Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Urban Camping
ONly have a second to update this. I urban camped last night for the first time in Florida. I found a secluded spot near a community college and slept under the stars. It would have been easy except the animal in the bushes next to me decided not to have a good nights sleep.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
One last update before I am gone again for awhile.
If you would like to track where I have been and what I have done I have created a map of all of the places. Just copy this link into your browser!
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104353616372927495628.000448fb295734a17bdad&ll=26.480407,-81.23291&spn=7.06677,10.997314&z=7
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104353616372927495628.000448fb295734a17bdad&ll=26.480407,-81.23291&spn=7.06677,10.997314&z=7
Pictures!
1. My new friends on a walk at night.2. Lazy Easter Day on the Kayaks.
3. Crazy dogs next door.
4. 1500's rifle being fired.
5. Kayaking in pouring rain.
6. Pirates and Yankees.
7. Kayaking for my first time.
8. Creature I found in the ocean.
Happy Easter
3-23-08
Hey everyone! Happy Easter. My Easter wasn't so lonely after all. I woke up pretty depressed that I had no one to share the holiday with but I ended up joining Sam's grandparents for easter dinner (after a beautiful park bike ride of course)
After dinner we went Kayaking in the canals near their house and into the ocean! When we were tired we went back and relaxed in the hot tub.
Hey everyone! Happy Easter. My Easter wasn't so lonely after all. I woke up pretty depressed that I had no one to share the holiday with but I ended up joining Sam's grandparents for easter dinner (after a beautiful park bike ride of course)
After dinner we went Kayaking in the canals near their house and into the ocean! When we were tired we went back and relaxed in the hot tub.
Bradenton Florida
3/17/08
Sam, Heather and Mike were hosts to me when I stayed in Bradenton. They live in a pretty nice house with a pond in the back yard in a quiet neighborhood on the west side of town.
After lunch Mike showed me around town. He took me to the beach and we dipped into the water. Later Sam took me to the pool hall (where most of the kids hang out around here). We played best 3 of 5 and Sam won. It was also St. Patricks day and Sam isn't 21 so we just grabbed a couple of beers and took them to his place and bbq'ed. Late night we went for a walk around the winding neighborhoods. The whole time I was thinking of my cold friends in Missouri as I flopped around in my sandals and shorts. It was a good night.
3/18/08
Today I borrowed Sam's bike and took the 17 mile loop to Anna Maria Island to go swimming. It was a beautiful day and the beach was packed. I saw an Iguana in a tree nearby and they are apparently not indigenous to the area. I spent most of the day taking pictures and appreciating my climate.
3/19/08
I woke up kind of late today but when I got up I rode my bike to Desoto National Memorial just North of Bradenton. On the way an 18 wheeler wasn't paying attention to the road and took a sharp turn into a parking lot and almost hit me. I had to bail out to avoid getting hit; I missed the truck by a foot. I got to watch a lady fire a rifle from the 1500's and I watched a film on the history of the area. I went on a nice walk along the Manatee River/Tampa Bay. I biked back to the house against the wind which was blowing hard... it was horrible. I was on the lowest gear and it hurt to pedal. When I got home I picked a grapefruit from the back yard and it tasted so wonderful.
At night Sam and I had planned on seeing the Pirates and Yankees play at the spring training camp but Sam got a call. It was from his boss (he cleans boats for a living). Sam had to dive to the bottom of the bay to retrieve a man's wheelchair that had fallen in. It gave Sam a bundle of spending money before the game. The Pirates lost 12-9 but it was still a fun game. We got back to the house and Mike insisted we go out to the local bars, so naturally I joined him.
3-20-08
In the afternoon I joined Sam and his Grandma on a trip to St. Petersburg to buy Sam's new truck. I loved Sam's grandma, she was really cool. She seemed to have lots of traveling stories and was a creative writing student in college! We clicked. For dinner she took us out to BJ's Brewery; great beer and the best pizza I have ever had.
3-21-08
Mike, Cheryl (Mike's girlfriend) and I went to Emerson Point on Snead Island. It was an ancient Indian mound. They had built mounds with see shells along the shore. We hiked a bunch before Mike had to work. So we headed back but Mike ran out of gas. At night Sam, Heather and I went out to eat and we all shared our personal ghost stories.
