091807

                                                              San Antonio to New Braunfels and walking, TX

Tuesday September 18, 2007

     3:39am  I just woke up. I got seven hours of sleep last night.

     4:07am  I woke up really early this morning. Around three-thirty. I just went to the front yard and had a quick smokebreak, so I wouldn't be in the backyard coughing my ass off next to my mom's room. I'm going to get on the computer now and check my email and shit.

     7:07am  I'm going to try and crash out again.

     8:20am  I woke up again. What weird sleeping I've been having lately.

     9:22am  My twin sister Laura just called. She's going to pick me up in an hour. I'm going to go run some errands with her and then she's going to give me a ride to I35, hopefully Austin. Cool, so that's that. I'm taking off today.

     10:40am  I'm leaving. I'm with Laura in her car now. She says she has to run errands, but I'm going to see if she'll drop me off first. Hopefully I can get to Austin today. Hopefully people will recognize me walking and pick me up real quick.

     11:00am  Dude, I can't believe I forgot to update the journal on my website! That was like what I needed to do the most. All the HTML files are still sitting on my mom's computer. That sucks.

     12:39pm  I haven't made an update in a while. My sister took me to eat breakfast at this Mexican place. We just came to her new apartment. It's an awesome pad. I should take pictures, but I'm not going to. My mom deserves a place like this. I scored a shower at my sister's house. I hadn't taken a shower today.                

     1:36pm  We are finally leaving my sister's. She ordered this big sticker for the back of her car. 

She's a licensed real-estate agent. I took a picture of her. We've got a couple more stops to make before I hit the road. It's cool that I am actually leaving.

                    We forgot these raincoat and pants my sister was going to give me. We're going back. She's going to take me to Academy and buy me some new cargo shorts. Hell yeah!

     3:40pm  We just came to Academy. I'm going to get me some cargo shorts.

     4:41pm  I am off! My sister just dropped me off at a McDonald's in New Braunfels.

Eleven miles North of San Antonio. I'm walking.

     4:50pm  I am taking my first break, not that long after after my sister dropped me off. I stopped in the shade under a tree in front of some bank. I'm going to smoke a cigarette.

     5:00pm  I'm up from my break and walking.

     5:03pm  I'm going to jump on I35 and start walking the highway. I don't see a pedestrians prohibited sign anywhere. If a cop pulls over maybe he'll give me a ride.

     5:29pm  I forgot to tell you, I'm walking the access road now.

                    I'm going to walk a lot. I do have this heavy pack on my back too. I've walked for like half an hour. It's like five thirty now.

     5:51pm  I am going to walk a whole hour without resting. I'm doing good and feeling great! Whoa, I am passing a billboard that says, "Armani Exchange Prime Outlets San Marcos Exit 200." I am on Exit 191. Does that mean that in just nine exits I will be in San Marcos? Crazy.

     5:57pm  Passing the sign pointing to Canyon Lake. That is so tempting. It's a bit off of 35, so no.

     6:02pm  One minute until I rest. As my luck would have it there's a Conoco coming up and I'm going to get there real soon.

     6:05pm  The Conoco seems to be closed. Not like I need it to be open, but there's no shade. I'm going to go across the highway. There's another gas station on the other side.

     6:08pm  I am at the Chevron.

     6:32pm  Man, I was convinced I was going to walk all the way to Austin. After my smokebreak after walking a whole hour, I got up to start walking another hour. I walk by this hip-looking kid pumping gas and ask him if he's going North, by any chance. Shweet, I'm going to San Marcos. I appreciate it, Travis. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                    

     6:53pm  I just got dropped off at a Valero in San Marcos. I'm going to start walking again. I'm going to walk for an hour.

                   Oh, I didn't tell you that at that gas station I put on my WPTMJ shirt. I am sporting it loud and clear. I am not sure where Travis dropped me off. There's a sign that says Blanco River 1 mile. That's where I'm going to eat my dinner. Oh yeah, I got to tell my whole story to Travis. He listened to me great! He was nodding his head and saying right at every point I made. I gave him my website and everything. Right now I am walking in front of Autumn Chase Apartments. 81606 whatever this access road is.

                   Hays County Law Enforcement to the right. I've been here before.

     7:21pm  Crossing over Blanco River.

 

I'm going to keep walking.

     7:26pm  Going to hop on the highway.

     7:35pm  Coming up to the sign that says Austin 26 miles, Waco 127. Twenty six miles ain't shit. I am going to get there tonight. Well, it will be past midnight.

     7:39pm  Mile Marker 209. I've got a good pace going. Even with this heavy pack. I am not going to stop until seven fifty five.

     7:55pm  Marker 210. Sixteen minute mile, like it usually is. Persistent consistency. Oh yeah, I was supposed to stop and rest. Hmm, there's nowhere to stop at. I am taking the Yarrington Exit.

     8:00pm  I am not going to rest. I am going to keep walking the highway. It's getting dark now. I hope I find a store nearby somewhere.

     8:04pm  Coming up on County Road 159. There's nothing here.

     8:14pm  I am going to stop at Capital Hyundai. I'm going to see if they have a water fountain. I don't think it's open. Hmm, I see some people standing outside.

     8:43pm  Oh yeah, I had a good little reception at the Hyundai place. I came to get some water. While I was walking out I went up to the kids at the front desk and gave them my website. I went outside to smoke a cigarette. This one dude came outside and talked to me. He sat down and I told him my story. I took his picture too.

 

I didn't get his name though. He told me that they were all checking out my website inside!

     8:52pm  I am leaving from my rest at Capital Hyundai. It's cool, that dude told me there's a gas station two miles away.

     8:55pm  I'm back on the access road. It's real dark now. The sun is down. I'm going to walk to this gas station and tell a pretty girl my story. Oh yeah, I ate the other half of my burrito. Laura bought me some before we left.

     9:19pm  Exit 213, here I come. I see a sign.

     9:32pm  I am at the Sac N Pac.

     10:00pm  Kelly, at the Sac N Pac. I took pictures of her beautiful tattoos.

 

She's got a story about them. What's up, Kelly? Kelly: "The tattoos really represent rebirth. And the Skull is obviously death. The colors around it and the wings, you know, fly away. The happiness of death. Anyway, my ex-boyfriend, I had gotten these tattoos with him and he was always about life and death and all that. Well, he passed away, so I got the tattoo for him. Because he died. He was always saying, "Well, if you die you will be free. Free of all the pain and everything else." That's why I got the tattoo, because he died. It was really painful, but I know that he's happy." What about the fairy? Kelly: "The fairy, she's kind of like my guardian. She's a good, peaceful spirit with the green and all the bright colors. She makes me happy every time I look at her." I could totally picture a pair of wings on your back, Kelly.

     10:15pm  I had yet another fairy nymph visit me. Well, I visited her at the Valero. She was this beautiful girl. She had some great tattoos. I took pictures of them.

     11:43pm  The coolest shit. I went inside and told Kelly, "I'm pretty tired. I'm going to go find a place to crash." Kelly told me, "Just go sleep in that abandoned car out there."

 

A Volkswagen Jetta. That's where I'm at right now. It was tough at first getting it open, but I was able to fit my skinny, err, streamlined arm through a cracked window. I'll take a picture of it in the morning when it's light. Alright, I'm beat. I'm going to sleep.

                      I took a picture of my magic shirt.  

Next day..