Aimless

[Aimless Blog Front Page]
The Adventures of an American Vagabond
(& stories from ridiculously long walks)

Sunday, November 30, 2008

I personify aimless

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Having just Googled 'aimless' for the first time in a long time, I was surprised to see that the Aimless web site is now near the ...
2 comments:
Thursday, November 20, 2008

What a messed up day, Part 2

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Continued from What a messed up day, Part 1 . After a time-consuming struggle with the strong and constant wind (which, by the way, is what ...

Eloy report

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Now that I have some space, here's what happened yesterday, regarding the arraignment: As soon as I finished packing up in the morning, ...

Happy birthday, Jay

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Happy birthday, Jay. I know I'm five days late, but I actually thought about it four days ago, if that's any consolation. I've h...
1 comment:
Wednesday, November 19, 2008

You'll never believe this: The

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You'll never believe this: The trainhop-related charge was dropped... before my mom even called the prosecutor on my behalf. More later ...
1 comment:

An eternal headache

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Oh Jesus Christ, where to begin? First, I'm not gonna make it to Eloy and I really don't care. So I'll be in contempt of court, ...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The one time I absolutely

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The one time I absolutely HAVE TO get a ride, it's beginning to look like I'm fucked. If I don't get a ride in the next 8 hours,...
Monday, November 17, 2008

Family man

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This dude is Family Guy. Not only does he look like him, but he also kinda talks like him and has a very similar personality and sense of hu...
Saturday, November 15, 2008

What a messed up day, Part 1

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You have no idea what kind of shit I go through out here on the road sometimes. Let’s recap yesterday: I already mentioned the citation for ...
Friday, November 14, 2008

Stuff

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Yeah, right. Like that girl will ever call me. --> I just received a citation from a dickhead Montclair cop for "Solicit from freewa...
Thursday, November 13, 2008

We're all Jekyll and Hyde

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Walking east on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena this morning, looking for a bus stop, I passed a very immobile man in a wheelchair--the kind ...
Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Film crews

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I talked to quite a few people from the NCIS crew yesterday. Actually they initiated the conversations. One thing I've learned while wa...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008

NCIS

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They're filming a scene from NCIS today in downtown Pasadena. After I watch a little of this, I'm going to treat myself to lunch at ...
1 comment:
Monday, November 10, 2008

Excuse me... Colorado Boulevard.

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Excuse me... Colorado Boulevard.

This is weird: The heart

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This is weird: The heart of Pasadena (Colorado Avenue) actually feels A LOT like Manhattan, especially at night with reasonably cool weather...
Tuesday, November 04, 2008

No more Aimless

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For anyone who hasn't figured this out yet: Um, I'm almost certainly done blogging and this Aimless thing is effectively over, even ...
7 comments:
Monday, October 27, 2008

The judge said I won't

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The judge said I won't have a public defender because there's no chance I'll go to jail. Also because the charge is a misdemeano...
4 comments:

Testing the system

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I met with the judge just before noon today. Without first having the chance to speak to an attorney, I was given the choice to plead either...
1 comment:

Delayed again

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So now they're putting off my court appearance until at least noon because the railroad cop apparently can't be here until then. How...

Eloy, Arizona

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I had all kinds of weird dreams and thoughts last night. In one dream, OJ Simpson committed suicide by jumping off a building; presumably a ...
Friday, October 24, 2008

At McDonald's, for some reason

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At McDonald's, for some reason I thought about the song Superstar by the Carpenters. A minute later it was the next song to play on thei...
1 comment:
Thursday, October 23, 2008

I just wrote a long

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I just wrote a long post, but fucking Blogger won't publish it. Maybe I can work it out within a few weeks, whenever I find some more fr...
1 comment:

Catching up

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I found some free wifi for the first time in three or four weeks. Since no one gave me any shit for my last post, I'll try to catch up o...
Saturday, October 18, 2008

I don't like Arizona and

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I don't like Arizona and I absolutely don't enjoy doing this anymore. I've given up on humanity. Most Americans are stupid &...
2 comments:

Shower yesterday. First one in

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Shower yesterday. First one in 46 days. A ridiculous record that will not be broken.
1 comment:
Thursday, October 16, 2008

The train stopped right about

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The train stopped right about where I wanted it to stop, but there was a railroad cop waiting for me. Now I have to go to court in 11 days.