3-22-08
Today we got up early for the world famous all you can eat sausage and pancakes on the beach. I could only eat two plates but it was amazing. While we were eating some dolphins came up to the pier. It started raining so it looked like we wouldn't be able to go kayaking. Mike came through anyways and we went kayaking in the rain! The rain was coming down hard but we didn't care, we were having a blast. We found a bunch of horseshoe crab shells and Sam is going to mail me one. On the way back I saw a school of fish jumping across the water. About 50, 8 inch fish. At the car Sam realized we were locked out so we had to wait for a towing guy to break us in.
Sam, Heather and Mike were hosts to me when I stayed in Bradenton. They live in a pretty nice house with a pond in the back yard in a quiet neighborhood on the west side of town.
After lunch Mike showed me around town. He took me to the beach and we dipped into the water. Later Sam took me to the pool hall (where most of the kids hang out around here). We played best 3 of 5 and Sam won. It was also St. Patricks day and Sam isn't 21 so we just grabbed a couple of beers and took them to his place and bbq'ed. Late night we went for a walk around the winding neighborhoods. The whole time I was thinking of my cold friends in Missouri as I flopped around in my sandals and shorts. It was a good night.
3/18/08
Today I borrowed Sam's bike and took the 17 mile loop to Anna Maria Island to go swimming. It was a beautiful day and the beach was packed. I saw an Iguana in a tree nearby and they are apparently not indigenous to the area. I spent most of the day taking pictures and appreciating my climate.
3/19/08
I woke up kind of late today but when I got up I rode my bike to Desoto National Memorial just North of Bradenton. On the way an 18 wheeler wasn't paying attention to the road and took a sharp turn into a parking lot and almost hit me. I had to bail out to avoid getting hit; I missed the truck by a foot. I got to watch a lady fire a rifle from the 1500's and I watched a film on the history of the area. I went on a nice walk along the Manatee River/Tampa Bay. I biked back to the house against the wind which was blowing hard... it was horrible. I was on the lowest gear and it hurt to pedal. When I got home I picked a grapefruit from the back yard and it tasted so wonderful.
At night Sam and I had planned on seeing the Pirates and Yankees play at the spring training camp but Sam got a call. It was from his boss (he cleans boats for a living). Sam had to dive to the bottom of the bay to retrieve a man's wheelchair that had fallen in. It gave Sam a bundle of spending money before the game. The Pirates lost 12-9 but it was still a fun game. We got back to the house and Mike insisted we go out to the local bars, so naturally I joined him.
3-20-08
In the afternoon I joined Sam and his Grandma on a trip to St. Petersburg to buy Sam's new truck. I loved Sam's grandma, she was really cool. She seemed to have lots of traveling stories and was a creative writing student in college! We clicked. For dinner she took us out to BJ's Brewery; great beer and the best pizza I have ever had.
3-21-08
Mike, Cheryl (Mike's girlfriend) and I went to Emerson Point on Snead Island. It was an ancient Indian mound. They had built mounds with see shells along the shore. We hiked a bunch before Mike had to work. So we headed back but Mike ran out of gas. At night Sam, Heather and I went out to eat and we all shared our personal ghost stories.
3-22-08
Today we got up early for the world famous all you can eat sausage and pancakes on the beach. I could only eat two plates but it was amazing. While we were eating some dolphins came up to the pier. It started raining so it looked like we wouldn't be able to go kayaking. Mike came through anyways and we went kayaking in the rain! The rain was coming down hard but we didn't care, we were having a blast. We found a bunch of horseshoe crab shells and Sam is going to mail me one. On the way back I saw a school of fish jumping across the water. About 50, 8 inch fish. At the car Sam realized we were locked out so we had to wait for a towing guy to break us in.
Friday, March 21, 2008
I made it to Florida!
the bus ride to Florida wasn't too bad. There was only one real delay: About 20 miles outside of St. Louis a man decided to do some crack in the back of the bus. He was proptly (2 hours later)arrested. No one was happy about this. Everyone was just angying at the guy who told on the crack head. "Let the man do his crack in peace!" they all shouted.
A strange fellow I met in Atlanta told me he was on his way to Spring Break to sell Alcohol to minors and to do all of the drugs he can find.
These stories will be my everlasting opinion of greyhound.
I FINALLY ARRIVED IN BRADENTON FLORIDA!
