MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'homelessness'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:02:40 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622202&cid=t_122107_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F22%2Fnotes-from-a-lecture-homelessness-and-health%2F I have notes from at at least three lectures I need to write up here; this is the first, on homelessness and health. Upcoming posts when I get a chance to process my notes will cover a talks by Bishop Gene Robinson, on adolescent hormone therapy for trans youth, and on taking a sexual history. The post below is from a talk I attended on February 2, 2011. As part of the larger workplace’s Health Disparities Week 2011, I attended a lecture by Robertson Nash, MBA, MSN, ACNP, BC entitled “Homelessness and Poverty: Suffering in Nashville.” Nash is a nurse practitioner and has worked with homeless populations in Nashville in various capacities; his talk emphasized the causes and cycle of homelessness, and focused somewhat on breaking down people’s assumptions on what caus... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622202 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:42:29 +0100 4622202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4606038&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=39203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdawnwillis.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F17%2Fevicted-watch-this-piece-of-film-remind-govt-why-this-cant-keep-happening%2F Link to True Vision film: http://www.truevisiontv.com/evictedfilmlink/index.html     ALSO FROM TRUE VISION PRODUCTIONS: Zimbabwe Update Note from Brian Woods: If you saw Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children last year, then set your Sky+ to record the Update Thursday 17th on BBC TWO at 11.20pm. It’s a cutdown of the original, followed by a wonderful update on how the kids lives have been transformed by viewers’ donations since we finished the film. Heartwarming stuff (but better recorded and watched at a more civilised hour!)   Filed under: News, Views, All Topics Tagged: DWP, Eviction, Homelessness, Housing Benefit, Poverty, Shelter (Source: Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy) Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4606038 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:31:43 +0100 4606038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361249&cid=t_122107_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F17%2Fthank-you-candy-crowley-and-state-of-the-union%2F “I think you might have bipolar disorder,” he (psychiatrist) said. “Oh, thank God,” I answered. Surprise registered on his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that reaction before.” “No, I am so relieved,” I said. “Now that we know what it is, we can fix it.” Andrea Ball (Statesman.com) – Jared Loughner and the [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361249 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:22:55 +0100 4361249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746964&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fregarding-sunset-brews-and-my.html This seems to be this biggest source of contention with my readers on the blog these days – my drinking of my nightly sunset brews.  I have received more well intentioned advice and concern on this subject than more than anything in years.  I am trying to emulate the homeless Albert Vanderburg's nightly routine on Waikiki beach of this same ritual.  If you’ve known me for long, then you know I love rituals and routines. I also tend to romanticize the homeless lifestyle, and this routine seems so masculine, worldly, and helplessly homelessly romantic to me.  George will love reading about it in the blog posts I am mailing him each day.  He will live vicariously through my words and I have him in mind many nights when I drink them.  We both lived a pseudo ho... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746964 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:25:00 +0100 3746964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3743709&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fregarding-sunset-brews-and-my.html This seems to be this biggest source of contention with my readers on the blog these days – my drinking of my nightly sunset brews.  I have received more well intentioned advice and concern on this subject of more than anything in years.  I am trying to emulate the homeless Albert Vanderburg's nightly routine on Waikiki beach of this same ritual.  If you’ve known me for long, then you know I love rituals and routines. I also romanticize the homeless lifestyle, and this routine seems so masculine and helplessly homelessly romantic to me.  George will love reading about it in the blog posts I am mailing him each day.  He will live vicariously through my words and I have him in mind many nights when I drink them.  We both lived a pseudo homeless existence for... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3743709 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:25:00 +0100 3743709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706894&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Felation.html I can remember back in the early nineties when I was first diagnosed as schizophrenic.  I was strangely elated.  Most people would cry in horror at being diagnosed with such a devastating disease of the brain.   We now knew what was wrong with me – the strangeness with what I had struggled with since I was a child.  The paranoia.  The delusions.  There was the hope for help with a solid diagnosis.  I had answers and not some nebulous accusation of lack of character or laziness for the cause of my problems.  Medication after medication was tried with little absolution to my problems, though.  It was a time before the atypical antipsychotics were discovered or were still in clinical trials.  I grew depressed and drank heavier and heavi... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706894 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:40:00 +0100 3706894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581564&cid=t_122107_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F19%2Fhealthcare-for-single-homeless-people%2F Title: Healthcare for Single Homeless People Skinny: Presents the results of analysis aimed at better understanding the health needs and relative healthcare costs of people who are homeless or living in certain types of insecure or short-term accommodation. Using Hospital Episode Statistics combined with other data sources it is estimated that this client group use around 4 times more acute hospital services than the general population. For inpatient costs, the figure rises to 8 times when the client group is compared to the general population aged 16-64. The most common reasons for admission include toxicity, alcohol or drugs and mental health problems. Different models for provision of primary care services to this client group are discussed and the barriers experienced in accessing main... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581564 Wed, 19 May 2010 18:50:00 +0100 3581564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3567886&cid=t_122107_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F10-best-posts-on-thegloss-last-week%2F photo: Patricia Schlein/WENN.com Here are ten of our favorite posts from last week on our chic sister site, TheGloss. Click and enjoy. 1. The “Philosophy” of Overspending on Beauty Products 2. 11 Supremely Awesome Things for Under $10 3. If You Want to Boycott Arizona, You Need to Boycott Dial, Coldstone Creamery, and U-Haul 4. Derek Warburton on Growing Up Homeless – And Working With Bottomless Closet Now 5. Do You Want to Date Hot Men Reading Books? 6. Beauty Treatments of the Damned: The Derma Roller 7. Why I (Really, Seriously, Truly) Hate Carrie Bradshaw 8. Is This Hamburger Dress Hilarious or Horrible? 9. Catholics Divorcing So Fast They Decided to Throw a Fair 10. Eau Is Me: My Favorite Scents for 2010 Post from: BlissTree 10 Best Posts on TheGloss Last Week (Source: B... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3567886 Sun, 16 May 2010 15:13:59 +0100 3567886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545616&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmental-health-woes.html “You can’t drive when you are like this,” dad told me the other day as he yanked my car keys from my hand.  “You are outta your gourd as far as your mental illness is concerned.  You don’t even know what day of the week it is.” I was busily packing up my car with all the things I needed to live successfully on the few thousand acres of land my family owns.   I had put so much in the car that you couldn’t see out the rear view mirror and back window.   I was going live homeless in the woods where no one could find me or bother me – my social anxieties had been screaming for a break from life for days.   I was also extremely delusional my father told me.  “You were making up some wild and convoluted stories that just did not make... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545616 Fri, 07 May 2010 14:56:00 +0100 3545616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542850&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmental-health-woes.html “You can’t drive when you are like this,” dad told me the other day as he yanked my car keys from my hand.  “You are outta your gourd as far as your mental illness is concerned.  You don’t even know what day of the week it is.” I was busily packing up my car with all the things I needed to live successfully on the few thousand acres of land my family owns.   I had put so much in the car that you couldn’t see out the rear view mirror and back window.   I was going live homeless in the woods where no one could find me or bother me – my social anxieties had been screaming for a break from life for days.   I was also extremely delusional my father told me.  “You were making up some wild and convoluted stories that just did not make... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542850 Fri, 07 May 2010 14:56:00 +0100 3542850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526930&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmy-thoughts-for-blogging-day_03.html Move Along… One of my favorite blogs for years was The Homeless Guy.  Being formerly homeless, I was all too keenly and acutely interested in all things homeless.   Kevin Barbieux, The Homeless Guy, gave up writing his blog for the most part and took up a home on Facebook.  Well, you are not missing anything if you fear you can’t read him on Facebook as he rabidly controls who can be his “friends”.  He exemplifies what I so dislike about Facebook – that the medium is full of mindless blurbs with no substance.  Long gone are the interesting essays Kevin used to write for his blog – essays that would make you think even though you might disagree.  I have later learned as I have grown as a person that the guy is a complete idiot, but I still find... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526930 Mon, 03 May 2010 11:46:00 +0100 3526930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416302&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fgiving-thanks.html I sat down this morning at the desk in my computer room to write today’s gratitude list.  I had so many thoughts on my mind and so many things to be thankful for. Number one was yesterday.  I had a mental illness free day and they are rare.  For that, I was so thankful.  No racing of the mind.  No endless pacing of the floor to chase away my mental illness blues.  No feelings of overwhelming despair.  This morning I am thankful for my central heating and air.  