Two trainhops in three days.

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Two trainhops in three days. I just want this one to stop after 30 miles.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My suspicions have just been

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My suspicions have just been confirmed: I am in downtown Tucson. Now to find a good on-ramp or truck stop (or whatever I end up doing).

Off the train at 2:30.

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Off the train at 2:30. Have no idea where I am. Looks like some kind of city.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Hobo soundtrack

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I've been on this train for almost nine hours now. When the train starts going really fast, like 50 or 60 miles an hour, the shifting of...

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What a ride! I took that pic a few minutes ago, somewhere east of Yuma, Arizona. I don't know where this train is going, but it won'...

Does this work?

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There should be a short video of me, a freight train, a mouthful of sunflower seeds, and a big desert in this post. Did it work?
1 comment:

I'm riding the rails again,

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I'm riding the rails again, baby. Eastbound Union Pacific out of Palm Springs at 10:00 sharp.
Sunday, October 12, 2008

No death in the desert

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I spent all day yesterday in Indio, mostly in the bowling alley of a casino, where I was able to catch some football on TV. Later I had a ph...
Friday, October 10, 2008

Here in La Quinta, had

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Here in La Quinta, had I not just been paying attention as I crossed a street legally, I absolutely would have been killed by a FedEx truck.
1 comment:

Please continue wasting water, California.

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Please continue wasting water, California. We'll make more for you, just so you can have lots of green grass where there should be none.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008

If I can smell your

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If I can smell your cologne or perfume when you drive by, you need to use less of it. I don't think I've ever gotten a ride with an ...
Monday, October 06, 2008

Aimlesser

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It's a good thing I hung around Rancho/Ontario yesterday because I realized I should get new shoestrings before wandering into the deser...
2 comments:

More aimless than aimless

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After a lot of walking and a couple bus rides Saturday, I made it to Rancho a little before 4:00. Low on cash, my first objective was to wor...
Sunday, October 05, 2008

Very aimless

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First I want to congratulate my cousin Jeff and his new wife Sunshine. Welcome to the family, Sunshine. --> I'd walked as far as Palm...
Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Jeff, I'm happy to report

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Jeff, I'm happy to report that the Pizza Chalet is alive and kicking. (For everyone else, that's a pizzeria in Yucaipa, where Jeff u...
1 comment:
Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Back in Redlands

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When I wrote the previous post, I incorrectly said I'd walked 22.5 miles. I actually had walked 23.5 miles at that point and ended up wa...

That other thing

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Here's what I couldn't remember to say earlier today: I broke down and bought some shaving cream and razors yesterday. I just got si...
Monday, September 29, 2008

Weekend

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I actually had kind of a weekend this past weekend. It was weird; I'd really forgotten about the concept of 'weekend' because I ...
Sunday, September 28, 2008

Dirty cops in Fontana, California, Part 2

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I kinda feel like this post may not convey the whole picture of what happened between me and the Fontana cops. Y'know, my brain is not a...
Saturday, September 27, 2008

My third sleeping pad flaked

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My third sleeping pad flaked out last night, so I got a ride back to REI in Rancho Cucamonga this morning, from Redlands. Been in Rancho all...
Friday, September 26, 2008

Dirty cops in Fontana California Part 1

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Yesterday morning at 4:00 I was awakened by a security guard telling me to scram. At 4:20, while stuffing my things into my backpack in comp...
3 comments:
Thursday, September 25, 2008

A cop here at the

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A cop here at the Fontana police station just told another cop that Louisiana is closer to Florida than Georgia is to FL. Wait for this stor...
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

It just occurred to me

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It just occurred to me that I topped 1,000 miles walking this morning. That is, 1,000 miles in 2008. Walked about 1,100 last year.
1 comment:

Rancho Cucamonga. Koookamaaaaahnga. Titikaka. Heh,

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Rancho Cucamonga. Koookamaaaaahnga. Titikaka. Heh, heh heh. Oh yeah. Thank you, drive thru.
Monday, September 22, 2008

Bum with a camera

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For some reason I couldn't figure out how to embed the video of GloZell interviewing me, so here's a link to it . Oh, nevermind. -- ...
Saturday, September 20, 2008

Yesterday at a gas station

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Yesterday at a gas station I heard Prince's cover of 'Erotic City.' Today at a gas station, 'No parking on the dance floor....

