102504

 

Berkeley to Ripon, CA

Monday October 25, 2004

     7:05am  I woke up at 6:30 this morning in the empty lot. Nobody else has been crashing here. I walked down Blake all the way to Shattuck. I made a big turn and I'm walking up Haste now back to Telegraph. I passed by the Shanning courts and looked around for tennis balls. They locked the courts, so I couldn't get inside. I'm going to keep walking to Telegraph.

     7:40am  I just pushed a guy up the hill to the bathroom. Some guy in a wheelchair. I'm going over to Trinity church to eat breakfast. Then, I'm going to go to the library to type up my days. Lately I've been paranoid about doing it, but screw it. They can come assassinate me if they want. I'll be back.

     7:52am  Charlton gave me a cigarette over by the church. I appreciate it, Charlton.

     8:48am  I'm leaving breakfast at Trinity. I'm full. I'm going to walk to the school and type up my stuff. Man, I haven't done this routine in a long time.

     10:55am  I'm leaving the library. I'm not going to type anything up. Well for one, those new headphones that I had found in Monterey, one side wasn't working. It wasn't that much of a blessing. Right now I'm walking to Telegraph. I'm going to skip town. I'm going to spange up bus fare and skip town.

     11:22am  Ralph hooked me up with a cigarette on Telegraph. I appreciate it, brother.

     11:25am  This cop came up to me and asked me, "What do you need that stick for?" I told him it helped me walk. He said, "Are you not able to walk without it?" Geez, you think he'd know who I am, hehe. He started telling me how I couldn't stand where I was and that I couldn't even stand where I was earlier. He just had nothing better to do. I pulled out my tape recorder and told him, "Okay, copper. Thanks for making my book so interesting."

                     Nothing but the truth. Dumbass cops.

     11:40am  Mike hooked me up with a cigarette in front of the Mediterranean Cafe. I appreciate it, brother.

     12:05pm  Please God, Great Spirit, Love, whatever you want to be called, I'm bored, I'm a bit depressed, I want to smoke. Please have something happen that will lift my spirits.

     1:07pm  Deisty hooked me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it, Deisty. Everybody gets credit.

     1:48pm  Jim walked by and gave me a quarter. I appreciate it, brother. He's got a walking stick like me.

     2:02pm  Jamila hooked me up with some change for my bus ticket. I appreciate it, sister. 

     2:06pm  Chelsea hooked me up with some change for my bus ticket. I appreciate it, Chelsea. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     2:17pm  Philip hooked me up with some change for my bus ticket. I appreciate it, brother.

     3:08pm  I was standing there flying my sign and Devin smoked this brother out. I appreciate it, brother. 

                   Hehe, that dude was all, "I don't want my name on tape." You got something to hide?

                   Naynay, is there a hyphen? She hooked me up with a cigarette in the park. I appreciate it, Naynay. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     3:25pm  I'm in People's Park. Food Not Bombs just came. I had a big meal. I got an after-meal smoke too. I started telling this dude my story and he was listening good, but all of a sudden he volunteered to help Food Not Bombs. Like I'd be telling him my story, and then people would come and he'd stop listening to me to serve them. Damnit, there are already people volunteering. They should be serving. This one FNB girl all sat down to eat. Screw that. I don't like Food Not Bombs. Their food is good, but I've had a bad experience with Food Not Bombs. Anyway, I want to tell this guy my story but he keeps working. Ugh. I hate repeating myself.

     3:26pm  Aaron hooked me up with a cigarette in People's Park. I appreciate it, brother.

     3:55pm  I just had this magical conversation with this guy Tristan. Wide-eyed and everything. He was nodding his head up and down the whole time and laughing hard at all the funny parts.

                   That Tristan guy, I had overheard him telling some black dude earlier that he was writing a book. The black dude asked him what it was about and Tristan told him, "About my life." The dude asked him, "Is it interesting?" Tristan told him, "Well, I just went to Iraq for a whole month." After hearing that, I thought, "Oh shit, I have to tell this guy my story." I finally did afterwards and he listened to everything I said.

     4:47pm  I just ate at the quarter meal at Trinity.

     4:54pm  Jim hooked me up with a cigarette. He said he was already in my book. Well, you're in it again, brother. I told him, "I'm writing a book on generosity. . . " and he said, "I know. I' m already in it."

     5:18pm  This guy just came up and handed me a roast beef sandwich! He left in his car, so I couldn't get his name. But he knows who he is.

     5:27pm  Dave hooked me up with some change for my bus ticket on Telegraph. I appreciate it, brother.

     5:38pm  David just walked by and gave me a dollar and some change. I appreciate it, brother. I didn't even ask him.

     5:42pm  James hooked me up with a cigarette in front of the Wicked Tattoo shop. I appreciate it, brother.

                    I had asked him, "Spare a cigarette for the cause?" He said, "It seems like a lost cause," but gave me one anyway.

     6:14pm  Mitch hooked me up with some bud. I was going in the bathroom in People's Park and he asked me what was going on. I told him, "Same 'ol thing. Savin' the world." I appreciate it, brother.

     6:26pm  Mitch came back over and he hooked me up with a cigarette. I was wanting an after-meal smoke.

     6:50pm  I got smoked out hardcore by Mitch. I had me the best roast beef sandwich earlier. I ate the whole thing. I should've saved it. I won't be hungry for a while. I have some trail mix I got at the quarter meal today too. Mitch kicked me down a nugget too. The signs are all here. I've got traveling weed. I got food. Guess what time it is. It's time to skip town. I need to search for a workstation. I'm thinking with what's happened to me lately and the importance of this project, that I can't go back to San Antonio and expose myself. I have realized I have to type this up all offline from now on.

