060604

 

Kerrville to Austin, TX

Sunday June 6, 2004

     9:30am  The next morning. I realized my cassette ran out on one side and I flipped it. Oh yeah, that girl I talked to. Last night I went to Chapel Hill and had a great audience. Like four kids listened to me. At every point I made they were like, "Of course, of course." I put on a great presentation. I got tired so I told them I was just going to crash up there on my bench. These girl says, "We have a chair you can sleep on." It was cool. They even gave me a blanket and everything. I got a warm place to sleep. And it was right next to Chapel Hill. Now I woke up and I'm going to go find Julie.

                     The kids who listened to me last night were Chubs, Christina, Brelyn, Brett and Emily. Thanks a lot guys. They hooked me up last night and I got a place to sleep. Thank you, guys. Everybody gets credit, like I said.

     10:13am  I'm getting confused with all these people I've met here. The kids who let me crash last night, they saw me again walking around. They umm, smoked me out, hehe. And Emily hooked me up with some weed for my one-hitter. I appreciate it, Emily.

                     Man, that's awesome. I got hooked up with some weed. I'm calling the shots now. I had told Julie, "I'm going to go for a walk and I'll try to come back with some weed, somehow." Now, I'm going to eat breakfast. I'm going to smoke them out.

     12:40pm  We left the Folk fest at 11:15. I forgot to make an entry. Me and Julie are riding in a car. Her 2002 Nissan X-Terra. We are on our way to Austin. Just wanted to let you guys know I am moving, in transit. Julie has mobilized me. Thank you, Julie. You are a great contributor.

     12:57pm  I forgot to mention that at the Folk Fest I was able to borrow somebody's cellphone and call my mom. My mom was all, "Oh, if another day went by I was going to call the police!" I told her, "Where did I tell you I was going to go, mom? I said I was going to make my way up to Kerrville for the Folkfest. Well, I did. I'm going to Austin now. I'm alright. Don't worry about me."

     2:10pm  We came to Julie's friend's house who's watching her ferret. It has fleas. Oh she's putting it her purse. There's going to be fleas in your purse, hehe.

     2:24pm  We just pulled into the Petsmart. Right before we got there, we didn't know where it was. We had come to a stoplight and Julie asked me, "Where do you think the Petsmart is? On the right or the left?" I told her, "I don't know. I'm not from Austin. Go left I guess." Sure enough, here it is.

                    She came to buy some dip. Remember that movie Roger Rabbit?

     3:52pm  I just left Julie's friend's. She was flea-dipping a ferret. I was sitting there picking out fleas out of it's fur as they ran from the dreaded dip, helping her out. I just left right now. I'm going to go walking and see where I end up. Walk to 6th Street. Or see if there are any cool woods nearby.

     4:06pm  I stopped at the bus stop at Lamar and Menchaca. I'm going to sit down and smoke a cigarette and see if the bus comes.

     4:14pm  I'm leaving from the bus stop. I'm going to walk.

     4:20pm  Oh yeah, at the fest some guys came up to me and said, "Hey man, you made it here! We saw you walking on the highway!" People saw me! They said, "Yeah, we were thinking about picking you up." It's alright. I didn't need you.

     4:36pm  I think this bus is waiting for me. It's been standing there for a long time. Ah, it's taking off.

     4:37pm  Eoli me dio cincuenta centavos para el bus. Te lo agradezco. Todo el mundo recibe crédito en mi juego, gracias.

     4:45pm  I caught the the #3 bus. This girl had hooked me up with bus fare. It's so badass. It's only fifty cents for bus fare! In San Antonio it's eighty. They give you a transfer here and everything. Anyway, I'm on my way downtown. There's all these big buildings. I'll go to 6th Street. Just walk around.

                   Make myself known. Get seen.

     4:55pm  Man, I'm all excited. This is downtown Austin. There's all these tall buildings. This place is beautiful. I'm going to walk to the capital. Hehe, right into the lion's den. I've got to spange up cash for a disposable camera. I don't know where I'm going to walk. There's Congress Street. I'm going to go get on Congress.

