Sitrep

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Hey all,

 

figured i'd give an update of my doings.

 

For starters,i'm broke right down to the last dollar and still unemployed but i'm not worried much. I've let my union membership lapse again as i've come to the conclusion that i'm never going to work fulltime in a hotel again. Damn lucrative work but it's never going to be so i don't even bother thinking about it anymore. Lately' i've heard of a warehouse job that is 12 hours a day at $8 an hour. That is pretty good all things considered but i've lost my ID and am in the process of getting a new one.

Funny thing about the ID. I was having it sent to a friends place but basically he is slowly dying from a lung affliction and he's gotten so bad lately that he lost the keys to his place and mailbox and isn't in the most lucid state so he's completely indifferent to my situation. Besides, he's so far gone that he's going to be in a nursing him very soon and so is losing the apartment anyway. Now i have to find another place to get the mail as without ID in Nevada you are not a human being. I used to use his place to wash up on the weekends and do laundry also so now that is out of the question as well. Can't do anything about it.

 

Found out about work at oil camps in North Dakota and West Texas. 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, 6 weeks on 2 weeks off in conditions that some have likened to being in prison. This looks really promising though. If i can find a steady supply of painkillers i'm seriously thinking of applying. They have a steady turnover but i figure i can last twelve weeks of work i can pay the rent for a year easily.

Still at my usual camp site. Pretty safe and secure place but who knows? Around skid row in recent times we've had two murders, a guy get worked over with a pipe, same guy a week or so earlier was beaten to a bloody pulp (at my camp, i knew something was coming so i bailed), some guy beat the absolute hell out of his wife (Both had warrants and are going away for about 10 years each) i witnessed an attempted murder and in general know of about a bunch of other fights, assaults, robberies, etc. Par for the course around here. Also heard of some #%$&head i hated who got killed stealing a case of beer from a 7/11 and details about a former supervisor of mine who commited suicide a few months back. We thought it was a simple heart attack but it turns out that he drank about a quart of antifreeze. He was a sometime skid row dweller as well.

Life goes on.

Finally sobered up for a period.

About a week and a half ago, i figured that i had to quit soon so i had two tallys and waited. The withdrawal wasn't so bad this time around and so everything went fine. A few days went by and i absentminedly downed a six pack one evening and was tore all to hell the next morning. So i stayed away from anything and felt a hell of a lot better for a week until i had two tallys that a friend gave me. Needless, to say the morning after from two lousy cans was enough that i don't have any real desire to have a drink anytime soon. Feels funny not having alcohol in the system. Like there's a weird kind of emptiness in the part of the brain that felt the buzz. Sort of a void, like the nerves leading there have been severed. Don't have to worry about getting alcohol at camp, the guys i camp with smoke weed, crack, meth, and spice.

 

Well, that's all for now.

 

 

 

       

[Nesher 628]

still hoping things will turn around for the better, glad to hear you're okay all n' all.

keep the faith!

 

Cheers

[+RAVEN 414]

Just so know you are not alone. I did the “Homeless” crap for two years in Colorado, living in a camp by the Colorado river ( -6 deg in the winter) around a lot of really worthless people, working when I could , getting drunk , people killing each other over bulls**t, hiding from the cops( they would do a sweep and destroy camps) The one thing I learned from it all is “Trust no one” They are not your friends ,they will rob you blind, your life is worthless to them. I know this sounds harsh, but it’s about survival. I got lucky, my sister let me stay at her place to get back on my feet, got sober ( 3 years+) , found a job and today I turned 58. So never think it’s hopeless and remember that if you want to change the way things are going , you have to make it happen and I’ll tell you, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

Raven

[+Dave 2,322]

Keep the faith bro we are pulling for you.

[FrankTB 14]

Hope it all come's right for you bud.

[+Jug 99]

Wish you well and a few good breaks, friend.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Figured i'd add a bit to this.

 

A few days ago i went to the friend i mentioned above's place. He hadn't answered multiple calls so i figured i'd check up on him after i settled my gear at my camp. I had a talk with security and they let me in the building, knocked and called at his door but no joy. Tried the door handle and it was unlocked. Stepped in and called a few more times, then went in further and saw him on the couch. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness (the only light from the TV) i saw from his posture that things weren't right. As i got closer, i knew he was dead.  

 

Turned on the lights, took a look around and went to inform security.  

 

So it goes

 

Have to find out if police got in contact with his next of kin. If not he'll be Potter's field bound.

 

Found out beyond a doubt earlier today that there is not a single agency or shelter around skid row that where one can receive mail. Only place i can think of is about 10 miles away.

 

One thing i know for sure, once i get out of here and am set up i intend to continuously @%$^ with the so called "Helpers of the Homeless" around here. They don't do #^%$ in the long run but make money off of donations and the government.  

 

PS-Another recent killing around here. Some idiot got stabbed to death.      

Edited August 12, 2013 by Lt. James Cater