010208

 San Antonio, TX

Wednesday January 2, 2008
                    
     12:00am  Plot thickens. It's friggin' freezing. Dude, if I hadn't taken that hoody earlier today I would be so cold right now I wouldn't know what to do. I would've never gotten to sleep. Now it's gotten so cold that it woke me up. I got a good four hours of sleep back here. From like eight to twelve. I am thinking about taking off walking already just to stay warm. I have seven and a half hours for the sun to come up then I can find somewhere to sleep. Alright.

                    I only have one sandwich. That sucks. I ate a lot last night before I went to bed. I took vitamins too. So my body would have a lot of materials to rebuild with in my sleep. Hell, I probably never got to any REM.

     1:04am  I am about to cross over South 281/37.

     1:05am  Crossing South Presa Road which is 281. I guess that Citgo is on Southton.

     1:13am  It seems that just now I am coming to that junction, 410 and 37/281.

     1:21am  I was walking at the highway junction and I saw a big row of trees. I decided to jump the fence and look around the whole row of trees, hoping some homeless guy had left a sleeping bag somewhere. I didn't find any.

                    I am one mile away from W.W. White Road.

                    This walking is keeping me pretty warm. I'm alright. I've got all my layers on.

                    Man, I so appreciate this hoody I found yesterday at the construction yard. I would be damn cold right now if I didn't have it on. I'd be freezing my ass off. I'd be calling my mom! Come rescue me, mom, hehe.

                    I don't know what time it is because I can't see my watch. Passing W.W. White Road.

                    I'm going to rest somewhere. I've been walking for a long time non-stop. I took a bite of my last sandwich and drank some Riovida.

     2:24am  I'm all packed up from my smokebreak on W.W. White Road. I stopped under the bridge. Over by Roadmaster Drivers School Incorporated. Some trucker thing. I ate my whole last sandwich. I hope I get some food later on.

                    Brr, it's cold. I've got to warm up again. Shit, I have to take some Riovida.

     2:46am  Coming up on Southcross Boulevard and Sinclair Road. Highway 87 Rigsby Avenue Victoria one and three fourths mile.

     3:00am  I'm walking across 410 from Waste Management. All the trash trucks. I never mentioned last night right before I crashed out I saw a cop! He crept by in his car and shined his spotlight in the woods I was in. I thought he had seen me and I started mentally preparing myself for showtime. He eventually just took off and I got four hours of sleep.

                    Fuck the police, man. They're everywhere.

     3:06am  You'll never believe what happened. I found a school bus to crash in!  I was walking on the access road and I saw this truck and bus parked in front of some building.  I thought, man, if there was some way I could get inside that school bus it would probably be warm enough in there to get back to sleep.  I walked a little more and the door was wide open! 

                    I'm all situated in like the fourth row.  I can lay down and stretch my legs on the bench on the other side.  This will do nicely.  It's a tad bit warmer in here.  Not much.  I sure am glad I have this extra hoody on.  I wouldn't have gotten any sleep tonight.  I also really appreciate this accessible school bus being in my path.  What luck. 

     5:13am  Once again, I woke up shivering. I didn't get that much sleep at all. I had taken off my boots so my socks could air out, so my feet are frozen. I'm so cold. I'm going to wake-and-bake and leave again walking. I remember from the forecast the sun is coming up at 7:29am. Just like yesterday.

     5:31am  Leaving my school bus. I'd take a picture of it, but I don't think my camera is going to come on. I'm going to start walking.

     5:32am  Passing Alma Street. I miss Alma from Boulder.

                    I see the Golden Arches a mile down the road. That's breakfast. I've got a dollar.

     5:55am  Turning right on Rigsby, I think. I'm going to go buy a breakfast burrito.

     6:24am  I'm in the bathroom at the McDonald's. I took a shit, washed my hands and brushed my teeth. Right now I'm walking underneath 410 so I can keep going facing cars.

     6:50am  East Houston street three quarters of a mile.