I woke up very cold and heat was just pushing a button up a few degrees much to Maggie’s chagrin.  I basked in the warmth shedding clothes.  I have to remind myself of my homeless days and those times I would be so cold I would cry.  My only recourse was to crawl into my slee... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416302 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:28:00 +0100 3416302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346708&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fmy-thoughts-for-end-of-blogging-day.html The Changing of the Guard… Mom has this completely obsessive compulsive need to see about her children’s needs.  Dad doesn’t share this to her extent.  Dad made me promise not to tell mom I was out of food or it would have been a major family crisis. lol  Well, I have been worried about mom and all she does for me lately.  I want to lessen my burden on her. “She’s getting old,” dad said of mom last night.  “She can’t even hardly take care of herself, let alone you as well.” I took this as a signal I need to stop some of the things mom is doing for me on a weekly basis.  How these various tasks for me get started, I don’t know, but mom can always seem to make life more complicated than it needs be.  Mom came by at five this evening wi... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346708 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:38:00 +0100 3346708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316124&cid=t_122107_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F27%2Fbon-jovi-rocks-for-the-homeless%2F My wife is a big fan of Bon Jovi, so when I read this article about Bon Jovi’s fact-finding efforts to help better understand homelessness in order to help it through his foundation, I couldn’t help but blog about it. If you didn’t know, a significant portion of homeless persons have a mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. It’s hard to know for certain, but research suggests that approximately 2 out of 5 homeless people have a mental health issue. Bon Jovi wants his foundation to do more to help the homeless: That’s because this tour in support of Bon Jovi’s latest release, “The Circle,” is also a fact-finding mission. The singer plans on visiting as many homeless shelters and programs as time allow... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316124 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:00:01 +0100 3316124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294790&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmagical-hour-begins.html The Magical Hour (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues) The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294790 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:07:00 +0100 3294790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227986&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fchoices-and-ramifications.html I had been homeless for about six months when I called my mother from my deceased grandmother’s house.  I had a key from when I lived with her.  Mom, her usually fretting self, immediately went into action.  She turned on the heat and made me a bed. “You’re not going to be homeless,” she told me. My father wasn’t too pleased, but what could he do?  Cast his son aside despite all his faults and drunkenness? I had planned on going to Nashville to live.  From reading “The Homeless Guy” I knew I could get a place to sleep, three meals a day, and social worker help.  I would also have my full disability allotment to drink with.  I wouldn’t have any expenses other than cigarettes and beer.   It was sad, though, that my life had come t... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227986 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:25:00 +0100 3227986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193662&cid=t_122107_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F21%2F8613%2F Title: Devolution’s impact on low-income people and places Skinny: Explores the key findings emerging from research and seminars across the UK and identifies some of the key challenges in the years ahead if devolution is to make more of an impact on people and places in poverty. Explores trends in social and economic disadvantage as well as policy developments in the following areas: housing and homelessness, employment, neighbourhood regeneration and long-term care for older people. Publisher: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Size of Publication: 20p Published: 13/01/2010 Posted in Grey Literature, Homelessness, Housing, Poverty, Regeneration, Research, Social Exclusion, Social Inclusion Tagged: Devolution, Employment, Homelessness, Housing, Long Term Care, Policy, Poverty, Regeneration, Rese... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193662 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:10:20 +0100 3193662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3178743&cid=t_122107_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F16%2Fall-i-want-for-chistmas-somewhere-to-call-home-a-report-into-the-plight-of-the-82000-homeless-children-in-england%2F Title: All I Want for Chistmas… Somewhere to Call Home: A report into the plight of the 82,000 homeless children in England. The Skinny: Report by Grant Shapps of the Conservatives on the state of homeless children in England. It finds that: 82,780 children in England will be in temporary accommodation on Christmas Day 2009 6,500 of the families leaving temporary accomodation have waited over 3 years to do so Poor health is twice as prevalent in children in temporary accomodation 33% of children in temporary accomodation have no school to go to One in four households are in temporary accommodation for over a year and 4 percent are in temporary accommodation for over 5 years before a permanent settlement can be found. One in three homeless children will develop a major mental disorde... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3178743 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:17:33 +0100 3178743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3129471&cid=t_122107_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F29%2Fdiversity-in-health-and-care-2009-vol-6-no-4%2F This article examines the attitudes of nursing staff towards people who are homeless and the subsequent impact that such attitudes may have on the quality of care. Contact the library for a copy of this article Posted in Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Health Outcomes, Homelessness, Nursing, Prejudice, Stigma (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3129471 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:27:42 +0100 3129471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039732&cid=t_122107_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F30%2Fswine-flu-and-rough-sleepers-for-organisations-working-with-rough-sleepers-in-england%2F Title: Information for organisations working with rough sleepers in England Skinny: Information prepared for those who are working with or providing services for rough sleepers during the swine flu pandemic.  It provides advice on how to support rough sleepers and signposts to guidance and other useful sources. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 5p Published: 25/11/2009 Posted in Grey Literature, Homelessness, NHS, Voluntary Sector Tagged: Grey Literature, H1N1, Homelessness, Influenza, NHS, Pandemic, Voluntary Sector (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039732 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:29:06 +0100 3039732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912264&cid=t_122107_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dare-to-dream.us%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2Fbarriers_behaviors_subcultures_and_the_homeless_po.php I really enjoy reading the blog Kellevision.com. She says it like it is and seldom misses the point of what she's writing about. She identifies a problem in programming for homelessness and proposes a set of concepts to help clarify the situation. Image via Wikipedia Many of the "barriers" faced by the chronically homeless are not external. They are self-inflicted. Repeatedly failing to pay one's utility bills is not a barrier. It is a behavior. Repeatedly getting into relationships with drug addicts and being evicted because you have allowed your new girlfriend to turn your affordable housing into a crack house is not a barrier. It is a behavior. Choosing to pay your boyfriend's bail instead of the rent is not a barrier, it is a behavior. Consistently refusing to hold down steady employm... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912264 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:12:07 +0100 2912264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2852033&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fkeeping-up-appearances.html It's a novel thing me keeping myself up.  For a year, I would go without shaving for a week.  Sometimes it would be days before I showered.  I wouldn't buy deodorant for sometimes months.  I would wear the same clothes for days.  Soap was like kryptonite. It exasperated my father. "Take some pride in yourself, goddamnit!" he would say to me. "Shave and get yourself cleaned up!  We didn't raise you to live like this!" It was my mental illness.  I felt too terrible to do anything of the sort.  It was the most maligning form of apathy - an apathy that put a big wedge in between my father and our relationship.  He's keen on keeping up appearances.  You never see him without crisp, clean dress shirts.  He always has a da... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2852033 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:22:00 +0100 2852033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2839066&cid=t_122107_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2Ff4qOM9-tvak%2Fpolice-and-mental-health-emergencies.html [Image by nikki_tate.] Crisis Intervention Team Collaborative, community-based crisis intervention training for police members who respond to mental health emergencies. More info. . (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2839066 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:30:06 +0100 2839066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2738029&cid=t_122107_154_f&fid=35946&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianmedicinenews.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fmeet-your-new-cma-president-elect.html At last week's annual Canadian Medical Association conference in Saskatoon, delegates elected Dr Jeffrey Turnbull to be president-elect, meaning he'll become president next August in Niagara Falls.Dr Turnbull, an internist by training and a 2007 inductee into the prestigious Order of Canada, has been involved with many, many aspects of medical practice, medical education and medical policy. He's led innovative programs to treat homeless patients in Ottawa. He's helped develop a "wet shelter" program for alcoholics that provides them with a fixed number of drinks doled out over the course of the day, to try to get their habits under control. He's also worked overseas on many occasions, with patients in need in countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria and elsewhere. And he recently becam... Canadian Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2738029 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:24:00 +0100 2738029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2255990&cid=t_122107_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2nX4f9l5GWI%2F The National Center on Family Homelessness has generated headlines today by releasing a report that claims “one in 50 children is homeless in the United States every year.” That would be a total of 1.5 million homeless children, a truly shocking figure. The number is all the more shocking because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says there actually only 671,000 people were homeless in 2007 (the last year for which data is available), of which only about 249,000 were people in families. Assuming even one adult per family would mean there were around 166,000 homeless children, far too many, but also far fewer than 1.5 million. What accounts for the discrepancy? First, the National Center uses an incredibly broad definition of homeless. For example, in addition to thos... