080104

 

Aurora to Denver, CO

Sunday August 1, 2004

     5:52am  I woke up ten minutes ago between these two trees behind the Phillips 66. They were pine trees. I slept good. I got a lot of sleep.

                   I'm going to catch a bus.

                   I'm at the bus stop in front of the gas station on Chambers and Hampden.

                   At the bus shelter I am reading the schedule. The first bus comes at 8:45. That sucks. I'm going to take a shit at the gas station.

     6:25am  I took a shit and now I am going to walk downtown.

                   Okay, first thing on my list. I have thirty dollars. I'm going to go buy a cigarette pinch-hitter somewhere. At some head-shop.

                   Then I'll score me a sack of weed.

                   Man, nobody waves back in Denver. Nobody at all.

                   I think I am in Aurora, actually. Not Denver. I saw an Aurora cop drive by.

     6:55am  I walked Hampden all the way down to the 255 access road. I walked the access road to Von Way. I think I'm supposed to go Northwest to get to Denver. I don't know. I'm going to catch a bus when they start running.

                   I'll go look for a head-shop.

     7:13am  Oh yeah, I walked into this big office complex. I went around and there's a fence all the way around it. I couldn't get through to the other side. I noticed there was a bench right inside this parking garage. I went to it and took my army pants off. I was going to smoke a cigarette when a security guard drives up and asked me what I was doing there. He asked me where I was from and I told him San Antonio, TX. He told me I had to move along. I asked him if I could smoke a cigarette and he said no, that it was private property.

                    I'm over here by the Radisson Hotel.

     7:36am  I've been at the Nine Mile Park and Ride for a while. I have to wait until 8:20 for the bus to Denver.

     8:03am  The westbound 83L just pulled up. He has seventeen minutes left. I started telling the bus driver my story, but then my bus came and I couldn't finish it. I should have gotten a cigarette from him.

                   The bus driver told me that the Heads of State head-shop is at Federal and 50th, I think.

     8:59am  I am in downtown Denver now. I paid the $1.25 and got a transfer. I talked to this girl on the bus and told her my whole story. She was really interested. This pretty girl. Now I'm going to catch the 15 to some head-shop, she said. Alright.

     9:06am  I asked the pretty girl, Sherry where there was a head-shop and she gave me a card to some tattoo parlor where there's a head-shop next door. 5608 East Colfax. I am on the 15 right now.

     9:20am  I got off the bus. Close to the head-shop, I think. 5601, I'm looking for. 5608 I'm looking for. I'm at 4923. I'm not that far.

                   I don't know why I got off the bus though.

                   Oh yeah, on the bus this older lady ran into my foot and she said she hurt her hand. I told her I was sorry, but she just kept going. This black dude next to her said, "It was an accident. It was an accident." She said she wasn't mad or anything, but yet she still kept bitching. I just looked at her and told her, "Complaining won't do shit."

     9:30am  I am here at Myxed Up Creations. They don't open until noon on Sundays. That sucks.

     11:14am  Jim hooked me up with a cigarette on the bus.

     11:20am  I forgot. It's mountain time. My watch is set back. That means I only have forty five minutes to wait for the head-shop to open. That's cool. I had gotten on the bus with my transfer, which I thought was about to expire. I took it down to Josephine Street. Now I figure I'll just walk back to the head-shop and it should be closer to opening when I get there.

     11:30am  At the bus stop at Josephine I found a tennis ball at the bus stop! Just what I needed. Actually, I don't need it. I have a lot in my backpack that I got in Santa Fe.

                     I'm going to walk back to the head-shop now. Kill some time before noon. Cool, I have an hour less to wait because of the time zone change.

     11:05am  I am right in front of the smoke-shop. I thought it was going to be noon soon, but I was wrong. It's only eleven. I was standing in front of the smoke-shop and it turns out my watch was set wrong. Then, I saw some lady waiting in a car in front. She was going to get her nails done when the place opened next door. I asked her, "Hey, do you know where I can score any weed?" She asked me, "You're not a cop, are you?" I showed her the peace tattoo on the back of my neck. She's going to drive me to go get a sack! And she handed me a roach. I appreciate it, Cora.

     12:26pm  Man, I'm having a magical day in Denver. This cool lady Cora took me to go get a twenty sack. She was just parked in front of the nail-shop. I hit her up for some weed and she told me to hop in. "Oh shit, we're going somewhere?" I asked her. We came to her house and she called up her friend. We had to wait like forty five minutes. She listened to my whole story! She told me, "I am going to tell all my friends." And she brought me back to the smoke-shop so I can buy my pipe. Now, I even have something to put in it. I got a twenty sack.

     12:56pm  Man, what a wonderful day this has turned into. I had gotten on the bus going the other way, and just got a feeling to get off. I hiked all the way back to the smoke-shop Cora was just sitting there waiting for the nail place to open. She scored me some weed and listened to my story. She gave me a ride to the head-shop and I told the guy I was looking for a cigarette pinch-hitter. He brought out this bigass selection. I got my the bigger Camel-Wide-diameter one-hitter.

