012109

San Luis Obispo, CA

Wednesday January 21, 2009

     6:50am  I just woke up. I got about eight hours of sleep. I found me a cool little campsite last night. I'm a little worried about bugs, but I should've been alright in my sleeping bag. I'm going to wake-and-bake, hehe.

                   Pyramid                  
 
     7:20am  I am up and at 'em. I left my camp. I'm all packed up. I'm going to walk to downtown, or that main street Higuera. As soon as I am able to bum a cigarette I'm going to eat this other pack of peanuts for breakfast.

     7:30am  Holy shit, I was walking down Higuera over by Madonna Street and I saw some guy with a sleeping bag riding a bike. I asked him if he had a cigarette. He stopped and let me roll one. He asked me if I had any papers and I have lots of papers. I have a whole spare rolling paper pocket. He asked me if Prado was open yet. I asked him, "What's Prado?" I was told about it yesterday, some day center. I'm going to walk back past the cemetery now.

     7:35am  Hmm, a cop just pulled over to talk to me. Probably because I had given him the peace sign when he drove by. He walked up and asked me, "Was that you camping behind Elk's Lodge?" I quickly told him no. He asked me where I had crashed last night and I lied to him, saying I slept under the bridge. He just told me not to crash back there anymore. I walked back by the place that I crashed and it turns out it was the Elk's Lodge I crashed behind. Man, people are so nosy. They saw me and complained.

     7:55am  Oh yeah, when the cop walked up I pulled out my wallet to give him my ID and he told me, "I don't need that. I know who you are." It was Officer Lincoln, from yesterday.

     8:04am  Coming up on Prado. I wonder which way I turn.

     8:18am  Everyone is lined up here waiting for the daycenter to open. Richard is being nice enough to let me roll a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. I told Cloud my story.  He listened great.

     10:07am  I just had the most awesome presentation with the pretty lady who works here at the Prado Day Center. Her name is Sunshine. After the intake process I asked her if I could tell her my story and she said sure. I didn't even get into my Odyssey story or tell her the important part. I just told her my platform and asked her to do me the two favors. She told me that it was great to have somebody with my attitude around here. She even complimented my teeth. Never had braces.
                  
     3:48pm  Man, I've had the most awesome time. At this daycenter they have a computer here that nobody uses, dubbed the business computer. They have two other terminals here that people play games on, but the business computer wasn't even plugged in, nor did it even have the keyboard connected to it. I told Sunshine that all I needed to do was type, that I didn't even need the internet. She granted me permission and I've been typing all day. I am almost caught up again. I'm like two or three days away.

                   Dude who gave me a hug.

                   Austin

                   When I first got here at 8:30am they served breakfast. I got a ticket and happily typed until the line had gone down and they were serving seconds. I got to cut in line because I was a first-timer. That fueled me up for a big load of typing. At noon they fed lunch so I was able to keep typing until now. Doesn't get much more perfect than that. I'm going to get caught up on my typing quick, like tomorrow. I tried to install Office, Frontpage on this computer, but it wouldn't let me because I don't know the Admin password. I'll ask them about that. Umm, I could format this computer and put a fresh Windows XP on it. I have all the software I need. I knew it was a good idea to travel with a copy of WinXP. Anyway, I stopped typing for a smoking session. Oh, and to top it off, Sunshine gave me some bus tokens so I could ride the bus to the shelter on the other side of town. It's supposed to start raining soon.

                   I am having this big stoned brainstorming session. This is like the third time I come out here to smoke on the street that runs in front of the daycenter. I could just smoke in the smoking area, but I want to take a hit off my special cigarette too. I could do it there, but the coughing would make it obvious. My script is evolving. I should start saying, "But we are still killing the world we depend on to live..because killing the world makes money. Chief Seattle once said, "Mankind did weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web he does to himself. See, with the internet, I plan to..."

                   Man, I have landed at the most perfect headquarters here in San Luis Obispo. I get to use the business computer that nobody ever uses. I smoked some weed outside and my mind was wide open. All of a sudden I see beautiful Sunshine going out to her car. I got to tell her my story earlier and I was able to type up as much as I wanted today. I have so much work I can do on there. Right now I am about to catch the bus out to the shelter and I saw Sunshine. In my story that I told her earlier I opted not to even get into the Odyssey, or even the spirit's part. I asked her to do me the two favors after the Johnny Appleseed song. She had even told me, "I could sit here and listen to you for hours, if I didn't have to work." I smiled and told her I could talk her ears off. Beautiful girl. Anyway, she came out to her car and I asked her if I could tell her the important part to my story. She said she was busy right then, but if I was there for the weekend it would be a more relaxed time to sit and chat. Sweet, so I'll be here for the weekend at least. I have to follow the signs.
                    Then I told her, "I have all the software I need to install the program I need to update my website. I don't need the internet and the business computer is rarely used. To install my program I need an Administrator password, unless you would let me reformat it and reinstall Windows XP on it. I could totally soup it up for you guys." She told me, "Yeah, sure. There's nothing important on it." Oh man, my dream is steadily coming true. This place has to the potential to be a perfect workstation for me here at the daycenter where I can type for hours and hours. Not to mention the free food! I'm going to install all my stuff and I'm going to be totally in business. Ha!

                   Thanks for all the blessings, LOVE. Thank you so much.

                   Thanks for the marijuana too. It's been key. I am really glad I took back that CamelBak from Lorenzo now. I was able to trade it for weed!

     4:40pm  I am already on the bus to the shelter. I had a good storytelling session at the bus stop while we waited. I had a lot of good listeners. David: "People hate what they can't understand and they can't conquer what they fear."

     5:07pm  I don't know what bus to catch to the shelter.

                   On the way over here on the bus I saw all these cool kids walking around on Broad Street. It looked like a college strip. I need to come check out this place tomorrow. Actually, I have a lot of computer potential at the daycenter that I should iron out first. I even considered getting off the bus to go hang out on Broad Street, but it's drizzling so I should go to the shelter. Not to mention I'm kind of hungry and they feed at six. I'm really getting into my Into Thin Air book. I'm going to have so much fun in this town. I can't wait.

     5:39pm  James was nice enough to give me a cigarette at the shelter. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.

     6:55pm  I came to this homeless shelter and they served dinner. I came out here to the smoking area. Once you get here you can't leave, so I snuck a hit in this little boardwalk towards the front. I'm all stoned and I tried to tell my story to these people smoking outside. At first they said they were totally willing to listen, but the interruptions started quick. This one guy just wouldn't shut up, so I told him, "You know, that's exactly why I asked if you were willing to listen at first. You said you were, but now you're interrupting me. At least I asked permission before I started talking. You are a liar. If you don't have to listen to me then I don't have to listen to you either. Man, nobody wants world peace. I was just testing you."

                   I'm just going to sit down on this bench and read my book with my flashlight.

                   I forgot to mention earlier this morning, before I started my typing spree while we were waiting for the shelter to open, this other homeless dude listened to my story good. I took his picture. I saw him again here at the shelter tonight.

     9:48pm  I am all settled in at the shelter here. I was assigned to bunk #47.

                   Me wearing wig

                   Back porch

                   My cough isn't going away. I hope I don't have TB or something. It's totally marijuana-induced. I'm just chilling out on the top bunk here. I used a lot of my own bedding and my sleeping bag. I am really enjoying this book. I can't wait to read through it again. Anyway, I'm going to go to sleep pretty soon. I should take more pictures tomorrow.

     10:05pm  Crashing out.

Next day..