030908

                                                                    Lake City and walking to High Springs, FL

Sunday March 9, 2008

     6:32am  I just woke up in my campsite. I scored me eight hours of sleep last night. The sun's started coming up. I had a beautiful campsite last night. I'm going to take pictures.

     7:43am  I walked the mile back to the Gas Mart hoping I could get some breakfast somehow. I have forty cents so I'm going to buy some Ramen noodles. It's not open yet. I have to wait until eight. Shit, I want a cigarette.

     8:57am  I just found out the time changed. It's an hour ahead now, but the store still isn't open.

     9:47am  I am taking off. I'm going to walk the four or five miles to the next gas station.
                  
     10:02am  I was walking the highway and some guy going the opposite direction waved at me and I instinctly gave  him the need-a-cigarette hand gesture. He pulled over and hooked me up. He said he had seen me walking yesterday.

                     I stopped in front of the Church of Christ and I'm sitting down smoking a cigarette.

     10:15am  I'm just now walking by the woods where I crashed last night.

     10:19am  Passing by Alfred Markham Street.

     10:33am  I just took a picture of the DeSoto Trail sign.

                     Another picture.

     10:45am  I stopped in front of Ramona Park Church. I'm going to smoke a cigarette I found on the ground.

     10:50am  Leaving.

     11:03am  I took a pause and took a leak. I passed Gabe Street not too long ago.

                     Coming up on Watermelon Park. There's an F&S Gas station. Breaktime.

     12:03pm  I walked to the F&S gas station here on 240 and Will saw my shirt and liked it and he hooked me up with a little bud! I really appreciate it, bro. He gave me a cigarette too. Thanks for helping me live this dream.

     12:12pm  That was perfect, man. I got hooked up with some weed! He gave me a dollar too so I bought me two more Ramens.

                     To kill time I sewed up a tear in my cargo shorts.

     12:43pm  It's so awesome how I got hooked up with some weed! I went in the bathroom and cleaned out the seeds and stems on my little Frisbee. Next gas station is four and a half miles away. I'm going to get ready and take a big hit of weed. I'll take a chug of Riovida and march forth on March ninth.

     12:55pm  It's warmer now. It's still a bit windy. I'm walking now. I'm all stoned. I took two big hits and drank some Riovida which totally enhances the high.

                     I lost my Make It Happen shirt. That sucks. I had that shirt for years. Since 2004.

     1:22pm  I am leaving. I had a bitter-sweet break. I hadn't changed my socks since early yesterday. One of the main rules of walking is to keep your feet dry. I took off my socks and let my feet air out in the wind. It sucked because right where I put my heel down there was an antbed! First I saw just one ant and I took it off. I might have killed him, but it was an accident. Sorry. Then I got bitten again! Now, they're all over my feet biting me! I felt less bad for killing that first ant then. They were all over my boots. I picked them all out. I'm still pretty full from the Ramen I ate. I've got another one and the next gas station is not that far away. I'm all stoned and happy. It happens all the time with my magic shirt. I get everything I need with this shirt. At that last gas station I sat down and sewed my shorts. Eventually this dude pulled up in a pickup with a crucifix hanging in his car. A Toyota Tacoma. I think it was red and it had mud all over it. He hooks me up. First off he walked up and said, "I love your shirt." I offered him my website and told him I was a journalist. I asked him, "You don't got any, do you?" He said no, that he didn't drive around with any. I showed him my special cigarette, my one-hitter and the guy said, "Let me check my ashtray. I'll be right back." He hooked me up with a lot of weed in a cigarette cellophane. I've already taken two hits. I have about six or seven hits left on it. I put the cellophane in my wallet.

                    See, at the gas station after I got hooked up I changed my shirt because I had weed in my pocket. I put on my Relax - I'm a Professional shirt, but when I get to the next gas station I'm going to put my WPTMJ shirt back on. I'm not skeered.

     1:25pm  About to pass English Street.

     1:30pm  Passing Aviation Drive.

