052403

 

San Antonio, TX

Saturday May 24, 2003

     10:15am  This morning I woke up early. I crashed out kind of early last night. I had taken a cold shower and went to bed. The air conditioner still isn't working. I got on the computer and typed up a lot of stuff. I caught up so much. I typed up the whole half of this mini-cassette. I can record over it now. So, I'm going to log today and see if something really cool happens.
                     See, there's this girl writer I met on IRC. She lives in San Antonio and she's twenty six. Her nickname is Budderf|y. I had gone in the San Antonio channel and said, "What's up punks? Oi, Oi." She messaged me asking me who I was. She thought I was somebody she knew. I asked her if I could send her some of my stuff. She told me that she didn't know me, so I asked her, "Would you like to get to know me? I'm an open book." At first she hesitated, so I told her, "That's fine. You can just wait to hear about me when the rest of the world does." Then she told me she was interested. She's a little woman, 4'10"/90lbs/German. She said she had to go, but to leave my phone number with the email and she would call me if my stuff held merit. That was over at Sam's that I talked to her. And then the night that I weaseled the cable modem out of my mom(even though she took it back like a little kid). I talked to her again. She told me she wanted to do an interview with me since she was a writer. So I thought, "Cool! This might be my big break." I called her. We were supposed to meet up yesterday, but she told me that some emergency came up and that she had my number in her email and she would contact me. She lives over by South Park Mall and I don't have anything to do today. I've got a dollar in my pocket. I didn't spend it yesterday because I stayed home all day and all I did was type. Now, the 605 runs on Saturdays. I'm going to go catch that. I asked my mom if she'd give me a ride to the grocery store and she said okay. She told me to give her some time to take a shower. I went to the backyard and smoked a cigarette and a little weed. She got out of the shower and got dressed. As she was driving me to the grocery store, she couldn't stop bitching(as usual). She told me she was going to clean out the garage soon(yeah right, soon like maybe next year). I asked her if she was going to throw anything away because I needed to look through it before she did. She told me, "I have to move everything out of it(she doesn't have the balls to come out and ask me to help, which is why I never do). I asked her again, "Are you going to throw anything away?" I hate repeating myself, especially when I ask yes and no questions. I asked her one last time and she said no. I told her, "Okay, that's all I wanted to know."
                     She still wouldn't stop bitching though. She makes me sick. She's so proud of all her stupid toys. She was all, "I'm going to get a digital camera." She just spent a shitload of money getting tile floors for the entire house. Also, today they delivered a four hundred dollar bed for her. I asked her, "Oh, you spent four hundred dollars on a bed, mom?" She told me, "Yes, and you spent twelve hundred on yours, remember?" I told her, "Yeah, and I had nine thousand in the bank when I did. And keep in mind I also got hit by a car, remember? I more than deserved that bed(which I don't have right now because Chasity took it to Florida with her)." She's all petty like a little kid.
                     Anyway, she couldn't shut up on the way to the grocery store. When we pulled into it I asked her to drop me off at the Donation Station, in case Marko was working. I need to finish telling him my California story. She dropped me off there. I saw Marko entering the grocery store, so I walked up to the bench by the soda machines and sparked up a cigarette. I said hi to Mary(I think she's given me a cigarette before). I'm sure she was glad to see that I had my own cigarettes today. Marko came out and said, "Hey Victor, how's it going?" I told him, "I have a story to continue with you, don't I?" I told him I would go talk to him after I finished my cigarette. I finished my cigarette and I walked up to the donation station. There were like three guys working there today. I walked over to Marko and told him, "Hey Marko, I think I'm going to take a nature hike to Bandera/Tezel." He told me, "Victor, my boss is right there." Me thinking the whole time that because he had told me about some computer jobs with Goodwill, that he wanted me to go introduce myself to his boss. I had a second thought and I said, "Oh, did you need me to split Marko?" He said yeah, so I told him okay, later on. Now I'm hiking going through this big field where they ride dirt bikes. I'm going to cut through the woods to Bandera Road. I need to kill half an hour and that should do it. Man, I love having my little tape recorder again.

     10:20am  Every twentieth of the hour I have to celebrate something. I'm going to stop in this big natural ditch here and smoke a cigarette and some weed. I have to wait until fifty for the bus to be at the grocery store. I have like forty minutes to wait.

