Recap (Day 32)

Woke up at 7:30AM, it's sunday and i'm taking the day off!!

Got dressed, gathered all dirty laundry into my backpack and rode to the laundrymat.

Sheryl was there, we talked a bit. Used a $5 McDonalds gift certificate i had been given a few days ago to get a breakfast meal while my clothes were in the washer.

Rode back to laundrymat to finish laundry, read SW book meanwhile.

Riding to the place took about 35mins, 45mins for the way home 'cause i was riding against the wind.

Get my laptop and went to the library. Returned a bunch of graphic novels and got "Cool Careers for Dummies".

I've read Dummies books before, they are good. I'm trying to asses what sort of career i can have in Edmonton because i really don't want to become a dishwasher or laborer again if i can help it.

I got so far: Expense Reduction Consultant, Web Content Finder, Conference Taping Specialist, Shyness Coach, Victim Assistant, Virtual Assistant, Troubled Teen Consultant, Foreign Language Interpreter, Technical Support Specialist, Computer Repairperson, Solar and Wind Energy Technologist/Installer, Electrician, Personal Chef, Product Tester, Deb Collection Specialist. Some may require a short period of training.

Went online, updated some of my blog. Checked my guild's website (i always do).

Stayed in the library until closing (5PM).

Went to BK, ate a salad and read a SW book, felt sleepy at around 7PM so i went home.

Listened to music, then read more of the book, i think i fell asleep around 10PM.

Recap (Day 31)

Woke up at 7AM, read a graphic novel (can't recall if it was SW or X-Men) until about 9AM. Ok, so i'm a bit of a nerd, so sue me.

Got breakfast at BK, read a SW book until 10:30AM then went to the turnpike to sign until 5PM.

Went to...surprise!...BK!! duh... got some food and stayed there until 9PM reading.

Went home, read until 11PM then went to sleep after arguing with a racoon about his (or her) unwanted attention and him (or her) being way too close to my tent.

Recap (Day 30)

Woke up at 8AM, went to BK for breakfast.

Worked the turnpike from 11:30AM to 5PM.

Ate at BK, trying to stick to the $1 side salad with ranch dressing. I want to lose some weight.

My body feels stronger, most likely from walking and biking.

Read a SW book (i'm going through quite a few it seems) until 9:30PM then left BK.

Went home, listened to the radio a bit and then went to sleep.

Day 29

Woke up at 7:30AM. Read the book until 9AM.

Went to BK (where else?) for breakfast and continued reading the book until 10AM.

Left BK and went to a bust stop near the turnpike corner to read a star wars graphic novel... by the time i finished, it was 11:30AM, later than i thought.

Signed until 5PM, got a cuban sandwhich from a guy and it was worth sitting down to eat for 10mins, it was delicious.

Went back to BK for the biggest strawberry milkshake they could give me (it was gigantic)... i think i need to stop getting these milshakes.

Got to the library at 6:20PM, updated the blog. 8PM now, will update blog again with today's entry and stay to read a SW graphic novel until 9PM.

I've noticed that i feel less pain on my legs from the long hours (6hrs almost non stop signing and walking) at the corner. My back is still in bad shape, but i'm going to bear with the pain. It's worth it if after new year's i can go to Canada.

Even with my current condition and situation, i've never been happier (compared to my 11 years of marriage). I enjoy looking up at the sky and appreciate my freedom.

I wonder if (after i'm sure that i'm divorced) i will find a kind soul to call my beloved?

Only god knows, i guess.

Meanwhile, tomorrow is another day to sign.

Day 28

Woke up at 7AM. Last night the nearby construction site started working at 4AM!! bright lights and enough noise to make it hard for me to get back to sleep.

Went to BK for breakfast.

Started signing at 11AM, was kicked off the corner by a latino highway trooper (so much for latino brotherhood) at about 2:15PM. I waited 25 mins then went back to the corner. Stayed there until 5PM. I got some food during that time so i only got a $1 milkshake from BK.

I decided to just spend the money for the power supply that i needed for the laptop ($80 plus tax).

I got to the library at 6:30PM, new power supply works great.

Problem is: library wi-fi doesn't work well with windows xp networking software! it wont detect the wi-fi... yet it worked at Mc Donalds last time, bleh!

Battery is now charged at 50%, been reading "Everville" meanwhile.

Library is about to close. I will probably do the same routine as last night.

Thursday will be my last blog entry until Monday due to signing time and library time conflict.

Day 27

Woke up at 6:30AM, got dresses and went to BK for breakfast. There i asked 2 local gents about where to get a PO Box. I was told to check Pak-n-Ship store and the Post Office nearby (which i didn't know was so close to me).

Both places were a bust, minimum 6 month contract, which comes to $150 or more, not worth it for the month's use (since i will be leaving in january).

I may have to spend $80 for a universal power adapter, bleh!

Worked the turnpike corner from 10:30AM to 5:30PM. oh yeah, i bought a red and white santa hat to see if it would increase the cash flow, it didn't.

I won't wear it again until xmas week.

Went to BK, spent a bit more since i got a small strawberry milkshake, love that flavor.

Got to the library at about 6:30PM, checked my inbox, nothing. I'm giving up on finding a normal job on craig's list. Maybe i will have better luck in Edmonton.

I'm gonna read the book for a while ('til 9PM), then head home, listen to the radio until about 10-11PM and then go to sleep.