                      I just had me an awesome presentation with the guy in the head-shop. His name is Q. He even told me to come back at 6:15. He's wants to introduce me to his brother-in-law and have me tell him my story. Welcome to Denver, Victor. Welcome to Denver.

     1:09pm  I went to the Diamond Shamrock here and bought a lighter. On Colfax.

     1:19pm  I am going to try my luck with this bus coming up. Here it comes.

                   Ah, it was the 15L. It doesn't stop here.

     1:23pm  Amanda hooked me up with a courtesy-ride. She said it was 104 degrees outside right now. I appreciate it, Amanda.

     1:43pm  I am at Colfax and Broadway and I just took a picture of downtown.

                   It was so cool. I told the bus driver my story and she loved it. She asked me, "Where are you going downtown?" I told her, "I don't know. Give me a destination. Some place interesting." She told me to get off here and walk around the corner. That there was a free bus I could ride at the mall. She told me people would listen to me there. Thanks for the destination.

     1:45pm  I am on the free bus right now.

     1:54pm  I just took a picture of the big crowd.

     2:14pm  I'm out here on the main strip. I pulled out my On My Way to Save the World sign. Nobody has stopped to listen yet. I'm yelling, "Free story! I am not asking for anything!"

     2:20pm  I just asked this guy, "Hey, can I tell you a free story? I'm not asking for anything. I just want you to listen." This guy said, "Sorry, I don't have any money." I yelled, "I wasn't asking for money. If you would listen. Have you always been that ignorant?"

     3:20pm  I walked in front of the Walgreen's and this girl sitting on the street smiled at me. I went in and bought two packs of cigarettes. I went back outside and offered her one. I asked her if I could tell her my story and she suggested we walk down to some river, where it was more quiet. We're going to go smoke some weed.

     3:48pm  I'm hanging out with the street kids here at this river downtown. I just took a picture of Hardy, their mascot out here.

     4:07pm  Ahh, I went to this river where all the street kids were. A lot of ignorance with these street kids.

                   That one girl let me tell her my whole story at the beginning. She knows what I am doing.

                   Wow, downtown Denver is awesome.

     4:15pm  Damnit, I left my Nalgene at the bridge. I don't know if I should go back for it, or keep heading to the smoke-shop to make it by 6:15pm.

     4:24pm  I am on the bus on Colfax. I am sacrificing my Nalgene. It was already broken. I might get it back, if I see that girl again. I am going to go buy me a twenty ounce bottle of water.

     4:36pm  I had a good presentation with this girl I met on the bus. She asked me, "Oh, you're going to Colfax? That's my stop too." I got a listener. I started telling her my stuff and she was all about it.

                   Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you I got a courtesy ride on the 15. I didn't get his name though.

     4:55pm  I got off at Colorado. There's a gas station. I'm going to go buy a bottle of water.

     5:20pm  No-go at the Subway. Hehe, I told the guy when he told me no, "I was just testing you. You failed," and walked out.

     5:26pm  I'm going to try my luck at the Pizza Hut here.

     5:28pm  They hooked me up at the Pizza Hut. I appreciate it, brother.

                   He didn't want to give me his name. The manager.

     5:30pm  I got hooked up. I got hooked up. I called that. I told him my mission objectives and told him to think I was crazy. Cool. Oh yeah, he hooked me up with two big boxes of these really good breadsticks.

     5:43pm  I went and took a piss behind this car wash. I'm walking up to Myxed Creations. I'm going to come bearing gifts. I'm going to go, "Hey, I just got hooked up with all these breadsticks. Anybody want some?"

                  Proof-positive.

     5:50pm  Man, these are some dank breadsticks. He gave me two boxes.

     6:22pm  Katie is hooking me and Q up with a ride downtown. I appreciate it, Katie.

     6:30pm  We are at the Colorado Convention Center. Q's brother in law Dale works here. He wants me to talk to him.

     6:42pm  I just took a picture of these huge sculptures with these white stick figures dancing. It's the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

     8:24pm  I told Dale my story and he just took a break and we came to some coffee shop. The temperature is perfect outside. It's not cold at all in Denver. It's beautiful out here, man. This city is amazing. It's really Babylon, though.

                   Oh yeah, I didn't tell you. Dale is going to show me a place where I can crash in the convention center. He told me it was real dark, though. Q suggested I steal one of the coffee shops candles. I thought it about it for a minute and just decided to ask if I could have one.

     9:02pm  We were at Hannah's Coffee House. I asked Josh, who works here, if he could spare a candle for my camp. He told me I couldn't have any of the ones out on the table, the glass cups. But, he said he had one I could have. Josh went and fished out a candle I could use. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     10:30pm  I am already crashed out in my little room. Dale works at the parking garage at the convention center. He showed me this room. You have to squeeze between this wall to get to it. The door to the area is locked from the outside only. In the morning when I wake up I can just leave through it. It's real close to the street. It's unlocked on the inside. I can't believe I have a place already, my own private room at the Denver Convention Center! I just can't believe it. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow in the daylight. It's so awesome. Score!

Next day..