Dry-mouth

I haven't said much the last couple weeks because I can't keep up with my brain. So many thoughts. So many distractions. So much pizza to bake.

Whenever I am able, I will spit it out here.

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Aimless
The Quasi-Aimless Trailer
If you'd like to contact me, call me at 614-738-3867.

See Jackie

Remember the girl who gave me the ride to Big Sur? The actress, Jaclyn (Jackie) DeSantis? Well, if you want to see who she is, IMDB says TBS will be airing Road Trip a couple times this weekend:

Sat. Oct. 27 10:10 PM
Sun. Oct. 28 4:15 PM

Jackie's character's name is Heather. I really like Road Trip, but I haven't seen it since a long time before I met Jackie, so it will be interesting to see it again (if I even watch it).

If I remember correctly, Luke told me he actually recognized my picture of Jackie as a character in Road Trip.

--
Aimless
The Quasi-Aimless Trailer
If you'd like to contact me, call me at 614-738-3867.

I heard it's time to rock

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Aimless
The Quasi-Aimless Trailer
If you'd like to contact me, call me at 614-738-3867.

Trampin' ain't easy

Now is a good time to stray from all the negativity of late, so I'll respond to Lew's comment from the previous post.

First I said:

6) Keeping yourself alive is two full-time jobs in itself--the hardest two jobs you will have ever had.

Then Lew commented:

I wouldn't mind hearing you expound upon this idea. I think there is some juice in there that could be squeezed. I daresay that most people think that homeless people are drugged up and lazy.

* * * * *
I am not a professional tramp; I am merely a tramp in training (but not really). Unlike real tramps and homeless people, I very rarely ask anyone for help or assistance because my objective is not to solicit. My objective is partly to be a catalyst for people to choose, with their own free will, to do something nice for someone out of the kindness of their heart, without expecting anything in return.

Lew, I'd say you are a perfect example of someone who has done exactly that. If I remember correctly, I wasn't even paying attention when you pulled over on the I-75 on-ramp to offer me a ride across Alligator Alley. I just turned around and saw a white van sitting there, so I picked up my stuff and walked to the van to see what was up. Within a few seconds, I was riding with you toward Fort Lauderdale and we quickly established a very friendly conversation. We talked the whole time, about music and beer and whatnot. You also told me about some bar in the Smoky Mountains. Then, when we arrived in Davie, you took me to a restaurant and bought me fish & chips and a beer. You did it out of the kindness of your heart, without provocation and without the expectation of anything in return. (If I'm not mistaken, though, you feel like you did receive something in return from me, and you also know I keep you on the short list of people I hope I can repay someday. Does that sound right?)

Anyway, to answer your question, when I'm out on the road, I spend most of my time walking somewhere or trying to get a ride somewhere. When walking, I lug at least 55 pounds of stuff for 10-20 miles a day (or sometimes 28 miles). That takes a lot of work, as can currently be evidenced by my enlarged calf muscles and shrunken belly.

When not walking, I'm usually beside an on-ramp or at a truck stop. Although neither of those activities requires much physical effort, each requires a lot of mental labor because you can't just sit there with your brain turned off. You have to keep your head up and make eye contact with the drivers passing you on the on-ramp. You have to keep your head up and make eye contact with the truckers walking past you on their way to the fuel desk.

I must also engage in conversation with people so they can size me up. Sometimes, like when I was in the Flying J restaurant in Gary a couple weeks ago, it becomes a four-hour conversation, which may lead to nothing. (In that case, I talked for four hours with a really cool guy named Al Garcia from Brownsville, Texas. He ended up buying me a lunch buffet before he left. I've been meaning to say something about my encounter with Al for a while.) But sometimes that's how you end up with interesting video footage, too, even though I never turned on the camera during my conversation with Al.

When I have money and choose to buy food from a grocery store, first I have to walk to the grocery store, which may be 2-5 miles away. I usually end up walking another mile inside the store because I have to walk down every aisle at least once, then return to certain aisles after I've sorted everything out in my head. (I carry all my gear the whole time.) How much are apples, clam chowder, Chef Boyardee, Pay Day? Any specials I might want to take advantage of for tonight's dinner--something I must eat ASAP or end up throwing away? Do I dare treat myself to something special tonight, like 3/4 of a pound of cold boneless chicken "wings" for $5? Are there any day-old specials, like a dozen of yesterday's donuts for $2 or less? Don't forget to grab some plastic spoons before you leave. Oh yeah, and fill up your water bottles at the water fountain.

And sleepytime isn't always good rest, either. Like last Friday night, my first night back in central Ohio. Friday night was by far the coldest night I've spent outside. Very, very cold, but not freezing. I didn't get much sleep that night, and it took me a long time to pack up in the morning, due to excessive condensation inside the rainfly. I probably would have been fine, in terms of temperature, if I had an appropriate sleeping bag, but I don't have one yet, although I probably have enough $$ remaining on my REI gift card to get one.

