100507

                                                         Ames to Story City to Ellsworth, IA to Albert Lea, MN

Friday October 5, 2007

     6:41am  I got 7.4 hours of sleep last night. I'm going to wait until the sun comes up and eat breakfast and stuff.  

     7:17am  I am all done packing up. I took a picture earlier.

     7:28am  I'm all packed up and ready to go. I'm about to hit the road. I had some cookies for breakfast and some vitamins. I'm going to walk. I've got Story City to go to. I think four miles from here.
                  

     7:32am  All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go, again. I crashed across the street from Ada Hayden Heritage Park. It was an easy place to crash. Behind this short stone wall.

                   Wups, I have to go back and do a paranoid-check.

                   Didn't leave anything.

     7:38am  Passing Arrasmith Trail. There's a big lake across the street at Ada Hayden Heritage Park.

     7:41am  Passing by The Oaks Public Golf Course.

                   I took a shit outside early this morning with some napkins I had.

     8:06am  I walked like a mile or something and I'm standing in front of 180th Street, I think. Farland Park 2.5 miles and Petersen Park. I'm going to sit down and smoke a cigarette and stick my thumb out. It's started to drizzle a little, so I have my stuff covered up.

     8:31am  I am getting up from my attempt to hitchhike. I'm going to keep walking.

     8:51am  There's a Casey's over here. I'm going to ask them if I can ask for rides. I'll put on my WPTMJ shirt on. I won't even have to ask.

                   Download Bright Eyes off the Internet.

                   This beautiful sixty year old lady Nancy, she was delivering stuff. Some government job. I talked to her at the Casey's. She was on her way to Gilbert. I asked her for a ride and she said, "No, I can't. It'd be grounds for termination." She made her delivery to Gilbert and when she came back and saw me again and said, "You know, you'd really be better off inside the store." I told her, "If it wasn't raining I would be walking." She smiled and told me, "Oh, put your stuff in the truck." She gave me a ride to Story City. It's still raining. I asked permission to ask for rides at the Cum and Go and they said yes. I need to go take a piss.  

     10:29am  I'm on the onramp thumbing it. At 35 North.
                    
     10:55am  I walked back to the other Casey's closeby and asked if I could ask for rides. One guy saw my shirt and said, "Hell yeah!" I gave him my website. I've been giving it out like crazy.

                     Came back to the onramp and I'm flying my sign. World peace through marijuana! I've gotten lots of smiles, but nobody's pulled over.

     12:36pm  Steve just pulled over. Not to give me a ride, but he wanted to take a picture of my sign. He volunteered me ten dollars! I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, man.

                     Hell yeah, that dude just pulled over. I thought he was going to give me a ride, but he said, "Hey, can I take your picture??" Document me, please.

                     I had grabbed for my wallet, I was going to give him my webpage and I saw him start grabbing for his wallet. He hooked me up with ten dollars! Hell yeah! I've got thirty bucks for weed now, haha.

     12:51pm  Geez, another car pulled over just to take my picture but not give me a ride. Opie. He hooked me up with some cigarettes and a little weed! I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     1:01pm  I don't think I gave Opie my webpage, that sucks. I'm all excited. He gave me some weed! I'm all high! I got weed and ten dollars! This is a perfect little spot for me. I'm having so much fun. People are just following the sing. See, everybody smokes weed! Even in Iowa!

                    I went and bought some lunch and I'm back on the onramp now. The wind just stole my hat away and I had to chase it down. The wind is just too damn strong here. I'm going to go back to the gas station.

     2:36pm  The greedy ass lady in the Casey's wouldn't let me ask for rides.

     2:54pm  I'm going to take a picture of that greedy ass lady.  

                    Hell yeah, that was awesome. After she told me no I just came and sat down in the shade next to the building. I got all baked. I got all high then I got this idea. I went back inside and asked the manager, "I want to know exactly why you guys won't let me ask for rides. I'd even be offering gas money. I think Casey himself would let me ask for rides." She just said it was against their policy. I called her a greedy ass to her face. I'm going to go ask at the Subway.

