040808

                             Cavanier to Florida City to Hollywood to Fort Lauderdale, FL

Tuesday April 8, 2008

     6:56am  I just woke up. I got seven hours of sleep, hell yeah. I got some good sleep last night. I just woke up at my camp behind the bus stop and started getting ready. It drizzled a little, that's what woke me up. It stopped. When I woke up I noticed people were at the bus stop. I was almost ready to go and I hear the bus pull up. I am all paranoid I am forgetting something. I'm pretty sure I got it all. I ran over to it and sure enough, the driver gave me a courtesy ride. On my way to Florida City. That was perfect, man.

     8:12am  I just got to the Walmart in Florida City. Johnny was here.

     9:01am  I just scored a courtesy ride on the 38. Going back to the Metrorail. The nice driver even gave me a transfer for the Metrorail.

     10:16am  I just got to Dadeland South. I'm going to catch the Metro from here. I've got a transfer from the cool driver. Awesome.

                     I'm stupid. I thought I was on the right side. The Southbound train was all packed with people. I just read the sign that said Northbound trains are located on both sides of the platform. This is an end of a line. When I realized that I grabbed my bags, but I couldn't get on before the doors shut. I'm not sure how long it will be before the next one.

                     I put my clown wig on, hehe. I should've been wearing it this whole time.

     10:45am  Leaving on the train.

     11:24am  I just got off at the Tri-rail station. Some old guy gave me directions on the bus. I gave him my website. I am aiming for Hollywood. I'm going to call up Dale Bassing.

     12:05pm  I am at the Metro-rail station waiting for the Northbound train. I will be damned if I pay the fare.

     12:09pm  I just got on the train.

     12:27pm  I am in Hollywood. A fare inspector busted me. He gave me a warning. He said next time it will be a fifty dollar fine. He was real nice about it, though.

                     About to walk in Stan Goldman Memorial Park. There's a paved trail here. I'm going to find somewhere to sit down and eat. I've got some Cinnamon Toast Crunch left.

     12:51pm  I finished my meal break. I sat down on a bench and ate. I'm going to keep walking. I saw some homebum walk by. I'm going to go ask him for directions.

     1:03pm  The park path comes out at 103rd and Johnson Street.

     1:54pm  I walked Johnson Street way past this golf course. I noticed there weren't any more bus stops. I've been stopping at each bus stop and turning around to see if one is coming. I asked this guy and he said I had to double-back and turn left on Highway 1. Downtown Hollywood.

                    I turned left on 13th instead. I'm going to zig-zag over to Highway 1. I'm coming up on a light. I will tell you what it is in a second.

                    Hollywood Boulevard. Sweet, there's a bus. I'm not going to catch it but I can wait for the next one. I'll stop and rest somewhere. I want a cigarette.

     3:20pm  About five minutes ago I walked to this Walgreen's. I've already passed out my website like three times. "Nice shirt, nice shirt."

     3:26pm  The nice driver driving the 1 just gave me a daypass. I asked her for a courtesy ride downtown and she said she didn't go there, but gave me a daypass anyway.

     3:35pm  I caught the bus going downtown. I've got a daypass. That's awesome.

     4:32pm  Oh, I didn't tell you. I came to the library. Broward County Library. I got to check my email. My friend Jenn emailed me. My dad emailed me. I was in the middle of reading it when my time ran out on the computer. I'm going to go smoke a cigarette outside and show my shirt off.

                   Oh shit, I just found out I am in Fort Lauderdale, not Hollywood!

     4:55pm  I came to the library and found out I am in Fort Lauderdale. Ricky was nice enough to give me a cigarette outside the library. He just listened to my story. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Ricky and I went over to some concrete stage thing and smoked some resin. This nice brother just gave me a peace of meat. I appreciate it, brother. I was hungry. Everybody gets credit, man. Thanks a lot. Err, I tried to give him credit, but he doesn't want to give me his name. Whoa, he gave me some crackers too.

     7:03pm  I have to make an update. Ricky and I came over to this cool store called The Shore Thing. We came over to ask the guy working that Ricky knows if he knew anyone who would want to buy a mushroom chocolate. His name is Niles. Did I ever tell you Mike Stanley gave me a mushroom chocolate bar the first day I got to The Blueberry Patch? Niles kind of wanted it himself. When we were walking back passing the store again it just dawned on me that they sold weed(err, tobacco) stuff there. I was able to trade Niles the chocolate for a new cigarette pinch hitter aka one-hitter, aka fake cigarette. Every travelers best friend. I am now whole once more. Good 'ol barter system at work. Back in business now.

