San Antonio, TX
Tuesday May 20, 2003
Wow, today has been rad. Since I got my rucksack stolen in LA I have one blank microcassette(the one that I had in the recorder). I pretty much filled it up with my badass yesterday. I wasn't going to log today. It's weird, but every time I decide to not log my day, I have an awesome, log-worthy day. It never fails. So, as not to waste this most excellent chapter in my life I am doing without. I am here at the Jim's restaurant at Loop 410 and Fredericksburg writing up my day by hand. Hope I remember it all.
Let us see. This morning I woke up and immediately hooked up the computer. See, my mom is spooked thinking the feds are onto me so she had taken the computer away. She is using the false pretense of having the computer fixed(even though there is nothing wrong with it, it's just old) as an excuse for taking it away from me.
Anyway, last night she asked me if I would be home today so the guy could come and fix the air conditioner. I asked her, "Well, will the computer be home tomorrow, because if it is I will gladly stay home and type up my days." She thought for a minute and told me no. I walked out of the room and into the kitchen. About fifteen minutes passed and my mom walked into the kitchen and told me, "I called my friend who has the computer and I'm going to pick it up."
Well, this morning I walk into the computer room. I found a big box with all these pillows and the computer at the bottom. Ha. I laughed out loud. I then had confirmation supporting my hunch that my mom had never taken the computer away. Oh let me guess mom, you packed the computer into the box with the pillows to ensure safe transit between your "friends" and here. Seeing how computers in metal cases are so fragile.
Yeah right. I bet that that box has been sitting in her closet the whole time. She should really pay more attention to detail. What an insult. I don't know, maybe there is a logical explanation, but that's highly unlikely. What a bad liar, eh?
Okay, enough about my mom. I typed up a little of my days and then jumped in the shower. After my shower I went into my little brother's room looking for deodorant. I didn't find any, but I did stumble onto a dollar in change. Bus fare! I know, I know, it wasn't mine to take but my seventeen year old brother and I are cool. If he noticed and got mad I would pay him back eventually. It's only a buck.
Hmm, it was already two and the AC guy hadn't shown up. I kind of remembered my mom saying he was coming in the morning. I assumed he wasn't coming and started getting dressed. I was bored and I had bus fare. Hmm, what am I going to do? Screw it, I decided I'd go to the library and check my email(my mom hid the cable modem, too).
I smoked some weed on the back porch and left walking for the bus stop. The bus came and it was a new driver. I contemplated asking for a courtesy ride, but I chose not to and paid the fare. I had enough for a transfer, too. Thanks bro. The 622 drove to the grocery store and when the 620 finally pulled up I got on. I recognized the driver, the overweight Mexican dude who traded me a courtesy ride for a donut a while back(4-2-03). I needed another transfer but I only had a nickel. Transfers are fifteen cents. I asked the nice driver if he would let me get a transfer for a nickel and he hooked me up.
I rode the 620 all the way to University Hospital. At the hospital I was just waiting around wondering which library I was going to go to. I got the idea to see if my friend Derek was home. Derek lived pretty close to the hospital and he has a computer. I thought maybe I'd get to hang out, smoke some weed and check my email. When the 91 headed to West Telemarketing pulled up I jumped on it. I was going to ride it to Louis Pasteur and Babcock and walk a couple blocks to Derek's. When I got on the bus I saw my friend Thomas. Thomas is this old dude who works at West who likes listening to me and my ideas. He had even offered to give me some potato salad a couple weeks ago. He's a nice old man. Anyway, I saw him and I started talking to him. Thomas even gave me fifteen cents so I could get another transfer. Since I was distracted, I totally missed Louis Pasteur. I finally realized it when I was at Medical and Fredericksburg.
I got off the bus and crossed the street. I was going to wait for another bus to pass heading back to the hospital. At that intersection three routes passed that went to the hospital. The 91, 604 and 602. So I didn't have much of a wait until one passed. I jumped on the 604 and went back to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, the 90 was sitting there. The 90 goes right in front of Derek's apartment and I won't have to walk. Cool.
I walked up to the 90 and it was empty. The driver was inside or something. There was this dude with headphones waiting outside the bus. I stuck my fingers in the door and opened it up. I got on the bus to wait for the driver because it was hot outside. The dude with the headphones didn't get on. He said, "I'm not going to get in trouble. I'm staying outside." What a moron. I checked the GPS display on the bus and it showed me the bus was running six minutes early. So, I had enough time to go inside and take a piss. I went inside and relieved myself and when I came back the driver was still not in the bus and the dude with headphones was still waiting outside in the sun. Like three other people were waiting now. I walked up, opened the door and went back inside the bus. All the people except the dude with the headphones got on with me.
When the driver finally got on everyone stood up and paid fare. The driver was this nice lady named Barbara. Her nameplate wasn't in place, but I saw her name on her nametag she was wearing. She was this pretty black lady. She wasn't too sure which way to turn out of the Transfer Center and I told her I would show her the way. I had her turn left on Babcock and she thanked me for telling her. She was going to turn right.