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Apparently underage prostitution is legal in Los Angeles County.
2 comments:

By the way, Go Utes!

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By the way, Go Utes! (That was for Luke because Luke was the captain of the golf team at Utah and Luke is a very cool guy.)

Intermission

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If you watched the Tonight Show last night and heard a bunch of screaming for Dolly Parton, that was mostly GloZell. Shortly after the show ...
2 comments:
Thursday, September 18, 2008

Again

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Yes, I went to the Tonight Show yet again today, with GloZell. I also interviewed her as we waited in line. (Has anyone seen her interview o...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Round 2

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As you may already know, I went to the Tonight Show again today; sat with GloZell this time, unlike yesterday when I was all by myself. John...

Me & GloZell are the

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Me & GloZell are the only ones in line for the Tonight Show right now. We just talked to one of the guys from Parliament Funkadelic. Kic...

That guy

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There was a guy in the Tonight Show line that I talked to quite a bit as we waited. I didn't get his name, but he was really witty and f...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I ended up pretty much

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I ended up pretty much right in the middle of the Tonight Show audience, in the first elevated row behind the floor chairs. Watch the show 2...

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After walking east out of Burbank for a little bit, I changed my mind and started walking west so I could take a train to Pasadena. On the w...
2 comments:

Filming

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This movie shoot is on a basketball court on the corner of Riverside Drive and Beachwood in Burbank. I'm pretty sure it is a Disney movi...
Monday, September 15, 2008

Making movies

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I was beginning to make my way out of LA, from Universal City east through Burbank, until I noticed a sign with an arrow pointing the way to...

Walk of what?

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I can't figure out why everyone is so freakin' obsessed with these stars on Hollywood's sidewalks. Everyone's all stopping t...
Sunday, September 14, 2008

Pink's

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A few days ago I expected to start heading out of LA by about this morning, but I decided to stick around at least a couple more days becaus...
Saturday, September 13, 2008

What a fucking joke. No,

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What a fucking joke. No, I didn't get into the game.
3 comments:

Boeckman, you're fired. Put Pryor

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Boeckman, you're fired. Put Pryor in for good, Tressel. Jesus.

My mom called me to

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My mom called me to tell me she saw me on channel 4. Apparently they said I walked 6,000 miles to get here. I never said that. You saw my si...

Very big game tomorrow

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If you've been wondering why all these media people have been interviewing me, this picture should give you a pretty good clue. --> H...
Friday, September 12, 2008

I was just interviewed by

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I was just interviewed by a couple more reporters: Rob Oller from the Columbus Dispatch and a guy from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Schweeeet...

I was interviewed by the

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I was interviewed by the WCMH Channel 4 (Columbus) sports guy a few minutes ago. Showed my sign and told a little bit of my story. More late...

Erin Andrews just walked by

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Erin Andrews just walked by me at the Coliseum. I wonder if she remembers me from the Giants game when Barry Bonds broke the home run record...
Thursday, September 11, 2008

Found the best donut shop

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Found the best donut shop ever on the SE corner of Washington & La Brea in LA. It's called Good Day but the sign says Donuts & C...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Rodeo Drive

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One thing I noticed pretty quickly as I walked along Rodeo Drive was the handful of women who appeared to be masking their identity. Based o...

Axel Foley

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Not long after the Cake guys drove by, I had a visit from a Beverly Hills cop. Asking me first if I was all right and then asking me why I w...
Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Some dudes in a convertible

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Some dudes in a convertible just rolled thru the intersection where I sit (Foothill/Elevado), with Cake's cover of I Will Survive blarin...

