8:07pm: walked to hardware store for mattress bag. It was closed. Walked to sleepy’s mattress something store. An employee was helping a man on a bike. The employee said ‘why he-llo! How are you tonight?’ I said ‘I’m very well, how are you?’ he said ‘outstanding. How may I help you?’ asked him about mattresses. He said ‘what size you have?’ I said ‘full?’ he said ‘full. I don’t know about full. Let’s see.’ I said ‘or queen? Queen, maybe?’ and followed him to the back to an area of mattresses stacked on a wall. He said ‘now these for a customer, they already bought, see? Sold.’ I said ‘oh.’ he said ‘they only send me twins, see? And it’s wrapped like this, I can’t, you know, I have to take it off!’ he pulled at a mattress bag and laughed. I said ‘oh no!’ he went into a little room. I said ‘I could just take two twins, and tape them together?’ he said ‘see but I can’t take it off!’ I said ‘oh, well that’s okay, thank you anyway.’ he said ‘I tell you what. You know kings plaza?’ i said ‘yeah, on Flatbush?’ he gestured with his arms like a wingspan. He said ‘yes, it’s this big. And there two sleepy’s, one on this side? And one on the other. You go there and you say ‘I’m a sleepy’s customer, dey sent me here for full-sized bag. And dey give to you for free!’ I said ‘oh great, thank you.’ he said ‘just ten minute drive? Up dere.’ I said ‘what train stop is it, do you know?’ he paused and looked outside and said ‘train? No, well it’s just the q thirty-five bus! Q thirty-five, you get it right dere. Okay?’ I said ‘great, yes. Thank you’ and left smiling.

8:15pm: stood by a bus area. Typed directions in iPhone notes. Bus sign said ‘q53.’ thought he maybe got it wrong. Asked teenage couple where the 35 was. The girl pointed to sleepy’s and said ‘over there.’ walked to there. A woman in a green shirt with a cane was standing by the q35 bus sign. Went into deli next to the bus stop. The man said ‘hello!’ and smiled really big. Selected a thing of pineapple, sugar free red bull, water. Another man rung me up. The first man said ‘you from rockaway? No.’ I said ‘I am, I just moved here, one hundred eighteenth street.’ he said something about my tattoos while I looked for my credit card in my bag. I said ‘and I left it at home, I left my card. I’ll be right back.’ he said ‘okay take your time.’ walked back home. Fed cats.