101904

Santa Cruz to Watsonville to Monterey, CA

Tuesday October 19, 2004

     6:19am  I woke up like five this morning. It started raining hard. I crashed out under, umm, really close to the Avenue. Underneath this big wooden thing. There was a sign that said no trespassing, but I spotted another bum already crashed out under there. I crashed out and woke up in the middle of the night and it was raining. I stood out there for a while. I came over to the bus station. Maybe I'll catch a bus to Big Sur this morning. If I get a courtesy ride. The 71 going South just came and he wouldn't give me a courtesy ride. I'm going to try the next one. I don't know what time it comes.

     7:20am  Luciana, en la taqueria en donde paran los buses, me esta dando un taco. Te lo agradezco, Luciana. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

     7:27am  Oh yeah, earlier I went to the taqueria right here at the bus station. I got hooked up with a burrito and a tamale. Breakfast.

     7:37am  I hit up this one lady for my story and she told me, "Umm, I think I just want to be by myself right now."

     7:44am  Francisco me dio un cigaro.

     7:57am  I was asking the bus drivers for courtesy rides and the security guard came up to me. Oh yeah, because I called the last lady driver a greedy ass. The security guard came up to me and asked me, "Are you asking for rides?" I told him, "Yeah, since when does it hurt to ask?" He told me I couldn't be doing that. I asked him, "What are you going to do? Call the police? I'm not breaking any laws." He told me, "Well, I don't want to have to do that." I told him, "Well, I'll just wait until you do. What's life without a little risk? Except boring." I told him, "I'm trying to bring world peace here. Look at my tattoo." I told him, "If you call the cops it'll just make my story more interesting, thanks."

     8:03am  This one transit guy came up to me and said, "Are you the ones they're talking about?" Ha, word's out, word's out. My presence is known.

                   Well, I can now assume that every driver has been told not to give me a courtesy ride. I'll get some bus fare somewhere.

     8:30am  They ran me off at the bus station. I told them, "I was just testing you guys." They finally called the cops on me.

     9:07am  Emily gave me a cigarette outside in the rain. Over by the donut shop.

     9:14am  Emily is recommending a book to read.

                   Emily: "It's called American Pictures by Jacob Colt. He's from Denmark and he came to the US and traveled around for about two years. Just walking around and getting picked up by people. He takes amazing photograph. He wasn't exactly a photojournalist. He just had a little camera. This was back in the 70's. He documented mostly the poor people and the minorities, because those are the people that were most willing to take him in. He has this amazing perspective. He talks about how fear is the greatest barrier and just loving each other and that way creating connections."

     9:40am  I'm standing in front of the pizza place right next to the bus station. I got a little change for my bus fare. Phil walked by. I had talked to him earlier. He asked me if I wanted to smoke a bowl. We came up here to the Locust Street Garage. Some parking garage and we're going to smoke some weed.

     9:50am  I went up to these two guys. This one hippie looking dude with a tattoo on his forehead. I hit them up for my story and these guys just turned around and walked off.

     10:42am  I came to the library. I was waiting to use a computer. You have to put in some pin number to get on a computer. This guy came up to me and asked me, "Can I see your library card?" I told him, "I don't have one. I can't get on as a guest or something?" He told me I had to purchase a guest ticket for five dollars. Say what? You have to pay money to use the public library?

     11:17am  I walked over by the wharf to the Las Palmas Taco Bar. I'm going to see if I can get some more beans and rice for Jesus Christ.

     11:18am  Ricky hooked me up again. He was a bit hesitant. He told me it was the last time.

     11:44am  This brother came up to me and told me that he thinks heard about me on the news. He said the president, George W. Bush was talking about some guy with a walking stick with a compass on top. He said that this guy was out and about and on a long-distance walk. Umm, that's weird. 

                    Oh shit. I'm all paranoid now. I just got told that George Bush knows about me. Umm, he's like the Illuminati. I'm going to die, hehe.

     11:52am  Maggie hooked me up with some change for bus fare. I appreciate it, Maggie. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     11:54am  Carrie gave me a dime for my bus fare. I appreciate it, Carrie. I appreciate it, Carrie. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     11:57am  Anwar hooked me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it, Anwar.

     12:02pm  Amanda walked by and I asked her for some change. She said, "I can't, but I will." I appreciate it, Amanda. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     12:05pm  Danielle just walked by and she hooked me up with some breakfast. I appreciate it, Danielle. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     12:50pm  I'm jumping on the 71. It came and I had exactly $1.50 in change.

                     There's a Freedom, California. I have to stop there.

     2:02pm  I'm in Watsonville. Cool, the pretty lady bus driver gave me a transfer to the Salinas bus which I need to catch.

     2:14pm  Lourdes me dio un taco en la taqueria. Te lo agradezco, señora. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

                   Cool, there was another taqueria at the bus station in Watsonville, too.

     2:35pm  Damnit, the transfer that lady had given me only reduces the fare to $1.75. I can't get on the Salinas bus. It comes every half hour, so I'm going to go walk around and see if I can get a $1.75 somehow. That pisses me off. I'm not in the best of moods right now.

