Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/20

It was perfect weather-wise today in Brooklyn. I sold the last of Marie's CD donation, The Best of the Hollies and Stormy Weather, a standards compilation featuring modern artists such as Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks. The biggest surprise on that disc was comedienne Sandra Bernhard's solid take on a song made famous by Peggy Lee, Is That All There Is? It doesn't seem like a hard song to pull off, but she isn't a real singer, as far as I know, and she did it live. It must have been a charitable event. It's a good introduction to standards. My only quibble is that the tempo hardly varied from start to finish. Thanks to the security guard, who had purchased several CDs in the past. He was disappointed that the two were all there was/is. Thanks also to Susan, who bought a couple of books, and a woman who took three.
I got my daily visit from Lawrence, who is mildly autistic. He calls me Mr. Books. He is frequently involved in mischief. This morning he closed the security door leading to the courtyard of our complex, drawing the wrath of housewives who don't have keys, which are $25 each, and who travel in and out throughout the day. His aim was to keep cats and bugs out of the building, or so he says. Later, he said a friend has challenged him to follow his lead and take off his clothes on the train the next time they are on it, and asked what I thought. I said he would probably be arrested and get a beat down from his dad, who would have to bail him out.
When I was in my last years at the commodity exchange, there was a young data entry reporter in the Gold Options market who spooked everyone. I'm pretty sure Van was harmless, but he was odd, keeping chicken bones in the pockets of his yellow work jacket. He was eventually let go, well before the purges that began in 2007. He lives in Sheepshead Bay and has passed the floating bookshop many times. I didn't think he remembered me. The other day he suddenly called out my name. He seemed surprised I knew his. He passed again today, without recognition, although I greeted him. I wondered if it was a matter of his having forgone his meds. He did say hi on the way back, though. Life is unfair for some.
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