062409

                                                                                        Portland to Salem to Albany, OR

Wednesday June 24, 2009

     5:24am  029camp.JPG

     5:42am  I woke up around five. I got plenty of sleep. About eight hours, I think. I forgot to tell you, last night at these people's awesome tent, they let me borrow their cellphone and I called Peg and she actually answered! I told her how I was going back to O'Brien and she said she would come meet me. Friday, she said

     6:11am  030camp.JPG

     6:28am  All packed up. I'm going to go to the truck stop and take a shit. I'll see what I can do about a ride.

     7:57am  I went up and thumbed it on the highway for half an hour or so. I got bored, so I came back to the truck stop.

     8:25am  Ha, I just asked this dude about my age and his girl if they were going South and the dude tells me, "We are, but we are not taking any riders. I told him, "That's right, be afraid. You good little slave." He walked back to me quick and said, "What did you call me? Did you call me a slave?" I told him, "That's exactly what I called you." He got all flustered saying, "I'm not a slave." I rebutted him with the Goethe quote, "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." He asked me, "Well, do you have a job?" I told him I had a full-time job, that I didn't get days off. "I'm a freelance journalist, long distance walker. I was just testing you anyway."

     8:28am  Dennis just volunteered me a dollar. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     8:32am  Oregon 41733 failed my test hardcore! Nobody wants world peace!

     9:45am  Chuck, the guy who works at the gas station here, he volunteered me a Sharpie marker so I could make me a sign. I'll be out of here pretty soon.

     10:18am  I came to the onramp. Oh yeah, Chuck, the worker who pumps gas. See, that dude I called a slave earlier most likely went inside and complained on me, what a snitch. Ha, he took that shit to heart. I got his enslaved ass all riled up. He all came up to me like he wanted to fight me because I speak the truth. I was totally telling him stuff like, "Damn, do you enjoy chauffering empty seats? How wasteful we've become." As he was walking away I yelled, "Way to be part of the
disease!"

     10:22am  In no-time Blue pulled over for me. He's taking me to Salem. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. Thanks a lot.

     10:35am  I just dropped off nine miles away from Salem at a Pilot truck stop.

     11:26am  Ada, just like my mom, she volunteered me some money. I appreciate it, Ada. Everybody gets credit, thanks a lot.

                     Sweet, I just got hooked up with money, just like that.

     12:09pm 

     12:13pm  I just wrote out a DO UNTO OTHERS sign. I made a PLEASE sign earlier. I've been contemplating DO UNTO OTHERS for years now[10-7-07 : 5:13pm, 6-5-08 : 8:55am]. I took a picture.

     12:57pm  Ben pulled over for me. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.

     1:12pm  I got dropped off in Salem. I'm going to walk Mission Road into town now.

     1:42pm  I saw a intersection with a lot of traffic and there's these dudes holding Hertz Rent a Car signs. They're taking a smokebreak and Shelby and Daniel hooked me up with a little nugget. I appreciate it, guys. Way to support the cause.

     1:45pm  I have to tell you what's happened. I got dropped off on 25th Street and Mission Street. Right in front of the Plaid Pantry. I saw all this traffic here. Hmm, duty calls. I posted up with my support the cause sign. There were these Hertz guys flying signs trying to get people to buy cars. They told me they had some weed they'd smoke with me when they take a break. They gave me a little nugget and I came to the bus stop in front of the post office and I'm going to wait for the bus. I've got a dollar from some lady who took my picture.

     2:32pm  These cars were all backed up here and I offered these guys my website. The first car I offered it to shook his head, "I don't want it!" I yelled nobody wants world peace and have you always been that ignorant? The car behind him took it and I yelled at the first one, "See, they want world peace!" The nice lady gave me two dollars too. The bus came but I was on the wrong side of the street to go downtown. The driver said he would be back in like ten minutes and when he came he gave me a courtesy ride.

     3:37pm  I just landed at the Cherriots transit mall in downtown Salem. It was cool, when I got on the bus the driver asked me if I had any good bud. I gave him my website. He even hooked me up with a daypass. Welcome to Salem, Victor Antonio.

     3:50pm  Adam at the Quizno's downtown is hooking me up with a soup. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. Thanks a lot.

     4:25pm  I just had an awesome presentation with three seventeen year old kids, Kim and Katie and their friend Lou, I think. I just told them the important part and the note from the rich. They loved it.

     5:30pm  I am taking off on the #1 bus. I had a daypass, but I tested the driver anyway and asked for a courtesy ride. The driver told me to walk inside the transfer center and ask them and they would give me a pass. Whatever. I showed him my pass and told him I was just testing him anyway and called him a good little slave.

     5:42pm  035dude.JPG, 036dude.JPG

     5:58pm  When I was on the bus this stupid white dude saw my shirt. I think he was drunk. I was busy cutting out havethisbook.coms and the dumbass dude asks me how I'm going to do it. I told him I was busy right then and to check out my website. He said, "I think you're full of shit and started talking shit. I told him, "Talk is cheap, punk." I was so distracted by my cutting project I overshot my stop and I have to walk three quarters of a mile back. Anyway, that dude was talking so much shit the driver made him get off the bus. Right before the doors closed I told him, "Sucker," and snapped a couple pictures of him. Gotcha. They came out blurry because my camera was vibrating.

     6:06pm  I'm Reef Hill and turning left on Fairway Avenue SE.

     6:15pm  Turning left on Commercial Street. I'm going to follow the bus route back to the highway.

     6:22pm  I finally passed another pedestrian and he told me I was walking the wrong way to the highway. I should've turned right on Commercial.

     6:24pm  034girls.JPG

     6:28pm  Up from my smokebreak and I'm going to keep doubling back.

     6:32pm  Coming up on Fairway Avenue again. Dude, if I would've looked to my right I would've seen the To South I-5
sign. I walked like a whole mile in the wrong direction. Now I have this big hill to climb up. I'll take a picture.

     7:02pm  I walked the highway to Delaney Road. I thought there was a gas station there, but it was closed. I'm hungry. I'm going to thumb it.

     7:15pm  In no-time Toby pulled over for me. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     7:30pm  I just got dropped off in Albany, hell yeah. My sing worked! When I got in the car the Toby said, "Like you said, do unto others."

     7:35pm  038albany.JPG

     8:22pm  I went in the Carls Jr and bought three bacon ranch burgers for a dollar each. I didn't see them on the menu, so I guess you have to know about them. I'm walking to Exit 233, half a mile away.

     8:52pm  I am giving up on the onramp. I'm giving up on leaving tonight. I'm going to go find some ashtrays to harvest.

     9:15pm  I found my campspot easy, real quick. It's real close to the onramp I was hitching from. After not that much exploring I found a spot in an empty lot behind some grass. I'm going to sleep pretty soon. It's crazy how it's this bright outside at nine. It's even crazier how bright it is at 5am too. What happened to the night? It got real short.

Next day..