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2255990 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:39:10 +0100 2255990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284283&cid=t_122107_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FNRycQnXyyrA%2F The following is a guest post from Tamar Abrams, a communications strategist working with nonprofits, individuals and foundations. Until August 2008, Ms. Abrams was Vice President of Communications at Population Action International and has also been on staff at NARAL and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Below, Ms. Abrams shares her thoughts on children affected by homelessness. One in 50 children in the U.S. is homeless each year, according to America’s Youngest Outcasts, a new report from the National Center on Family Homelessness released on March 10. An astonishing 1.5 million homeless children! Chances are you’ve met a child who has spent time in the uncertain and violent world of people without homes. You may not have known – often they look very much like our own ch... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284283 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:55:19 +0100 2284283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039801&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fgratitude.html I've got it.  I worry about being all pollyannaish on this blog.  I have so much gratitude lately, though.  Just a moment ago, I was laying in bed resting with Maggie and I felt giddy.  I keep saying, "If you were homeless then you couldn't have this."  Maggie.  My warm bed. My TV.  Internet on demand.  Warm and dry clothes.  Central heating and air.  I really owe my father so much. Earlier in the day, I went over for my two Cokes.  Dad surprised me by being there and not at work. "Help me with some lights outside," he told me. We got out and finished stringing the rest of his Christmas lights on his front hedge.  I love these times with my father.  He sure had a dry humor about him today. I laughed and l... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039801 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:57:00 +0100 2039801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2032977&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fblog-beginnings-and-looking-ahead.html One bitterly cold December night years ago I got on the web at my deceased grandmother's house and searched for information about homelessness.  I had been homeless for about 2 months, recently divorced.  I found The Homeless Guy blog.  Wow! Homeless people have websites and people are helping them too!  I quickly realized, though, that this "homeless guy" was a con.  There was nothing to help the homeless on his site.  Only him.  His gift bags for the homeless idea was something for Christian "do gooders" to do when a lot of the homeless wanted burgers, cigarettes, and beer.  I did start my own blog.  It was called "Homeless and Disabled in Alabama."  Wasn't that just pretentious?  The Homeless Guy liste... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2032977 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:10:00 +0100 2032977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905903&cid=t_122107_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2008%2F10%2F24%2Fstudy-33-of-alcoholics-had-adhd-65-of-drug-users-had-adhd%2F CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal that habit-forming illnesses can be associated with a high comorbidity with ADHD, expressed in the form of alcohol abuse and also in consumption of illegal drugs. The results underline the great importance of early and adequate diagnostics and therapy of ADHD for the prevention of habit-forming illnesses. While adults with ADHD are only 5% of the population, ADDers are dramatically over represented in people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs, the SMALLEST numbers I’ve seen on ADHD and addiction are 20-25% in peer reviewed clinical journals in Pub Med, (a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine indexing articles from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles) and I’ve frequently seem much larger ones. If adults... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905903 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:34:53 +0100 1905903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1788619&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fferret-follies.html Did some scouting down at Ferret's old homeless campsite this morning with the intent on going camping.  It is by the grand Chattahoochee River within a stones throw of the municipal water treatment plant.  The Homeless Guy's recent article on Nashville's tent city got my interest in camping piqued.  The place is still heavily littered with beer cans, though.  And I would also be trespassing if I camped there.  After leaving the campsite, I rode my mountain bike across the highway to the shopping center.  None of the gang regulars were out today. I would have liked to have talked to Big S for a bit.  There was a call from Rosa when I arrived home.  We haven't talked in weeks and now she is wanting to borrow my car for a day.  No thanks!&#... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1788619 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:50:00 +0100 1788619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1785797&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fexcellent-article.html Excellent article on Nashville's tent city which is soon to be demolished.  Find it on The Homeless Guy.  There is also this excellent photo essay to view.  (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues) The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1785797 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:46:00 +0100 1785797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522044&cid=t_122107_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fhomelessness-as-public-health-issue.html To read my recent article on Nurse LinkUp vis-a-vis homelessness and public health, please be so kind as to click here. And thanks! (Source: Digital Doorway) Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522044 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:20:00 +0100 1522044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1477789&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fwhat-next.html Okay, so I joined Second Life by downloading the client and creating an account.  The Homeless Guy spends all his days in-world and I am infatuated with the guy.  I search for his name, Rez Messing, and add him as a friend.  He accepts much to my very own shock.  But what do you do?  It seems to be a glorified chat client.  And what would buying land with real dollars do for me?  The world is so big that it is easy to get lost.  I am completely lost already.  I seem to be stuck in the Badlands of Second Life.  The Homeless Guy has started an in-world group to create avenues of communication for homeless people.  I joined, but excuse me?  How would some virtual world ever help homeless people who are sleeping on the streets and eat... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1477789 Thu, 29 May 2008 20:44:00 +0100 1477789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451697&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Ftransitions.html "The Homeless Guy" is having trouble transitioning to a homed life.  I know the feeling and can understand.  When I first got my apartment over at my late grandmother's house, I slept on the floor in my sleeping bag.  The mattress was just too soft and springy.  I would find myself spending the next two years camping out a lot out-of-doors.  Only feeling comfortable in wide open spaces inside my tent often in my very own backyard.  It took a long time to break this habit.  Long time.  The trouble is that there are no transitional services.  You are thrown into a home and expected to be grateful and joyful.   When reality says this is uncomfortable or unnatural.   So, I know how he is feeling.  He is at the point of no re... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451697 Sun, 18 May 2008 18:35:00 +0100 1451697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1393665&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fwilly-nilly.html Dreamed last night I was homeless again.  It happens quite a bit.  I often think of selling everything I own and striking out for Nashville.  I could cavort with "The Homeless Guy" as we sat in coffee shops with our laptops.  I'm starting to come to the realization that I need an austere life just to stay alive.  I do everything in excess and don't know how to moderate my tendencies.  I drink a case of diet coke a day.  I smoke 2 packs of cigarillos a day.  I go on great droughts of not eating then eat in excess.  Everything about me is black and white.  Dark and light.  Binge and purge.  So, that brings me back to the austere life of a homeless man.  I get it in my head that this frugal life will avail me of my urges -- the ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1393665 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:59:00 +0100 1393665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353966&cid=t_122107_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F07%2Fself-empowerment-through-running%2F If you live in any decent-sized city in the U.S., chances are you drive or walk by a person who’s homeless every day. People who are homeless exist in most industrialized societies, and it’s an issue that has no easy solutions. Anne Mahlum jogged by homeless people every day, like thousands of others do. But one day, she decided to take action. “Why am I running past these guys?” recalls Mahlum, 27, on CNN.com. “I’m moving my life forward every day — and these guys are standing in the same spot.” Instead of continuing to pass them by, the veteran marathoner sprang into action so they could join her. She contacted the shelter, got donations of running gear, and in July 2007 the “Back On My Feet” running club hit the streets. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353966 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:01:10 +0100 1353966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337847&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fnew-to-homelessness.html   When You Fall...You Fall to the Bottom Every few days, we get a call at the office from people who are new to homelessness, and they cannot believe that they have to go to a shelter. They are losing their home or their apartment, and are calling around a long list of numbers hoping for some help. There are some who had no idea that their landlord was being foreclosed on, and were told that they had to find some other place to live. The middle class has shrunk over the last 25 years, and there are many more people who are in danger of being homeless. Here are a few things that you need to know in order to prepare for the "Brave New World" without a safety net: When You Fall...You Fall to the Bottom This is the kind of altruistic information on homelessness that you never get to read ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337847 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:35:00 +0100 1337847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321995&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Ftrainy-easter.html It is Easter morning and I am hanging out at the railroad tracks.  