010303

 

Berkeley, CA

Friday January 3, 2003

                   Okay, today is Friday, the third of January of 2003. Time is now eight oh four. Hehe, I became a real-life squatter yesterday. I mean, I've been doing it since I left San Antonio. I just never knew there was a name for it and that other people do it too. It seems being a squatter is a little tiny bit more respectable than being homeless. This town is perfect for it. This town is cool. Everybody is cool. Right now, I'm in the bathroom at the church I ate breakfast at yesterday. I'm taking a shit. When I finish, I can go eat breakfast. Okay, later on.

                   The time now is nine twenty five. I ate a yummy breakfast of oatmeal, raisin bread and a lot more stuff. I walked to People's Park. I'm going to take my boots off and dry my feet for an hour or so.

                   Okay, now the time is about five till eleven. Man, People's Park is the coolest shit. Hehe, some people close by are giving me weird looks because I'm talking into my recorder. I told them I'm writing a book and they went oh.

                   I'm having such a great day so far. I came to the park, chilled out and smoked some weed. Everyone else was tokin' too. I walked around and everyone was talking about weed and growing it and stuff. Everyone is just cool here. Man, this is a great vacation spot for me. I will always come back to Berkeley now.

                   Hmm, there's this big part in the tape that I can't understand. I had recorded it out on the street and the cars were loud. Okay, its' better now. I'm talking to this lady about my head injuries. This lady and I were talking about the presidency and I assured her Bush would not remain in office come 2004. She said, "You never know. With all the lazy, brainwashed people in the country he just might stay." I told her, "Just look at the economy when Clinton was president. The state of the union had never been better. Now what better person to take his place than his right-hand-man who is already used to his working system? That election was so rigged. What? Was it just a coincidence that Bush's brother was the governor of Florida? Gore won the popular vote fair and square. Screw that electoral college bullshit." She totally agreed with me. I'm not sure but I think her name was Elle.

                   Whoa, I just had the coolest experience at the park. I saw Joel again and I was talking to him about my plan to eliminate money. In the end, when he had to go, he handed me a wad of cash and told me to put it down real quick. Whoa, cool. He told me not to tell anybody. When he took off, I looked at the money. He gave me a twenty dollar bill! Joel believes in me. He's supporting the cause.

                   Time is now one twenty six. I'm walking down the street. I'm tired and I'm going to try to find somewhere to take a nap. Since I had some money now I wanted to go buy a pack of cigarettes. I looked back and saw this guy standing there. I asked him, "Excuse me, know where I can buy some cigarettes?" He told me to follow him, his name is John. I am on a hike to the store to buy some cigarettes. I am at the corner of Fairmont and(I can't make out the name of the other street). Wow, it's really nice up here. Very high-class. Cool, there's some woods nearby.

                   The time now is about two and I am in the bathroom at the Exxon gas station John showed me. I bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked a couple with John. John is almost just like me. I told John I was going to go hiking and he said he wouldn't mind going. He didn't have anything to do either. I told him maybe next time, that I wanted to go alone today. He's a lot like me. A major difference is that he's a professional panhandler. I'm not. I get things without money, or as little as possible. Hey, if scummy homeless people can get free shit, so should experience-thirsty travelers like me. Also, I find other resources to tap other than the usual places. Like I said, I give people the chance to feel good about themselves. What's wrong with that?

Next day..