040104

 

San Antonio, TX

Thursday April 1, 2004

     9:11am  I am in the bathroom taking a shit. I am reading my Future Shock book. It's my bathroom reading book. I read a section every morning. On page 39 be sure to type up the section The Meaning of the Market. Put that section in, if I haven't already. It's awesome.

                   Oh yeah, and this morning, my name woke me up. Somebody called out my name. Nobody's home. That's crazy. It just woke me up. I guess it was time to get up.

     9:13am  Oh yeah, I woke up at eight this morning. I spent like a whole hour fixing my maize necklace. Now it's perfect. I need it for this weekend. Going to get me some publicity.

     9:53am  I'm leaving my mom's house. I can't believe I'm leaving so late. I was able to shake out a couple hits of dust out of my wallet because I was all out of weed. I got my little one-hitter though. It's really nice I have that little pipe. What I really miss is my peace pipe sneak-a-toke with the wooden mouthpiece. But I can't buy that again. Ever.

     10:23am  I just walked to the Exxon on Bandera and Braun Road. I found me almost a whole cigarette in the ashtray. A Marlboro, sweet.

                     Money is a man-made invention. It can be un-made.

                     See, what I am doing with my loggings is just taking it all apart. I am recycling it.

     10:30am  I just walked into the park. I'm going to take the trail right off to the right.

     10:40am  I just took off my thermal. I just have my uniform shirt on.

                     Letter of the day is K as in Ken. I just got on the 88 and asked him how much time he had. He said he was leaving. Forget it then. I just got off. Now I'm going to check the 610 schedule I have in my pocket. Wait, I need to see if I can get a transfer first.

     10:55am  I have to wait for the 610 going to Medical Center. I don't have a K transfer.

                     I have no change at all.

                     Hmm, I'm going to go play videogames, hehe.

     11:45am  I came out to the buses now. I've got ten minutes. I got tired of playing this one game and thought, "Ahh, since I don't have a transfer let me go out and see if I can get a transfer off another bus before the 610 comes."

     11:50am  Mr. 3824 hooked me up with a transfer. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit in my game.

     11:56am  The 610 pulled up. Mr. Perez is driving. We've got like eight minutes. I'm going to go right here to the Tire and Lube Express. These grease-monkeys always have cigarettes.

     11:57am  This dude I asked for a cigarette at the Tire and Lube Express told me no. He had a pack sticking out of his pocket. He said, "I'm sorry, no." Liar.

     12:00pm  Kevin hooked me up with a cigarette outside the Tire and Lube Express. I had asked this other guy and he told me no, but Kevin just walked up to me and handed me one. I appreciate it, brother.

     12:27pm  Mickey gave me a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother.

     12:30pm  I just saw the headline on the paper. It says, "Americans mutilated. Iraqi mobs hang charred bodies from bridge."

                     I have to act fast.

                     Another article, "City is tops on binge-drinking benders. Nearly a quarter of residents admit to having at least five drinks at once during the month before surveys. This person said San Antonio was the fattest city in America. Now government health researches are calling it the drunkest. A new study, based on the same behavioral survey of last year, found San Antonio the home to the most obese people. Includes nearly a quarter of local adults engages in binge drinking. That is defined as 5 or more drinks at one sitting within the past 30 days. A study published this week in The American Journal of Public Health found binge drinking is more common in the metropolitan areas in the Midwest, Nevada and Texas.
                     San Antonio leads the way nationwide with a rate of 23.9% as the Austin/San Marcos area comes in fourth with 22.6%. Sharon ChoOkay, executive director of the San Antonio Council for Alcohol and drug abuse, said the polls shows the need to renewed efforts to curb binge drinking. She attributed the CDC bindings to the city's growth, particularly at its colleges and universities, and local celebrations like Fiesta..."

                     That's where it ends. It's front page, I'm not going to pay for it. It's not that interesting. I won't learn that much. Knowledge is free anyway.