     7:27pm  I should make an update. I tried telling Niles my story, but he got busy. Then this other guy walked in there and I tried telling my story to him. He agreed to listen and everything, but once I started he started playing around with shit on the shelf. So I just volunteered him my website and he didn't object to that at all. Man, I've got my work cut out for me in this town. I'm going to walk around and find someone to tell my story to.

     9:25pm  Some magic happened right now. I got tired of hanging out with the kids in front of the library. None of them would listen to my story. I was walking down the street and I hit some random guy up for my story. He listened great and right in the middle of it he tells me, "Are you saying you want to smoke a joint?" I told him, "Umm, no, but that would be awesome." We went in this alley and smoked weed. We smoked a fat joint. It was all loud from this loud music nearby, but I was able to yell my story over it.
                   Dude, welcome to Fort Lauderdale, Victor. I got smoked out rowdy! I'm still high. I was about halfway through my Odyssey and he told me he worked in this bar and he had to go. He told me, "You're more than welcome to hang out." I assumed the music was coming from the bar he worked at, so I told him that it would probably be too loud. After he took off I walked out of the alley and noticed the bar he was talking about wasn't the place the loud music was originating from. "I could totally hang out there," I told myself.
                   I went in that bar and put on some great presentations. I was yelling over the music hardcore. I am surprised my words were coming out audibly. Three other guys, even though they were drinking listened to my story. One of them hooked me up with four dollars. I didn't get his name. I just sat there and yelled my story out. I took lots of turns though. I have to remember what coast I am on, hehe. They had lots of questions. I'm going to go to the 7-11 and buy some cigarettes. I could do laundry too, but I'm kind of hungry. I have to wash my shirt. I can't believe I am in Fort Lauderdale.

                   I went to the 7-11 and bought some Buglers.

     9:42pm  I left the 7-11. I might pull an all-nighter and take a nap in a park or something. I got seven hours of sleep last night. That should be good enough for a while. I'm all awake right now. I hope I am able to tell my story after the shot I just took at the end of my presentations in the bar. I probably shouldn't have taken it.

     10:03pm  I've got an update to make. After the bar I was just walking down the street looking for some church someone told me about on 9th and Broward, where they let people sleep in front of. I walked to that intersection and asked some guy walking on the sidewalk if he knew where it was. He told me, "This is a really bad part of town, I'll give you a ride." He was driving a U-Haul truck, he had just helped his friend move today. He's letting me tell him my story right now. I appreciate it, brother.

     11:09pm  Jim and I stopped at some store and bought some snacks. He's going to let me crash in the U-Haul tonight. I'll wake up in the morning and take off walking. Right now he just told me about some resources I can tap to do my laundry and take a shower and stuff. It's called Cooperative Feeding at 33rd Avenue and Broward. Sweet. I'll walk there tomorrow morning.

     11:22pm  I've got a somber update to make. On the way over to where he lives Jim was telling me he was worried about his roommate. How recently he was having panic-attacks and he was white as a ghost earlier and drenched in sweat. I was telling Jim not to worry, that he would be alright. Jim just walked in his house and found his roommate John dead in the bathroom. I touched his toe and it was frozen cold. Damn, that's some crazy shit. I took his picture. I should probably change my shirt before any authorities come over.

     11:29pm  Man, that's some messed up shit that I saw a dead guy. When we had pulled up I opened the back of the U-Haul and Jim asked me if I would rather crash in the screened patio of his mobile home. I said sure, perfect and moved my pack to the patio. Then Jim went inside and found his roommate on the floor dead in the bathroom. That's some messed up shit.

     11:57pm  The paramedics have been here for a while. They asked Jim and me the normal questions. There was all this medication on the counter and an empty beer can. It was pretty obvious that it was a suicide. I had overheard Jim telling the cops that John had recently received a big settlement. Just goes to show, don't believe the fairy tales of million-dollar happiness.

     3:00am  At long-last the cops left. The house is empty now. What a crazy turn of events.

     3:39pm  I'm finally going to sleep. Jim let me crash inside in the living room. What a crazy night tonight was. I saw a dead body. I touched one.

Next day..