3/18/08
I wandered aimlessly south from the greyhound station. I was lost and scared about my sleeping situation. But loneliness didn't sink in like it has on the bus. (I left everything and everyone... it's a sad thing.) But I was SMILING! I can't remember the last time I smiled that wide. I had no idea where I was or what I was really doing here. My pack was heavy and cutting into my back and the sun was burning my newly shaved head, but I loved ever scared moment.
A few hours later Sam... a fire fighter I had contacted online called me and picked me up. He said I could stay with him for the next week. So here I am! In his house.
A strange fellow I met in Atlanta told me he was on his way to Spring Break to sell Alcohol to minors and to do all of the drugs he can find.
These stories will be my everlasting opinion of greyhound.
I FINALLY ARRIVED IN BRADENTON FLORIDA!
3/18/08
I wandered aimlessly south from the greyhound station. I was lost and scared about my sleeping situation. But loneliness didn't sink in like it has on the bus. (I left everything and everyone... it's a sad thing.) But I was SMILING! I can't remember the last time I smiled that wide. I had no idea where I was or what I was really doing here. My pack was heavy and cutting into my back and the sun was burning my newly shaved head, but I loved ever scared moment.
A few hours later Sam... a fire fighter I had contacted online called me and picked me up. He said I could stay with him for the next week. So here I am! In his house.
Sunset in my hosts backyard.
I'm catching up!
It was my first trip on a greyhound and I wasn't at all sure what to expect. I didn't except to see underwear in the middle of the terminal and a lady with her ass hanging out of her pants... proudly. So obviously, this is where the stories began:
1. In Albequerque the bus driver tried to leave several people behind. People were shouting, "not everyone's on the bus!" he replied, "I don't care... this bus is moving." So several passengers chased after the moving bus until it stopped.
2. Then some older man lost his CD player. The bus driver said, "Who stole this man's CD player? Come on now. I know none of y'all listen to country and you know that's what this cracker listens to." The whole bus laughed at the man's misfortune. Greyhound could have cared less about the man's missing luggage.
3. There was a huge snow storm the following night. I mean... HUGE. at least 6 inches sticking on the highway. For some reason the bus driver felt it necessary to push on. We passed by at least a dozen accidents. I don't know how we made it. We were the only car on the road.
4. In the morning a man by the name of Russel joined me on the bus. He had gotten out of Jail that same day and was ready to start his life. I warmed up to this guy pretty fast. He bought me a snickers and offered me some soup at the station. He was living out of a trash bag.. it was all he had left because his ex-girlfriend stole his belongings while he was in jail. Poor guy. He lives in Talahassee. I can't wait to visit him.
5. When we got to a stop an elderly man asked about how long our break was going to be. the security gaurd replied, "You wanna say it to my face mutha fucka. I will beat your face in with this stick." The poor old man just asked a simple question....
6. Another girl was bragging about smoking weed with her paroll officer.
7. In Joplin Missouri a man had realized he was on the wrong bus (only because greyhound changed the schedule). So, he decided to go to the front of the bus and attack the driver. The driver threw him off the bus and had the police come and arrest him.
"At this point I am in a daze. I have no idea how much I have slept in the past few days. Way more than normal? Way less? I really have no idea. I don't have a way of telling time and I have changed time zones twice. I barely notice the difference between day and night. I have no concept of time anymore." I wrote this in my journal just before arrive in St. Louis.
And then I finally got home.
1. In Albequerque the bus driver tried to leave several people behind. People were shouting, "not everyone's on the bus!" he replied, "I don't care... this bus is moving." So several passengers chased after the moving bus until it stopped.
2. Then some older man lost his CD player. The bus driver said, "Who stole this man's CD player? Come on now. I know none of y'all listen to country and you know that's what this cracker listens to." The whole bus laughed at the man's misfortune. Greyhound could have cared less about the man's missing luggage.
3. There was a huge snow storm the following night. I mean... HUGE. at least 6 inches sticking on the highway. For some reason the bus driver felt it necessary to push on. We passed by at least a dozen accidents. I don't know how we made it. We were the only car on the road.
4. In the morning a man by the name of Russel joined me on the bus. He had gotten out of Jail that same day and was ready to start his life. I warmed up to this guy pretty fast. He bought me a snickers and offered me some soup at the station. He was living out of a trash bag.. it was all he had left because his ex-girlfriend stole his belongings while he was in jail. Poor guy. He lives in Talahassee. I can't wait to visit him.
