022104

 

San Antonio, TX

Saturday February 21, 2004

     11:07am  I am leaving my mom's house. I woke up this morning and did my laundry and took a shower. Man, my mom just can't stop complaining about everything! She was all bitching at my little eight year old nephew. I think he's six, actually. I don't know. She was all bitching at his mess. I told her, "Compare your mess to everybody else's."

                     It's a beautiful day today. I crossed over in front of the elementary to the tennis courts so I could get me a ball for my stick.

     11:19am  I'm over here by the Braun Station West clubhouse. I'm going to look for a tennis ball.

                     They have a tennis ball recycling bin on the inside of the fence. I was able to take the lid off and dump them out and squeeze the balls out under the fence.

                     I was walking not knowing what I was going to do today. I checked my list and all my stuff was crossed out. I need to call the dentist, but I'm going to do that on Monday. I got the idea to walk to the BRCC. To the church. I want to see if I can talk to Andre today. I might as well go to the park, OP Schnabel and hang out.

     11:39am  I'm walking down Tezel Road towards Braun.

     11:45am  I just ran into Jan who I used to work with at Albertsons years ago. I was walking down the sidewalk and I saw some lady outside sweeping the sidewalk. I passed her by and she saw me and asked me how I was doing. I told her, "I'm the happiest man in the world. Can I tell you why?" She wasn't willing to listen, but I got her email address.

                     I remember Jan. She was the sign-maker.

     12:11pm  Damnit, the church is closed. The church office is closed. I'm going to go to the park.

     12:14pm  I went over to the place underneath the GRASS sign where they sell grass. This company just took over. It's Calloway's Nursery now. I walked up to them. They were working on the sign outside. I told them, "Hey, you guys are going to leave the GRASS sign, right?" He told me yeah. I needed to check. It sucks if they would've taken that down.

                     I'm walking to the park. Damn, I see all these lazy asses driving by on their cellphones.

     12:32pm  I got to the pavilion over here at OP I'm going to rest and drink some water. There's all these kids out here with their families and stuff.

     1:05pm  I am done resting at this little ditch. I took a picture of it. I'm going to go walk around.

     1:10pm  I came out of the woods in some neighborhood. I'm on some street John Barret. I am looking for Hetherington Street. I'm going to smoke that girl Dana out. The one I talked to her grandma and told her my stories(2-16-04, 3:29pm).

     1:14pm  I'm over on the street Bresnahan and John Barret. There's some tennis courts over here and I see a tennis ball on the ground on the other side of the fence. I'm going to go get it.

     1:17pm  Cool, it was a little bit challenging, but the ball was close enough to the fence where I could get it with my stick. I was able to poke my stick in there and bring it close to the fence. I pulled up on the fence and squeezed it out. Just got another ball. Sweet. I had just switched one out in the creek where I took that picture.

                   Well, I'm back in the woods. I don't think this is Dana's neighborhood.

     1:27pm  Passing that Legalize Herb thing.

                    The letter of the day is B. Let me check my transfers. Ahh, I don't have any. I guess I'm going to have to ask for a courtesy ride. Oh, I took a picture of where the buses stop.

     1:58pm  I came in the Walmart. I don't have any money or anything. I just came in to walk around and be seen by everybody. I was going to go up to the photshop and ask them, "Hey, have I ever left any film here that I've forgotten?" I changed my mind. I'm just going to go play Nintendo.

                   Cool, Mario Kart Double Dash on Gamecube. This should be fun.

     2:11pm  I just took a picture of me in the Walmart when I passed by the videocamera. I took a picture of myself.

     2:19pm  Mike hooked me up with a cigarette at the bus circle right outside the Walmart. He works at McDonald's here. Thanks, brother.

     2:24pm  Michael Romero just hooked me up with a whole pack of cigarettes! Just like that. He said, "Here, you can have these. I just bought them."

     2:35pm  I had a good presentation with that guy at the bus stop. That guy gave me a whole pack of cigarettes! That was awesome. He works at McDonald's. He had given me one to begin with and I told him my whole shpeel about how I'm writing a book on generosity. He gave me a whole pack.

                   Mike hooked me up with a transfer too! I didn't even ask him for one! Sweet, man. I needed a transfer. I was going to ask for a courtesy ride.

     2:50pm  I'm sitting out here at the bus stop. These two black dudes who have seen me before. They asked me, "What are you doing, man?" I told them, "Just working on the mission." I showed them my little book with email address.

                   I'm going to wait for the 610 and go to Medical Center.

                   I already got my project for tomorrow. I'm going to go reclaim my loppers and catch the bus to West Telemarketing and go clean up The Rocks. I left my loppers in that old fridge at the trail I cut close to the BRCC.

