021508

                                                                                 Pensacola to Panama City, FL

Friday February 15, 2008

     6:28am  I woke up at five thirty at the mission. I didn't eat breakfast there because they have a mandatory mass to go to if you want to eat breakfast. I already had food. I'm all layered up and ready to go. I've been passing out my website to all these homebums out here like crazy.

      6:52am  I just had a good presentation with these two black guys and a girl at Jefferson and Government. Great way to kill a little time. They had to go to work, so I kept it short. I'm going to keep walking around.

     8:09am  I went to Seville Square and sat down and read my book. I know I am really early. I still have three hours to go. I ate some peaches and I'm going to walk to the library and check my email for something to do.

     8:40am  I am in front of the library waiting for it to open at nine.

     9:02am  They opened.
                  
                   I left the library. I'm going to walk to the park and wait.

     11:07am  Ben showed up! Awesome! I'm on my way to Panama City. I am glad to get out of Pensacola. This town is dry.

                   Some water park.

     1:01pm  Welcome to Panama City, Victor. Home of the world's most beautiful beaches. I'll find out for sure. I just took a picture of all this smoke in the sky. A big fire or something. Jumbo jets are dumping water from the ocean on it. I've always wondered how they extract the water from the sea. Do they swoop down and scoop it up? Do they land anywhere? Anyway, I am in Panama City and I'm all stoned. Ben had some chronic he smoked with me. I am having such a good day. I love that magic that happened. I was just walking down the street ready to skip town. At the last minute I said screw it, I have to check my email. I walked back and by Seville Square I saw the only other kids I had seen in Pensacola sitting down. I told them my story and Ben offered me a ride. He followed through on his promise and here I am in Panama City! That's where I was trying to go! Presto-manifesto!

     1:40pm  I just got dropped off in front of City Hall by Ben. I appreciate it, bro. He told me he was so glad he was able to help me. That he was really excited for me. He said, "A lot of people are ready for it." I had some great presentations on the ride here. I told him all my stories. All my funny jail stories and shit. So I am in Panama City and there's no pedestrians in this town either. I wish I could describe how cool Ben was, but he got me all high. I'm all stoned and happy. I'm going to go find the rescue mission.

                   Hmm, I am really considering trying to walk the Appalachian Trail. So many people have told me about it. It would take me three months. I wonder if I could do that.

     1:56pm  Right after Ben dropped me off I came to these woods right here where there is all this homeless trash. I'm just sitting here in the shade. I layered down, took my thermals off. I'm going to eat a snack and have a smoking session and then walk into town. I took a picture after I packed up my rain poncho.  I'll give cars the peace sign.

     2:14pm  I took a picture of my little hangout here. I pulled out my green military rain poncho and sat down and had a little meal session. I took a picture afterwards. I had been meaning to take a picture with my tarp still down, but I already put it up.

                   I'm walking down Beach Drive. I should probably find the rescue mission first.

     2:23pm  I just took a picture of the post office at 5th and Jenks Avenue. I'm going to look for the rescue mission now.

     2:35pm  I came to the daycenter. The rescue mission isn't open yet.

     2:40pm  At the daycenter they have this courtyard in the back where everybody smokes cigarettes. First thing I did was take my WPTMJ shirt off and put on my Make It Happen shirt. I had a great presentation with Nick.

     3:19pm  The mission and daycenter is on Sixth Street close to Magnolia Avenue.

     3:35pm  I was walking down Sixth Street and turned on this street where it's marked Downtown. I saw this guy selling produce and I asked him, "How much will forty five cents get me?" He asks me, "Oh, you're hungry?" I give him the usual, "I walk for a living. I can always eat." He hooked me up with all this fruit. I'm going to give some back because I don't want to be too weighed down. I logged his generosity and gave him my website then came and sat down on a bench to eat. All of a sudden he walks up and hands me ten dollars! "Get something warm," he said.

     3:53pm  Johnny was his name. I had a great presentation with Johnny. He hooked me up phat. I gave him a lot of it back because I don't want to carry so much.

     4:42pm  It's about time I made an update. I bought me a pack of rolling tobacco. Top because they were out of Buglers. I wanted to find somewhere to smoke and take a hit of weed. I went across the street from the rescue mission to the market and saw all these people hanging out outside. I saw these kids and I hit them up for my story and they agreed to listen. They've got a motel room and they invited me to crash tonight! They were waiting for a taxi cab to go to some Burger King where one of them work. The older guy told me to meet him at the McDonald's across the street from a Wachovia Bank. He said he would pay the ten dollars for my extra person. So I'm here in front of the McDonald's waiting. Oh yeah! They told me MTV was going to be here soon, like in a week. Dude, that sure is a sign to hang out. Not because I like MTV, fuck MTV, but there will be masses and masses of spring break people. I'll be here for the crowds. Publicity. I'm going to be on TV probably. Me and my shirt.

     5:37pm  I had a good time in front of the McDonald's waiting for that dude. What was your name again? Chris: "Everybody calls me Homeless Chris and Revolution Man." He's a true hippie. He says his uncle is Jerry Garcia. Seriously? Chris: "Yeah, I grew up in Eugene, Oregon." I also had another good presentation with this guy who sat down in that smoking courtyard at the daycenter. He was agreeing with all my shit. He said, "That's a great idea about the pirated software. I can't believe I never thought of that." I gave him my website. Anyone who walked by. Now I'm going to that Star Motel. Chris is letting me crash. Chris' friend is Harry Potter. I took a picture of them.

     6:30pm  Chris is telling me about somebody in Arcata on Takilma Road. He told me that Preacher John has a house on 2610 Takilma Road and that he has a hundred and fifty pot plants in the backyard and he had given them all to Chris.

                   Spirit Mountain in Eugene, Oregon. Remember that.

Next day..