Santa Ana to San Clemente, CA
Thursday November 27, 2008
6:50am I woke up around six this morning with eight hours of sleep. David crashed out hard. He got like ten hours of sleep in the basement with me. I think I'm going to leave today even though it's Thanksgiving.
Koyaanisqatsi, What should I search Google for, Mike? Hopi Indians.
Mike
1:59pm I thought I was leaving today, but maybe not. It's Thanksgiving, after all and it was raining earlier but now it's bright and sunny and will be for like three of four days. I think I'm going to stay for another day. I'm walking into town right now to tell my story. I got all stoned with my friend David. We're always taking smokebreaks at our 420 bench, the bus bench nearby. We take hits off our one-hitters. He's the reloader since he's got the weed. We're just smoking our special cigarettes at the bus stop. Fuck the system!
Oh yeah, right now at the house are these cheerleaders from Notre Dame. It's kind of lame.
2:50pm I forgot to tell you, I want out for a little walk. I'm pretty bored. I want to leave already. I might just leave tomorrow. I am kind of worried about going further South because there won't be that many people who understand English and I can't be telling my story all the time like I like to. I haven't gotten that many good reactions to my shirt walking around. I just came back to the Isaiah House right now and I'm going to see what happens. I did have some pretty good presentations at the house today. I'm going to walk into town.
3:28pm I had an awesome farewell from Dwight and Leia upstairs. I had been looking for them to say goodbye and I finally found them. I am ready to take off. I'm going to catch the bus somewhere. Before I even asked them if they could spare any traveling food Leia offered me some Trader Joes Honey Roasted Mixed Nuts! Dwight told me tell the volunteers here to make me a couple turkey sandwiches. That's awesome!
Smoking area at shelter
3:53pm I am about to leave the house. I can't be dawdling. I've got a world to save. This place is just too comfortable. It's too perfect. I want a challenge. David and I are going for a walk. Jennifer's coming too. I think Jennifer is beautiful.
4:15pm I'm all ready to go. All my bags are packed. David, Jennifer and I walked to the 420 bench and took our last hits together. We were walking away and David offered me his sleeping mat. Then I checked my pockets and realized I didn't have my rainbow beanie either. That's mission-critical so we're walking back to the house. On the way back to the house I thought maybe this was a sign that I should stay the night and take off in the morning. Maybe that's what I'm going to do. I've got to follow the signs.
Jennifer wearing my pack
Santa Ana
Whoa, by the time we walk back to the house it's going to be four twenty!
4:45pm I never told you. I'm not going to stay the night. My beanie ended up being in my bag. I had it all along. David gave me his sleeping mat. I took pictures of my new setup. It goes perfectly with my pack. As the mission evolves. I'm on the bus now heading South. It's getting dark and I should stay one more night. It shouldn't rain at all. I have everything I need anyway.
5:20pm I forgot to tell you, we rode the bus to the Metrolink station and I'm going to try and get on the train for free. All the way to San Diego. If not I can always ride the bus to San Clemente and hitchhike from there. Or walk it. There should be taquerias everywhere.
5:53pm I'm on the 83 going to Laguna Hills. I'll get to San Clemente tonight, hopefully.
6:03pm I'm riding on the bus going South on I5. Oh yeah, Jennifer, I love Jennifer, she gave me a pair of gloves. I really hope I had a good impact at the Isaiah House. It's so awesome how accepted I was at this woman's shelter. I was telling my story to as many ladies as would listen. They were all loving it. One girl from Jamaica, after I told her my story told she agreed with everything I said. Ah, I'm kind of bored in Santa Ana. It's all tramped out. Homeless people everywhere.
6:06pm I am really going to miss David. He even kicked me down a little bit of weed at the last minute. I love you, brother.
6:15pm I have a whole hour to wait for the 91 at the Laguna Hills Transportation Center. For food I have a couple sandwiches and some nut mix. I got weed, haha. I have cigarettes. Dwight hooked me up with two packs. Right now I'm going to layer up and eat. I'm hungry.
David is a true buffalo soldier. I have tons of respect for David. He's a great friend.