     10:32am  Okay, I'm finished smoking. I'm going to walk to Prue and Bandera. Where Prue turns into Tezel.

                     Singing NOFX: "If you're not part of the cure, you're part of the disease. Father Time will tell us who concedes."

     10:40am  I walked out to Bandera. The bus stop is right in front of my old neighborhood, Wood's End. I still got like fifteen minutes. I'm going to smoke my last cigarette.

     10:54am  The 605 just pulled up. I'm on my way to Bob's to go get a tennis ball for my walking staff.

     11:01am  I just got off the 605 over by where Spring Time turns into Horn on Prue. I'm walking to Bob's house. I need to get a tennis ball for my stick, as you can hear. Clack, clack.

                      I just stopped at a garage sale as I'm walking through the neighborhood. I saw all these computer boxes and asked them, "Do you have any computer stuff?" The lady's selling an old 486 system with monitor, printer and scanner for twenty five dollars. I asked her how much she would sell the scanner by itself, because a scanner would do me real good. She told me it was four dollars. She said that it wasn't USB, but I told her as long as it scanned. I asked her if there was any possible way she could hold it for me so I could get four dollars from somewhere. She asked me how long and I told her, "I don't know, a couple days maybe." She told me, "Last time I did that and I still have these old boxsprings." I thought, "My mom has a scanner(which doesn't work like everything else in her house). I'll just fix it."
                      My mom is going on a spree buying useless shit. Earlier in the car my mom said, "I don't have to do anything. I learned that from you, Victor." I told her it was about time. What took her so long? Aren't parents supposed to be the teachers, not the other way around? At the same time she was giving me a ride to the store, hehe.

     11:34am  I'm standing out here waiting for twelve oh six so I can catch the 604 to the hospital. I need to fuel up. Bob was asleep when I first got there and Carlos let me in. Bob woke up finally. He had been crashed out with his girlfriend Gaby(who's pregnant and showing). I told Gaby, "Hi Gaby, how are you doing? Hey, do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" She told me it was a girl. I asked her, "Really? Are you going to name her Victoria after me?" She said no, hehe.

     12:00pm  Okay, six minutes for the bus. I have some change in my pocket. Two quarters, a nickel and two pennies. I'm going to see if the driver will let me get a transfer for seven cents. I don't want to waste ten cents using a quarter for a fifteen cent transfer.

     12:08pm  The 604 finally pulled up two minutes late. I got on and told the black dude driving the bus, "Say brother, I don't suppose seven cents will get me a transfer?" He said sure, no problem. I got me a transfer. Cool. Did I call that or what?

     12:25pm  I'm at University Hospital. I'm going to go up to the sixth floor and see if I can score me some liquid nutrition. Let me stash my stick under the stairs here so they won't think I'm crazy, hehe.

                      I went up to the sixth floor, walked right in there and just walked right out. I loaded up with five of these Suplena shits. It says, "Specialized balanced nutrition for people requiring protein, electrolyte and fluid restrictions. Artificial vanilla flavor used. 475 calories, 8 fluid ounces." I put two in each pocket of my cargo shorts and walked out holding one. I'm going to go down to the buses, bum a cigarette off someone and smoke a cigarette to one of these.

     12:33pm  I'm out here at the buses. I read a can of this stuff and it says, "Use under the supervision of a physician." Haha.

     1:07pm  Man, I totally got into my California story with the 92 bus driver. I told him all my stuff. Well, almost. I got all the way to Oregon with the hippies, but I got to my stop. I'm at the corner of Zarzamora and Woodlawn. I crossed the street and am going to the 520 stop.

                    I'm writing a book on generosity that the whole world is going to read. What was your name again? Matthew? Matthew just hooked me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it Matthew. That's very generous of you.

     1:25pm  Here's the 520 going down Zarzamora.

     2:00pm  I am now at the corner of SW Military drive and Zarzamora. I'm walking to the HEB to use the courtesy phone so I can call Amy.

                   I tried using the courtesy phone but as soon as I hit 0 I got this busy signal, shit. I'm going to go ask the manager if they have a phone I can use anywhere.

