092409

                                                                                                             Missoula to Helena, MT

Thursday September 24, 2009

     6:43am  I just woke up. I got 7½ hours of sleep. I'm going to head to the Salcido Center and hopefully be able to get a couch to sleep on. After I wake up I'll skip town today.

     7:01am  All packed up and leaving.

     12:31pm  I was too late to get a couch at the Salcido Center. I waited until 11:30am and got a sack lunch at the Poverello and came to the bus terminal. I am finally skipping town and Doug saw me looking for snipes and volunteered me a cigarette.

     12:41pm  Pretty Tiffany just gave me a dollar for traveling funds. I was going to ask for a courtesy ride. Can I take your picture? Tiffany: "Don't forget to drink some water and eat."

     12:46pm  Taking off, skipping town on the #4 bus going to Bonner. There's a truckstop out there. I'm going East.

     1:19pm  I just got dropped off at the truck stop. Lucky Lil's Casino.
                  
     2:08pm  Will, this cool dude who pulled up at the truck stop here, he's hooking me up with a roach he had in the ashtray. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. Rumblez.

                   Haha, these two pathetic Amish dudes. At first one of them walked up and I asked him if he was going East. He gave me the name of the town, but wasn't sure what direction it was in. I asked him if I could get a ride and he said I'd have to ask his brother. His brother walked up and I knew it was his brother because he had the same style of Amish beard. I asked him if I could get a ride, that it was for a good cause referring to my tee shirt. He went, "What? Drugs?" I told him, "No, world peace. Don't you want world peace?" They started preaching to me about Jesus and stuff. I told them how it was an old story and that religion was division. They walked off. I was just testing them, anyway.

     3:06pm  Nickie just volunteered me some change. I appreciate it, bro. Everybody gets credit.

     3:53pm  Sweet, I was just standing in front of the entrance to the truck stop and some guy shouted, "Where are you going?" I told him East. He told me he was going to Helena. I asked him if that was East and he said yeah. I'm getting a ride! Michael is his name. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be out there waiting. I thought I was going to catch the bus back into Missoula. Michael has a big travel trailer on the back of his pickup.

                    Random shots I took while riding.

     4:19pm  Michael's truck just overheated right in front of Echo Valley Campground 442-6314. Some Christian place. We're only 31 miles away from Helena.

                   We're letting the truck rest in Elliston.

     6:08pm  We have to take another pause because the car overheated again. This lady cop stopped just to see what was going on. Michael was sure to cover up his beer. We're not that far at all. I'll let you know when we get there.

                    Helena

     6:39pm  I am in Downtown Helena. I have to pronounce it right. Like the name Helen with an ahh at the end.

                   I'm tired. I only got five hours of sleep last night. I'm going to go fill up my bag with ice somewhere.

                   Michael dropped me off in a parking lot downtown close to 6th Avenue and Cruse Avenue.

                   I walked around downtown and came upon a walking mall, which I followed to the public library. I was surprised it was still open and even more surprised to learn that it closed at nine. I read my Levar Burton book for half an hour and then I asked the nice librarian inside for directions to the nearest gas station so I could get some ice. Then I thought, hey, is there a rescue mission or shelter in this town? She gave me directions: "Go down the walking mall all the way past the Wells Fargo Bank, stay on the left side of the street. Keep going that direction and the mission is right along that block. There's a Budget Inn close to it. When you get close to that you're close to the mission because that's what they use for spillover when they run out of beds at the mission."

                   Bull-whacker, plaque

     7:29pm  I just walked to the God's Love Shelter.

     9:02pm  It was awesome. I was totally accepted at the shelter. Tee shirt and everything. This nice guy Robert did my intake. I got to score a shower and they didn't have any beds and told me I would have to sleep on the floor, which I don't mind at all. I've got a sleeping pad, after all. I'm having a good time in Helena so far. I still have to practice on how to pronounce the town name right.

Next day..