020308

 San Antonio to Seguin to Luling, TX

Sunday February 3, 2008

     10:44am I think I am going to leave. I'm going to walk up to the fence and spraypaint it in broad daylight and then just jump on the bus and skip town. Let's see what happens.

     10:56am I was all ready to take off and go spraypaint the fence. I was walking down Old Tezel with a spraypaint can in a cargo pocket. I was walking then I realized oh fuck, I forgot to update the journal on my site! I'm going to go back and then I can call about the bus schedule and see what time the 606 comes. It's Sunday, after all.

     11:21am I've got an update to make. I got a hair up my ass that I'm just going to take off and ride the bus and get out of here. I had started walking down Old Tezel then I changed my mind because I forgot to update my website which I already did. It's current to like three days ago, to the end of January. I thought I was going to be able to paint the fence and jump on the bus, but I saw the bus coming when I was walking up and it already passed. I have to wait a whole other hour. I've already scoped it out and know how I'm going to do it. Everybody is going to see it. Haha, that's funny.

     11:51am Oh, I didn't tell you. I came to a picnic bench at the Church's and set my bags down. Then I realized oh fuck, I don't have any more havethisbook.coms to hand out. I have like five sheets at home, a hundred each. They're just sitting there. I forgot them. So, since I have a whole hour to wait, I stashed my pack behind the Winnebago they have back here. I hiked the whole half mile home and half mile back. I'm going to spraypaint the fence around five after.

     12:04pm  I'm going to go spraypaint the fence. There's cars everywhere.

     12:08pm  I just spraypainted the fence. OLD TEZEL NEEDS A SIDEWALK, hell yeah, everybody is going to see that shit. I can't believe I just did that at noon. I'm going to go stand at the bus stop now and cross my fingers and hope the bus gets here before the police do. People were honking at me and shit.

     12:11pm  There's the police at the stoplight. I don't know if he's going to turn and come this way.

     12:12pm  Showtime. He's looking at the fence right now. Alright, let's see what happens, guys.

                     Cool, the cop just kept going straight. He didn't turn.

     12:17pm  There's the 606. I'm home-free. That's it. I'm getting out of San Antonio today. Just watch.

     12:30pm  I forgot to tell you I'm at the Mainland Walmart. Man, I can't believe the cops didn't tell me shit. Like three separate cops cars drove by the fence and read it, I'm sure. I'm sure people called the police when they saw me spraying it. I was just standing there at the bus stop for like ten minutes. Three cops drove by.

                     Oh yeah, and the bus driver was all talking to me asking me what I was doing. He was all, "Oh, Antonio? You've talked to my kid." First he asked me what my cause was and I told him world peace through marijuana and gave him my website. He all chunked it out the window. I told him my usual, "Damn, NOBODY wants world peace. Ignorance is bliss."

     1:00pm  University Hospital. I'm going to catch the 91 which will turn into the 26 downtown which I can ride to W.W. White and I10.

     1:25pm  The 91 came. When I get off the 26 at W.W. White Road I'll walk like a quarter mile to I10.

     2:02pm  I didn't tell you I am downtown already. I'm staying on the 91 which turns into the 26.

     2:28pm  I just got dropped off at I10 East over on Martin Luther King Drive.

                   Damnit, I left my Planet K water bottle on the bus. That sucks. I'm going to break a five dollar bill and buy another bottle of water.

     2:37pm  In spite of the Pedestrians Prohibited sign I am walking to the next exit. I think there's a gas station there. I'll go ask for a ride.

     3:02pm  I forgot to tell you. I walked up to the Tetco here. I'm just going to stand here and smoke. They'll probably run me off for asking for rides. Maybe I'll just stand on the onramp and thumb cars.

     3:48pm  I waited a long time at the Tetco. I just put my WPTMJ shirt on. I'm going to walk the access road. W.W. White is like half mile ahead.

     3:51pm  Still walking the access road. Man, I am only one and a quarter mile away from Loop 410. I'm still inside the loop! That's ridiculous.