I am sitting on the bench by the railroad museum.  Not one train has graced my presence since I've been down here.  The train crews must have Easter off.  Disappointed, I walk on up to the shopping center.  It is closed.   It reminds me of how disappointed I always was when I was homeless and holidays arrived. The holidays always left you with nothing to do and reminded you of how lonely you were.  I walk on around the shopping center and pass by the spot where Clara used to sleep.  It makes me think of her and the fact that I haven't heard from her in months.  You can still see the remnants of her addictions.  Beer and liquor bottles, and old discarded and empty packs... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321995 Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:14:00 +0100 1321995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1272482&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fhomelessness-and-addiction.html I was thinking about this after listening to Fresh Air on Tuesday on WCPN featuring a meth addict and his dad. David Sheff and his son Nic each wrote books about their experiences. I understand "tough love" and all that, but it does not seem to work. Addictive personalities must hit bottom and lose everything in order to get help. http://clevelandhomeless.blogspot.com Kevin, The Homeless Guy, Barbieux is advocating for alcohol to be illegal to known alcoholics.  Again, this serves to show his ignorance of addictions as it relates to homelessness and people in general.  He continually talks out his ass, but will allow no recourse on his blog.  I posted the above to his blog comments a moment ago after a very limited cursory search of homeless blogs.  He will not publish ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1272482 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:31:00 +0100 1272482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1237739&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Ftough-times-in-new-york.html The Homeless Guy in New York City is going through a rough time.  We corresponded briefly when he was in prison for felony assault.  He is struggling with his sobriety, and being on the streets of New York, homeless, has compounded this problem,  This blog post from a few days ago touched me.  You could almost hear the desperation in his voice. Hi,I am not feeling alive today!I feel depressed. I am going through the motions of going to meetings, calling my sponsor and…just doing STUFF to occupy time!Today, my clothes smell. And it’s NOT from me. It’s from hangin’ around FUMIN’ bums in the shelter!! It’s so DISGUSTING!!!GOD HELP ME!!!!Chris (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues) The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1237739 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:47:00 +0100 1237739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1211983&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fteetering-on-edge.html I just took Ferret some sandwiches.  I had noticed this morning that he looked like he has lost a lot of weight.  I parked at the railroad museum and made my way back to his campsite which is just beyond the railyard.  "Lunch," I said loudly as I walked up to his tent so as not to startle him.  Big S said he was back down here and he was.  I could hear him stirring in his tent. He had gotten drunk enough where he wanted to sleep it off.   Ferret poked his head out of his tent.  And then proceeded to teeter on his knees as he urinated out his tent at the threshold of it's door.  I could help but laugh.  He was pretty drunk. "You hungry, man?" I asked. "What did you bring?" Ferret asked, slurring his words some... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1211983 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:20:00 +0100 1211983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1211984&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Ffoolhardy_06.html Ferret had been drinking earnestly since last night.  I watched him carefully for signs of being drunk.  There was a swagger in his step.  His voice was slurred.  He was loud, boisterous, and foolhardy. "Just how much have you had to drink?" I finally asked him. "Dat nigga sho can drink!" Big S chimed in, laughing, as I said that. "I had a twelve pack of ice beer last night and one during this morning's storm," Ferret told me. "Jesus," I muttered. Ferret slinked off towards the convenience store to buy a pack of cigarettes.  Big S began to ask me about Kevin, the homeless guy.  Big S is fascinated that I have an online life revolving around blogs.  I told him Kevin was still doing the same crazy shit he has alway... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1211984 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:28:00 +0100 1211984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1197403&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fday-of-thanks.html Today has been a day of thanks.  I've thought all day how cold I was when I was homeless, and so enjoyed the heat of this house.  I sat at my kitchen table eating a hot ham and cheddar sandwich tonight as Maggie looked on earnestly getting little morsels.  "Thank you!" I said aloud as I was eating. "Thank you for this food and this warm house and thank you for Maggie."   I want to wrap my father in my arms tonight and give him the biggest hug of thanks.  He saved me from destruction.  I would have never gotten sober if he didn't make alcohol so hard to get.  I have tears of joy in my eyes as I write this. Tonight, I will do a video of Dad coming over and how excited Maggie gets when he does.  Y'all should see her!  It will be posted around ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1197403 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:18:00 +0100 1197403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1181600&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fgot-till-it-gone.html There was a homeless man at tonight's AA meeting.  He was scared, had been drinking, and didn't know what to do.  He used his time to speak tonight to ask for help.  Several people came to his aid after the meeting.  I spared him my information about Clara and the Rescue Mission.  AA people do take care of their own. It made me think tonight how lucky I have it, even though I might bitch and moan about not having a job and financial independence. I have Maggie and Rosa and they are both healthy. I have my own health these past few weeks.  I have a home. I have plenty of food my mother buys for me. I have warmth. I have a very reliable car that should last me for many years. I have plenty of furniture including a soft bed. I have a reliable computer and steady ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1181600 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:33:00 +0100 1181600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1179614&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fmission-of-mercy.html Ferret asked me this morning to drive him down to Perlis truck stop for a shower.  I think the shower cost $7 dollars he said.  It was a long drive down the interstate without my radio as it says I need to enter a code to get it to work (some anti-theft bullshit).  They unhooked the battery when they changed the locks on my car.  I suspect I will have to take it to the dealership and fork out moolah to get it fixed. Ferret looked like a new man after a shower and shave.  I dropped him off at the laundromat in town so he could launder the clothes in a big black plastic trash bag he was totting around.  "I am still going to get a home," he told me fiercely as he got out of my car. "Keep talking like that and you will," I replied as I bid him goodbye. I drove off... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1179614 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:43:00 +0100 1179614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173031&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Ffun-times.html Ferret was in a rare good mood this morning.  He has been so dour lately. "I am going to get a home," he fiercely told me as he sipped on a 40 ounce of malt liquor this morning. "I swear. I am." "Good," I replied. "You can do anything if you put your mind to it." "How did Clara get a home?" Ferret then asked. "I got her a ride down to Columbus and she went into a program for homeless alcoholics at the Rescue Mission." "Do they take men?" "Yes, they have a men's program.  I almost went to join myself about a year ago when I couldn't quit drinking." "It has been so cold lately and I feel cold all the time.  Always shivering and having to wear layers of clothes.  And I stink." I was expecting Ferret to ask me to take him out to the truck stop for a shower, but he didn't.&n... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173031 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:43:00 +0100 1173031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169536&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fobsessions.html Rosa was being kind of demure on the phone early this morning.  Lots of sexual innuendo going on.  I wasn't interested and wanted to talk about homelessness. "You are obsessed," Rosa finally told me. "All you think about is homelessness." I just smiled, hung up the phone, and went to tell Maggie I loved her.  Maggie loves me, obsessions and all. This morning no one was down at the shopping center which was odd.  I was feeling overly social and wanted to live vicariously through Ferret's experiences.  I wanted to hear all about the beer he drank the previous night.  The sleeping in his tent.  That first cup of alcoholic coffee in the morning he always has.  I started to realize Rosa was right.  I have an unhealthy obsession about things homeless ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169536 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:37:00 +0100 1169536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1165278&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fno-camping-tonight-and-missive-to.html Dad has yet to arrive with my meds and it is dusk.  I don't think I am going to hike down in the dark only to stumble in the woods trying to set up my tent.  It was fun planning and preparing for my trip though.  What I wrote Ferret tonight to give to him when I arrived.  It was a brainstorm thing.  I feel people like Ferret and I have lost those basic fundamental skills in life that allow the majority of people to keep a home.  How to keep a home.... Getting a home is not hard.  You have to sober up.  Take your meds.  And go to the doctor.  Work falls into place after your sobriety and mental health is restored.  Taking your medications can be the hardest part as the nature of our illnesses automatically makes all medications suspect... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1165278 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:32:00 +0100 1165278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1165280&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fconfused.html I've really tried to support The Homeless Guy lately.  His getting a job went a long way to restoring my faith in the guy (It is the only way he will get a home).  Yesterday, though, he posted a blog post begging for a laptop saying he sold the other one.  It bothered me.  It pissed me off.  Why?  I am not sure.  I do think he is amoral and unethical though.  I, personally, couldn't come to you all begging for something.  