Walking around Hollywood and Beverly

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Walking around Hollywood and Beverly Hills for a few days, I haven't seen any famous people. I wonder how many famous people have seen m...

I hope y'all realize Whole

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I hope y'all realize Whole Foods Market is a total scam... OK, it's not a TOTAL scam, but about 90 percent of it is a scam.
2 comments:
Monday, September 08, 2008

Stuff and things

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After working the off-ramp yesterday, I got donuts at the same shop as the other day, on Highland at Hollywood. Had my two faves--buttermilk...
Sunday, September 07, 2008

Good tramp

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After a cheap lunch at a Taco Bell near USC yesterday, I was down to my last $5. Following lunch, I went to a USC library for a few hours to...
4 comments:
Saturday, September 06, 2008

Another day at USC

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Picture, from left: Gisela, me, Lindy, Jon. --> I watched the USC band practice again yesterday afternoon. They began learning more drill...
Friday, September 05, 2008

Cambria, California conclusion

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Cambria, California, Part 1 Cambria, California, Part 2 When Gisela's tour was over, after I'd spent several hours below Hearst Cast...

A Hennessy billboard showing a

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A Hennessy billboard showing a white guy with a guitar! What's wrong with this ad? Answer below.
Thursday, September 04, 2008

Beat the Buckeyes?

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With no football game this weekend, the USC band is getting ready for the Buckeyes. Sounds like they'll be playing some Stevie Wonder at...
Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Cambria, California, Part 2

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If you haven't read Part 1 of this post yet, read it here . After pulling up to the ranch house near Cambria and talking to the two wome...

Showdown

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Ah yeah, this is where it all goes down in ten days. The Ohio State Buckeyes versus the University of Southern California Trojans at the Los...
Monday, September 01, 2008

Louisiana

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To my friends and acquaintances in Louisiana, I hope you're all right, as I've heard there is another hurricane heading your way. Be...

Cambria, California

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Friday afternoon I walked out of Carmel toward Big Sur. Many miles down the road, as I walked that evening, I started feeling a pain on the ...
Sunday, August 31, 2008

Dee-ah-nah

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Thursday evening after walking through Monterey's Cannery Row, I stopped to take a break and eat at an oceanside park. After talking to ...

San Simeon

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I'm at the 'staging center' for tours of the Hearst Castle (which is somewhere in that picture) right now, with Gisela. Gisela i...
Thursday, August 28, 2008

Big droopy titties

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Well, I finally got a ride yesterday after my road ended at the 101, south of Gilroy, leaving me with nowhere to walk. The ride was from a l...
3 comments:
Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Downtown Gilroy looks like the

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Downtown Gilroy looks like the perfect place for my pizzeria that will never exist.
1 comment:
Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Coastal California

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In the coastal region of California between San Francisco and Los Angeles, including those cities, the local people just will not stop to of...
Monday, August 25, 2008

Busted!

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I was handcuffed yesterday for the first time in my life. It wasn't really a big deal, though; I wasn't arrested or anything. It was...
Saturday, August 23, 2008

Aimless is not a love

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Aimless is not a love story. Forget the rest of the story because it was too perfect to be real.
Friday, August 22, 2008

Looks like Stanford University is

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Looks like Stanford University is going to make an excellent campground tonight.
Thursday, August 21, 2008

No comments?

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Are y'all telling me none of my recent posts are worthy of comments? Do I have to be an asshole to get comments or something? -- Aimless...
7 comments:
Saturday, August 16, 2008

Are there still any Berkeley

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Are there still any Berkeley students out there reading this? Or Billy Lieberknecht? If so, I'll be there in about an hour. Call me or s...
Thursday, August 14, 2008

All the way

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Here's a picture of Vernon. By the way, I'm still riding with him, even though he went to Buffalo while I was at the truck stop near...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Vernon

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Leaving home Thursday July 31 just after 5:00, I embarked on a 17-mile walk to I-70 Exit 79 (Ohio), where there is a TA, a Pilot, and severa...
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Ryan M. Powell
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