Day Seventy-Five

   ****NAMES CHANGED TO PROTECT PORTLAND'S STREET KIDS****

Nothing exciting to report about day seventy-five. I had decided before I went to bed I was going to spend the day devoted to the blog since I've been over a week behind. I spend the hour between #1 closing and the library opening looking up jobs on Craigslist. Then I go to the library to devote myself to the internet for the day.

I take two breaks from 11-8pm. One to buy a pack of cigarettes, a Popsicle and a doughnut. (Diabetes and cancer at the same time! Woo!). The other to go and pick up my prescription. My meds were supposed to be sent to the Safeway pharmacy but they weren't so I have to pick them up from the store I was previously caught stealing at.

I'm completely out of sleeping pills. Picking up my meds really can't wait another day and it's too late to transfer them. My choice is either to get the balls to go back into the store or go a night with sleep. I gotta grow some balls.

I take my hair down since I usually have it up. I've colored it since our thieving incident so that's good. I hold my backpack to the side so the design of it isn't as noticeable. I try to walk straighter since I'm normally slouching. I go directly to the pharmacy and don't stop to look at anything. They'll be twenty-five minutes filling the medications. Shit. I was hoping I wouldn't have to wait this long.

I don't do anything scandalous. Instead I buy some strawberries and browse school supplies. I pick up some notebooks and hold them. The one I bought weeks ago is almost full and falling apart. I resist the urge to get a new notebook. I have to finish the one I have before I indulge anymore I tell myself. I must stop being wasteful.

I end up purchasing a lock box for my medications. I want to turn them into the shelter because I'm sick of carrying them all the time and I forget them when I don't have them in at the desk. I also don't want to worry about them getting stolen. I asked Director Lady if turning them in in a lock box is acceptable and she didn't see a reason why not. The box however is too skinny for the pill bottles so I'll have to take it back when I can, though I don't want to go back to that particular store. It's a little nerve wrecking to be in there.

I meet up with KL for a little while before going into shelter. In shelter dinner is cabbage and green beans.  I'm not even joking those are the main courses. "Getting desperate?" I ask Director Lady. She scrunches up her nose and gives a little nod. I ask if I can run to McDonalds to get food and I'm allowed to go since I have nonuses. I sprint there and back, happy to have real food.

We have the house meeting then I decide to just go to bed. I need rest. I fall asleep talking to Ginger's Girlfriend who is going on about her pregnancy. I hear her get up to turn the light off. I sleep hard and dream of an apocalypse where I manage to stop to get pancakes from Ihop despite the impending doom of the end of the world.

--mm