040708

 

Key West to Cavanier, FL

Monday April 7, 2008

     4:35am  I just woke up. I got rained on last night, but I stayed alright. I was sure to use my new blue rain poncho I got at USF to cover up my pack. I waterproofed it good with it. I laid on one half of my military rain poncho and folded the other side over me so I didn't get the wet. I'm still waiting for the sun to come up.
                  
     5:58am  I am up and at 'em. I had a good wake-and-bake. I took my last two hits of weed out of my wallet. I got soaked last night because it rained. Well, I didn't get that soaked. Actually, I'm pretty soaked. My pack is completely dry because I covered it with my new rain poncho. I'm going to find a laundromat. I've got some quarters left, I think. It was awesome. I didn't need that much money at all to get to Key West. Here I am. I can't wait until the sun comes up so I can take pictures.

                   My camera got a little damp and the shutter is not opening all the way. I can stick my finger in it and it'll open up. I'm cold right now.

                   I only got four and a half hours of sleep last night.

                   Painting on a power box.

     6:07am  I am walking into town through all this Babylon. Walgreen's, Home Depot, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Albertson's, you name it. Right now all these roosters are crowing. There's roosters and chicken everywhere. Like a tropical island.

                   Last night my fifteen year old friend Jason told me there were a lot of homeless people here. I'm sure there'll be resources I can tap if I need to, which I usually don't. He said they have a shelter here and stuff. Which I probably could've used last night, but I don't care. I toughed it out. I woke up fine only after only four and a half hours of sleep. That's okay, I can take a nap today if I have to. I'm going to walk around and look for a laundromat. Hmm, there's some apartments. Maybe I can find a laundry room.

                   Ahh, these look more like townhomes and they probably have their own locked laundry facilities. Then I also saw this girl and her dog started barking at me, so maybe I don't need to go explore in there. I'm going to keep walking the sidewalk. I don't know what street I am on. I'll tell you when I find out.

     6:18am  Crossing over Gulf View Drive.

     6:26am  I was walking down the street and I see some guy walking on the other side side parallel. I yelled at him across the street, "Hey, do you know where the laundromat is??" I crossed the street and started talking to him. I started telling him my story while we're walking. Which is kind of hard because I'm carrying a load. Every point I made he was saying right, right, right. We got a little farther and he told me he had to go. He pointed me to a laundromat. I have to walk all this way to Duvall and it's around there. I'm a little hungry. I might stop and eat something.

     7:14am  It was sprinkling real bad so I took a pause at this covered bus stop on US1 and Eisenhower/Jose Marti Drive, which is the road I've been walking . I'm going to keep walking to Duvall.

     7:32am  I stopped and took a shit at the Chevron.

     7:57am  I got to the laundromat on Duvall Street.

     9:00am  Finished up at the laundromat.
 
     9:42am  I walked over to the Emma Carrero-Cates Pier on South Beach. I'm going to sit down and take a smokebreak. I'll take a picture of where I sit.

                    Key West Marine Park

     10:20am  I was standing on Duvall Street and Pretty Hippie saw me rolling a cigarette and asked me if I wanted a real cigarette. He hooked me up. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                     Some dude I told my story to.

                     Duval Street again and again.

     11:02am  I went to go check my email at the internet cafe for two dollars. I checked my webstats and I had like seventy visits one day. It's blowing up.

     11:46am  I took a picture of the Scottish Rite Masonic Center.

                     I asked some homeless dude where any free food was and they told me about some tabernacle. I'm doubling back the way I came.

     12:00pm  Man, I can't eat at the Lighthouse because I am too old. That sucks. In a community of plenty none should go hungry! Age is just a number. You can grow young too! I'm glad I got this big box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that Jason hooked me up with. I'll munch on that. Man, this town is hella-ignorant. I am getting barely any reactions to my shirt here. Not like I was in Miami or Tampa.

     12:40pm  Barely anybody is reacting to my shirt at all in Key West. Right now I am standing in front of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. I was in front of the Earthbound Trading Company, but I got bored there. I'm standing here recording myself in front of the church. These people are watching me. Man, this town needs to wake up bad. I've got my work cut out for me in this town.

     12:50pm  Hell yeah, this group of girls just walked by and asked me, "Hey, were you in Ybor City?" I smiled and said, "Yeah, at the St. Patrick's day parade(3-15-08  9:12pm)." I got recognized! I'm everywhere.

     1:00pm  I had another great presentation with this group of girls and this one girl told me, "You're my hero."

     1:37pm  Earlier I talked to this pretty girl Jo from Great Britain. From Worcester, I think she said. She works for the glass-bottom boats people so she got busy. I just gave her my website. Anyway, I'm going to set up shop somewhere else. Screw the church. I'm going to go stand somewhere else. The streets are really packed and it's only Tuesday, man. Imagine this place on the weekends.