There is a lot more to say here. To be continued...

--
Aimless
The Quasi-Aimless Trailer
If you'd like to contact me, call me at 614-738-3867.

Comments

OK, I have read all or most of the comments, and I think I "get it" now: Every time I thank someone for their kindness, it actually means I've taken advantage of them. Also, if I tell a story about something negative that happened, then I'm a negative, spoiled brat. Additionally, it doesn't matter what I say or do because no matter what I say, I'm an asshole.

To Mugen and all the other anonymous pussies who have pointed out how negative I am by calling me names and spewing hateful rhetoric: Fuck you. I dare you to try what I've been doing for the last six months. You wouldn't make it because: 1) You're too chickenshit to use your names here; 2) It takes huge balls to even try to do what I've done; 3) You'd be in constant pain; 4) You'd be hungry about 90 percent of the time; 5) You'd have to get up off your asses; 6) Keeping yourself alive is two full-time jobs in itself--the hardest two jobs you will have ever had; 7) Producer/director/cameraman/interviewer/editor is just the beginning of the movie-related jobs you'd have to do all by yourself...

Here's the best one: 8) Unlike the way people helped me, no one would help you because you really are assholes...

I could go on and on.

Yes, I have said a lot of negative things throughout these last six months, and sometimes I am an asshole. I don't like sounding negative, but that's how it really is out there. If you don't like it, then start doing nice things for people. Start giving a shit about people less fortunate than yourself. That's one thing--well, two things--I can say I HAVE done over the last six months, even when I haven't been able to take care of myself. I have been fortunate enough to end up in the presence of some really great people who have helped me stay alive, but I've been around a lot more people who would rather kill me for fun, just because they assume I'm homeless.

You go try it, Mugen & Co. I dare you.

To Brad, Jay, Lew, Jeff, M&D, Stefan, Bend Guy, Luke, and anyone else I may have left out: Thanks for the supportive comments and thanks for the constructive criticism.

--
Aimless
The Quasi-Aimless Trailer
If you'd like to contact me, call me at 614-738-3867.

Enough

My mom and dad had tickets to the Ohio State football game Saturday, so I planned to meet them sometime after the game and ride home with them. It turned out, though, that Dad didn't really want to go, so I met my mom before the game and went to the game with her. We met Dad after the game and ate at Tommy's Pizza, then we went home. (That means I'm home now.)

I have so much to say, but I don't know if I'll ever say it. I have nearly 70 hours of video footage--some of it really incredible--but I don't know if I'll ever do anything with it. I haven't had a chance to read any blog comments since early September, and I may never read any of them. I may be finished with this project.

--
Aimless
The Quasi-Aimless Trailer
If you'd like to contact me, call me at 614-738-3867.

People of God Part 1

PART 1: The Springfield PD responded to a call this morning from Southgate Baptist Church ("A Place to grow"). Apparently a disgusting, filthy, worthless bum had taken up permanent residence on the church's property overnight, so someone called the police specifically to run him off. --> As you may have guessed, the bum was me. You probably think I'm going to badmouth the church for calling the cops on me, right? Well, I'm not going to. Their call didn't inconvenience me the slightest bit. In fact, I was already preparing to leave when the cops showed up. --> Instead, I'm going to badmouth the church for being total hypocrites. They choose to subscribe to a religion that doesn't allow them to make judgments, yet they still feel compelled to make completely uninformed judgments at a rate beyond comprehension. First they judged a tent's hidden occupant to be a lower form of human life
than themselves. Then they judged the bum to be unworthy of spending a morning on God's property...

I made it to C-bus

I made it to C-bus early this afternoon. Lots to say about this morning. I'll try to get to all of it sometime today.

I'm leaving YSO. Gonna camp

I'm leaving YSO. Gonna camp near Springfield tonite, try 2 get 2 OSU tomorrow, then camp outside Ohio Stadium and go home w/ my folks after game.

I finally got out of

I finally got out of the Lebanon Flying J and I'm now walking south on US 68 to Yellow Springs. I hope someone offers a ride within a few miles.

Feast or Washington

I will say more about Washington whenever I get to a computer again, probably when I get home. I don't think I've had access to a computer since I was in Portland. --> I can't believe there is even an ounce of fat left on my body, yet I'm probably much thinner than I realize. I haven't eaten anything today and I ate almost nothing yesterday. I've been in a pretty constant state of hunger for about two weeks. However, when I haven't been hungry, I've usually been very full, thanks to the people who have bought me buffets. This feast-or-famine routine surely has not been a healthy way to live. --> If I didn't have white skin, there is no doubt I'd be in a world of shit, if not dead. Believe whatever you want, but merely having white skin creates a lot of privileges that people of color don't receive in the United States of America. Yeah, I get judged, too, particularly because I have long
hair, but it's nothing compared to the prejudices I'd receive if I had ANY shade of brown skin.

