“On this morning’s walk, I was hit up no less than 6 times by vagrants for change or anything I could give them. I don’t know what’s happening with this population down here, they’re not going back up north for the summer, or if they are, the population that’s remaining is very high. I think that if the population triples again come September/early October that the situation here will become intolerable. I can’t see walking, y’know, 4 miles and having a bunch of hands stuck out, reaching at me… y’know, this isn’t Calcutta. I… I don’t need, don’t want, um, people in varying levels of um, mental health and physical health and cleanliness just sticking their hands out, just begging for money… can’t tell who really needs it, who wants a fix, who wants beer, uh, and who really needs help. All I can do is tell people where St. Vincent’s is, tell people where the homeless shelters are, and take it from there. I absolutely cannot give money to anyone anymore. It’s a dice roll I’m not going to make.

Well, that’s, um, officially random, I guess. Right now I’m at the Coral Square Mall, hanging out in the mostly-dead food court, there’s still a Chinese food place, a uh… random grill and a pizza joint, but all the good stuff’s gone. There used to be a French bread place… that’s gone, uh, a couple other little snacky-places that are just no longer here. And uh, I think I’ll just walk around here for a little bit then go to the club in a bit, come noon or one o’clock, and then report back home while uh my tech has to go to the gym. I’ll take call. Then my night’s free. I’ll have Saturday night and all day Sunday to do walkabout and hang out and have fun. Don’t know what I’m gonna do yet, but I’ll take things as they come.

I hope your day is good, I’ll talk to you later, dear journal. You have a great one. Bye.”

Transcribed by: scottobear