                    Like five kids just stopped and took my picture. I've gotten my picture taken like three of four times already. I told them, "Only if I can take a picture of you guys."

     2:00pm  I am playing around with the idea of leaving already. This place is way ignorant. People don't react to my shirt here like they do in other places. I have had some good reactions to it. Everybody's eyes are glued on it. I'm going to ride the bus back to Miami and keep going North. I have to call this Dale Bassing guy in Hollywood, that Wheelo guy told me about when I was walking I90. I have his phone number in my wallet.

     2:05pm  I've decided I want to leave. Screw Key West. Way too ignorant. I really haven't explored it much, but I am leaving. I'm walking on US1 and walk up to where I got off the bus yesterday.

                    I'm standing in front of the Burger King smoking a cigarette. Maybe I'll spare-change people as they come out. I'm hungry.

                    I refilled my two sixteen ounce water bottles at the Burger King. I'm going to keep walking.

     3:27pm  I'm going to go hit up Taco Bell, yeah right.

     3:30pm  The greedy asses at Burger King told me no.

     3:34pm  Ann, at Checkers is hooking me up with some fries. I appreciate it, Ann. Everybody gets credit.

     4:30pm  This dumb guy at this bum-feed place. See, I got my little plate of food they gave me and I took the plate outside and just stood there and ate. I didn't want to sit down with everybody else at the table. This old black dude started bitching at me telling me if I was going to eat that I had to sit down. I told him, "No, I'm going to take my last two bites and leave, and never come back. Screw this town." He told me, "Go sit down now! You better do it." I laughed at him and said, "Well, what are you going to do about it?" He threatened me with calling the police and I smugly told him, "Tough guy, big man, do what you can." Sucker. Screw this town. "Man, NOBODY wants world peace," I told him.

     4:33pm  I forgot to tell you. I had walked over by the Domino's and went and hit them up for mistakes. They said no then I saw some street kids hanging out outside. This beautiful girl from Madison, Wisconsin. Jessica, I think her name is. I hit her up for my story and she told me she would listen, but she didn't at all. She's all brainwashed with money. All playing guitar for change. That's all she thinks about. Anyway, she told me about the bum-feed they were having on Flagler Street. I had gotten directed to it earlier, but I said screw it, let me go hit up the Pizza Hut and get the hell out of Dodge. I should've, because the bum-feed was a big waste of time. I barely got any food. I've got a couple sandwiches and some fries from Checkers in my bag though for the bus ride the fuck out of here. Screw this town.

     4:36pm  I came to the bus stop so I can leave this hell-hole. I made a friend, Anthony, he's sixteen. He hooked me up with a couple bucks in case I don't get a courtesy ride. I'm still going to ask.

                   Anthony's artwork

     6:42pm  I never mentioned. I already left on the bus. Anthony was cool. He was all intrigued with my story. He said he couldn't smoke weed because he's on probation, but that he has an ounce at home. He invited me over. He gave me two bucks in case the driver wouldn't give me a courtesy ride, which he didn't. I gave him the two bucks back and told him if the driver told me no to offer to pay for me. I'm going back to Marathon now. Key West sucked. I'm going to go traveling. I want to go back to Miami so I can call Mike about that book.

                    There were all these ignorant high schoolers on the bus earlier. I tried telling my story, but they wouldn't shut the hell up. One guy was listening to me though. It frustrates me, but not really because it proves me right too. Damn the ignorance in this world. I'm going to keep going.

     6:46pm  I am back in Marathon. I just got dropped off in front of the Publix in Marathon. Brass Monkey Lounge.

                   Man, the bus to Florida City comes at nine. I've got two hours to kill. Maybe I'll go stand in front of The Lazy Lizard and show my shirt.

     8:15pm  I had an awesome presentation with this brother Nathan. I gave him a resin hit before I started the story. He listened to my story good. I appreciate it. I took his picture.

     9:12pm  Les was nice enough to let me borrow his cellphone on the bus going to Florida City. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:50pm  I had an awesome presentation with the guy I bummed the cellphone off of. At first I didn't think he would listen to my story at all, but he did. He did have a lot to say too. I might just get off somewhere. I don't know.

     9:53pm  I got off at some random place. I'm going to go find a campsite. I'm in Cavanier. There's some woods here. I still had an hour to go to get to Florida City. I think I'm still in the keys. It's drizzling again, so it's probably going to rain again. I'm going to get my stuff ready. I can eat a Ramen and I have a bag of cereal too. I won't go hungry.

     10:48pm  I just had an awesome presentation, what a surprise. See, right close to the bus stop I found a place to camp in the woods. I went across the street to the Winn-Dixie and was digging through the ashtrays. I see these three pretty girls sitting on a bench outside. I went over there and hit them up for my story and they let me tell it to them. Carrie, Alex and Brittany. They just volunteered me a Klondike Heath Bar. I appreciate it, guys. Thanks for listening.

                      A cute raccoon paid me a visit in the night.

Next day..