     3:02pm  Lupe me esta dando un libro en el Goodwill. Te lo agradezco, Lupe. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

     3:03pm  I was just standing here at Main Street and West Lake and Jessica gave me some gum.

                   It's about time I said a prayer to Love. Please Love, help me out of this town. It's $1.75 for bus fare.

                   Oh yeah, I got a new book at the thrift store. The New World Order, it's called.

     3:14pm  I asked Enrico, who pulled up in his truck for a cigarette. He handed me two, but I just took one. He took the one back that he gave me and handed me the rest of his pack!. 

                 Whoa, I've got a whole half a pack! Thank you, Love. Thank you, Love.

                 Let the sun shine. Let the sun shine in. The sun shining. Tum, tum, tum, tatatum.

                 Right after I sang that song the sun came out.

     3:37pm  Some guy gave me some more change. Cool, cool.

                   Lupe me dio un dolar! Te lo agradezco, Lupe.

     3:42pm  Alejandro me dio cambio para mi boleto de cammion. Te lo agradezco, Alejandro.

     4:50pm  I have to get on the bus going to Monterey. This other guy told me where I have to hitchhike in Monterey to get to Big Sur. And Ron hooked me up with the little change I needed for my fare. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   I just counted up all the cities I've been to on this year's tour. I've got like sixty two, I think. Since June 14th.

     5:40pm  I am in Monterey. I have to score a courtesy ride to Carmel.

     5:41pm  The bus driver failed.

     5:54pm  I just took a picture over by Simoneau Plaza. There's a big bird splashing around in the fountain.

     6:00pm  I went to the Exxon to use the restroom. I tagged it with Victor the Liberator on the paper towel dispenser thing.

     6:08pm  Saed me dio gasolina para el estomago. Te lo agradezco, señor. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

                   Oh yeah, I got hooked up at some taco stand. Some Na'an Taco. This was on Alvarado Street. There's like a big farmer's market or something. This is a really ritzy town.

     6:27pm  I came back to the plaza and Paul hooked me up with some money for my bus fare. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   That was awesome! I got hooked up with a bigass taco! I said screw it, I want to get out of this Babylon. It's real thick here. I can swim through it. I went back to where the buses stop. I didn't even ask this guy. He looks at me and asks me, "Are you going to Big Sur?" Shocked, I asked him, "How did you know?" He said he just knew. I told him, "I need $1.75 for my bus fare though." He sure enough hooked me up. I am meant to go.

                    I'm inside the Smoking Stuff Cigars and Gifts. I told the Indian guy in there my story. He listened to me.

                    Damnit, I missed the last bus to Carmel. I looked at the schedule. I was telling some guy at the bus plaza how I had to find a place to crash and he gave me some card for Interim Incorporated. Some homeless outreach services place. I called, but no one answered and I left a message. I thought I was meant to get that card because on the bottom it says, "A non-profit organization dedicated to the self-sufficiency of people who have mental illness." I could've played off my whole head-injury "illness." Hehe. I'll scan it if I ever get a scanner.

                    Damn, it had been raining hard since Santa Cruz. It's not raining right now, but it will tonight I'm sure. I need to find a dry place to sleep.

     7:07pm  I took off walking and I ended up at some Baptist Church on the side of the highway. I thought I'd look for a bridge I could crash under. I asked these people doing Tai-Chi in this room, "I don't suppose you guys would let me crash under the overhang here. It's going to pour tonight." She told me sure. She said, "Yeah, I hope you stay dry because it's going to rain again." She asked me where I was going and I told her, "Wherever I end up. I'm on a mission." She told me, "I'm going to Big Sur later on." I told her I was headed to Big Sur too. I went, "Will you give me a ride?" She told me, "Oh no, you should probably see it in the day." I told her, "Umm, I'd find a place to crash and see it in the morning. She reached into her big bag of excuses and told me, "We don't even know if we're going. The roads will be hellish."

                  Oh yeah, there's a bathroom right here. I went in there and took my time shaving. It would be perfect if I could crash in there. I'm going to get permission to crash in there though. I'll tell him, "Are you guys going to lock the bathroom?"

     8:47pm  Damnit, I had a bathroom to sleep in. It's cold. It's wet. When they finished their Tai-Chi meeting the lady came outside and told me they had to lock it. I said, "Well, could you lock it with me in it?" She told me no.

     8:50pm  Man, these hypocrites at this church. I am trying to bring peace to this world, damnit. What the hell. Damn the ignorance in this world! Hehe, I yelled all that so they could hear me and see me talking into my tape recorder. I wish I would've gotten her name. Man, fuck this. I was mad. I told the guy, "Your greed will be known globally." He goes, "Oh, you think I'm being greedy? I'm being a good steward. We rented this place out and I am responsible for it. We made a verbal contract to lock it up afterwards." I told him, "If excuses were money you would be rich."

                  Man, it's a bathroom. What the hell is going to happen if they would've let me crash in there? They could've even locked me in there and I would leave in the morning. It was just perfect. Well, at least I told them off good and they'll be talking about me. Just like I want them to. I win either way.

Next day..