030508

                                                                                                              walking to Madison, FL

Wednesday March 5, 2008

     7:59am  I am all packed up and ready to go. I woke up in this abandoned house I was magically delivered to last night.  I was actually able to manifest me another resin hit out of my fake cigarette. Cool, so I'm a little baked right now. I'm still chilling in this house. The sun's up and it's warming up. I'm going to smoke a cigarette. I'm all ready to go.

     8:20am  I am in the bathroom at the Pit Stop gas station taking a healthy shit. I had to take a shit so bad. I should take a picture of it. Psyche.

                   Sweet, Jake's Country Kitchen - Come on in. I'm going to score me some breakfast.

     8:32am  Demetria at Jake's County Kitchen is hooking me up.

     9:09am  Hell yeah, I've got a full stomach now. I had a badass breakfast. I should've taken a picture of it.

     9:12am  Walking Highway 90 now. Yesterday I just followed the sings pointing to I10 East. I walked Highway 19 North. I'm walking by the F&B Farmer's and Merchants 24 Hour Banking. On the marquee it says, "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." That's bullshit. I know lots of shortcuts. It was awesome how I scored that ride last night. I didn't even notice the car at first. I thought he was just broken down. I never imagined he had pulled over to give me a ride. To top it off I was close to that correctional institution, I think.

     9:31am  Greenville 16 miles and Jacksonville 143.

     9:32am  I just took a picture of this old highway marker for SD Clarke Highway. It's an old marker on the side of that road that I doubt anyone stops at and reads anymore.

                   It's beautiful out, hell yeah.

     9:48am  I'm up from a smokebreak and I'm walking again.

     10:00am  I just took another pause to take off my thermal bottoms. I'm walking again now.

     10:15am  Took another pause to take my thermal top off and take a leak.

     10:48am  Crossing over Wolf Creek.

     11:12am  Passing Big Joe Road. I'm over by the sign for the Jefferson County Correctional Institution, or the road that leads to it. I guess it's between I90 and Highway 19.

     11:14am  I'm going to stop at the top of this hill and rest, by Big Joe Road, I think.

     11:33am  I am up from my smokebreak. I'm going to keep walking.

     11:34am  Passing Kinsey Cemetery Road.

     12:04pm  I meant to stop and stick my thumb out for a while because there's good sight-distance here, but I'm going to keep walking.

     12:16pm  Cool, there's a cross-street up ahead with a flashing yellow light stop sign. I'm going to stop there and rest and eat the last Ramen I have in my bag. I hope somebody gives me a ride. With the sight-distance they will have a lot of time to think about it.

                     Junction 257. The stop sign isn't for Highway 90. I think there's a sign coming up that will tell me how far I am from the next town. Greenville, if my memory serves me. It looks like a single digit. Kwiky Food Mart. Aucillia 42 miles. La Mont 10 miles.

     12:29pm  I walked to that gas station at that junction I was telling you about and Warren, the cashier is being nice enough to give me a dollar so I can buy me some Ramen noodles. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                     I've walked seven or eight miles from Monticello.

     12:37pm  Greg hooked me up with four cigarettes at the gas station. He's driving a county car, so he can't give me a ride. Oh well.

     12:58pm  I finished my meal break. I've got me three extra Ramen noodles. I'm going to keep walking. Nine miles to Greenville. That's where the next gas station is at.

     12:59pm  Nine miles to Greenville. Passing the sign right now.

     1:04pm  I'm getting a ride to Greenville! Hell yeah. I was walking and I saw some black dude walking, more like limping ahead. Just then this other black dude was pulling out of this property in a pickup with his window down. I yelled, "Hey man, can I get a ride?" The black dude walking ahead asked for a ride too. He's giving us both a ride to Greenville.

     1:13pm  Willie is the guy who gave us a ride in the truck. We appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, man. Thnaks.

     1:14pm  I am in Greenville. At 90 and 221. I need a water fountain. I see some gas stations down there. That was perfect. Right when I finished eating my Ramen and left the Kwiky Mart I started walking East a little bit. I had seen this old black dude limping in front of me. I was going to catch up to him and ask him if he had any weed, hehe. Just then this guy was pulling out of his driveway and I asked him if he could give me a ride. He gave the other guy a ride too to Greenville.

     1:31pm  I walked over to the Gas Mart. I saw all these cool black people and I put my WPTMJ shirt on real quick. Before I know it, some guy hooks me up with some weed! It's a magic shirt, I tell you. I didn't log his generosity. I didn't want to freak him and make him think I was a cop. Hell yeah. Welcome to Greenville, Victor.