     4:05pm  I walked to the Exxon on W.W. White Road. I'm going to stand out here with my shirt.

     4:20pm  I got tired of waiting for a ride. I smoked some weed and I'm going to keep walking the access road. Loop 410 is coming up.

                   I see a Petro truckstop down there! I'm going to aim for that.

                   Did I tell you I walked underneath I10 a minute ago? Let's see how they react to my shirt at the truckstop.

     4:51pm  I've situated myself right outside the backdoor at the truckstop. I wonder how long until they run me off for my shirt.

     5:17pm  At the truckstop Mike volunteered me a cigarette. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     5:22pm  That Mike guy asked me, "Do you want to go back to my truck?" I told him, "I'm not gay of nothing." I asked him what would we do in his truck? He said just talk. I told him we could talk just fine right here.

     6:02pm  I'm still hanging out at the truckstop. This cool Mexican dude who works here told me he'd smoke some weed with me later. I asked him what if I got run out for hitchhiking and he told me the cops show up at six thirty. So I have to change my shirt at six thirty. Oh yeah, when I first got here there was this family selling GirlScout cookies. They had left but just came back with more cookies. I just gave her my website and she said she wanted to take a picture of me with her Girlscout daughters. I told her to send me the pictures and I would put it on my website.

     6:55pm  Viviana and Lilliana just hooked me up with some Do-si-dos! I appreciate it, girls. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     6:58pm  Liliana just gave me a green shamrock that came off her hat.

     7:03pm  Did I tell you I made friends with the GirlScout family and they're going to give me a ride to Seguin when they're done? How awesome.

     7:23pm  I am in transit. Monica, the Girlscout mom, I made friends with them and she's giving me a ride. Anyway, I am en route to Seguin. They're being nice enough to give me a ride to Seguin. I appreciate it, Monica.

     8:04pm  I just got dropped off at the Chevron in Seguin. Hell yeah, San Antonio to Seguin on first night. I'm going to stand here with my shirt then I'll start walking.

     8:48pm  At this gas station the employee emptying out the trash saw my shirt. Man, I love this shirt. When he saw my shirt he asked me if I had any. Me not knowing this dude told him I wish I did. I thought about it and loaded my one-hitter for him and when he walked by again I told him, "Here, want a drag off my special cigarette?" He appreciated it so much that he's going to give me a ride! He's getting off work soon. He's going a little East too. Awesome.

     8:55pm  I forgot to tell you his name. It's Dean, the guy who gave me a ride. He's taking me to Luling. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit. It all comes back.

     9:21pm  Hell yeah, this Dean guy is cool as hell. He gave me a ride. Oh, and at this one gas station somebody told him his friend had just been here and that he took off walking. Dean and I went to find him to give him a ride. When we found him we pulled up and the dude said, "I don't want a ride. I'm getting my exercise."

     9:50pm  I just got dropped off at the Valero in Luling. I told Dean my story. I was telling it good because I was all stoned. Hmm, I wonder when I'll have my first encounter with the police.

     10:03pm  I think I'm going to go look for a campspot. I'm not getting any further today. Luling is alright. About forty miles away.

     10:06pm  I am here at the Valero in Luling talking to Barbara. I came in and asked her if the tap water was safe to drink and she gave me some drinking water. I appreciate it, Barbara. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     10:33pm  I took a picture of Barbara. I'm telling her my story. In between customers, of course.

     10:49pm  I found a spot right across the street to sleep. In front of the Valero there's an old abandoned gas station. The fence around it has a big hole so I walked around to the back and made my bed. I pray this will be alright. Please protect me during the night, Love. Please protect my possessions and my mission. This spot was just too perfect. Right across the street from the gas station. I'll take pictures in the morning.

                     I don't know what time it is because it's dark. I can't locate my flashlight. I thought I lost my water bottle so I walked back to the Valero. I thought I left it there, but I didn't. I bought another one and I came back to my little campspot behind the abandoned gas station. I'm going to go to sleep.

Next day..