1-7-12
I handed in my first blog journal to Dave the other day. I'm not sure if it can be used. We've since discussed parameters (no slander, no camp politics, etc.). The no slander is pretty easy. Politics is another story. Everything about how we live, where we live, and why all has some shade of political/camp policy attached to it. Still, I will do my best to honor this parameter.
I brought out my kettle yesterday. The barter was my kettle + water for another camper's grounds. We were willing to share with others. We made the mistake of leaving the fire to do different things. Folks used the water, + we ended up using fresh water + some instant coffee. I suppose I'm happy the kettle was there still. That's always a plus.
I spent the day cleaning the tent + replacing the indoor litter pan. Up until now, the litter pan had been a trash bag folded into a pan-shape then filled with shredded paper. It later mutated into a cardboard box with low sides lined with a trash bag + filled with some combination of paper and litter. The need for a real pan was clear, over time.
I repurposed my religiously holy FEMA blankets (these cannot be washed, and have more large holes than Swiss cheese) into carpet for the litter area. As I cleaned, I noticed water under my plastic mattress. I don't know where it came from. Condensation?
I am grateful for the people who donate food, and am often amazed that they come to our tent city regardless of the cold, the rain and the wind gusts capable of sending tents flying. I read somewhere that it is crucial to think of at least 3 things each day that I am grateful for. [People who donate food] is clearly one thing we are ALL grateful for.
Wetwipes. We would build a shrine to the inventor of baby wipes. Most of us cannot afford bus fare to get downtown to the hygiene centers that often, but we like being clean. Wetwipes are a happy medium. (Remember the Saturday night baths? Like our ancestors, we are "camp-clean.")
In defense of porta-pots and Honey Buckets, I rather like them, now. I no longer feel guilty every time I flush a toilet, as it is a waterless system. Still, for those of us on diuretics, or with other medical problems, it is difficult at best to navigate out of our tents (or into shoes, clothing prior to this), over our pets, across the camp and into a commode . . . in time to avert disaster. I've yet to have food poisoning or other stomach ailments here, luckily. The same scenario would apply, I'm sure.
Finally, I am eternally grateful for the Compass Center + the existence of hygiene centers downtown. We all are. We can get our clothes clean, check our mail, and have a 15-minute shower. I've found that if I brush my teeth in my tent, I can usually do the 15 minutes — the 15 minutes start from the time you leave the [Compass Center main] desk — without someone pounding on the door. The trick is to limit what you wear in/out to save time. It sucks in cold weather, though.
There is, sadly, a fourth thing that I am shamefully grateful for, and that is the existence of other homeless people such as myself. In CA, there is a serial killer preying on us. Here, there are numerous stories of rapes, thefts + assaults attributable to living outside of a homeless community. Thefts and "tent invasions" happen a lot, even here. As far as I know, no rapes have occurred while I've been here. Assaults? Maybe. Hazing, absolutely, if that is what you choose to call it.
—H.
Editors note: material in brackets [like this] has been added for clarity.
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