I got off in front of Derek's apartments and crossed the street. I walked to his apartment and rang his doorbell but no one answered. So, I walked back to the street and I noticed some guy waiting at the bus stop. Cool, it's coming soon. The 522 pulled up and I got on and paid with my transfer. I sat down next to the driver and told him, "Sir, I could've sworn I had a spare fifteen cents. I don't suppose you can give me a transfer?" He looked at my rainbow beanie and told me, "No speak english." So I told him, "Creia que tenia quince centavos. ¿Me puedes dar un transfer?" I guess he remembered how to speak English right then because he told me, "No, show me the money and you'll get your transfer." What a dick. He only told me no because he thought I was a dirty hippie.
Well anyway, when I got to the transfer center some dude calls me over across the street. I recognized him as being some dude I had smoked out at West. I asked him if he had any bus fare he could spare since that dickhead 522 driver didn't give me a transfer. He reached into his pocket and handed me a good transfer. Sweet. He had just bought a bus pass and didn't need it anymore. Badass. He asked me where I was going and I told him anywhere. He was waiting for the 91 to West, so I decided that's where I was going. At West I could catch the 96 to the Cody Branch Library close to Huebner and Vance Jackson.
I rode the bus all the way to West. I decided to get off at the bottom of the hill because I wanted to check the 96 schedule at the inbound building. Right when I crossed the street guess what I see coming. The 96! How perfect, eh? I hop on the 96 and guess who I see sitting in the back. My old roommate Sam who had lived with me right before I took off in the U-Haul last year. I hadn't seen Sam in a long ass time. I thought he might've moved or something. I ask Sam where he is going and he says home. I asked him if he still lived in the same apartments and he said yeah. Cool. Sam has a computer so I asked him if I could come over and check my email. He smiled and said sure. That's so awesome. This is my town.
We ride the bus to Vance Jackson and I10 and walk like a half mile. While we are walking I tell Sam my California story. We finally get to his little efficiency and he lets me check my email. Sam went to the store to buy some cigarettes while I was checking my email. When he gets back I ask Sam if crashing there tonight would be within the realm of possibility and he says sure. Badass. I don't have to go back to my mom's house today. Awesome.
I hang out at Sam's all night and around nine fifteen I decide to walk up to the Jim's to see if my friend Renee is working. She always hooks me up with a tortilla soup and salad. Plus, I missed Renee and wanted to see her again. I take off walking to the Jim's. When I walk out to Fredericksburg I get the idea to go by the Shipley's donuts where they hook me up, just to say hi. I walk towards it a little until I can make out the shop and see the lights turned off. Shit, it's closed. It was like nine fifteen then. I walk back the other direction towards the Jim's. I walk into the Grady's Barbeque and refill my water bottle. When I pulled out my bottle out of the holder I noticed I didn't have my one-hitter pipe. Well, since I was close to Sam's I went back to retrieve my pipe. I go back to his apartment and get my pipe, then walk back to Fredericksburg. I walk the couple blocks to the Jim's and go inside.
When I went back to Sam's I asked him if he had any paper I could have. He gave me some long printer paper and I put it in my bag. I also borrowed a pen from him, too. I was going to write up my day at Jim's by hand.
Anyway, I know that last paragraph was out of order, but you can figure it out still, hopefully. Anyhow, I walked to Jim's. I spotted my friend Renee. Renee is so cool. She's tall and so pretty. I've known her since high school and we've always been friends, but I was never attracted to her in the boyfriend/girlfriend kind of way. But now, she turns me on, hehe. Oh, how I wish I could find a traveling partner like Renee. I don't think she would join me though, so I'm not going to get my hopes up. She's in school and has a job.
Well, I went inside and gave Renee a great big hug. I told her some stories of mine and she listened. She still had to work until eleven and offered me a ride back to Sam's. I started writing up my day. I was writing with my left hand again to practice. It took me a while and when Renee was finally ready to leave(like around twelve thirty) I stopped. I got as far as the part where I talk about trading a donut with the bus driver for a courtesy ride.
After Renee was off she told me she had to help out her friend because she had locked her keys in the car. It had gotten really cold in the Jims and I told Renee I would wait outside. Man, it was freezing outside. The wind chill was hella-cold. I stood out there shivering until Renee let me in her car and we took off. We drove towards Sam's apartment.
Now, I was still hungry and Renee had told me she would get me something to eat afterwards, for my book. Now, I think she had just forgotten and was driving me to Sam's. Hmm, I don't want to seem rude and directly remind her. So, I told her, "So I guess the manager that doesn't like you hooking people up was working tonight, eh?" That started jogging her memory a little and she told me, "No, it's because tonight was all dead and they would have noticed. Oh yeah, do you eat burgers and stuff? I told you I was going to get you something to eat. We'll go to the Jack in the Box." Sweet, she remembered. We drove to Jack and Renee asked me what I wanted. I told her, "Surprise me. As long as I'm not hungry anymore." She ordered me two Jumbo Jacks and some fries. Aww, nice Renee. After that, she drove me to Sam's apartment and dropped me off.
I walked up to Sam's and he had left the door unlocked for me. He was crashed out on his air mattress. I sat on the floor and ate my burgers, fries and smoked a cigarette.
Actually, I had bummed a cigarette off some guy when I was walking through the apartments. It was a Marlboro Red. I took like three drags off of it and put it out. I was going to save it for the morning. There's nothing like your morning cigarette. Delayed gratification, hehe.
I looked on the floor and found a pink velour blanket. It was kind of chilly, so I just curled up into it and laid on the carpet.
Umm, I fell asleep. That's all.
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