TWO OLD FARTS HELPING EACH OTHER UP

15 March 2012

This morning was cold and windy. Joy was covered in a blanket, her hood pulled up, sitting on a piece of cardboard.

I mentioned to Joy that I had been talking to Shakes yesterday, “He didn’t want me to go back to work. He wanted me to keep him company. Everyone else had left.”

“If you stayed, he would have gotten so drunk that he couldn’t walk. Then he’d ask you to help him to Mom and Pop’s. That’s why his other friends go south on him. The last time I helped him, he fell down three times. I’m not strong enough to pick him up. I had to ask someone to help me to get him on his feet. We got him up and leaned him against a wall at Parliament and Queen. We left him there.

“I’ve been sitting here since six. I’m freezing, and miserable. I was so nervous this morning that I smoked a joint before coming here and I’ve been drinking. I was doing so good before. I don’t know what’s going on with Roy. I have to find a new place. I’ve made appointments to see five apartments in Regent Park; three on Saturday, two on Sunday.

“There’s been a police car parked in front of our house for the past few days. The cop will look at his computer, then look at the house. He stays there all day. It’s really got me freaked out.

“I hate kids! I don’t hate all kids, I have five boys of my own. I hate other people’s kids! Leon, who lived in the house where I am now, had two teenage kids. Neighborhood kids would come over and just hang around. They’d want to see the lizards, the snake, Harley the pit bull. Harley doesn’t like kids. He bites them. I don’t want to have to take him to the basement just so the kids can come in. I don’t want them here.

“They still come to the door. I tell them, “Leon doesn’t live here anymore. Go away!’ They say, ‘Come on, Joy, let us come in for just a little while.’ ‘No!,’ I say, ‘This isn’t a zoo. You can’t just come around here anytime you want.’

“I bought groceries yesterday: margarine, chicken, pork chops. I could really pig out. I like to have some food in the fridge for when Roy’s son comes over, but he always brings a couple of kids with him. I can’t afford to feed these neighborhood kids.

“When I took Harley for his walk this morning, he pulled me face down on the sidewalk. Roy is sixty pounds heavier than me, but even he has trouble controlling him sometimes.

A strange-looking man came by carrying a backpack. He said something to Joy, I couldn’t make it out. She replied, “Whatever.”

“Who was that?” I asked.

“One of the ‘bugs’ from the Mission.”

“What’s a bug.”

“One of the crazies. I don’t pay any attention to them.”

“All this time I’ve been venting. I’m sorry.

“Hi, handsome.”

“Hi Joy,” said a well-dressed man, with an Australian accent. He bent to put a five-dollar bill in Joy’s hat.

“Thanks, honey! Next time you go back, save some room for me in your suitcase. I’m small, I won’t take up too much space.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as he walked away.

“Well, I should be heading to work,” I said. “I’m finished here too”, said Joy. “I’ll get up first, then I’ll help you up. Look at us, two old farts helping each other up.”

~~~

 

He’s in Jail Now

10 January 2011

This morning I saw Joy for the first time since Christmas. I was so glad to see her. When I sat down beside her I noticed that she had a black eye and other bruises on her face. I put my arm around her and said, “I guess your boyfriend came back?”

“Yeah, Jake came back, he always does, but he’s in jail now. I had a real shitty Christmas. Pardon the language.”

“Are you hungry? Do you want a coffee or anything else?”

“No thanks, I’ve eaten breakfast and have had three cups of coffee. I could use some girl stuff.”

“I’d be glad to help you with that, but there aren’t any stores close by.”

“That’s okay, I’ll make out.”

13 February 2011

I worked at the Shepherds last night. I was washing dishes (not what I particularly enjoy, since there is not much interaction with the guests). I heard a tapping behind me (which I ignored), it continued so I turned around. Some of the regulars help sporadically with kitchen duties, although I haven’t been there long enough to know who does what. I turned around and J.P. was standing at the pass through where I stack the trays. He pointed at a tray of cups. I said, “Oh, you want a cup?” and commenced to hand him one.

‘No, I want the whole fucking tray, sir.”

It was so incongruous that I couldn’t take offence. I smiled and said, “Here you go, Thank you very much for your help.”

This seemed to surprise him, since he is usually the first to start fights, but he brought more dishes into the kitchen, for which I thanked him. and he grunted which is probably the closest to a positive response that he is capable of. I am feeling more and more at home there. These people truly need friends who will help and encourage them.

…

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EcoQuest Rant

Art doesn't pay the bills. I am looking for additional employment, preferably from home, to supplement my meager income. My search led me to EcoQuest which suposedly is an ethical, Christian company intent on improving the health of the nation. Following is my experience with EcoQuest:


The Emperor's New Clothes: Is "Fresh Air" a hollow promise?
by Dennis Cardiff, Oct 26 '05

My wife and I received a "Fresh Air" by EcoQuest as a free three-day test unit from Don King, a former school principal from a small town in Alberta, Canada. The unit retails for $699 plus taxes. A dealer may purchase one for $449. Phoning 212-990-7378 will supply more information on the compensation package. Don, or Sky King, as he sees himself, brags that he has earned nearly $100,000 in his first eight months with the company. EcoQuest is about making money, it is not about pure air or health care. I suspect that most of the reviews on this page were written by EcoQuest dealers.

We had no noticeable odors in our house. What we wanted was a unit to kill germs. bacteria, mold and mildew. We followed the written instructions and waited for the miracle of fresh air to begin. As suggested we tried the unit in the kitchen, living room and basement. Everything smelled much as before. We ran the unit for a few days then turned it off to see if we noticed a difference. There was no noticeable difference.

With the machine came a sheet of odor tests that one can try using onions, ammonia, smelly sneakers and cigar smoke. These are not common problems at our house so we have no immediate need to spend $699 for a machine to alleviate them. If we were plagued by such conditions then removing the offending sources of the problems would be a cheaper alternative.

The EcoQuest literature mentions the dangers of household dust containing hazardous chemicals. It also mentions that dust mite excrement is highly prone to causing allergic reactions. EcoQuest refers to the ability of the "Fresh Air" unit to greatly reduce dust and dead skin, a source of dust mite food. Does the EcoQuest "Fresh Air" eliminate or reduce these problems? It was not proven to my satisfaction! I questioned Don about how one measures the amount of dust, dust mite excrement, pet dander and pollen being removed from the air. How does one measure the amount of mold and mildew, bacteria and germs being killed? No instructions were forthcoming from Don concerning how this could be tested by a layperson. I was accused of whining and complaining. I should be more positive and have more faith. I was referred to an article entitled “Overcoming One’s Limiting Thoughts”. I approached the matter as a prospective dealer and tried to get more information as to how to present this machine to a client, like myself, who did not have noticeable odor problems but wanted germ and bacteria-free air. Don saw this as my trying to second guess everything and he suggested that if I did not act on this business opportunity I would always remain a loser. His parting remark was “Good luck in all future endeavors with the government. They need people who will TOW the line.”

I resented Don’s bullying tactics and found them very offensive. Did he learn these through the extensive EcoQuest Training System or were they a carryover from his years as a school principal? I question the treatment of prospective purchasers and dealers as errant students. Would you wish to be treated this way? EcoQuest touts itself as an ethical company. Where are the ethics?