     7:12am  It's thirty four degrees on the Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning sign. The sky is starting to get bright. I wonder how cold it was last night.

     7:17am  I am walking 410 North. Coming up on FM 78, Kirby ¼ mile. I10 to I90. The I10 interchange over here. So I have to go all the way to the other half of the city. More than that. I am almost halfway around.

                    I did get an early start today.

     7:45am  I decided I'm going to take a little smokebreak here. I'm sitting on this concrete in front of this big sewer thing, this big white piping coming out of the ground. I am almost to Binz-Engelmann and pointing to Kirby, I35. Hmm, I'm close to 35? Does that mean I am on the top part of the loop already?

     7:54am  Leaving from my smokebreak.

     8:39am  Hell yeah, coming up on Rittiman! I am on the top quarter of the loop! I am on the Northeast side of town.

                    I came and sat down right before the Taco Cabana. There's a convenient couch right here waiting for me. I'm going to layer down and put my cargo shorts on. They've been in my bag since I layered up to sleep last night at the gas station. This homeless guy lives right here.

     8:58am  Señora Castillo en Taco Cabana me esta dando comida. Te lo agradezco, señora. Todo el mundo recibe credito, gracias.

     9:24am  I had a good rest at Rittamin. I got hooked up with a taco at the Taco Cabana. That girl all didn't want to give it to me. She did anyway, hehe.

     9:31am  I forgot to mention. I gave away that hoody to that homeless guy back when I sat down on that couch. This homeless guy lives there with his wife or something. I figured I didn't need it anymore and it would just weigh me down. The sun's up and I'm going home.

     9:51am  Crossing Eisenhower. I am back to work with my clown wig on and waving at cars. Everybody is giving me weird looks and shit. It's fun. I'm on the cool side of town. The northside.

                    Did I tell you I already passed Walzem? Because I did.

                    Coming up on Windcrest.

                    Coming up on the 35 Interchange.

     10:50am  I had a little confusion there at the 410 and 35 interchange. I had to double back a little and walk the highway on 410 West. I am right in front of the Cowboy's Dance Hall so I know I'm going the right way. I'm walking on the other side of it now. Cool, there's a sidewalk. There's a police car in the parking lot.

     11:00am  My camera turned back on and I just took a picture of the Rialto theatres.

     11:09am  I just crossed Perrin-Beitel. I'm hungry. I'm going to look for a taqueria.

     11:26am  Just crossed Starcrest.

     11:41am  I am walking in front of 1800 Plaza Medical Center. I found a quarter on the ground.

     11:45am  I'm going to go hit up the BBQ Station. I'm wearing my marijuana shirt. Let's see what they tell me. I'll tell them, "Hey, I'm walking around the loop. Will you hook me up with some grub??"

     11:50am  The greedy asses at the BBQ Station won't hook me up. The guy said, "We've got work. You can work." I told him, "Man, I'm walking around the loop. I am working." He was all, "I mean work for us." I said, "I'm working for everybody! I was just testing you anyway. Your greedy ass failed." I started talking into my recorder and walked out.

                    Coming up on Perrin-Beitel, I think. There's a Taco Cabana here.

     12:11pm  The greedy asses at this Taco Cabana won't hook me up either. IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MEXICAN! They're all white. Hehe, I yelled that real loud. I didn't see any Mexicans working there. Just the one girl cook slaving away for the man.

                    They were all laughing at me. Ha, we'll see who has the last-laugh. What a waste of time. I'm going to go to the Pizza Hut I saw right before. It's kind of early to be asking for mistakes, but screw it. Never hurts to ask.

                    Oh shnap! Right behind here there's a Taqueria Jalisco Style Mexican Restaurant.

     12:19pm  Robert just volunteered me five dollars! Everybody gets credit. Here, let me give you my website. It's free. It's not religious, I promise. You'll be on there when I update it. Robert: "You know what most people think about your shirt? That if everyone takes pot they don't fight." That is correct, sir, hehe.