7:32pm I am on the bus on the way to San Clemente. I was telling Andy my story at the bus stop and he let me finish on the bus. He told me that San Clemente was on the coast. He said there was a lot of money there. A lot of Mexicans. A lot of nice people. I can't wait to see what it's like. I'll let you know what happens. Maybe I'll go crash on the beach tonight, hell yeah.
8:19pm I just got dropped off in San Clemente. I'm going to go sleep on the beach. Andy hooked me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, man. Thanks.
8:28pm I got dropped off at the 7-11 at El Camino Real and Pico Avenue. I'm going to walk to the beach. I'll walk around and see if I can find someone to tell my story to.
Maybe I'll go find a campspot and eat a sandwich and go to bed. Maybe that's what I'll do. I'm tired. I'll wake up early tomorrow.
8:35pm Debbie was nice enough to give me some food. I appreciate it, Debbie. Everybody gets credit. Welcome to San Clemente, Victor.
8:50pm Sweet, Debbie told me that she would swing by the 7-11 around midnight and if I was still here she would let me crash at her house. Maybe that's a sign to stay at the 7-11 and tell my story. I'm going to take a hit of weed.
9:21pm I guess I'll just stay out here and pass out my website until the cops run me off, hehe.
9:52pm I had an awesome presentation with Erin and Phil. Thanks for listening, guys. I took their picture.
10:03pm Bobbie just came out of the 7-11 and volunteered me some corn chips. I appreciate it. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
I didn't tell you. I went for a walk trying to find the beach but I couldn't. I came back to the 7-11. It doesn't seem like the Mexican people inside mind me being here. I'm not asking for money or anything. I'm passing out my website left and right. Not that much right now actually. Only to the people who react to my shirt. I got my sign to stay until midnight. Maybe that lady Debbie will come back. If not I'll go look for a place to camp.
10:34pm I think the Mexican dudes inside might call the cops on me. I went inside and assured them I wasn't asking for money or anything. The guy told me there was no loitering, but I don't see it posted anywhere. That dude doesn't even work here.
There's the sheriff. I don't know if it's showtime or not. I don't have that much weed on me anyway. Sweet, he’s not coming over here.
11:23pm J just hooked me up with a peace of pie. I appreciate it, brother. Happy Thanksgiving.
11:35pm Brian just came up to me, he had a weird feeling about me. He asked me if I was hungry and I told him no, that people had been hooking me up left and right today.
11:41pm Right now at the gas station some guy just pulled up driving a Mercedes Benz. He walked up and told me, "I hadn't read your shirt because my eyesight is bad, but I knew there was something special about you. Are you hungry?" I told him that I wasn't, thanks anyway. Then I offered him my website. Then he asked me if I wanted a coffee and I told him that would be cool. He got me a hot chocolate. I asked him if he had a garage or backyard I could crash in. He said no, but he told me I could find a concealed spot on the beach.
12:02am Ha, I got run off by the cops. They searched me and everything and found my weed. He told me, "You know marijuana is still slightly illegal in California, but since you are walking you probably won't be around to pay the fine." He just let me go. I'm going to walk South until I can't anymore. I tried to tell him my story, but he cut me off after a while.
Shit, I was walking holding my hot chocolate and the cup bent and spilled all over my hands. I was wearing those gloves Jennifer gave me so they got soaked.
12:25am I was walking and another cop pulled up and talked to me. He asked me for my name and I told him Victor Antonio Gruber. Then he asked me if I had ever gotten arrested before and I told him sure, which surprised him. He told me that most people wouldn’t just say yes. I told him I could not tell a lie. Then he asked me if I had ever cut down a cherry tree. I told him how the cops had already talked to me at the 7-11. He told me, "It's not against the law to be homeless, you just can't do it here."
12:57am I didn't tell you, I already found my campspot. I walked all the way to I5. See, I should've walked into the town when I got off the bus, but I didn't go anywhere. The bus stopped right at the 7-11 and I hung out there all night. It was still early when I got here. That lady Debbie never came back. The cops ran me off. I don't think I'm going to go back to San Clemente tomorrow morning. I'm going to stay on the onramp and thumb it. I found a little concealed corridor to crash in close to the onramp. I'm going to get ready for bed now. Oh yeah, David gave me his sleeping mat. That's so awesome.
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