What Ails Ya'

I've been suffering a "cold" - or something - for going on two weeks now. But it's getting worse. Feels a lot more flu-like.

Last fall I'd gotten seriously sick... for two months! I think it was some kind of "sinus infection" that had taken on top of a cold. I hadn't realized then that I still had medical insurance coverage, and so didn't see a doctor.

A friend had sent me a CARE package, including a full course of antibiotics, which seemed to do the trick. I'm thinking, by now, that I'll need something like that again. But this time I should be able to go to a doc to get it.

Yesterday I was so out of it and feeling so lousy that I had to just lay around in a park, sometimes almost delirious. On a gorgeous, hot summer day. I also had to miss almost all of the Street Festival going on nearby, too. Drat!

Imagine feeling that rotten... and then having to camp out curbside on a sidewalk with cold, dank night air all night long. Makes for a pretty funky morn rising.

Judge Not, Lest Ye...

A couple of days ago, I had to go over to the next city to make a court appearance for the "Obstructing Sidewalk" ticket I'd gotten awhile back. It's quite a ways from my usual stomping grounds, and so was a logistical burden. Especially since you have to be at the courthouse at 7am or so, since such a long line queues up to get searched, go in to stand in another long line that snakes and doublebacks on itself waiting for shots at the clerks' windows, etc.

I managed to night over in the area and got to the courthouse a bit on the late side. So I had to come back for the court session starting at 2pm, instead of the morning one. This meant I'd not only miss the usual breakfast local to me, but also lunch.

In addition to this ticket, there turned out to... well, "another matter" on their computer. Seems that several years ago, when I got my first and only traffic moving violation (passed some cars by riding my motorcycle on the shoulder of the hiway), I'd been dealing with a lot of change and a move and had forgotten the whole thing. So I'd also gotten a Failure To Appear charge against me and, apparently, never got the mails about all this. So that had eventually become a bench warrant for arrest. And a suspension of driver's license. Yuk.

I was among the last to be called to appear before the judge. I was ready to plea "not guilty" to the sidewalk obstructing thing, because according to what the civic code actually says, I think it's clear I shouldn't have been cited. So when I voiced my plea to the judge, he advised me that the court clerk would schedule another date for a trial on that.

Then he said: "And there's another matter." Gulp. After having sat in his court and watched how he meted out his justice to quite a few others, as well as having read the single-sheet instructions that had been passed out to us, I realized a couple of things about that "other matter" and what I was probably facing: possibly being jailed or having to at least post a bail (which I didn't have) and/or pay fines up to maybe about $800 - $1,000 or so. Plus, until I managed to somehow clear all that up, I'd still have stuff on my driving record and still would have to get another driver license.

But then he went on to tell me that the actual files for these matters had somehow... been destroyed. So it was ALL simply "dismissed"! Wow. All gone. No problem.

Sometimes things work out better than we'd even dare imagine.

Cannibals!!!

They're known as Creepers. Or Midnight Creepers. Or Tweakers.

Typically, these are drug addicts - meth (speed) or crack (cocaine) or whatever. They often stay up all night. And run or bicycle around a lot. These outings include forays along their routes checking on trashcans and dumpsters, to salvage what may be found. But also to check for chances for thefts.

Unfortunately, some of the easiest targets are -- homeless folks. Especially in the urban areas where people are sleeping outdoors. After all, here a person is wrapping up in a sleeping bag, usually with their head covered too against the cold, damp night air. And unconscious. All their belongings are right there, even bundled up in packs and such.

Despicably, often these Creepers are among homeless persons, too. Cannibalizing their own. The lowest of the low. Vermin!

They even go to quite some lengths to "case" someone, by watching them over time - noting details about if and when they're alone, what they own and carry around, where and when they sleep, etc.

Just so, last week my backpack was stolen while I slept. And, inside it, was my computer, my digital camera, my ID, my glasses, and other important or essential documents, legal materials, cash on hand. etc. The computer alone contained a LOT of unique info and a year's worth of work... journaling this entire experience, logging of key events/details, a great deal of collected information and resources, research, etc. for several important - even crucial - projects I've worked hard on. I even lost a small ivory carving I've had with me since boyhood, a last remaining memento.

I'd been using the backpack as my "pillow" while I slept, along with a stuffsack for my sleeping bag, which I'd stuff my coat and whatnot in too, since it's softer. Then I'd clip the pack to the stuffsack, as well, since the two items may separate a bit through the night.

I'm not really such a sound sleeper that I'll sleep through just anything. But, at the same time, sleeping outdoors and on streets or sidewalks one must accustom to sleeping through a lot more noise and sounds than in probably most other situations.

I'd just felt (apparently, mistakenly) sure that I'd taken reasonable measures to secure my valuables like that, assuming I'd be awakened "if" anyone tried to take it. In hindsight, all I can figure is that they must've moved very, very slowly and quietly. Once they felt the tether, they must've just as slowly and carefully followed it to the clip and gingerly unfastened it. And once they'd managed to patiently and quietly ease it away from my head, then they took off with the goods. I just can't imagine any other way.

Also in hindsight, I may actually be lucky that I didn't awaken, as there are no shortage of stories of people that have gotten bootkicked in the face and/or clubbed over the head with a length of plumbing pipe, too. So I may be "lucky" that they "only" got so much from me, without my being seriously physically harmed as well.

This loss is a most grave matter. I've now lost my main source of income -- as I'd been selling items by taking digital pics and posting on the internet for sale, using a lot of email for arrangements, etc. And my legal work... my ONLY shot at both getting some justice for what's been done to me resulting in my being here like this at all, as well as possibly recovering at least some of all the earnings and losses I've been cheated out of... is now almost all gone. Or would have to mostly be done all over again. Somehow.

What's more, my remaining possessions are almost all in the storage unit I've managed to keep until now, paying rent for that while forgoing so much else, but has been largely reliant upon using that gear and method to do so. Now ALL I have is at serious, imminent risk too.

And a number of friends and acquaintances who have had less than I, and so have been similarly benefiting or reliant upon the use of my equipment and my skills with it, are now similarly deprived.

I don't know what to do. Or if there's really anything that I can do.

[This Blog Entry is being done on a borrowed computer. This very Blog may not be able to be continued as I'd planned, either.]