122708

                                                                                                              Santa Barbara, CA

Saturday December 27, 2008

     6:12am  I am still waiting for the sun to come up. I was successfully able to fold up all my stuff without having to stand up.

     6:44am  The sun is coming up. I am still in my squat underneath the tree. I crashed here years ago. I’m going to emerge soon.

     7:02am  I already walked down State Street. I was hoping that the Subway would be open so I could get an omelet sandwich, but they open at nine. I asked people where there was a gas station and some guy told me to go to Carrillo and turn left. I passed by the McDonald’s and they’re open. I can buy something here and use the restroom.

     7:06am  What a jip. After I ordered and asked for the bathroom key they told me the bathroom was out of order. If I would’ve known that I wouldn’t have bought food. Hopefully the gas station has a bathroom.

     8:21am  I stopped at some store right off of State Street. Caldwell’s, I think. I rolled a Bugler and smoked. This one hippie lady told me, “Nice shirt,” but she ignored me when I tried telling her my story. Nobody wants world peace! I waited for the bus to come. Stupid-me, I paid money for busfare and the colleges are closed today.

                   But, I keep hearing about this place called IV. Some college town, or something. I want to go there and spread the word there. I just got off at the bus stop and I met this brother Valentine, who I talked to last night.

                   What does Valentine have to say about being homeless and generosity? Valentine: “You don’t ask for too much and you get everything you want.”

     9:05am  Getting on the bus to City College.

     9:07am  Just got off in front of the City College. It’s all dead. I doubt anybody is here. At least I am finding out where it is. I’ll go find a gas station to buy some food at.

     10:12am  In all my random walking I ended up at the Santa Barbara Harbor, the marina and pier. There wasn’t that many people to talk to. I saw this big tree that was knocked over on the side of the street. I thought to myself, “Hey, I need a walking stick.” I used the saw on my Leatherman and I cut a limb that was long enough. About five feet. It’s real lightweight and will probably break if I use it as a sit-down, stand-up stick. I’m going to sit down and take a little celebration break.

     10:18am  Leaving from my break on the side of the road. I’ve got a new walking stick. I’ve got an image to maintain.

     11:25am  I had a great presentation with Andrew on the pier. I’m going to walk to State Street, I don’t know.

                     Chris, one of the gutter punks out here hooked me up with a little bit of weed!

     4:56pm  I came over to the bus stop in front of Office Max. Hopefully the Vista bus will come. Another homebum walked by and told me there was a mission closeby that served lunch at six. I’m going to walk there and get some free food. Maybe a place to crash, I don’t know.

     5:14pm  This sucks. I walked to the other side of 101 and walked by this park. This black guy asks me, “Do you need anything?” I told him, “Yeah, I need some weed.” He told me he only sold grams. I said, “You can’t sell me half a gram for ten bucks?” I knew this guy knew exactly what I was talking about the whole time. I gave him the money and this other dude in a truck pulled up, handed him something and left. Then the black dude goes in a Portopotty and tells me to stick my head in and he would give it to me. I thought it was ridiculous that he was being this sketchy for just weed. The guy told me to hold out my hand and he tried to hand me a little crack rock. I told him, “I don’t want that. I want some marijuana!” He said he thought that’s what I meant by half a gram. He had already given the dude the money so I told him not to worry about it, to enjoy the crack. Oh well. Now I’m going to go to this mission and eat.

     5:27pm  I came over to the mission here, the line for lunch. I’m trying to tell my story out here, but nobody cares. They were so ignorant they didn’t let me get to the part where I say ignorance is the world’s greatest problem. I was just testing your asses.

                   People just can’t see I am testing them.

     6:44pm  I’m still waiting in front of the mission to eat. I want to go check out this Isla Vista place, this college town everybody’s talking about.

     6:52pm  I ate at the mission. I’m not going to stay there though. I’m going to go camp underneath the tree again, where I crashed last night. I’ll wake up early and go to Goleta maybe. Or, I might just go back to Ventura and call around and see if I can do my typing at IV.

     7:31pm  Brett volunteered me some food. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Download Thomas Merton.

     9:20pm  I forgot to tell you, about fifteen minutes ago I got to my tree. Nobody else was here. I can’t believe this squat is still here after all these years.

 

Next day..