032308

                                                                                                              Tampa, FL

Sunday March 23, 2008

     7:42am  I woke up about half an hour ago around seven. I got about eight hours of sleep last night. Last night was kind of weird. I've been telling my story lately. Ryan and Matt have been giving me audiences left and right. Last night I thought these guys were all happy with me. It was raining all day, so I'm glad I had some shelter and stayed dry. When it stopped raining I decided I'd go get my pack from Matt's place. I mean, in the morning Matt had told me that I might as well bring it over. So I thought It'd be cool if I stayed here for a couple of days. When I came back with my pack Ryan was all, "Oh, you're moving in?" I mean, it's all my shit. I want to have it with me. It was getting cold. So then later on last night Matt came up to me and said, "This is probably the last night we are going to be able to house you." I told him that's alright, that I had woods to crash in and the rain should be done. This morning I woke up with eight hours of sleep. Ryan's alarm clock woke me up, like it did the night before. It was playing that Octopus' Garden song. I just got baked on the porch. I'm going to go do some typig whenever it opens. I don't know what time it opens. Oh yeah, last night Matt hooked me up with a couple nuggets of Purple Haze. Awesome.
                  
     8:27am  It's about time I made an updated for the day. See, I woke up and and went on the back porch and packed all my stuff, making sure I had everything. I went outside and put my boots on, because they make you take them off when you come in. It kind of surprised me that Matt told me they couldn't house me anymore. I really hope I didn't offend anybody. I'm sorry if I did, guys. I'm aight. Today it's not supposed to rain. Matt knows I am a rambling man and that I understand when it's time to leave. I don't know what I'm going to do about breakfast this morning. I haven't eaten. I'm going to walk down Fletcher and go hit up Malena's for breakfast. I chose not to hit them up the other day after I scored at El Rey do Oros. I don't want to abuse the priveleges. That was the night that I ran into Matt again and he let me crash. That was badass how I scored a temporary headquarters at the college while I got my typing done. I've got ten days to type up. That's it. I'll see what happens.

                  Ryan's dining room table.

                   Right before I left Ryan's apartment I saw some black dude walk to the Bull Market. When he came back out I hit him up for my story, but he told me he was in a hurry. I gave him my website. Then I was walking up 42nd almost to Fletcher and another black dude walked by and I hit him up for my story. He told me, "Man, I just walked fifteen miles." I told him that's what the website was for, to check it out when he had the chance. I should have my picture taken. I'm wearing the hat Matt gave me. It's badass. I wear it backwards. It gets all the dreads out of my face. I should take a picture of myself somewhere. I need to charge my batteries today at the library.

     8:41am  I walked up to Bruce B. Downs.

     8:54am  I found ten cents in front of the Bull Market, two nickels on the ground. That's almost a Ramen right there. I was going to go in the Walmart and tell them I only had ten cents, that I was four cents short and see what they'd tell me. But, Walmart eneded up being closed for Easter. I'm going to walk to the gas stations and stand there with my shirt. Manifest some breakfast somehow.

                   Me

     9:09am  Ahh, I didn't have that much fun at the Citgo gas station. I walked in and asked them if they had any water on their fountain and the white dude gave me a rude NO. I said screw it, I'd walk over by Malena's and see what time they opened. Then I remembered I had three meal replacement shakes in my bag. I'm going back to the college. I can eat those today.

     9:17am  I doubled back on Fletcher to Magnolia and I'm cutting across the field to Magnolia. I'm thinking about going downtown because there's free food everywhere on Sundays.

     9:28am  I'm walking by the pond on campus and somebody has a tent pitched. Hmm, could I possibly camp here? I'll try it tonight, hehe.

     9:37am  I just walked to the library and it opens at noon. That sucks.

     9:52am  I have two hours to kill for the library to open. I needed some water. My bottle was empty. I was walking around the buildings looking for a spigot somewhere. I found this huge water main thing on the side of this building. It had a nozzle water would come out of, but you were supposed to screw something in it and turn the handle and it sprays up. I opened the valve and I was able to hold the nozzle of my bottle at an angle and I was able to catch some water. Because I need to mix up one of my protein shakes I have. I'm about to eat my breakfast and smoke a cigarette.

     10:18am  I took a picture of this plaque thing they have in this courtyard here close to the library. I want to tell somebody my story. I had a good breakfast. I sat down on this bench and ate my meal replacement thingy. I'm not hungry anymore. I want to go find somebody to tell my story to until noon. I have to take a piss. I need to find a concealed area somewhere.

     10:22am  I took a piss behind a tree next to the Communication Information Sciences(CIS) building. 12011 USF Sago Drive.

     10:31am  I figured out a project to kill time. I could go to the tennis courts and see how many balls I can find, even though I already have shitloads of them. I got directions from some black dude in front of Cooper Hall. I hit him up for my story, but he's in a hurry. I gave him my website and he said he'd check it out. He was all, "You walk everywhere?" I told him all the places I've been so far.

     10:35am  I found the tennis courts. Four trashcans for ten courts.

     10:42am  I only scored two.

     10:54am  I had a good presentation with this dudes. I went to the tennis courts to get balls. I noticed some black dudes playing basketball and soccer nearby. I saw these two dudes just hanging out by their car, so I walked over and hit them up for my story. I gave them my website at first, and this one guy listened to me hardcore.