                    So sweet! I came in the taqueria and just stood there but no one approached me at all. They were all busy. I was just standing there with my shirt on. This guy just up and hooks me up with five dollars! He said, "Here, you can get something to eat." How awesome is that? I'm not going to spend it at the taqueria. Hmm, Jack in the Box.

     12:22pm  Thank you so much for that blessing, Love. I was so hungry.

                    Ah-hmm, Dragon Chinese Buffet. I'm going to go fill my tank and walk home.

                    Liz is hooking me up with a buffet being sixty cents short. I told her, "Come on, it's for a good cause." She said, "What are you doing?" I said, "Read my shirt." She smiled real big and said okay. Liz is cute. She was all, "Wow, you're a journalist?"

                    Oh yeah, Liz gave me a fortune cookie. It said, "It would be good to keep a low profile for now." Umm, does that mean I should ride the bus? Even if it does I'm going to do it anyway. I can't quit now. I'm just going to lower my profile by removing my rainbow wig. Maybe that's what it means. I'll wear my rainbow beanie. I really want to wear the wig though. Ahh, I have to follow the fortune.

                    I am on Nacogdoches. I just going to walk the street running parallel to the highway, Blossom. I'll walk through the neighborhood here. When I get to a cross street I'll cross over to the other side of the highway facing cars.

                    88L-TJ5, Texas. This guy in a Ford truck just pulled over to talk to me. He said, "Hey man, I saw you earlier with your wig on." He was holding onto a dollar about to give it to me. I told him, "Yeah, I'm a journalist. I'm walking around the loop, again. Check out my website. It's free." He takes it and says, "Well, if you want to get something to eat..." I cut him off and say, "I just got hooked up with a five dollar bill for wearing this shirt and I ate at the Chinese buffet place. I'm stuffed. I'm quite alright. Don't worry about it. Thanks anyway. Thought that counts. Peace."

                    If I hadn't had gone down Blossom through the neighborhood that guy wouldn't have stopped and talked to me.

                    Maybe that's what the fortune meant. That I should keep a low profile by staying off the highway, for now.

                    That Chinese food sucked. It wasn't worth six dollars at all. Cute Liz made up for it though.

     1:20pm  I ended up on Broadway and Danbury. I'm thinking, man, should that fortune scare me? I want to walk to Bandera, damnit. Actually, I want to walk all the way to my mom's house. I'm really tired.

                    I'm at Broadway and 410 and this lady in a car just told me, "Hey, I love your shirt." I gave her my website. I gave another guy in a car my website too.

                   Random shot of the highways.

     2:08pm  Leaving from my break underneath the bridge. Oh yeah, I decided to take a break and rest.

     2:17pm  Walking in front of Time Warner. I took a picture. Software pirates would like to thank you, Time Warner.

     2:21pm  I found a cute little frog! My new pocket-pal.

     2:34pm  I'm about to pass McCullough Avenue. I took a picture. You can see the Bank of America pyramid building in the background. I was right on my hunch. Macy's was replaced my JC Penny's at North Star Mall.

     2:38pm  Took a close up picture of the big boots in front of the mall.

                    Right now I am walking in the middle part of the highway, which they are still doing construction on. It's a straight shot.

                    Passing over San Pedro, I think. Or Blanco, one of the two. San Pedro. Blanco is next.

                    Coming up on Central Park Mall. Wait, now it's called Park North.

     2:41pm  I paused and re-tightened the handle on my walking stick.

     2:53pm  I just walked into the Jim's on Blanco and 410. They've totally remodeled it. It sucks so much more. There's all these fake people working there. I just got some water.

     2:55pm  I just crossed over Blanco.

     3:11pm  Passing Honeysuckle Lane.

     3:21pm  Passing West Avenue.

     3:36pm  I'm about to pass Vance Jackson. Right by the UHaul place. This is where I rented the UHaul in my Brewster County Jail story.

