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                                                                                         Des Moines to Ankeny to Boone, IA

Wednesday October 3, 2007

     6:29am  That's awesome. I can't believe I found a place to crash so close to the Greyhound station last night. It was like a hop, skip and a jump from the bus station. It wasn't that concealed at all. I'll take pictures. I'm in Des Moines, by the way.

    6:57am  I'm all packed up and ready to leave my squat. It was perfect. I was like five feet away from the sidewalk. The sun is coming up. I'll take a picture of the downtown skyline.

                   I went across the street and took a picture of the tree I slept underneath. I'll probably take another picture.

     7:05am  I came back to the Greyhound station and took a shit.

     7:17am  A couple minutes ago I left the Greyhound station. I took a shit, brushed my teeth and put deodorant on. I'm all cleaned up and ready to go.

                   I'm walking down Keosauqua Way. 

 

 I'm turning left in the directions the numbers go down. There's 9th Street down there and I want to go downtown. I want to find a park where I can tell my story at.

     7:20am  I'm walking down 9th Street almost to Chestnut.
    
     7:24am  I just took a blurry picture of High Street, haha, High Street. Wanna go get high?? Towlie.



     7:36am  I came to the corner of 6th and Locust and layered down and I'm going to eat.

     7:54am  I got directions to the bus transfer center.

     8:13am  The nice #3 driver is giving me a ride. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     8:15am  I'm going to some college, courtesy ride.

Sweet. Ask and thou shall receive. The rules haven't changed.

     8:27am  I just got off the bus. I made friends with this guy named Patrick. I gave him my website.

                   Drake University.

 

I'm going to ask somebody where the library is.
                  
     9:18am  I already found the library and I came out to smoke a cigarette. It's awesome. I checked my emal and right now I'm copying all the pictures I've taken to one of my little hard drives. Dude, I just found out that I can fit approximately eight hunred pictures on my camera! Holy shit, I can take shitloads of pictures! I'm used to only taking twenty seven. Total motherfucking upgrade, yo. I'm going to take pictures of everything.

                   I'm out here smoking with my rainbow beanie and Make It Happen shirt.

     10:04am  I just finished up at the library. I backed up all my pictures. I checked my email and stuff. A shitload of people have visited my website this month and it's only the third. Almost a hundred visits already.

     10:30am  I came to the bus stop right in front of Jimmy John's Sandwiches. The first driver that passed wouldn't give me a ride. He all pretended to call his dispatcher, "Oh, I got this guy who wants a ride downtown. Can I give him a ride? He doesn't have any money." Yeah right, dude. Whatever. He was all apologizing and I told him, "That's alright. I forgive you." I'm over by the college. I should walk around and talk to people.

                     I ate the last of those yummy chips I found on the highway. They're good.

     11:05am  Walked down University Avenue and turning right on 15th Street. I can see downtown. It's not that far. These boots are made for walkin'. That's just what they'll do. I'm walking on Keosauqua going underneath 235 headed towards downtown. I have to wait until four thirty to catch the express bus to Ankeny, North. Well, if I get a courtesy ride.

     11:18am  I ended up back by the Greyhound station. I forgot to tell you. Right after I started walking I ran into these kids. I hit them up for my story and guy said, "Marijuana, right?"

     11:35am  I came over by Walnut and Sixth over by the Walgreen's where all the buses stop.

     12:06pm  Made my way to the plaza downtown. The Civic Center. I took a picture of this huge umbrella sculpture outside.

 

3rd Street and I think Locust. I don't know.

     12:31pm  I migrated to the plaza here and I just put my WPTMJ sign on my bag. People are starting to come up and talk to me. They all want me to smoke them out though. I wish I had some.
                  
     1:06pm  I sat down in the plaza and read my book for a little bit. It's getting closer to three forty, so I'm going to go back to where the buses are. I'll ask for a courtesy ride. I'll say, "I'll walk it if I have to."

     1:32pm  Some guy just came up to me and offered to buy a cigarette off me for a dollar. He gave me a bus token too, so I've got my busfare. How perfect. I'm getting out of town. Iowa is hella-ignorant. Nobody would listen to my story. I gave out my website a lot.

