082503

 

Arcata, CA

Monday August 25, 2003

     9:05am  Man, what a great time I've been having. They let me crash out on the futon, this cool bed. I'm 6'6", but my feet didn't hang off the end. I had a warm blanket. Issa already left. Issa, Dan and James all have their own car. James is going to leave around 10 or 10:30, or something. So, I woke up and smoked a cigarette. I'm going to smoke a cigarette right now. I'm going to take a bong hit and wake-n-bake. They have so much weed here. I took bong hits last night like crazy.

                   I took an inventory-picture this morning.

     10:00am  James realized he had a jewelry class he was going to miss. He got his brother Dave to give him a ride to HSU. His brother Dan, I'm sorry. Oh yeah, I left my walking stick in Issa's truck. So, I gotta call her later on and see when I can get my walking stick back. I feel naked without it, hehe. I left with Dan to take James and now we are on our way back to the house. "When are you headed out again, Dan?" He told me he has to get his stuff together and then we'll split. Then we'll be off again. Cool.

     10:57am  I just got dropped off in Arcata at the Wildberries Marketplace. Dan told me Issa usually parked in this parking lot, so I'm going to look for her truck.

     11:05am  I'm walking down G Street right now. Oh man, this is going to be great. Ugh, I really want my stick back. I don't want to meet NOFX without my staff, hehe.

     11:08am  This is perfect timing for the meal at the Endeavor at 11:30am. Man, I walked fast. I was power-walking, lifting my arms and everything. I don't have my stick.

     11:20am  I just talked to this dude I recognized from when I was here six months ago. He listened to a lot of my stuff, but then he just walked off. Just like that. I guess he thought I was crazy.

     11:25am  The story has been confirmed. Two guys have already told me El Jefe from NOFX lives here. They said he's always hanging out at the Brewery.

     11:30am  I am outside at the Endeavor waiting to eat.

     11:31am  I ran into Nick here in line at the Endeavor and he recognized me from Berkeley. I remember him too. He was walking around barefoot that one night by Cody's. He said a little poem into my recorder.

     12:28pm  I just asked these street kids in the grass if they knew anything about El Jefe being in town. Somebody told me about some brewery that's over by the Co-op, so that's where I'm headed.

                     Here on the sidewalk it says, "We are the cost of progress." Damn, ain't that true.

     12:31pm  This feels so liberating not having my stick.

     1:00pm  I was wanting a place to stop and smoke some weed. I should be careful. I probably have a warrant for ignoring that ticket I got a month ago(7-23-03, 3:50pm, I don't know. But, I found this little corner. I just took one hit of weed and smoked a cigarette. I really need to stop smoking these rollies. They're going to mess up my throat. Anyway, I stopped and took a hit. I was leaning against this wall full of fire ants. Oh shit! I found like three or four crawling on my shirt. I took them off and didn't get bit at all. The spirit's got my back, hehe. Anyway, I got directions to the brewery where El Jefe hangs out. This is funny, I feel like I'm in a cartoon.

     1:20pm  Derrick, or Rennick or Animal told me he's a felon. He was selling a quarter bag of weed and is now a felon for it. He also told me that since I'm worried about having a warrant out, that I could just ignore it all and keep pleading not-guilty. Tricks to fuck the system. I'm not going to worry about it. I mean, if I get busted, I'll lose my weed, but that's it. The worst they'll do to me is take care of me for three days and feed me. Oh no!

     1:28pm  I went to the plaza and smoked a cigarette. Well, you're not allowed to, but I just wanted to be cool, hehe. I never found the brewery, but I got directions again. So, I'm going to walk and ask questions. Oh yeah, earlier I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Peace, back by popular demand."

                  Oh yeah, I asked this guy who was holding a sign that said, "I need medicine," where the brewery was. He said, "There's lots of bars." I told him, "No, I mean the Humboldt Brewery. I told him I was looking for El Jefe from NOFX. He didn't know who he was. He pointed me back to the way I was walking, so I'm going to go in circles.