     4:02pm  I was about to walk underneath I10. I'm going to sit and rest before I do. I'll take a picture.

     4:12pm  I had a nice little break here. I'm all stoned. I've been stoned this whole walk. I've been burning bowls. Not just one-hitters.

     4:18pm  I walked under I10. In a couple more minutes I'm going to take another hit.

     4:29pm  I jumped on the access road in front of Crossroads Mall. I am almost to Fredericksburg right now.

     4:33pm  Crossing Fredericksburg. I'm going to keep going on 410.

     4:34pm  I found a dime.

     4:48pm  I took a little pause to take my hoody off, The sun is up still.

                   I'm almost to Babcock. Then Callaghan to Evers to Bandera!

     4:52pm  I'm coming up on Babcock and took a picture.

     5:05pm  I'm about to walk over Callaghan.

     5:26pm  I see a sign that says Bandera Road next right. Yeah! I'm almost there! I'm going to jump on the other side of the loop on Evers. Taqueria Jalisco #11, here I come.

     5:30pm  I'm turning on Evers. I'm going to get on the other side of the highway.

     5:43pm  Mission accomplished! Bandera and 410. I took a picture. I just saw some graffiti that says "I am one. EGO."

                   It's time to go hit up the taqueria. If they don't hook me up I'm calling my mom, hehe.

     5:47pm  Damnit, Taqueria Jalisco #11 is closed. I'm going to call my mom. If I don't eat I can't walk. I don't want to it up Taco Cabana or any other place around here. I need to use the phone somewhere.

     6:00pm  Guess what I decided I was going to do? I'm going to walk home anyway, without eating. I'll probably get hooked up at the other Taqueria Jalisco on Huebner next to Blockbuster. I hope they're open. Screw it. I want to walk up to my mom's house and just walk in the door. Just like I walked out of it yesterday morning when I left. I'll walk in and say, "I'm back." I walked the five or six miles to Bandera and 410 yesterday then walked around the loop. I want to do it in reverse this time. I can't wait to go drive around the loop with my mom and clock how long I walked. I've done it twice now, damnit. I've been going on barely any sleep all day. I'm going to keep going. I have it in me. I'm a survivor!

                   I'm going for distance. Not going for speed. All alone, all alone in a time of need.

                   Another full day of walking. Another day at the office. It was a great walk. The only thing that troubled me a little was that fortune towards the end. Screw it, I'm not going to let that dampen my day. I'm going to walk to Bandera and I'm going to walk home anyway. All I did to lower my profile was take my rainbow wig off.

     6:28pm  I just passed Poss Road. Huebner is next. I'm going to go hit up the taqueria.

     6:40pm  Everybody wish me luck.

     6:44pm  I can't understand her name, but the pretty girl at Taqueria Jalisco, cual numero? Ocho me esta dando comida. te lo agradezco, señorita. Todo el mundo recibe credito, gracias.

     6:52pm  I just got hooked up rowdy. A whole enchilada plate with rice.

     7:05pm  I am done eating. I'm going to go smoke a cigarette outside.

     7:23pm  I had a little smokebreak and a rest. I put my other pants on, so I'm a little warmer now. I'm going to walk the four miles home. Let's see how long it takes me. I'm all fueled up. I got hooked up fat. I took a picture of it.

     7:42pm  I just sped walked up the hill. I was walking slow at the bottom of the hill. I said screw it. I'm just going to ignore my sore feet and haul ass. I did. I had a great rhythm going up the incline. I sped-walked it. I just walked up to the Church's. I'm going to sit down at the picnic bench. I wonder if AK will see me.

                   Sweet, AK saw me and he came out and said hi. I offered him a hit of weed but he's all paranoid about smoking in front of his boss. He took a quick hit anyway. He gave me two big chicken breasts too!

     9:07pm  At long-last the eagle has landed. I'm home. I can't believe I just did that. I walked all the way back too. Nobody is home. Oh man, I'm beat. I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep.

Next day..