     1:44pm  Man, I am getting so many smiles. Everybody stepping off the bus sees it.

     2:20pm  Karessa hooked me up with six cents for tax for my burger at the Carl's Jr. I appreciate it, sister.

     3:14pm  Dave is being nice enough to let me get a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother.

     3:32pm  I'm talking to Kasia. 

     3:34pm  Whoa, James just kicked me down a ten-spot! I appreciate it, man. It's for a good cause. You know it. Everybody gets credit, man.

                   I just took a picture with James, the guy who just volunteered me ten dollars.(dont have pic anymore)

     3:40pm  Jay just walked up to me and volunteered me some change. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   My good friend Jackie actually came back and gave me that bud! Hell yeah!

     3:47pm  I just got on the Ankeny bus. Man, blessings galore in downtown Des Moines. Hell yeah. Right at the last second I got hooked up with a whole ten dollar bill and some weed too! How awesome! I'm on my way to save the world!

     4:14pm  I am in Ankeny. Hell yeah, I got to celebrate!

                   What a bunch of surprises. My friend Jackie told me she would try and hurry up with a little weed for me. She actually came back and I gave her a hug and kiss. I didn't expect any of it. The bus got to Ankeny really quick. It really is an express bus. I'm going to sit down at this gas station and smoke. Yeah! I'm gonna get high!

     4:31pm  I came to the QT gas station and asked permission to ask for rides. They told me no. They told me the next gas station is twenty miles. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to go to the onramp and stick my thumb out. Man, I had a good time in Des Moines at the last minutes. I handed out my website like crazy. I passed them all out. When the bus came I started making new ones. It got here quick though, so I couldn't finish. I did some though.

                   Man, I'm all high! What a great day today turned out to be. I got hooked up left and right. At first I got hooked up with a burger. That one dude gave me a whole dollar for a cigarette and  he gave me a bus token. When I got on the express bus it was a dollar fifty and the driver let is slide. At first he said, "You need another quarter." I told him, "I don't have another quarter." "Alright, get on." Then at the very last second I got hooked up with weed! By beautiful Jackie. Thank you so much, Jackie. She had been to prison too, like Carol. She's an overweight girl. I gave her a kiss in the end, hehe. When she first started talking to me she mentioned she had an old man, but in the end she said, "It's not that serious of a relationship." Anyway, right now I'm sitting in the shade next to the QT all stoned and happy. Good things are happening to me. I can't wait to keep going. I'm going to go to the onramp and stick my thumb out. Please Love, mobilize me. I want to get to the next town already. I'm going to aim for Ames. Oh yeah, I bought me some food with those ten dollars.

                   I don't know if they're of Amish decent, or Mormon, but all the people with the broad jaws here. I don't know what that's characteristic of. Might be Mormon. I saw a Mormon sign at the rest area. I think it's Quakers.

                   I've been passing out my webpage like hotcakes. I don't even have to tell my story anymore. I can just stand there with my badass sign and pass out my website. Almost every person who's talked in front of me gets a little paper. This one black lady even got mad at me and told me, "You know what?! If you came and knocked on my door I wouldn't let in you in my house!" Like I want to go to your house, or something, lady. I should have told her, "That just goes to show how much you know, grandma." I started yelling at the top of my lungs, "NOBODY wants world peace!" The guy next to me started laughing, ha. I am having such a fun time in Des Moines. I keep thinking if maybe these are signs to go back, but it seems like my departure was just perfect, so I'm going to keep going. Wasn't it awesome how I got to go check my email and backup my pictures and shit? At the library this morning. Luckily, the bus that gave me a courtesy ride was going to Drake College. I was talking with this one guy on the bus who kept calling me, "My friend." He wasn't Middle Eastern, but he had an accent. A lot of time Middle Eastern people have told me that. Like that one time at that one restaurant in Boulder, Colorado. I logged his generosity and everything. I should've asked him where he was from. Everybody at the college was nice as hell too. I had a great time in Des Moines. I have good things to say about Des Moines.