     2:57pm  The greedy ass at the Subway told me no too. Oh well, back to the onramp.

     3:28pm  I came to McDonald's. I'm not even going to ask if I can ask.

     3:49pm  A mere ten miles to the next gas station. I'm going to hoof it. I drank some Riovida.

     3:57pm  Entering the onramp.

     4:03pm  Marker 5605.

     4:06pm  Marker 135.

                    Randall 4 miles. Mason City 76.

                    17.06 to walk that mile. Mile marker 126.

                    Entering Hamilton County.

                    Exit 128. Randall one mile.

                    16.54 for the that mile. I'm going to keep going, keep going, keep going.

     4:58pm  Next mile was 16.38.

                    Jewel 8 miles, Minneapolis 198

     5:17pm  This state patrol guy just pulled up behind me while I was walking and blasted his horn and scared me. He's being nice enough to give me a courtesy ride. I appreciate it, officer. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     5:27pm  Stupid cop. At first I thought he seemed pretty cool(for a cop), so I hit him up for my story. As soon as I said marijuana he goes, "Do you have any marijuana on you?" I told him, "I've got a little bit." He cocked his head and said, "You think the world's greatest problem is ignorance, yet you tell a state trooper you've got marijuana on you?" I told him, "You asked me a direct question and I cannot tell a lie." He told me that he could write me a citation. I said, "That's what I get for being honest, huh?" I guess he felt bad because he just made me dump it out and didn't search my bags or anything. After I gave him my website he told me, "Be sure not to put anything about me letting you go without a citation on there. I know where you are. I'll hunt you down." I promised him I wouldn't. Sucker. Tough guy, big man, do what you can. His name was Mike!

     6:28pm  The cop drove me close to where there's a gas station. I went to the gas station and then I went back to where the cop made me dump my weed out, hoping I could recover at least one hit's worth. I couldn't find any. I came back to the Kum and Go on 175 and 35, close to Ellsworth.  

     6:32pm  Yet another picture of my shirt taken.

     6:42pm  That same state trooper came by and told me I couldn't ask for rides. But magically, this girl just offered me a ride right now, so I'm gonna get mine, copper.

     7:24pm  Dude, right when the cop told me I had to leave I ask this girl for a ride and she says sure!

                    Be sure to download the book No More Prisons.

     7:49pm  I am at the Flying J truckstop. This nice girl Cheri, right in the nick of time rescued me from the state trooper. I don't know where I am.

     7:54pm  Permission granted at the Love's truckstop. "As long as you don't badger nobody."

                    Trump's truckstop.

     8:20pm  Hell yeah, I had a badass presentation with this kid right now with this kid Joel.

 

He stopped in to get gas. He's got a Ron Paul '08 sticker on his car. GWF-743 Minnesota. He just volunteered me five bucks! He really liked my story a lot. He's going to check out my website.

     8:52pm  Hell yeah, a trucker is giving me a ride! Albert Lea, here I come.

     8:55pm  Darren is giving me a ride to Albert Lea. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:29pm  I just told Darren my whole Odyssey. He said he liked it. He just gave me a whole pack of cigarettes. I appreciate it, brother.

     9:32pm  Darren just told me that when he was in the truckstop eating at in the restaurant he overheard these two other truckers there saying they were going to offer me a ride North. He said they started saying stuff about how they're going to work me over. He said that he heard them say, "Yeah, we'll take turns with him in the back." Darren doesn't usually take hitchhikers, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to me. Darren: "Won't they be surprised when they go outside and you're gone?" Holy shit. So he rescued me. Thank you so much, Darren.

     10:04pm  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I'm in Minnesota already.

     10:18pm  I am in Albert Lea! At the TA truckstop. Love's is across the street. I'm going to go look for Angi.

     10:33pm  I went in the McDonald's and I bought me a milkshake. Angi wasn't working, but I did get confirmation that she's the manager here. She'll be here at eight in the morning tomorrow. I'm going to go camp in this grassy field I see behind the truckstop. I see a big barn up there. I'll have breakfast at McDonald's in the morning.

Next day..