     1:32pm  Entering Mason City.

     1:33pm  I just took a random picture of the trees and the water and stuff.

                   Right when I got to that last gas station I rolled four snipe-rats from cigarettes in their ashtray.

                   Oh yeah, I've been giving the peace sign to every single car that passes me. Going in both directions.

     1:38pm  Almost passing Katherine Lane. I'm going to rest at the top of this hill. I'll sit down and have a smokebreak.

     1:52pm  When I stopped at the top of the hill I looked back and there's a sign that says Mason City, so I've already walked through Mason City. There's nothing there. A couple houses and that's it.

     2:05pm  I am up walking.

     2:09pm  Passing by the sign pointing to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Oldest in Florida. Should I go? It's right there. I might as well.

                   I took a picture of the sign.

                   Screw it, I'm not going to go to that church. Maybe I should. It is Sunday, after all. I'm going to go.

     2:11pm  This church didn't even seem like it would be worth checking out. I think it's closed. There's nobody here. I'll take a picture of it from the other side of the cemetery because I don't want to walk over to it. I'm hungry.

     2:22pm  Shit, I see a highway like a mile away. Maybe there's gas stations. Maybe that's Highway 75. I'm in Columbia County right now.

                   Everybody is afraid on the East Coast. Not so much that they are ignorant, just scared. The government has everybody by the balls. Good little slaves.

     2:34pm  Coming into the town of Ellisville.

     2:36pm  Holy shit! That exact same spot where I decided to stop and take the picture of the Ellisville sign, behind it there's a sign that says Victory - Assembly of God. Check out the picture.

     2:43pm  The highway is 238 I'm coming up on. It's not 75.

     2:46pm  I was walking almost to 238 and they had a fruit stand. I walked up and asked the lady if I could buy any fruit for a quarter and she volunteered me a huge orange. I appreciate it. Thanks for feeding the peace machine, Brenda.

     2:55pm  Oh yeah, I am only twelve miles away from High Springs. I'm walking there for sure. I just have to go to High Springs.

     3:08pm  What a great orange that was. I sat down on this white chair they had at the gas station before the interstate and ate it.  That was the best orange I have ever eaten in my whole life. It was delicious. It filled me up. It was huge. To top it off, there's a whole cigarette on the ground right here. After-meal smoke. I'm all fueled up to walk to High Springs. I still have another cake of Ramen in my bag.

     3:10pm  I'm walking to the other gas stations on the other side of the highway. Oh yeah, this is 75. Maybe I'll thumb it on the onramp. Nah, I'm going to High Springs. I'll come back to 75 later. Gainesville 35, High Springs 12. I'm definitely going to go hit up the Subway.

                   I just walked all the way from Lake City yesterday. Before that I practically walked all the way from Tallahassee. Walked all that on Ramen alone. Sweet, I see a sign for a Mexican restaurant. Hell yeah. I'm going to hit them both up and get some traveling food.

     3:17pm  The greedy ass at the Subway told me no. Ha, I said that right in front of her. I'm going to go score at the Mexican restaurant. I should've told her good thing there's a Mexican restaurant. They know the rules.

                   There's a place called Texas Burgers, awesome.

                   Damnit, the Country Station place here is closed. Nothing is open. So no Mexican restaurant. I'm going to eat my Ramen and try and get a ride. Maybe that's a sign to thumb it on 75 to Gainesville.

                   I'm glad I didn't tell that girl at the Subway about the Mexican restaurant. She would've told me, "Too bad it's closed."

     3:36pm  Mark gave me a dollar so I can buy me some more Ramen so I can walk to High Springs. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     3:51pm  Wendy just hooked me up with a dollar. I had asked her for ten cents so I could get me some cookies.

     4:12pm  I celebrated early. I'm walking to High Springs. I'm going to smoke all my weed on this walk. The gas stations have been at five mile intervals all the way from Lake City.

                   Oh, and Wendy, I hope you weren't offended when I called you bro at first.

