Robo Hobo Homo #085

Before I tell another Larry story, let me talk a bit more about Mr. McCoy. He is a pretty great guy. I don't know if I could have a bigger advocate for me in the unemployment office that doesn't feel like an unemployment office.

He is also a poster-child for the pretty libertarian ideas out here. Whenever he mentioned living in San Diego, he mentioned he had to leave he made mention of Tijuana and explained, “because trash blows up against the fence.” He clarified that he meant actual waste poured into the Pacific Ocean by Tijuana, but it didn't dispel the “dirty immigrants” implications of his initial station.

I also reordered a copy of my DD214. I have a scanned copy, but Daryl told me that a new copy would be better to have on hand. I don't think he's wrong and McCoy was the guy to get it for me. He was reluctant to have it sent to Purgatory Shelter though. Very reluctant.

We need a word that means, “eventually just shy of eventually,” or “right before the end.” Because it was at that stage in our conversation that he relented and agreed to send it there. However, when I finally checked my email on Wednesday, I saw that he had changed his mind.

I've never had a problem getting mail here. Writing this up a week later I'm still waiting for my Safelink phone, but that's not a receipt problem. Look, we're a bunch of homeless dudes, but we're just guys living in a rough circumstance. This isn't a den of thieves. This isn't Lord of the Flies. Sure, some guys are getting past drug problems and occasionally we'll get a guy who isn't past them. Sometimes, we'll get folks with intense mental problems. There are some problems here, but Purgatory House is a good place with good people in it.

I don't know if Mr. McCoy's problem comes from a personal experience or an ugly bigotry against the homeless who aren't of the anointed military caste, but his actions are a repulsive mark on an otherwise impressive and warm character.

Robo Hobo Homo #082

The interview having gone well, I had to get a background check. I also had to get identification for tax forms, including my social security card. I still had to follow-up with Mr. McCoy.

The background check was conducted through a local temp agency about twelve blocks down the road. It was a bit of a walk, but it taught me that the city expanded a great deal further east than I had originally thought. I passed Pace Road, which leads to the mountain, and saw a few pawn shops that might let me sell the phone I'd ordered off of eBay.

The lady at the temp agency was really nice. The background check paperwork was standard procedure so there wasn't much to talk about. There was a guy there who seemed like a bit of a closet case, but then I don't much believe in gaydar.

I did think that maybe temp work would work for me. I have clerical experience. I like learning new things and seeing new environments. Temp work would be a great way for me to hone my core marketable skill set while still keeping my wanderlust satiated.

...and maybe I'm a Chinese jet pilot.

Robo Hobo Homo #067

I also had my weekly interview with Daryl today. Since we're both going to be indisposed tomorrow, we opted to do it today.

Even though I'd already looked up the things he wanted me to look into, it was a struggle to get that across to him. I told him I'd looked up the information on how to order my birth certificate, the cost, and the ways I could pay. Then he rolls right into a bit about how I can order my birth certificate. No lie. That's exactly what happened.

Nothing says, "I'm a professional, I care, and I'm here to help" like a halting speech telling me how to look up the thing that I already did that I just told you about.

In all honesty, I was almost proud of him when I mentioned in passing that I was going to the Mental Health Office and he asked why and just as I was putting the words together he excused himself to take care of another issue with another guy. When he got back, he changed the subject entirely. It was epic.

He told me to spend my first paycheck on getting all of that paperwork in order (Social Security card, birth certificate, and new driver's license). I get the feeling he spends a lot of people's first paychecks checking off boxes on his own paperwork.

Robo Hobo Homo #068

As Daryl often does though, he did give me a sliver of actual help. Well, mostly help for his quest to get all of my paperwork. I like paperwork and I think it is a good idea for me to have a lot of it. I get that. Being poor, needing social services, and having copacetic documentation all go hand-in-hand.

He knew a guy at the local helping people find employment office who might be able to get me a fresh copy of my DD214. That's the second reason I'll be stopping by there after the bus pass thing.

In the end though, he said I was doing a good job of doing the things he wanted me to do so, bravo zulu I guess?

Robo Hobo Homo #057

On Wednesday after I left the local helping people find employment place, I was headed for the mental health office. On the way I wanted to swing by the courthouse to see what I had to do to get another social security card.

