071608

 

Greenville to North Star to Celina, OH

Wednesday July 16, 2008

     5:52am I just woke up. Well, I woke up about five minutes ago. I got a shitload of sleep. I didn't set my watch last night. I went to bed around ten or so. I'll figure it out later.

     6:35am  I am still packing up. I'm taking my time this morning. I'm waiting for the sun to come up. I should probably take a shit somewhere. There isn't going to be a bathroom for another twenty miles.

     6:52am  I am up and at 'em. I'm all loaded up and I already left. I'm walking now. I didn't take a shit. I probably should. I had a bigass plate of pasta last night.

     7:05am  Greenville-St. Mary's-D Road.

     7:13am  Passing Burn-York Road.

     7:27am  Taking my first break in the shade. I hiked like a mile and a half.
                  
     7:45am  I ate some mandarin oranges that I found in the trashcans yesterday at the picnic area. There were lots of kids' school lunchbags and a lot of them didn't touch their oranges. I scored like three or four of them. Still sealed. I also have like four Ramens Amy gave me. I think I have a thing of applesauce too. I'm all stoned.

                   I've been giving the peace sign to every single car, man.

     7:50am  Right before I came to some shade I found a tennis ball.

     7:55am  Coming up on Junction 185.

     7:58am  Passing Brock-Cosmos Road to the left and 185 to the right.

     8:00am  Walking in front of the old Brock-Boyd Cemetery 1851. I should take a picture.

     8:04am  Interesting cemetery. There was this one tombstone with a Mason sign, a Masonic symbol on it. I took a picture of it. I hope it comes out with this shitty camera. Oh yeah, there was also another tombstone with the name STONER, hehe. I took a picture of that too.

                   This is an old-ass cemetery. People buried here died in the 1800s.

     8:19am  About to pass Medford Road. My next rest in the shade is two miles down.

     8:29am  I'm going to stop and rest in the shade. I only walked a mile. I have to find somewhere to take a shit too. I'm over here by the old house that says Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco.

     9:06am  I took a shit and ate some Ramen and applesauce. I smoked a cigarette and got stoned. I have one more hit of weed left, I think.

     9:15am  Passing Wabash-York Road. Ice cream, two miles ahead.

     9:35am  Passing in front of Star Greenhouses Incorporated.

     9:36am  Right in front of the greenhouse place is another Annie Oakley historical site. I'll take a picture.  Close-up of plaque.

     9:46am  I just walked into the town of North Star. Passing the sign that says North Star Corporation Limits. I didn't know there was a town called North Star.

     9:49am  I took a picture of the North Star sign.

     10:17am  I came to this bar. I walked into town and I was hungry hoping there would be a gas station. I walked up the main street and I saw this sign that said LIQUOR BEER EATS. I walked into to get some eats. There was a lot of old people inside. Right now I am telling the waitress here, the girl here my story. It seems like she's really enjoying it. When I first went in there I didn't give her my gasoline-for-the-stomach line. I've got ten bucks. I'm telling her my story. Hopefully she'll hook me up. I don't know. She gave me a menu and I ordered a bacon cheeseburger. She's cooking my burger right now. I'm in the middle of my story, about to start the Odyssey.

     11:01am  I just had the most excellent presentation with Mary. She ended up hooking me up with the burger too! I appreciate it, Mary. Everybody gets credit. Thanks a lot. She wouldn't let me take her picture though. She's beautiful.

                     Mary told me, "I have something for you," and she walked out to her car.

     11:20am  Hell yeah, what an awesome reception to North Star I've had. Mary listened to all of my stories. I told her the Note From the Rich and everything. She loved it. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. She hooked me up. She didn't charge me for the burger. I still have ten dollars in my wallet. She gave me these two huge apples. "How about them apples?" I told her, hehe. I'm walking to the gas station half a mile away, she said.

     11:30am  Passing sign that says Celina 16 miles Van Wert 87.

     11:34am  I'm walking up to the Marathon, the Pak-n-sak. Umm, I don't feel like walking fifteen miles. I'm just going to get a ride.

     12:16pm  I walked all the way to the Marathon, all the way from the Annie Oakley Restaurant. When I got here I asked this one guy if he was going to Celina. He told me almost and that he'd give me a ride. But then Jim pulled up and offered to take me all the way to Celina! I appreciate it, Jim. Everybody gets credit.

                     Some more magic happened. Jim's giving me a ride. I just told him my story. How old are you, by the way? Fifty nine. I took his picture with him wearing his NYPD hat. He just volunteered me a little joint roach, hell yeah. Smoke a brother out. It's for a good cause. I'll pay you back by saving the world. Sounds fair?

     12:33pm  I was just magically transported to Grand Lake St. Mary's. The largest hand-dug lake in, umm, the world? I don't know. I'll look it up on the internet. Sweet, welcome to Celina.