     3:13pm  We're taking off on the 610 going to Medical Center. I just took my last picture. I should've grabbed that extra camera I have at home in my mission box. I didn't. I forgot it. I'm going to go to Medical Center and see what happens tonight.

     3:30pm  I'm at the hospital already. I'm hungry. I'm going to eat some Muslblast and sit down and smoke a cigarette.

     3:44pm  I saw this guy wearing a KZEP shirt. I asked him, "Do you work KZEP?" The hard rock radio station. He told me yes, so I asked him if I could tell him a story. I told him my story and he was nodding his head up and down the whole time. In the end I asked him he had an email address and he said, "No, I'm against all the internet stuff." I told him, "Well, you won't be when everything's free." He smiled.

                   I told the guy who works at a radio station. He's going to go tell all his friends.

                   I told him, "Victor Antonio from San Antonio."

     3:56pm  I had an awesome conversation. I was just sitting here after I ate my Muslblast. This dude comes up to me and says, "Hey man, what are you recording for?" I told him, "I'm living a book. Nothing but the truth." I told him all my stuff and he was all impressed. He's twenty five. He was pretty sharp. He knew all his marijuana history. He all goes to school and stuff. He's a pretty well-learned Babylonian, I guess. He's got kids, so he has to be. He's being responsible. He was telling me that the people with the lower IQ's were all business majors.

     4:13pm  Mr. 5250 hooked me up with a ride to Medical. I appreciate it, brother.

                   Oh yeah, I didn't mention. I'm going to go to that Mexican restaurant over by Papa John's and see if they'll hook me up with some tacos. I'm hungry. I don't want any more Muslblast. I need solid food.

     4:30pm  I just got dropped off at Louis Pasteur and Fredericksburg. I told the driver, "Thanks a lot, brother. You drive carefully." He told me, "Good luck."

     4:35pm  Art is going to hook me up at Blanco's Mexican Restaurant. I appreciate it, brother.

                   This place has a webpage! www.blancosmexicanrestaurant.com

                    I got hooked up good. They gave me one bean and cheese taco. One with chunks of chicken in it and one with ground beef. I won't be hungry for a long time.

     4:45pm  Sweet, I called that. Just like I said I would.

                   Don't you people see how easy that is? Ask and thou shall receive.

     4:54pm  Since I have a full stomach, I've decided to walk to Sam's all the way from here. I'm going to walk down Fredericksburg and give everybody the peace sign.

     5:01pm  I walked down right in front of Mockingbird Plaza. I got the impulse to cross the street and go to Villas of Oak Creste and Eagle's Nest and see who I can talk to.

     5:05pm  I walked into Villas of Oak Creste. I'm going to cut through these woods. Hop a little fence.

     5:07pm  I don't know what property I am at. Some building. It's not apartments. I found a little statue of Jesus out here with a dove in his hand holding a cross. Wish I had my camera. That would be a good picture.

                   On the bus I tagged it with, "On my way to save the world." I put Victor and my email address and I took a picture of it.

                   I don't know what this place is. There's nobody home.

                   I don't know what this place is, but it's right next to Villas of Oak Creste. Cool, there's a trail. I'm going to go in the woods.

     5:11pm  I came out on this little paved road. There's all these houses back there.

     5:14pm  Man, I wish I had a camera. There's this cool little wooden gazebo in the back of somebody's house. I wish I had my camera. Cool.

     5:17pm  That alley let out to the bowling alley on Callaghan. Oak Hills Bowling Lanes.

                    I saw the entrance to that place I was at. 4040 whatever the street is. There's no sign what it is though.

                    A church or something.

                    I walked past the Warren Inn and some guy recognized me. This black dude. He said, "Hey, let me get a little bit of weed." I'm going to smoke him out.

                    At first that black dude was all, "I remember you from the bus. Will you give me a little chunk of weed?" He was on the other side of the fence when he asked me. I told him, "Umm, I'll smoke you out. I've got my pipe filled, but I can't give you any." He came up to the fence and took a couple hits.

                    I forgot the name of these apartments. It's the ghetto right next to Warren Inn.

                    Renaissance Parc, they're called.

     5:54pm  I just had a badass presentation. I was walking through the apartments. There was this girl who was right outside her efficiency. She wasn't wearing much. I talked to her and told her my whole story, dude.

     6:06pm  I was walking through and all these little kids came up to me! Seven kids. I told them what I was doing and noticed they weren't going to listen to me. So I just told them about the marijuana. Hehe, I'm educating the kids.

                   It's their world I'm saving.