I probably would think differently about the begging if he wrote a groundbreaking blog or was actually doing something to help the homeless.  I've been reading for years and I've never seen him do anything tangible to help the homeless -- he was always just self serving.  Why do you read? I thought today. Because you ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1165280 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:23:00 +0100 1165280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1165281&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fpreparations.html I have my now antiquated CD/MP3 player loaded with an audio book: The Kite Runner.  In my backpack are "fuel foods" for warmth such as granola bars, GORP, and some ham and cheese sandwiches.  I've got two thermoses soon to be filled with piping hot milky and sweet coffee and the coffee should stay warm until morning.  My spare handwarmer will soon be lit and tucked in my pant's pocket.  I am all ready to join Ferret.  The last piece of this puzzle allowing me to camp is my father arriving with my medications.  We talked briefly on the phone and I told him to bring me some extra Benadryl so I could sleep.  I also told him I would be camping tonight. "Camping?" he exclaimed. "It is going to get down to eighteen degrees!" Dad knows of Ferret and the shopping... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1165281 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:56:00 +0100 1165281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1162478&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fsnow-if-falling.html The snow is really coming down now.  I thought it would never start.  I put a video up on the weather blog of it.  Most people don't realize how exceedingly rare this is for us.  It may not snow again for another five years.   I am worried about Ferret.  He is sitting down in that tent by the river most likely getting drunk and oblivious to the weather.  It is supposed to get down to 17 degrees tonight.  His sleeping bag is rated at 20 degrees.  He was mumbling something about staying with his mother if the weather got bad.  I hope he does.  (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues) The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1162478 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:07:00 +0100 1162478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1159458&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fit-interesting.html It's interesting how someone with no home and little money can more likely get help for an addiction.  I have often noted this glaring introduction to reality when I tried to reach out for help these past few years. "Oh, you have Medicare." or "You have a disability income." or "You have a home." Somehow, this precludes me from getting help.  Clara was a terrible, irascible alcoholic, and homeless when she sought help.  She was able to secure some housing via section 8 and get in an outpatient program for alcoholics down in Columbus, Georgia.  There was help there available for her.  James Christian is homeless in NYC and has recently been able to get into an outpatient program for homeless alcoholics.  I am not complaining, mind you.  I have far greater ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1159458 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:31:00 +0100 1159458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149583&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fwarm-hands-warm-hearts.html "Here, take this," I told Ferret this morning. "It is a hand warmer.  It kept my hands toasty warm all during my homeless days.  It feels great down your front pocket." "Thanks," Ferret said grabbing it. "It is already warm." "I lit it before I left the house.  Should be good for another six hours or so." Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most when your homeless.  Warm hands on a cold day.  Hot, nourishing food in your belly.  And yes, beer for what ails you if I must digress. It was cold this morning.  The kind of damp cold that seeps into your bones.  So cold that Big S didn't make an appearance at the shopping center.  Ferret was sitting down there, though.  "How did you sleep?" I asked him living vicariously through his wor... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149583 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:02:00 +0100 1149583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147230&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fhomestead.html Spent some time this morning in the cold helping Ferret carry the last of his belongings to his campsite.  The campsite is a mess and looks just like some ne'er do well homeless person has set up home. Beer cans are everywhere.  An old fire pit sits with half burned trash hanging out of it.   Ferret's belongings are scattered about under a tarp tied between trees.  "You're going to draw attention to yourself," I warned Ferret. He didn't seem too concerned.  It is paramount to be stealthy when homeless.  The cold is already getting to him.  Ferret walked all the way down to Wal-Mart to buy some warmer clothes.  He changed in the bathroom and threw his perfectly good clothes away in the trash can. "I didn't want to have to carry them," Ferret told... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147230 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:00:00 +0100 1147230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146120&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fhappy.html It is lunchtime Saturday at the shopping center.  The regulars are all abuzz about the grocery store having a new manager.  My old boss, Jay, has gotten a promotion to regional manager.  He always was a great guy who worked his ass off.  "Here come's the money," Big S tells me with a feverish grin. "Ah, you think you can start back panhandling," I reply. "At least for a little while," Big S says. Ferret soon comes sauntering up with Dexter.  Ferret doesn't have to panhandle.  With no bills, his disability allotment keeps him in drink.  And panhandling is always about addiction and not true need.  Big S panhandles to help pay for his expensive premium cigarette habit.  "Damn," Ferret tells me. "It was cold as shit this morning." "Maybe that will ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146120 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:57:00 +0100 1146120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146124&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fcrash-and-boom.html "You should have seen and heard the thunder and lightning last night," Ferret said this afternoon. "Nature put on a grand show!" "Did you stay dry in your tent?" I asked. "Perfectly dry," Ferret replied. I was envious of Ferret.  I love nothing more than camping in arduous weather.  I've been thinking of starting back my camping forays.  "What were you drinking last night?" I then asked. "Natural Light Ice," Ferret replied. "The king of beers!" I laughed and shook my head.  The king of beers for alcoholics was what I was thinking.  These ice beers are specifically formulated for heavy drinkers and to appeal to someone who has an alcohol problem. I finally left Ferret to walk to Rosa's house.  I couldn't get her to the door so I headed on home.  She must h... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146124 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:01:00 +0100 1146124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142281&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Faimlessly-we-wander.html This afternoon found me aimlessly occupying the bench next to the dollar store.  Rosa was with me.  She loves to hang out down there and smoke cigarettes.  We had just eaten a lunch of tuna sandwiches at Rosa's house.  "This is just like my homeless days, except there are few homeless people," she told me. "You are forgetting Ferret," I replied. "He's homeless by choice. He doesn't count," Rosa responded. I laughed.  I had heard from Clara this morning and was telling Big S about it. "She has turned her life around," I said. "She is still sober, going to outpatient treatment, and attending A.A. meetings." "Damn," Big S replied. "That is hard to believe.  She was worse than Ferret when it comes to drinking." "Believe it, my friend," I said. Now, Rosa has expres... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142281 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:47:00 +0100 1142281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142283&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fwalk-in-park.html I left Rosa in the bed early this morning unable to sleep.  The wee hours of the morning found me sitting in my favorite park, smoking cigarillos, and enjoying this warm air -- a mild, pleasant stretch of weather to revel in. "Your blessed," I thought to myself as I listened to Coast to Coast AM, and took great, hardy drags of smoke from my cigar. "Things have been so good lately I don't think you know how to handle it, or to enjoy it to it's fullest. Savor this time in your life." Far too often my life was arduous and full of strife.  Drunken debauchery.  An unwell mind.  Strained relations with my family.  It all added up to me being a bundle of nerves and raw emotion.  A great, tense miasmic mess of a human being.  To my surprise Ferret was sitting out... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142283 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:19:00 +0100 1142283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1136745&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fgreat-glorious-day.html The weather is gorgeous here.  It is almost hard to believe it is January.  The sun is shining.  The temperature is in the low seventies.  And only a few clouds are in the sky.  I have been sitting outside in my backyard for the longest time playing with Maggie.  I worry about her. She sleeps all the time these days as if she is bored.  She grows so excited when I walk outside, attacking that pair of socks I have let her have.  That always makes me smile. I am still waiting to hear from a detective about my car.  I doubt they will ever catch the perpetrator.   The first thing I am doing is driving down to Opelika, Alabama to Vocational Rehabilitation.  I can't overcome my fear to call, so will drive down there and speak to someone... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1136745 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:12:00 +0100 1136745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1136746&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Ftime-is-nigh.html Big S told me at lunch that Ferret was seen walking down to the woods with a grocery cart of his belongings.  He "borrowed" the cart from the grocery store's parking lot at the shopping center. "He had everything," Big S said. "He was asking where you were so you could buy him a tent.  He was also drunk as a son of a bitch." "I can't even afford a chocolate bar these days," I told Big S. "I've had to borrow money from Rosa to cook meals." I walked on down to the woods beyond the railroad museum.  There sat Ferret getting drunk amidst his gear about a hundred yards from the clearing and the tracks.  "It is a beautiful day!" Ferret exclaimed drunkenly. It was nice.  The temperature was in the sixties and it had yet to start raining.  Ferret had a tarp tied to fo... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1136746 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:29:00 +0100 1136746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1136859&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=34843&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.furiousseasons.