101507

                                                                                                       Madison, WI

Monday October 15, 2007

     8:53am  Today is the fifteenth, Monday. Last night Mike Jay and I drove around a lot. He had never been to Madison and he wanted to check it out. We were sightseeing in the middle of the night.

We drove around for a long time in Madison. See, before that he drove me all the way to Oconomowoc and per my suggestion finally called his sister who he was on the way to go visit. He ended up telling them I was a hitchhiker, which I am not. I was just walking. I should've told him not say hitchhiker because they said I couldn't come over. He had told me I could crash there. I told him, "Well, shouldn't you get clearance first?" They said no, so we double-backed all the way to Madison. We drove around in Madison for like two hours looking for a place for me to crash. He took me to McDonald's and bought me a burger. I finally told him to drop me off by the Walmart. I found a place in these woods nearby. It was perfect. It was all this thick brush, but there was even a tent pitched. I crashed on the other side of the tent, hoping whoever was sleeping inside wouldn't discover me. It was perfect. I took a picture.  

     10:10am  I'm all loaded up and I left the campsite.

     10:14am  I crashed in the woods behind the Walmart by Commercial and Nakoosa. I'm going to go ask at the Road Ranger gas station what direction downtown is.

                      I'm giving everybody the peace sign as they drive by. Everybody's waving back.

                      I stopped on the side of the road and layered down. Some guy at the gas station gave me directions and I'm walking.

     10:53am  Over by the Walmart I looked down these train tracks and I saw some guy walking down there. It's in the direction downtown is in. I should probably catch up to him and ask him. I eventually did. I stopped and layered down some more. The sun's up and it's getting hot. I asked him where downtown was and he pointed straight ahead down the railroad tracks. I can see the capitol.

                      I ate the second half of my McDonald's burger for breakfast. I think I only got five hours of sleep last night. I forgot to set my watch. I went to bed around four or four thirty and woke up at nine.

     11:00am  Walking down Thurber Avenue now.

                      I walked Thurber and now I am on Darbo Drive and Rosemary Avenue. Turning right on Darbo.

                      Whoa, The Salvation Army gym is here. I'm going to see if I can score a shower.

     11:11am  The lady's not here to authorize my shower yet. I don't need to shower now. I'm going to keep walking to the capitol. At least I know where I can take a shower if I need one.

                      I'm walking down E Washington and I see El Pescador Mexican Restaurant. Just watch.

     11:20am  Angel en El Pescador me esta dando comida. Te lo agradezco, señor. Todo el mundo recibe credito, gracias.

                      Presto-manifesto. I got hooked up. I'm going to walk to the capitol and eat on a bench.

                      Last night when Mike and I were driving around downtown Madison I took some pictures. There's some awesome architecture.

     12:04pm  I took a picture of the capitol from Blair Street. I am almost there.  

     12:10pm  I took a picture from Webster Street.

     12:14pm  Ray just gave me his last cigarette in front of the capitol. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.

     12:25pm  Dude, I am in Madison, Wisconsin. This random dude just walked by while I was eating my burrito and I hit him up for my story.

 

                      He agreed to listen and I started. He cut me off and said, "Wait? Victor Antonio? I've seen your website. Yeah, my friend gave it to my roommate." Jesus Christ, I'm everywhere!!

     12:36pm  The guy who I met, his name is Ben, he's calling into work so he can show me around. He's going to be my tour guide today. Welcome to Madison, Victor.

                      Ben told me there was going to be a big rally today. What was it about? Obama? Who's that again? A presidential candidate. Whatever. Like votes make a difference or something.

                      Obama already came and left, just found out. So no rally.

     1:26pm  I got me a sidekick! Hehehe.

     1:31pm  Scotty gave me a cigarette on campus, over on State Street. I appreciate it. Everybody gets credit, man.

                   Random shot.

                   A random campus shot.

                   Capitol.  

                   State Street.

                   Ben.  

                   Check out Madison Community Co-op.

     3:23pm  I never told you. Ben and I came over to his house and I put my heavy pack down. We walked to the store and he bought me a pack of rollies. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                      It was cool, Ben and Jon, his roommate who had shown him my website live in this apartment by the fence company. I had set my bag down with my WPTMJ sign displayed in front of it. I was on the computer when John got home. When he came in and saw the sign he asked Ben, "Oh, is Victor Antonio in town?" Ben told him, "Victor Antonio is here."

     5:58pm  I am standing outside the Luke House in line to eat. Community Meal Program. 310 S Ingersoll Street. Man, I have had such a warm welcome to Madison, Wisconsin. This is such a roller coaster I am on. I've got me a little homebase already. At Ben and John's. Let's see if I can do a couple days of my job here. Just like that. Thank you, Love. It just fell in my lap.

                      Be sure to look up the story about the big tragedy that happened in Madison where the buses got electrocuted.

Next day..