     6:08pm  Oh yeah, they all asked me, "Do you have any money?" I told them, "No, I don't believe in money." They said, "You've got money in your wallet that's sticking out." I told them, "I'll show you what I have in my wallet." I showed them the little note I put in there that says, "FUCK YOU FOR STEALING MY WALLET, BITCH." They laughed.

     6:16pm  It was Sage Crossing where I talked to those little kids at. I'm already on the other side of 410 at Crossroads.

                   Oh yeah, I don't think I mentioned. I'm going to give this pack of cigarettes to Sam. Oh yeah, I'm going to ask him if I can cut my hair.

     6:31pm  I'm in Sam's apartment complex.

     7:05pm  I had a really good presentation with these Mormon kids. I saw them downstairs outside and yelled down, "Hey, have I talked to you guys before?" They said no. I asked, "Can I?" They said, "Sure!" They ran upstairs and I told them my whole odyssey story. They asked me, "Now can we tell you something?" I said, "You can tell me whatever you want, but it's probably nothing I haven't heard before." I told them, "I'm going to go my own way. I am free to."

                   Cool, cool. They're going to go tell their friends.

     7:13pm  I just told these girls at the gas station pumping gas my stuff. I didn't tell them the whole thing.

                   I've been telling my story like crazy today.

     7:19pm  Mr. Hampton gave me a courtesy ride to the hospital. I appreciate it, brother.

     7:38pm  Mr. Hampton hooked me up with a transfer too!

     8:15pm  I had a great presentation with this girl at the hospital. I'm on the 91 right now, almost to West. That girl listened the hell out of me. She was real cute.

                   I got past the spirits' part. That's the important thing. Hopefully she'll think I'm crazy.

     8:20pm  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I'm at West. I went in the bathroom and changed into my pants.

                   It's all dead. It's Saturday. I don't think I'll have any luck scoring a ride from the parking lot.

                   I'm going to go to the corner and stick my thumb out on Prue.

     8:51pm  Screw it, I'm going to take off walking. All the way home. Seven miles. Nobody was giving me a ride.

     9:27pm  I am just now getting to Prue Road. Let me go in the Walgreen's and use their phone.

     9:30pm  I went to the Walgreen's and called my mom's cellphone. My older sister answered, Diana. I went, "Oh badass, what are you doing there?" She said they were way over on the SW side. I told her, "I was just calling because I was walking home and wanted to make sure you left the door open for me."

                   I'm going to go in the Subway and see if that guy is working and if he'll hook me up with soup again.

                   Oh, I forgot to tell you. Earlier at Sage Crossing I found this little plush dog that I put in my bag. It's in my bag with it's head sticking out. It's real cute. It's a Russ dog. He's a Spunky model.

     9:57pm  I'm walking. I'm already to the entrance of Babcock North, Spring Time. I'm going to walk over to Carlos' house and see what he's doing. If he's home I'll show him my pictures.

     10:12pm  I'm passing Carlos' house. His Miata is in the driveway, Bob's Blazer is there, but nobody is home. All the lights are off inside, so I'm not even going to stop.

     10:25pm  I walked over from Carlos' house through the big ditch to Prue Road. I walked Prue Road down where the bridge is where I can enter the trail to go to OP Schnabel. I'm going to walk home.

     10:50pm  I got to the top of the cliffs. Over by the antenna. I'm going to keep walking to the Exxon and call for a ride.

                     I came to the pavilion with all the lights on.

     11:07pm  I'm at the Exxon. I'm going to go borrow the phone.

     11:11pm  I went in the Exxon here. The cashier was some dude I've never seen. He saw my stick and said, "Ah, you're a walker? I walk too. I walk forty minutes to work every day." I called my mom and she's going to come pick me up. She's on her way home. I went back to that guy and told him, "Hey man, I really want to tell you what I'm doing. You're a fellow walker. My mom is on her way to pick me up though, so I can't. I'll see you again, though. I promise." He said that he usually does the two to ten shift here. It's like 11:11 right now.

                     My mom told me that they're coming to get me in my sister's car. I thought, "Oh man, she bought a car." Man, I thought Diana was smart. She like triple-majored in college in linguistics. I always thought she was an intelligent, patient Gruber. I can't believe she'd buy a death machine. I am disappointed in her.

     12:02am  I'm going to go to bed. I am really disappointed about my older sister. She now reminds me of the other female Gruber in the family, my twin sister Laura. Diana all bought a shitty used car. She lives in Houston too. Oh yeah, and she works at a cancer hospital, but she's driving a car which will give everybody cancer in the end! I'm so disappointed in her. She was all talking to my mom about some stupid show. Oh, my mom and her get along great. She's a sold-out Babylonian . . . just like her. I can't believe it. She's supposed to be the intelligent one. She triple-majored out of high school for crying out loud. She's all ignorant too. It's pathetic.

Next day..