100407

 Boone to Ames, IA

Thursday October 4, 2007

     7:36am  I just woke up in my motel room. I'm going to go take a shit in my bathroom.

                    I set the timer and took pictures of myself and my stuff.  Look how perfectly my sign fits inside my pack.

     11:16am  Dave showed up! He came and picked me up like he said he would. Awesome, awesome. I'm going to go do my laundry. To kill time waiting for him to get there I hung out at the picnic table outside the motel where employees come and smoke cigarettes. I had many a good presentation at that table.

                   Story Street. 

 

  I've got a story.

     1:56pm  We're taking off. Dave's giving me a ride to Ames. On my way to save the world.
                  
     2:34pm  Hell yeah, Dave is hooking me up hardcore, man. He just gave me a 5x big railroad worker's rain jacket. It's all lightweight and rolled up tight. He gave me a Swiss Army knife AND twenty bucks! Ames is a college town. I'm going to walk around and score me some weed, hehe.

                   Before we leave we're stopping at the Sally's Beauty Supply next to the HyVee. He's buying some processor for his wife, I think.

     3:03pm  About five minutes ago I just got dropped off in Ames. 

 

 I told Dave, "This is a college town. Take me to the drag, please. Take me where the coffee shops are. College towns like my story.

                   Me in Ames.  

                   I just had a good presentation with Steve.

 

Took his picture and everything. On the sidewalk next to this Alley between the Pea Pit and the Phuel Bar. I'm going to wait for people to walk by.

     4:06pm  I'm talking to Eric.

 

I told him my story. What are your comments on my presentation? Eric: "I say it is a very noble goal what this man is trying to accomplish. I wish all the best to him."

     4:25pm  I didn't get to celebrate. I was walking down the street towards the park(lost picture). I asked some guy at the gas station where some park was. He pointed this way. I was walking down Welch Avenue. Some guy was walking behind me. I hit him up for my story and he told me sure, but to keep walking. In the end when he got to where he was going, he laughed at me and said, "I just think you're a big hippie." I asked him, "Have you always been so quick to judge?" He said, "I sure have. Just like everybody else out there." I told him not me. Stupid college kids.

     4:37pm  I got directed to some tennis courts and walked all the way there. No balls anywhere. I want to skip town. Fuck this place. I want to get some weed, though. I got twenty bucks.

                   I'm back at the street with the clock tower I was at earlier. I took a picture.

                   A different clock tower at the school.  

     5:40pm  I had a great presentation with Karen on the sidewalk. 

Iowa State University. Karen listened to my whole Odyssey. I took her picture. That's Karen, everybody.

     5:52pm  I found the tennis courts 

 at the college and scored me a total of eight balls.

 

I'm going to take a picture of the tennis courts and stuff.

     6:02pm  I found the meeting at Ross Hall. 6th Floor. I was sitting down telling Karen my story and this guy walked by and invited me. There's a catered meeting going on. So I'm going to eat and then walk to the highway.

     6:52pm  I'm telling Sean and Tim 

 my story here at the college, ISU. One of them gave me a cigarette earlier. I appreciate it.

     7:27pm  I had another great presentation with these two gay guys that are getting married. They told me to walk to Grant Street which turns into Highway 69 and take 69 all the way to Albert Lea, Minnesota.

     7:52pm  I walked University Avenue to Lincoln Way. I asked some girl in a car and she told me to go this way.

                   Iowa State sports field.  

                   I just got to Grand Avenue which turns into 69. I'm going to walk to the next light and stand where somebody can pull over at.

                   I stumbled onto a George Washington quote. "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." Sorry, George. I like your marijuana quote better.

     8:40pm  I walked to the Quik Shop, the gas station on 24th and Grand Avenue.

     9:22pm  Chad

 

, who I just told my story to in front of the Quik Shop, he volunteered me some change out of the blue. I appreciate it, brother. Nobody's paying me to do this. Every little bit helps.

     9:27pm  I left the Quik Shop. I'm going to walk to the Walmart down there at the light.

                   Shit, I forgot my water. I'm going back. Earlier at that meeting, there was nothing interesting going on at all. It was just food. They didn't talk about politics or nothing. It was a politics class meeting, damnit. At least a lot of people saw me there and I handed them my webpage and stuff.

     10:26pm  I am walking down 69, dude. Gilbert four miles, Story City ten.

                     Dude, I have to go to Story City and tell my story!

Next day..