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fotografia47 ::::::::::::::::::::::::
painting with the mind's eye
Monday, August 13, 2007 - 23:06
My life, of late.
11AUG07 | 1039
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os | Shot at Stuyvesant Cove on the East River, just south of 23rd Street ;
Manhattan.
--- entry #314 in Photo Friday's 'Oddity' Challenge ~ August 10th, 2007
===
What happened to me this weekend, and then this morning, cannot be adequately relayed at this time. I am trying to regain some balance before I attempt to write it all. But, for the record, I am definitely suffering PTSD as surely as those poor souls who are lucky enough to be returning alive from Iraq.
--- Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 ::
Sorry I can't put my past 3-day travails into prose form yet; I'm still reeling too much. Plus, I'm out again in a few hours to sell at Union Square. I will provide a list so you can get the gist of what happened.
___ SUNDAY ::
1. I left my home 1130am in the morning to go back down to SOHO,
again with only my expensive work packed in my wagon.
2. About 10 minutes later my bike tire blew out on 17th Street,
just off 1st Avene.
3. I pulled the bike, with its heavy wagon load attached, to 13th
and Avenue B ... only to find out the new bike shop there was
closed on Sundays.
4. Thank God a man passed by who told me that there was one open
on 14th Street off 1st. (Damn it! I had just trudged by that area!)
5. So I turned around and headed back to where I'd just come from.
May I remind you all that Sunday was HOT! And HUMID!
6. Two minutes later my bike wheel jammed and I couldn't move it.
Turns out that the tube was working its way out from under the tire!
7. I flagged down an angel-sent delivery guy who was gracious enough
to stop. As I held my bike steady, as well as his (with a load of food
on front and NO kickstand), he knelt down and, using my bike lock key,
cut the tube in half and pulled it out.
8. At the bike shop I was told it was a 10-minute job. It was 1215p.
I had to unhook the wagon and leave it outside; no room for it inside.
9. The fix-it guy said the rim seemed fine, but there was a burr on it.
He filed it off, at my request, and proceeded with the repair. $34.16.
10. At 119p, I re-hitched the wagon, and was on my way again, just
9 blocks south of where I started out almost 2 hours before.
11. At 131p, my rear brakes froze. I was on 10th, just off 2nd Avenue.
12. I lost it, screaming at the top of my lungs 'Does anybody know
anything about bikes?!?!'
13. One guy and a homeless couple came over. The guy knew nothing.
The couple helped me. The man said there was too much air in the tire
and it popped off the rim. He let some air out (too much, actually).
14. I took a photo of the shredded part of the tire, gave the couple
$2 (they had a bag of collected soda cans with them) and then called
the bike shop to see if someone could come to me by bike and look at
their handiwork and fill my tire up again. I was only 4 blocks away.
15. The owner said 'No, you have to come here ... but walk it back.'
16. I rode it back. Gently.
17. There was much discussion with the guy who initially fixed it.
He really didn't know what was wrong ... other than that I needed a
new rim ... which could NOT be fixed today, due to time constraints.
18. I was adamant that he try to reseat the tire. He took it in, after
I again had to unhook the wagon and leave it outside, and put the bike
up on the hoist.
19. I asked the owner to look at the damage, BEFORE his mechanics
began to right their handiwork, in case a new tire was required (no way
was I going to pay for that!), but he insisted on helping a guy fill his
soccer ball with air instead. I was livid.
20. Thankfully, an older mechanic got involved and ... voilà! All A-OK.
21. At 231p, 3 hours after I started out, I was on my way ... but NOT
to SOHO. It was too late, and I still didn't trust my bike. so, even
though I was loaded with only expensive work, I biked the few blocks
to my usual spot at Union Square.
22. I wasn't fully set-up, after re-pricing much of my work, until
415pm. And I was alone. No other artists showed up.
23. 15 minutes later a music trio set-up about 20 feet from me. Nice,
but overbased and loud. Hurt sales? Who knows.
24. At 535p, Bob came by with his son and admired my Limited Edition
(#2 of 50) matted piece, Mysterious. I had just reduced it from $75 to
$45, yet he was walking away. I had to ask him why he didn't buy it. He
pulled a few bills out of his pocket and showed me that he had only $50
on him and was about to get on the train for home. I asked if it were $25
would you buy it now? He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then it's a deal.'
25. As I bagged it for him, I said he was a life-saver because so much
has been going so wrong for me lately that I was near suicidal. He said
'C'mon, we all have bad days.' I said, 'You have no idea how awfully
slow its been these past two weeks. But, with this sale, at least I'm
only $9 in the hole for the day due to my earlier flat tire.'
26. Miracle, he gave me $30! Bless you, Bob!!!!! Enjoy!
27. His was the only sale that day. I left c. 8pm.
___ MONDAY ::
1. At 930a I found my front right tire SLASHED when I went out to
move the car due to Alternate Side of the Street Parking Rules. I did
NOT have my wheel-lock key with me. I called the police. They filed
a Criminal Activity Report for me, which may help me secure monetary
re-imbursement from the City of New York, but they weren't sure of
that. I have ONLY liability on my car; it's 23 years old.
2. I sat until 11a, when the rules end, and then asked the Gulf Gas
Station attendant if someone could change my tire for me. No.
3. Tim is out of town.
4. I must try to sell to day, when the weather is perfect.
5. If I don't find someone to help me, Wednesday I will have to pay
at least $50 for a tow to my mechanic Avi on 11th Ave @ 47th. And
then pay for a new tire ... with CASH (no CCs accepted for either).
___ Today, TUESDAY ::
If I don't sell today, I won't have the cash. My checking is $50
away from the top of my $1k overdraft protection as the Rent
hit this morning. And I still have bills to pay this month.
If the car is still sitting there on Thursday, I will get a $150
parking ticket.
Who do you think I curse?
Yes, my brother, who took nearly all of my parent's money
($24+ Million ~ see my April 28th post) for himself.
I must have Scarlet O'Hara's blood running through my veins
(I am an Aries, after all), because I wake up every morning
an optimist.
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