5. When we got to a stop an elderly man asked about how long our break was going to be. the security gaurd replied, "You wanna say it to my face mutha fucka. I will beat your face in with this stick." The poor old man just asked a simple question....
6. Another girl was bragging about smoking weed with her paroll officer.
7. In Joplin Missouri a man had realized he was on the wrong bus (only because greyhound changed the schedule). So, he decided to go to the front of the bus and attack the driver. The driver threw him off the bus and had the police come and arrest him.
"At this point I am in a daze. I have no idea how much I have slept in the past few days. Way more than normal? Way less? I really have no idea. I don't have a way of telling time and I have changed time zones twice. I barely notice the difference between day and night. I have no concept of time anymore." I wrote this in my journal just before arrive in St. Louis.
And then I finally got home.
I've started my life.
I am sorry to anyone who wondered where I was the past couple of weeks. I haven't had the time to write about where I have been. I hope to be able to keep up with this better from now on though. Also, I must add that I don't have access to my pictures but they will come soon.
I left St. Louis at the end of February to do a cross country road trip with my friend Drew (he is moving to LA from Chicago to persue his career.) The trip was fun, but it was really his trip. We went to his childhood home in OK City. And stopped at Cadillac Ranch (A place in texas where a bunch of graffitied cadillac's sit half burried in the ground jetting to the sky.) because that's the car he drives.
It was nice... to be off work and not really sure where I was going to be the next morning.
My favorite stop was in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. In the late seventies a property developer bought the London Bridge and had it shipped brick by brick to the small Arizona town. He built a small English style village near the bridge to attract visitors. Now, the town is booming as a retirement community and resort-getaway for californians. The city was rich with interesting people and beautiful mountains/river/lake/buildings. I was truely in awe.
We arrived in LA the next day but as soon as we parked we walked to Green Dot Films to have someone drive us up North near Cal Arts to work on a commercial shoot. We arrived at the shooting location at about 3 in the afternoon and didn't leave until 6 AM. It was good to see Casey and the Legs and all of the people I hadn't seen in awhile.
Over the weekend Casey, Pix and I went to Apple Valley to our favorite hot springs. We hiked down the two mile trail sometime during midmorning until we got to the river (you have to get across a river to get to the springs). The water temperature of the river was about 35 degrees (snow melt run off). The three of us were afraid at first to cross but eventually I just charged through the water. It wasn't so bad... and the hot spring water was right there. So, I decided to jump off a rock and go swimming in the river. It felt so good. I felt human.
On the otherside I met two new friends and locals to the area: Dave and Berlinda. Some of the coolest people I have met in awhile. It's people like them that keep areas like the hot springs from becoming trashed by disrespectful people. I can't wait to see there house (dave built himself) when I visit them.
I left St. Louis at the end of February to do a cross country road trip with my friend Drew (he is moving to LA from Chicago to persue his career.) The trip was fun, but it was really his trip. We went to his childhood home in OK City. And stopped at Cadillac Ranch (A place in texas where a bunch of graffitied cadillac's sit half burried in the ground jetting to the sky.) because that's the car he drives.
It was nice... to be off work and not really sure where I was going to be the next morning.
My favorite stop was in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. In the late seventies a property developer bought the London Bridge and had it shipped brick by brick to the small Arizona town. He built a small English style village near the bridge to attract visitors. Now, the town is booming as a retirement community and resort-getaway for californians. The city was rich with interesting people and beautiful mountains/river/lake/buildings. I was truely in awe.
We arrived in LA the next day but as soon as we parked we walked to Green Dot Films to have someone drive us up North near Cal Arts to work on a commercial shoot. We arrived at the shooting location at about 3 in the afternoon and didn't leave until 6 AM. It was good to see Casey and the Legs and all of the people I hadn't seen in awhile.
Over the weekend Casey, Pix and I went to Apple Valley to our favorite hot springs. We hiked down the two mile trail sometime during midmorning until we got to the river (you have to get across a river to get to the springs). The water temperature of the river was about 35 degrees (snow melt run off). The three of us were afraid at first to cross but eventually I just charged through the water. It wasn't so bad... and the hot spring water was right there. So, I decided to jump off a rock and go swimming in the river. It felt so good. I felt human.
On the otherside I met two new friends and locals to the area: Dave and Berlinda. Some of the coolest people I have met in awhile. It's people like them that keep areas like the hot springs from becoming trashed by disrespectful people. I can't wait to see there house (dave built himself) when I visit them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)