041808

 

Vero Beach to Yeehaw Junction to Lake Wales, FL

Friday April 18, 2008

     5:33am  I woke up at around 5:15 at my camp. I had a badass camp and got plenty of sleep last night. I didn't set my watch before I went to bed. I am guessing I went to bed around eleven. I'm going to try to get to St. Pete today.

     6:36am  I had to take a shit real bad, so I left all my stuff at my camp and walked to the TA. I just came back and I'm going to eat breakfast and smoke a cigarette and stuff. The sun is coming up.

     8:23am  I am all loaded up and ready to go. I just packed up my camp. I chilled out for a long time at my camp this morning. I had to sew up the zipper on my boot again. For like the fourth time. I did a really good job this time. I'm going to go fly my sign some more and make some more cash. I only have six dollars left.

                   Taking all of my trash. Leave no trace.

     9:26am  I just had a great presentation with Sholanda, the cashier at the TA. I told them my whole Odyssey. Now I'm going to go to the highway and fly my sign. Maybe I'll get me money for a bus ticket.

                   I forgot I had gotten change for three dollars in quarters to do laundry, but that cool dude Greenhead hooked me up so I didn't have to spend it. I had bought some soap, but I returned it because he hooked me up.

     9:33am  I am standing at my corner.

     9:35am  Vincent just pulled up in a truck and volunteered me a banana. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. It was cool, right when I walked up to the stoplight these two guys in a truck saw my shirt and started smiling. I pulled out my Donations for the Cause sign and Vincent immediately offered me a banana.

                   Be sure to download Toby Mack.

                   J97-RQF just hooked me up with some change. I gave him my website. He told me, "You know where it's at."

     10:40am  I walked over to 98 Avenue and I'm going to stand here by the stoplight and thumb it.

                     Right when I walked up these guys in a Logistics van gave me another banana. Second banana for the day so far.

     11:37am  I just got talked to by a state trooper. He was all cool. I told him, "They didn't call them peace pipes for nothing." He had seen me roll a cigarette at the stoplight and he turned around. He jokingly asked me if I was only rolling tobacco. He said he'd take my word for it. He just told me I had to stand by the cars and I couldn't go out in traffic.

     12:08pm  Some magic happened. I had been passing out my website at the stoplight. I was thumbing a ride one way and flying my donations for the cause sign the other way. I'm multi-tasking. Sarah had accepted my website earlier and she eventually pulled over and offered me soe fruit. She's also giving me a ride a little bit West to the next gas station, cool. I appreciate it, Sarah. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     12:35pm  Sarah dropped me off at some Pilot gas station. I don't know where I am. Sarah's beautiful. Sarah: "I know the turnpike is right there." It doesn't matter where I am. I'll find out eventually. She volunteered me some cash. I appreciate it, Sarah.

                     I just got totally blessed. I can get a bus ticket now.

     1:02pm  That's awesome. I just got twenty dollars. I have a total of forty now. I counted all the change that I got. This one lady had given me a handful of change after she took my picture. Back when I was on the onramp before. I just got blessed by some random guy with twenty dollars. He saw my shirt. Right when I had loaded up and started walking away he yelled at me. I walked up to him and he gave me twenty dollars! Sweet. I gave him my website. I got sponsors! Thank you, Love.

                     Yeehaw Junction, I think I'm at. A hundred miles away from Tampa, 101 to be exact. By the 441 Junction. Desert Inn, historic site.

     1:27pm  I got bored on the onramp. I'm going to walk back to the Pilot truck stop.

                   Hmm, I'm going to go stand by the stop sign so people will have time to think.

                   Some sherrif pulled over right behind me. I don't have any weed. I'm alright.

     2:39pm  I spent like an hour thumbing it. I went up to the stop sign and Danny is hooking me up with a ride. He's Puertorican, right? Boricua de pura cepa!

