062903

 

     Santa Fe, NM

Sunday June 29, 2003

Email with Gretchen

                   I woke up next to New Mexico Bank and Trust. I crashed under this big tree in the corner last night. Man, I slept fucking great. I just crashed out. I put my army pants on. I was warm and no bugs bit me or anything. I slept like a baby. I slept great and I'm recharged for another day. I got my Muscle Blast 2000. I have to go find a bathroom to take a shit in. Later on.

                   I'm over here by that College of Santa Fe that I came to earlier. What a coincidence that this is where Eric dropped me off. I did a big giant circle. But, now I gotta find a place to take a shit.

     7:20am  What a beautiful morning. I feel great. I believe it's Saturday. Maybe it's Sunday. I don't know, but I hope the bus runs today. I woke up by that clock-tower thing next to the bank. I had put my pants on. I slept great last night. I just lay down and went to sleep. I had my poncho. I had my rainbow beanie(which acts as my pillow, too) My head was warm. I rested my head on my Adidas bag and I just crashed out right there. No one could see me because I was behind the bushes. I got a full night's sleep.
                   Anyway, I woke up and needed to find a bathroom. Then, I saw that Giant gas station I got smoked out at. Badass, they got a restroom. I went in the bathroom and took a healthy shit. I took my poncho off, folded it up and put everything in my backpack. I had two 16oz water bottles and one 20oz. I had 3 bottles in my backpack and my main water bottle that I wear. At the fountain, I filled up all my bottles and now I got like a gallon total, I think. Hmm, what's 16 times 2? Shit, I can't think right now. 32 I think. Then plus 20. That's 52 ounces. Hehe, I don't even know how much is in a gallon.

     8:33am  I asked some guy where the plaza was and he said it was only 1½ miles away. That's pretty cool. I thought it was further.

                   Let me stop and put my headphones on.

                   It's a beautiful morning. It's nice and cool. The sun's just coming out and its getting warm. I've decided that whenever it gets so hot that I want to take my pants off, that that's when I'll change my socks, because I'll have to take my shoes off.

     8:03am  It got too hot. I didn't see a bathroom nearby where I could go. So, I came behind this building, this Focus Print building and I found a big flat boulder. So I just sat down on the rock and took my boots, shorts and pants off and got dressed again. Nobody saw me behind this building. I changed my socks and put the dirty pair in my dirty laundry Ziploc bag. Now I'm going to eat. I have some dried cherries left and Muscle Blast 2000. I'm going to eat on this rock, pack everything up and take off again. Wow, I am so prepared. I'm so cool, hehe.

     8:47am  Man, I am feeling so good. I just packed everything at the rock and I'm leaving the rock. I reorganized my backpack. My blanket fits in real good. I have three extra bottles of water. My feet are dry. I've got new socks on. My feet feel good. Man, I'm going to go have some fun. Today's going to be a good day.

     8:50am  Got some Marlboro Miles.

                   Cool, found a penny on the ground. Pennies make cents.

                   Okay, I walked up St. Francis Drive. I'm going to sit in the shade here and smoke a cigarette. There's a bench out here and this business is closed. I'm just going to chill and smoke.

     9:29am  I was just sitting here where I've been sitting for a while and this street couple just came up to me and started talking to me. They asked me how I was doing and I told them I was the happiest man in the world. They asked me, "Today?" I told them, "No, I have been for the last couple of years." I told them all my scripts. But, they had to go so I couldn't tell them my California story. Alright. As long as they know. I told them to tell their friends.

                  Oh yeah, the lady's name is Jana.

     9:35am  I'm walking.

     9:38am  I just realized what was weighing my bag down. I had put my wrist weights in there. I just realized I wasn't wearing them.

                  Okay, I'm still walking down Cerrillos road. Two r's, two l's.

                  Okay, now I'm walking down Galisteo passing Alameda street. Man, this is the coolest town. It kind of reminds me of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. This little strip right here with all the buildings pushed together.

     9:55am  Turning right on Waters street. Oh yeah, it's Sunday. Everything's closed.

                   This city is so rad. Passing the Plaza Galleria.

                   Marlboro Miles at Kiva Contemporary. Some art store.

     10:00am  I was told that the plaza is on the other side of La Fonda on the Plaza Hotel.

                     Man, these are old buildings here. That's fucking awesome. Look, a belfry, hehe.

                     I'm at the corner of Cathedral Place and East San Francisco.

                     I'm walking through the art exhibit I walked through last time. Yesterday.

                     Okay, I'm setting up for my little shady spot under the tree, at Palace and Paseo De Peralta.

                     Man, this town is just beautiful. Imagine how much more beautiful it would be without cars.

                     I doubt there's anything around here. I'm going to go back to Palace and turn right.

                     All these tourists. They're so fuckin' ordinary.

     10:29am  Found the plaza. Asked these kids where the nearest bathroom was. They told me the Five and Dime.

     10:35am  I went to the bathroom at the Five and Dime. I came back and I'm going to sit on this bench next to these kids. Let's see if I can talk to them.

     11:25am  I came out here to the plaza and sat down. I asked these two girls if I could tell them my story. They said yeah, but they were on shrooms.

                     What was your name, brother? John? Well, John has just given me my next destination. The Rainbow Gathering in Utah. It's around the 2nd, I think. I don't have that much time. Actually, it goes on indefinitely. I'll make it for sure. Now, the gathering just happens to conveniently be on the way that I am going anyway. The same route. John told me I would get a ride easy out of Cheyenne, WY.

     11:40am  Cha-cha is showing me the library. I wonder if it's open today. It's Sunday. It's probably closed.