                     They got a chart here that says, "Binge drinking," that says:

                     Percentage of adults who drink 5 or more drinks at one occasion within months prior to being polled.

#1 is San Antonio with 22.9%.
Grandforks, ND 23.4%.
Milwaukee, 22.7%.
Austin 22.6%.
Sioux Falls, SD 21.4%.
Davenport, Iowa 21.1%
Cedar Springs, Iowa 21.6%.
Duluth, MN 20.3%
Lincoln NB 21.1%.
Springfield, MA 20.1%.

                     That's the top ten.

     11:40pm  I sat down to smoke a cigarette. I asked this girl next to me in Spanish, "Te molesta si fumo?" She asked me to trade her seats. This real pretty girl from the Dominican Republic. She used to live in Puerto Rico. It was awesome, she lived in Carolina.

     11:48pm  Mr. Reyes on the 92 didn't give me a ride. I got and he said, "Same as always, NO. Haha." I told him, "Alright, I'll just ask the next guy."

                     The guy driving another bus didn't give me a transfer either. I told him, "I was just testing you, man. You failed."

     11:45pm  The 534 going to Ingram didn't give me a transfer either. Oh well.

                     It's all a number's game.

     11:47pm  Sergio was nice enough to give me a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks

     11:53pm  I told Adrian, the young security guard dude, he knows me, he likes me. He told me, "No luck yet, huh?" I asked him, "Hey man, do the bus drivers ever talk shit about me?" He told me, "They just think you're crazy. They always say, "He was trying to get a free ride." I told him, "That's alright, as long as they're talking about me. That's all I care about."

                     Whoa, Adrian got on the 520. Maybe he'll surprise me and get me a transfer. That'd be cool.

                     The 91 just pulled up. I'm going to try my luck with him.

                     The 91 came up and I asked him, "Hey, can I get a courtesy ride? I don't have any money." He all points to the office and says, "Ask the lady there. She'll help you out." "Alright, thanks, man." I got off the bus.

     12:06pm  The other 91 guy didn't give me a ride either. I told him, "Hey man, can I get a transfer from you? I don't have any money." He was all, "That's the third or fourth time you've done that to me, man." I told him, "Alright, whatever, thanks anyway. I just just testing you. You failed."

     12:08pm  Mr. Reyes didn't hook me up either. On the 92. Alright. Next one.

     12:18pm  On the USA Today there's more stories about the deaths in Iraq. It says, "The Iraqi's revel in U.S. deaths. Mob mutilates bodies of four civilians. Bomb also kills five soldiers. By Kevin Johnson. "Cheering Iraqis dragged the charred bodies of four American civilians through the streets of Fallujah, Euphrates River Wednesday and pulling apart the others. After insurgents ambushed American vehicles.
                     In a separate incident, five U.S. soldiers were killed when a bomb exploded under their armored personal carrier in Balama, Twelve miles northwest of Fallujah, a city where anti-American sentiment has resonated since the first day of the occupation.
                     The two attacks marks one of the bloodiest days this year for the U.S. led coalition governing Iraq. The attacks on the civilians, employees of a North Carolina firm, may have lasting impact because the violence produced horrific images of American bodies being abused and showed a new level of Anti-American anger. Other civilians have died in recent attacks, but these are the first in which bodies have been mutilated. The searing images of the dismembered bodies captured by photographers and television cameras, revived memories of an American helicopter pilot being dragged through the street of Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993. Those gruesome pictures led to a decline in U.S. support for the mission in Somalia...and I can't read the rest."

                     Let me tell you the caption on the picture. It has a picture of everybody happy and cheering because they mutilated all the Americans. "Gruesome scene in Fallujah: Iraqis cheer and beat the corpses of two American workers killed in a rocket attack by insurgents, Wednesday. The slain civilians worked for a North Carolina contractor that is providing security for food convoys."

     12:22pm  James hooked me up with a cigarette. Here at the hospital. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit in my game.

     12:32pm  Mr. Armendiraz gave me a courtesy ride, finally. I appreciate it, brother.

