111204

 

El Paso to Odessa, TX

Friday November 12, 2004

     6:04am  I woke up like fifteen minutes ago. I crashed out in this big concrete tube in the field I walked through to get here yesterday. At the corner of Alissa and whatever street goes to behind the truckstop.

     6:24am  Danny hooked me up with some change for my bus ticket. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   I'm just asking for rides to San Antonio and when they tell me no I go, "Well, then can you spare any change for my bus ticket?"

     6:26am  Kevin hooked me up with a dollar for my bus ticket. I appreciate it, brother.

     7:19am  This very generous guy, I didn't get his name. He gave me six dollars for my bus ticket. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     8:57am  Jim hooked me up with a cigarette at the Petro. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:05am  Allen gave me a dollar for my bus ticket. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:23am  This trucker came up to me and asked me, "Hey man, know where I can get any pot?" I told him, "I wish I did, dude." I asked him for a ride to San Antonio and he said he's going to Georgia. He might give me a ride. He said he's gotta get a load first. He told me, "Hang tight."

                   That guy came back and said, "There's a Border Patrol checkpoint. They check for riders and ask if they're on your insurance." Argh, excuses, excuses. Oh well, almost.

                   This ignorant truck driver just walked up. He asked me where I was going. I told him, "I'm on a mission. Can I tell you about it? I'm trying to bring world peace." I asked him what he thought the world's greatest problem was and he said, "I already know. It's Al-Qaeda, those terrorists." I told him, "I say it's ignorance." He immediately turned around and started walking off. Thanks for proving me right. Nobody listens. This world is doomed!

                   Here comes the El Paso County Sheriff to tell all the hitchhikers to go away. That's alright. I've got thirty dollars for my bus ticket anyway, hehe.

     10:02am  I finally got run off by some cop. I told him my story, though. He listened. I asked him, "What do you think would happen if all the world leaders got together and smoked some weed," he said, "Good things, good things." Ha, a cop told me that! I told him, "Well, you are what I was waiting for. People have just been giving me money without me asking. I've got my Greyhound fare now. I'm going to walk to the bus stop now."

                     Oh yeah, that cop told me, "Good luck." Everybody wishes me good luck.

                     I've got all this Karmic energy built up.

     10:18am  I walked down Horizon. I'm walking up to El Taco Mexicano. I'm going to see if they'll hook me up.

     10:31am  Elizabeth en el Taco Mexicano(657 Horizon Street) me esta dando gasolina para mi estomago. Te lo agradezco, señora. Todo el mundo recibe crédito.

                     Scored me a burrito. I'm going to walk to the bus stop and eat it. Let me go to the Diamond Shamrock and bum me a cigarette.

     11:05am  Oh, when I went to the gas station to ask for a cigarette, I asked this girl, "Hey, do you know where a bus stop is?" She told me, "That's what I'm looking for." I told her my story here at the bus stop and she listened to me. Some Mexican girl.

                      Oh yeah, and then a guy in a truck pulled up and asked me, "Hey, do you want to work?" I asked him, "What kind of work?" He told me it was flying a sign until four and he would give me forty dollars. I told him, "Ahh, thanks anyway. I'm trying to get out of here." Man, I am so dumb. If I would've said yes I would have seventy dollars instead of thirty for my bus fare. Shit! That sucks. That was a mistake.

                      The bus isn't coming, man. That pisses me off.

                      Whoa, that guy came back! I'm going to work. I told him, "I changed my mind. Where do you want to fly it at?" He told me, "Right next to where you were standing waiting for the bus." He asked me if I needed anything and I asked him if he had a spare cigarette. He told me no, but that he would go get me a pack. He asked me what I smoked and I told him, "Tobacco and marijuana." I told him to surprise me.

                      Here I am standing here holding a sign that says, "Itza Joyeria. Calidad y precios a tus gustos. Store closing 55-70% off. Total liquidation. 7680 North Loop, Socorro." Cool, it looks like I am in Socorro, TX technically.

     1:36pm  My boss came back and handed me a pack of cheap cigarettes. I told him about my mission and he showed me his 215 card! He's from Oregon. He's from Portland. He grows himself. He said he'd smoke me out later!

                    Juventino paro su caro y me dio una soda. Ni le pedi. Te lo agradezco, Juventino. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

                    Not only did that guy give me a soda, that other guy came back and he gave me a joint! I told him, "I'm going to take a break."

                    Look at all the blessings I'm getting. This one guy had pulled up in a van and said, "I saw you working there." He talked Spanish. I told him what I was doing. He had a big smile on his face when he left. He gave me a soda.

                    Oh yeah! And the guy I'm working for came back and gave me a fat joint! He said, "Take a break, here," and handed it to me.

     1:39pm  Man, I am having a blast standing here flying my sign for this jewelry store. Nobody is buying anything. I'm all screaming to the cars passing by, "¡Joyeria barrata! ¡Compre oy! ¡La tienda sierra! ¡Para tu esposo o esposa!" Cheap Jewelry! Buy today! The store is closing!

     1:35pm  This Department of Transportation guy came and told me to move. That I had to get off the sidewalk because he thought I was distracting traffic. Hehe, I was all yelling at them.

     1:37pm  Lunch break. I'm going to go see if I can score some food.

