060704

 

Austin, TX

Monday June 7, 2004

     5:12am  I woke up where I slept last night. I was just walking around Barton Springs Park, whatever this place is at here. I came across a little security checkpoint place. Like a little tiny building. Two seats. I just went in there and sat down and put my head down and fell asleep. I just crashed out.

                   I'm going to take a hit of weed and wake and bake.

                   I had put my head down and slept at the little booth that says, "Parking free $3. Please save your receipt." Right across from the #30 bus stop. Over by Barton Springs. I put my head down there. I'm going to walk downtown now.

                   Man, the thing that I noticed about Austin is, that nobody likes anybody else here. In San Antonio when I always give people the peace sign, they always give it back. Here nobody gives it back. Not even bus drivers. In San Antonio everyone does. This town is all sold out. It's evil, man. It's a huge gear of the machine. It being the capital of the state of Texas.

                   There's tons of bikers in Austin. I think Julie told me there's supposedly forty thousand bikers here. I'll give you my view on motorcycles. I have always been deathly afraid of motorcycles. You are just so vulnerable. You don't even get a seat belt and if there was one it wouldn't do that much good. Any little thing could just kill you. You don't have to keep your balance on four wheels, for crying out loud. The risk is so much greater on a motorcycle. Why? Look at the odds. And what happens when it rains? Not only do you get wet, but the risks of dying go even higher.

                   Oh shit, there's a Taco Cabana. I'm going to go score me some breakfast.

                   No-go at the Taco Cabana. Man, the Mexicans at the Taco Cabana are even sold out in this town. Pathetic.

     5:37am  Dude, all the stores are closed. They should be open by now. It's almost six. Of course Jack in the Box is open.

                   Man, I wish I had a camera. I could get some good pictures here. There's a huge chunk of skyscrapers over there.

                   Man, it's morning and Austin is so crowded. All these cars. So car-dependent, this town is. The bus company is called Capital Metro.

     5:52am  I walked all the way downtown. On Lavaca street now. There's all these awesome skyscrapers everywhere.

     6:02am  Billy just hooked me up with a cigarette on Warren and Congress. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Some security guy gave me a cigarette. Badass.

                   I'm going to walk to Congress and just jump on a random bus. After I smoke this cigarette.

                   See if I can get a courtesy ride.

     6:15am  I finished smoking my cigarette. Let's see which bus gives me a courtesy ride now. Let's see how long until I get one.

     6:16am  Cedric hooked me up with a courtesy ride on, umm, I don't know what bus this is. It doesn't really matter. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     6:23am  Oh yeah, the first driver I asked gave me a courtesy ride. There's these two ladies that work for Capital Metro. They're trying to retrofit their system. They're trying to change to a new fare-box system. These buses are pretty modern too. They've got the GPS tracking thing. Anyway, one of Capital Metro's mottos is "Wherever life takes you." That's what I'm doing. Wherever life takes me.

     6:34am  I just infected the bus driver with some truth. Told the bus driver my platform and everything. I even got his email address.

     6:52am  It's awesome. At every stop it says on the loudspeaker what the stop is and what buses you can transfer to. You don't have to pay attention. It does it in Spanish too. That's awesome. They should have that in San Antonio.

                   No, they shouldn't. I wouldn't be able to tell my story on the bus.

                   I just saw some old dude with a Willie Nelson shirt on. I'm going to get off at the stop he gets off. I'm going to tell him, "Hey, I need to meet Willie."

     6:55am  We stopped at the North Lamar Transit Center. That guy with the Willie Nelson shirt got off.

     6:56am  Jack hooked me up with a cigarette here at the transit center. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   I lost the guy with the Willie Nelson shirt. Damnit, because I bummed a cigarette.

     7:12am  I came to the bathroom and took a shit at the transit center.

     7:16am  Bart just hooked me up with a cigarette at the transit center. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     7:20am  It's bullshit they don't have water fountains here. They make you pay for water. Screw that. Water is free.

     7:52am  I had a great presentation with this girl Erica! She's from San Antonio. I even told her my Bexar County Jail story. I talked to her for a long time, but she had to use the phone. I'm going to hunt down a cigarette.

     7:53am  William hooked me up with a cigarette at the transit center. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. I got a light, thanks anyway.

     8:00am  Man, I'm having a good morning at the transit center. I've been telling my stories like crazy. That one girl from San Antonio listened to me a lot. I just told the one guy who works for the transit company, who I bummed a cigarette off of. I got his email address and everything.

                   Oh yeah, I came in the bathroom. I'm getting water out of the sink! I'm not going to pay for water! Fuck the system!

     8:13am  Robert is hooking me up with a courtesy ride. Thanks a lot, brother. Everybody gets credit.

                    I just got off the #1. I just had the greatest presentation with Robert, the driver. I told him my whole story, dude. My basic platform. He just dropped me off and I'm going to catch the #30. I'm going to jump on the #30. I wanna go to the Greenbelt place. I'm getting kind of hungry. I'm going to see if we pass a Taco Cabana any time soon.