                   Thank you, Wendy for that dollar. I was able to buy a lot more stuff. I got two things of thirty cent crackers and some soft cookies. I've got three Ramens now. Oleno State Park, five miles. That's where I'm going. Maybe I can find a campsite.

                   That was Highway 75 at Ellisville. I took off my WPMTJ shirt again. There's no point in wearing it while I walk.

                   As far as me calling Wendy a bro, I'm sure as hell not the first person.

     4:50pm  Passing Generations Loop.

     4:53pm  Passing Generations Loop again. The Southside of it.

                   Change the link that says The Life of a Free Man to A Life Outside the Box.

     5:05pm  Walking by Rob Martin Glen.

     5:07pm  Hammock Hill Circle.

     5:12pm  I'm going to rest at the sign that says how far High Springs is. I'm going to air out my shoes.

                   Passing sign that says Worthington Springs, left.

     5:16pm  The lady at the last gas station told me it was five miles. The sign says High Springs 8. The last sign said twelve, so I've only walked four miles. So I should have one more mile left to the gas station. That's where I'm going to rest. I'm tired though.

                   I forgot to tell you I am in Mikesville right now.

                   I never told you that people have been honking at me all day.

     5:23pm  Passing by Clubhouse Lane.

     5:24pm  I'm going to rest and take a leak.

     5:50pm  Taking off. I had a good rest and aired my feet out. I'm feeling better.

     5:53pm  Passing Moonlight Drive.

     6:01pm Oleno State Park straight ahead. Ichetuckne Springs Park.

                   Fort White to the right.

     6:03pm  High Springs 7, Gainesville 29. I wonder if I will walk to Gainesville. I was thinking about stopping at the state park and crashing there for the night. It's still daylight though. I have an extra hour of daylight since the time changed this morning.

                   Badass, there's a sidewalk here. Actually, there's been a sidewalk on the other side for a while, but I've been walking on the side opposed to traffic this whole time. So I can wave at cars. I am where the sidewalk on this side starts, sweet. Oh yeah, I put a fabric Band-Aid on my fingertip because my cuticle snags on stuff and it hurts. I used some triple antibiotic too.

                   Passing Sprite Loop 617. Oleno State Park entrance. I took a picture. Not passing, but taking Sprite Loop.

                   Passing Bible Camp Street. The Florida Bible Camp. Boat launch 3.5 miles.

     6:06pm  I have decided not to go to Oleno State Park. I'm going to keep going to the gas station. The day's still young. The sun hasn't even come down yet. The gas station isn't that far.

     6:42pm  Back on Highway 41/441.

     6:46pm  Passing by Frances Watson Lane.

                   Passing Old Bellamy Road.

     7:02pm  Walking in front of the Oleno Baptist Church.

     7:04pm  Walking up to Gallop-N-Gary's. I'll take a picture. Deli, Pizza, Ice cream.

     7:07pm  They told me no at the place. Good 'ol manager's-not-here bullshit. That's right, be afraid.

                   I'm going to stand here with my shirt and ask for rides.

     7:10pm  I went outside to munch on a Ramen cake since they told me no. This dude came outside and asked me how I was doing. I told him that I was the happiest man in the world. He asked me, "Are you looking for something to eat? I'm the manager's son so if they fire somebody it will have to be me." He's hooking me up, awesome.

                   Lee, was the owner's son's name.

                   I was still packing up all my shit and Lee came back outside and asked me if I was going to High Springs. He said that if I waited a while he would give me a ride.

                   I told Lee my story and everything. Well, just the important part. Oh yeah, and before his coworker told him, "Be happy you've got a job." He told her, "What? Be happy I have a job? I hate my job." The lady said, "Then why don't you quit? I'll take your hours."

     8:30pm  I forgot to tell you we took off. Lee is giving me a ride to High Springs. He's going to drop me off at the Winn-Dixie.

                   I'm going to go find a camspite in the woods here behind the Winn-Dixie.

Next day..