Chapter 9The next day, Thursday, Joe and Crank woke up at noon. Since neither of them had been drunk or stoned the night before, the morning was not as tough as it usually was; there was no hacking or throwing up, and for once, both started the day without splitting headaches.
Since it was Thursday, they had to go to the unemployment office and sign up to get their checks. Every week, the two men, and many other people in Brownstown, had to go to the office and register their incomes; if anyone receiving government checks did not register, they would not get their money in the mail the next week. Since the steel mills had closed, the unemployment office was usually pretty crowded.
At around one o'clock, Joe and Crank left the apartment and headed for the office, which was located in the