                   I asked a bagger and she told me that wasn't a courtesy phone, but that there's one down here in the business center.

     2:10pm  Okay, I called Amy. I asked her what she was doing today and she told me she has to do some choreography or something like that. I told her, "Guess where I am. Today I decided, since I didn't have shit to do, to come check out the Southside. So, I am already on your side of town. I was hoping this might improve my chances of meeting with you today. If not, I can go exploring and learn. This is virgin territory for me. I'm just playing the odds today." She told me to give her a couple hours, go do my thing and call her back. Cool. I'm going to walk around and see what happens.

                    Okay, I just hit up the Papa John's. They didn't have any mistakes. I'm going to go find me a cigarette.

                    I was walking towards the Exxon and I saw some guy pumping gasoline with a cigarette in his mouth(unlit, of course). I asked him if he could spare on and he hooked me up. I came here close to the highway and I'm going to sit down in the shade and smoke this cigarette.

                    Whew, for a minute I couldn't find my little sack of weed, but it was stuck to the bottom of my water bottle because it's wet. I refilled my bottle at the Jack in the Box.

     2:44pm  These guys in a green Ram 3500 drove by and gave me the peace sign. When they drove the other way they honked and gave me the peace sign again.

     2:46pm  I'm getting up to leave now. I'm going to walk this way until I bum another cigarette and sit down again. I can do this for two hours. This is virgin walking territory for me.

                   ¡Orale Southside! I'm over by I35 and Zarzamora.

                   Shit, I passed this Pizza Rio place on Zarzamora. It said buffet on it, so I thought, "Cool, I can probably score some pizza." But alas, it was closed down.

     2:52pm  I see me a Taco Cabana. I always score there.

                   The lady told me the manager wasn't there, so no score at Taco Cabana today. Cool, there's a Diamond Shamrock here. I'm going to go get me another cigarette.

                   Now I know I still have the drinks I got from the hospital and I should drink that if I'm hungry, but I need some solid food in my stomach right now.

                   Okay, I walked into the Don Pedro Mexican restaurant. It looked all ritzy and fancy, so I just walked out of there.

                   I'm on SW Military over here by Commercial.

     3:04pm  Nice old Larry, who has a walking stick too, hooked me up with a cigarette. Thanks a lot Larry. Badass.

                   Haha, I'm walking by the MoneyBox place, the check cashing place and it's got graffiti all over it.

     3:10pm  I walked into the El Pollo Loco(Crazy Chicken), but it was all busy. All sold out and fast-foody. Pretending like it's real Mexican food or something. It's all about money in there. They'd never hook me up.

                   Maybe I'll go try at the Pizza Hut and then I'll start heading back to the HEB to call Amy.

     3:14pm  I'm at Arby's. I gave Jackie, the manager my long-distance walker line(the truth) and she's hooking me up with a roast beef sandwich.

     3:17pm  Man, that's so rad. That lady hooked me up good. That was a damn good sandwich. Filled me up too. She was all smiles. That was awesome. Third time's a charm.

     3:51pm  I'm about to walk into the HEB to use the phone. Hmm, let me see if I can bum a cigarette and wait nine minutes before I call.

                   I just walked up to some guy and asked him if he had a cigarette. He tried to give me some Outcry in the Barrio book. He was some bible thumper. I told him what I was going to do.

     4:02pm  Okay, I called and nobody answered. I left her a message that if she couldn't fit me into her calendar today, I had already had enough fun for it not to be a waste. I knew I came un-announced and I was prepared to accept the possibility of not meeting with her. I was playing the odds, remember. Either way, I had a stupendous time today, got some great exercise and learned more of my town. There's a brighter side to everything.

     4:11pm  I've decided to go walk around South Park Mall and make myself known here. Just going to walk around with my rainbow beanie and walking staff. Cool. The air conditioner feels good.

     4:20pm  I am standing out here at the mall outside the Foley's. I was walking by and this dude asked me, "Hey man, do you think you can get one of those balloons down with your stick?" I looked back and saw all these yellow balloons up in the ceiling at the front of the store. I told him I could try. I stuck it up and tried wrapping the tennis ball around the string and pulling it down. Then some little kid suggested I use the other end of the stick, the end with the fork. I went, "Oh yeahhhh." and tried it that way. It worked! I brought down one balloon and this kid told me to get another one down for him. I did and before I knew it, more kids were walking up and asking me to get balloons down for them. When I had gotten all the balloons down, some kid pointed out that there were more on the other side. Cool. I was having fun giving away balloons that weren't mine, hehe. I went to the other side and starting yanking them down for the kiddos. I had pulled two down when a big fat security guard came up to me and told me I had to stop. I told the kids sorry.