     1:42pm  Man, Greenville is living up to its name. It was so cool. I am being so well-prepared for this walk. I got hooked up with a dollar and bought all these Ramen noodles at the Kwiky Mart. I'm not hungry at all. I have everything I need. Remember, I could live without taste buds. Then I came to Greenville and I got some green! I didn't get the guy's name, but these two black dudes saw my shirt.

                   I took a picture of the town plaque in front of the Haffye Hayes Park. This place seems a lot bigger than Monticello and Monticello is on the map. I just took a little break on this bench in front of the park. Dude, I'm all stoned. Greenville is living up to its name big-time. When those dudes commented on my shirt I told them I was a journalist and offered my website. I told them I had been working on this for six years. One dude asks me if I got paid money for it and I told him no, that it was volunteer work. Then I got the idea to show him my fake cigarette and asked him if he could pinch me a hit for the cause. I held it out to him and he told me he didn't want to see it...but that he would give me some!

     1:56pm  Madison 14 miles, Jacksonville 127.

                   I'm walking in front of the Evergreen Cemetery.

     2:07pm  I see a cop car down there with its lights flashing. I was going to sit down and smoke a cigarette until he left, but he might be there for a while. I'm walking on the opposite side waving at cars. I've been doing this on all of my walking.

     2:14pm  I'm taking an impromptu break just because there's shade here.

     2:24pm  I am up walking.

     2:30pm  Badass, I was walking down Highway 90 over by Oriole Road. All of a sudden I spot these big tall bikes in the distance. From a distance they looked like big tall circus bikes. I crossed the highway so as not to be in their way. When they came into view I saw it was a family riding. A husband and wife on two separate bikes. One had a trailer with a kid in it and the other one was a tandem with an older kid pedaling too. When they went by me the mom stopped and asked me, "How are you doing?" I smiled and gave her the usual, "I'm the happiest man in the world. How are you?" She asked, "Do you need anything?" I smiled brighter and told her no, that I had everything I needed, but thanks anyway. I asked her, "Hey, will you check out my website? I walk for peace." They gave me their website too(http://opdefietsdoordevs.blogspot.com). I took their picture and they mine. They were a family from Denmark doing a tour. Before we kept going she asked me, "Are you sure you don't need anything?" I told her, "All I need is love." I didn't mention marijuana because their kids were right there.

                   Oh yeah, my waving has evolved. I'm giving the peace sign to cars going in both directions now. I'm just charging up my karma-slingshot. Everybody is going to know me.

     2:36pm  Passing Lovett Road.

     2:53pm  I'm going to stop and rest where the road turns and sit and smoke a cigarette. Good sight-distance so cars can see me. Then I'll walk to the next turn and rest again.

     3:07pm  Taking off walking. Man, I got a shitload of weed in Greenville. I got like a dimebag stuffed into a mini-baggie. It's in my wallet.

                   Sweet, a Dasani liter bottle. Exactly what I need. The bottle I have is a skinny 16fl oz one. I can transfer the water right now.

     3:10pm  Whoa, cool. There's a big train heading East! A Union Pacific train. I think it's slowing down. Maybe not. If it does stop I'm getting on it. It's going in the direction I need to go. I've never hopped a train before.

     3:25pm  I'm coming up on the next turn in the road. I'll tell you when I stop. I have been giving the peace sign to every single car that has passed me. Both directions. It's actually good to keep me occupied while I walk. It's fun. Most of them wave back, even the ones going East.

     3:32pm  I didn't tell you a couple minutes ago I came and sat down in the shade over by Elizabeth Sim Loop and US 90.

     3:43pm  Leaving.

                   That one pretty girl was right. 90 is a breathtakingly beautiful walk.

     3:56pm  I'm taking the next turn. I'm not going to stop here. I'll skip a turn and rest.

     4:00pm  Oh yeah, on my next rest I'm going to take a shot of Riovida. I keep forgetting. I just opened a new bottle. I've only taken one chug out of it.

     4:18pm  Holy shit, guess what's going to happen. I'm getting closer to the shade where I'm going to rest at the turn of the highway. Umm, I'm two minutes away from it right now. That's just crazy that right at 4:20 I get to my resting spot. Seems like I skipped that last turn on purpose. I'm going to make 4:20 right on time! That's so awesome.

     4:25pm  This guy Mike just rode by on a road bike and I yelled to him, "Spare any water?" He stopped and gave me some. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. Here, check out my website. You'll be on there when I update it.

