011809

                                                                                                             Goleta to Santa Maria, CA

Sunday January 18, 2009

     6:10am  I just woke up again. I got a shitload of sleep. Like close to twelve hours! I'll wait until the sun comes up.

     7:07am  Alright, the sun is up and I'm going to pack up and walk to the gas station. I'm not going to go through the trouble of layering down and putting on my cargo shorts since it's cold. My tape recorder is in the pocket so I won't make another update until after I get to the gas station.

     7:52am  Wilfredo me ofrecio un dinero en la gasolinera. Te lo agradezco, Wilfredo. Todo el mundo recibe credito, gracias. Wilfredo es de Honduras.

     8:15am  These highschool kids in a white Previa van, I asked them if they were going North and this guy said yes. I asked him if I could get a ride and he told me no because they were packed with a big boat. I told him thanks anyway and walked off. Then I noticed that the van had luggage racks on roof of the car. I walked back up to them and told them I could strap my pack on the roof and the guy told me, "Man, you're trippin'" Greedy asses. Nobody wants world peace, I told him.

     8:52am  I've had a pretty good morning so far. I got permission from the cashier to ask for rides. Some Mexican guy. He wouldn't listen to my story though. He was all, "Things are the way they are and that's how they will always be." He let me fill up my bag with ice and he offered me a soda. I told him thanks anyway. I got enough gas. I bought a bottle of water though.

     9:12am  I just had an awesome presentation with Kevin. Important part and Note From the Rich and everything. He was all digging my show. He loved it. Right before he left he told me, "It's not every morning you have an intelligent conversation like that. Thanks a lot." I told him I was just doing my job. He said he'd pass my stuff around. Some black dude who lives in the neighborhood. I had asked him if he was going North and he said he lived right there. "Hey, can I tell you a really interesting story?" Hehe.

     9:35am  Clay just volunteered me a five dollar bill!

     10:45am  Terry just volunteered me a dollar. I appreciate it. Everybody gets credit.

     11:21am  I am still at the 76 gas station playing the patience game. I've been passing out my website like crazy. I even had a stellar presentation with that cool black dude earlier.

     11:45am  Nelly hooked me up with a couple nuggets for the cause. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     11:50am  This guy walked by and complimented my shirt and I gave him my website and told him I was a journalist. He ended up working for a newspaper. I got his card. Lars Neshime, 805-546-8208, lneshime@newtimesslo.com 1010 Marsh St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

     11:53am  I forgot to tell you, when I was walking on the highway earlier I found a cool bracelet. I put it on my left arm with my watch. I'll take a picture of it.

                     Mountains

     12:25pm  Hell yeah, patience paid off. I didn't even ask him and this Mexican guy pulls up driving a Dish Network pickup and he asked me, "Are you going to Santa Maria?" Yeah!

                     Wilber es el hombre amable que me esta llevando a Santa Maria. Te lo agradesco, Wilber. Todo el mundo recibe credito, gracias.

     1:38pm  I just got dropped off in Santa Maria in front of some taqueria. I went and bought some tacos. Wilber gave me four dollars. I came to this park on Broadway. I'm going to sit and eat and smoke.

     2:05pm  I ate my tacos and some guy came up to me. He saw my shirt and came over. Some other homeless guy. I asked him if he knew where to get any weed and told him I had ten bucks on it. He said he did too and that maybe we could get a gram later. He told me about some shelter where I'll probably crash tonight. Maybe I'll stay in Santa Maria for a couple of days. I'm going to walk down Broadway.

                    I've been to Santa Maria before. I remember I came here with Carol once.

     2:44pm  Some cool shit happened. I'm all stoned. Thanks to that guy at the gas station earlier who hooked me up with some weed. Nelly. I think I'm going to skip town. I've been here before. It's all Babylon. There are a lot of Mexicans here. I'm waiting for the 24 bus. I came to where all the buses stop by the mall. They're having some abortion protest. I should take a picture. Protests don't offer answers!

                   Oh yeah, I tagged the bus shelter with havethisbook.com. I took a picture of it. I scraped it in with my Leatherman tool.

                   Listener

     3:15pm  I am leaving on the 24. This nice driver told me she went North, to some park there should be kids at. Preisker Park, I think. It's only a couple hours until sundown. Maybe I should look for a place to camp. I'm going over to 101 now. I hope there's a gas station nearby.

     3:30pm  I am at the park. There won't be any campsites for me here. It's a Babylon park with a playground and stuff. I'm going to walk around. I should've gotten some food first. I spent a whole five dollars on snacks at some gas station and accidentally left it when Wilber gave me a ride. I lost them all.

     4:18pm  It's almost time, hehe. I came to the park and walked around scanning for listeners. I saw this group of cool looking dudes and girls barbecuing. I walked up to them and the girls went nuts about my shirt and even took my picture. I tried to tell them my story and they listened good at first. After a while they had wandering attention-spans so I hit them up for some "gasoline for my stomach." They let me make a big plate of food and filled my tank.

                  Welcome to Santa Maria, Victor. I rode the bus out to the park and got fed with a big plate of food. I'm leaving the park now and walking to Broadway and Donovan, where those kids told me there were gas stations. I'll go ask for rides.

     4:48pm  Coming up to a 7-11. I'll ask permission to ask for rides.

                    I was standing in line waiting to ask to ask for rides. Then I realized this wasn't a gas station, just a convenient store. I'm going to keep walking.

     6:04pm  I remembered about the homeless shelter so I'm trying to find it now. I had no luck on the onramp and the gas stations were dead. I already went down Morrison Street, but I got lost and I am totally not near it anymore. I hope it's not too late by the time I get there.

     6:22pm  At long-last I have located The Good Samaritan Shelter.

     8:15pm  I didn't tell you, I got let in this Good Samaritan place. Right when I got here they paused my intake so I could go eat. This place is alright. I haven't taken any pictures. They have all these bunks inside. I scored a shower and did my laundry right now. I'm washing my uniform.

Next day..