                   Be sure to download or at least get the lyrics for Cultura Prophetica. This Puertorican band. I like the name. I'm going to download them. I'll put them on my website. Recommendation by Danny Brasero.

     3:28pm  I am in Lake Wales. I just got dropped off at the BP gas station. Man, I wanted to get a picture of the Puertorican flag on his car.

                   Cool, I think I see a sign that says public library. I'm walking towards the onramp.

                   The blue sign says Drivers License Office, not library.

                   54 to Tampa and 15 to Bartow.

     3:40pm  I'm standing by the sign.

     4:05pm  I am leaving from in front of the IHOP. I'm going to stand in front of the gas station now.

     4:45pm  I got exasperated waiting for a ride. I got some good publicity with my shirt though. Everybody is going to recognize me. I figure I have forty bucks. I'm going to go to the Greyhound. I was thumbing it by these railroad tracks. I asked this lady at the gas station and she told me it stopped downtown. She told me to walk over the overpass, take my first left and then next right and go downtown. That there's a 7-11 I can ask at.

                   Passing Sharp Street. Walking into town.

                   Turning left on 4th Street following the sign pointing downtown, that way. Oh hey, I'm going to go hit up Domino's for mistakes.

                   The kid didn't even look and he told me no. They're hot-rack thing was packed with pizzas too.

     5:16pm  Coming up on Central Avenue. I took a picture. Water tower in the background. Central Avenue, here I come.

                   I walked down Central Avenue and this city is dead. Nobody out anywhere. Hmm, I'm going to go ask the police for directions.

     5:37pm  On my way to the police station. I'm going to go ask them. Man, that lady at the gas station lied to me. The Greyhound doesn't stop in this town at all. Hmm, I can't find the police station.

                   The police station is completely empty. No cars or bodies anywhere.

                   I picked up the receiver and talked to this lady. She told me that the city transit bus stops running at five and that there is no Greyhound in Lake Wales.

     6:00pm  Hey, there's a Pizza Hut.

                   Sweet, I went in and asked the girl working for mistakes and she told me I would have to ask the manager who just walked by. I said hi to the manager and he asked me if I wanted a personal pan pizza. I asked him if they had any mistakes and he smiled and told me, "I've got one mistake coming up in ten minutes." Awesome.

                   His name is James, the cool manager at the Pizza Hut I was telling you about.

     6:25pm  Brenda was nice enough to volunteer me some bread outside of the Pizza Hut. I appreciate it, Brenda. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     6:32pm  Hell yeah, I had a great presentation with James. I told him thanks for the blessings and he told me, "You coming here is a blessing to me." I thanked him and said always glad to be of service.

     6:48pm  I had a great presentation with Rachel and her friends in front of some something Crust Original Pizza Place. Rachel's eyes were locked on me the whole time. I'm walking West already. Over by 3rd Street. I saw all these kids hanging out in front of the pizza place. I thought story time. Beautiful Rachel was the one who listened most of all. She agreed with everything I said nodding her head up and down.

     7:26pm  I walked all the way back to where that lady gave me false information at the gas station. I am only fifteen miles away from Bartow. I could've walked there by now. I came to where I was before, by the railroad tracks and I'm thumbing it. I got a couple paper clips from Autozone.

     7:48pm  The sun is at the bottom of the sky now. It's going to be dark pretty soon. I'm going to start walking towards Bartow. It's only fifteen miles.

     8:13pm  I sat down to rest at the last traffic light. Oh yeah, James from the Pizza Hut, he hooked me up with an almost full pack of 305 cigarettes.

     8:20pm  I'm up walking.

     8:40pm  Passing West Lake Wales, left arrow sign. Maybe there's a gas station. Maybe there's not.

     9:05pm  About ten minutes ago I found my campspot. Underneath this tree in this orchard by the highway. I'll take pictures in the morning. There's lots of mosquitoes, but I'm in my sleeping bag and they won't bite me as much. I'm going to bed. I'll remember to set my watch this time.

Next day..