010509

                                                                                                              Ventura, CA

Monday January 5, 2009
                  
     6:42am  I woke up around six with six hours of sleep. I’m about to pack up and get out of here. I’m all stoned. My cough isn’t that much better. I didn’t get enough sleep. I took some more Dayquil. I was glad I was able to cough to my lung’s content this morning with Lorenzo not there. I had like a ten minute coughing session. I spit all my loogies on the wall. I need to do something about that. I shouldn’t take that big a hit of weed. I should take small hits. I might go to Sanjon this morning. I’ve got twenty bucks on me, so I got money to buy supplies. I need a notepad so I can start writing down lists to do. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll go buy a pad today. I need some deodorant too and mouthwash and other stuff.

                   I’ll be glad to fly my HOOK A BROTHER UP/SMOKE A BROTHER OUT sign at Sanjon, like I did last time I was here.

                   I am having all these cool thoughts. I was thinking maybe I should start walking the coast of California. I can walk from here to Santa Barbara. It’s like thirty miles. It’ll take me a couple days, if not just one day. Maybe I should plan my departure soon. Maybe I should give it another month for it to warm up a little more. This is only after all the fifth of January.

                   “Not only will I get marijuana decriminalized and chill everybody out, I will get it recommended. You can grow your own FOR FREE.”

     7:45am  I am leaving my squat. I’m going to walk to Project Understanding and take a shower.

                   I am almost kind of relieved that I may have gotten a Herpes blister. It might just be a zit. It had puss on top if it earlier when I popped it. I’m going to go take a shower. That’s what I need to do. I’ve got some supply money. I have things to buy. I need to get me some mouthwash, deodorant, a notepad, and a needle so I can patch up the stuff on my bag. There’s a place on Main Street called Sew What. I’m going to go hit them up, not hit them up, I have some money. I have a concern about the zipper to the lower sleeping bag compartment on my pack. One of the zippers has broken off completely and I can see a little spot that may ruin the zipper unless it’s replaced. I’m going to see if they can do anything for me. I got some badass gear. I love how my mission has evolved. I’m going to do it. I’m really going to do it. I’m all stoned. I’m so glad I got kicked down with weed yesterday. That guy made my day.

                   Right now I’m walking in front of San Buenaventura City Hall on Poli Street. I should take a picture.

     7:48am  I walked in front of city hall and they had a statue of Father Junipero Serra. I took a picture of him and his plaque.

     8:09am  I’m walking up to Project Understanding and I see Jean and Roxy. I could’ve sworn she abandoned that dog. I had seen him tied up in front of the Central Market and Jean’s RV was nowhere. I guess she left him out there all day and when no one took her she felt bad and got her again.

     9:32am  I just got out of the shower. I’m walking back. I think the library opens at ten today. I’ll do an hour of typing then go eat at Catholic Charities. Then I’ll go buy some supplies at the Von’s. I’ll go to the Sew What store.

     10:03am  I had an awesome presentation with beautiful Rupa at the Sam’s Central Market. She’s Indian. She is just beautiful. I told her my story in between customers. It started to get busy so she said she would hear the rest next time she saw me.

                    When I started my presentation I had to pause for some customers and when she was done she said, “Oh, so you’re going to set everything straight, huh?”

     10:32am  I just got out of the Von’s. I pocketed a deodorant and I bought some Listerine. I should’ve totally done it the other way around. The Listerine was four bucks and the other two. It’s alright. I still have over ten dollars left. I am waiting for eleven for the library to open. I’ll do an hour of typing there and then walk to Main Street to the Sew What place. They didn’t have any little books to write in at the Von’s, so I’m checking the Rite Aid.

     11:48am  I am making a mad-dash to the library. They close at one.

     4:10pm  I just woke up. I took a big nap in the mission park. I just rolled out my sleeping matt and bag and crashed out. I had a good nap.

     4:40pm  All loaded up and leaving from the park. I’m going to go take a shit at the Subway.

     6:05pm  Done at the library. Leaving the library.

     6:55pm  I am sitting in front of the movie theatre. Tim was here spanging for food. I sat down and gave him a hit of weed, and shared my coffee I had found on the sidewalk. These four kids saw my shirt and came up to me and asked, “How does that work?” They had ten whole minutes for the movie but right when I got to the part, “As far as marijuana goes,” one said, “Okay, that’s where we’ll stop,” and they walked in the theatre. This one dude was all, “What? I really want to hear this part!” What a blatant display of ignorance right in my face. Nobody wants world peace! Oh yeah, AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR MOVIES! Suckers. After the ignorant kids went inside I asked the dude who was spanging if he wanted me to finish. He actually had the nerve to tell me, “I want to keep spanging.” I had hooked him up like crazy at first. I sat down and gave him a hit of weed and a cigarette. I even shared my yummy coffee with him. I told him thanks for making my story so interesting. Before I walked off I pulled a dollar out of my wallet and gave it to him and he was all happy. How pathetic. I told him, “I’m just testing people anyway.”

     7:23pm  I had an awesome presentation with this couple walking by. I told them the Note From the Rich and everything. They told me thanks for my story. Just doing my job.

     7:25pm  I forgot to tell you, this girl April who gave me a hug the other day messaged me. She told me she wanted to be a part of this. I’ll show you the messages. I told her how I really needed a workstation to type on and she said she’s got an old Windows 98 laptop. She says she needs to ask her dad about me having it or borrowing it. For the cause! Sweet, as the mission evolves. I love Ventura.

                  Oh yeah, and I went to the Sew What store. They can’t do anything with my bag, but the nice Asian lady inside gave me a free needle. Then she gave me a big handful of cookies!

     8:10pm  I had an awesome presentation right now with Mel and Adrian. I’ve had the most awesome listeners tonight. They listened to me for over half an hour and shit.

     11:45pm  I just finished getting ready for bed. I am in my sleeping bag with all my layers. I have this thin jacket stuffed down my sleeping bag to keep my toes warm. I put on two extra pairs of socks. I’m going to have a nice toasty warm night tonight. I had a good two hour nap earlier which made me feel a lot better. I got all recharged. I felt like shit. I need to get walking more. I am really considering starting to walk the coast. Walk to Santa Barbara at least. I’ll camp somewhere and get hooked up with food on the way. Anyway, I’m going to go to sleep now up on the rooftop. Man, I love this squat.

                     There was this traveler from New York at the Starbucks tonight. He saw me and said he sees me around all the time, like at Sanjon. I asked him if I could tell him my story and he said sure, to sit down. He even offered to buy me a coffee. I told him sure, after my story. I tried to get into it, but this guy was interrupting me from the beginning. He wasn’t listening at all. He got disrespected that I was talking to him like a robot. He was put off by my presentation. I told him I just wanted him to listen, that I was the story teller and that if he wasn’t willing I would find someone who was. He even pretended to listen and said, “Okay, continue.” It seemed like he was patronizing me. Lorenzo was there and he was all depressed and suicidal last night. Then Lorenzo started telling this dude about his dreams of getting a nice car so people would think better of him. The dude from New York asks me, “Do you agree with that?” I told him, “Not at all. I could care less about what people think of me, and cars are death machines.” The guy walked off with Lorenzo. Good riddance.
                     It was funny, when I first started talking to him and he told me was from New York I told him, “Really? I like a challenge.” He maintained that he wasn’t a challenge. Talk is cheap! Lorenzo is all brainwashed and asleep. The dude from New York didn’t even accept my website. I told him he could just wait to hear about it when the rest of the world does.

 

Next day..