Flying J cares

Last night I figured out one of Flying J's inhumane corporate policies: Throw out tons of perfectly good food every day, ESPECIALLY if there are starving folks on the premises. I'm not just talking about the buffet; I'm also talking about the 60-80 Krispy Kreme donuts they trash every night. I'm also talking about the "deli" items they toss periodically throughout the day and night. I'm also talking about the dozens of pizza slices they regularly dump. Fortunately some of their employees have enough humanity to occasionally disregard the ridiculous policy. Nonetheless, I went hungry yesterday after sitting in the restaurant for 7 hours instead of trying to get to Ohio from just outside Indy. --> I was really starting to like Flying J, particularly because most of them have a restaurant, where I usually end up with a meal if I sit around minding my business for a while. Usually my meals
come from kind truckers who recognize that I'm hungry, but sometimes the waitresses take care of me.

A waitress at this Flying

A waitress at this Flying J tried to lay some kind of God trip on me, then offered nothing when they threw away dozens of lbs of buffet food.

Blackout blowout etc.

For those of you who don't know, "blackout" refers to the idea that Purdue fans were supposed to wear black to the game Saturday night. Most did. Regardless, about 30% of the crowd wore red (from my perspective). "Blowout" refers to what OSU did to Purdue. --> I ate almost nothing Saturday, yet I was given 5 beers. Two of them (Bass!) were courtesy of a guy named Mike, who played linebacker for Purdue in about 1984 (and his friends). --> The reason I didn't get into the game until the 3rd quarter: I had to find a safe place to put my stuff. --> It has been really freakin' hot ever since I arrived in Indiana, even at night. --> There is a very good chance that I will NOT hit the road again after I return home next week. This just isn't much fun anymore and I have too many other valuable skills and talents that are currently being wasted. Furthermore, I don't feel like my efforts are
appreciated by more than a few people. If you wanna make some serious $$, invest in "Ryan's Pizzeria."

Boiler Blackout; Buckeye blowout

Surely someone has already called me a bigot for what I said about truckers. I don't care; I'm just the messenger. --> I received a ride out of Gary at 2:00 AM Friday night, getting me to the West Lafayette exit at 3:30, which was actually 4:30 because I lost an hour. I put up the tent canopy, sans rainfly, and took an extended nap near the interstate before walking toward town late in the morning. Taking a break almost 2 miles up the road, I asked a young man, as he fetched his mail, how many more miles it was to the stadium. Christian Beaver said it was about 7 or 8 miles. He then gave me a ride. --> I walked around Ross-Ade Stadium all day, talking to both OSU and Purdue fans, telling my story when asked. There was a group of 3 or 4 people who recognized me from Washington; they gave me a beer. Well before the game, I drew up a sign reading: "YOU SHOULD GIVE ME YOUR EXTRA TICKET."
Someone gave me a ticket after the 1st quarter, but I didn't get in until early in the 3rd quarter.

Hate

Most white truckers are at least *kinda* bigoted--even those who are otherwise likeable--and I'm really sick of hearing all the hateful rhetoric. They direct most of their senseless hatred toward Mexicans, but anyone who's not white, heterosexual, and male is fair game. Their justification for the blatant, ignorant racism goes something like this: "When our ancestors came here, they at least learned the language and tried to fit in." --> BULLSHIT! The non-English-speaking immigrants of the past DID NOT try to learn English any more diligently than Mexicans try to learn English today. "Our" ancestors stuck with their own kind and held on to their native languages and traditions, just like Mexican immigrants do today. That's why we have so many Little Italys and Chinatowns, etc. --> I encounter lots of hate on the road, though it's rarely directed at me. Most people assume I share their
hate, either because I'm white or American or non-Muslim or whatever, but all bigotry disgusts me.

I made it to Gary,

I made it to Gary, Indiana @ 3:00. Got a shower & now I need to find $$ for laundry & food. Too busy to say much now. More whenever I find time.

I'm finally out of Gretna,

I'm finally out of Gretna, but not with the driver I expected; he's still there. I'm camping in Des Moines but will be in NW Indiana tomorrow.

Gretna

I'm still at the Flying J in Gretna, Nebraska. Yesterday morning, when I wasn't really awake yet, I heard someone outside the tent saying my name. When I asked who it was, the answer was "Josh." He stopped by to fuel up and return my hat, although he surely couldn't have known I was still here until he went looking for me. That was very cool of him. I wish I'd been more awake when he showed up because being half asleep really limited my communication skills. I hope he realizes how ungratefully I appreciate his kind acts. --> I don't know what's up with Travis because he has not returned my recent calls. The main reason I'm still here is that I expected to hear from him days ago. I already have a ride set up for tomorrow. I'm going to head toward West Lafayette, Indiana before next weekend; it's another OSU road game I can easily attend. It'll be cool if some traveling Buckeye fans
recognize me from the game in Seattle. Maybe I'll manage to get into the game early this time.