A Cold Day in Hail

Shortly after my I posted about being thrown out in the storm, Manthri, owner of LuLu's offered to front me money for a place. This was upon urging by RadicalFanatical, one of the Sentinel Forum participants, to apply for a room at The Palomar. They stated they had called and and been told I could get in within a month.

The Palomar is an SRO (Single Room Occupancy) residential hotel. In other words, an old hotel that has been converted to housing for the poor. The rooms have a private bath but no kitchen. Nor do I know if there is any internet access available in the rooms.

Upon the urging of the forum members, and upon promise by Manthri to front me the money to move in, I submitted an application. Manthri put one condition on the loan, that I repay it before I move.

The application asks for 5 years of employment history and 5 years of past landlord references, and 3 personal references. It also states half-way houses don't count.

Monday morning I took a different route than normal to Pergolesi, down River Street instead of Pacific. I think it was because I had to go to the bank. But the point is as I was passing LuLu's at the Museum I heard my name, and upon looking around realized I was being hailed by Manthri.

I said, "You must be Manthri," and we shook hands.

Later that day it hailed.

Manthri said he left $25 for the credit check with the manager at the Palomar. I said I would call Monday, but that was before I realized Monday was a holiday. And now it's Thursday. And raining. And cold. I hear the roads are closed up in the mountains and there is snow on the ground. All the newspapers in San Francisco and San Jose, and locally, have front page stories about the snow, and pictures.

I think it was that same day I called Jhond and spoke more about his cabin. I called more due to the urging of Robert than anything else. I know this time I said, "Why don't you tell me what you have in mind?". About the point he said he hoped to have the place ready in a couple of weeks and that his current tenants are willing to pay $800 for it - at about that point my eyes began to glaze over.

About noon today the California Supreme Court found that it is not a violation of 215 for employers to fire medical marijuana patients who test positive for marijuana. So far there are about 400 articles on the internet about it. I would like to believe this is the tipping point that spurs the public to rise up and end this insane "Drug War", but I don't have any faith in the character of the American people any more.

This morning, to avoid the rain, I walked under the awning in front of the bike shope and flower shop where the police forced me out in the rain during our hurricane-force storm of the decade. It appears the person who came out from behind the buildings and yelled for the police to arrest me because I was causing a disturbance was from the bicycle shop. The guy in the flower shop didn't look all that friendly, but he wasn't the heckler. It was the guy from the bike shop. Where they sell the really expensive bicycles.

Other than the incident during the hurricane-force storm the police have pretty much left me alone. I thought they were going to move me along last night. I was standing at my accustomed sleeping spot, having a cigarette watching the rain when a car pulled up in front of me and an officer asked me if I'd been there all night. A bit taken aback by the question I replied, "I beg your pardon?" and then answered the question with a simple "No."

And then he asked me if I'd been at LuLu's, and even more puzzled, I replied, "No".

It seems LuLu's had called the police about someone at the back door. With me standing there the officer repeated the description he was getting over his head set; red beard, tall, green pea-jacket...nothing at all like me.

And he said, "That's not you." And left.

Flyfisher offered me a sleeping bag, mat, and so forth which I left a pm that I could use. But I haven't heard any more from them. It's been several days. And the fact is the zipper on my sleeping bag has about had it. Sometimes it takes four or five trys before I can get the zipper to close.

The offered it to me back in October and I told them to go to Hell. I can't remember why exactly, and wrote a lengthy explanation/apology on the forum the other day. To which they responded that my apology was accepted and they still had the stuff if I wanted it.

To Kill A Mockingbird

I see it's been almost a month since I've posted here.

The harassment and abuse continues unabated. We had a big storm Friday. That would be four days ago. The power went out in the morning and by noon everything had closed and the streets were abandoned. Pergolesi's was probably the last place to close.

I made it to the awning of Shay's Flowers, a block away, and resolved to stay there until things cleared up.



They're saying it was the storm of the decade in Santa Cruz; gusts of wind of to 80 miles per hour.

My cell-phone had been taken several days previously and I had just received a replacement. Fortunately, I was overdue for an upgrade, so I was able to replace the phone at no cost, except to commit to two more years with AT&T. And, having nothing else to do, I read the manual and figured out how to use the phone.

I hadn't eaten all day, and with the power out and everything closed I was wondering how long it would be before I could eat, and if I would be able to eat that day at all.

I was truly miserable, alone on the deserted streets in the howling wind and driving rain.

And then someone shouted from a passing car, "Is that medical?" and flashed a badge.

And then pulled over next to me. I got my paperwork out, in the storm. But they weren't interested in that. At first they told me it was illegal to smoke marijuana in pubic. To which I replied, "No it's not."

I suppose I did it with such assurance that they decided to change tack. In any case, their next assault was that I was on private property and had to move.

They were so hostile I don't think I ever got to the point of explaining to them I didn't have any where else to go. I know I did mention I was there to stay out of the rain, and they were throwing me out in the rain, and they were harassing me.

I woman arrived, to return videos I think. I explained to her what was going on and she did say, "Don't you have something better to do, like cars crashing into telephone polls and stuff?"

Two police arrived, and Baker said, "That's so you know we're real cops."

They asked me what my disability was and I believe I said, "What business is that of yours." because I had the sense they were hoping to escalate me to the point they could 5150 me. One of the police put on gloves and I said, "Are you going to arrest me?" and he replied, "No, it's cold. My hands are cold."

That seemed to diffuse things a bit, but as escalated as I was I couldn't continue to deal with them, and then an old man came out from behind the businesses and said, "Will you arrest him, he's causing a disturbance", so I said, "Am I free to go?". Baker quickly said, "Now we're getting somewhere." It was clear to me then their whole point was to harass me and drive me out in the rain.

I posted a thread on the local paper with a brief description and two photos I took.

I had just gotten the replacement phone, and wasn't sure how to work it. I remember I took it out and Baker asked what I was doing and I said, "Trying to call a friend for help". But I realized I would never manage it without my reading glasses, I didn't really know how to work it, but I could get a picture of them. So I took pictures of each of them. Baker said, "Did I authorize you to take that picture" and I said, "Am I under arrest, Am I free to go?" And he said, "Now we're getting somewhere," and I beat a hasty retreat into the rain, screaming "Rot In Hell Damn You" several times before they escalated me to the point the would have an excuse to 5150 me.

Here is what I posted on the Sentinel's forum under the title
Heroes of the Storm.

Pergolesi was probably about the last place to close in town, after the power went out. They closed about noon, best I can recall. When the storm was still at it's height.

I made it to the awning of the flower shop on the next block, and resolved to stay there until things cleared up.

I hadn't eaten, and I remember wondering how long it would be before the power was on and I could eat.

I was just finishing a bowl when a someone shouted something from a passing car. They said, "Is that medical" and showed me a badge. I said yes.

They stopped got out, and informed me I was on private property.

They told me it was illegal to smoke in public and to do it in private.

I told them it wasn't.

They ran an ID check on me. I got out my paperwork, but they didn't want to see that.

The whole point was to run me out in the rain.

So I hope you will help me salute these heroes of the storm:







And let's also salute Ryan Koonerty and the City Council and the Downtown Association, who have lead Santa Cruz to surpass the Old South in downright cruelty and meanness.