031808

                                                                                                              Tampa, FL

Tuesday March 18, 2008

     6:01am  I just woke up at my camp in these woods here. I got seven hours of sleep. 

     6:52am  I'm up and at 'em. I am leaving from behind The Falls. This condo, or hotel. I woke up this morning and grabbed my Bob Barker bar of soap and scanned around for that outdoor shower Abraham told me about, but I didn't see it anywhere. This couple walked by and saw me by the pool.

                   I'm really bummed out about Chasity. I knew it was her who answered the phone. Oh yeah, Abraham let me borrow his cellphone last night. Some girl answered the phone last night. I knew it was Chasity, but she denied it. I just told her, "Thanks anyway, I'm sorry to bother you."

                   Sunrise

     7:13am  I just came out of the Shell/Circle K. I took a shit. I'm at Lettuce Lake Parkway and Fletcher.

     7:40am  I just went on a bigass hike down Fletcher and just passed 56th. I'm going to keep walking. Hopefully I will get to the bus stop in time to get downtown to take a shower. The bus will take about fifty minutes to get downtown. Hopefully I'll get there on time to catch the shower van.

     8:07am  I just got to the library. I'm going to take a piss inside and wait for the bus outside. I'm going to be cutting it close.

                   I went inside and took a piss and refilled my water bottle and I missed the bus, damn. I'm going to be late.

     8:30am  I am still waiting for the bus. It came around going to the transfer center, but it's going to be back at eight forty. I'm going to get downtown around nine thirty, but I have five bucks. I'm going to ride the bus to the shower place.

     8:43am  There's the bus finally.

                   False alarm. It's not going downtown. It's going to the transfer center. I'm still waiting.

                   I only have a dollar thirty five. If the driver doesn't let me ride fifteen cents short I'm going to turn my head and ask does anybody have fifteen cents since the driver is being a greedy ass? Hopefully I will log the person's generosity and be able to tell him or her my story on the ride downtown.

                   I'm a bit bummed out about Chasity. I know it was her. I recognized her voice when she first started talking. Man, the East Coast totally changed her. She's still ignorant. I miss her so much.

     8:49am  The bus came finally.

                   I didn't tell you. Abraham last night, when he dropped me off, he hooked me up with a couple of Boost, liquid nutrition drinks like I used to steal from University Hospital in San Antonio years ago. I had one before I went to bed and one for breakfast.

                   I was sure to take my trash with me when I left my camp and left no trace.

     9:28am  The St. Patrick's day parade was in the town of Ybor City. I got a guestbook entry from that night.

     9:37am  I just got to the bum-wall on Henderson and was told the shower van hadn't come. I didn't miss it.

     10:07am  Fuckin-a. I missed the shower van and the meal ticket(because I was too busy telling my story)! In a community of plenty, none should go hungry! What happened to that? Damnit. What would Jesus do??

     10:28am  I am at the MTC and I'm trying to get on the #2 with just a dollar. I have a five dollar bill, but the greedy ass lady inside wouldn't give me change. She told me I could buy a daypass for five dollars. Screw that. I'm going to try and go to the shower place.

     10:31am  The greedy ass #2 driver won't let me on fifty cents short.

     10:32am  After the bus driver wouldn't let me ride fifty cents short, Jessica was nice enough to volunteer me fifty cents. I appreciate it, Jessica. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     11:09am  Shit, I overshot the shower place! I didn't know exactly where it was. Somebody told me it was by a Publix grocery store, so that's what I was on the lookout for. I passed it up three miles ago, I was told by some homeless guy. Damnit, I need to score me some breakfast somewhere.

     11:19am  They told me no at Church's, oh well. Man, nobody wants world peace.

                     Carriba's Eatery. I'm going to eat, hopefully. Sweet.

                     They told me no. I thought I was going to eat. Man, nobody wants world peace! It was some black lady working there, not Mexican. Oh well.

     11:40am  Passing Sligh.

     12:34pm  I just got out of the shower at The Shop at 220 N. Nebraska. I feel great now. It was all ghetto and shit, but oh well. I did a dry shave too. They have a big van outside, some mobile medical center. This dude wanted me to do my blood pressure before I took a shower.

     12:42pm  I came to The Shop to take a shower after walking back like three miles. Arthur just let me hit his joint. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks a lot.

