So due to some issues with me not having a valid ID or a SS card I was unable to get any kind of work in the Burque. I had a mattress in a basement, my guitar, and some clothes. Hell, I couldn't even busk due to the city requiring you to buy a permit to do so and that required a valid ID.
Things were getting rough. I was getting jerked around by the system while trying to get my ID straightened out, and it was going to take a month or so. By this point, I was pretty depressed, and getting kind of hungry. So I figured I'd go back to Wisconsin where I know I could get my ID issues straightened out so I could get back to traveling and be a little more prepared.
The day I decided to make my leave, I was pretty hard up to leave the city. I've never had an opportunity to hop a train with either of my two experienced friends. And both have warned me not to take your first few trips solo. But I was getting kind of desperate. So I walked down to the yard, and after scoping things out I still had no clue how I was going to go about doing it. But I figured I'd do it. So I started walking back to the house I was staying at to get my bag and my guitar. As I was heading toward Central I saw two filthy old dudes who fit the descriptions I'd heard of FTRA dudes perfectly(black bandanas, angry, and drunk). And they were headed toward the yard. I decided that my no experience having ass should stay the fuck away from the yard after that. I didn't know for sure if they were what I thought they were, but no way I was risking it.
So after sweet talking a Frito Pie and a bottle of water off of a street vendor I went and sat in the shade by Central and 6th and worked on my new plan of action. I ended up deciding to call a real good, secure, responsible friend of mine back in WI and seeing if he'd Greyhound me home.
So after borrowing a cellphone I got the details straightened out and I was set to leave NM at 10:30 that night and be back in Madison at 37 hours later.
I went back to where I was staying, packed my bag and grabbed my guitar. And decided to get there early so I could try and busk, permit or not, fuck em, I was leaving and felt like having a couple bucks on me for the trip.
So I went and sat in front of the Greyhound station around 8 o'clock and was picking and singing all kinds of shit. I made a couple bucks, and after a while an old homebum came walking by and freaked out on me and started requesting a bunch of old gospel stuff. I did my best to oblige him. But a majority of the songs I didn't really know my way around. After about a half an hour of this I had a whole crew of drunk and loud bums sitting around me passing bottles of vodka and cooking wine around and having one fuck of a good time.
Unfortunately, the pack of bums around me ran off anyone who might have donated some change. But it really was a damn entertaining way to spend my final evening in the Burque.
Things were getting rough. I was getting jerked around by the system while trying to get my ID straightened out, and it was going to take a month or so. By this point, I was pretty depressed, and getting kind of hungry. So I figured I'd go back to Wisconsin where I know I could get my ID issues straightened out so I could get back to traveling and be a little more prepared.
The day I decided to make my leave, I was pretty hard up to leave the city. I've never had an opportunity to hop a train with either of my two experienced friends. And both have warned me not to take your first few trips solo. But I was getting kind of desperate. So I walked down to the yard, and after scoping things out I still had no clue how I was going to go about doing it. But I figured I'd do it. So I started walking back to the house I was staying at to get my bag and my guitar. As I was heading toward Central I saw two filthy old dudes who fit the descriptions I'd heard of FTRA dudes perfectly(black bandanas, angry, and drunk). And they were headed toward the yard. I decided that my no experience having ass should stay the fuck away from the yard after that. I didn't know for sure if they were what I thought they were, but no way I was risking it.
So after sweet talking a Frito Pie and a bottle of water off of a street vendor I went and sat in the shade by Central and 6th and worked on my new plan of action. I ended up deciding to call a real good, secure, responsible friend of mine back in WI and seeing if he'd Greyhound me home.
So after borrowing a cellphone I got the details straightened out and I was set to leave NM at 10:30 that night and be back in Madison at 37 hours later.
I went back to where I was staying, packed my bag and grabbed my guitar. And decided to get there early so I could try and busk, permit or not, fuck em, I was leaving and felt like having a couple bucks on me for the trip.
So I went and sat in front of the Greyhound station around 8 o'clock and was picking and singing all kinds of shit. I made a couple bucks, and after a while an old homebum came walking by and freaked out on me and started requesting a bunch of old gospel stuff. I did my best to oblige him. But a majority of the songs I didn't really know my way around. After about a half an hour of this I had a whole crew of drunk and loud bums sitting around me passing bottles of vodka and cooking wine around and having one fuck of a good time.
Unfortunately, the pack of bums around me ran off anyone who might have donated some change. But it really was a damn entertaining way to spend my final evening in the Burque.