     4:28pm  I'm going to find a bathroom. I'm walking around to the Mervyn's here and see if they'll let me use the phone. I asked one of the cashiers on the sales floor and she said their phones didn't make outgoing calls and that I would have to go to Guest Services.

                   Okay, I called Amy and she still didn't answer. Maybe she thinks I'm crazy for just showing up and isn't answering on purpose. Well yeah, I could see how my trip out here could seem a bit positive-assumptive. But hey, telemarketing has taught me that's how you get shit done/sold.

     5:05pm  I just came out of the Jim's. I used the restroom and phone there. Amy still didn't answer. I left a message telling her, "Hey, if not today, then another day." I asked the people at Jim's which way was North and they pointed. "Now you have your bearing," they told me. I said, "That's all I need," and left.

     5:24pm  I told my stuff to Edward and Cindy at the bus stop by HEB. They were generous enough to hook me up with some bus fare. Thanks guys.

     5:38pm  I see the 520 coming. It's about damn time.

                   I'm on the 520 now. I just found these two transfers on the ground and they're both good!

                   I rode the 520 all the way over here to Fredericksburg by Sam's apartments. I'm going to go see if Priscilla is working at the Shipley's Donuts. She's been hooking me up for years.

     6:24pm  Man, I totally scored at the Shipley's. I went in there and gave Priscilla an update of my status. She was all, "Wow, that's so cool. Don't forget to keep in touch." I asked her if I could get the usual hookup and she told me yeah. I asked her, "Would two cinnamon twists, a cinnamon roll and a Bavarian cream-filled be within the realm of possibility?" She said sure. I totally scored. Now I'm going to walk up to Sam's, offer him some donuts and see if he'll let me crash.

                   That's so funny. I snagged five cans of that stuff at the hospital and I only ended up drinking one. I drank it while I waited for the bus at the hospital. It's cool how I've gotten other food.

     6:37pm  I walked up to Sam's and he's got the weekends off. Cool. I asked him if I could crash there and he said yeah. It's still kind of early and I was thinking I might catch the 91 to Bob's. Then come back here. I might do that.

                   I asked Sam if he could spare an after-meal cigarette and he said he was out, that he needed to go buy some. I offered to go get them and he agreed and gave me two bucks. So that's what I'm doing right now. Sam told me to get him some Golden Beach Menthol Lights. These cheap ass cigarettes that only cost a dollar seventy seven..

                   Sam had mentioned exactly where they sold them, but I blanked out for a second. I just assumed they would be at the tobacco shop by Shipley's. I walked all the way over there, but it was closed. I walked back to the Diamond Shamrock and checked, even though Sam had told me they didn't sell them there. I asked to borrow the phone. I couldn't remember Sam's phone number, but I remember I wrote it down in my old pocket calendar. I opened my bag and dug through it until I found it. I located it, but now had to find where his number was written. I spent like a whole five minutes searching before I found it. I dialed the number and it just rang. Nobody answered. I thought, "Hmm, he should be home. I was just there." I kind of remember him telling me the name of the place and I think he said go right or something. I looked down and like a block further down there was a Citgo gas station. I walked to the Citgo and asked the guy if he sold Golden Beach cigarettes. Sure enough, my hunch was right and that's where they sold them. Cool. I bought Sam's cigarettes and walked back to his apartment. I had been gone for like thirty minutes and I'm sure he wondered where I had gone. I told him the whole ordeal and he laughed. He gave me a cigarette, I lit it and sat down to rest. Mission accomplished. Oh yeah, Sam never has his ringer on. That's why he didn't answer.

     9:32pm  I've been over at Sam's. He let me on the computer for a while and I got to reply to my bastard father. I told him that the money he had promised to send me would certainly hit the spot right now. It would take care of my legal issues and give me gas money for my ride to California.

Next day..