     11:10am  I came back to the library and there are a couple people waiting outside. This one girl who walked over got all scared. She was all, "No, no, no." That's right, be afraid.

     12:00pm  Haha, I just got banned from the campus by the cops. That's the sign to leave I have been waiting for. One sign was being kicked out this morning from Ryan's. Now I received a definite sign to leave. Trespassed from campus. If I came back I would go to jail. The cops were cool though. Officers Pearson and Hill. I had just gone and sat down on this bench on the side of the library and attempted to get a hit of weed ready. Right when I was about to take the hit I saw a cop car pull up. I discreetly put my loaded fake cigarette in my left cargo pocket. One walked up to me and I told him I was waiting for the library to open. He asked me if I was a student and I said no, that they had public access terminals. He said he knew. Then he walked up to me and read my shirt. He asked me if I had any marijuana and I told him no, that I wished I did. That he was more than welcome to search me. He told me to put my hands over my head and spread my legs. At that moment I saw the jig was up and I told him I had a little weed. He asked me where and I told him my left cargo pocket. They took it. They could've taken me to jail, but they didn't. They were cool. They told me that I was very cooperative and that I was being a nice guy. They had me handcuffed and everything. So that's my sign to leave. I'm out of here.

     12:34pm  I just walked to Fletcher and Bruce B. Downs. I'm going to walk to the transfer center. I'm going to see if I can score at Malena's one last time.

     12:40pm  I'm going to go hit up Malena's.

     12:41pm  They told me the manager was real busy right now, but if I came later she would probably be able to give me something.

     1:01pm  James just gave me a five dollar bill! I just asked him for change for busfare. I appreciate it, brother. Check out my website. You'll be on there when I update it.

                   I went and stood in front of a gas station with my shirt. I had thirty five cents in my pocket. I found ten cents this morning and one of the cops dropped a quarter and before I left I asked him if I could have it. The only person I asked just gave me a five dollar bill! Sweet! So I've got busfare now. I'm going to go downtown to a bum-feed. I'm going to ask for a courtesy ride because I only have a five dollar bill. I'll get me a nickel sack, hehe. Oh yeah, at the gas station the Middle Eastern guy working hooked me up with a Ramen being ten cents short.

     1:10pm  I came to the University Area Transfer Center(U.A.T.C.). I'm going to ask the #6 driver for a courtesy ride downtown.

     1:12pm  The nice #6 driver is hooking me up with a ride downtown. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     1:13pm  Sweet, I asked the driver and he hooked me up. He was smiling the whole time. I logged his generosity and gave him my website. I'm going downtown and I didn't have to spend my five bucks. I'm gonna go find some marijuana.

     2:12pm  I'm almost downtown on th #6. I'm waiting for this side to run out so I can flip it over and tape on the other side.

     2:17pm  MTC. Oh yeah, today is Easter Sunday. I was directed to this bum-feed by the army surplus store. Argh, you gotta sit through the sermon before they feed you.
                  
     2:45pm  Freedom Baptist is over here feeding the homeless over by the army surplus store. We appreciate it, guys. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     3:09pm  Oh yeah, I ran into Deon, the friend I made the other day. He's showing me where there's a store where I can buy some cigarettes. There's a skatepark over here, cool.

     5:18pm  I met up with my friend Deon and we walked to some grocery store that was open today where I bought some Buglers. We went over to some bar on Nebraska Street just asking people for four dollars worth of weed, with absolutely no luck. I need busfare, so I changed my mind about spending three dollars on weed. He only had one buck some lady gave him earlier.

                   I'm going to walk back to the MTC and catch the bus to Clearwater.

                   I've just been bouncing around. I misplaced Deon and walked downtown. It was dead so I went to the MTC and this other Puertorican dude I know hooked me up with half a joint. I walked back to the skatepark and met up with Deon again. He had a tiny bit of weed too. We combined our weed and rolled a joint and smoked it. This one black homeless dude walked up and he listened to my story hardcore, odyssey and all. At first I had tried telling my story to the skaters but they were way ignorant, as skaters usually are to my story. They were all, "You're just one person. You can't make a difference." If I would've noticed they were drinking beer I wouldn't have even approached them.

     7:11pm  Kurt not only listened to my whole entire Odyssey...what did you think, Kurt? Kurt: "It was awesome." He hooked me up with a cigarette in the end.

     7:41pm  I had yet another presentation with this guy as I was walking away from the skatepark. He listened to me, but I cut it short.

                   I have plenty of food from the bum-feed. I won't be hungry tonight. It's supposed to get cold tonight.

     8:40pm  I walked downtown looking for people to tell my story to. Anyway, I walked to the church and there are no homebums anywhere. Maybe they banned this place. I'm still going to crash here though.

                   I have three bucks for busfare to Clearwater tomorrow. I'll go look for Chasity.

     8:44pm  It's still kind of early so I'm not going to make my camp just yet. I'll sit down on the corner and hope somebody walks by so I can tell them my story.

                   Mack just walked up. He had left his sleeping bag there. He told me, "Don't camp here. The police ran everybody off three night's ago." He did tell me about some pavilion where other people crash nearby.

     8:49pm  It turns out the pavillion he was talking about is at the skatepark I was at earlier today. I remember seeing homeless dudes there and was wondering if they were going to crash there. It seems to be the new spot now.

Next day..