     1:38pm  I finally found the brewery. Well, I later found it was the back entrance, but there was a big sign painted on the wall that said BREWERY with an arrow pointing. There were two guys standing outside who told me they were closed. I asked them, just to confirm, "What's this place called?" They told me, "The Humboldt Brewery." I went, "Great, I'm looking for El Jefe from NOFX." They told me he wasn't there. I went, "Oh, but he hangs out here?" They said, "Yeah, every now and then. It's been a while." I said, "Oh, because I didn't know if he was on tour or not." He told me, "Nah, Nah, I just went to his house the other day." Confirmation. He's in Arcata. I'm going to talk to him.

                  The brewery is over on I and 10th. I'm in the plaza, by the way. Man, I just realized I have nothing to do. I hate being bored. Oh yeah, I need to find a cellphone and call Issa. I need my stick. Right when I thought about it I saw a girl with a cellphone and I went up and asked her, "I don't suppose you can spare some minutes on your phone?" She replied, "Sorry, I'm on roaming. It's a lot cheaper to use a payphone."

     2:17pm  I just took a little smoke break over by the Safeway on the other side of the police station/city hall. I was behind a big hill. I ate my 140-calorie Nutrigrain bar I had saved from Berkeley. I smoked a cigarette and smoked some weed. Right before, I had gotten some water at Round Table Pizza.

                   I came over by the payphone. I'm going to ask people for change for a phone call. Oh, badass. It's only 35 cents.

     2:20pm  The security guard was nice enough to give me some change for my phone call.

     2:25pm  The coolest shit just happened. I'm over here in front of the Safeway at the payphones. These two kids walked by and I asked them if they could spare any change for a phone call. One guy said, "We don't have any change, sorry." Then, the security guard walked up and asked me, "Did you just ask those guys for money?" I told him yes. He was just about to tell me something, but I cut him off saying, "Since when does it hurt to ask? When I give people the choice to tell me no, helping me out becomes their decision. I'm not twisting anybody's arm. I'm giving people the chance to feel good about themselves. How many people do you know who do something for nothing? There's an exchange taking place. Ask and thou shall receive, no?" He couldn't say anything. His jaw dropped and he just stood there in silence. I told him, "I just need like thirty cents. I need to get my walking stick back. I feel naked without it." He reached right into his pocket and said, "Oh, all you need is thirty cents? I think those phones are fifty cents." I told him how it said 35 cents on the phone and he was surprised. Anyway, he hooked me up with some change!

                   Shit, I put the change in the phone it said, "Please deposit sixty five cents for the next four minutes." It still doesn't work. Maybe it does take fifty, so I need fifteen more cents.

     2:37pm  I was standing there with 45 cents asking people if they had a nickel. Nobody gave me one. Then I remembered, "Oh yeah, I used the phone in the pizza place when I was here six months ago." So, I went in there and hit the guy up. He was all, "Sure, go ahead." So badass, I got my phone call(for free). Issa didn't have her phone. Her answering machine came on. So, she's probably still at school. I don't know. Anyway, I left a message saying, "Hey, I left my walking stick in your truck. I was going to see when I could get it back. If it inconveniences you, I can always ride the bus up there." So, let's see when I get it back.

                   Now I'm kind of bored, so I'm going to walk to the marsh. I'm going to go hiking, without my stick. Boohoo.

     2:41pm  I walked down F street, I think to Samoa by Porter Street BBQ. I'm headed towards the marsh.

     3:45pm  I'm walking through the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center. "Open daily, 9-5. Parking prohibited 12am - 4pm. 10615-amc marsh. Dogs must be on leash at the sanctuary. Arcata MUNI code sector 10615."

     3:45pm  I just had a cool little smoking session with Al. I was walking in the marsh and I saw a little trail. I found somebody else here. This young street kid, I told him my stories. Now, I'm going to walk back to that Round Table Pizza place and use the phone again. I want my stick.