     11:51am  Man, that Cha-Cha guy got on my nerves. He wouldn't listen to me. He had to interject at everything I said. Before I started in on my stuff, he had even come and asked me what he could do to help me. I told him the biggest favor he could do was just to listen. I told him, "Gimme thirty minutes." He totally agreed at first. Hypocrite. I told him, "Well, you did tell me you would listen to me, but I guess you can just wait to hear about it when the rest of the world does." He just wouldn't shut up. He was blabbering this nonsense about running for the president of Hell's Angels and how he was such a righteous dude.

                     I need to wash my hands. Lemme go find a restroom.

                     Okay, I'm going to the Healy building on 128 Market Street to use the restroom.

                     The guys in the Studio Library in the Healy building let me take a piss. Awesome. At first they told me, "It's not that clean." I sarcastically told them, "Aww, forget it."

     12:10pm  I found a shady bench, sat down and smoked the very last of my weed. Anyway, I am listening to my Violent Femmes CD. I'm going to walk to the library now.

     1:06pm  I gotta wait until 2:30pm to get on the Internet for half an hour. Argh, that sucks.

     1:25pm  I'm going to brush my teeth in this park.

     2:21pm  I'm getting ready to go back to the library.

                   Okay, I just wrote Gretchen an email telling her what's happened so far. I'm leaving the library. Man, that sucks. I only got thirty minutes.

     3:24pm  I'm back on the #4 bus. I lucked out. The same driver who hooked me up yesterday was working today. What was your name again? Joe is driving and I asked him if I could hop on and he waved me on.

     3:57pm  I'm at the mall. I saw a Cici's Pizza. I'm going to go hit them up for free food.

     5:21pm  Jack at Ritz Camera has given me what I needed. What the sign commanded me to get. Now I'm going to back my shit up good. Badass. See, I hadn't planned on even coming to the mall. I just decided it in a split second on the bus. Well, I walked inside and saw the Ritz Camera place which immediately reminded me of that billboard I saw telling me to take pictures or no one would believe me. I walked in there and luckily there were these kids around my age working. I asked them if they had the patience to listen to a really interesting story. More of a legend. There weren't any customers so they said sure. I thoroughly blew their minds with my stuff. I told them my California story and then I told them about the sign I had gotten. I then said, "I don't want you to think I had an ulterior-motive coming in here. I want everyone to listen to my stories." Jack stopped me and told me, "Dude, I had already thought of it. I was going to tell you you should be taking pictures." Jack went to the shelf and got me a double pack of disposable cameras. 27 exposures each. Jack's the man. For the cause, Jack. You know it.

                   Dude, that's so awesome. I just scored a couple cameras.

     5:42pm  The dumbass security guard told me, "Next time you come to the mall make sure you don't bring that stick in."

     5:46pm  Got me some more Marlboro Miles. Man, this town is full of 'em.

     5:47pm  I went over to the Cici's and hit up the manager, Javier. He was walking out towards the front talking to this girl and he just smiled, shook his head and told me to help myself. Cool, I totally called that.

     6:08pm  I stuffed myself at Cici's. Mmm, I'm all full. I'm going to smoke a cigarette. I'll walk to the bus stop first.

     6:15pm  Jose, driving the route #3 hooked me up with a courtesy ride.

     6:17pm  The mall I was at was called the Villa Linda Mall.  

     6:25pm  I'm sitting on the bus talking to Adair, telling her my stories and my ideas. Backing my shit up.

     7:12pm  I'm over here at Adair's 

hanging out and talking to her friends. Man, it was so weird. I was all ready to smoke my after-meal cigarette and the bus came. I decided to hold off and at least see if the driver would give me a courtesy ride. At the bus stop, I saw this hip looking girl with dreadlocks and tattoos. I saw her get on a bus that had pulled up. Oh wait, I'm not going to smoke this cigarette. I'm going to get on this bus, see if the guy will give me a courtesy ride and talk to this girl. She looks pretty hip. Sure enough, that's exactly what I did. I went to the back, told her my stories and what I was going to do. When she was going to get off, I told her, "Hey, I have no plans or anything to do. I'd like to continue my story, so I wouldn't mind getting off and finishing it. Only if you have time to listen." She smiled and said, "Right on." So, I'm over here at her house now talking to her friends too. I love an audience, hehe. Check out that synchronicity. First of all, for getting hooked up at Ritz, getting hooked up at Cici's and now this. I'm calling all the shots, hehe. This is awesome. Santa Fe is so rad.

     7:53pm  Gordon, Adair's friend just hooked me up with some bud!

     7:55pm  I'm walking in some park. Me, Gordon and some dogs are on a stroll. We're throwing the Frisbee around.

     9:15pm  After the park we went back to Adair's. We were there for a little bit smoking weed. I asked if I could use the restroom and went and bulked up for the cold. It had gotten a bit chilly, so I put my army pants on and poncho. I thought maybe I'd luck out and get a place to sleep for the night, but I wasn't going to expect it. When I got out of the bathroom, Adair is eating dinner and tells me, "Oh, we're going back by the mall." I took that as an informal hint and told her, "Do you know where Santa Fe College is?" She goes, "Yeah, it's real close." I told her I would just walk there. That was my cue to leave. So, I'm going to go see what happens. I'm walking down this one street.

     9:30pm  Gerard hooked me up with a cigarette at the Amigo Mart. I appreciate it, man.

                    Badass, Gerard even offered me another one. Sweet. Two cigarettes!

     9:48pm  I stopped for my smoke break. I'm going to keep on walking down the street. I'm over here by the Amigo Mart still. I put on my fleece shirt that I bought at the Walmart in Ruidoso. I'm all warm. It's chilly. Grab a bowl.

     9:55pm  I just hit my head on the deaf street sign, hehe. I wasn't paying attention.

     10:13pm  I'm getting up from my smokebreak. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm walking down this street. I'm going to go look for a place to crash. I'm tired.

 

Next day..