                   I need a workstation. The fate of this world depends on me getting my workstation.

     6:58pm  I forgot to tell you. I already came down to Shattuck. I'm walking towards the BART station. I think I'm going the right way. I'm going to ask somebody.

     7:08pm  I counted all my change and I have $3.30. I need thirty cents. Fare to Pleasanton is $3.60.

                   Here's my prayer to Love. Please Love, provide me with a Greyhound ticket to LA. I'm thinking I'll just spange until I have thirty five dollars. Please help me out.

                   Oh yeah, I think I changed my mind about leaving. Maybe I'll leave in the morning.

     7:32pm  I was walking. I thought I was going to go back to Telegraph, but I changed my mind. Patrick and Allison hooked me up with the change I needed for BART fare. I appreciate it, guys. Thanks for mobilizing me.

                   I guess that blessing is my sign to leave. I have to follow the signs. I have to go to Pleasanton.

     7:44pm  I just bought my BART ticket. I'm here waiting for the BART. It's supposed to be in here in like five minutes. I have to transfer to Lake Merritt to get to Pleasanton to get to Livermore.

                  Oh yeah, and they made an announcement that the Springfield station is closed because someone got run over by a train(year 2004, Oct.25). That's crazy. 

                  The train had to stop at 12th Street, Oakland because of that accident.

                  This sucks. Everybody is just standing out here. We got kicked off the BART. They said they've got a bus-bridge to get people where they need to go.

     8:37pm  Oh yeah, the BART's working again. We don't have to ride the bus. There was a huge mob of people waiting outside for the bus-bridge. I got worried there was going to be a terrorist attack, hehe.

     9:07pm  Holy shit! This guy Steve who I met on the train is going to give me a ride to Modesto! I so appreciate it, brother. He had initiated conversation with me first on the BART.

     9:20pm  We got to Pleasanton and Steve, this cool guy I met on the BART is going to give me a ride to Ripon, which is pretty close to Modesto. I appreciate it, brother. Let's see where I end up.

     9:46pm  We're driving on highway 205. ETA twenty minutes.

     10:10pm  Oh man, it's so awesome what happened! Because of all the mess-ups with the train, I was just standing there on the BART and this guy asks me, "Where are you from?" I told him San Antonio, TX and started telling him my story. He asked me, "Have you ever been to Modesto? Do you want to go?" He gave me a ride to Ripon, where he lives. He told me that there's a big hub for truckers here. That's where I am right now. At the truckstop.

                     Man, just behold that synchronicity once more. Me getting hooked up with bus fare right at the last minute. Remember, I was considering leaving in the morning. That whole accident where that person got run over by a train, the mob of passengers that got off because we thought we were going to get on the bus, all the people that flooded back onto the BART when they gave the word and the fact that this guy ended up on the same train car I was on. I could just go on and on. Man, this really blows my mind. I am soooo excited right now.

                     Everything happens for a reason.

                     Oh yeah, and Steve is hooking me up at Jack in the Box. He's getting me a Cordon Bleau Combo with a shake and everything. I so appreciate it, brother. Thanks for feeding the peace machine.

     11:07pm  I just had this conversation with this bible thumper truck driver. I had asked him if he was going South. He told me no and I asked him if I could tell him what I was doing. He was wearing a crucifix around his neck. I tried telling him, but he didn't let me get any of my plan out at all. When I told him, "I'm going to eliminate money," he cut me off saying, "Do you know Christ? You're here because of him." I started walking off and he said, "What's your name?" I told him Victor and he said, "God bless you, son. God loves you." Angrily, I told him, "No! Praise Love. That's all I have to call it, man." In the middle of his interruption I cut in with, "Don't you see how you're proving me right this very moment? You're ignoring and interrupting me and not letting me finish. You are being ignorant."

                     Oh yeah, Steve who gave me a ride here, he's a professional hacker. He works for a bank. He stops hackers from breaking into systems and stuff. It is so cool that I told him my story. He didn't disagree with any of it either. I am right!

                     Please Love, grant me a ride in some timely manner here. Oh, I didn't tell you. I came to the Flying J truckstop. I asked permission to ask for rides at the Love's across the street, but they told me no. I was crossing my fingers hoping the Flying J would be cool. I asked Jennifer, the nice manager there, "Will you run me out of her for asking for rides? I'll only ask them as they leave and one complaint and I'm gone." She agreed saying, "One complaint and you're gone."

                     Whoa, I just passed up a ride to Canada. He was walking all quick and I asked him if he was going South. He said, "No, I'm going North to Canada. Want to come? I'll give you a ride to Snowbank." I thought it about it for a second and told him, "Yeah!" I don't think he heard me because he just kept walking. Umm, I need to head South for the winter anyway.

                     Oh yeah, Steve hooked me up with these little chocolates. They're good. Mmmmm.

     12:19am  I made friends with the manager Jennifer. She went outside to smoke a cigarette and I told her my story. Afterwards I went up to her and asked her, "I don't suppose you guys would care to donate a shower to the cause?" She said, "Only if I have an extra free ticket." She looked through all the tickets and snatched one for me. Bam, I get a shower. Perfect, perfect.

     12:45am  Man, I scored a good shower. Thank you, Jennifer.

                     Oh, and this truckstop is in Ripon.

Next day..