     8:46am  I just ran into JC from Travis Park! He was all, "Hey, stick man!" He's going to show me around. Sweet, things happen for a reason.

     8:57am  They have this Yellow Bike program in Austin. Where if you see a yellow bike, they're free. You pick them up, ride them and leave them. That's really cool. I like free. Austin ain't so bad.

     9:07am  Rob hooked me up with a cigarette after hearing my story. Thanks a lot, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:23am  Me and JC walked up to the Salvation Army. He got some supplies. He got some shaving cream and razors. Umm, hygiene stuff.

                    JC's telling me that Austin has a lot better homeless resources than San Antonio.

     9:40am  Me and JC jumped on the Dillo. The free trolley here in town. I like free. Where are we going again? To the drag. I'm going to go check it out. I'm telling Jo and Jesse my story.

     10:09am  We've arrived at the strip over on Guadalupe and 22nd. We're going to the square right now.

     10:24am  We had come to the square and I'm telling John my story. All of a sudden he pulls out two minicassettes and hands them to me! I've got another ninety minute tape after this one, but now I can keep going for weeks and weeks and then go back home.

     11:17am  We're sitting down to eat at the Salvation Army. Ugh, just because I wear this rainbow beanie all these gay people flock to me. I'm going to eat.

     11:38am  I'm leaving the Fish and Loaves Kitchen.

     12:18pm  Yeah, we went to go eat at the Angel House too. It sucked. They were charging money. Anyways, we're walking. We don't know where we're walking. We're walking back to town.

     12:34pm  I was introduced to the Bat Bridge at Cesar Chavez and Congress. All these bats come out of there.

     1:44pm  We came to the Hobby Lobby. I went in the bathroom and took a shit. I tagged up the wall with Victor the Liberator with a peace sign.

     1:52pm  Daniel hooked me up with a cigarette at the transit center. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     2:05pm  We came back to that transit center I was at this morning. There's a Hobby Lobby close by, we went there. JC is getting some string and beads and stuff. We're headed back to the drag. I need to spange me up a camera.

     2:50pm  We went into the Phase place. They didn't ask me for my ID. They told me what the requirements were. They told me, "We give services to people 11-23, blah, blah, blah. Do you fit those?" I told them yeah and they said ok. Didn't ask me for my ID or anything.

                    Haha, I'm twenty six. Suckers.

     3:15pm  This guy just stopped and I asked him, "Spare change for a disposable camera?" I told gave him my intro and said, "I say it's ignorance. Nobody listens." I told him my mission objectives and said, "I will tell you exactly how I plan to do this if you are willing to listen, and only then. I hate wasting my time." He said, "Nah, that's alright." I asked him, "Have you always been that ignorant?"

                   That was in front of Tower Records. I'm going to see if I can spange some money up.

     3:30pm  Adam hooked me up with a dollar for my camera. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     3:40pm  Kelly, not only listened to my story, she hooked me up with some change for my camera. I appreciate it, Kelly. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     3:50pm  Cook hooked me up with some change for my camera so I can take pictures of Austin. I appreciate it, brother.

     4:05pm  Rick hooked me up with some change for my camera. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     4:09pm  Norma gave me a cigarette at 24th and Guadalupe. In front of Tower Records. I appreciate it, Norma. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Daniel came up and offered me a cigarette. Just out of the blue. I appreciate it, brother.

     4:39pm  Some girl who gave me change but didn't give me her name.

                   Stacey just gave me an American Spirit, thanks.

                   This guy gave me change and I didn't get his name. He gave me fifty six cents.

     5:05pm  Thuy hooked me up with a Pazza Passion drink. I appreciate it, sister. Everybody gets credit in my game.

     5:13pm  Dana hooked me up with an American Spirit. I appreciate it, Dana.

                    I was able to tell that girl my story. Awesome.

     5:26pm  Joey hooked me up with some change for my camera. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     5:28pm  TJ gave me some change. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     5:52pm  John gave me a cigarette in front of Tower Records. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   It sucks, when it started raining everybody came and cramped my style. They're all playing guitar and not letting people hear me. This guy is playing a bubble bucket and people are giving him dollars, damnit. I'm trying to save the world here, fuckers.

     7:47pm  Dude, I haven't made an update in a long time. I met back up with JC and some other kids. I went to go buy them some vodka. I went and bought it and we came over to this empty lot and they're drinking. I'm just going to take one drink. That's it.

     9:15pm  Ogden walked by with this big box of food and asked us, "Hey, are you guys hungry?" She gave us some good food. I appreciate it, Ogden. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:43pm  I'm walking around following JC still. I kind of want to get liberated from this guy, I don't know Austin that well and because it's raining I stuck around with him. I guess I should probably secure a place to sleep.

     9:54pm  Anthony hooked me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks. I got a light, thanks.

     10:13pm  "Man, we're sitting here at the Hole in the Wall. My name is JC. And I'm sitting here with me and the boys. We're just kicking back listening to some Pink Floyd because we're next to the Hole in the Wall. We're just sittin' here chillin', rolling up a little Top, sittin' back here havin' a good 'ol time and that's it."

Next day..