020909

                                                                                               Ragged Point to Big Sur, CA

Monday February 9, 2009

     6:35am  I woke up around six in the truck. I am pretty well-rested, but I don't know. I need to find a lighter. I lucked out, Aaron has an ashtray full of snipes, even though he said he didn't smoke. I've made me a snipe-rat, but I don't have a lighter.

                    Yay!  I found a lighter in the passenger door!

     7:45am  I woke up again about ten minutes ago. I’m all damp and wet. I stayed dry in the cab of the truck, but I got all damp last night. I wonder when they’ll come and check on me.

     8:39am  It stopped drizzling as hard so I moved all my stuff to in front of the deli. I had put my big pack in the bed of the truck with my tarp over it to keep it dry. My sleeping bag is soaked. It’s stuffed into its compression-bag, but it’s all soaked. I have everything packed up.

     9:22am  I am hanging out in front of the deli because it’s dry here. Harry and Ivana, http://www.worldonabike.com They’re riding their bikes all the way from Alaska to Argentina. I took their picture and they took mine. You guys will be on there when I update it.

                   Check out the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur.

                   See, this morning I woke up and moved all my gear to the deli and ate a hotdog. Toby showed up and said, “Oh, you haven’t gotten a ride yet?” I told him how I got to crash in Aaron’s truck. He asked me if I had a tarp and I told him yeah, a small one. He said he had one he could kick me down! It’s like more than twice as big as the one I’ve got! I have everything that I need for rain now. I wish I would’ve had it last night. It would have kept me completely dry. I took a picture of my new setup now.

     10:50am  I asked James for a cigarette and he gave me three American Spirits. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     12:47pm  The coolest shit. See, the sun came out so I have all my stuff out to dry. It’s drying out pretty good. My sleeping bag is drip-drying. Right now this old couple pulled up and parked close to me. They started talking to me and they’re going North and they’re going to give me a ride! After they eat at the restaurant. They’re driving a Subaru. I don’t know, their car is pretty packed.

     1:12pm  Janice and Dennis are being nice enough to mobilize me. They’re getting me out of Ragged Point. I appreciate it, guys. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Janice and Dennis were in no hurry and we stopped at every vista view.

     3:14pm  Badaboom, badabing, I am at the Big Sur Loma Vista Bakery and Restaurant. I’ll take a picture.

     3:43pm  I went inside the bakery and tried to tell my story a couple times. The lady working inside didn’t have time, and the guy I started telling my story to, his son showed up on the bus and he had to go. The cashier saw my shirt and she gave me a big great smile. First thing I did was go in there and buy a pouch of Buglers. They told me that at the Riverside Hotel they might let me use their dryers. I need to get my stuff completely dry before the sun comes down.

     5:44pm  Technical difficulties. Let’s see, I got dropped off at the Shell Station, the bakery. I went inside and asked the cute girl if there was a laundromat in town and was told no. They told me about some hotel where they have a laundry room and that maybe there I could dry my stuff.

                   My right leg is killing me right now. I am in serious pain. I hope I don’t have to limp all the way back to the bakery to find a bridge to crash under. I walked to the public library, not the one I was told to go. The smaller one close to the Chevron where I’ve been to before other times I’ve been in Big Sur. I checked my email. I have tons of visits to my website. At the library some guy living in an RV told me that I could go to this campground and do my laundry. I checked the forecast and it’s going to be raining a shitload after tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be like the only day it doesn’t rain.

     6:00pm  What’s the name of this store? Dripplewood. I limped like a mile back in the rain and I came in this store and bought some snacks. Sean was nice enough to give me a discount and give me all my snacks for only three dollars.

     6:34pm  I have my camp already. I found a bridge to crash underneath. I stopped in at that store and bought some snacks. I only have five dollars left now. This cool old guy directed me to a bridge closeby I could crash underneath. It’s a perfect little spot. I’ll take pictures in the morning. Alright, later on.

                   The guys at the store were really cool. I had my big blue rain poncho on because it’s raining and when one guy saw me he said, “Hey, it’s R2-D2!” I laughed and told him I’ve never been called that before. I asked them if I could tell them my story, but they were closing. I gave the dude working the cashier my website and he got on it right then and there! He asked me if that picture of me was me five years ago. I told him no, that it was me in Florida last year. When I went and checked my email at the library I already have a guestbook entry from that dude who gave me a ride to Ragged Point in a VW Bug. That was yesterday! Big Sur has treated me well, but I’m still going to leave. It’s raining.

     7:00pm  I am crashing out under the bridge.

Next day..