121903

 

Ontario, CA to Phoenix to Benson, AZ

Friday December 19, 2003

     5:37am  I woke up in the top bunk in Roy's truck. I noticed we were moving. We're still over here at the truckstop, over here by the motel. He woke me up to see if I had to take a leak. I'm going to be home when? Saturday? That's tomorrow! That's so awesome how shit happens. I just had to be patient.

                   I was still thinking about going through New Mexico, but it's going to be cold. I'm just going to go back home. I'll go to New Mexico afterwards.

                   Oh yeah, Roy is hauling telecommunication stuff. Satellite dishes.

                   Trust me, Roy is not your typical trucker. He's a brother. He's Puertorican, just like me.

     6:55am  We are stuck in traffic. Where are we? Whereabouts? LA.

                   Fuck LA.

                   605 South. Are we going towards I10? We are South of I10. We're not taking I10 back to Texas? Oh, that's right. Roy has to make a drop.

                   I just took a picture of Roy's Puertorican flag he has in his truck.

                   Roy was telling me some stories about how he's helped people. When was the last time you picked up a hitchhiker? He told me it's been like two years. I told him I was honored.

     7:05am  We are in Santa Fe Springs. Dropping his load.

                   Roy is thirty one, by the way.

     7:15am  Man, I can't believe how I lucked out with meeting Roy. It's like it was meant to happen. He's Puertorican too. He's not some redneck trucker. He's cool. He's cool as shit. I'm going to take a picture of him, if he lets me.

     7:18am  I just took a picture of Roy.  

     7:53am  We stopped at some warehouse. They have all these big wooden cable spools everywhere. I went and got some water. I'm going to ask one of these guys outside if they have a cigarette.

     8:17am  We are leaving the warehouse.

                   We are still driving through Santa Fe Springs. I saw a hippie van and the street I saw him on was Telegraph Road! That's weird.

     8:59am  We stopped at the place where he's going to get his next load. Some food products place. I see a couple sitting in a different truck. I see a pack of cigarettes on their dashboard. I'm going to go see if they give me one.

     9:00am  Tim hooked me up with a cigarette. The guy I was going to ask. I appreciate it, brother.

     9:14am  Dude, I was going to help Roy sweep out his trailer, but they told him he didn't have to. This guy is all loading up the truck right now. He's all hauling ass with the forklift thing. He is really impressive. I was looking around and this whole warehouse, all it is is Ramen Noodles. Just pallets and pallets of Ramen Noodles. They're stacked up four high. It's a whole giant warehouse packed with noodles. I guess this is where most Ramen noodles out there come from. This is the Nissin warehouse.

     9:53am  Badass, Roy's got all these good movies. He's got Matrix Reloaded. I've heard this is interesting. I've wanted to see this. I think it's about a mission to save the world.

     11:07am  I stopped watching the movie because I want to see it where I'll hear it ok. There's too much noise to hear everything. The truck is loud. I'm going to see if I can take a nap.

     11:15am  I didn't fall asleep. We are back at the TA in Ontario. The truckstop. We're going to get something to eat.

     12:45pm  Duane hooked me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother.

     3:37pm  I just woke up and we are in Quartzite, Arizona. I just woke up. We stopped at a truckstop and Roy is going to help me do my laundry. Well, he was until we found out they didn't have washing machines here. I'll at least take a shower. That's awesome.

     3:52pm  I am in the Love's truckstop in a shower room. I got me another shower room. That's awesome. Man, I've got a good body. I'm looking at myself in the mirror. Even though I haven't been walking that much, because I've been limping. I'm going to take a shower now. Good thing I had soap, because they didn't have any in the bathroom. I got shampoo too.

                   Well, I guess I don't have shampoo.

     4:11pm  Brenda hooked me up with a cigarette outside the Love's truckstop. I appreciate it, Brenda.

                   Man, I feel like a million bucks since I got another shower. I got these shorts on. I switched out my cargo shorts because they're dirty.

     4:42pm  Me and Roy are leaving the Love's truckstop in Quartzite. We are now headed East. Back home. He's letting me jam out to my CD's. Awesome.

     6:26pm  We are driving through Phoenix already.

                    I was actually contemplating getting off on I25 and getting a ride North to Truth or Consequences and Socorro. But, it's going to be way too cold. It was cold enough at night back in June. I'm not going to go there right now. I can just call the people I had met and update them. Or next time I take off go through New Mexico again.

     9:30pm  We just stopped at some truckstop. I'm not sure what town we are in. They have a big Pizza Hut here. I just ordered a foot-long Coney cheese dog for $2.79. Oh yeah, earlier I had gotten my laundry together, but they ended up not having laundry facilities here either. So I don't get to do my laundry here. It's all ready to go though. Maybe before I get to San Antonio I'll do my laundry. By the way, I am in Benson, Arizona.

Next day..