     5:19pm  I'm still in the shade by the QT. I took an inventory shot(lost picture) of all the contents of my mission-purse. My male purse. Thank you, Kelly from Portland.

     5:49pm  I just got done writing out my hitchhiking sign(lost picture). On my way to save the world. I'm going to go inside and take a piss inside the Quik Trip and buy some traveling food.

     5:58pm  I bought a shitload of high-calorie stuff. All six dollars I had left I used. I'm going to walk to the highway now with my On My Way To Save the World Sign. I took a picture of it. Let's see how it works.

     6:11pm  I'm on the onramp.

     6:21pm  Nice Dave. I wasn't out there that long at all. Like ten minutes max and I get a ride. I appreciate it, Dave. He's going to take me to Ames. Remember I had said I was aiming for Ames? I appreciate it, brother.

     6:54pm  Dave brought me to the city of Boone. We came to his house. We're going to smoke some weed! Wanna go get high??

     7:53pm  Man, look where I ended up tonight. Dave's wife Anita and their son Dakota.

 

How old are you, Dakota? Twelve. They've treated me to this wonderful feast. Dakota made me some awesome ribs. I'm stuffed. He even made me a sandwich for later. A big muffin too. I'm going to take pictures.

     8:56pm  Man, what a blast I'm having. Hell yeah. I'm going to tell them all my stories. We're all packed in the garage. I just got done with my head injuries and I'm going to start my first attempt story when they get back. They went to go buy cigarettes at the Hyvee grocery store. In Boone, Iowa.

     9:37pm  It sucks, I left my blue bag in the kitchen. I knocked on the locked door. It's only nine thirty. They should have answered by now. I need my blue purse. My toothbrush and stuff is in there. ::knock, knock, knock:: Hmm, the weirdest thing. See, like their sixteen year old son came home from work and I met him and started telling him my story. I guess they had a big dilemma with my story and their sixteen year old son. Even though their even younger son had been allowed to listen to my whole story. They tripped when I mentioned marijuana. I even told them, "But you let your younger son listen to my story." Dave said, "Yeah, well he's not as impressionable as the sixteen year old." Dude, he's even younger. He's even more impressionable. Anyway, they're worried about how my story conflicts with their lifestyle. Not so much the marijuana part, but the whole not-working thing and contributing. They told me how their son had just gone through a big phase where he just bummed around. I told them, "But my story doesn't preach bumming. I walk my ass off everyday. I preach proactiveness! I preach not killing the world!" The only option they're giving him to contribute is by getting a job and making money. So because of the truth their having some major conflicts at this house. Anyway, I was going to just crash out on in the front outside room by the balcony. It's enclosed. It wouldn't have been that cold. After I had already told them goodnight and was about to set up my bed I realized I had left my blue bag inside. I knocked on the door and for like fifteen minutes I had to wait. It turns out I think they were just talking about me. Anita felt uncomfortable with me being there impressioning her kids, so Dave drove me over to the Super 8 motel. He gets a discount here. He paid for a room for me. Cool.

                   Damnit! I have to crash in a motel room tonight. :[ Ugh. (Note the sarcasm).

                   I even told him, "What? You don't think your son is ever going to read my webpage?" Dave said, "He may, but that's how he's going to have to learn about it." It's going to be everywhere pretty soon.

     10:25pm  Lindsey is suggesting something to me. What do I look up? Lindsey: "The speech given by the lead singer of The Dead Kennedys. It's about marijuana and legalizing it." Jello Biafra. I'll look that up on the internet. Anyway, let me get back to my story.

     10:51pm  I got me a motel room tonight. That's awesome. Oh no, I don't want to sleep in a motel room, hehe. I came to the Cum and Go across the street, the gas station. I got to tell my story to four kids in the Subway. I took their picture.

 

Cast of characters here. What's your name? Tara, Lindsey, Mike and Cody. You guys will be on there when I update it. I promise.

                   They volunteered me some cookies in the end. I appreciate it, guys.

Next day..