     1:08pm  I'm downtown. That's cool. I got a ride. I think it's because I let this group of drivers borrow my knife. I told myself, "There's a 604 across the street. I'm going to go ask him for a transfer." Then all of a sudden I hear, "Victor, Victor, come back!"

                   The 91 guy let me on. I wonder if Adrian had anything to do with it.

     2:15pm  Nobody gave me a dollar for a hotdog, then out of the blue Damien walks up and goes, "Hey man, I'll give you a dollar." I appreciate it, brother.

                   Dude! This guy just walked up to me and said, "Here man."

                   Oh yeah, and this bum in the other bench tried handing me some Watchtower pamphlet. I told him, "You keep giving me that but I'm not going to take it." He went, "Here, here's my number. You can call me." I told him, "I don't have a phone." He went, "I can give you a calling card and you can use the payphone." I told him, "No man, I have work to do."

                   I tried giving him my presentation, the guy who gave me the dollar. He couldn't listen to me. He had a bus to catch. This other guy all started interrupting me. I told him, "Hey man, I'm trying to save the world here. Do you mind?" That guy gave me a dollar. Proving me right some more.

     2:38pm  I saw these guys handing out flyers. I asked them, "Can I tell you guys a really interesting story?" I told them my shit. These dumbass bible-thumpers passing out Outcry in the Barrio bullshit.

                   I got better shit to do, man. What are ya'll doing for world peace?"

     2:41pm  I asked some girl if she wanted to hear my story and she said, "No, no. I just want to sit here."

                   This one guy comes up to me and says, "None of that shit's going to work. I can tell by the way you dress." I said, "Have you always been so quick to judge? You bible-thumping sinner. Judge not, lest ye be judged himself. And you think you know the rules? Hypocrite."

     2:42pm  This guy in a wheelchair hooked me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother.

     2:57pm  Joe Alvarado hooked me up again with some change for a hotdog. I appreciate it, hermano.

     3:05pm  Michael hooked me up with spare change for a joint. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.

     3:10pm  Victor, coincidentally, hooked me up with a dollar for a joint. I appreciate it, brother.

                    That's awesome! A guy named Victor gave me a dollar! He was all, "Whoa man, they sell joints in the park? I didn't know that."

     3:32pm  Chris hooked me up with a cigarette here at Travis Park. I appreciate it, brother.

     3:42pm  Cool, this guy James told me he had a pound at his house and I can go by anytime. He said I could even crash. Another station.

     3:50pm  I just had a good presentation with these two kids. I went up to them and said, "Hey, you guys look like hip kids. Can I tell you a story? It's real interesting. I'm not asking for anything. I just want you to listen." They listened to me and the girl was all interrupting me. The guy agreed with everything I said. I asked them what they thought would happen if all the world leaders got together and smoked some weed. The guy said, "World peace." I went, "Exactly, they didn't call them peace pipes for nothing." Ha, they're going to tell all their friends about me. Just like I want them to.

                   Oh, you're already in my book? Well, you're in it again. Thanks for giving me a cigarette. Everybody gets credit.

                   The 92 didn't let me on. He said, "Everybody's gotta pay." I told him he failed.

                   The other 92 didn't let me on either, man. It's a bad day for courtesy rides.

     4:00pm  The #4 guy didn't give me a transfer either. Damn.

     4:04pm  The 90 lady didn't let me on. I was just testing you. You failed.

     4:08pm  The #2 driver hooked me up with a transfer, finally. I appreciate it, ma'am.

     4:18pm  I just off by SAC and I'm going to go type my stuff up. It closed a lot later than six last night.

                   I refuse to let laziness run rampant in this world.

                   Like it is.

     4:29pm  Kathy hooked me up with a cigarette here at SAC in front of the library. I appreciate it, Kathy.

     4:56pm  I just had a magical conversation with, what was your name? Kathy, she listened to my whole story. When I was finished she said, "Hey, want to go drink some beer with me tonight?" Alright, sure. And I'm going to meet her boyfriend who has a webpage up and knows a lot about computers. I might be able to get some tech support.