I forgot that courthouses have guards and metal detectors at them. If I had a dime for every time I had to walk into a courthouse, then suspiciously walk back out as I put my boxcutter down on a nearby hand rail then walk back in, I’d have twenty cents.

But hey, I could use the money right now.

Luckily, this town is small enough that that was not the case. In fact, they had a relatively large display focused solely on helping folks get new social security cards. Go fig. I read it over, noted the documents, grabbed an application, and got out.

I turns out that I only need a valid driver’s license and my birth certificate to get the new social security card. Whenever I got to the library later, I managed—through my euphoric haze—to look up data on getting my birth certificate from Texas. $22 paid through a debt or credit card.

Outstanding.

At least I was on the right track.

Robo Hobo Homo #035

The last two things my case worker brought up were actually about finding work. 

Do I have a resume and a social security card? No. I lost my resumes with my good backpack at a gay bar in the city the night before I arrived. I didn't tell him that; I'm not an alcoholic and the how isn't as important as the now.

I'd already told him what happened to my social security card, but he'd forgotten. I told him that I'd destroyed it and he made the exact same face as when I'd told him the first time. He still never asked why, but instead told me to get another one. I'll be doing that Wednesday.

I'm not sure about the copy of my resume. I'll talk about that more later.

Finally, he told me a thing that would help me work to get money from a third party! There's a company that hires folks to work in their lodges during the tourist season and moves them around to different locations year round. If I was willing to travel it was an option.

I said yes.

So he set me up with a computer and I went to their website. Of course their only opening was a fantastic executive sales position so of course I applied to it.

I also took the opportunity to reapply to SafeLink. My application on Saturday had ended on a vague error message asking me to call them. I'd called that afternoon while waiting for Daryl's schedule to clear (no matter what else I say about the guy, he keeps busy) and they didn't have any record of my application.

Starting from scratch, I applied again, this time getting stuck when they asked for me to upload a picture of my Food Stamps card. Now my laptop doesn't have photo capturing software and I don't have a phone to take pictures with, so in order to get a phone to make calls, receive calls, and take pictures, I need to ask someone to take a picture of my Food Stamps card and sent it to SafeLink. It rubs me in exactly 359° of wrong directions, but it's doable.

Eventually, it was time for dinner and I had to take off.

Robo Hobo Homo #034

When I wrapped up at the thrift store, Vivian said I'd done a pretty good job and she'd be happy to have me back. That was pretty nice.

I took a different route home. Usually, 8th St connects the east side of the town to the west side. It's a bit of a hike; seven blocks up and about twenty over. There's also an industrial road which runs along the shoreline before it cuts down into the neighborhoods around L St. I decided to see if that was any quicker than 8th.

It wasn't much quicker, clocking in at about seventy-five minutes instead of the ninety it usually takes. However, I did pass by a lot of industrial buildings and I got some names and numbers to plug in for phone calls Tuesday.
   
When I got back, I needed to meet with Daryl, my staffer. On Friday, he'd given me a “Goals Sheet” and requested I get it back to him Monday. Friday afternoon had been slow, so I gave it a pass and when I found him hanging around the building, asked him if what I had down was the kind of thing he was looking for. He didn't bother looking at it and without an encyclopedic knowledge of the masturbatory, make-a-difference movies social workers watch, I'm not sure where the line “It's not about what I want; it's about what you want,” came from.

I want to know so I can put a name to this hate.

He didn't have much to say about it Monday. “I want a job, and that's fundamental to the following plans,” was self-evident. There were also some things about doing my jobs around Purgatory Shelter and doing researching into housing.

The next topic was getting my California driver's license swapped over to Washington State. According to him, it would only cost “$35 or something.” You know I mentioned that I sometimes don't fight the social current hard enough? This was definitely one of those times. My driver's license is from Louisiana and I'd need to multiply my cash-on-hand about nine times over to have thirty-five dollars, much less be able to spare it.

But of course, I'll be going to the DMV Wednesday to look into it. It is a good idea. Having a local driver's license can be an asset and it doesn't look like there's much to it besides a fee that I pay (and taking a picture and I certainly don't feel like taking pictures right now).

At least it's something I can aim for in the future.