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2Fah_the_divided_world_of_mental_health.html Twenty years after the Prozac revolution took hold in America with all of its remarkable promises of cures for scientifically-determined mental health diagnoses through recalibrating human brain chemistry with drugs that offered few if any side effects, I am literally stunned at how divided people who care about these issues remain on basic issues such as the chemical imbalance theory of mental illness, diagnoses of conditions and the treatment of these conditions. That's bad news from where I sit because I view the evidence base as being so corrupted that it's not to be trusted and am puzzled that people keep aggressively defending its precepts. But it's good news that people are obviously passionate about these issues, even where their critiques are largely off-base. Which is a long way... Furious Seasons blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1136859 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1136859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1132107&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fof-least-of-us.html I've been reading The Homeless Guy for four years now every day.  I still have tons of questions, but the guy won't allow comments or answer emails.  I used to be very critical of him.  I thought he was arrogant and his blog was nothing more than a front for a very wily panhandler.   He still miffs me when he posts the simple post, "Saturday is my birthday," just to generate Paypal donations.  I read along as he took and took and never gave anything back -- his blog being the only contribution to helping solve homelessness.  A subject dear to my heart.  He is now down to about 200 readers a day as you can see by clicking on his sitemeter button from a high of thousands.  I won't gloat though.  I really want to see the guy get a home.  ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1132107 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:31:00 +0100 1132107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1130895&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Finto-breach-dear-friend.html It was another cold morning at the shopping center.  Ferret and I sat drinking coffee and people watching.  Ferret told me this morning that he was going to be homeless again.  He said it so matter-of-factly that I didn't quite know how to take it.  "They're foreclosing on my crackhead landlord's house," he said as if it was just a passing thought. "What about the apartments up the street?" I asked, worried. "Surely, you can rent one of those." "Those places are a dump," Ferret replied huffily. "Besides, I kind of like being homeless.  I have more money for beer." I started to make a mental list of what Ferret needed.  He needs a new tent and a much warmer sleeping bag.  Luckily, the dreaded Wal-Mart has those items.  He also needs some heavier cloth... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1130895 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:12:00 +0100 1130895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1128567&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fday-wanes.html It has been another very pleasant day.  I could get used to my days being like this -- my life being so calm and serene -- my feeling well and mentally fit.   I have the drama of my father coming over tonight, but I am going to do my best to just smile and not let anything get to me.  I am going to let the negativity flow past me like water under a bridge. I still haven't poured out those three beers.  They sit beckoning from my laundry cabinet.  As I get to feeling better, I can be misguided and think I can drink again -- that those terrible panic attacks were just a fleeting thing.  I know I need to pour them out so don't hammer it home and don't remind me.  I just keep thinking that I may need them.  Or is it that I want them?  Rosa woul... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1128567 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:24:00 +0100 1128567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124132&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fno-problems-i-swear.html It is so easy to come to this blog and write about problems, but I feel good.  I feel so good, in fact, that I've had a perpetual smile on my face all evening.  I want to be able to come to this blog every night saying the same thing: no problems. I swear! "What's gotten into you?" Rosa asked me a minute ago. "I think my Luvox is working," I replied. "I never gave it much of a chance as I was always throwing up my medications." "Dumbass," Rosa said jokingly. "Take your meds!  I love to see you smile." Charlie has yet to arrive with tonight's medications.  I eagerly await my Benadryl.  It always makes me sleep like a baby.  I, too, welcome Charlie's company.  I admire my father's best friend so much.  He came from a family of fourteen children and had... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124132 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:09:00 +0100 1124132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1117545&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fwhy-do-you-always-want-to-be-homeless.html That is a question I got asked in an email tonight.  I wanted to write, "I don't know."  But I do know why when I think about it.  I already suffer from a low sense of self esteem and lack of confidence.  Homelessness is the bottom rung of the ladder.  I would have no further to fall.  No more disappointment in myself and disappointment of me from my family.  I could take some twisted sense of comfort out of there not being able for this angel to fall any farther.  Maybe I am misguided, but there seems to be much more interest and help for the homeless both positive and negative. than for just some homed, mentally ill guy in small town Alabama.  I could apply for programs not having an income.  My medications would be subsidized.  Reli... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1117545 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:51:00 +0100 1117545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1116101&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fhomeless-in-long-beach.html It is that most wonderful time of year for homeless people. There is something about the Thanksgiving holiday and approaching Christmas celebration that brings out the goodness in people. Perhaps seeing a tattered homeless person causes them to feel grateful for the things they have and the giving spirit of Christianity takes a hold of their hearts. Churches, that regularly prepare and serve food for the homeless and hungry, have an overabundance of volunteers at this time of the year. It seems that everyone wants to do something special to help brighten up a homeless person's life during the Thanksgiving to Christmas holiday season. Homeless people truly appreciate the generosity of spirit, but also chuckle about the lack of help come January and February. Read more at Homeless in Long Be... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1116101 Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:48:00 +0100 1116101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1111828&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=34843&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.furiousseasons.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F12%2Fpharmaceutical_nation.html The Census Bureau yesterday released its 2008 Statistical Abstract of the United States, a publication that is almost always fascinating for what it tells America about itself by the numbers. Pharmaceutical drugs stand out in the new abstract--which if you've never read, I suggest that you look it over sometime online or at the library because it is nothing if not revealing--but then if you read this site, then that's probably not a shocker. Some numbers: "Prescriptions have increased over the past decade to 3.4 billion annually, a 61 percent increase. Retail sales of prescription drugs jumped 250 percent from $72 billion to $250 billion, while the average price of prescriptions has more than doubled from $30 to $68." I had too long of a day--I worked two eight-hour shifts inside of 24 h... Furious Seasons blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1111828 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1111828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1072293&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Ftalk-talk-talk.html Well, I managed to hike six miles this morning.  I hike around three miles an hour for a total of two hours walking.  I already feel better.  Those endorphins were really flowing across my synapses.  I needed a purpose to my life.  That is what I miss most about working -- the structure it gives you. I am still kicking around volunteer ideas.  My ex-wife no longer works at the library (she recently quit) so I may ask them.  The humane society volunteer position petered out.  They only had around twenty dogs and were having to find things for me to do.  With my social anxieties, it made me extremely uncomfortable as if I was a burden to them.  I spent most of my time standing around with nothing to do with my hands in my pockets.  I can... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1072293 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:10:00 +0100 1072293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1070955&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fadolescence.html I've known a lot of homeless people.  Ferret and Clara come to mind as the most pertinent examples.  There seems to be common themes.  Substance abuse and/or mental illness are the most glaring causes of homelessness.  I was homeless mainly because I was an alcoholic who couldn't get sober no matter how hard I tried.  I lived to drink and lived for the next drink.  I couldn't afford rent with my drinking problem when confronted with my paltry income.  I made a conscious choice to be drunk and homeless, than sober with a home. Another thing I have noticed with homelessness, is the petulant and childlike qualities a homeless person will exhibit.  It is as if they never grew up.  I've been reading The Homeless Guy for years and it never ceases to a... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1070955 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:47:00 +0100 1070955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1068633&cid=t_122107_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F12%2F04%2Fmapping-health-care-for-the-homeless%2F The Queen’s Nursing Institute have produced ‘On The Ground: Mapping Homeless Healthcare’ a report on nursing care for the Homeless. Key findings are: One in three homeless young people have attempted suicide. Mental health problems are eight times more likely if you are homeless. Homeless people are four times more likely to use A & E Services. If a homeless person is injured it is four times more likely to be because they have been assaulted. The life expectancy for those sleeping rough is 42 – down from 47 a decade ago. (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1068633 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:42:23 +0100 1068633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060979&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Flatent-memories.html I stopped off at the convenience store this morning. My favorite clerk fronted me a cup of coffee as I am penniless. "I'll pay you back as soon as I get some money," I told him. "Don't worry about it," he replied with a smile. "I pour out as much as I make these days." The coffee was wonderful on this cold morning. The temperature was right at freezing and that hot coffee warmed my numb hands. I then sat out on the wall beside the convenience store watching people coming and going. Most were headed for work -- something so foreign to me. I thought about my life these past few years -- the life of the gilded one. Not a day goes by that I don't wake up thinking about homelessness and my own bout with it. Life seems too easy these days. I wonder when the ball is about to drop. This morning in... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060979 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:50:00 +0100 1060979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1059929&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fwayward-souls.html "How can you sit out all day in this cold?" I asked Slop this morning. "You get used to it," he said. "It is better than sitting home all day and listening to my sister's kids aggravate the shit out of me." I chuckled as I took another drag off my cigarillo. "Seen George yet?" Slop asked. "No," I replied. "I don't have enough gas to get to Opelika and back." Slop is on disability like me. He says his sister is his representative payee and uses that money to take care of her five kids leaving him with nothing. He always seems to have money though and certainly isn't missing any meals. Slop must weigh 300 pounds. "What's happening with that homeless guy you were always reading about on the web?" "You mean Kevin?" I asked. "Yeah, that crazy homeless guy in Nashville." "Oh, he is still milking... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1059929 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:13:00 +0100 1059929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=931029&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fremembrances.html Days with weather like this will always remind me of my homeless days -- overcast and dreary, and threatening rain. The temperature being less than optimal and feeling rather chilly.  One time in my tent comes particularly to mind as I was trying to stay warm on a cold and rainy night.  I had rode my motorcycle in from the country to update my blog at my late grandmother's house.  I drove home in a driving rain, freezing cold.  I could feel raindrops like shards of cold, biting glass leaking into my shoes making my socks grow wet.  It was mid December and was threatening sleet with the temperature just hovering above freezing. I finally made it back to my campsite out in God's country and wrapped up in my warm sleeping bag after changing into dry clothes. My feet w... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=931029 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:48:00 +0100 931029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914029&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthunderbird.html The morning started out innocently enough, but went downhill as the sun rose high in the sky.  I found myself standing in the line of the convenience store with four green bottles of Thunderbird wine in hand and an uneasy feeling.  I almost felt nauseous knowing what I was doing, but the urge to drink was just too strong. It is a compulsive urge that is hard to describe.  You can't think farther than the moment at hand -- an acute lack of foresight and conscience.     "Did you get them?" Clara asked me anxiously as we walked back up to the shopping center. She had been waiting outside the store for me. "Here," I replied as I handed a bottle of wine to her. Impatiently, she unscrewed the cap and took a long drink after looking around for the... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914029 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:07:00 +0100 914029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=948828&cid=t_122107_111_f&fid=36538&url=http%3A%2F%2Fernursey.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fernurseys-patented-toxic-foot-odor.html Well you asked and here it is. Have on hand foaming peri-wash spray or if you don't have that, spray betadine, 3 red biohazard bags (they are just thicker and sturdier than regular garbage bags) and 3 inch tape. Quickly strip off shoes and socks and secure in first biohazard bag. coat each foot in foaming cleanser, put each feet in a biohazard bag and secure by taping around the bag, taking care to not tape too tightly and not tape directly to skin (to make a biohazard bag sock.)Now here is a little known fact about me that not even some of my closest friends would guess, I buy good condition used shoes at Salvation Army and stash them in the ER, I also buy white athletic socks there or at the dollar store. After the toxic feet have been percolating for a bit I give them a good soak in a c... ERnursey - An emergency room nurse blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=948828 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:58:00 +0100 948828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=889558&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fgleaned-from-kind-soul.html Last night at A.A. I gleaned a word of wisdom from a long time A.A. goer. "Walk," he said. "Feel like you are going to drink? Get out of the house and walk."  That is what I did this morning. I got up.  Ate a granola bar.  And set out through my neighborhood in the chilly air to shake off these urges I was having.  I donned my radio and made great strides early this morning as I passed by the many houses -- their occupants sleeping within. Fueled by my desire to be a sober man -- a respectable member of society. It really does work.  I felt so calm when I arrived back at home.  The urge to drink had left me. Another A.A. goer last night also shared with me that he reaches out to newcomers when he feels the urge to drink. "Be of service to others," he said. "Al... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=889558 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:11:00 +0100 889558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=840442&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fof-homelessness-and-deodorant.html I actually showered today, which was a plus, but I forgot the anti-perspirant, a minor setback. While at Krystal's, writing, I realized among all the unwashed employed, that I smelled. My old nemesis, social anxiety, hit hard. I had to find some deodorant. Off to Wal-Mart I went -- the grand tabernacle of all things cheap, tacky, and made in China. I can find my way in and out of our local Wal-Mart faster than any man alive when they have enough lanes open which rarely happens. My deodorant was purchased and I glided it on in the car. I felt immediately better, as if someone had applied some soothing magic balm. Social anxiety is weird in that way. I no longer felt I stood out. I made my way back home now exhausted from my shopping spree. I sat out on my porch smoking one cigarillo after a... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=840442 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:57:00 +0100 840442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=829885&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fhomeless-makeover.html Clara is not an ugly woman. With some makeup and nice clothes she could look really presentable.  She is in her late thirties and still has perky breasts and a shapely bum. "I couldn't have kids," she told me one day. "That's why no man wants me."  I stifled back a remark about how she lives her life is why a man wouldn't want her, but who am I to judge? She had gathered herself today and was doing better. "You hungry?" I asked her, wanting to buy her a meal. She flashed a wad of what looked like five dollar bills as she grinned furiously. "Been panhandling over by restaurant row," she replied. I sat with Ferret as we talked about our postponed camping trip -- our homeless homecoming. "You know what I hate?" Clara said interrupting Ferret and me. "I hate when you ask for a f... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=829885 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:23:00 +0100 829885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=827890&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fworse-for-wear.html I thought I would go for a long bike ride today. Preparations were made. Bottles of water in my backpack. Snack bars in the side pockets. I was ready to go and set out in the abnormally cool morning air. I rode downtown and stopped at the tracks to watch a freight as I munched on a sweet and salty trail mix snack bar. My initial hopes were to get some of this wanderlust out of me. I grew tired though -- out of shape. I used to could ride for miles without tiring.I moseyed on up to the shopping center and chained my bike to a post. Big S asked me where I had been. "Not far," I said as I laughed. "The tracks and back." George was also down there and we had a little talk about why he has been avoiding me."You've become militant about this whole not drinking thing," he told me."I just don't wa... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=827890 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:51:00 +0100 827890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=822274&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fpanacea.html I am listening to Joni Mitchell's Hejira as I sit listlessly down at the shopping center as people escape their cars to come and shop. That song Black Crow begins to play on my mp3 player and my foot taps contagiously to the beat. There's a crow flyingBlack and raggedTree to treeHe's black as the highway leading meNow he's diving downTo pick up on something shinyI feel like that black crowFlyingIn a blue skyIt reminds me of the first time I heard this album. I thought I had found heaven. Drunk songs. That's what they are. Songs listened to on long drunken drives out into the country -- to escape the people that so mystified me and scared me. Soundtracks of a life that once was. I shouldn't be listening. It makes me long for a beer.Clara, the homeless woman, is mulling about down there toda... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=822274 Sat, 25 Aug 2007 20:51:00 +0100 822274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=821256&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fenabler.html A whole passel of the gang is out today at the shopping center. It is scorching hot with a thirty percent chance of precipitation. I say a little prayer for rain. I am sitting on a bench by the dollar store as I watch clouds billow and build in the sky in the afternoon heat. Big S is sitting by the grocery store sweating profusely -- a handkerchief in his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. I am also sweating something terrible and notice I smell. Clara comes sashaying down the sidewalk -- a vibe in her steps. It is contagious. "You got five bucks?" she asks me as she stops. "I can't enable your drinking," I say honestly. We then get in an argument over the semantics of the word enable.   "I am going to drink no matter what you do," she says coarsely. "So wh... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=821256 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:08:00 +0100 821256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=816565&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fgotta-do-what-you-gotta-do.html Most of the morning was spent down at the shopping center. Lazy. Yawning. Smoking. Watching people come to and fro. I noticed Clara busily panhandling. People would escape the grocery store only to get caught in her web. I never could panhandle. My social anxieties would prevent me. It was too much like being a door to door salesperson except your customers come to you."Doesn't that embarrass you?" I asked her during a lull. "I gotta do what I gotta do to eat," she said. You gotta do what you gotta do to drink, I thought flippantly. I would watch her garner about five dollars and go in and buy a bottle of Boone's Farm wine. The cheap stuff. $2 dollars a bottle. Clara finally tired of panhandling when she had generated enough money. She came and sat beside me -- her wine hidden in a brown p... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=816565 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:44:00 +0100 816565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=807268&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fmeant-to-be.html I couldn't sleep. I left Rosa snoring in the bed and rode my bike downtown. The cool night air belied the scorching hot day previously and the day ahead. I felt strange riding my bike so late as if the police were watching me upon those deserted streets. The prying eyes of this small town are always on the lookout and forever vigilant.   When we are missing, people look for us. There was a time in my life that I could have gone missing for weeks and no one would care or come looking. When someone is gone, we imagine the best for them and the worst for us. Oftentimes, our imagination is crueler than reality.  We’ll whine to our friends, using words like “depressed” and “miss” interchanged with “so much!” That was... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=807268 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 07:46:00 +0100 807268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806884&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fsunny-sundry-saturday.html Violent storms rolled through last night keeping me awake until well after midnight.  The wind blew the rain up against my storm windows making me feel as if I were caught in a hurricane.  I finally went to sleep to thunderous booms of thunder.  I awoke early this morning and decided to catch Ferret down at his campsite before he would get out and about.  I walked into Ferret's camp just as he was cooking something over an open fire like some hobo from the long forgotten past.  "You hungry?" he asked. I looked in the pot to smell a mix of cream of mushroom and chicken soup according to Ferret.  It looked vile to me.  "No thanks," I said. "I cooked a big breakfast at home." Ferret then asked me to walk across the road and buy us some beer as long as I woul... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806884 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:44:00 +0100 806884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=805834&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Ffinding-ferret.html Daring.  Full of Bravado.  Like some Don Quixote attacking a windmill.  I trudged downtown after parking at the post office a moment ago.  I was determined to find Ferret.  Not long into my walk, I ran into Dexter, George's mentally retarded, but oh so funny and kind cohort.  "Seen Ferret?" I asked. Dexter turned towards the river and pointed. "That way," he said after asking me for a few dollars.  I continued on with my march after putting my wallet back into my back pocket now less five dollars.  Into the woods I went behind the railroad tracks searching for Ferret's campsite.  I finally gave up after looking for thirty minutes, scratched by underbrush and weary from the heat. "Damn you Ferret," I said. "Where in the hell are you camped?"... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=805834 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:53:00 +0100 805834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=803497&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Ffinding-fountain-of-life.html I noticed that homeless woman once again today.  Hair amiss.  Fingernails like tiger's claws.  Shirt torn in the back exposing her bra strap.  She looked like some wild child out of Kipling's Jungle Book.  I gathered up the courage to do something small for her.  I bought a small insulated, collapsible cooler at the dollar store and bought some ice cold bottled water.  It would fit easily within her backpack.  "Here," I said. "A gift from the heavens." She smiled broadly as she looked in the cooler to find the cold water. "No beer?" she asked. I laughed. "If I still drank, I would buy us both a beer and we would get a buzz." The bringing of the cooler completely broke the proverbial ice.  "Clara," she said, shaking my hand. "My name is Clar... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=803497 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:18:00 +0100 803497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=801302&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Friver-to-gulf.html I sat down at the river on the banks of the Chattahoochee after lunch.  It was a long bike ride from home in the heat.  "You've done better lately than you ever have," where the words of my father from last night that echoed through my mind as I sat there.  "I try to forget about being homeless and you should, too," were Rosa's words that were also worrying me.  Stone after stone was thrown in causing great ripples in the swirling green water that would disappear in the current.  I needed to get out of the house and clear my head.  I have been experiencing cabin fever thus my recent thoughts of giving it all up and becoming homeless once again.  I then left the river and swung by Rosa's house.  She scolded me for my recent actions. "You seem spa... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=801302 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:29:00 +0100 801302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=801303&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fleast-of-us.html Rosa picked me up a sandwich from the local diner for supper last night. Toasted white bread piled high with roast beef, American cheese, mashed potatoes, and gravy. It was sloppy, but oh so delicious. I had to eat it with a fork and knife. I finished off the meal with a large portion of steak fries dipped in corn syrupy ketchup. I could feel my arteries clogging for the hours after the meal. This morning we went on our normal walk. That homeless woman I had spoken about in a previous post was hanging out at the convenience store by the post office. I have a soft heart for anyone undergoing such rigors. The heat lately has been oppressive and I was worried about her. "I want to rescue her," I told Rosa as we passed by, watching her sit on the sidewalk."You will get yourself in a world of s... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=801303 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:41:00 +0100 801303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791263&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fwanderlust.html Me and Rosa were lying in bed last night, talking. I was trying to explain to her my wanderlust. "I want to just walk out of the house and disappear," I said. "What about us?" she asked. "I would take you with me." Rosa smiled incredulously. "I doubt I would be a willing participant on one of your wanderings," she said. "I am happily homed."I don't know what gets in me, but I understand how The Homeless Guy felt. He had a home and an income and he just threw it all away to go live out in Vegas in a Catholic mission for men. He said he felt lonely and there is a camaraderie among homeless people. It is kind of like the untouchable caste of India. You look after your own."You promise me you are not just going to disappear tomorrow?" Rosa asked as we curled up in the covers to go to sleep."I ... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791263 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:23:00 +0100 791263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=790493&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fsummer-heat-bears-down-upon-us.html 103 degrees was the high today.  Good thing Rosa and me walked early this morning.  Lunch time found us back down at the shopping center before the storms would hit.  On the corner down below us was a rough looking woman.  It reminded me of Rosa when I first met her.  Rosa was looking the same that day she asked to "borrow" a cigarette and I asked her if she was homeless. "Who's she?" Rosa asked, nosily.  "I've never seen her before," I replied, concerned. She looked homeless and almost lost.  Like some stray animal that wandered too far from home, she looked sad and forlorn.  I noticed she was smoking a cigarette butt she had picked up out of the bushes by the dollar store.  I and Rosa walked down to offer her a cigarillo. "Cigar?" I asked... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=790493 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:38:00 +0100 790493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780355&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fsummer-nights.html There is just something about a summer's night. Winter is looming closer and weighs upon my mind. It is making me savor every last minute of these warm, melodically beautiful evenings. Winter brings cold winds with the only noise being it brushing up against my windows that guard me from the cold. Summer brings katydids, crickets, and the sound of whip-o-wills. All things that bring joy to my heart. When I was homeless, I often had dreams of migrating. The cold of the winter would make me want to live in Miami with warm, tropical breezes and blowing palm trees. If I would have had a car at the time, it would have no doubt found me well south of the Mason-Dixon line. Warm weather would then find me back in my beloved Alabama in the familiar haunts that were the woods I called home during t... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780355 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:34:00 +0100 780355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=748842&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fmemories-past.html Dear Mom,Will you please send me more of the MAD magazines? The last ones you sent were great. All my friends loved them. I am going on a three day hike starting tomorrow. We are hiking to Cold Mountain, North Carolina. The hiking staff says the water is so clear and clean you can drink it out of the streams and pools along the trail. Breakfast was pancakes and sausage. The food is so good here. The cook is this little black man who is shorter than me! He is mute which means he can't speak. Alex (Ed. my brother) is still crying every day. He hates it here. Says the mosquitoes are terrible and he got Ear Dry in his toothpaste and thinks he is going to die. He wrote you a letter about it. Well, I just heard the dinner bell ring and must meet with my cabin to eat. Hope you and dad are fine.Si... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=748842 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:06:00 +0100 748842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=741371&cid=t_122107_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fbridge-of-worlds.html I love when it's cool in the morning. I fell asleep with nothing but a sheet and the white noise drone of my box-fan by the bed. I awoke beneath a mound of freshly washed comforter, the strong smell of Gain fabric softener invading my nostrils. I had had such a realistic dream about The Homeless Guy. Me and a childhood friend were sitting in a rescue mission, eating a sparse lunch, destitute and penniless. He came walking in with new clothes, computer laptops, digital cameras, and donations of cash from his blog. We were jealous. "Homeless people don't live like that," I told Jason, my friend, over rancid rice filled with mealy bugs. "Why work when gullible people will send you things for free?" was the Homeless Guy's reply, overhearing us. I remember feeling angry at his words and woke up... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=741371 Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:24:00 +0100 741371