                  Things happen for a reason.

     5:27pm  I ate. I got a bacon cheeseburger. They grilled it up on the grill. Man, this Kathy girl is cool! She's got a class. She's got a test to take. I'm going to go hang out with her and her boyfriend. This might be my webpage-springboard. She asked me if I wanted to eat. I told her, "I walk for a living. I can always eat." She bought me a big burger at the cafeteria here at SAC.

                   I told her, "Thank you so much for helping me." She had to take off to her class.

     5:30pm  I came to the tree in front of the library to ask for an after-meal smoke. Randy is hooking me up. I appreciate it, brother.

     5:49pm  I am having some great presentations at SAC today. I was talking to this one guy and girl. The one guy said, "Wow, I've never met anybody like you before." That's right. Because there is nobody like me. Everybody's different. I have to get to work.

     6:06pm  I went to go type my stuff up. Man, I'm pissed. The librarian told me, "Oh, you can't have that drink out here. You need to put that in your bag or leave it at the front." I told her, "Umm, it's just water." She said, "Those are the rules." Anyway, I typed up all the way from 8:04am to 6:30pm. I typed up so much stuff. I had typed up a great day. All of a sudden, the computer froze on me. That sucks, dude. What kind of sign should I take that to be? I gotta be here until nine to meet Kathy.

                   Screw it, I'll type it up again. I'll just rewind the tape and type it up again. I have to be here until nine. I'll get on a different computer this time. That station is cursed. The one right next to the window. Maybe that's a sign that I should move away from the window so nobody will see me saving the world, hehe.

     7:05pm  Angel hooked me up with a cigarette at SAC. I appreciate it, brother.

                    I had two presentations outside smoking. I'm going to go to the library and type my stuff up.

     9:56pm  I just got out of the library. Man, it sucks. That girl never came by again. She told me she was going to be here at nine. I told her, "I'll be in the library. Meet me there." She had told me, "Oh, if you find anything better to do, I won't be offended." I told her, "I have nothing better to do than be at the library typing up my stuff."

     10:12pm  Chuck hooked me up with a cigarette right in front of Burger King. I'm walking over to the bus stop. I appreciate it, brother.

                      I figured out what else I can tell bus drivers when I ask them for rides. I'll tell them, "The job I have doesn't pay me money."

     10:46pm  Mr. Estrade hooked me up with a courtesy ride at the hospital. I appreciate it, brother.

     10:56pm  I'm on the bus to West already. The guy hooked me up, cool. When I got on I told him, "My job doesn't pay me money. Can I get a courtesy ride?" Dude, it sucks that Kathy stood me up. That sucks.

                     I had even told her, "Thank you for helping me," and she said, "No problem."

                     I mean, she couldn't have just forgot. She had made plans for me to go drink with them at their apartment and everything.

     11:05pm  I just got dropped off at West. Cool, I'm going to go bum a cigarette.

     11:09pm  I came underneath the seven thousand building and see if I could bum a cigarette. This guy came down with his bike. I am wearing my rainbow beanie and my uniform. I asked him, "Hey man, do you have a cigarette?" He told me, "No, but I got a dollar if you need it." I got pissed. I told him, "I don't want a dollar. I'm not homeless or nothing." I started telling him about my job. He wouldn't listen to me one bit, dude. I told him, "I'll tell you if you're willing to listen." He said, "I won't." He told me, "You need to find something more concrete, more possible to do." I told him, "Man, you don't know what I have planned. If you will listen I'll tell you." Again, he said, "I'm not going to." I told him, "Well, thanks for proving me right. Have you always been that ignorant?" The pussy rode off on his bike.

     11:20pm  What was your name? Devin is hooking me up with a cigarette at the smoking cabana. I appreciate it, brother.

     11:51pm  Daniel is hooking me up with a ride to Babcock. I appreciate it, brother.

     12:08pm  I just got dropped off at my mom's house. He gave me a ride all the way.

Next day..