Day 26

Woke up at 7:30AM. Decided to go and do my laundry later that morning (a mistake i realized later).

Went to BK at 9AM to eat breakfast, my laundrybag was with me; left the bike at home (mistake #2).

Took the bus to the laundromat, that took a while due to the route it takes (and it's the only bus that takes me to the place).

Had to buy a new bag because the one i was using had too many holes.

Total cost of doing laundry (plus my new laundry bag): $5, detergent and softener included.

By the time i had made it back home and to my corner...a guy named Ron had it.

I tried to talk my way back to having it by telling him I'd be back in 1 hour (it was 1PM then) to work the corner, i felt guilty afterwards for doing that. Greed took a hold of me, Dwayne wasn't happy about it when i told him.

"Whomever gets there first has it" he told me. He was right.

I worked the other corner and was gonna tell Ron i wasn't going to take the corner from him at 2PM.

At 1:30PM a highway patrol kicked Ron off the corner, he waved at me and left.

When god sends you a message, he sure is clear about it, at least with me.

A few minutes later, i moved to the better corner and started to sign. Things went ok until about 4:30PM, another highway patrol trooper (a nice woman) kindly told me to pick another corner because the spot which most know to be the most profitable, it's also private property of the Department of Transportation and they put a "tresspassing" sign right at the corner.

I moved to the other corner, waited 10mins then moved back. I signed until 5:30PM, then went to BK, ate 2 whooper jr, a well spent $2.13.

Counted my money, then rode to the library.

I think the first week of january (2008) i will get on acquiring my DNI, Passport and my bus ticket to Canada, all in one week. I may have to bribe someone at the consulate to get all i need in a day ( hey i know how things work with a peruvian bureaucracy).

It's going to be rough going to Canada next month, but if i stay here...i may end up stuck signing for god knows how long and i don't want to do that.

I rather freeze to death than hold a sign at a corner to live after new year's.

Almost forgot, someone gave me a new medium shirt, don't fit me, probably will give it to the thrift shop at the church near me.

Library is closing soon, I'll be heading home, read some more of the book, listen to music and then sleep. Pretty much all my hopes and dreams lie in Canada, a big risk, but hey... it's that or being stuck here with zero shot at being a legit guy.

Recap (Day 25)

Woke up at 7:30AM, listened to the radio for 30mins, then got dressed and went to BK.

Spent my usual $2.13 for breakfast, I'm listening to American Top 40 on the radio.

It's 9:20AM now, i will be going to the turnpike at 11AM to start signing.

Things went pretty good. From 11AM-5PM i signed, made a good chunk.

I felt a bit tired and worried. The more i have, the more concerned i'm about as to where to place my savings.

Went to BK, spent $2.13 as usual. Stayed there reading the book "Everville" by Clive Barker that Dwayne had given me weeks ago. So far i like it.

Left BK at about 8PM and decided to get some empty milk crates to make myself a "bed" with 8 crates, as a base, carboard to smooth it out and the 2 used sleeping bags on top.

Took me about an hour to get it all done, i like the new bed, makes me feel a bit more normal.

Racoon struck again at a bag with food i had hung on a tree. I made noises, but he would only stop a few minutes, then go at it again.

I let him finish, meanwhile i read more of the book, then turned off the flashlight and listened to the radio until 11PM before i went to sleep.

Recap (Day 24)

Woke up at 8AM, relaxed knowing i wasn't going to be selling papers today.

I must approach things from a profit pov. If i can make 3-5 times or more signing than selling newspapers... i got to sign.

Dwayne told me i could make more than enough to reach Canada if i work the corner all of december to new year's from noon to 5-6PM.

Went to the turnpike at noon, then at 1PM Mike (another homeless guy i know) showed up asking to get the corner i had for a bit. I'm not greedy so i left him have it from 1:30PM to 3:30PM.

I spent those 2hrs at BK finishing the second star wars book.

Then worked from 3:30PM to to 5:45PM, Dwayne was right. I made a decent chunk of money.

Went to BK, ate some food and stayed until 8PM. Rode to the Laundromat to thank Sheryl who works there for her advice last week, she told me to get a bike.

Spoke with her a bit, then headed home.

I think i went to sleep at 10 or 11PM.

Recap (Day 23)

Bought a crank-up flashlight last night. No batteries needed, it will save me money.

I then went home, read some more of the book before i went to sleep.

I woke up at 7AM, and decided it would be my last day selling papers. The amount of money i was making was miserable, not even minimum wage.

I went to BK for breakfast, then to the corner from 8-10AM, made a couple of bucks. I then dropped off the papers at the usual spot and sent word to Paul not to leave me any papers.

Returned to the corner and signed a bit. Made more doing that for 30 mins than in 2 hrs selling papers. I'm sure i made the right decision.

Rode to the turnpike and signed from 11AM to 5PM.

I made decent money. Went to BK and spent $2.13 for food and stayed there until 9PM reading a book.

My back has been hurting for a few days, probably from me sleeping in the tent. Even with a sleeping bag my back was still in bad shape before i became homeless.

I've been working through the pain, my thought is "nothing worth having comes easy, anyways, if i feel the pain, it means i'm alive".

I read more of the book at home, the new flashlight works pretty good. I crank it for a min and it works for half an hour.

Went to sleep at 11PM.