iChat message from Neil, right after I got punched in the face by a homeless guy. For real. Just happened now. I was walking to my usual corner Deli to get a sandwich. ON a business call on my cell phone. WHAM! I get cold-cocked right in the eye! I didn’t even see it coming. I totally saw stars. When I realized what happened, there was this crazy cracked-out homeless guy staring at me. He lets out this ROAR and casually walks away. I tell the guy I was talking to, “Let me call you back. Some dude just punched me in the face.” (ha!)

My brain quickly accessed the situation and thought - If you fight this guy:

A) He could kick your ass

B) He might have a weapon

C) What’s it going to look like to everyone else on the street (this happened right near the projects) when they see me fighting a homeless guy. And how will they react?

D) If I do win the fight, then I’m “that guy” who beat up a homeless dude.

In the end, I realized it was a lose-lose situation so I continued to the Deli and ordered my turkey and swiss on wheat bread.

Man, there goes my streak of having never been punched in the face.