I <3 apple juice
I have a draft saved from a couple nights ago that I don’t really feel like finishing. That’s in the past. Let’s get with current events.
I will however try my best to summarize it with a few more words than my last summarization.
I hung out in Blues on the Green and met with another Detroiter. Vinnie was a good person and he introduced me to a couple other CSers from the area. One such, Rowen, was offering me a ride back to my host’s place. I gladly accepted it because I hate busses for some reason that I’ll never be able to explain. I didn’t really know where I was staying at. All I remembered was 51st and Airport Rd.
My phone wasn’t working right and I didn’t have high hopes of finding my host’s place in the dark while drunk. On the way I found a nice onramp at I-35 that I could spend the night under safely. I was hoping it woulnd’t resort to that though.
Long story short I made it back safely after some trial and error only to find the door was locked. Again. Long story short, I got in.
My first experience pedaling a bike in 6 years sucked, and I don’t want to talk about it.
Traveling is about more than checking off places that you’ve visited. Every place I’ve been to has been pretty similar to the last. The only thing that stands out are the people you meet.
Kenny came up for the Detroit Couch Crash and I had a blast with him. We drank good beer, had good conversation, and pretty much had a blast together. Within 24 hours of calling him, I’m now sitting on his couch typing away.
I planned on taking the bobcat tram from Austin Texas to San Marcos. It’s only about 20 miles south (I originally thought west until looking at my map) and for $6 the value was just right. After sleeping in late due to my exhaustion I started packing up. It’s fun to leave a place and have to put your life into a little convenient package to carry with you. Everytime I decide that “this” doesn’t need to come with me anymore my pack gets a little lighter.
By the time I woke up I had 2 options for my bus. The first was leaving in 30 minutes, and the last was leaving in 4 hours. Either way I figured I was good.
Let me emphasize again incase you didn’t get the memo. Chuck is not good at public transit. Chuck loves to hitchhike.
“Slaughter @ Congress” was the sign I flew this time. The first rule of hitchhiking is to never hitch when you have somewhere to be. Well I had somewhere to be. Slaughter Ln and S Congress St to be exact. I had 20 minutes to get there before I had to wait 4 hours for the next bus.
After realizing my bus was going to leave me in the next 5 minutes, I got more relaxed and decided to take a break and drink some water. BTW, it was 104 in Austin today. BTW, that’s hot as fuck.
I put my sign down for a drink and noticed Barry in his truck throwing his arms up as if to say “where are you going.” I quickly dropped my bottle, flew my sign, and ended up in the truck with him. Barry was an old hippie who had moved to Austin 30 years ago. He had to pick up a door at home depot before he headed to south Austin to install it, but offered me a ride if I was willing to go to home depot with him.
Of course I obliged.
He told me about the girl he moved to Austin for. He told me about his adventure hitchhiking to Seattle to see Jimi Hendrix perform many years before I was born. He told me about the sites, and we talked about life in general. He dropped me off at an onramp where Slaughter meets Congress. We shook hands and he told me to drink plenty of water. Thanks, Barry.
My initial plan was to head up South Congress and check out that part of Austin where all the cool kids hang. After 22 seconds in the heat and 50 pounds on my back I decided that was a terrible idea and I was going to have to pass. So WTF was I going to do for 4 hours waiting for the bus?!
Well. After aimlessly walking around a parking lot of walmart for a little bit I decided it would be in my best nature to hitch out of town. If I didn’t get a ride within 4 hours I would catch a bus. If I did get a ride, I’d get to San Marcos that much sooner.
I dragged all 50 pounds of my life over to the onramp that I had been dropped off and reached down for my notebook. A good hitchhiking tip is to not use cardboard. Yes. Everyone you see has a cardboard sign and that’s what you think of when you think of someone flying a sign. Bad idea. The best way to get attention is high contrast. Black sharpie on white paper.
I reach down to get my notebook out and I’m fumbling around for my stuff when I get hit with something. I look down to see a bottle of what appears to be apple juice. I look up and see a young latino girl hanging from the passenger side of a window yelling “you fucking bum.”
I don’t even know what to say about that here. We spend so much time judging others. We have these silly pre conceived notions about who people are based on silly arbitrary things like a guy on a corner with a bag. I wasn’t even flying a sign. I was just digging around looking for some stuff. If we spent 30 seconds getting to know someone we could probably crush all of those silly ideas we have about someone.
All I could was smile at her. I hope her hitting me with a bottle of apple juice made her day that much better. It sure didn’t get me down. I’m out living my dream and all she’s doing with herself is throwing stuff at ‘bums.’
A few minutes later Ryan picks me up. Ryan is a 28 year old mechanic who is on his way to San Marcos to pick up a transmission. He told me he didn’t want my day to be as bad as his. Ryan is a native of Texas and has a daughter of 8 years old. He married the mother in his early 20′s and is currently seperated. He lives with his Mom in Austin and races cars on the side. He drops me off at Kenny’s place and thanks me for the company. “Talking to you got my mind off my problems.” He didn’t even have to hit me with anything.
I ended up at Kenny’s 4 hours earlier and 6 dollars richer. Ryan gave me his number and told me if I ever make it back to Austin to give him a call. This is what life is about, people.
Apple Juice: a) are you positive it was apple juice… or just something else that looked like apple juice? b) thank god the bottle didn’t explode all over you.
Miss you, Chuck. Keep up the good work with not getting cut up into a million tiny pieces.
I was afraid it was urine so I did a taste test. Actually I smelled it. The bottle didn’t have a cap and only hit me in the leg so I didn’t get alot on me.