The crew and the "never ending strugle": yrstruly, C, and Poor Tony

pivotal · 24 Dec YDPAH, morning

• When: the morning of 24 Dec YDPAH (the Christmas-Eve crewing day)
• What: yrstruly frames the day: he, C, and Poor Tony "crewed that day," waking sick and scoring their "wake ups" by boosting items at a Harvard Square sidewalk sale. The three form a fixed crew whose whole existence is the round-the-clock hustle to stay non-sick — a "never ending strugle" and "full time job to stay straight," with "no vacation for XMas at anytime." The crew hierarchy is established early: yrstruly and C are the principals; Poor Tony, a "dicksucking fag" in yrstruly's vernacular contempt, is tolerated, used for his lures, and made to shoot last and surrender bags.