     4:10pm  I just walked back to the plaza. I went and took a piss at The Alibi. What was your name? Michael is telling me how he wants to goose this lady's feathers in a black truck for a couple days.

     4:29pm  Shane hooked me up with a cigarette in front of Hotel Arcata. I appreciate it, brother.

                   Shane and I walked to his car and he's letting me watch his dog. Badass. He gave me two cigarettes. Awesome.

                   This guy just walked by who I didn't recognize and he asks me, "Hey man, where's your stick?" Haha, he knows me from somewhere else. I am known here, cool.

                   Man, I miss my stick. I hate standing up and sitting down without it.

     5:30pm  I'm having a lazy day here in Arcata. I came back over to the Brewery. I'm just sitting down smoking a cigarette. This girl just ran by with her dog and smiled at me. She's pretty. I'm smoking a cigarette here. I cleaned out my ears with Q-tips. 

     5:48pm  The coolest thing. This guy and a girl walked by. She had dreadlocks. They walked by and I asked them, "Hey, do you guys know El Jefe from NOFX?" They told me no, but then I asked them if they had time for a story. They told me, "Yeah, sure." So I told them my story and I got to Arcata. She thought it was this time around, but this is the third time I've come here. She stood up to leave and I asked her if she had an email address. She went sure and wrote it in my little book. So badass, I got her email address. Awesome.

     5:52pm  This place kicks ass. That was the second girl I've talked to. I forgot her name. She's pregnant. At the end of my scripts, I pointed to her belly and told her, "It's that kid's world that I'm saving." She told me somebody had to, thank you.

                   Oh yeah, that couple that walked by earlier gave me a crystal. I got a new pocket-pal.

                   I'm up walking now. I'm going to walk to use the phone and call Issa again. About my stick.

     6:50pm  Issa is still not answering her phone. I had a good little lunch break or dinner break or meal break. Whatever you want to call it. I ate some Ramen soup. It was lime shrimp Ramen. I smoked a cigarette. I smoked some weed. I'm all stoned here at the picnic table over in this evil shopping complex. Anyway, I'm walking. I'm going to go behind the brewery, where I told those girls my stories and sit there.

     7:20pm  Oh my god, I lost my book with all my email addresses! This sucks! I gotta find it!

     7:28pm  It's doomsday. I've lost my pocket calendar. I can't believe I lost my pocket calendar! I thought maybe I left it where I was sitting down over by the brewery. I just came back to check hoping it would be here. It's not. God damnit. Somebody couldn't have stolen it in Arcata. Damnit. This shit pisses me off. So much wasted. I've let so many people down. God-damnit. This sucks. I don't know what happened. I just felt my back pocket and it was empty. I need that thing.

                  Okay, I'm backtracking. I thought maybe I left it on the bench where I ate, but I just walked up to it and I don't see it. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. There's a lot happening.

                  I was sitting at the bench and I thought maybe it's over at the pizza place. I had taken it out to get Issa's phone number. Okay, ok. I might get it back. Oh man.

     7:50pm  Yeehaw!! I got my thing back! My pocket calendar. Oh, man. Do you know what this lesson has taught me? That tomorrow I have to go get on a computer somewhere and back up all these email addresses. I can't lose this again. I walked into the pizza place and saw my book still on the counter. This huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Ahhhhh. There was this girl sitting there watching me. I told her my platform, but she didn't have an email address. She thinks I'm crazy, hehe. Cool. Whew, I was so scared. So, I've got a project for tomorrow. I gotta go back up my addresses.

     7:55pm  I just called Issa and she finally answered. She told me she could bring it by tomorrow. I'm supposed to meet her in the plaza at ten or eleven, I'm not sure. She might have said eleven, but I'll be there at ten. I'll be there at 9:30, damnit. Alright, and then after I get my stick back tomorrow, I can go eat at the Endeavor at their 11:30 feeding.