     12:42pm  I am in Downtown Celina. I just got dropped off by the movie theater by Jim. He was all listening to some motivational speaker Zig something. I'm going to go hang out at a gas station.

     1:14pm  I came to the Lake Shore Park, the shelterhouse. I had an awesome presentation with all the skater kids here. How old are you guys? Fourteen and fifteen. I told them my story and Jack was cool enough to hook me up with some weed! I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. Thanks a lot.

     1:47pm  I just ate one of those monster apples. I met Jeremy/Hillbilly. I asked everyone if there was a public pool in town I could take a shower at. Jeremy offered to walk me there.

     2:05pm  We just walked all the way to Bryson Pool.

     2:44pm  The nice people at Bryson Pool were nice enough to let me take a shower. I appreciate it, guys. Everybody gets credit. Thanks a lot.

     2:47pm  Man, I just scored such an awesome shower at the pool. I am all clean. My scalp itches so I used my dandruff shampoo and everything. When I first went in the shower I stripped down naked and started scrubbing myself. These two kids walk in and see me and apologize and leave. Me thinking everyone gets naked in the shower. Then it occurred to me that people at public pools probably leave their swim trunks on in the showers, because of all the little kids. I quickly went to my pack and put on my swim trunks. Those kids eventually came back and even talked to me a little.
Anyway, since my towel and swim trunks were wet, I walked out and went around the fence to the backside of the pool property. I hung up my towel and trunks and sat down in the shade across the street to smoke. I had asked the kids inside if there was a laundromat in town and they gave me directions. I'll go do my laundry next.

     3:04pm  I took a picture of my towel hung up on the fence. While I was smoking all these kids from the pool came over to the fence and started talking to me, asking me what my name was and shit. I told them what I was doing and they loved my shirt. I quickly passed out my website. There's this bar that runs along the fence that they were all standing on. Tons of kids. It broke and they all fell down. They even took pictures of me.
It was awesome, I had left my soap and shampoo in the shower and the kids working there got wind that I was hanging out by the fence and they came over and returned it to me.

     3:54pm  I went in the Dominos and asked for mistakes. They said no.

                   I forgot to tell you. I left the pool already. I walked Market Street to Main.

     4:10pm  I walked to the laundromat.

     5:34pm  I am done with my laundry. I went next door into the restaurant in the bowling alley and bought me a bacon cheeseburger. I ate and I smoked weed. I'm down to my little resin ball now. I'm walking to Main Street. I need to rest.

     6:38pm  Let's see, at first I went to the Shell, but they didn't sell Buglers there. Then I went next door to the Marathon and not only did they have a fountain I could get ice from, but it also had the little water lever on the lemonade.

                    I'd tell people my story right now, but there's barely anybody out. I tried telling the beautiful cashier at the Marathon my story, but she got busy. I gave her my website. I'm going to walk down to the shelterhouse. I'm tired. I need to rest.

     7:05pm  Officer Taylor pulled over to talk to me. People called the police about me at the public pool earlier. Surprise, surprise. He pulled over to talk to me. I showed him my ID and told him my story. He left me alone. He told me, "I'm just trying to make sure that you're not selling any drugs, that you are just spreading the word about it." I told him I was just exercising my freedoms. He agreed with everything I said.

     7:22pm  Some magic happened on Main Street just now. John just hooked me up with some barbecue! Hit the spot. He told me to meet him later by the Sherwin Williams and he might let me crash. I stick out a little. You'll see me.

                   This John guy is going to be a challenge getting through to. He's ignorant as hell. He wouldn't even let me finish off the mission-objectives.

     7:48pm  Man, the weirdest thing. All day today I've been hearing about some guy who was on the news here, that he's walked all over the country. Right now this dude on Main Street told me to meet him at the Sherwin Williams and that he would give me some food. So I was walking over there thinking he might let me crash or something. All of a sudden Sean pulls up in his car and asks me, "Hey man, are you the guy?" I'm all what guy? He told me that everyone at the movie theater is talking about me, that they saw me walking around and they wanted to meet me. He asked me if I wanted to go back to the theatre and I said okay. He told me they would let me watch a movie for free! Umm, I've got a story to tell them if I'm not the guy. Either way. Man, that would be so crazy if I was on the news. The revolution won't be televised.

                   Dark picture with Sean in it.

     8:08pm  Hell yeah, I had a great reception at the movie theater. I'm the guy on the news, I suppose. If I'm not the guy on the news, at least they think I am and they heard my story with ears wide open. That was just awesome. Welcome to Celina.

     11:05pm  I just scored me a free movie! I watched Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Fraser, the guy from Encino Man. I am so glad I didn't pay for it. It was lame. Jules Verne must be turning in his grave. Oh yeah, then I came out and Sean might be finding me a place to crash. I'm so tired.

     12:03am  I've had such a great welcome to Celina. This awesome dude Sean brought me over to his house in Rockford. I me this parents. This whole town already knows about me. It's great. I can't wait until tomorrow.

Next day..