'm starting so late, I'll just play at the Old Spaghetti Factory.  The wind was fierce and I needed someplace that's sheltered from it. 

I went over there and played for 20 minutes, and made $2. Plus Loud Band was playing to my right and what sounded like a guitar and piano jazz group warming up to my left. I'll go to Willow Glen, I figured. So I rode down to Willow Glen and played for 40 minutes or so, adding six more $1 bills to the two I had. 

The foot traffic there on Lincoln Avenue had thinned out so much  I felt like I was just playing to myself. I might as well go back to the shop and do something useful, and besides I should have the refund money for the shofar landing in my bank account this week. 

I wanted to stop by Whole Foods for a box of Chardonnay and some cream for my morning cup 'O' Elite coffee, which turns out to mix up cold just fine. And when I got there, it seemed like the wind had let up a bit, so why not try a bit to play? So I set up and played, and the wind didn't mess with me, and it seemed like everything got more quiet, and in about half an hour or 40 minutes I'd made $25. Then a lady wanted to give me a tip from her car, and when I went up to her car window she asked, "Was that 'A Wonderful World'?" I said, Yep, by Louis Armstrong, and you can find it on YouTube. The bill she gave me was a $20 and I packed right up. A dollar a minute's more my speed. 

I also found that "Enjoy Yourself" by Louis Prima is pretty easy to play, am working on that "September" song that's going to be popular once the theaters start showing "Robot Dreams" which I want to see, and Hatikva got several plays. Overall I'd made $53.

I went in for my wine and cream and Kenny was at the checkout so I told him all my news, how I'd just been playing and the money I was spending, I'd just made, and how I scored a folding bike for $100. 

I rode home, picked up some interesting little self-published "zines", and got back in here. Hm, the office has the typical two long rectangular fluorescent lights with two bulb each. And right now only ONE bulb lights. And Ken's gone until week after next. So I'll have to figure it out. 

The darkness from only having one functioning light was very depressing so I rigged something up and now the light is at least normal, and I have my system with the two flashlight bar lights bounced off of the ceiling for Ebay photo sessions. Feh.