     4:27pm  Mike recommends 100rides.com

     4:29pm  Another magical encounter. I gave Mike my website. He didn't have time for my story. He told me, "I can't sit too long. I'll stiffen up." He hooked me up with water! I was going to die!

     4:40pm  Up walking. Twenty minute break.

                   Hickstown

     4:43pm  Next break is a meal break. I'm getting kind of hungry.

                   It was awesome how I walked into the Kwiky Mart earlier and I was hoping they had Ramen's. They had them on the top shelf! I dug in my pocket and I only had a nickel. I pulled it out and told the manager, "Oh, I only have a nickel." The manager said, "I think I have a dollar." I got to buy three more. I already ate one and I have two left. Umm, I can see the next turn from here, like a mile away. I might eat then if I'm hungry. If I feel okay I'll skip the turn like I did last time.

     4:53pm  Coming up Floridan Road.

     4:57pm  I just figured something out in my head. I've got this resting system where I rest at every turn. At each rest I'm going to take a forward view and backward view so you can see how much I walked since it's a straight shot.

                   I forgot to take a chug of Riovida on that last rest. I'll take it on this one coming up soon.

                   It's 5:11 right now. It'll probably be like 5:15 by the time I get to the shade where I'm going to rest on this turn. Let's see. 4:40 is when I left from my last rest.

     5:14pm  I'm sitting down. Man, I'm beat. There's two things that I forgot to do last time. Take off my boots and air out my feet and drink some Riovida.

     5:32pm  I totally forgot to eat.

     5:54pm  I took a longass break. It's getting a little chilly. I'm going to walk on the side the sun is on. I'm all stoned. I dried out my feet good. I forgot that I didn't eat until towards the end.

                   I couldn't take pictures like I said I would because the shade spot was a little bit after I turned.

     6:07pm  I'm coming up on an information marker on the highway. I'll take a picture of it.

                   It looks like I am coming into Madison.

     6:10pm  Right now I ran into some homeless dude and he told I was only five miles away from Madison. He told me to go to St. Vincent du Paul's. Hmm, this might be a cool little town. I can't believe I've pretty much walked all the way from Tallahassee. Anyway, that homeless dude was a hardcore Christian. He asked me if I believed in god. He told me to go to St. Vinnie's tomorrow morning and talk to some preacher and that he would turn me into a Catholic. I told him that I didn't want to be a Catholic. That I had already been a Catholic. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down, sleep. I told him I had a world to save. That I couldn't waste my time. When I told him about my mission he was all, "I don't smoke weed." He sure did drink.

                   Cool shit happens to me in towns called Madison.

     6:25pm  Coming up on Sullivan Still Road. I seem to be getting close to town.

     6:46pm  Badass, I scored me some good leather work gloves. Extra large. See, I had walked by one glove and saw it and wished I knew where the other one was. I walked a little more and I saw the other one. I went back for the first one and I have the pair now.

     6:54pm  Walking by the Landmark Baptist Church.

    7:04pm  Walking in front of the Tri-County Electric Co-op.

                   Man, I'm tired. I'm not going to rest until I get into town though.

                   Walking by Madison Academy. I don't know what kind of school that is.

     7:10pm  Walking in front of the Madison County High School.

     7:15pm  Walking in front of the Florida Highway Patrol Station.

     7:28pm  I've got two more miles to the McDonald's. That's a longass way. It's weird that they have the highschool this far. I hope I can find a place to crash soon.

                   I'm going to go to the McDonald's and tell them I just walked all the way from Monticello. Can I please have a burger?

     7:37pm  Madison City Limit.

                   There's a gas station down there. Cool, I think I see a Pizza Hut!

     7:47pm  I'm going to hit up Pizza Hut when I get there. I'm coming up on it. Man, this town is all spread out. I hope I get a pizza.

     7:50pm  I came to the Pizza Hut and asked the dude working if they had any mistakes and he told me no real quick, without even checking. I told him alright, thanks anyway. This other lady working there saw me and asked me what I was looking for and I asked her if they had any mistakes. She's going to hook me up! Awesome. That's right, dude. Be afraid.

     7:51pm  Lakesha was nice enough to give me some pizza at the Pizza Hut. Welcome to Madison, Victor.

                   Whoa, Monticello is twenty three miles away, Lakesha told me. I forgot to give her my website. I came outside and I'm going to finish eating and go give it to her.

     8:53pm  I forgot to tell you. I found me a perfect campspot about a hundred feet from the Pizza Hut entrance. There's a little patch of woods here. I'll take pictures in the morning. Man, my feet ache.

Next day..