     1:48pm  See, this one black dude at The Shop, he wanted me to follow him because he was going to show me where a laundromat was. He told me he was going to smoke a joint with me. But we were walking a long way and even overshot a laundromat. I told him the laundromat was right there, but he kept walking telling me we were going to go over the bridge. I got a little paranoid wondering where this guy was leading me so I told him forget it, that I needed to do my laundry more than I needed to smoke a joint. Right before we left The Shop this minister guy had told me, "Be careful," so I should follow that sign. I walked back to the laundromat we passed on Sligh. I'm going to do my laundry now at the Nebraska Wash House.

     2:09pm  I am finishing my laundry. I'm going to go back into town.

     3:03pm  I see the bus coming. I have exactly a dollar fifty left over after laundry. I'm not going to be able to buy any microcassettes. That's alright. All I have to do is tell people my story and I'll get money again.

     3:39pm  Back at the MTC. I'm stupid. I should've caught the bus going in the other direction on Nebraska Street. It would've gone towards the college. It seems like I came downtown for a reason. I'm going to try and get me something to eat, because I didn't go to any bum-feeds. I have this big loaf of bread that I've been munching on.

                     I never mentioned, but I've been having great presentations on every single bus I've been on. I always hit people up for my story and give them my website. I've been handing them out like crazy.

     4:06pm  Damnit, I lost my pouch of tobacco.

     4:20pm  Tom hooked me up with an after-meal cigarette in front of the pizza shop here. Everybody gets credit, man. Thanks a lot.

     4:22pm  I was just walking around downtown looking for a cigarette to bum. Some old guy in front of Eddie and Sam's Pizza By the Slice, he ends up giving me a cigarette and I logged his generosity. Then this girl comes out of the restaurant and hands Tom a chicken salad and says, "Here, are you going to eat this? I'm going to throw it away." I stepped in and said, "Why would you throw that away? I'll take it." Hell yeah, I'm going to eat.

                   Do you see how I was meant to lose my tobacco now? I went and bummed a cigarette and I got fed, so I have fuel. I'm going to walk back to the transfer center and see if I can score me a dollar fifty for busfare or score me a courtesy ride and go to the college again.

     5:18pm  TJ hooked me up with a cigarette at the transfer center. I appreciate it, bro.

     5:28pm  The greedy ass told me no on the bus. "There's cameras." That's right, be afraid. Be afraid.

     5:33pm  Malcolm hooked me up with fifteen cents at the MTC.

     5:37pm  Happy, from New York hooked me up with some change for the bus. I appreciate it, brother. Happy: "I'm usually on Florida and Bush on Sundays. I dress up as a clown and sell newspapers. I make people smile." I've got a clown wig too. Making people smile is my job too.

     5:45pm  Allan just volunteered me a cigarette at the MTC. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.

     6:02pm  This ignorant girl right now on the bus. Her boyfriend is all about the marijuana, but she wouldn't shut up about, "No, I have kids!" Goes to show how much you know. Thanks for making my story so interesting.

     6:46pm  Just got dropped off at the library at USF. I also have to score some tennis balls somehow tonight. I don't know when I'm going to do that. I should probably go do that first. I hope the tennis courts aren't that far. Then later I'm going to go manifest some food somehow. I still have some bread in my bag. I'm going to smoke a cigarette before I go in.

     8:49pm  I just finished up typing up a whole side of my tape. I'm going to walk out and try and score some food and come back and start typing up the tape I haven't typed up.

     9:22pm  I finished up my typing at the college and thought I'd go try and manifest some food somewhere. I went outside and ran into Matt and his friends out here smoking cigarettes. He drives the Bull Runner buses on campus and he saw me the other day. He just hooked me up with three cigarettes! He volunteered them. And a lighter. Everybody gets credit, man. Thanks.

     10:22pm  After I was done at the library I went outside and talked to these kids and now I'm going to go to Matt's apartment and practice what I preach! Hell yeah! He's got a nugget. Purple Haze, I think he said.

     11:46pm  Hell yeah, man. I'm all stoned. Purple Haze. Matt smoked me out. He was able to get a nugget off of some guy right before we left the library. We rode the college bus over to his apartment on 42nd. I rode as a guest. He's going to let me crash here tonight. He's listening to Bob Dylan right now. He told me earlier, "Man, I want to do what you're doing. I envy your lifestyle." I told him to spread his wings and fly. Right now I just had a really bad case of urinary-anxiety. I stood there in front of his toilet for like ten minutes trying to piss. It's because his radio was on so loud. Also because I am super-stoned and it's hard to concentrate. Purple Haze. Some good shit, mang. I'm going to go to sleep. The music is on too loud though.

Next day..