                   It's like a necessity. I just gotsta be sporting my Willie Nelson shirt in Austin, Texas.

     5:03pm  I'm hitting 6th Street now. Turning left. I'm going to find somebody with a cigarette I can smoke after I eat my granola bar. I'm hungry.

     5:13pm  Todd hooked me up with a cigarette on 6th Street.

     5:15pm  I'm going to stop and eat a granola bar in the shade. Over on Sabian and 6th.

                   I talked to one guy on Sabian. He didn't have an email address though.

     5:32pm  Man, this is a pretty ignorant town. I asked these two street kids if I could tell them my story. One kid told me, "Not right now. I'm trying to make some money right now." Panhandling.

                   Downtown Austin is all miserable. Nobody smiles. Nobody says hello. They just ignore me and walk by. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

                   I do not like downtown Austin.

                   At all.

                   Not one bit.

                   I need to go hiking. I need to get to some woods.

     5:39pm  This dude on Brazos and 6th gave me a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     6:04pm  Oh yeah, I asked this bus driver who pulled up if there was any good hiking around. He told me to walk over to Commerce and catch the 30 to Barton Springs.

                    I jumped on the 30. Got a courtesy ride to the woods. Going to go hiking.

     6:15pm  We stopped at the bus stop here on Cesar Chavez. There's this old bum out there. Wearing an exposed midriff and bikini bottoms. He's got a visor on and he looks all crazy. Man, nobody is going to notice me here, hehe. I have nothing to worry about.

                    I just got dropped off at Silver Park. There's a big lake here. I'm going to go check it out. See if there's anybody to talk to.

                    It's over on Barton Creek.

     6:32pm  I came down by this tree and there's a big group of people here. This is great publicity for me. Let me go on the other side of Barton Creek. They're playing drums. Ha, the people are looking at me talking into my recorder.

     6:33pm  Jeff hooked me up with a cigarette at Barton Creek.

     7:30pm  I told this girl my story at the park. She listened to me. She was all, "It was really nice meeting you. I hope I see you again." I told her, "You will, I'm everywhere."

                   Cool, there's a big pool right here. Well, part of the river where people swim. I'm just walking around getting seen.

     7:38pm  I'm listening to these cool kids making music. Playing drums and stuff.

     8:10pm  I went back to the bus stop and sat there. I'm waiting for the bus to go back downtown. I wonder if they'll give me a courtesy ride. The transfer that I got, I don't know if it's good. I'm just going to keep walking the opposite way of downtown. Which is West.

     8:17pm  I'm walking up Barton Springs passing the Zilker Town Gardens.

     8:29pm  I walked into this neighborhood on Rollingvale Drive.

                   Turning left on Timberline Drive. I don't know where I'm going. I'm just walking down this neighborhood. There's all these rich houses.

                   I walked Timberline Drive all the way to Inwood. I'm turning left on this trail behind the houses.

     9:20pm  I just walked out of the neighborhood. I walked to the intersection and there's a Shell station. Let me get the intersection, hold on.

                   Some Maynard Street.

                   Over by the Milla Vista Shopping Center.

                   I went to the Chevron and asked the guy if he smoked cigarettes. He didn't have one. I'm just going to keep walking.

                   I kept walking until I ended up at an IHOP. Right here at some Barton Plaza place. This shopping center with all these restaurants. Texas Land and Cattle.

                   I came over here and found a snipe in the ashtray. I'm going to sit down and smoke.

                   Man, I'm hooked on these peanuts they gave me at the fest. I'm about to finish them off.

     9:35pm  I'm going to leave the IHOP.

     9:57pm  I ended up walking a full complete circle. I'm just going to wait for a bus back into town. About five minutes before I got there I saw a bus pass. I have to wait like a half hour more or something. Oh shit, it's Sunday. That sucks. I'm tired. I don't know where I'm going to sleep tonight. I am in Austin, of all places. I should've talked to people and made friends. Maybe I should just walk downtown from here. Man, this sucks. I'm tired. I'm stoned.

Next day..