     1:49pm  Yolanda en Okoli me esta dando gasolina para mi estomago. Te lo agradezco, señora. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.

                   That lady was all badass! She asked me what I wanted. I told her to surprise me, but she handed me a menu and was all, "No, you pick. Whatever you want." I insisted that she surprise me. Man, she hooked me up hardcore. She gave me like a three-course meal. She started me off with some chips and salsa, then she came out with a soup. She gave me a big steak with enchiladas. I just took a picture of it. I got hooked up like crazy here.

                   I forgot to mention how awesome this job I got flying the sign is. Perfect publicity for me. Even though I'm flying a sign advertising some place, people don't look at the sign. All they see is the peace sign when I give it to them. They look at me. When cars pass me I point to the sign so they'll look at it. I am doing much more than just standing here. I'm yelling at people, "Hey! Buy now! Store closing!" It's just perfect publicity for me. Everybody sees me and my rainbow beanie.

     2:00pm  This lady pulled up trying to exit the parking lot. The traffic was heavy so she had to sit there and wait for a bit. There was this little kid in the passenger seat and I started making funny faces at him. He was all giggling and laughing at me. Whenever he looked at me I would blow my cheeks up and look like a monkey. He would just crack up.

                   Hehe, now I'm telling people, "Look! Look! Check it out! Look at my sign!"

     2:15pm  Oh yeah, I didn't tell you. The guy gave me a job flying the sign and I got some excellent publicity. I even got to talk to a cop and everything. Well, he said I could stop and gave me thirty dollars. Let's see how much money I've got in my wallet.

                   Fifty eight. Let's see how far East I can get on fifty eight dollars.

     4:54pm  I said, "Screw it, there hasn't been a bus through here since before three. I saw it when I was flying my sign. That's been a long time. I don't think there's going to be another one. I'm going to go to the gas station and ask for rides.

     5:00pm  Right when I gave up I saw a bus coming! I caught up to it and I'm on the bus now.

                    Oh yeah, I'm at the bus stop where I've been before. Where I met this one dude last time. I gotta look that up. I remember that. (6-20-04 8:19pm). I'm at Saragosa and Alameda, I think.

                    Oh yeah, on the bus over here I saw some kid listening to headphones. I got the idea, "I'm going to go see if he wants to use my speaker thing." I went up to him and said, "Care to share?" We didn't listen to music that much. I told him my story! The bus was real loud, so I had to talk over it. He listened to every single word I said. He was nodding his head up and down the whole time. Good presentation. He told me, "Good luck," when he got off. I got off and I'm waiting for the #3.

     5:45pm  I just got off downtown. I'm close to the Greyhound station. Oh yeah, did I tell you about the hot girl I talked to on the bus? She had some really nice tits. She was all about my ideas. She had said, "I'm going to go smoke weed right now."

                   I have to make an update. I bought a ticket to Odessa. I had asked the lady, "How close to San Antonio can I get with fifty seven dollars?" She told me, "You can get to Odessa for fifty one." Perfect. I'm going to go back to Warfield.

     6:10pm  I went to Burger King and got an Angus burger. Hopefully I'll have enough time to eat and smoke and take a hit of weed before I get on the bus. I came back to the Greyhound station and smoked and took a hit of weed outside on the bench. This pretty girl looked at me while I walked by. I smiled at her. I went and smoked a cigarette and there's a big line to get on the bus now. Anyway, I'm going to Odessa! Back to Warfield. Home away from home sweet home, hehe.

     6:45pm  We're off. They told me that ETA in Odessa was like three in the morning. I didn't think it was that far.

     2:10am  I'm in Odessa.

     2:18am  I just got off the bus at the Greyhound station in Odessa. I asked Dale, who I met on the bus, if he could give me a ride to the truckstop, but he had to go. He gave me eight dollars instead for a cab! I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.

     2:45am  Guess where I am? I'm at the Warfield truckstop in Odessa! I had asked that guy for a ride and he gave me money for a cab!

     3:14am  I'm here at the truckstop. I saw some lady working who I've never met before. Her name is Sue. When I walked in she said, "Oh, may I help you?" I told her, "Well, I'm trying to get a ride . . ." She said, "Well, I can't help you there." I told her, "I wasn't going to ask you. I've been here a couple times before and you guys have been real cool with travelers." She says, "Just as long as you don't panhandle." Cool, I'm going to sit down and put my head down on the table and crash out.

     3:17am  Oh yeah, it turns out I have met that lady before. I went and bummed a cigarette off her. I pulled out my recorder and said, "I'm writing a book on generosity . . ." She cut me off and said, "I know, you told me about it last time you were here." Oh yeah, then some trucker came in desperately looking for a jacket he could buy. Since I'm down on I10 again and it's not as cold, I let him have one of mine. A thin brown one the guy with that dog Chloe(10-31-04, 10:00pm) gave me in El Centro. I told him, "Here, I didn't pay for it. It wasn't mine to keep."

                    Sweet, she hooked me up with a shower too!

     4:20am  Oh yeah, I'm in the bathroom here at the truckstop and I got this idea. I went inside and asked Sue what time she got off. She told me six thirty. I asked her if she could give me a ride to Odessa and she said sure.

Next day..