101603

 

Arcata, CA

Thursday October 16, 2003

     5:40am  I just woke up. I slept a fucking shitload. Hopefully I'm not sick anymore. That would be nice.

     7:41am  I woke up again. I had fallen back asleep afterwards.

                  Head count this morning is 21 people.

     9:00am  I don't know if I mentioned it, but earlier, it was the third day in a row that I found a plastic bag to put over my left boot so my sock didn't get wet while I walked through the field. I just walked from the barn. I'm walking into town right now. I'm going to go spange me up a donut.

                   I was walking down the street and this girl just came up and asked me, "Hey, I'll give you a school bus for a nugget." I told her I wish I had a nugget. That that was a good deal.

                   My mouth is for some reason over-salivating right now. I don't know why. Maybe it's because of me walking while I'm sick.

     9:22am  Jenny, the girl I camped in the Redwoods with a while back, just walked up and asked me if I had a nugget. I told her no and she asked me if I was hungry. I told her, "Yeah, spare change for a donut?" She said, "Nah, but come eat with us." She says she's got some burritos.

     9:37am  Jenny came and got me and took me to this van where two dudes were. Floyd and Bill. They're cooking out here at their van and they're going to feed me. Cool man. I appreciate it, guys.

                   Floyd made some eggs and cheese and gave me some.

                   One of the dudes, not the one who was cooking, but the other one, when I first got there he was all, "Hey, do you think you can go find me a nugget?" I told him, "Umm, I don't know where to get one." He looked all let down and mad. He started dropping hints and innuendos about people sharing and shit. I should've told him, "Hey, I didn't ask to come eat over here. It was offered to me. Why don't you go find yourself a nugget? If you're going to expect some compensation for your "generosity" make it known, so I can refuse if I can't pay you back. Shit, you'll see my contribution very soon." That's what I should have told him.

     10:12am  I went to The Endeavor and told Sandy and this other girl that I was sick. They directed me to the Open-Door Clinic. They should see me there and not charge me anything.

     10:14am  I'm walking back to The Endeavor. I left my backpack there, thinking I could, but I haven't brushed my teeth today and I'm going to go to a clinic where they might look in my mouth and stuff.

                     Damn, I am exhausted from walking.

     10:22am  I'm walking to the clinic.

                     It sucks, I can't find it. I need to ask somebody.

                     It's on 10th Street between G and H. This cool dude told me at the Spirit gas station.

     11:40am  I came to the clinic and right away they saw me. I told the doctor what was wrong and he said I really shouldn't worry about it.

     12:11pm  I walked out of there. The doctor had told me that I had to go out and do some paperwork for Family Planning for the funding of my visit. When I went to the front desk, they didn't mention it and I forgot. So, I'm going to go eat at The Endeavor and go back and do paperwork.

     12:50pm  That was a big waste of time. I went back to the clinic and the lady asked me, "Are you a resident?" I told her, "No, I'm from San Antonio." She told me I was ineligible for the Family Planning thing. I overhead them saying something like, "Oh, this is what he will owe us," and I said, "I'm going to owe you something?" They asked me, "You don't have any money?" I told them no. They asked me, "Well, how do you survive?" I told them I didn't need money.

     1:05pm  I just got to school. Shit, I think I just lost my rainbow beanie. I feel like crying now.

     5:55pm  I just finished up at the library. Man, I did a lot of productive stuff. I sent out a lot of emails. Man, it sucks that I lost my rainbow beanie. Oh yeah, I got an email from Kit Boisvert. She said they found the money for my glasses.

     6:00pm  I just finished changing in the bathroom at the library. I'm going to come out and see if I find a cigarette in a smoking post.

     6:18pm  I'm walking into town.

     6:36pm  Susanna, this nice lady I met at the clinic today who took my vitals just gave me fifteen dollars! I told Susanna my platform at the clinic. She knows what I'm up to.

                   She handed me a ten and a five, but she didn't mean to give me that much, so she took the ten back. She all apologized and I told her, "Hey, that's quite alright. Five dollars isn't spare change. I really appreciate it, sister.

                   Susanna gave me five bucks! That's so awesome. She believes in me. I got me two buttermilk donuts and my bus fare is complete now!

                   When I was in line at the donut shop, this lady in front of me looked at my stick and said, "Wow, it looks like you live your art." I told her, "Can I tell you what I'm doing?" I told her my platform and got her email address. SherieMcooper@yahoo.com

     7:22pm  I came out to the barn. Man, this place is all lived-in. That couple from Riverside, Jonathan, Randi, Garfield(Mark) and all the other guys. They're building a fire inside the barn, just as I specifically told them not to. They built it in this small sink that's lying on the wooden floor. I told them they shouldn't. That that only increased the chances of burning the barn down.

Next day..