A day in the life

The day begins like most, pain in my hips when I roll over. I fire up the worlds slowest coffee pot and begin to take some pills. I fire up the computer and scan the news and Emails. A republican said something crazy, the president signed another law restricting civil rights while grinning like an idiot and the Warriors lost.

This morning I am working on some remarks for the board of supervisors meeting. An anti occupy ordinance is on the agenda, an emergency ordinance this time. Health and safety is the excuse but the desire to make us go away is the motivation.
I print up what I have and drive down to the courthouse. When I hit I and 6th I get that little twinge, will the occupy still be there or was it carted away in the night? Finding it still there I gather my stuff and occupy.

I chat with folks as they enter the court house. Wave to the drivers as the go by. Some smile some return my peace sign or wave. A few shoot me the bird and yell get a job. The homeless drift in and out, one young man with a swollen I sits down and I find that he was rolled down the block. I do a quick assessment and he seems OK. Erica is coughing and complaining of flu like symptoms so I take her to the urgent care while answering questions from the armchair occupiers that have dropped by for the board of supervisors meeting.

I return in time to head into the courthouse and sit through some hearings on rezoning before we get to our topic. 10 people speak for our cause 3 against but the supes vote to bring forward an emergency ordinance asap anyway.

After the others go it is me and Dimitri and a handful of transients back on the curb. The young man with the swollen eye has taken a turn for the worse and is no longer alert. I call him an ambulance and try to keep him awake until they arrive. I retrieve Erica and her beau of the moment, bronchitis is her Dx.

The vacation home is full of folks seeking shelter from the drizzle when I return. The armchair folks tell me once again that the transients will destroy the movement before they leave to do their more important things. I resist the urge to tell them to bite me as they go to organize another petition drive or whatever.

Okie gets drunk and begins screaming from the Occupy south location. Court workers walk by and complain about the mess, “I can't believe they moved across the street” the woman says heading to her car with a few co-workers. Some one wonders how he got some of our signs and I talk to grannie assuring her that he is the same as the day before and the day before that.

As the darkness falls the others have moved on. The transients in search of drugs and alcohol my compatriots in search of sleep and a warm place to hang. I embrace the quiet and wait for the next shift to arrive. Jack denied a spot at the mission and Chris will take the late shift, I struggle to my feet the pain in my hip flaring with each step and head home to get a meal and another pain pill. Tomorrow is another day.