                   Oh man, this day came out alright. There's been no permanent damage done. August 25th came right when it should, hehe. I gotta take a piss.

                   I'm going to have another smoke break. I'm going to take a leak, first. Oh yeah I can use the bathroom at the Safeway. Man, I look so sharp. Earlier, at the Jacoby's Storehouse bathroom, when I went in there, there was this guy in the stall. I noticed his big bags on the floor and assumed he was homeless. I looked in the mirror and saw that I needed a shave, so I put all this shaving cream on my face and proceeded to shave. Just then, this manager comes in the bathroom and tells us, "These bathrooms are for customers only. You can't come in here." He just came and started bitching us out. I had all this shaving cream on my face and he tells me, "Wipe that off and get out of here before I call the cops." Then, I came back a couple times when I was backtracking searching for my calendar. He had seen me go back in and came to the bathroom. I explained to him how I had lost it and he said, "Okay, let me go see if somebody picked it up and turned it in." He came back and said he didn't find it. I was thinking maybe the other homeless dude had taken it. Ahh, it all came out pretty good in the end.

     8:02pm  Man, I've done a lot of walking today. Just back and forth. I'm learning this place better every day. Umm, I think I deserve a break. A smoke break, at that. I'm going to come to the spot where I sat down earlier by the Safeway. It's gotten a little chilly so I'm going to put on another layer. I'll put on my NOFX shirt and it'll be all good. Then, I'm going to smoke some weed and a cigarette.

     8:29pm  I'm so happy. Everything is going right for me. I didn't lose hope. I was all pissed off. You know, the initial shock when it happened. But now it is all good.

                   I still have my mission. When I thought I had lost it, I was already thinking about going back to Berkeley and getting another four hundred email addresses. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. But now, I don't have to.

                   I went inside the Humboldt Brewery and this waitress told me to to try Sidelines, another bar. I asked them for their names and they just turned around thinking I was a crazy bum. I'm going to go to Sidelines.

     8:46pm  I'm standing in front of Sidelines and Dawn is hooking me up with a cigarette. I appreciate it, Dawn.

     9:47pm  I went to this dumpster and got a piece of cardboard. I made my HOOK A BROTHER UP/SMOKE A BROTHER OUT sign again. I messed up. I wrote it wrong and I can't just flip it over, or the other side will be upside down. I'm going to go stand in front of the Alibi and fly my sign.

                   This guy just gave me a donut, out of the blue. I was about to eat it when this other dude warned me not to, that the other guy had found it in the bathroom. The guy told me, "Here, go buy a donut if you're hungry," and put two dollars in quarters on top of the trash can where we're smoking. Then, this other bitch Cactus with his lame blonde dreads just grabs the quarters, puts them in his pocket and laughs. He's not giving them back. He ripped a brother off. Right in my face.

     12:15am  I've been having a pretty fun time in Arcata. I haven't been living scripture for a while. I don't know why. I've just been lazy. I haven't been bored. But, now I'm tired. I'm going to walk all the way to the marsh. I don't know how far it is. It's far though. I'll find a place to crash in the marsh.

                     Oh yeah, earlier tonight I saw a fist fight. These two guys were all wrestling on the ground. And some guy was saying, "Let them fight. Let them fight. There's no cops anywhere, let them fight." They finally separated them and were walking off. This other guy says, "I'll give anybody a bowl if they'll go beat that fucker up." This one kid took off running and kicked that guys ass, all for some weed. His face was all bloodied up. He was some drink wino. That's crazy. Violence for marijuana. It makes no sense whatsoever. I am dumbfounded. That just goes to prove that anything is possible.

                     Oh, I went to go check if the hole was still in the fence at the 7th Street bridge. They patched it up. That squat has been eliminated. Can't sleep there anymore.

     12:48am  Long walk to the marsh, not really. I'll go find a place to crash. Let's see where I end up

Next day..