TONY
“With all this construction on Roncesvalles right now, I’m getting a bit worried some of these stores won’t make it. I can tell you I’m not doing so well either, if you know what I mean.”
Archive for the 'homelessness' Category
Not making it
September 14, 2009Nice, cool
September 10, 2009
TONY
“If I can collect another $8, I’ve got a bed for the night, and it’s in a basement where it’s nice and cool.”
Keeping, going
September 8, 2009
PHILIP
“So, did you go to the hospital?”
TONY
Yeah. I spent six hours there alright.”
PHILIP
“And?”
TONY
“The doc says she thinks I might of had a stroke but that’s different and this bump in my chest is stress. She’s right because I’ve had big-time stress the last months and I was pretty dizzy the other day too. I’ll tell you about that later. So the doctor said I should be staying the hospital but of course she knows me and I ain’t staying. That would just be putting me in a broom closet — there’s no way I was staying. Anyway, you just have to keep going.”
Update on Tony
September 4, 2009Tony has decided to go to St. Joseph Hospital. He’s got a notable bulge in his central abdomen. Surprisingly it’s not painful but it is somewhat hard-to-the-touch.
I’ll update you as soon as I hear from him.
Philip
For all it’s worth
September 3, 2009
TONY
“I never told you about the times Sharon and me got taken away by Children’s Aid. Once when they had us, then they decided not to give Sharon have her bottle and she was balling. Believe it or not, I escaped from the CAS building and got her her bottle and I even escaped back in with her milk bottle and gave it to her.
“No one’s going to take away my sister’s milk bottle if I can help it, if you know what I mean.”
Sister act
September 1, 2009
TONY
“So Sharon came by the other day like she said in that email. You know, it’s maybe ten years since I’ve seen her. She gave this book of photos of our family. You should see the one where I’m with my Mom. I’ll get it for you. We’ll even put some in the blog.”
PHILIP
“She’s your younger sister, right?”
TONY
“Yup. I was so happy she came by. I haven’t seen her for ten years almost.”
Waylaid again
August 19, 2009
TONY
“Here’s another story from when I was a kid. I think I was around 10, and I was trying to get laid, believe it or not, and my Mom grabbed my leg when I was on our roof with this girl. You know, I think I told you this one already.”
Where the heart is
August 18, 2009
PHILIP
“We haven’t told a story about when you were a kid for a long time. Can you remember something that happened when you were — I don’t know — ten years old?”
TONY
“Well, I remember looking for my Mom in Riverdale Park. That would have been 1959, I think. She was threatening that she would was going to kill herself after a big argument with my Dad. She even took a pairing knife with her.”
PHILIP
“What happened?”
TONY
“Oh, she came home.”
Reaching the limits
August 10, 2009
TONY
“Now isn’t she the sweetest girl you ever met? And also she gives me change most times she comes by, but she also gives me that smile hers too. Boy I’m telling you, if I was 20 years younger, you bet I would take her home, no question. You can’t do better.”
Brightening up a bit
August 7, 2009
PHILIP
“What are you doing with your sign?”
TONY
“Just brightening it up a bit. It fades after a while.”
In the air
August 5, 2009
TONY
“Thank God that garbage strike is finally over. What a stink. And I know what a stink is, I can tell you.”
Not alone
August 4, 2009
TONY
“Hey Phil. How’re doing this morning?”
PHILIP
“I’m tired and I feel like crap.”
TONY
“You’re definitely not alone on that one, if you know what I mean.”
If you are not willing to risk the uusual you will have to settle for the ordinary
Just bananas
July 29, 2009
TONY
“There’s that lady I was telling you about, the one that’s started leaving me those bananas. She’s a great one if you ask me.”
Can’t you read the sign?
July 27, 2009
TONY
“You see all those signs over there? Well this guy comes driving down Ronces and — right in front of a policeman standing right there he drives right round those signs there so the cop knocks on his windows and asks him how big those signs have to be so the guy could read them. And you know, I think the old guy couldn’t even read, if you ask me.”
A fine balance
July 24, 2009
TONY
“Did you see that story in Metro about the guy who won the $4 million?”
PHILIP
“That was pretty amazing.”
TONY
“So he gets himself locked up when he shows up to collect. Turns out the cops were looking for him. With $4 million, I’ll tell you, for some jail time, think I would do it noooooo problem.”
They got him
July 23, 2009
TONY
“Look what I got.”
PHILIP
“No.”
TONY
“Yup, two of ’em. $220 for breaking the Highway Traffic Act.”
PHILIP
“What for?”
“Well, I didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign and also I didn’t have a bell.”
PHILIP
“They’re hittiing you up for $110 for not coming to a complete stop on your bicycle?”
TONY
“Yup. They got me on that one.”
How’s it hanging?
July 20, 2009
TONY
“So this lady walks by, like she does sometimes. She’s got a cane and she’s gotta be 80 or 85 or something. So she asks me : ‘How’s it hanging?’ I didn’t expect that, if you know what I mean. We both laughed, I can tell you.”
Asking and getting
July 17, 2009
TONY
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. So I ask.”
At the end of the rainbow
July 16, 2009
TONY
“Man, I’d love to win that $32 million prize they’ve got on 6/49 tonight. I can tell you one thing for sure … if I had a ticket for it and I won it, you can bet I wouldn’t be coming into work tomorrow. Neither would you either, Phil, if you know what I mean.”
It’s pretty simple
July 9, 2009
TONY
“You see that guy with the black and yellow jacket? He’s going to be the next one to die.
PHILIP
“What do you mean by ‘next guy to die’ ?”
TONY
“You know, after Lefty. We did a post on the blog about him. You remember?
PHILIP
“OK, now I get it. Why is he going to die next?”
TONY
“It’s pretty simple. He told me the other day.”
Homeless Man Speaks 